CN115683199A - Sensor with a sensor element - Google Patents

Abstract

The application provides a sensor, which comprises a shell and a detection unit; the sensor is provided with an inner cavity, and the detection unit is at least partially accommodated in the inner cavity; the detection unit comprises a sensing module and a board component, wherein the board component comprises a main circuit board, and the detection unit further comprises a plurality of electronic elements connected to the main circuit board; the sensing module comprises a core part and a conductive connecting part, wherein the core part is fixed with the plate part; the core part is provided with a signal sensing area; the conductive connecting part is electrically connected with the signal sensing area and the electronic element; at least a portion of the housing is disposed circumferentially around the detection unit; the shell is provided with an inner wall surface close to one side of the inner cavity; at least part of the surface area of the plate member is connected to the inner wall surface in a sealing manner by welding. The application is favorable for improving the sealing performance of the sensor.

Description

Sensor with a sensor element

Technical Field

The application relates to the technical field of signal detection devices, in particular to a sensor.

Background

The sensor in the related art has a housing and a circuit assembly installed in the housing, the circuit assembly includes a circuit board and a sensing chip electrically connected to the circuit board, and the sensing chip can sense signals such as pressure and temperature of a fluid; other electronic components and conductive traces etc. on the circuit board are typically arranged in the upper side cavity of the circuit board.

Some technologies usually adopt an elastic sealing ring to be pressed between a plate-shaped element such as a circuit board and the like and a shell, and the problem that the fluid on the lower side of the circuit board enters an upper side cavity to corrode or damage the circuit element and the like is solved through the deformation of the sealing ring. Still other techniques employ adhesive to make a sealed connection between a board-like component such as a circuit board and a housing. However, in practice, especially for high-temperature and high-pressure fluids, materials such as sealing rings and sealants are prone to failure, and the sensor still has a leakage risk.

Disclosure of Invention

The application aims to provide a sensor with good sealing performance.

The application provides a sensor, which comprises a shell and a detection unit;

the sensor is provided with an inner cavity, and the detection unit is at least partially accommodated in the inner cavity; the detection unit comprises a sensing module and a board component, wherein the board component comprises a main circuit board, and the detection unit further comprises a plurality of electronic elements connected to the main circuit board;

the sensing module comprises a core part and a conductive connecting part, wherein the core part is fixed with the plate part; the core part is provided with a signal sensing area; the conductive connecting part is electrically connected with the signal sensing area and the electronic element;

at least a portion of the housing is disposed circumferentially around the detection unit; the shell is provided with an inner wall surface close to one side of the inner cavity; at least part of the surface area of the plate member is connected to the inner wall surface in a sealing manner by welding.

The application provides a sensor, welding seal between at least partial surface area of plate member and the internal wall face of main part sets up like this for fluid is difficult to pass through between plate member and the main part, is favorable to improving the leakproofness of sensor.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of a sensor according to the present application;

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the sensor of FIG. 1 from another angle;

FIG. 3 is an exploded schematic view of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another exploded view of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of another perspective of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a schematic plan cross-sectional view of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of the sensor of the present application;

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the sensor of the present application;

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the sensor of the present application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic plan cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of the sensor of the present application;

FIG. 12 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a portion of the assembly of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view of a partial assembly of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 14 is a partially exploded schematic view of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 15 is a schematic perspective view of a signal transmitting end cap of the sensor shown in FIG. 1;

fig. 16 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of a sensing module of the sensor of fig. 1.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. If several embodiments exist, the features of these embodiments may be combined with each other without conflict. When the description refers to the accompanying drawings, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements, unless otherwise specified. The description set forth below in the exemplary detailed description does not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application; rather, they are merely examples of apparatus, products, and/or methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as recited in the claims of the present application.

