Pressure sensor for a vehicle

• US 7,406,875 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2006
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Nonaka, Toshihito, Wanami, Shingo, Fujioka, Minoru, Katsu, Taiki, Suematsu, Kazushige
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US11/519,190
• Publication Number:
  US 20070068276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 73700-756, 3612831-2834
• US Class Current: 73/715
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0636 using particle filters
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/0654 against moisture or humidity
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/146 using flexible element between the transducer and the support

Abstract

A pressure sensor is provided with a housing which has an opening portion for communicating an interior of the housing with an exterior, and a pressure detecting unit which has a detection surface for detecting a pressure applied thereto through the opening and is arranged in the housing. One of a perimeter of the detection surface and that of the opening portion has a protrusion portion which protrudes toward other of the perimeters. The other of the perimeters has a groove, into which a tip of the protrusion portion is inserted. A seal member is arranged between the groove and the protrusion portion, to seal therebetween and buffer stress caused by relative displacement between the housing and the pressure detecting unit.

Claims

1. A pressure sensor comprising:

a housing which has an opening portion for communicating an interior of the housing with an exterior thereof;

a pressure detecting unit which has a detection surface for detecting a pressure and is arranged in the housing; and

a seal member, wherein

a perimeter of the detection surface of the pressure detecting unit has a protrusion portion which protrudes toward a perimeter of the opening portion of the housing;

the perimeter of the opening portion of the housing has a groove, into which a tip of the protrusion portion is inserted; and

the seal member is arranged between the groove and the tip of the protrusion portion to seal therebetween.

2. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the seal member is made of a buffer material to buffer stress caused by a relative displacement between the housing and the pressure detecting unit.

3. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, wherein

the seal member is constructed by a hardening of a raw material solution in such a manner that the tip of the protrusion portion is plunged in the raw material solution, which is reserved in the groove.

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

one of the pressure detecting unit and the housing where the groove is arranged has a reservoir for accommodating the raw material solution of the seal member; and

when a liquid level of the raw material solution in the groove is beyond a predetermined position, the raw material solution overflows from the groove into the reservoir.

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

the one of the pressure detecting unit and the housing has a draining portion, through which the groove and the reservoir connect; and

the draining portion has a draining surface positioned in correspondence with the predetermined position, so that the raw material solution in the groove beyond the draining surface overflows from the groove into the reservoir along the draining surface.

6. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, wherein each of the groove and the protrusion portion is arranged at a whole circumference of the perimeter.

7. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, further comprising

a filter, wherein:

the housing has a communication aperture; and

the communication aperture is covered by the filter, through which the interior of the housing is in air communication with the exterior.

8. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion portion is arranged at the pressure detecting unit and the groove is arranged at the housing.

9. The pressure sensor according to claim 2, wherein the detection surface of the pressure detecting unit faces the opening portion.

10. The pressure sensor according to claim 1, wherein the pressure detecting unit measures an inner pressure of a door of a vehicle for a detection of a side collision of the vehicle.

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

the housing includes an air passage for communicating the interior of the housing with the exterior, the opening portion being arranged at one end of the air passage, and

the housing is mounted to the vehicle in such a manner that an opening portion of other end of the air passage is portioned at a lower side of the opening portion of the one end.

12. A pressure sensor comprising:

a housing which has an opening portion for communication an interior of the housing with an exterior thereof;

a pressure detecting unit which has a detection surface for detecting a pressure and is arranged in the housing; and

a seal member made of a buffer material to buffer stress caused by a relative displacement between the housing and the pressure detecting unit, wherein

one of a perimeter of the detection surface of the pressure detecting unit and that of the opening portion of the housing has a protrusion portion which protrudes toward other of the perimeters;

the other of the perimeters has a groove, into which a tip of the protrusion portion is inserted; and

the seal member is arranged between the groove and the tip of the protrusion portion to seal therebetween and is constructed by a hardening of a raw material solution in such a manner that the tip of the protrusion portion is plunged in the raw material solution, which is reserved in the groove, wherein

one of the pressure detecting unit and the housing where the groove is arranged has a reservoir for accommodating the raw material solution of the seal member; and

when a liquid level of the raw material solution in the groove is beyond a predetermined position, the raw material solution overflows from the groove into the reservoir.

13. The pressure sensor according to claim 12, wherein:

the one of the pressure detecting unit and the housing has a draining portion, through which the groove and the reservoir connect; and

the draining portion has a draining surface positioned in correspondence with the predetermined position, so that the raw material solution in the groove beyond the draining surface overflows from the groove into the reservoir along the draining surface.

14. A pressure sensor comprising:

a housing which has an opening portion for communicating an interior of the housing with an exterior thereof;

a pressure detecting unit which has a detection surface for detecting a pressure and is arranged in the housing; and

a seal member, wherein

one of a perimeter of the detection surface of the pressure detecting unit and that of the opening portion of the housing has a protrusion portion which protrudes toward other of the perimeters;

the other of the perimeters has a groove, into which a tip of the protrusion portion is inserted, wherein the tip of the protrusion portion and a lower portion of the groove define a passageway; and

the seal member is arranged between the groove and the tip of the protrusion portion to seal therebetween.