CN113108823A - Sensor and valve device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sensor and valve apparatus, the sensor comprising: metal casing, circuit board assembly and insulating lid. The circuit board assembly comprises a substrate, a conductive path and a plurality of electronic elements, the sensor is provided with a flow channel and a first cavity which are positioned on different sides of the thickness direction of the substrate, at least part of the plurality of electronic elements are positioned in the first cavity, and the flow channel is not communicated with the first cavity. The electronic elements are electrically connected with each other through the conductive paths. The electronic components comprise a pressure sensing element, a first capacitor and a conditioning chip, and the conductive path comprises a power supply path. The sensor comprises a grounding piece, the first capacitor comprises a first polar plate and a second polar plate, the first polar plate is electrically connected with the power supply path, the second polar plate is electrically connected with the grounding piece, and the grounding piece is electrically connected with the metal shell, so that the damage risk of the surge high-voltage to the conditioning chip is reduced, and the safety of the sensor and the safety of the valve device are improved.

Description

Sensor and valve device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a measuring device and a fluid control device, and more particularly, to a sensor and a valve device.

Background

The sensor in the related art is provided to the valve device for detecting the pressure and/or temperature of the refrigerant flowing into the valve device. The sensor includes: the circuit board comprises a circuit substrate, a conductive path and a plurality of electronic elements, wherein the electronic elements are electrically connected with each other through the conductive path. The electronic components comprise a pressure sensing element and a conditioning chip, and the conductive path comprises a power supply path electrically connected with the conditioning chip. The power supply path supplies power to the conditioning chip, and in some cases, the power supply path has unexpected high-voltage surge voltage, for example, when a power supply system encounters high-voltage generated by lightning stroke, the surge high-voltage is input to the conditioning chip through the power supply path, so that the chip is damaged, the sensor cannot work, and the safety performance is poor.

Disclosure of Invention

The application aims to provide a sensor with high safety.

The present application provides a sensor, comprising: the sensor comprises a metal shell, a circuit board assembly and an insulating cover, wherein the circuit board assembly comprises a substrate, a conductive path and a plurality of electronic elements, the sensor is provided with a flow channel and a first cavity which are positioned on different sides of the thickness direction of the substrate, at least part of the electronic elements are positioned in the first cavity, and the flow channel is not communicated with the first cavity; the electronic elements are electrically connected with each other through a conductive path, the electronic elements comprise a pressure sensing element, a first capacitor and a conditioning chip, and the conductive path comprises a power supply path; the sensor comprises a grounding piece, the first capacitor comprises a first polar plate and a second polar plate, the first polar plate is electrically connected with the power supply path, the second polar plate is electrically connected with the grounding piece, and the grounding piece is electrically connected with the metal shell.

Compare in correlation technique, this application is equipped with the grounding piece, grounding piece and metal casing electric connection, and the abrupt ripples high-voltage of power supply route can be led to metal casing through first electric capacity is direct, and metal casing can lead the ground, has reduced abrupt ripples high-voltage to the damage risk of conditioning the chip, has improved the security of sensor.

The purpose of the present application is to provide a valve device with high safety.

The application provides a valve device, it includes foretell sensor, valve device still includes valve body and case portion, case portion with the valve body is fixed mutually, the valve body is equipped with the pore, case portion can be controlled the break-make in pore, the sensor with the valve body is fixed mutually, the runner of sensor with pore fluid intercommunication, metal casing and valve body electric connection.

Compared with the prior art, the surge high-voltage regulating valve device is provided with the grounding piece, the grounding piece is electrically connected with the metal shell, the surge high-voltage of the power supply path can be directly conducted to the metal shell through the first capacitor, the metal shell is electrically connected with the valve body, the ground can be conducted through the valve body, the risk of damage to the regulating chip caused by the surge high-voltage is reduced, and the safety of the valve device is improved.

Drawings

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

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the sensor shown in fig. 1 from another angle.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is another perspective exploded view of the sensor shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a further exploded schematic view of the sensor shown in fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a further exploded schematic view of the sensor shown in fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a further exploded view of the sensor shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a further exploded view of the sensor shown in fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the sensor shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sensor shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a further schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the sensor shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 12 is a schematic exploded perspective cross-sectional view of the sensor shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 13 is a circuit schematic of the sensor shown in fig. 1.

Fig. 14 is a circuit board wiring diagram of the flexible circuit board shown in fig. 6 laid out flat.

Fig. 15 is a schematic perspective view of a second embodiment of the sensor of the present application.

Fig. 16 is an exploded perspective view of the sensor shown in fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the sensor shown in fig. 15.

Fig. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional perspective view of the sensor shown in fig. 15.

FIG. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of the sensor of the present application.

FIG. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of the sensor of the present application.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of a sensor of the present application applied to a valve device.

Fig. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the valve assembly of fig. 21.

Fig. 23 is another perspective exploded view of the valve assembly of fig. 21.

Fig. 24 is a schematic perspective cross-sectional view of the valve device shown in fig. 21.

FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram of a system in which the sensor of the present application is used in a thermal management system.

Detailed Description

As shown in fig. 1 to 14, a sensor 100 according to a first embodiment of the present application includes: metal shell 10, circuit board assembly 20, base 40, insulating cover 50 and two sealing rings 60.

