Pressure sensor port

• US 7,380,458 B1
• Filed: 03/02/2007
• Issued: 06/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arriver Software LLC (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Autoliv ASP Incorporated (Autoliv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Date, Ram, Leach, William M, Muschong, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Application Number:
  US11/713,419
• Time in Patent Office: 459 Days
• Field of Search: 737/00, 180/274, 280/735
• US Class Current: 73/700
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2021/0006 Lateral collision
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments

Abstract

A pressure sensor port having reduced potential for blockage of a sensor by debris in a fluid. The pressure sensor includes a housing forming the sensor port. The sensor port defines an internal passage connecting an exterior aperture to an interior aperture. The exterior aperture communicates the fluid to the internal passage and includes a longitudinal rib. The interior aperture is aligned with a pressure transducer within the housing and the fluid in the internal passage to engage the pressure sensor. The longitudinal rib includes a first end proximal to the exterior aperture. The longitudinal rib is slightly off-center within the exterior aperture, defining at least first and second aperture sections having different cross-sectional areas.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor port for a motor vehicle for measuring pressure changes of a fluid to detect an impact event, the pressure sensor port comprising:

a pressure transducer;

a housing assembly forming an internal volume and a sensor port, the pressure transducer disposed within the internal volume, the sensor port forms an internal passage having a length extending between an exterior aperture and an interior aperture of the sensor port;

the exterior aperture is disposed in an exterior face of the sensor port, and the interior aperture is in proximity to the pressure transducer and permits the fluid to engage the pressure transducer;

wherein

the exterior aperture includes a longitudinal rib, the longitudinal rib has a first end located adjacent to the exterior aperture and a second end positioned within the internal passage, the longitudinal rib cooperates with the walls of the internal passage to divide up a cross section area of the inlet port into three areas such that any single object cannot block the entire sensor port.

2. The pressure sensor port of claim 1, wherein the first end of the longitudinal rib extends beyond the exterior aperture into the fluid.

3. The pressure sensor port of claim 1, wherein the first end of the longitudinal rib is flush with the exterior aperture.

4. The pressure sensor port of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal rib protrudes from at least one surface of the wall of the internal passage and is positioned off-center relative to the exterior aperture.

5. The pressure sensor port of claim 1, wherein the longitudinal rib forms a rib height, the rib height being less than an internal passage height thereby defining the three aperture areas within the exterior aperture to the left, above and to the right of the longitudinal rib.

6. The pressure sensor port of claim 5, wherein the three aperture areas have different cross-sectional areas.

7. The pressure sensor port of claim 1, wherein the second end is located adjacent to the interior aperture.

8. The pressure sensor port of claim 1, further comprising a central passage axis defined along the length of the internal passage, wherein the exterior face and exterior aperture are oriented at an acute angle relative to the central passage axis.

9. The pressure sensor port of claim 1, further including a transverse rib extending across a width of the internal passage.

10. The pressure sensor port of claim 9, wherein the transverse rib is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal rib.

11. The pressure sensor port of claim 9, wherein the transverse rib is located adjacent to the interior aperture.

12. The pressure sensor port of claim 9, wherein a height of the transverse rib is substantially less than a height of the internal passage.

13. A pressure sensor port for a motor vehicle for measuring pressure changes of a fluid to detect an impact event, the pressure sensor port comprising:

a pressure transducer;

a housing assembly forming an internal volume and a sensor port, the pressure transducer disposed within the internal volume, the sensor port forms an internal passage having a length extending between an exterior aperture and an interior aperture of the sensor port;

the exterior aperture is disposed in an exterior face of the sensor port and the interior aperture is in proximity to the pressure transducer and permits the fluid to engage the pressure transducer;

wherein

the exterior aperture includes a longitudinal rib, the longitudinal rib has a first end extending beyond the exterior aperture into the fluid and a second end positioned within the internal passage, the longitudinal rib protrudes from at least one wall of the internal passage and cooperates with the walls to define a first and a second aperture section within the exterior aperture, the longitudinal rib forms a rib height less than a wall height of the internal passage to define a three rectangular areas around the longitudinal rib, wherein the longitudinal rib is positioned off-center relative to the exterior aperture such that each of the three aperture sections have different cross-sectional areas and thereby reduce blockage of the inlet port by debris in the fluid.

14. The pressure sensor port of claim 13, further comprising a central passage axis defined along the length of the internal passage, wherein the exterior face and exterior aperture are oriented at an acute angle relative to the central passage axis.

15. The pressure sensor port of claim 13, further including a transverse rib extending across a width of the internal passage and arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal rib.

16. The pressure sensor port of claim 15, wherein the transverse rib is located adjacent to the interior aperture.

17. The pressure sensor port of claim 15, wherein the transverse rib forms a height much less than a height of the internal passage.