The terminology used in the present application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of the present application. As used in the specification and claims of this application, the singular form of "a", "an", or "the" is intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

It should be understood that the terms "first," "second," and the like, as used in the description and claims of this application, do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. Also, the use of the terms a, an, etc. do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one. Unless otherwise indicated, the terms "front," "back," "left," "right," "up," "down," and the like in this application are used for convenience of description and are not limited to a particular position or spatial orientation. The word "comprising" or "comprises", and the like, is intended to be open-ended, meaning that an element that appears before "comprises" or "comprising" includes "or" includes "and its equivalents, that do not exclude the presence of other elements in addition to the element that appears before" comprising "or" including ". In this application, the meaning of "a number" if it occurs is two as well as more than two.

As shown in fig. 1 to 7 and 12 to 14, a first embodiment of the present application provides a sensor 100 including a housing 10 and a detection unit. The sensor 100 has an inner cavity 200, and the housing 10 is formed at the periphery of the inner cavity 200.

The detection unit includes a sensing module 30, a board member 40, and a plurality of electronic components 33 connected to the board member 40. The plate member 40 may be a single plate or a plurality of plate members assembled together. In the first embodiment of the present application, the board member 40 may be a separate circuit board or at least one board of several boards included therein is a circuit board.

The board member 40 has a first surface 401 and a second surface 402, the first surface 401 and the second surface 402 are respectively located on different sides of the board member 40 in a sensor height direction H, and the height direction H of the sensor 100 can refer to the up-down direction shown in fig. 1. The thickness direction of the plate member 40 substantially corresponds to the height direction H of the sensor 100.

The inner cavity 200 of the sensor 100 includes an upper cavity 201, the upper cavity 201 is located on the first surface 401 side of the board member 40, and the plurality of electronic components 33 connected to the board member 40 are accommodated in the upper cavity 201. At least part of the housing 10 is circumferentially arranged around the detection unit, and the housing 10 is located at the periphery of the upper cavity 201.

The sensing module 30 includes a core portion 31 and a conductive connecting portion 32, wherein the core portion 31 is a unitary structure, the core portion 31 is fixedly connected to the board member 40, and the core portion 31 is at least partially located on the second surface 402 side of the board member 40.

The core portion 31 may not be completely exposed from the first surface 401 of the board member 40, and accordingly, the core portion 31 may be fixed to the board member 40 by flip-chip bonding. As shown in fig. 7, in the first embodiment of the present application, the core portion 31 is located on the side of the second surface 402 of the plate member 40. The conductive connection portion 32 is connected to the core portion 31 on a side close to the upper cavity 201 in the height direction H of the sensor 100. As shown in fig. 8, in the second embodiment of the present application, the core portion 31 may be located closer to the first surface 401, that is, the plate member 40 is provided with a through-hole structure, and the core portion 31 may be partially accommodated in the through-hole structure of the plate member 40.

Referring to the structural schematic diagram of the sensing module 30 illustrated in fig. 16, the core portion 31 has a sensing cavity 300, and the core portion 31 is provided with an opening 310 on a side away from the cavity in the sensor height direction H, and the opening 310 is communicated with the sensing cavity 300. The core portion 31 is provided with a signal sensing region contactable with the fluid, the signal sensing region including a pressure sensing region 311 and a temperature sensing region 312. The conductive connection portion 32 is electrically connected to the pressure sensing region 311 of the core portion 31 and the electronic device 33, and the conductive connection portion 32 is electrically connected to the temperature sensing region 312 of the core portion 31 and the electronic device 33. The pressure sensing region 311 is exposed to the sensing chamber 300, the temperature sensing region 312 is exposed to the sensing chamber 300, and the sensing chamber 300 is not communicated with the upper chamber body 201. Of course, in other embodiments of the present application, the signal sensing region of the core portion 31 may include only the pressure sensing region 311, or only the temperature sensing region 312, which is not limited herein.