As shown in fig. 5 to 14, the circuit board assembly 20 includes a substrate 21, a conductive path 22 and several electronic components. The electronic components are electrically connected to each other through the conductive path 22, and include a pressure sensing element 23, a first capacitor 24, and a conditioning chip 25. The conductive path 22 includes a power path/a first conductive path 221, the sensor 100 includes a ground plate 90, the first capacitor 24 includes a first plate 241 and a second plate 242, the first plate 241 is electrically connected to the power path 221, the second plate 242 is electrically connected to the ground plate 90, and the ground plate 90 is electrically connected to the metal housing 10. As shown in fig. 10, the metal housing 10 includes a first abutting portion 104, the insulating cover 50 includes a second abutting portion 58, the ground plate 90 includes a third abutting portion 91, the third abutting portion 91 is pressed between the first abutting portion 104 and the second abutting portion 58, and the ground plate 90 is in contact with the first abutting portion 104.

The first capacitor 24 is a high-voltage capacitor, for example, the specification of the first capacitor 24 is 10nf/1000V, that is, the capacitance value of the first capacitor 24 is 10nf, the rated voltage is 1000V, and the capacitor can bear the voltage of 1000V.

As shown in fig. 13 to 14, the conditioning chip 25 includes a pressure signal input 251, a pressure signal output 252, and a power input 253. The pressure sensing element 23 is electrically connected to the pressure signal input end 251, the sensor 100 further includes a power connection end 271 and a pressure signal output connection end 272, the power connection end 271 is electrically connected to the power input end 253, and the pressure signal output connection end 272 is electrically connected to the pressure signal output end 252. The power connection terminal 271 and the pressure signal output connection terminal 272 are used to electrically connect with the external circuit of the sensor 100, for example, the conductive path of the electronic expansion valve built-in circuit board. The first polar plate 241 is electrically connected to the power connection end 271, the first polar plate 241 is electrically connected to the power input end 253, the second polar plate 242 is electrically connected to the metal casing 10 through the grounding plate 90, and the metal casing 10 can be connected to the ground, so that when a high voltage surge occurs at the power connection end 271, the high voltage surge can be directly conducted to the ground, and the risk of impact damage to the conditioning chip 25 caused by the high voltage surge entering the power input end 253 is reduced.

The sensor 100 includes a first clamping diode 28, the sensor 100 includes a ground terminal 275, the first clamping diode 28 has a first electrode terminal 281 and a second electrode terminal 282, the first electrode terminal 281 is electrically connected to the power input terminal 253 and the power connection terminal 271, and the second electrode terminal 282 is electrically connected to the ground terminal 275. The arrangement of the first clamping diode 28 can limit the voltage of the power input end 253 within a rated working range, so that the risk that unexpected high voltage of the power input end 253 enters the power input end 253 to cause impact damage to the conditioning chip 25 is reduced. The arrangement of the first capacitor 24 and the grounding strip 90 can lead the high voltage of the alternating current to the ground to protect the conditioning chip 25 from the high voltage impact of the alternating current, and the first clamping diode 28 can limit the unexpected high voltage of the direct current within the rated working range, so as to protect the conditioning chip 25 from the high voltage impact of the direct current.

The sensor 100 includes a power supply path/first conductive path 221 electrically connecting the power supply input terminal 253 and the power supply connection terminal 271, a second conductive path 222 connected between the first capacitor 24 and the first conductive path 221, and a third conductive path 223 connected to the first clamping diode 28 and the first conductive path 221, wherein when the power supply connection terminal 271 is energized, the power supply firstly passes through the intersection of the first conductive path 221 and the second conductive path 222, then passes through the intersection of the first conductive path 22 and the third conductive path 223, and then enters the power supply input terminal 253. The first capacitor 24 is arranged in front of the first clamping diode 28, so that larger surge voltage, such as lightning stroke and other unexpected high voltage, can be firstly conducted to ground for protection, and then the limiting voltage action of the first clamping diode 28 plays a role in double protection of the regulating chip 25, so that the safety redundancy is higher.

The sensor 100 further includes a second clamping diode 29, the second clamping diode 29 has a third electrode 291 and a fourth electrode 292, the third electrode 291 is electrically connected to the pressure signal output 252 and the pressure signal output connection 272, and the fourth electrode 292 is electrically connected to the ground 275. The provision of the second clamping diode 29 reduces the risk of damaging the conditioning chip 25 by an accidental high dc voltage entering the conditioning chip 25 from the pressure signal output connection 272.

