DATA LOGGER AND USE OF TWO METAL WALL REGIONS OF A HOUSING OF A DATA LOGGER

Abstract

In the case of a data logger (1), it is provided to form two metal wall regions (7, 8), which are electrically isolated from one another, on a housing (6), it being possible to make electrical contact with a data connection, which has at least a first pole (4) and a second pole (5), from the outside by said metal wall regions.

Claims

1. A data logger (1), comprising at least a measurement sensor (2), a sensor signal processing device (3) which is designed to process a sensor signal of the at least one measurement sensor (2), a data connection comprising a first pole (4) and a second pole (5) being formed on the sensor signal processing device (3), a housing (6) in which the sensor signal processing device (3) is arranged, with the housing (6) being designed such that it is sealed to outside, the housing (6) comprises a first metal wall region (7) and a second metal wall region (8), the first metal wall region (7) and the second metal wall region (8) are electrically insulated from one another and are each accessible from the outside, and the first pole (4) makes electrical contact with the first metal wall region (7) from inside and the second pole (5) makes electrical contact with the second metal wall region (8).

2. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory (9) configured to electronically store a processed sensor signal connected to the sensor signal processing device (3).

3. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first metal wall region (7) and the second metal wall region (8) are formed on separate housing parts (10, 11).

4. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing parts (10, 11) are connected by a coupling part (12).

5. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the coupling part (12) electrically insulates the first wall region (7) from the second wall region (8)

6. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the coupling part (12) has a passage opening (14) through which at least one of the first pole (4) or the second pole (5) is electrically connected to the sensor signal processing device (3).

7. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sensor signal processing device (3) is arranged on at least one printed circuit board (15, 16, 17) which is placed in or on a passage opening (14) of the coupling part (12).

8. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the sensor signal processing device (3) is arranged on at least two printed circuit boards (15, 16, 17) which are electrically connected to one another by a conductor strip (18).

9. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least two printed circuit boards (15, 16, 17) are arranged on the coupling part (12) in a stacked arrangement.

10. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 8, wherein at least one of the first pole (4) or the second pole (5) is arranged on one of the printed circuit boards (15, 16, 17).

11. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one of a first metal spring element (20) arranged between the first pole (4) and the first metal wall region (7), or a second metal spring element (22) arranged between the second pole (5) and the second metal wall region (8).

12. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 11, wherein at least one of the first spring element (20) of the first pole (4) or the second spring element (22) of the second pole (5) is supported on an inwardly projecting shoulder (24, 25) of the respective metal wall region (7, 8).

13. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the two metal wall regions (7, 8) of the housing (6) are adapted for electrically transmitting data through the housing.

14. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 13, wherein at least one of stored measurement values are transmitted from the signal processing device (3), through the housing (6), to the outside, or configuration data for the signal processing device (3) is transmitted through the housing (6) to the inside.

15. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the memory (9) is configured to electronically store an associated item of time information with the processed sensor signal.

16. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the housing parts (10, 11) are connected by the first metal wall region (7) being connected to the coupling part (12) in a non-detachable manner and the second metal wall region (8) being connected to the coupling part (12) in a non-detachable manner.

17. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 4, wherein a collar (13) surrounds the coupling part (12) and is arranged between the housing part (10) having the first metal wall region (7) and the housing part (11) having the second metal wall region (8) and electrically insulates the first wall region (7) from the second wall region (8).

18. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 5, wherein the first pole (4) and the second pole (5) are formed on opposite sides of the coupling part (12).

19. The data logger (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensor signal processing device (3) is arranged on at least three printed circuit boards (15, 16, 17), and two of the at least three printed circuit boards (15, 16, 17), as outer printed circuit boards (15, 17), are electrically connected to a third of the at least three printed circuit boards (15, 16, 17), as a middle printed circuit board (16), by a respective conductor strip (18, 19).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment, but is not limited to this exemplary embodiment. Further exemplary embodiments can be obtained by combining the features of individual or several claims with one another and/or with individual or several features of the exemplary embodiment.

[0028] In the drawing, in a highly simplified, schematic form:

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a data logger according to the invention in a side view,

[0030] FIG. 2 shows the data logger from FIG. 1 in a view of the sensor tip from the front,

[0031] FIG. 3 shows the data logger from FIG. 1 in a sectional illustration along section line D-D from FIG. 1,

[0032] FIG. 4 shows an exploded illustration of the data logger from FIG. 1 in a three-dimensional oblique view from the front, and

[0033] FIG. 5 shows an exploded illustration of the data logger from FIG. 1 in a three-dimensional oblique view from the rear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0034] FIGS. 1 to 5 show, in different views, a data logger according to the invention which is denoted 1 overall.

