SENSOR APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOUSING AND AN AT LEAST ONE-AXIS VIBRATION SENSOR

Abstract

A sensor apparatus having a housing and having an at least single-axis vibration sensor. The housing has wall elements that are disposed in such a way that the wall elements together surround the vibration sensor. The housing has a stiffening structure that connects the wall elements rigidly to one another. The vibration sensor is coupled mechanically solidly to the stiffening structure. The housing has a first through hole along a first axis and a second through hole along a second axis. The first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to one another.

Claims

1-15. (canceled)

16. A sensor apparatus, comprising: a housing; and an at least single-axis vibration sensor, the housing having wall elements that are disposed in such a way that the wall elements together surround the vibration sensor; wherein the housing has a stiffening structure that connects the wall elements rigidly to one another, the vibration sensor being coupled mechanically solidly to the stiffening structure, and the housing having a first through hole along a first axis and a second through hole along a second axis, the first axis and the second axis being substantially perpendicular to one another.

17. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the first through hole and/or the second through hole leads through at least some of the wall elements and through the stiffening structure.

18. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the sensor apparatus has at least a first circuit carrier and a second circuit carrier, the first circuit carrier and the second circuit carrier each being disposed, parallel to a plane, inside the wall elements and outside the stiffening structure, and having an electrical connection to one another, wherein the plane extends parallel to the first axis and to the second axis, and wherein the vibration sensor is disposed on the first circuit carrier or on the second circuit carrier.

19. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the stiffening structure is disposed between the first circuit carrier and the second circuit carrier and has at least one passage through which the electrical connection between the first circuit carrier and the second circuit carrier is guided.

20. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the electrical connection is a flex PCB.

21. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the first circuit carrier and/or the second circuit carrier is bolted and/or adhesively bonded into the housing.

22. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein the first circuit carrier and/or the second circuit carrier is bolted and/or adhesively bonded onto the stiffening structure.

23. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the wall elements of the housing have a square cross section and the stiffening structure is disposed between the wall elements, the stiffening structure being in a cross shape.

24. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the stiffening structure has an aperture that is at least partly filled with a mechanically solid sealing material, the vibration sensor penetrating at least partly into the sealing material.

25. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 24, wherein the vibration sensor is embodied as an SOIC component, a housing of the vibration sensor penetrating at most halfway into the sealing material.

26. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the wall elements and the stiffening structure are formed on one piece.

27. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein openings of the housing which are constituted by the wall elements are respectively closed off by a cover element, the stiffening structure being embodied in planar fashion as one of the covering elements.

28. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 27, wherein at least one of the cover elements has a connector plug for connection to an external unit, the connector plug extending through the cover element and being electrically connected to the first circuit carrier or to the second circuit carrier.

29. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the sensor apparatus has a communication lead and an energy supply lead for connection to an external unit, the communication lead and energy supply lead being configured as one lead.

30. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the vibration sensor is disposed centeredly with respect to the wall elements.

31. The sensor apparatus as recited in claim 16, wherein the housing is filled at least in part with a plastic sealing compound.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] FIG. 1 shows an exemplifying embodiment of a sensor apparatus according to the present invention.

[0052] FIG. 2 shows an exemplifying embodiment of a housing of a sensor apparatus according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, without covering elements.

[0053] FIG. 3 is a section through a sensor apparatus according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, perpendicularly to a first axis.

[0054] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a sensor apparatus according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, from below and without a cover element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0055] FIG. 1 shows an exemplifying embodiment of a sensor apparatus according to the present invention.

[0056] A sensor apparatus 10 is depicted. Sensor apparatus 10 has a housing 20. Housing 20 in turn has wall elements 22. The sensor apparatus furthermore has a covering element 50. Wall elements 22 and cover element 50 are disposed in a cube shape. Cover element 50 has a connector plug 52 for connecting sensor apparatus 10 to an external unit (not illustrated). Sensor apparatus 10 furthermore has a communication lead 53 and an energy supply lead 54, which are configured as a single lead and are integrated into connector plug 52. Communication lead 53 can be embodied as an Ethernet lead, energy supply lead 54 using that Ethernet lead to allow electrical energy to be delivered from outside to sensor apparatus 10 via power over Ethernet.

[0057] Housing 20 furthermore has a first through hole 26 along a first axis 28 and a second through hole 27 along a second axis 29, which pass through corresponding wall elements 22. First axis 28 and second axis 29 are substantially perpendicular to one another and intersect in particular at one point. This intersection point is disposed in particular centeredly with respect to wall elements 22. The cross section of first through hole 26 and of second through hole 28 is configured circularly, but alternatively could also have a different shape. By way of first through hole 26 and second through hole 27, sensor apparatus 10 can be fastened on an external unit, for example by way of a screw connection.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows an exemplifying embodiment of a housing of a sensor apparatus according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, without covering elements.