The conditioning chip 25 includes a power output 254, and the sensor 100 further includes a ground connection 273 and a second capacitor 31, wherein the ground connection 273 is electrically connected to the power output 254. The second capacitor 31 is a high-voltage capacitor, for example, the specification of the second capacitor 31 is 10nf/1000V, that is, the capacitance value of the second capacitor 31 is 10nf, the rated voltage is 1000V, and the second capacitor can bear the voltage of 1000V. The second capacitor 31 includes a third plate 311 and a fourth plate 312, the third plate 311 is electrically connected to the power output 254, the third plate 311 is electrically connected to the ground connection 273, and the fourth plate 312 is electrically connected to the metal case 10 through the ground strip 90. Similar to the principle of the first capacitor 24, the second capacitor 31 can reduce the risk of damage to the conditioning chip 25 caused by the impact of the high-voltage surge voltage entering the power output 254 from the ground connection 273. In the circuit system, the power connection terminal 271 corresponds to the positive pole of the power input, and the ground connection terminal 273 corresponds to the negative pole of the power input. The ideal operating voltage of the power connection 271 is 5V and the ideal operating voltage of the ground connection 273 is 0V. In the illustrated embodiment, the second capacitor 31 and the first capacitor 24 are electrically connected to the metal housing 10 corresponding to an independent ground strip 90, so that the circuit arrangement is simpler and easier, and the conducting path of the corresponding circuit to the metal housing is closer, thereby reducing the flowing length of the conducting path of the high voltage in the circuit board assembly and ensuring the protection of the conditioning chip 25 to be safer. Of course, in other alternative embodiments, the second capacitor 31 and the first capacitor 24 may be associated with the same ground 90, which may reduce the material cost of the circuit board assembly 20 and the ground strip.

The pressure signal input end 251 includes a first pressure signal input end 321 and a second pressure signal input end 322, the pressure sensing element 23 includes a first signal end 231, a second signal end 232 and a ground end 233, the first signal end 231 is electrically connected to the first pressure signal input end 321, the second signal end 232 is electrically connected to the second pressure signal input end 322, and the ground end 233 is electrically connected to the ground end 275.

The pressure signal output end 252 includes a first pressure signal output end 323 and a second pressure signal output end 324, the sensor 100 further includes a first resistor 33 and a second resistor 34, the first resistor 33 is electrically connected to the first pressure signal output end 323, the second resistor 34 is electrically connected to the second pressure signal output end 324, and the first resistor 33 and the second resistor 34 are connected in parallel between the pressure signal output end 252 and the pressure signal output connection end 272. The resistance of the first resistor 33 is smaller than that of the second resistor, for example, the resistance of the first resistor is 100 ohms (Ω), and the resistance of the second resistor is 1000 ohms (Ω). The voltage signal corresponding to the detected pressure signal can be output through the parallel connection of the first resistor 33 and the second resistor 34 and is output from the pressure signal output connection 272.

The sensor 100 further includes a first inductor 35 and a second inductor 36, the first inductor 35 is electrically connected between the power input terminal 253 and the power connection terminal 271, the first resistor 33 and the second resistor 34 are connected in parallel and then connected in series with the second inductor 36, and the second inductor 36 is electrically connected with the pressure signal output connection terminal 272. The direct current resistance of the first inductor 35 and the second inductor 26 reduces unstable alternating current signals in the power connection terminal 271 and the pressure signal output connection terminal 272. Optionally, the inductive reactance of the first inductor 35 and the second inductor 36 are both 120 henries (H).

As shown in fig. 9, the sensor 100 further includes a temperature sensing element 70, and the temperature sensing element 70 and the pressure sensing element 23 are disposed on the same sensor 100, so that the sensor 100 integrates a pressure temperature sensor integrating functions of detecting the temperature and the pressure of the refrigerant, and the integrated design reduces the occupied space and material cost of the separately designed temperature sensor and pressure sensor.

As shown in fig. 13 and 14, the sensor 100 further includes a third resistor 37 and a temperature signal connection terminal 274, and the third resistor 37 and the temperature sensing element 70 are connected in series between the power connection terminal 271 and the ground terminal 275. The conductive path 22 includes a fourth conductive path 224, one end of the fourth conductive path 224 is electrically connected between the third resistor 37 and the temperature sensing element 70, and the other end of the fourth conductive path 224 is electrically connected to the temperature signal connection terminal 274. The temperature sensing element 70 is a thermistor, the sensor 100 includes a third capacitor 38, the third capacitor 38 is connected in parallel with the temperature sensing element 70, the third capacitor 38 includes a fifth pole plate 381 and a sixth pole plate 382, the fifth pole plate 381 is electrically connected to the temperature signal connection terminal 274, and the sixth pole plate 382 is electrically connected to the ground terminal 275. All the ground terminals 275 are electrically connected to the ground connection terminals 273, i.e., to the negative terminal of the power source.

The power output end 254 includes a first power output end 325, a second power output end 326 and a third power output end 327, the first power output end 325 and the second power output end 326 are connected in parallel, the fourth capacitor 30 is connected in series to the first power output end 325, and the fifth capacitor 39 is connected in series to the third power output end 327.

The conditioning chip 25, the pressure sensing element 23 and the first capacitor 24 are electrically connected through the conductive path 22 of the circuit board assembly 20. As shown in fig. 3, 6, 9, 13 and 14, the plurality of conductive terminals 80 includes a ground terminal 84, a power terminal 85, a pressure signal terminal 86 and a temperature signal terminal 87, the ground terminal 84 is electrically connected to the ground connection end 273, the power terminal 85 is electrically connected to the power connection end 271, the pressure signal terminal 86 is electrically connected to the pressure signal output connection end 272, and the temperature signal terminal 87 is electrically connected to the temperature signal connection end 274.

