Sensor element and carrier element for manufacturing a sensor

• US 9,061,454 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2009
• Issued: 06/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Continental Teves AG & Co. OHG (Continental AG)
• Inventors: De Volder, Edmond, Huber, Dietmar, Doering, Andreas, Schillinger, Jakob, Watzlawik, Martin, Biebricher, Lothar
• Primary Examiner(s): Raevis, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US13/121,542
• Publication Number:
  US 20110179889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,091 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/126 using centering means forming part of the insert
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14065 Positioning or centering articles in the mould
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/14655 connected to or mounted on a carrier, e.g. lead frame
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 45/1671 with an insert
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 1/026 for speed measuring devices, e.g. pulse generator
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48257 connecting the wire to a die pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00012 Relevant to the scope of the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49121 Beam lead frame or beam lead device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4921 with bonding

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a sensor in which a sensor element, which comprises at least a first housing, is at least partially encapsulation-molded in an encapsulation-molding process. As a result of the encapsulation-molding process a sensor housing is formed. The sensor element is mechanically connected to a support element and/or accommodated by the support element, after which the sensor element and the support element are encapsulation-molded in a common encapsulation-molding process for forming the sensor housing.

Claims

1. A sensor comprising

a circuit lead frame,

at least one probe element connected to only one surface of the circuit lead frame,

magnet disposed on the circuit lead frame, and

a first housing comprising first and second opposing protrusions formed on the first housing,

wherein the first housing directly contacts at least five surfaces of the probe element and the first housing encapsulates the probe element and the magnet, and the circuit lead frame directly contacts at least one surface of the probe element, and

wherein a material comprising the first housing and in contact with the probe element comprises the protrusions.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the protrusions are formed so as to be embraceable from the outside.

3. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the protrusions have at least one rounded embraceable edge.

4. The sensor of claim 1, wherein a basic element forms the lead frame.

5. The sensor of claim 1, wherein the first housing encapsulates an electronic signal processing circuit.

6. The sensor of claim 1, further comprising a second housing which comprises a second protrusion connected directly or indirectly to the basic element.

7. A support element that is accommodating the sensor as recited in claim 1 comprising

a carrier device;

and

at least one clamping device connected to the carrier device and having a protrusion contact surface that has a concave cross section substantially mirroring a convex cross section of the first housing of the sensor, wherein the clamping device of the support element retains the first housing of the sensor.

8. The support element of claim 7, wherein the sensor further comprises at least one positioning element in an exterior surface of the sensor for positioning the support element in an injection molding tool.

9. The support element of claim 8, wherein the at least one clamping device and the positioning element are formed from plastic.

10. The support element of claim 7, wherein the support element is formed at least partially from plastic.

11. The support element of claim 7, comprising two clamping devices connected to the carrier device.

12. The support element of claim 7, wherein the at least one clamping device comprises two flexible legs which can accommodate or hold a protrusion of the sensor essentially positively by means of a clipping-in and/or locking-in process.

13. The support element of claim 12, wherein the two legs have at their ends in each case a rounded portion for easier accommodation of the protrusion of the sensor.

14. The sensor of claim 1, the first housing encapsulates the entire probe element.

15. A motor vehicle comprising a sensor, the sensor comprising:

a lead frame,

at least one probe element connected to only one surface of the lead frame,

a magnetic field emitting element connected to the lead frame, and

a first housing comprising first and second opposing protrusions integrally connected with the first housing,

wherein the first housing directly contacts at least five surfaces of the probe element and the lead frame directly contacts at least one surface of the probe element and the first housing encapsulates the probe element and the magnetic field emitting element, and

wherein a material comprising the first housing and in contact with the probe element comprises the protrusions.

16. A sensor comprising

a circuit lead frame,

at least one probe element, that is defined before connection, connected to the circuit lead frame,

a magnetic field emitting element connected to the circuit lead frame, and

a first housing comprising first and second opposing protrusions formed on the first housing,

wherein the first housing directly contacts at least five surfaces of the probe element and the first housing encapsulates the probe element and the magnetic field emitting element, and the circuit lead frame directly contacts at least one surface of the probe element, and

wherein a material comprising the first housing and in contact with the probe element comprises the protrusions.

17. A motor vehicle comprising a sensor, the sensor comprising:

a lead frame,

at least one probe element, that is defined before connection, connected to the lead frame,

a magnetic field emitting element connected to the lead frame, and

a first housing comprising first and second opposing protrusions integrally connected with the first housing,

wherein the first housing directly contacts at least five surfaces of the probe element and the lead frame directly contacts at least one surface of the probe element and the first housing encapsulates the probe element and the magnetic field emitting element, and

wherein a material comprising the first housing and in contact with the probe element further comprises the protrusions.