The core portion 31 may be flip-chip fixed to the bottom of the plate member 40 by the conductive connection portion 32. The sensing module 30 is an independent MEMS (Micro electro mechanical System) sensing chip, and the size of the sensing element manufactured by the MEMS technology is small, and the size of the corresponding product is generally in millimeter level or even smaller. Compared with other processes for fixing the sensing module in the related art, the flip chip technology has the advantages of simple assembly and lower product cost, the conductive connecting part 32 is not impacted by fluid on the front surface, the probability of damaging the conductive connecting part 32 is reduced, and the core part 31 of the sensing module 30 can be in contact with the fluid to realize the detection of pressure signals and temperature signals. When the core portion 31 is impacted by fluid, the core portion 31 is fixed to the bottom surface of the plate member 40, i.e., the second surface 402, so that the impact resistance of the core portion 31 can be improved, the problem that the core portion 31 is easy to fall off is avoided, and the sensor 100 of the present application can be compatible with more fluid media with higher pressure. The sensing module 30 may be fixed to the plate member 40 by non-flip-chip fixing, for example, the core portion 31 of the sensing module 30 may be disposed on the upper surface of the plate member 40, or other positions. The sensing module 30 may also be a positive pressure MEMS sensing chip, which is not limited in this application.

The pressure sensing region 311 of the signal sensing region performs pressure detection by a piezoresistive wheatstone bridge, and when the circuit is connected and no pressure is applied, the wheatstone bridge is balanced and the output voltage is 0. When a pressure is applied to the pressure sensing region 311, the Wheatstone bridge balance is broken and a voltage is output. Therefore, the pressure signal detection function can be realized by reflecting the pressure change through the change of the electric signal in the detection circuit. The temperature sensing region 312 of the signal sensing region may implement temperature detection through a PN junction diode circuit.

Through the above arrangement, the pressure sensing region 311 and the temperature sensing region 312 are simultaneously prepared in the core body 31 of the integrated structure, and compared with the pressure chip and the thermistor of the split structure, the volume of the core body 31 is smaller, and the space occupied by the core body is smaller, accordingly, the plate body of the sensor 100 is beneficial to reducing the size, especially the size in the direction perpendicular to the height direction H of the sensor 100, and the miniaturization of the sensor 100 product is realized.

Referring to fig. 3 to 7, the board member 40 includes a main circuit board 41 and a mating board 42, the mating board 42 being fixedly connected to the main circuit board 41, the mating board 42 being located between the main circuit board 41 and the core portion 31 in the height direction H of the sensor 100. That is, the first surface 401 is a surface of the main circuit board 41 on a side close to the upper cavity 201, that is, an upper side surface of the main circuit board 41, and the second surface 402 is a surface of the mating board 42 on a side away from the upper cavity, that is, a lower side surface of the mating board 42. A part of the surface of the fitting plate 42 is hermetically connected to the inner wall surface 101 of the housing 10. The mating plate 42 may be made of a material selected to resist fluid impact and erosion, such as metal or ceramic. Since the housing 10 of the sensor 100 is usually made of metal, the fitting plate 42 can be sealed with the inner wall surface 101 of the housing 10 by a sealant or welding.

As shown in fig. 7, the mating plate 42 may be a metal plate, and the main circuit board 41 and the mating plate 42 may be fixed together by adhesion. The outer peripheral surface of the mating plate 42 is hermetically connected to the inner wall surface 101 of the housing 10 by laser welding. The sealing position between the mating plate 42 and the housing 10 can be referred to as a position a in fig. 7, that is, the mating plate 42 is a plate-shaped structural member having a certain thickness, the mating plate 42 has a peripheral side surface 422 around the axial line of the sensor 100, and the peripheral side surface 422 of the mating plate 42 is disposed facing the inner wall surface 101 of the housing 10, and is fixed and sealed therebetween by means of laser welding. Thus, the fluid does not easily pass between the mating plate 42 and the housing 10, and accordingly, the fluid does not easily reach the upper cavity 201 from a position therebetween, and thus the electronic component 33 housed in the upper cavity 201 and the conductive line or the like on the first surface 401 of the main circuit board 41 are not easily corroded or damaged by coming into contact with the fluid. Optionally, in order to improve the quality of the laser welding, the materials of the matching plate 42 and the main body 11 both include at least one of gold, copper, and stainless steel, and particularly, when the materials of the matching plate 42 and the main body 11 are close to each other, the quality of the laser welding is better, and the sealing performance can be improved.