As shown in fig. 8 to 11, the sensor 100 has a first cavity 101 and a second cavity 102 located on opposite sides of the substrate 21 in the thickness direction, the sensor 100 has a refrigerant flow passage 103, the refrigerant flow passage 103 communicates with the second cavity 102, and the second cavity 102 and the first cavity 101 communicating with the refrigerant flow passage 103 are sealed by two sealing rings 60 so as not to communicate with each other. The second chamber 102 is located at a lower side of the base plate 21, the first chamber 101 is located at an upper side of the base plate 21, and the refrigerant flow passage 103 is located at a lower side of the second chamber 102. In other alternative embodiments, the refrigerant may not have the second chamber and directly flow to the lower side of the circuit board assembly through the refrigerant flow channel, or the refrigerant flow channel 103 and the second chamber 102 of the illustrated embodiment may be collectively referred to as a refrigerant flow channel. The sealing ring 60 comprises a first sealing ring 61 and a second sealing ring 62, the first sealing ring 61 is connected between the metal shell 10 and the base 40 in a sealing manner, and the second sealing ring 62 is connected between the base 40 and the base plate 21 in a sealing manner, so that the refrigerant flow channel 103 is not communicated with the first cavity 101, and the risk of refrigerant leakage caused by the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant flow channel 103 entering the first cavity 101 is reduced.

As shown in fig. 7 to 9, the circuit board assembly 20 includes a flexible circuit board 26, the substrate 21 includes a ceramic substrate 21, the pressure sensing element 23 is formed on the ceramic substrate 21, the grounding plate 90 is a portion of the flexible circuit board 26, and the flexible circuit board 26 is located in the first cavity 101. The ceramic substrate 21 includes a first surface 211 facing the refrigerant flow channel 103, a second surface 212 facing the flexible circuit board 26, and a peripheral wall surface 213 connected between the first surface 211 and the second surface 212, the first surface 211 and the second surface 212 being located on opposite sides in a thickness direction of the substrate 21. The flexible circuit board 26 includes a first circuit board 261 and a second circuit board 262 which are arranged at intervals, the first circuit board 261 is arranged on the second surface 212, and the second circuit board 262 is far from the second surface 212 than the first circuit board 261.

As shown in fig. 6 to 9 and 14, the flexible circuit board 26 includes a first flexible circuit board 263 and a second flexible circuit board 264, the first flexible circuit board 263 is connected between the first circuit board 261 and the second circuit board 262, the second flexible circuit board 264 is connected to the second circuit board 262, the ground strip 90 is disposed on the second flexible circuit board 264, the conditioning chip 25 is disposed on the first circuit board 261, and the first capacitor 24 is disposed on the second circuit board 262. The second flexible circuit board 264 includes a first extension 265 extending from the second circuit board 262, a second extension 266 extending from the first extension 265, a third extension 267 extending from the second extension 266, and a fourth extension 268 extending from the third extension 267. The strength of the first circuit board 261 and the second circuit board 262 is strengthened relative to the strength of the first flexible circuit board 263 and the second flexible circuit board 264, and the flexibility of the first flexible circuit board 263 and the second flexible circuit board 264 is better relative to the first circuit board 261 and the second circuit board 262, so that bending and bending are facilitated.

As shown in fig. 5, 6 and 9, the base 40 includes a bottom wall 41 and a peripheral wall 42, the base 40 has a groove 43 between the bottom wall 41 and the peripheral wall 42, the ceramic substrate 21 is located in the groove 43, and the ceramic substrate 21, the base 40 and the sealing ring 60 define the second cavity 102. The refrigerant flow channel 103 includes a first flow channel 1031 and a second flow channel 1032, the second flow channel 1032 is located in the base 40, and the second flow channel 1032 penetrates the base 40 in the thickness direction of the base 40, wherein the aperture of the second flow channel 1032 is smaller than that of the first flow channel 1031. The substrate 21 is substantially disc-shaped, the first guide post 45 is provided inside the peripheral wall 42, the first guide groove 214 is provided on the peripheral wall surface 213 of the substrate 21, and the first guide groove 214 and the first guide post 45 cooperate to facilitate the guiding of the substrate 21 and position the mounting direction of the substrate 21. In other alternative embodiments, the substrate 21 may have a square shape, a diamond shape, a polygonal shape, or a special shape, as long as the substrate 21 can be accommodated and fixed in the groove 43, and the shape of the substrate 21 is not limited in the present application.

As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the insulating cover 50 is at least partially housed inside the metal case 10. The insulating cover 50 includes a first portion 51 and a second portion 52 located in the thickness direction of the insulating cover 50, and the metal shell 10 includes a base portion 11, a cylindrical portion 12 extending from the base portion 11 in a direction away from the refrigerant flow path 103, a butting portion 13 extending from the base portion 11 away from the cylindrical portion 12, and a bent portion 14 bent from the cylindrical portion 12 toward an axis line close to the cylindrical portion 12.

