LOW-PRESSURE SENSOR DEVICE AND USE OF AN INLET CONNECTOR PIECE AS A FLUID INLET FOR A LOW-PRESSURE SENSOR DEVICE

Abstract

A low-pressure sensor device for measuring a charge pressure of an engine in a vehicle is described. The low-pressure sensor device has a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure of a fluid in the low-pressure sensor device, and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the fluid in the low-pressure sensor device, the low-pressure sensor device having an in particular essentially cylindrical inlet connector piece for admitting the fluid into the low-pressure sensor device, the inlet connector piece having an in particular circular inlet opening on a side facing away from the pressure sensor.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A low-pressure sensor device for measuring a charge pressure of a motor in a vehicle, the low-pressure sensor device comprising: a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of a fluid in the low-pressure sensor device; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the fluid in the low-pressure sensor device; and a cylindrical inlet connector piece configured to admit the fluid into the low-pressure sensor device, the inlet connector piece having a circular inlet opening on a side facing away from the pressure sensor, the inlet connector piece having a sieve-type wall structure which includes a multitude of recesses in a subregion facing the inlet opening.

12. The low-pressure sensor device as recited in claim 11, wherein the temperature sensor is at least partially situated at a level of the sieve-type wall structure of the inlet connector piece.

13. The low-pressure sensor device as recited in claim 11, wherein the inlet connector piece has a completely closed wall structure in a subregion facing away from the inlet opening.

14. The low-pressure sensor device as recited in claim 11, wherein the inlet connector piece has a circumferential drip-off edge at an end facing the inlet opening.

15. The low-pressure sensor device as recited in claim 11, wherein the inlet connector piece is injection-molded in one piece.

16. The low-pressure sensor device as recited in claim 11, wherein the sieve-type wall structure has recesses that are dimensioned in such a way and the temperature sensor is disposed in the inlet connector piece in such a way that touching of the temperature sensor by a part of a human hand of an adult person through the recesses is impossible.

17. The low-pressure sensor device as recited in claim 11, wherein the inlet connector piece is rotationally symmetric in relation to an axis of symmetry that extends from the temperature sensor to a center point of the inlet opening.

18. The low-pressure sensor device as recited in claim 17, wherein the temperature sensor and/or the pressure sensor is situated on the axis of symmetry of the inlet connector piece.

19. The low-pressure sensor device as recited in claim 11, further comprising: an O-ring configured to seal a transition region from the inlet connector piece to an inlet connector piece contact region of the low-pressure sensor device.

20. A method of use of an inlet connector piece, comprising: providing a low-pressure sensor device, the low-pressure sensor device including a pressure sensor configured to measure a pressure of a fluid in the low-pressure sensor device, a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the fluid in the low-pressure sensor device, and a cylindrical inlet connector piece configured to admit the fluid into the low-pressure sensor device, the inlet connector piece having a circular inlet opening on a side facing away from the pressure sensor, the inlet connector piece having a sieve-type wall structure which includes a multitude of recesses in a subregion facing the inlet opening; and using the inlet connector piece as a fluid inlet for the low-pressure sensor device for measuring a charge pressure of an engine in a vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Below, specific example embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the figures, but neither the figures nor the description should be regarded as limiting the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a specific embodiment of the low-pressure sensor device according to the present invention.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the low-pressure device from FIG. 1.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a detailed side view of the inlet connector piece of the low-pressure sensor device from FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0024] The figures are merely schematic and not true to scale. Identical reference numerals in the figures denote the same features or features that act in the same way.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

[0025] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a specific example embodiment of low-pressure sensor device 10 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of low-pressure sensor device 10 from FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows a detailed side view of inlet connector piece 40 of low-pressure sensor device 10 from FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

[0026] Low-pressure sensor device 10 is provided for measuring a charge pressure of an engine in a vehicle. Toward this end, low-pressure sensor device 10 has a pressure sensor 20 for measuring the pressure of air in low-pressure sensor device 10. Low-pressure sensor device 10 includes an inlet connector piece 40, which has an inlet opening 50 so that air may flow or be aspirated into low-pressure sensor device 10. The air is routed to pressure sensor 20. There, pressure sensor 20 measures the pressure. Via a discharge opening 51, the air leaves low-pressure sensor device 10.

[0027] Inlet connector piece 40 is able to be separated from the rest of low-pressure sensor device 10. Via its upper side in FIG. 3, inlet connector piece 40 is inserted into the other part of low-pressure sensor device 10 or into an inlet connector piece contact region 15 of low-pressure sensor device 10. An O-ring 18 is used as a sealing element between inlet connector piece contact region 15 and inlet connector piece 40. A protrusion of inlet connector piece 40 functions as a stop so that inlet connector piece 40 will not be inserted too deeply into the remaining part of low-pressure sensor device 10.