Referring to fig. 5, 12 and 13, in order to form a good electrical connection between the core portion 31 and the main circuit board 41 as a circuit board, one side of the conductive connecting portion 32 is in contact with the core portion 31, and another side is in contact with the main circuit board 41, in the first embodiment of the present application, the mating plate 42 is provided with a first through hole 421, the main circuit board 41 is provided with a second through hole 411, and the first through hole 421 and the second through hole 411 are coaxially or eccentrically arranged.

The conductive connecting portion 32 is partially received in the first through hole 421, and partially received in the second through hole 411. Specifically, referring to fig. 12, the conductive connecting portion 32 has a first portion 321 located in the first through hole 421, a second portion 322 located in the second through hole 411, and a third portion 323 accommodated in the upper cavity 201, and the third portion 323 is connected to the third surface of the main circuit board 41. The conductive connection 32 may be a wire in the form of a gold wire, the conductive connection 32 extending from the core portion 31 through the first through hole 421, the second through hole 411 and finally to the pad 412 of the first surface 401 of the main circuit board 41. The number of the conductive connection portions 32 may be plural according to the actual condition of the core portion 31, and the material of the conductive connection portions 32 may be gold, copper, aluminum, or the like. In some alternative embodiments, the conductive connection portion 32 is not in contact with the metal material of the mating board 42, a potting adhesive may be filled in the first through hole 421 and the second through hole 411, the potting adhesive may be silicone gel, and the potting adhesive wraps the conductive connection portion 32 in the corresponding through hole, so that the relatively thin conductive connection portion 32 may be protected, and a short circuit between the conductive connection portion and the metal material of the mating board 42 may be avoided, so as to provide stability for the sensor 100, or the surface of the conductive connection portion 32 may be subjected to an insulation treatment, such as adding an insulating coating or encapsulating an insulating material.

The core portion 31 of the sensing module 30 covers a side of the first through hole 421 away from the main circuit board 41, and the core portion 31 and the mating board 42 are fixedly and hermetically connected. Specifically, the core portion 31 and the mating plate 42 may be hermetically connected by eutectic welding. The eutectic bonding process has a good sealing effect, and fluid is not easy to enter the upper cavity 201 from the position where the core body part 31 is connected with the matching plate 42 through the first through hole 421 and the second through hole 411. The position where the core portion 31 and the mating plate 42 are connected may refer to a position B in fig. 7, which may be located between the upper side surface of the core portion 31 and the second surface 402 of the mating plate 42, and the two are hermetically connected at the position B by means of eutectic welding or the like. The position where the core portion 31 and the fitting plate 42 are connected may refer to a position B in fig. 8, which may be located between the circumferential side surface of the core portion 31 and the inner wall surface of the fitting plate 42 forming the through-hole structure, and the two are hermetically connected at the position B by eutectic welding or the like, for example.

Of course, in some clean, and/or low temperature and/or low pressure range scenarios, other ways of sealing core body 31 and mating plate 42 may be selected, such as using a sealant to adhesively secure and seal core body 31 and mating plate 42.

Referring to fig. 5, the sensing module 30 further includes a vacuum portion 34 located on a side of the core portion 31 close to the cavity, the vacuum portion 34 is fixed to the core portion 31, and the vacuum portion 34 is at least partially received in the first through hole 421. The sensor module 30 has a vacuum chamber 341 surrounded by the core portion 31 and the vacuum portion 34. The vacuum chamber 341 and the sensing chamber 300 are respectively located at different sides of the signal sensing region in the height direction H of the sensor 100. That is, in the height direction H of the sensor 100, the signal sensing area side of the core portion 31 is exposed to the vacuum chamber 341 and the other side is exposed to the sensing chamber 300. Thus, the pressure signal sensed by the pressure sensing region 311 is made an absolute pressure signal. Of course, the vacuum chamber 341 may not be provided, so that the sensed pressure signal of the pressure sensing region 311 is a relative pressure signal. The vacuum part 34 is accommodated in the first through hole 421 to reduce the size of the sensor 100 in the height direction H.

The sensor 100 of the present application also provides a third embodiment for the fixing and sealing manner between the plate member 40 and the housing 10, and a difference from the first embodiment can be referred to fig. 9, specifically, in the third embodiment, the plate member 40 of the sensor 100 still includes the main circuit board 41 and the fitting plate 42, but the fitting plate 42 may be a non-flat plate type special-shaped plate.