Before being bent, the bent portion 14 is bent in the same direction as the extending direction of the barrel portion 12, and when being subjected to external pressure, the bent portion 14 is bent and riveted to the second portion 52, so that the bent portion 14 presses against the second portion 52 of the insulating cover 50 and the grounding strip 90, and the electrical and physical connection between the metal shell and the grounding strip is realized. The first portion 51 of the insulating cover 50 presses against the substrate 21, the base 40, and the flexible circuit board 26, thereby fixing the substrate 21 inside the metal housing 10. The docking portion 13 is adapted to be inserted and mounted into a valve device 93 or a system pipe, the valve device 93 may be an electronic expansion valve, and the system pipe may be a connection pipe connected between any two of the heat exchanger, the compressor 951, the valve device 93, the accumulator, and the gas-liquid separator. The base 11 has a platform surface 111 for mating with a corresponding component to be mounted, the platform surface 111 being planar.

As shown in fig. 6 and 9, the first extension 265 is located in the first cavity 101 and the second extension 266 is compressed between the first portion 52 and the peripheral wall 42. The third extension 267 abuts against the peripheral wall 53 of the insulating cover 50, and the third extension 267 is located between the peripheral wall 53 of the insulating cover 50 and the first inner wall surface 123 of the barrel portion 12. Fourth extension 268 compresses tightly between kink 14 and first portion 51 to set up in the stable contact of ground lug 90 and metal casing 10 of fourth extension, realize connecing ground connection, when having reduced the sudden change of power signal or having suffered a lightning stroke, entered into the risk of taking care of chip burnout through the power route and having taken care of the chip, also reduced simultaneously and taken care of the hidden danger of damaging when chip 25, pressure sensing element 23, temperature sensing element 70 receive the voltage sudden change.

As shown in fig. 9 and 12, the metal case 10 includes a second inner wall surface 127 disposed to face the bottom wall 41 of the base 40, and the metal case 10 has a first groove portion 16 recessed from the second inner wall surface 127. The first seal ring 61 is housed in the first groove portion 16, and the first seal ring 61 is fluidly sealed between the refrigerant flow passage 103 and the first chamber 101. The first seal ring 61 is pressed between the bottom wall 41 of the base 40 and the first groove bottom surface 161 of the first groove portion 16. As shown in fig. 9, the first seal ring 61 has an O-ring shape, and the first seal ring 61 has a first top portion 611 abutting against the bottom wall 41 and a first bottom portion 612 abutting against the first groove bottom surface 161 of the first groove portion 16.

As shown in fig. 9 and 12, the susceptor 40 includes a third inner wall surface 45 disposed to face the first surface 211, and the susceptor 40 has a second groove portion 46 recessed from the third inner wall surface 45. The second seal 62 is received in the second groove portion 46, and the second seal 62 is fluidly sealed between the first chamber 101 and the second chamber 102. The second seal ring 62 is pressed between the first surface 211 of the base plate 21 and the second groove bottom surface 461 of the second groove 46. The second seal ring 62 has an O-ring shape, and the second seal ring 62 has a second top 621 abutting against the first surface and a second bottom 622 abutting against the second groove bottom 461 of the second groove portion 46.

As shown in fig. 10, the cylindrical portion 12 includes a first cylindrical portion 121 connected to the base portion 11 and a second cylindrical portion 122 connected between the first cylindrical portion 121 and the bent portion 14, and the thickness of the first cylindrical portion 121 in the radial direction is larger than the thickness of the second cylindrical portion 122 in the radial direction. The outer wall surface 124 of the first tube 121 and the outer wall surface 124 of the second tube 122 are aligned, and the first tube 121 has a step 125 that projects inward relative to the second tube 122. The first portion 51 abuts against the second surface 212 of the substrate 21 and the step portion 125, the step surface 126 of the step portion 125 at the uppermost end is substantially at the same level as the second surface 212, and the step portion 125 is provided to play a role in supporting and positioning the mounting position of the insulating cover 50.

As shown in fig. 6 to 8, the insulating cover 50 is substantially in the shape of an inverted bowl, and the insulating cover 50 includes a top wall 56, a peripheral wall 57 extending downward from the top wall 56, and a housing chamber 501 surrounded by the top wall 56 and the peripheral wall 57. The top wall 56 includes a first platform 561 perpendicular to the peripheral wall 57, a second platform 562 located above the first platform 561, and a connecting portion 563 connected between the first platform 561 and the second platform 562. The top of the peripheral wall 42 of the base 40 is provided with a positioning protrusion 421 protruding upward, and the peripheral wall 57 of the insulating cover 50 is provided with a positioning recess 571 for cooperating with the positioning protrusion 421. As shown in fig. 4, the positioning protrusion 421 of the base 40 and the positioning recess 571 of the insulation cover 50 are aligned, so as to facilitate positioning and installation between the positioning base 40 and the insulation cover 50. Of course, in other alternative embodiments, a positioning protrusion may be provided on the insulating cover 50, and a positioning recess may be provided on the base 40, so that the mounting and positioning between the base 40 and the insulating cover 50 can be achieved. As shown in fig. 4 to 6, the peripheral wall 57 is further provided with a fitting recess 572 to facilitate mounting positioning and limiting of the third extending portion 267 of the flexible circuit board 26.

The insulating cover 50 is provided with a plurality of first holes 564 penetrating the top wall 56 in the vertical direction, and the plurality of first holes 564 may be uniformly distributed around the axis of the first platform 561. As shown in fig. 9, the bent portion 14 is riveted to the second platform 562, the fourth extending portion 268 and the grounding plate 90, and the conductive terminal 80 penetrates through the first hole 564 of the second platform 562. The conductive terminal 80 can be fixed in the first hole 564 by interference, or the conductive terminal 80 can be fixed in the insulating cover 50 by insert injection molding.

