Sensor device for detecting a moisture content of a flowing fluid medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9903847-B2
Application number	US-201414765879-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2014
Priority date	Mar 22, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

A sensor device includes a moisture module that includes a sensor element for detecting moisture of a fluid medium flowing in a flow direction and a protective membrane screening the sensor element. The sensor device includes a housing, in a measuring chamber of which the moisture module is at least partially situated, and that includes a protective tube extending into the flowing fluid medium in an axial direction perpendicular to the flow direction, the protective tube is designed for flow of the fluid medium into at least one inlet opening, through an inflow path, into the measuring chamber counter to the axial direction, and out of the measuring chamber via an outflow path in the axial direction and an outlet opening, where, with respect to a direction of gravity, the openings are at a bottom of the protective tube.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A sensor device, comprising:
a moisture module that includes a sensor element configured to detect moisture of a flowing fluid medium, and a protective membrane arranged to screen the sensor element; and
a housing, the moisture module being situated at least partially in a measuring chamber of the housing, wherein the housing includes a protective tube that:
extends in an axial direction into the flowing fluid medium;
includes at least one inflow path of an inflow connecting piece configured for a flow of the fluid medium therethrough counter to the axial direction and into the measuring chamber; and
includes at least one outflow path of an outflow connecting piece configured for flow of the fluid medium therethrough from the measuring chamber and in the axial direction;
wherein the inflow path and the outflow path are aligned in a same axial direction,
wherein the measuring chamber is in the sensor device, and
wherein the flowing fluid medium flows across the inflow connecting piece and across the outflow connecting piece.

2. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the protective tube is configured to provide a sufficient flow over of the protective membrane for detection by the sensor element of the moisture within a short reaction time of the sensor element.

3. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the inflow path and the outflow path are arranged rotationally symmetrical to a rotational axis running in the axial direction.

4. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the axial direction of the protective tube is aligned essentially perpendicular to a main flow direction of the fluid medium in a flow chamber from which the fluid medium enters the at least one inflow path.

5. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one inflow path encloses the outflow path at least partially concentrically in an annular manner.

6. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one inflow path includes at least one inlet opening, and the outflow path includes an outlet opening that is situated farther into the flow of the fluid medium than does the at least one inlet opening.

7. The sensor device of claim 6 , wherein the protective tube includes at least one demarcation edge in a vicinity of the inlet opening and at least one rounding in a vicinity of the outlet opening, and an edge radius of the demarcation edge is substantially smaller than an edge radius of the rounding.

8. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one inflow path includes a plurality of inflow paths, each provided with a respective inlet opening, the outflow path is provided with an outlet opening, and the inlet openings are positioned concentrically about the outlet opening at a radial distance.

9. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the protective tube forms an annular gap between an outer circumferential area of the outflow connecting piece and inlet openings into the at least one inflow path.

10. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein, between a position at which the at least one inflow path opens out into the measuring chamber and a position at which the at least one outflow path opens into the measuring chamber, the protective tube includes at least one contour section that runs parallel to a direction in which the protective membrane extends.

11. The sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the housing includes at least one fastening element for fastening the housing to a wall section of a flow chamber through which the fluid medium flows, such that the protective tube extends at least partially into the flow chamber.

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Kuenzl Bernd
• Kaufmann Andreas
• Konzelmann Uwe
• Steuber Frank
• Briese Achim

Classifications

• F01N2560/028

  for measuring or detecting humidity or water · CPC title

• F01N13/008

  Mounting or arrangement of exhaust sensors in or on exhaust apparatus (sensor arrangements for engine control F02D41/1439) · CPC title

• G01N27/223

  for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity (rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825) · CPC title

• G01N33/0059 Primary

  Avoiding interference of a gas with the gas to be measured · CPC title