The mating plate 42 includes a support wall 423 and a burring 424, and the support wall 423 is fixed to the main circuit board 41. The flanging part 424 is arranged around the outer edge of the supporting wall 423, and the flanging part 424 is bent relative to the supporting wall 423. The outer peripheral surface of the burring 424 and the inner wall surface 101 of the case may be sealed by laser welding or the like. The sealing position between the mating plate 42 and the housing 10 can be referred to as position a in fig. 9, the flanging portion 424 can be disposed perpendicular to the supporting wall 423, in the embodiment illustrated in fig. 9, the flanging portion 424 extends from the supporting wall 423 in a direction away from the upper cavity 201, and of course, in other alternative manners, the flanging portion 424 can also extend from the supporting wall 423 in a direction close to the upper cavity 201. The thickness of the supporting wall 423 can be relatively thin by the flanging part 424, and meanwhile, the flanging part 424 can provide a larger connecting area, which is beneficial to reducing the weight of the matching plate 42 and the light weight design of the sensor 100.

The sensor 100 of the present application also provides a fourth embodiment with respect to the fixing and sealing manner between the board member 40 and the housing 10, and the difference between this embodiment and the first and second embodiments can refer to fig. 10, specifically, in the fourth embodiment, the board member 40 of the sensor 100 includes only one board member, for example, the board member 40 of the sensor 100 includes the main circuit board 41, and the mating board 42 can be eliminated.

Specifically, the plate member 40 of the sensor 100 includes a central portion 403 and a metal layer 404. Metal layer 404 at least partially covers the circumferential side surface of center 403 disposed toward inner wall surface 101 of the housing. That is, the outer peripheral surface of metal layer 404 is peripheral side surface 422 of plate member 40, and metal layer 404 and inner wall surface 101 are hermetically connected by laser welding. The sealing position between the plate member 40 and the housing 10 can be referred to as position a in fig. 10.

The board member 40 is a board capable of providing a circuit board function, the central portion 403 of the board member 40 may be a circuit board made of a resin material or a ceramic material, and since the housing 10 of the sensor 100 is usually made of metal, in order to achieve a sealing effect between the board member 40 and the housing 10, a metal plating layer may be coated on the outer circumferential surface of the central portion 403 by a process such as copper plating, so that a sealing connection between the metal bonding portion achieved in this manner and the inner wall surface 101 of the housing 10 may be achieved by laser welding or the like. Of course, the metal layer 404 may be provided at the second surface 402 of the plate member 40, and accordingly, the housing 10 may be connected to both the peripheral side 422 and the second surface 402 of the plate member 40 by laser welding, which has an advantage that the area where the plate member 40 is welded to the housing 10 is large, so that the thickness of the plate member 40 may be reduced accordingly. In the fourth embodiment, other structural designs of the sensor are similar to those of the first embodiment, and are not described herein in detail.

With respect to the fixing and sealing manner between the plate member 40 and the housing 10, the sensor 100 of the present application also provides a fifth embodiment, and the difference from the foregoing embodiment can be referred to fig. 11, specifically, in the fifth embodiment, the plate member 40 of the sensor 100 still includes the main circuit board 41 and the mating plate 42, the housing 10 of the sensor 100 includes a main body portion 11 and a lower connecting wall 13, the lower connecting wall 13 and the main body portion 11 can be of an integral structure, and the lower connecting wall 13 extends from the main body portion 11 to the axial line direction of the sensor 100

The peripheral side surface 422 of the fitting plate 42 is provided facing the inner wall surface 101 of the main body portion 11, and the wall surface of the lower connecting wall 13 facing the inner cavity 200 side is provided facing the lower surface of the fitting plate 42, that is, the second surface 402 of the plate member 40. Therefore, the peripheral side surface 422 of the mating plate 42 and the inner wall surface 101 of the body portion 11 can be fixed by sealing by laser welding or the like, and the lower connecting wall 13 and the lower surface of the mating plate 42 can be fixed by sealing by laser welding or the like. The two sealing positions can be illustrated with reference to position a in fig. 11, and in practice, sealing can be performed between the two positions to at least one selected position or both selected positions. The relatively large sealing area may improve the hermeticity of the sensor 100 product. In the fifth embodiment, other structural designs of the sensor 100 are similar to those of the first embodiment, and are not described in detail herein.