The metal housing 10 is a metal member so as to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) from the outside to the electronic components inside the sensor 100, and the insulating cover 50 is an insulating member so as to insulate and isolate the metal housing 10 from the conductive terminal 80. Optionally, the metal housing 10 may be a metal piece made of an aluminum material or a metal piece made of a stainless steel material, and the metal piece made of the aluminum material has a light weight, so that the light weight of the sensor 100 is facilitated, and when the sensor 100 is used in an automobile thermal management system, the light weight design of the whole automobile is facilitated. Although the metal piece made of stainless steel is slightly heavier than the metal piece made of aluminum, the metal piece made of stainless steel has the advantage of being convenient to weld. The insulating cover 50 is an insulating member made of plastic and can be manufactured by an injection molding process, and the insulating cover 50 made of insulating material insulates the conductive terminal 80 from the metal housing 10. The metal housing 10 made of metal can be manufactured by metal die casting, extrusion molding, or metal powder injection molding.

As shown in fig. 7, the temperature sensing element 70 includes a temperature sensing portion 71 and a pin portion 72, the pin portion 72 is disposed in the base 40 by insert injection molding, the pin portion 72 electrically connects the temperature sensing portion 71 to the conductive path 22 of the circuit board assembly 20, the temperature sensing portion 71 is located in the refrigerant flow channel 103, or the temperature sensing portion 71 at least partially exceeds the refrigerant flow channel 103 along a direction away from the first cavity 101, the temperature sensing portion 71 thus disposed can fully contact with the refrigerant, the temperature difference of the refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant flow channel 103 is reduced, and the sensitivity and accuracy of the refrigerant temperature detection are improved. The temperature change of the refrigerant causes a voltage change in the temperature sensing unit 71 to be transmitted to the circuit board assembly 21 through the pin portion 72, so that the real-time temperature of the refrigerant can be calculated. The Temperature sensing element 70 may be an NTC (Negative Temperature Coefficient) thermistor, which operates according to the following principle: the resistance value rapidly drops along with the temperature rise, so that a corresponding voltage signal is fed back. In the illustrated embodiment, the temperature sensing element 70 is a pin-type NTC thermistor. The pin-type temperature sensing element 70 can extend the temperature sensing part 71 into the refrigerant flow channel 103 or close to the opening side of the refrigerant flow channel 103, so that the temperature can be sensed in time when sensing the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant flow channel 103, and the temperature measurement error caused by the temperature change in the process of the refrigerant flowing into the refrigerant flow channel 103 is reduced due to the close to the opening side of the refrigerant flow channel 103. In other alternative embodiments, the temperature sensing element 70 may also be a chip NTC thermistor, which is directly surface mounted to the circuit board assembly 20 and has the advantage of small size.

As shown in fig. 3 to 8, the temperature sensing element 70 further comprises a protective sleeve 91 for protecting the needle foot 72, the protective sleeve 91 being made of an insulating material resistant to corrosion by the refrigerant, optionally the protective sleeve 91 being made of a plastic material. The metal shell 10 has a shell cavity 171 and a second opening 172, the shell cavity 171 is at least partially located between the barrel 12, the bent portion 14 and the base 11, and the second opening 172 is at least partially located inside the abutting portion 13. The second bore 172 communicates with the housing cavity 171, the protection sleeve 91 is at least partially located in the second bore 172, and the stitch 72 has a first foot 721 located in the protection sleeve 91, a second foot 722 located in the base 40, and a third foot 723 located in the second cavity 102. The first circuit board 261 of the flexible circuit board 26 is substantially disk-shaped, a boss portion 269 projects outward from a peripheral wall of the disk-shaped, and a third leg portion 723 is welded to the boss portion 269, reducing the length of the stitch portion 72.

As shown in fig. 8 and 9, the base 40 includes a convex pillar 47 extending from the bottom wall 41 to be close to the protection sleeve 91, wherein the convex pillar 47 includes a first buckling portion 471, the inner wall of the protection sleeve 91 is provided with a second buckling portion 911, and the first buckling portion 471 and the second buckling portion 911 are buckled to fix the protection sleeve 91 on the convex pillar 47 of the base 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the first latching portion 471 is a convex portion, and the second latching portion 911 is a concave portion. In other alternative embodiments, the first latching portion 471 may be a concave portion, and the second latching portion 911 may be a convex portion, as long as positioning and latching of the base 40 and the protection sleeve 91 can be achieved, which is not limited in this application. The protection sleeve 91 is a hollow cylinder, the protection sleeve 91 forms the first flow channel 1031, the second flow channel 1032 penetrates through the bottom wall 41 and the convex column 47 along the thickness direction of the base 40, the axial line of the second flow channel 1032 is parallel to the axial line of the first flow channel 1031, but is not coincident with the axial line of the first flow channel 1031, namely the axial line of the second flow channel 1032 and the axial line of the first flow channel 1031 are eccentrically arranged, and the temperature sensing part 71 of the temperature sensing element 70 is conveniently arranged at the middle position of the protection sleeve 91.

