Sensor device for detecting a flow property of a fluid medium

• US 9,212,938 B2
• Filed: 09/02/2011
• Issued: 12/15/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Etherington, Kurt, Schneider, Norbert, Kaufmann, Andreas, Beyrich, Hans, Rittmann, Michael, Dann, Wolfgang, Konzelmann, Uwe, Roehler, Andreas, Ullrich, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, Laura
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah, Samir M
• Application Number:
  US13/882,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20130269419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,565 Days
• Field of Search: 73/37, 73/530.1, 73/530.4, 731/143.2, 731/143.3, 731/143.4, 732/041.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/285 the sensor having a signal processing unit external to the engine control unit
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0406 Intake manifold pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0418 Air humidity
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2400/18 Packaging of the electronic circuit in a casing
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/187 using a hot wire flow sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/684 Structural arrangements; Mounting of elements, e.g. in relation to fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/692 Thin-film arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 19/147 Details about the mounting of the sensor to support or covering means

Abstract

A sensor device for detecting at least one flow property of a fluid medium. The sensor device includes at least one sensor housing, in which at least one electronic module having at least one flow sensor for detecting the flow property is accommodated. The electronic module is at least partially accommodated in at least one electronic space. Furthermore, at least one pressure sensor and at least one humidity sensor are accommodated inside the sensor housing. The pressure sensor and also the humidity sensor are at least partially accommodated in at least one sensor space, which is designed separately from the electronic space.

Claims

1. A sensor device for detecting at least one flow property of a fluid medium, comprising:

at least one sensor housing;

at least one electronic module having at least one flow sensor to detect the flow property, the at least one electronic module accommodated in the t least one sensor housing, the at least one electronic module including at least one hot-film air mass meter chip, the at least one electronic module being at least partially accommodated in at least one electronic space of the at least one sensor housing, wherein the at least one electronic module includes a sensor carrier, the sensor carrier carrying the at least one flow sensor and protruding out of the at least one electronic space into at least one channel in the sensor housing, through which the fluid medium may flow; and

at least one pressure sensor and at least one humidity sensor accommodated inside the at least one sensor housing, wherein the at least one pressure sensor and the at least one humidity sensor are at least partially accommodated in at least one sensor space, which is designed spatially separate from the at least one electronic space.

2. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic space and the at least one sensor space are accessible from opposing sides of the at least one sensor housing, and from opposing sides of a plug-in sensor of the sensor device.

3. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one electronic space and the at least one sensor space are each closable independently of one another by closure elements, including at least one electronic space cover and at least one sensor space cover respectively.

4. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor housing has at least one inlet opening, which is connected to the at least one sensor space, for at least one of applying a pressure of the fluid medium to the at least one pressure sensor, and applying a humidity of the fluid medium to the at least one humidity sensor.

5. The sensor device as recited in claim 4, wherein the at least one inlet opening is provided in a sensor space cover of the at least one sensor housing, the at least one sensor space being at least partially closable with the aid of the sensor space cover.

6. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one humidity sensor has at least one measuring chamber situated in the at least one sensor space.

7. The sensor device as recited in claim 6, wherein the at least one measuring chamber is closed by at least one diaphragm, which is at least partially permeable to humidity.

8. The sensor device as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one humidity sensor has at least one circuit carrier, the at least one circuit carrier being accommodated in the at least one sensor space.

9. The sensor device as recited in claim 8, wherein the at least one pressure sensor is situated adjacent to the at least one circuit carrier of the at least one humidity sensor in the at least one sensor space.