[0059] Wall elements 22 of housing 20 are once again depicted. Wall elements 22 form an opening 23 that is not, as in FIG. 1, closed off by a covering element 50. In addition, housing 20 has a stiffening structure 24 that connects wall elements 22 rigidly to one another. Stiffening structure 24 is configured in a cross shape, thereby producing passages 25 that extend along the inner edges of wall elements 22. A further result thereof is that, in particular, oppositely located wall elements 22 are mechanically connected to one another and correspondingly stiffened. First through hole 26 and second through hole 27 pass both through wall elements 22 and through stiffening structure 24. In particular, stiffening structure 24 and wall elements 22 can be embodied in one piece and, for example, can have been manufactured using an injection-molding process.

[0060] FIG. 3 is a section through a sensor apparatus according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, perpendicularly to a first axis.

[0061] It depicts a section perpendicular to first axis 28 of sensor apparatus 10 depicted in FIG. 1. Sensor apparatus 10 has a first circuit carrier 41 and a second circuit carrier 42. First circuit carrier 41 and second circuit carrier 42 are each surrounded by wall elements 22 and are disposed outside stiffening structure 24 parallel to a plane, and have an electrical connection 44 to one another. The corresponding plane extends parallel to first axis 28 and to second axis 29. First circuit carrier 41 is disposed below stiffening structure 24, and second circuit carrier 42 above stiffening structure 24. Electrical connection 44 is embodied in particular as a flex PCB and is guided through a passage 25 in stiffening structure 24.

[0062] Second circuit carrier 42 is electrically connected to connector plug 52, for example by the fact that connector plug 52 is soldered onto second circuit carrier 42. In particular, connector plug 52 is thereby also solidly mechanically connected to second circuit carrier 42. The open space between stiffening structure 24 and covering element 50 with connector plug 52 is filled with a sealing compound 21.

[0063] An, in particular, single-axis vibration sensor 30 is disposed on first circuit carrier 41. Vibration sensor 30 is connected mechanically solidly to stiffening structure 24. This mechanically solid connection is achieved here by the fact that stiffening structure 24 has an aperture 31 that is filled at least in part with a mechanically solid sealing material 32. Vibration sensor 30 in turn penetrates at least partly into this sealing material 32. Vibration sensor 30 is embodied in particular as an SOIC component, housing 33 of vibration sensor 30 penetrating only at most halfway into sealing material 32. As a result, corresponding contact pins of vibration sensor 30, with which vibration sensor 30 is soldered onto first circuit carrier 41, can be disposed outside sealing material 32. First circuit carrier 41 is furthermore disposed in secured fashion on stiffening structure 24, in particular by way of a screw connection. First circuit carrier 41 could also, alternatively or additionally, be adhesively bonded onto stiffening structure 24. As a further alternative, first circuit carrier 41 could be secured, for example, on wall elements 22 rather than on stiffening structure 24. Corresponding securing possibilities also apply to second circuit carrier 42. Alternatively, the second circuit carrier could also simply be fastened on connector plug 52 in order to define a corresponding location in housing 20.

[0064] Also depicted by way of example on first circuit carrier 41 is a further constituent 47, which can be embodied e.g. as a microcontroller, communication unit, memory unit, DC/DC converter, or the like. Such further constituents 47 can be correspondingly disposed as necessary on first circuit carrier 41 and on second circuit carrier 42.

[0065] Sensor apparatus 10 could also additionally have a temperature sensor, which can be disposed on first circuit carrier 41. The temperature sensor, similarly to vibration sensor 30, can penetrate into a further passage of stiffening structure 24 which at least partly filled with a sealing material. The sealing material and housing 20 should exhibit good thermal conductivity, so that a temperature of an external unit on which sensor apparatus 10 is mounted can correspondingly be reliably measured.

[0066] FIG. 4 is a plan view of a sensor apparatus according to the present invention as shown in FIG. 1, from below and without a cover element.

[0067] Sensor apparatus 10, with housing 20 that is constituted from wall elements 22 and stiffening structure 24, is once again depicted. First circuit structure 41 is disposed on stiffening structure 24 and is secured on stiffening structure 24 by way of screws 46. Electrical connection 44 between first circuit carrier 41 and second carrier 42 is also configured as a flex PCB, which is guided through a passage 25 in stiffening structure 24. This flex PCB is adhesively bonded onto first circuit carrier 41 and is electrically connected to first circuit carrier 41 by way of at least one wire bond. The electrical connection of the flex PCB to second circuit carrier 42 can, for example, be effected similarly or can be embodied directly as a rigid flex PCB.