Pressure sensor

• US 7,159,464 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Issued: 01/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nagano Keiki Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nagano Keiki Company Limited
• Inventors: Tohyama, Shuji, Miyahara, Ikuya, Kobayashi, Hayato
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLEN, ANDRE J
• Application Number:
  US11/091,248
• Publication Number:
  US 20050217383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• Field of Search: 737/06, 737/27, 737/56, 737/15
• US Class Current: 73/706
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0038 being part of the housing other details about the housing G01L19/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0084 to the outside of the housing other details about the housing see G01L19/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/143 Two part housings
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/148 Details about the circuit board integration, e.g. integrated with the diaphragm surface or encapsulation

Abstract

An electric wire insertion hole (41) arranged in a housing (4), an ventilation path of inside space (422) of which one end is opened to a pressure sensor internal space (7) and an intersection portion (421) communicating the both each other are provided. Since the electric wire insertion hole (41) and the intersection (421) intersect at right angles, water or dust entering into the electric wire insertion hole (41) does not enter a lot into the intersection (421). Therefore, water or dust hardly enters into the pressure sensor internal space (7). There is no need of a waterproof or a dustproof filter or the like to prevent water or dust, hence low cost manufacturing can be achieved.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising:

a pressure sensor element having a pressure receiving surface for a fluid to be measured and an atmospheric pressure receiving surface for detecting a pressure difference between a pressure of the fluid to be measured and atmospheric pressure and converting the pressure difference into electrical signals;

a main body case containing the pressure sensor element therein;

the main body case being provided with a vent therein to communicate an internal space of the main body case with atmosphere, the vent including one end portion opened to the internal space of the main body case and an other end portion opened to atmosphere;

wherein, the vent includes an intersection formed in a direction intersecting a direction of a line segment connecting the one end portion with the other end portion, and wherein;

the main body case is provided with a first connector;

the other end portion of the vent is provided by an electric wire insertion hole in which an electric wire having a second connector to be connected to the first connector is inserted;

the one end portion of the vent includes a communication hole having a first end opened to the internal space of the main body case and a second end opened to an internal space of the electric wire insertion hole to establish communication between the internal space of the main body case and the internal space of the electric wire insertion hole;

an electrical signal transmit device is provided to transmit electrical signals converted by the pressure sensor element to the first connector; and

the electrical signals are taken outside of the main body case through the electric wire by a connection established between the first connector and the second connector.

2. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

a foreign matter collecting portion is provided to accumulate foreign matter that comes into the vent.

3. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the vent is one of a plurality of vents that are formed in the main body case.

4. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, wherein:

the vent is one of a plurality of vents that are formed in the main body case.

5. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the second end of the communication hole is formed in a direction intersecting a depth direction of the electric wire insertion hole.

6. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the second end of the communication hole is formed on a sidewall surface of the electric wire insertion hole.

7. The pressure sensor according to claim 5, wherein:

the second end of the communication hole is formed on a sidewall surface of the electric wire insertion hole.

8. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein:

the communication hole is one of a plurality of communication holes that are formed in the main body case.

9. The pressure sensor according to claim 5, wherein:

the communication hole is one of a plurality of communication holes that are formed in the main body case.

10. The pressure sensor according to claim 6, wherein:

the communication hole is one of a plurality of communication holes that are formed in the main body case.

11. The pressure sensor according to claim 7, wherein:

the communication hole is one of a plurality of communication holes that are formed in the main body case.