As shown in fig. 7 and 9, each conductive terminal 80 includes a first end portion 81, a second end portion 82, and a middle portion 83 connected between the first end portion 81 and the second end portion 82, wherein each first end portion 81 is physically and electrically connected to the power connection terminal 271, the pressure signal output connection terminal 272, the ground connection terminal 273, and the temperature signal connection terminal 274, respectively, so as to be electrically connected to the conductive path 22. The middle portion 83 is at least partially located inside the insulating cover 50, the second end portion 82 is located outside the insulating cover 50, and the first end portion 81 is located in the first cavity 101. The first end portion 81 is physically and electrically connected to the second circuit board 262 of the flexible circuit board 26, the middle portion 83 is received in the first hole 564 of the insulating cover 50, and the second end portion 82 extends upward from the middle portion 83 beyond the insulating cover 50. The first end 81 of the conductive terminal 80 is electrically connected to the conductive path 22, and the second end 82 of the conductive terminal 80 is electrically connected to an external device of the sensor 100.

When the pressure sensing element 23 is in contact with the refrigerant, the pressure of the received refrigerant is converted into an electrical signal, when the temperature sensing unit is in contact with the refrigerant, the temperature of the received refrigerant is converted into an electrical signal, and the electronic elements such as the corresponding chips on the circuit board assembly 20 feed back the real-time pressure and temperature of the refrigerant according to the electrical signal, so that the real-time monitoring of the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant is realized, and the accurate control and intelligent design of the electromagnetic valve 93 are facilitated.

In the illustrated embodiment, the pressure sensing element 23 is a ceramic capacitor structure, and as shown in fig. 5, the ceramic substrate 21 includes a ceramic diaphragm 234 at a lower end and a ceramic plate 235 above the ceramic diaphragm 234, the thickness of the ceramic diaphragm 234 is smaller than that of the ceramic plate 235, and the ceramic diaphragm 234 and the ceramic plate 235 form a ceramic capacitor. The ceramic diaphragm 234 has a sensing region 236, and the sensing region 236 may be aligned with the plane of the rest of the ceramic diaphragm 234. The sensing region 236 is electrically connected to three cover lines 238, and the three cover lines 238 are embedded in the ceramic membrane 234. The pressure sensing element 23 further has three conductive pillars 237 electrically connected to the three covering lines 238, respectively, one end of each conductive pillar 237 is physically connected to the covering line 237, and the other end of each conductive pillar 237 is exposed out of the second surface 212 of the ceramic substrate 21. The ceramic pressure sensing element 23 is based on the piezoresistive effect, pressure is directly applied to the first surface 211 of the ceramic diaphragm 234, so that the diaphragm generates a small deformation, the thick film resistor is printed on the back surface of the ceramic diaphragm 234, and is connected into a wheatstone bridge, due to the piezoresistive effect of the piezoresistor, the bridge generates a voltage signal which is highly linear and is proportional to the pressure and is also proportional to the excitation voltage, the conductive column 237 can transmit the voltage signal to the flexible circuit board 26, and the conditioning chip 25 on the flexible circuit board 26 performs corresponding pressure and voltage relation conversion, so that the real-time pressure of the refrigerant can be conveniently detected.

Referring to fig. 15 to 18, a sensor 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is mainly different from the first embodiment in that the circuit board assembly 20 is a ceramic circuit board assembly 20, the pressure sensing element 23 is a Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) pressure sensing chip, and the conductive terminals 80 are coil springs. The refrigerant flow passage 103 includes a first flow passage 1031 in the protective sleeve 91 and a second flow passage 1032 in the substrate 21, the second flow passage 1032 penetrating the substrate 21 in the substrate thickness direction. The substrate 21 includes a ceramic substrate 21, the ceramic substrate 21 includes a first surface 211 facing the first refrigerant flow path 1031 and a second surface 212 facing the first chamber 101, the electronic components such as the pressure sensing element 23 and the conditioning chip 25 are all soldered on the second surface 212, the ground strip 90 is soldered on the conductive path 22 of the second surface 212, and the ground strip is a conductive metal strip. The pressure sensing element 23 is fixed on the first surface of the substrate 21 by gluing, and the pressure sensing element 23 seals the second flow channel 1032, i.e. the pressure sensing element 23 is designed as a back pressure chip, so that the risk of the welding binding wire of the pressure sensing element 23 being impacted by the refrigerant is reduced. The insulation cover 50 includes a first portion 51 and a second portion 52 located in the thickness direction of the insulation cover 50, the metal shell 10 includes a base portion 11, a cylindrical portion 12 extending from the base portion 11 in a direction away from the refrigerant flow channel 103, and a bent portion 14 bent from the cylindrical portion 12, the bent portion 14 presses against the second portion 52 of the insulation cover 50, and the first portion 51 presses against the substrate 21 and the ground strip 90. The inside of the cylindrical body 12 has a step surface 126, the step surface 126 is located on the top of the step 125, the ground contact piece 90 is clamped between the step surface 126 and the first portion 51, and the ground contact piece 90 is in direct contact with the step surface 126. Compared with the first embodiment, the pressure sensing element 23 of the present application, which uses a Micro Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) chip, has a smaller volume than the pressure sensing element 23 formed by a ceramic capacitor, and the base 40 can be omitted, so that a sealing ring 60 located between the base 40 and the metal housing 10 is omitted, which is lower in cost and occupies a smaller space. The grounding plate 90 is disposed at an intermediate position in the thickness direction of the sensor 100, and can be more uniformly grounded in both directions. The MEMS pressure integrated chip is small in size, and the common MEMS pressure integrated chip product is generally in millimeter level or even smaller. A Wheatstone bridge with 4 resistors is manufactured on the surface of a silicon cup film of the integrated chip prepared by the MEMS technology, and when the circuit is accessed, when no pressure acts on the silicon cup film, the Wheatstone bridge is balanced, and the output voltage is 0. When pressure acts on the silicon cup film, the balance of the Wheatstone bridge is broken, and voltage is output. Therefore, the pressure change can be reflected by the change of the electric signal in the detection circuit, so that the pressure detection function is realized.