In order to achieve better detection accuracy, especially for the temperature sensing region 312 of the core portion 31, the earlier time of contact with the fluid is beneficial for reducing the temperature difference for detecting the temperature signal. Thus, in the present application, reference is made to fig. 2, 5, 6 for illustration. The housing 10 of the sensor 100 includes a main body portion 11, the main body portion 11 being circumferentially disposed around the detection unit. In the height direction H of the sensor 100, the sensing module 30 is relatively closer to one end of the main body portion 11 away from the upper cavity 201. That is, a flow channel structure in which no flow channel or only a short transmission path is provided in the housing of the sensor 100 may be provided. Compared with the relatively long flow channel structure provided in the related art, that is, the fluid needs to enter the relatively long flow channel of the sensor 100 first, and then enter the sensing chip portion after being transmitted through the flow channel, the fluid has a certain temperature loss in the long-distance transmission process, so that the detection data of the sensor 100, at least the temperature detection data, is inaccurate. In the present application, the core portion 31 is not completely exposed at the end of the main body portion 11 away from the upper cavity 201 in the height direction H of the sensor. For example, a part of the core portion 31 of the sensing module 30 may be exposed at an end of the main body portion 11 away from the upper cavity 201, and accordingly, the sensor 100 does not need to construct a long flow channel structure, and after the sensor 100 is installed in a fluid environment, fluid may contact the sensing module 30 earlier, which is beneficial to improving accuracy of the sensor 100 in detecting signals such as temperature, pressure, and the like. However, in some fluid environments with high pressure or high flow rate, the lower end surface of the core body 31 of the sensing module 30, which is far away from the upper cavity 201, may be flush with the end surface of the main body 11, which is far away from the upper cavity 201, that is, the core body 31 is not exposed at the end of the main body, which is far away from the upper cavity, so that the main body may protect the core body to some extent, which is beneficial to preventing the core body 31 from being washed away by the fluid with high pressure or high flow rate. In summary, in practical application, the position relationship between the core portion and the end of the main body portion away from the upper cavity can be comprehensively considered in combination with the application environment of the sensor, so as to balance the detection accuracy and the fluid impact resistance.

In order to further reduce the size of the sensor 100, in various embodiments of the present application, the detection unit further includes a sub circuit board 50, the sub circuit board 50 is electrically connected to the main circuit board 41, and the sub circuit board 50 is received in the upper cavity 201. It should be noted that the differences between the "primary" and "secondary" of the primary and secondary circuit boards in this application are not intended to represent and limit how many circuit board functions or the size of the circuit board dimensions, but merely to distinguish the two different circuit boards. That is, the two circuit boards may be the same size circuit board or different size circuit boards, and the number or density of the conductive traces or electronic components on each circuit board may be the same or different. The present application is not intended to be unduly limiting.

The body portion 11 of the housing 10 includes a first radial step portion 111, a second radial step portion 112, and a connection step portion 113, and the inner diameter of the first radial step portion 111 is smaller than the inner diameter of the second radial step portion 112. The connection step portion 113 is connected between the first diameter step portion 111 and the second diameter step portion 112. With the housing 10 structure of different inner diameters, the sensor 100 is formed with a stepped structure at the main body portion 11 of the housing 10, with a first radial step portion 111 circumferentially surrounding the board member 40, and a second radial step portion 112 circumferentially surrounding the secondary circuit board 50. The step structure can support the sub-circuit board 50, and the sub-circuit board 50 is pressed against the connecting section 113. The main circuit board 41 and the third portion 323 may be connected by a flexible circuit board 60.

