Sensor device

• US 7,258,576 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2006
• Issued: 08/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Ohnishi, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Phuong
• Application Number:
  US11/481,990
• Publication Number:
  US 20070010138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 439/736, 439/735, 439/620.01, 439/620.21, 439/620.22
• US Class Current: 439/620.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/01006 Mounting of electrical components in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 21/01 Electrical circuits for triggering passive safety arrangements, e.g. airbags, safety belt tighteners, in case of vehicle accidents or impending vehicle accidents electrical circuits for transmission of signals between steering wheel and the vehicle itself B60R16/027; for electrically actuating belt retractor locking means B60R22/343
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/023 for acceleration measuring devices

Abstract

A sensor device has a sensing portion, a connector terminal, and a case housing the sensing portion therein and forming a terminal fixing portion. The connector terminal has a fixed portion fixed in the terminal fixing portion of the case. The connector terminal is electrically connected to the sensing portion through a lead for allowing signal transmission between the sensing portion and an external device. A ratio of the volume of the fixed portion of the connector terminal to the volume of the fixing portion of the case is equal to or greater than a predetermined ratio.

Claims

1. A sensor device comprising:

a sensing portion;

a case forming a housing portion in which the sensing portion is housed and a fixing portion; and

a connector terminal electrically connected to the sensing portion through a lead for allowing signal transmission between the sensing portion and an external device, wherein

the connector terminal has a fixed portion fixed to the fixing portion of the case, and

the fixed portion has a base wall fixed in the fixing portion of the case, and the base wall has a cross sectional area equal to or greater than one third of a cross sectional area of the fixing portion of the case taken in a direction parallel to the base wall.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the case is made of resin and the connector terminal is made of metal.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein

the connector terminal has a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion,

the first connecting portion extends from an end of the base wall in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base wall and electrically connected to the sensing portion through the lead,

the second connecting portion extends from the base wall in a direction opposite to the first connecting portion to be electrically connected to the external device.

4. The sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the base wall has an area equal to or greater than a predetermined area with respect to a cross sectional area of the fixing portion of the case that overlies the base wall and underlies a sensor enclosure of the case housing taken in a direction parallel to the base wall.

5. The sensor device according to claim 3, wherein the fixed portion of the connector terminal is embedded in the fixing portion of the case such that a resin wall is defined between the housing portion and the base wall of the fixed portion of the connector terminal, wherein a volume of the resin wall is equal to or smaller than a predetermined volume.

6. The sensor device according to claim 5, wherein the resin wall has a thickness equal to or smaller than a predetermined thickness.

7. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the base wall of the fixed portion of the connector terminal has a base wall embedded in the fixing portion of the case in a predetermined depth from a surface of the wall of the fixing portion, wherein the predetermined depth is equal to or smaller than one third of a dimension of the fixing portion of the case in a direction perpendicular to the wall of the fixing portion.

8. A sensor device comprising:

a case defining a cavity and including a terminal fixing portion, the fixing portion having a first surface that faces the cavity and a second surface opposite to the first surface;

a sensing portion disposed in the cavity of the case;

connector terminals partly embedded in the terminal fixing portion of the case, each of the connector terminals has a base wall, a first connecting portion, and a second connecting portion, the base wall embedded in the terminal fixing portion substantially parallel to the first surface of the fixing portion, the first connecting portion extending from the base wall in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base wall and projects into the cavity through the first surface, and the second connecting portion extending from the base wall in a direction opposite to the first connecting portion to be electrically connected to an external device; and

leads connecting the first connecting portions of the connector terminals with the sensing portion within the cavity of the case, wherein

the base walls of the connector terminals are substantially coplanar within the terminal fixing portion, and

a total area of the base walls is equal to or greater than one third of a cross-sectional area of the terminal fixing portion in a cross-section taken along the base walls of the connector terminals.

9. The sensor device according to claim 8, wherein

the case includes a connector portion extending from the second surface of the terminal fixing portion on a side opposite to the cavity,

the connector portion defines a chamber and the second connecting portions of the connector terminals project from the second surface into the chamber of the connector portion, wherein

the base walls of the connector terminals are embedded in a predetermined depth from the first surface, and the predetermined depth is equal to or less than one third of a thickness of the terminal fixing portion between the first surface and the second surface.