Sensor Structure

• US 20120085324A1
• Filed: 10/06/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Automotive Systems Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: SAITO, Takayuki, Kobayashi, Chihiro
• Application Number:
  US13/267,419
• Publication Number:
  US 20120085324A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 123/494
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/1038 for temperature or pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10386 for flow rate air flow meters in air cleaners F02M35/021; circuit arrangements for generating control signals by measuring intake air flow F02D41/18
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 35/10393 for characterising a multi-component mixture, e.g. for the composition such as humidity, density or viscosity
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/684 Structural arrangements; Mounting of elements, e.g. in relation to fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow

Abstract

A sensor structure capable of achieving both resistance to pollution and measurement performance such as humidity responsiveness is disclosed as is a multifunction sensor capable of facilitating integration of detecting devices for various physical quantities. The sensor structure includes a housing including a connector that mediates an input/output exchange with an outside and a terminal of the connector; and an electronic circuit board that is mounted inside of the housing and includes a humidity sensing element, the terminal of the connector and the electronic circuit board being electrically connected to each other, the sensor structure being inserted to be attached to an airflow tube through which a main air flows, via a seal material provided in the housing. The housing includes a plurality of bypass channels that each communicate an inside of the housing with an inside of the airflow tube.

Claims

1. A sensor structure comprising:

a housing including a connector that mediates an input/output exchange with an outside and a terminal of the connector; and

an electronic circuit board that is mounted inside of the housing and includes a humidity sensing element,

the terminal of the connector and the electronic circuit board being electrically connected to each other,

the sensor structure being inserted to be attached to an airflow tube through which a main air flows, via a seal material provided in the housing, wherein

the housing includes a plurality of bypass channels that each communicate an inside of the housing with an inside of the airflow tube, and

the plurality of bypass channels are each provided at an offset point with respect to a flow direction of the main air flowing through the airflow tube, and each have an opening near an inner wall surface of the airflow tube.

2. The sensor structure according to claim 1, further comprising a projection-like structure between the plurality of bypass channels.

3. The sensor structure according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the plurality of bypass channels serves as an air intake channel that takes air into the housing, for humidity measurement,

at least one of the plurality of other bypass channels serves as an air exhaust channel that exhausts the taken-in air to the inside of the airflow tube,

the humidity sensing element is provided at a position inside of the housing through which the taken-in air passes, and

the taken-in air is exhausted after passing through the humidity sensing element.

4. The sensor structure according to claim 3, wherein a route from the air intake channel to the air exhaust channel runs on an outer side of an outer wall surface of the airflow tube.

5. The sensor structure according to claim 1, wherein the opening is formed in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the main air.

6. The sensor structure according to claim 1, wherein

part of the housing is formed so as to protrude to the inside of the airflow tube, and

the opening is formed between the inner wall surface of the airflow tube and the seal material.

7. The sensor structure according to claim 1, wherein a channel sectional area of each of the plurality of bypass channels is increased near a position at which the humidity sensing element is provided.

8. The sensor structure according to claim 1, further comprising, on a lower side of the humidity sensing element of the housing in an insertion direction into the airflow tube:

an airflow sensing element that senses a quantity of air flowing inside of the airflow tube; and

an electronic circuit board for an airflow sensor, the electronic circuit board being electrically connected to the airflow sensing element, wherein

an air flow signal and a humidity signal respectively obtained from the airflow sensing element and the humidity sensing element can be exchanged with the outside via the connector.

9. The sensor structure according to claim 8, wherein

the airflow sensing element is provided inside of a secondary air flow passage that takes in part of the main air, and

a route of an air flow for airflow detection inside of the secondary air flow passage and a route of an air flow for humidity detection inside of the plurality of bypass channels run independently of each other.

10. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 1.

11. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 2.

12. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 3

13. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 4.

14. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 5

15. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 6.

16. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 7.

17. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 8

18. A fuel injection system for an internal combustion engine, comprising the sensor structure according to claim 9.