[0028] In a side view, low-pressure sensor device 10 essentially has the form of a Latin capital letter L. Pressure sensor 20 is situated in the corner of the capital letter L. Inlet connector piece 40 essentially has the form of a (largely) hollow cylinder.

[0029] Inlet connector piece 40 has in its upper subregion 70 in FIG. 3 (i.e., the subregion facing pressure sensor 20) an essentially completely closed wall structure. In other words, inlet connector piece 40 has no recesses 60-65 in the wall in that location.

[0030] In a lower subregion 55 of inlet connector piece 40 in FIG. 3, which directly abuts upper subregion 70, the wall of inlet connector piece 40 has a sieve-type structure. A sieve-type structure particularly means that the wall has a multitude of recesses 60-65. Recesses 60-65 may be large, in particular in comparison to the other regions of the wall between recesses 60-65, preferably at least twice as large. Recesses 60-65 may be situated at regular intervals. An irregular placement is possible as well.

[0031] The sieve-type wall structure need not extend across the entire circumference (extending from the left to the right in FIG. 3) but lower subregion 55 of inlet connector piece 40 can also have a closed wall structure in some angular ranges.

[0032] Upper subregion 70 has a shorter length than lower subregion 55 of inlet connector piece 40. The sieve-type wall structure may be adapted to the installation angle or the installation position of the low-pressure sensor device.

[0033] Temperature sensor 45 is situated in inlet connector piece 40. Temperature sensor 45 may particularly be disposed in a fixed position in inlet connector piece 40. Temperature sensor 45 is positioned in inlet connector piece 40 in a centered manner, i.e., is equidistantly set apart from all walls. However, a non-centered placement in inlet connector piece 40 is possible as well. Temperature sensor 45 is attached to pressure sensor 20 by two suspensions 46, 47. Suspensions 46, 47 are also able to transmit the signal from temperature sensor 45 to pressure sensor 20.

[0034] Temperature sensor 45 or the temperature measuring device is situated in inlet connector piece 40 in such a way and recesses 60-65 have a size such that touching of temperature sensor 45 through recesses 60-65 by a part of an average human hand is not possible.

[0035] In particular, temperature sensor 45 may include a thermal resistor or NTC resistor or NTS thermistor or be made up of such.

[0036] The air or moisture reaches low-pressure sensor device 10 from a lateral side such as from the left in FIG. 2. The moisture may freeze given the right ambient or outside temperatures. If the ice layer that is produced as a result there does not melt, then the initially thin ice layer continues to grow.

[0037] Because of the ice, some recesses or all recesses 60-65 on one side (such as on the left side in FIG. 2) are closed. The entry of moisture into inlet connector piece 40 is therefore essentially reduced or prevented. This also makes it possible for inlet opening 50 of inlet connector piece 40 not to freeze up completely.

[0038] Air is always able to pass through inlet opening 50 into inlet connector piece 40. Freezing of recesses 60-65 on one side also prevents moisture from reaching recesses 60-65 on the opposite side (e.g., on the right side in FIG. 2). As a result, freezing of these recesses 60-65 is reduced or prevented.

[0039] Inlet connector piece 40 may be developed in rotational symmetry with an axis of symmetry 80. Axis of symmetry 80 extends from pressure sensor 20 to temperature sensor 45 or to a center point of inlet opening 50. Axis of symmetry 80 in FIG. 2 and in FIG. 3 thus runs from top to bottom.

[0040] On a side facing away from pressure sensor 20, i.e., on a lower side in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3, the sensor connector piece has a drip-off edge 75. Drip-off edge 75 includes an outwardly projecting protrusion. Drip-off edge 75 essentially surrounds inlet opening 50 completely. Drip-off edge 75 therefore has a circular development.

[0041] Drip-off edge 75 ensures that water droplets do not collect or remain at the lower side of inlet connector piece 40 or at the inner side of inlet connector piece 40 but instead drip off due to gravitation.

[0042] The diameter of inlet connector piece 40 perpendicular to axis of symmetry 80 is relatively large. The diameter may amount to approximately 12 mm, for example.

[0043] As a rule, low-pressure sensor device 10 is placed in the vehicle equipped with the internal combustion engine in such a way that the gravitation in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 runs from top to bottom.

[0044] Inlet connector piece 40 is able to be produced in one piece using an injection molding tool.

[0045] Temperature sensor 45 is particularly fixed in place in low-pressure sensor device 10 without glue or without bonding.

[0046] In conclusion, it is pointed out that terms like include, encompass, etc. do not exclude other elements or steps and terms like a do not exclude a plurality.