Gasket having a fiber-optic pressure sensor assembly

• US 6,945,117 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Dana Automotive Systems Group, LLC (Dana, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dana Corporation (Dana, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gause, Charles B., Rice, Trevor, Boyd, Clark D., Vicari, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Oen, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Allen, Andre
• Application Number:
  US10/652,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20050044959A1
• Time in Patent Office: 753 Days
• Field of Search: 737/05, 737/06, 737/08, 737/17, 737/53, 361/283.1
• US Class Current: 73/729.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 23/16 by photoelectric means
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0039 using photoelectric means

Abstract

A sensor assembly includes a stainless steel tubular housing. Within the housing is a polyetheretherketone tube and a sensor. An optical fiber joins the sensor to a transmission cable and is fixedly positioned within the tube. A first end of the housing includes a pressure transmission device or bellows and the second end of the housing is crimped about the tube to fixedly position the tube and the sensor within the housing. The sensor assembly is positioned within a channel of a gasket to obtain pressure data from a combustion chamber. This abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A sensor assembly comprising:

a housing having a first end and a second end;

a tube positioned within said housing so as to be concentric within said housing;

a sensor positioned within said housing;

wherein said first end of said housing includes a pressure transmission device and said second end of said housing is sealed about said tube so as to encircle said tube to fixedly position said tube and said sensor within said housing.

2. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, wherein said pressure transmission device is an elastic bellows joined to said first end of said housing.

3. A sensor assembly, as in claim 2, wherein said bellows is substantially nickel.

4. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, wherein said sensor is a fiber optic pressure sensor and an optical fiber of said sensor is fixedly positioned within said tube.

5. A sensor assembly, as in claim 4, wherein said fiber optic pressure sensor is an extrinsic fabry-perot interferometer.

6. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, wherein said housing is a stainless steel tube.

7. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, further including a fluid within said housing for suspending said sensor within said housing.

8. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, wherein said second end of said housing is crimped around said tube to fixedly position said tube within said housing.

9. A sensor assembly, as in claim 8 wherein said crimped second end of said housing deforms said tube to fixedly position said sensor within said tube

10. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, wherein said second end of said housing is soldered about said tube to fixedly position said tube within said housing.

11. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, wherein said second end of said housing is sealed with an adhesive around said tube to fixedly position said tube within said housing.

12. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, wherein said tube is thermoplastic.

13. A sensor assembly, as in claim 12, wherein said thermoplastic tube is substantially polyetheretherketone.

14. A sensor assembly, as in claim 1, further including a transmission cable attached to said sensor within said tube and for transmitting data from said sensor to a processing device, said transmission cable exiting said housing at said second end.