In this way, the sub circuit board 50 is disposed in the space of the upper cavity 201, and the sub circuit board 50 and the main circuit board 41 may be both hard circuit boards, or the sub circuit board 50 and the main circuit board 41 may be both flexible circuit boards. The circuits of the sensor 100 may be disposed on the surfaces of the two sides of the secondary circuit board 50 in the thickness direction and the first surface 401 of the main circuit board 41, which is beneficial to avoid the oversize of the main circuit board 41 in the direction perpendicular to the height direction H of the sensor 100, and accordingly, the structural design of the plurality of circuit boards may more reasonably utilize the space of the sensor 100, and effectively reduce the radial dimension of the sensor 100.

In various embodiments of the present application, in order to output the detection signal of the sensor 100, the sensor 100 further includes a signal output end cap, the signal output end cap is assembled and fixed with the housing 10, and the upper cavity 201 is located between the signal output end cap and the plate member 40.

The housing 10 of the sensor 100 includes an upper connecting wall 12, and the upper connecting wall 12 extends from the body 11 in the axial direction of the sensor 100. The upper connecting wall 12 presses against the signal output end cap, the signal output end cap presses against the sub-circuit board 50, and the sub-circuit board 50 presses against the connecting section 113 of the housing 10.

The signal transmission end cap 20 is provided with a plurality of terminals 21 for transmitting signals, and the terminals 21 are electrically connected with the electronic components 33 of the board member 40. The signal transmission end cap 20 may be formed by injection molding of a terminal 21 made of a metal material, the signal transmission end cap 20 includes a first cylindrical wall 22, a second cylindrical wall 24, and a fitting wall 23, the fitting wall 23 may be disposed transversely in a height direction H substantially perpendicular to the sensor 100, a portion of the terminal 21 is embedded in the fitting wall 23, and two ends of the terminal 21 are respectively exposed at two sides in a thickness direction of the fitting wall 23. The first cylindrical wall 22 is provided around the exposed terminal 21 on one side, and the second cylindrical wall 24 is provided around the exposed terminal 21 on the other side. The end of the second cylindrical wall in the extending direction presses the sub circuit board 50. The upper connecting wall 12 is disposed against the mating wall.

The whole of the shell 10 can be made of metal, the metal material is convenient for processing and flanging to form the upper connecting wall 12, the forming difficulty is reduced, meanwhile, the metal material is also convenient for welding and fixing with other metal components, and meanwhile, the shell 10 is made of metal parts, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) of the outside to the electronic component 33 inside the sensor 100 can also be reduced. At least a part of the structure of the Metal housing 10 can be manufactured by Die casting (Die casting), extrusion Molding, or Metal Injection Molding (MIM). The main material of the signal transmission end cap 20 except the terminal 21 may be plastic. This is advantageous for reducing costs and weight of the sensor 100. The signal transmission end cap 20 is made of insulating materials except the terminal 21, so that the signal transmission is less affected.

In the process of assembling the sensor 100, the main circuit board 41, the fitting plate 42, and the sensing module 30 may be assembled, and then the above components may be assembled into the housing 10 of the sensor 100, and the peripheral side surface 422 of the fitting plate 42 and the inner wall surface 101 of the housing 10 may be fixed and sealed by laser welding.

The upper connecting wall 12 of the housing 10 extends in the longitudinal direction in the same vertical state as the main body 11, and after the circuit and other components are assembled in place, the signal transmission end cap 20 is press-fitted over the main circuit board 41, and the vertical upper connecting wall 12 is press-flanged inward by a tool. The upper connecting wall 12 may thus press against the signal transmission end cap 20, which in turn presses against the main circuit board 41. Therefore, the signal transmission end cap 20 can be stably mounted with respect to the housing 10 without dropping.

The above embodiments are only for illustrating the present application and not for limiting the technical solutions described in the present application, and the present application should be understood by those skilled in the art based on the detailed description of the present application with reference to the above embodiments, but those skilled in the art should understand that the present application can be modified or substituted equally by those skilled in the art, and all technical solutions and modifications thereof without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application should be covered by the claims of the present application.

