Double temperature sensor

• US 7,789,554 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Issued: 09/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dragerwerk AG & Company KGaA (FPS Vermögensverwaltung GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Dragerwerk AG
• Inventors: Sattler, Frank, Stark, Hartmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo; Lisa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jagan; Mirellys
• Application Number:
  US11/877,953
• Publication Number:
  US 20080170600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,049 Days
• Field of Search: 374/208, 374/183, 374/166, 374/112, 374/110
• US Class Current: 374/110
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/16 Special arrangements for conducting heat from the object to the sensitive element
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/165 for application in zero heat flux sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/20 Clinical contact thermometers for use with humans or animals

Abstract

A double temperature sensor is provided for measuring a near-surface temperature of the ambient air and the temperature of the skin surface (9). A heat flux insulation block (4) is made of an insulation material in one piece as a housing. Two temperature sensor elements (2, 3) with respective electric connections (6) belonging to them are arranged in the heat flux insulation block (4) one on top of another at spaced locations from one another and near the surface.

Claims

1. A double temperature sensor for measuring a near-surface temperature of ambient air and the temperature of a skin surface, the double temperature sensor comprising:

a heat flux insulation block made in one piece as a housing from an insulation material, said heat flux insulation block having a first surface and a second surface;

two temperature sensor elements with respective electric connections associated with said temperature sensor elements wherein said temperature sensor elements are arranged one on top of another in said heat flux insulation block at spaced locations from one another and each near a respective one of said first surface and said second surface, one of said temperature sensor elements being located opposite said first surface, another one of said temperature sensor elements being located opposite said second surface, said first surface engaging the skin surface, wherein said electric connections of said temperature sensor elements are arranged in said heat flux insulation block in a spiral, circular, meandering, zigzag or star form or in the form of a polygon.

2. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said heat flux insulation block has two openings for respectively receiving said temperature sensor elements, into which said temperature sensor elements are introduced and fixed, said insulation block comprising a side surface, one of said two openings extending from one portion of said side surface to at least a position located within said heat flux insulation block, another one of said two openings extending from another portion of said side surface to at least another position located within said heat flux insulation block.

3. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor elements are embedded in said heat flux insulation block.

4. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein a temperature proportional to said skin temperature is detected by a first temperature sensor element and a temperature proportional to the ambient air is detected by a second temperature sensor element.

5. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block is homogeneous.

6. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein a surface of said heat flux insulation block has a concave shape.

7. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor elements are temperature-dependent electric resistor elements.

8. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said temperature sensor elements are of identical design.

9. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said heat flux insulation block is of a cylindrical shape.

10. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein said heat flux insulation block has a first heat flux insulation block portion, a second heat flux insulation block portion and a third heat flux insulation block portion, said second heat flux insulation block portion being integrally connected to said first heat flux insulation block portion and said third heat flux insulation block portion, said first heat flux insulation block portion comprising a first opening, one of said temperature sensors being arranged in said first opening, said third heat flux insulation block portion comprising a second opening, another one of said temperature sensors being arranged in said second opening, said second heat flux insulation block portion being located between said first heat flux insulation block portion and said third heat flux insulation block portion, said first heat flux insulation block portion having a first circumferential dimension, said second heat flux insulation block portion having a second circumferential dimension, said third heat flux insulation block portion having a third circumferential dimension, said second circumferential dimension being less than said first circumferential dimension and said third circumferential dimension.

11. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 1, wherein the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block has a heat conductivity between 0.05 W/mK and 0.3 W/mK.

12. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 11, wherein the insulation material of said heat flux insulation block is made of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

13. A double temperature sensor for measuring a near-surface temperature of ambient air and a temperature of a skin surface, the double temperature sensor comprising:

a one-piece housing composed of heat flux insulation material, said housing having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface being in contact with the skin surface, said second surface being in contact with the ambient air;

a first temperature sensor comprising a first electric connection;

a second temperature sensor comprising a second electric connection, said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor being arranged within said housing, said second temperature sensor being arranged at a position above said first temperature sensor, said second temperature sensor being arranged adjacent to said second surface, said first temperature sensor being arranged adjacent to said first surface, said housing having a first opening and a second opening, said first temperature sensor being fixed in said first opening, said second temperature sensor being fixed in said second opening, said housing comprising a side surface, said first opening extending from one portion of said side surface to at least a position located within said housing, said second opening extending from another portion of said side surface to at least another position located within said housing.

14. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 13, wherein said heat flux insulation material has a heat conductivity between 0.05 W/mK and 0.3 W/mK.

15. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 13, wherein said housing has a first housing portion, a second housing portion and a third housing portion, said second housing portion being integrally connected to said first housing portion and said second housing portion, said first housing portion comprising said first opening, said first temperature sensor being arranged in said first opening, said third housing portion comprising said second opening, said second temperature sensor being arranged in said second opening, said second housing portion being located between said first housing portion and said third housing portion, said first housing portion having a first circumferential dimension, said second housing portion having a second circumferential dimension, said third housing portion having a third circumferential dimension, said second circumferential dimension being less than said first circumferential dimension and said third circumferential dimension.

16. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 13, wherein said first electric connection and said second electric connection are arranged in said heat flux insulation material in a spiral, circular, meandering, zigzag or star form or in the form of a polygon.

17. A double temperature sensor for measuring a near-surface temperature of ambient air and a temperature of a skin surface, the double temperature sensor comprising:

a one-piece housing composed of heat flux insulation material, said housing having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface being in contact with the skin surface, said second surface being in contact with the ambient air;

a first temperature sensor comprising a first electric connection;

a second temperature sensor comprising a second electric connection, said first temperature sensor and said second temperature sensor being arranged within said housing, said second temperature sensor being arranged at a position above said first temperature sensor, said second temperature sensor being arranged at a spaced location from said second surface, wherein said heat flux insulation material is arranged between said second surface and said second temperature sensor, said first temperature sensor being arranged at a spaced location from said first surface, wherein said heat flux insulation material is arranged between said first surface and said first temperature sensor.

18. A double temperature sensor in accordance with claim 17, wherein said housing has a first opening and a second opening, said first temperature sensor being fixed in said first opening, said second temperature sensor being fixed in said second opening, said housing comprising a side surface, said first opening extending from one portion of said side surface to at least a position located within said housing, said second opening extending from another portion of said side surface to at least another position located within said housing, wherein said heat flux insulation material has a heat conductivity between 0.05 W/mK and 0.3 W/mK.

19. A double temperature sensor for measuring a near-surface temperature of ambient air and the temperature of a skin surface, the double temperature sensor comprising:

a heat flux insulation block made in one piece as a housing from an insulation material, said heat flux insulation block having a first surface and a second surface;

two temperature sensor elements with respective electric connections associated with said temperature sensor elements wherein said temperature sensor elements are arranged one on top of another in said heat flux insulation block at spaced locations from one another and each near a respective one of said first surface and said second surface, one of said temperature sensor elements being located opposite said first surface, another one of said temperature sensor elements being located opposite said second surface, said first surface engaging the skin surface, said heat flux insulation block having two openings for respectively receiving said temperature sensor elements, into which said temperature sensor elements are introduced and fixed, said insulation block comprising a side surface, one of said two openings extending from one portion of said side surface to at least a position located within said heat flux insulation block, another one of said two openings extending from another portion of said side surface to at least another position located within said heat flux insulation block.