FLUID SENSOR DEVICE

• US 20100007360A1
• Filed: 05/26/2008
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Scherer, Monlka, Klett, Gustav, Niemann, Markus, Kaess, Udo
• Application Number:
  US12/443,848
• Publication Number:
  US 20100007360A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/672
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/226 Construction of measuring vessels; Electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/2852 alcohol/fuel mixtures

Abstract

The invention provides a fluid sensor device (1; 1′; 1′; 1″) for detecting a dielectricity constant of a fluid (30) present in a fluid line (20), comprising a housing (5; 5′; 5′; 5″); a plate capacitor device provided on the inside of the housing (5; 5′; 5′; 5″), the plate capacitor device comprising a first and a second capacitor plate (8a, 8b; 8a′, 8b′; 8a′, 8b′; 8a″, 8b″); wherein the housing (5; 5′; 5′; 5″) on the surface thereof has an arched attachment region for attaching the fluid line (20); and wherein the first and second capacitor plates (8a, 8b; 8a′, 8b′; 8a′, 8b′; 8a″, 8b″) are disposed next to the attachment region such that a fluid (30) present in the fluid line (20) attached in the attachment region is provided at least partially between the first and second capacitor plates (8a, 8b; 8a′, 8b′; 8a′, 8b′; 8a″, 8b″).

Claims

1. A fluid sensor device (1;

1′

;

1″

;

1′

″

) for measuring a dielectric constant of a fluid (30) in a fluid line (20), having;

a housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

);

a plate capacitor device with a first and second capacitor plate (8a, 8b;

8a′

, 8b′

;

8a″

, 8b″

;

8c′

″

, 8c′

″

) provided inside the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

);

wherein the surface of the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) has a curved mounting region for mounting the fluid line (20); and

the first and second capacitor plates (8a, 8b;

8a′

, 8b′

;

8a″

, 8b″

;

8c′

″

, 8c′

″

) are situated next to the mounting region in such a way that a fluid (30) in the fluid line (20) mounted in the mounting region is at least partially situated between the first and second capacitor plates (8a, 8b;

8a′

, 8b′

;

8a″

, 8b″

;

8c′

″

, 8c′

″

).

2. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the mounting region is the surface region of the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) in a passage extending through the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

).

3. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the mounting region is the surface region of the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) in a trough (59) on the surface of the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

).

4. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 3,

wherein it is possible for a bracket (60) to be fastened to the housing in relation to the trough (59) in such a way that it is possible to mount the fluid line (20) onto the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) between the trough (59) and the bracket (60).

5. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 4,

wherein the clamping bracket (60) has a hinge (64) at its first end and a detachable fastening device (62) at its second end.

6. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 4, wherein the bracket (60) is a metallic clamping bracket.

7. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the first and second capacitor plates (8a, 8b;

8a′

, 8b′

;

8a″

, 8b″

;

8c′

″

, 8c′

″

) are embodied as flat and are arranged essentially tangential to a curvature line of the mounting region.

8. The fluid sensor device as recited in one of the preceding claim 1,

wherein the first and second capacitor plates (8a, 8b;

8a′

, 8b′

;

8a″

, 8b″

;

8c′

″

, 8c′

″

) are embodied as curved and are arranged essentially parallel to a curvature line of the mounting region.

9. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 2,

wherein the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) is embodied essentially in the form of a hollow cylinder and the passage (5a) extends essentially parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

10. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 3,

wherein the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) is embodied essentially in the form of a semicylindrical shell and the trough (59) extends essentially parallel to the axis of the cylinder.

11. The fluid sensor device as recited in one of the preceding claim 1,

wherein the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) has an extension (55) in which an evaluation device (40) connected to the plate capacitor device is at least partially accommodated.

12. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 11,

wherein it is possible for an electrical plug connector device (45) to be mounted onto the end of the extension (55).

13. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 1,

wherein the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) is a shaped plastic part.

14. The fluid sensor device as recited in claim 2, wherein the housing (5;

5′

;

5″

;

5′

″

) is composed of two semicylindrical shells that are able to swing open to enable mounting of the fluid line (20).

15. A use of a fluid sensor device as recited in claim 1 for measuring a dielectric constant of a fuel (30) in a fuel line (20) of a motor vehicle.