Claims (10)

1. A sensor, characterized by comprising a housing (10) and a detection unit;

the sensor has an inner cavity (200), the detection unit comprises a sensing module (30) and a plate component (40), and at least part of the sensing module (30) and the plate component (40) are accommodated in the inner cavity (200); the board member (40) includes a main circuit board (41), and the detection unit further includes a plurality of electronic components (33) connected to the main circuit board (41);

the sensing module (30) comprises a core portion (31) and a conductive connection portion (32), the core portion (31) being fixed to the plate member (40); the core part (31) is provided with a signal sensing area; the conductive connecting part (32) is electrically connected with the signal sensing area and the electronic element (33);

at least part of the housing (10) is arranged circumferentially around the detection unit; the housing (10) has an inner wall surface (101) on a side close to the inner cavity (200); at least part of the surface area of the plate part (40) is connected to the inner wall surface (101) in a sealing manner by welding.

2. The sensor according to claim 1, wherein the housing (10) comprises a main body portion (11), the main body portion (11) being disposed on a peripheral side of the detection unit; the plate member (40) has a plate side surface facing the main body portion (11), and at least a partial region of the plate side surface and the inner wall surface (101) are hermetically and integrally connected by laser welding.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the plate member (40) further comprises a mating plate (42); the inner cavity (200) comprises an upper cavity (201); the upper cavity (201) and the matching plate (42) are respectively positioned on different sides of the main circuit board (41) in the thickness direction; the matching plate (42) is made of metal.

4. A sensor according to claim 3, wherein the mating plate (42) comprises a support wall (423) and a flanged portion (424), the support wall (423) being fixed to the main circuit board (41); the flanging part (424) is arranged around the outer edge of the supporting wall (423), and the flanging part (424) is bent relative to the supporting wall (423); the outer peripheral surface of the burring part (424) is sealed with the inner wall surface (101).

5. A sensor according to claim 3, wherein the mating plate (42) and the body portion (11) are each made of a material comprising at least one of gold, copper, and stainless steel.

6. A sensor according to claim 2, wherein the plate member (40) comprises a central portion (403) and a metal layer (404); at least a part of the metal layer (404) is disposed so as to cover the outer peripheral side of the central portion (403) which is disposed toward the main body portion (11); the metal layer (404) of the plate member (40) and the inner wall surface (101) are hermetically connected by laser welding.

7. A sensor according to claim 3, wherein the sensing module (30) comprises a core portion (31), the core portion (31) being provided with a sensing cavity (300), the signal sensing region comprising a pressure sensing region (311) and a temperature sensing region (312), at least part of the pressure sensing region (311) being exposed to the sensing cavity (300), at least part of the temperature sensing region (312) being exposed to the sensing cavity (300), the sensing cavity (300) not being in communication with the upper cavity body (201).

8. The sensor according to claim 7, wherein the main circuit board (41) and the core portion (31) are respectively located on different sides of the mating board (42) in a sensor height direction (H);

the sensing module (30) further comprises a conductive connecting part (32), one end of the conductive connecting part (32) is connected with the core part (31), the other end of the conductive connecting part (32) is connected with the main circuit board (41), and the conductive connecting part (32) is electrically connected with the core part (31) and the main circuit board (41).

9. A sensor according to claim 3, wherein the sensing module (30) is at least partially exposed at an end of the main body portion (11) remote from the upper cavity (201) in a height direction (H) of the sensor.

10. A sensor according to claim 3, wherein the main circuit board (41) and the mating board (42) are fixed by adhesion;

the detection unit further comprises a secondary circuit board (50) and a flexible circuit board (60), the secondary circuit board (50) is electrically connected with the main circuit board (41) through the flexible circuit board (60), and the secondary circuit board (50) is accommodated in the upper cavity (201); the main body part (11) comprises a first radial section part (111), a second radial section part (112) and a connecting section part (113), wherein the inner diameter of the first radial section part (111) is smaller than that of the second radial section part (112); the connecting section (113) is connected between the first radial section (111) and the second radial section (112); the first radial section (111) circumferentially surrounds the board member (40), and the second radial section (112) circumferentially surrounds the secondary circuit board (50); the secondary circuit board (50) is pressed against the connecting section part (113).

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