Abstract
A sensor device. The sensor device has a sensor housing, which includes a circuit carrier including a microphone sensor, a cover, and a housing body, which has an internal space. The circuit carrier is arranged in the internal space. The sensor device includes at least one elastic outer damper, which is arranged on an outer side of the sensor housing on the cover and/or on the housing body.
Claims
1-8. (canceled)
9. A sensor device, comprising: a sensor housing, which includes i. a circuit carrier including a microphone sensor, ii. a cover, and iii. a housing body, which has an internal space, the circuit carrier being arranged in the internal space; and at least one elastic outer damper arranged on an outer side of the sensor housing on the cover and/or the housing body.
10. The sensor device according to claim 9, further comprising: an elastic hold-down arranged on the cover and/or the housing body, wherein the hold-down is configured to generate a holding force on the circuit carrier so that the circuit carrier is fixed in the internal space of the housing body, wherein the elastic outer damper and the elastic hold-down are integral.
11. The sensor device according to claim 9, wherein the sensor housing further includes at least one sealing element configured to seal a sound channel of the microphone sensor toward the internal space of the housing body, wherein the sealing element is elastic, and wherein the outer damper and the sealing element are integral.
12. The sensor device according to claim 9, wherein the outer side of the sensor housing in a region of a passage of the cover and/or in a region of a passage of the housing body, has an enlarged surface area and/or undercuts in or at the passage of the cover and/or the passage of the housing body.
13. A vehicle, comprising: a sensor device including: a sensor housing, which includes i. a circuit carrier including a microphone sensor, ii. a cover, and iii. a housing body, which has an internal space, the circuit carrier being arranged in the internal space, and at least one elastic outer damper arranged on an outer side of the sensor housing on the cover and/or the housing body.
14. A method of producing a sensor device, the sensor device including a sensor housing, which includes: i. a circuit carrier including a microphone sensor, ii. a cover, and iii. a housing body, which has an internal space, the circuit carrier being arranged in the internal space, the method comprising the following step: injection molding an elastomer for forming an elastic outer damper on an outer side of the sensor housing of the sensor device.
15. The method according to claim 14, wherein, when injection molding the elastomer, at least one hold-down and/or a sealing element is formed in addition to the outer damper, wherein the outer damper and the hold-down and/or the sealing element are formed in one piece.
16. A mounting method for mounting a sensor device to a component of a vehicle, comprising the following step: arranging a sensor device on the component of the vehicle, the sensor device including: a sensor housing, which includes i. a circuit carrier including a microphone sensor, ii. a cover, and iii. a housing body, which has an internal space, the circuit carrier being arranged in the internal space, and at least one elastic outer damper arranged on an outer side of the sensor housing on the cover and/or the housing body, wherein the elastic outer damper directly contacts the component and a pretension of the elastic outer damper is generated.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 shows a vehicle according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 2 shows a sensor device, three-dimensional view with vehicle component, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] FIG. 3 shows a sensor device according to an example embodiment of the present invention, as an exploded view.
[0019] FIG. 4 shows a cover of the sensor device with outer damper, front side, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0020] FIG. 5 shows a cover without outer damper with enlarged surface area at the passage, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
[0021] FIG. 6 shows a cover of the sensor device with outer damper, rear side, according to an example embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS
[0022] In FIG. 1, a vehicle 100 with a sensor device 200 according to the present invention is shown schematically in a lateral three-dimensional front view. The sensor device 200 is arranged on a vehicle component 110, 120, 130, 140, for example, on a bumper 120 of the vehicle 100 and/or on a side mirror 130 of the vehicle 100 and/or on a side camera 140 of the vehicle 100. Ultrasonic sensors 121, which advantageously have a similar visual appearance for a viewer of the vehicle 100, may, for example, be arranged adjacent to the sensor device 200 according to the present invention on the bumper 120 of the vehicle 100 as a vehicle component 110. The side camera 140 as a vehicle component 110 may, for example, be part of an all-round vision system or a stereo camera. The sensor device 200 may alternatively be arranged on a bumper 120 (not shown in FIG. 1), positioned at the rear side of the vehicle 100, and oriented toward the rear environment and/or arranged, for example, on a rear view camera (not shown) of the vehicle 100 and/or on a roof structure (not shown) of the vehicle 100.
