Capacitive pressure measuring cell with a membrane bed

• US 7,360,428 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2001
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Company KG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Original Assignee: Endress + Hauser GmbH + Company KG (Endress+Hauser AG)
• Inventors: Banholzer, Karl-Heinz, Hegner, Frank, Flogel, Karl, Rosskopf, Bernd
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen; Andre J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENKINS, JERMAINE L
• Application Number:
  US10/399,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20060243053A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,411 Days
• Field of Search: 737/00, 737/15, 361/283.1
• US Class Current: 73/715
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0075 using a ceramic diaphragm, e.g. alumina, fused quartz, glass

Abstract

The invention relates to a pressure measuring cell comprising a base body, a membrane that is connected to the base body, thus forming a measuring chamber. During operation, the membrane is subjected to a deflection which is dependent on a pressure that is to be measured. The cell also comprises a membrane bed, formed by a surface of the base body that faces the membrane, at least one electrode being mounted on said bed. Said electrode, together with a counter-electrode that is mounted on the membrane, forms a capacitor, whose capacitance represents a measurement for the deflection of the membrane. The measuring cell is characterized in that the electrode is electrically connected through the base body and that the measuring chamber has a smooth surface in the contact zone, said surface having a contact pin that is guided in a bore through the base body. The electrode is electrically connected by means of said pin for measuring the capacitance and the pin is soldered into the bore on the membrane side, using a solder. The contact pin, the solder and the membrane bed form a smooth surface.

Claims

1. A pressure measuring cell, having:

a base body;

a membrane, connected to said base body, forming a measuring chamber, which in operation executes a deflection that is dependent on a pressure to be measured;

a membrane bed, to which said membrane conforms in the event of an overload, said membrane bed being formed by a surface, oriented toward said membrane, of said base body, onto which bed at least one electrode is applied, which together with a counter-electrode applied to said membrane forms a capacitor, whose capacitance is a measure for the deflection of said membrane; and

a contact pin, passed through a bore through said base body, by way of which pin said at least one electrode is electrically connected for measuring the capacitance, and which toward said membrane bed is soldered into said bore with a solder wherein;

said contact pin, said solder, and said membrane bed form a smooth surface.

2. The pressure measuring cell of claim 1, wherein:

said base body and/or said membrane is of ceramic or a mono crystal.

3. The pressure measuring cell of claim 1, wherein:

said contact pin comprises tantalum, and said solder is an active hard solder comprising silver-copper solder.

4. The pressure measuring cell of claim 1, wherein:

in operation a pressure to be measured acts on said membrane; and

a very small pressure near 0 mbar or a reference pressure that is delivered through said base body prevails in said measuring chamber.

5. The pressure measuring cell of claim 1, wherein:

said membrane is disposed between said base body and a further base body;

said membrane and said further base body form a further measuring chamber;

in operation, a first pressure prevails in said measuring chamber;

in operation, a second pressure prevails in said further measuring chamber; and

the deflection of said membrane depends on a pressure to be measured, which is equivalent to the difference between said first and said second pressure.

6. The pressure measuring cell of claim 5, wherein:

said base body has a continuous bore leading into said measuring chamber, into which bore a pressure tube is introduced, by way of which in operation said first pressure is delivered to said measuring chamber; and

said further base body has a continuous bore leading into said measuring chamber, into which bore a pressure tube is introduced, by way of which in operation said second pressure is delivered to said measuring chamber.

7. A method for producing a pressure measuring cell, the pressure cell having:

a base body having a bore;

a contact pin;

a membrane bed;

an electrode; and

a first pressure tube, the method comprising the steps of;

inserting a contact pin into a bore;

introducing solder between the base body and the contact pin toward the membrane bed;

soldering the contact pin in;

polishing the membrane bed;

applying the electrode to the smooth membrane bed; and

connecting the base body and the membrane solidly together by joining.

8. The method for producing a pressure measuring cell of claim 7, wherein:

the membrane is connected to the base body and to the further base body by means of a joint; and

the first pressure tube is soldered into the base body and the second pressure tube is soldered into the further base body.