[0035] The data logger 1 has at least a measurement sensor 2 and a sensor signal processing device 3. The measurement sensor 2 is connected to the sensor signal processing device 3 in a manner which is known per se in order to allow detection of measurement values at predetermined times and storage of the detected measurement values in a memory.

[0036] In addition, the sensor signal processing device 3 is designed to process the sensor signal of the at least one measurement sensor 2.

[0037] A data connection comprising a first pole 4 and a second pole 5 is formed on the sensor signal processing device 3. The data connection can have still further poles which are not shown here. The sensor signal processing device 3 and the at least one measurement sensor 2 are encapsulated by a housing 6 and are closed off in a sealed manner to the outside.

[0038] The housing 6 has a first metal wall region 7 and a second metal wall region 8 which each individually allow electrical contact-connection through the housing 6.

[0039] The first metal wall region 7 is electrically insulated from the second metal wall region 8 here, in a manner which will be described in even greater detail.

[0040] The first pole 4 makes contact with the first metal wall region 7 from the inside in a manner which will be described in even greater detail. The second pole 5 makes contact with the second metal wall region 8 electrically from the inside in a similar manner.

[0041] Therefore, the first pole 4 and the second pole 5 are electrically accessible from the outside.

[0042] The sensor signal processing device 3 is electrically connected to a memory 9 which is connected to the sensor signal processing device 3 for electronically storing the processed sensor signal together with an associated item of time information, that is to say the time-correlated measurement values.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment, the first metal wall region 7 is formed as part of an integral metal housing part 10. Similarly, the second metal wall region 8 is formed as part of a likewise integral metal housing part 11. The housing parts 10, 11 are connected to one another by a coupling part 12 here. The coupling part 12 electrically insulates the wall regions 7, 8 from one another by forming a collar 13 which surrounds the coupling part 12. In the assembled state, the collar 13 is arranged between the housing parts 10, 11 and therefore electrically isolates said housing parts from one another.

[0044] A continuous passage opening 14 is formed in the coupling part 12, the first pole 4 and the second pole 5 being electrically connected to the sensor signal processing device 3 through said passage opening. The first pole 4 and the second pole 5 are situated on opposite sides of the coupling part 12 here.

[0045] The sensor signal processing device 3 is spread over three printed circuit boards 15, 16, 17 which are inserted into the passage opening 14 of the coupling part 12.

[0046] Here, the outer printed circuit boards 15, 17 are electrically connected to the middle printed circuit board 16 by means of a respective flexible conductor strip 18, 19. The flexible conductor strips 18, 19 are arranged on mutually opposite sides of the middle printed circuit board 16 and on corresponding sides of the outer printed circuit boards 15, 17 in such a way that the three printed circuit boards 15, 16, 17 can be arranged in a common plane.

[0047] The printed circuit boards 15, 16, 17 on the coupling part 12 form a stacked arrangement in the inserted state.

[0048] A metal spring element 20 in the form of a corrugated spring 21 is arranged between the first pole 4 and the associated first metal wall region 7. Similarly, a spring element 22 in the form of a corrugated spring 23 is formed between the second pole 5 and the associated second metal wall region 8. Here, the spring elements 20, 22 are loosely placed on the coupling part 12 and loosely placed on the housing parts 10, 11.

[0049] A shoulder 24, 25 against which the respective spring element 20, 22 rests is formed in the interior of the housing parts 10, 11 in each case.

[0050] Therefore, during operation, the metal wall regions 7, 8 are used to make contact with the poles 4, 5 from the outside, without the housing 6 having to be opened.

[0051] Here, for example, stored measurement values can be read out from the memory 9 and/or configuration data for the sensor signal processing device 3 can be transmitted through the housing 6 to the inside.

[0052] A battery part 26 is detachably connected to the housing 6.

[0053] In the case of the data logger 1, it is provided to form two metal wall regions 7, 8, which are electrically isolated from one another, on a housing 6, it being possible to make electrical contact with a data connection, which has at least a first pole 4 and a second pole 5, from the outside by said metal wall regions.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0054] 1 Data logger [0055] 2 Measurement sensor [0056] 3 Sensor signal processing device [0057] 4 First pole [0058] 5 Second pole [0059] 6 Housing [0060] 7 First metal wall region [0061] 8 Second metal wall region [0062] 9 Memory [0063] 10 Housing part [0064] 11 Housing part [0065] 12 Coupling part [0066] 13 Collar [0067] 14 Passage opening [0068] 15 (Outer) printed circuit board [0069] 16 (Middle) printed circuit board [0070] 17 (Outer) printed circuit board [0071] 18 Flexible conductor strip [0072] 19 Flexible conductor strip [0073] 20 Metal spring element [0074] 21 Corrugated spring [0075] 22 Metal spring element [0076] 23 Corrugated spring [0077] 24 Shoulder [0078] 25 Shoulder [0079] 26 Battery part