[0023] In FIG. 2, the sensor device 200 is shown schematically, by way of example, in a side view of a cross-section, with the sensor device 200 mounted on a vehicle component 110. The sensor device 200 comprises a circuit carrier 330 with a microphone sensor 340, wherein the circuit carrier 330 is accommodated or arranged or held in an internal space 235 of a housing body 230 of a sensor housing 210. Advantageously, the vehicle component 110 has a through-opening 111. Preferably, the sensor device 200 closed with a diaphragm 112 is mounted in the through-opening 111, wherein the diaphragm 112 is configured to protect a sound channel 290 between the diaphragm 112 and the microphone sensor 340 of the sensor device 200 from environmental influences, to receive sound vibrations, and to transmit the received sound vibrations into the sound channel 290. The through-opening 111 of the vehicle component 110 is advantageously circular and configured to receive an, in particular cylindrical, form 211 of a sensor housing 210 of the sensor device 200 with at least a portion of the sound channel 290. The sensor housing 200 comprises a cover 220 and a housing body 230. In this example, the cylindrical form 211 comprises a portion of the sound channel and is arranged on the cover 220. It may alternatively be provided that the form 211 is arranged on the housing body 230. FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of two outer dampers 240 between the cover 220 and the vehicle component 110, the vehicle component being a bumper, for example. Preferably, on at least one outer side 280 of the sensor housing 210, at least three outer dampers 240 are arranged; in particular, the sensor device 200 comprises four outer dampers 240, which are arranged at at least one outer side 280 of the sensor housing 210. The outer dampers 240 are advantageously in direct contact with the vehicle component 110. The outer dampers 240 are configured to dampen acoustic vibrations of the vehicle component 110 so that the microphone sensor 340 of the circuit carrier 330 is protected from noise interference, for example based on the vibrating vehicle component 110, 120.
[0024] FIG. 3 shows the sensor device 200 as an exploded view schematically and in a side view. The sensor device 200 comprises the sensor housing 210, which comprises the cover 220 and the housing body 230. Four outer dampers 240 are arranged on the outer upper side or the outer side 221 of the cover 220. The cover 220 has a respective passage 223 or through-opening below each outer damper 240. On the inner side 222 of the cover 220, hold-downs 310 are advantageously respectively arranged or formed at each passage 223 (see also FIG. 2). The hold-down 310 and the outer damper 240 at a passage 223 are connected to one another through the passage 223 and comprise an elastic material or an elastomer, e.g., a silicone (see also FIG. 2). The hold-down 310 and the outer damper 240 at a passage 223 are consequently integrally formed. Particularly preferably, all hold-downs 310 and outer dampers 240 are connected to one another or are formed integrally. For example, the hold-downs 310 and the outer dampers 240 are produced together in an injection molding process, the cover 220 advantageously comprising distribution channels (not shown) for the injection molding process for this purpose. Alternatively, the hold-downs 310 and the outer dampers 240 may be part of an elastic insert produced separately from the cover 220, which insert is pushed through the passages 223 and fixed to the cover 220 in a form- and/or friction-locked manner. Particularly preferably, the hold-downs 310 and the outer dampers 240 are integrally connected to a portion of an elastic sealing element 320 (see also FIG. 2). The sealing element 320 serves to seal or form at least a portion of the sound channel 290 for the microphone sensor 340 toward the internal space 235 of the housing body 230 (see also FIG. 2). In other words, the hold-downs 310, the outer dampers 240, and the sealing element 320 are advantageously designed to be elastic and integral, i.e., materially connected to one another. The hold-downs 310 and the outer dampers 240 as well as the sealing element 320 are advantageously produced in a common injection molding process or as an integral insert. The sensor device 200 furthermore comprises the circuit carrier 330 with the microphone sensor 340. The circuit carrier 330 is configured to be held or accommodated in the internal space 231 of the housing body 230.
[0025] FIG. 4 shows a cover 220 of the sensor housing of the sensor device with four outer dampers 240 schematically in a plan view of the front side 225 of the sensor device 200 or of the outer side 221, 280 of the cover 220. The four outer dampers 240 are advantageously symmetrically arranged about the form 211 of the cover 220, wherein the form has the passage or opening of the sound channel 290.
[0026] FIG. 5 shows the cover of FIG. 4 without an outer damper with an enlarged surface area in a sealing region 241 at the passages 223. The enlarged surface area in the sealing region 241 serves to better seal the internal space 235 of the sensor housing 210 from harmful environmental influences, such as dirt, moisture, etc. The enlarged surface area in the sealing region 241 at the passages 223 may, for example, be produced through forms, undercuts, grooves, or roughening.
[0027] FIG. 6 shows a plan view of the rear side 610 of the cover of FIGS. 4 to 5. Visible are the hold-downs 310, which are arranged at the passages 223 on the rear side 610 of the cover 220. Also shown is the sealing element 320, which is formed as a hollow cylinder and, in its interior, forms at least a portion of the sound channel 290. The cover 220 comprises distribution channels 620, which are formed as troughs or grooves between walls 630. In the injection molding process, the elastomer is, for example, injected in the region of the sealing element and is injected via the distribution channels 620 to the hold-downs 310 through the passage to form the outer dampers 240. Thus, an integral or materially connected elastomer part results, which comprises the outer dampers, the hold-downs 310, and the sealing element 320. The elastomer part may also be formed as an insert, i.e., produced separately from the cover and mounted on the cover.
