Fluid sensor

• US 7,458,271 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2007
• Issued: 12/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Germany GmbH (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mutz, Dieter
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J
• Application Number:
  US11/871,144
• Publication Number:
  US 20080115584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 418 Days
• Field of Search: 737/27, 731/468
• US Class Current: 73/727
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 23/0408 transmitting the signals by non-mechanical means from the wheel or tyre to a vehicle body mounted receiver
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 17/00 Devices or apparatus for measuring tyre pressure or the pressure in other inflated bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0041 Transmitting or indicating the displacement of flexible diaphragms

Abstract

A fluid sensor is provided for determining a fluid characteristic, having an electronic sensor element that has an active surface for determining the fluid characteristic, having a mounting plate associated with the sensor element, and having a filter device associated with the sensor element for filtering the fluid, in which the active surface of the sensor element is oriented toward the mounting plate and in which the mounting plate is provided with an opening opposite from the active surface of the sensor element. According to an embodiment the invention, an end region of the filter device is accommodated in a sealed fashion in the opening of the mounting plate. Furthermore, the fluid sensor can be used for tire pressure measurement.

Claims

1. A fluid sensor for determining a fluid characteristic, the fluid sensor comprising:

an electronic sensor element that has an active surface for determining the fluid characteristic;

a mounting plate associated with the sensor element; and

a filter device associated with the sensor element for filtering a fluid, the filter device having an end region,

wherein the active surface of the sensor element is oriented toward the mounting plate and the mounting plate is provided with an opening opposite from the active surface of the sensor element,

wherein the filter device has an elastically compressible end region and the opening has a cross section that is smaller than the end region of the filter device, and

wherein the filter device is accommodated in a sealed fashion in the opening of the mounting plate such that the end region of the filter device is elastically deformed in some regions by an elastic deformation that occurs in the joining process.

2. The fluid sensor according to claim 1, wherein the mounting plate is a printed circuit board that is provided for coupling electrical signals into and/or out of the sensor element.

3. The fluid sensor according to claim 2, wherein, on a surface oriented toward the sensor element, the mounting plate has a solder ring situated circumferentially around the opening.

4. The fluid sensor according to claim 3, wherein the sensor element is soldered to the solder ring.

5. The fluid sensor according to claim 3, wherein the solder ring has an aperture ring soldered onto it, which has a through bore whose diameter is smaller, in particular at least 2 times smaller, than a diameter of the opening.

6. The fluid sensor according to claim 1, wherein the opening is in the form of a stepped bore in the mounting plate.

7. The fluid sensor according to claim 1, wherein the opening has a galvanically applied circumferential sealing lip.

8. The fluid sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element, the mounting plate, and the filter device are completely encapsulated in a dimensionally stable casting material.

9. The fluid sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element is a pressure sensor for determining a gas pressure.

10. The fluid sensor according to claim 1, wherein the sensor element is associated with at least one integrated circuit for evaluating sensor signals.

11. The fluid sensor according to claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit wirelessly couples in supply energy and wirelessly couples out at least one sensor signal.