Abnormality determination apparatus for vehicle

• US 9,659,416 B2
• Filed: 05/01/2014
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Sakaida, Atusi, Gouko, Norio, Yazaki, Yoshitaro, Shiraishi, Yoshihiko, Harada, Toshikazu, Shimizu, Motoki, Saitou, Keita, Tanaka, Yasuhiro, Taniguchi, Toshihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwari, Maceeh
• Application Number:
  US14/895,860
• Publication Number:
  US 20160125671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,118 Days
• Field of Search: 701 339
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 16/023 for transmission of signals between vehicle parts or subsystems
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 1/08 Protective devices, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/00 Measuring quantity of heat measuring temperature by calorimetry G01K3/00 - G01K11/00; specially adapted for measuring thermal properties of materials, e.g. specific heat, heat of combustion G01N
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 17/08 based upon measurement of temperature difference or of a temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 5/08 Registering or indicating performance data other than driving, working, idle, or waiting time, with or without registering driving, working, idle or waiting time

Abstract

There is provided a heat flux sensor with first and second interlayer connection members composed of different metals from each other of which metal atoms maintain a predetermined crystal structure embedded in first and second via holes of a thermoplastic resin made insulating substrate, the first and the second interlayer connection members are connected in series alternately, and a control unit that performs abnormality determination of a heating element disposed in a vehicle. The heat flux sensor is provided to the heating element and outputs a sensor signal corresponding to heat flux between the heating element and an outside air, and the control unit determines based on the sensor signal that there is abnormality in the heating element when the heat flux between the heating element and the outside air is out of a predetermined range.

Claims

1. An abnormality determination apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a heat flux sensor having a thermoplastic resin made insulating substrate to which a plurality of first and second via holes penetrating in a thickness direction thereof are formed, first and second interlayer connection members composed of different metals from each other that are embedded in the first and the second via holes, the first and the second interlayer connection members being connected in series alternately; and

a control unit that performs abnormality determination of a heating element disposed in a vehicle;

wherein,

at least one of the metal forming the first and the second interlayer connection member is a sintered alloy that is solid-phase sintered in a state where a plurality of metal atoms maintaining a crystal structure of the metal atoms;

the heat flux sensor is provided to the heating element and outputs a sensor signal corresponding to heat flux between the heating element and an outside air; and

the control unit determines based on the sensor signal that there is abnormality in the heating element when the heat flux between the heating element and the outside air is out of a predetermined range.

2. The abnormality determination apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein,

the heat flux sensor includes a front surface protective member to which front surface patterns are formed disposed on a front surface of the insulating substrate and a back surface protective member to which back surface patterns are formed disposed on a back surface that is an opposite side of the front surface, and the back surface protective member, the insulating substrate, and the front surface protective member are integrated.

3. The abnormality determination apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1, wherein,

the heating element is a vehicle ECU.