Fig. 19 shows a sensor 100 according to a third embodiment of the present application, which differs from the previous embodiments mainly in that: the refrigerant flow channel 103 is directly formed by the metal shell 10, the substrate 21 in the circuit board assembly 20 of the sensor 100 is a printed circuit board mainly made of resin materials, and the refrigerant flow channel 103 and the second cavity 102 are sealed by gluing the sealant 92, so that a sealing ring is eliminated, the material cost is lower, and the hidden danger of sealing failure caused by fatigue failure of the sealing ring is reduced. Of course, welding may also be used to achieve the connection between the metal shell 10 and the base plate 21 and the sealing between the refrigerant flow passage 103 and the second cavity 102. The ceramic circuit board has better corrosion resistance and better temperature conductivity compared with a printed circuit board. The printed circuit board has lower manufacturing cost compared with the ceramic circuit board and is convenient for welding electronic elements. The substrate 21 and the conductive path 22 in the base of the present application are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, as long as the temperature sensing unit, the pressure sensing element, the electronic elements, and the conductive terminals can be electrically connected. The substrate 21 adopts an integrated structure, and the pressure sensing unit and the temperature sensing unit are both electrically connected to the conductive path 22 of the substrate 21, so that the structure that two plates are assembled and connected together is simpler, the assembling procedures are reduced, and the manufacturing process is simplified.

Fig. 20 shows a sensor 100 according to a fourth embodiment of the present application, which differs from the previous embodiments mainly in that: the pressure sensing element 23 is a MEMS pressure sensing chip, the temperature sensing element 70 is a chip NTC thermistor, and the bonding pins or leads of the pressure sensing element 23 and the temperature sensing element 70 are protected by a protective adhesive 93. The pressure sensing element 23 is of a positive pressure type structure, and is brought into contact with the refrigerant earlier, and the detection delay is lower. Of course, in other alternative embodiments, the pressure sensing element 23 and the temperature sensing element 70 may be integrated on the same MEMS chip.

As shown in fig. 21 to 24, a valve device 93 according to the present application includes a sensor 100 according to any one of the embodiments described above, taking the sensor 100 of the first embodiment as an example. The Valve device 93 may be an Electronic Expansion Valve (EXV) including a Valve body 931 and a Valve core portion, wherein the Valve body portion is fixed to the Valve device, and the Valve body portion is fixed to the Valve device by direct contact or indirect fixation of the intermediate spacer element. The valve core portion includes a valve core 933, a valve core seat 934, a motor portion, an internal circuit board 935, a cover 932, and a connector 936. The valve body 931 includes a bore including third and fourth bores 937 and 938 parallel to each other and first and second mounting cavities 939 and 940 parallel to each other, the first and third mounting cavities 939 and 937 communicate, and the second and fourth mounting cavities 940 and 938 communicate. Of course, in alternative embodiments, third bore 937 and fourth bore 938 could be provided as the same bore with coincident axes.

A valve core 933 is installed in the first installation cavity 939 for controlling the on/off or throttling state of the refrigerant in the third bore 937, and a sensor 100 is installed in the second installation cavity 940 for detecting the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant flowing into the fourth bore 938. The internal circuit board 935 is mounted in the cover cavity 943 of the cover 932, the second ends 82 of the conductive terminals 80 of the sensor 100 abut a lower surface of the internal circuit board 935, and the connector 936 is connected to an upper surface of the internal circuit board 935. The sensor 100 is fixedly mounted to the second mounting cavity 940 by fasteners 944, wherein the second mounting cavity 940 is further provided with a third sealing ring 945 sealed between the platform surface 111 of the sensor 100 and the inner wall of the valve body 931.

The motor portion and the valve core 933 are located in the valve core seat 934, the motor portion comprises a static iron core/stator 941 and a movable iron core/rotor 942, the stator 941 surrounds the rotor 942, the rotor 942 is in transmission connection with the valve core 933, and the stator 941 is electrically connected with the internal circuit board 935. The sensor 100 and the connector 936 are electrically connected to the internal circuit board 935, and the connector 936 is used for electrically connecting to an external controller, so as to energize the stator 941 and the sensor 100 or transmit temperature and pressure signals in the sensor 100 to the external controller. When the stator 941 is powered on, the changing current generates a magnetic field to drive the rotor 942 to rotate, and the rotor 942 drives the valve core 933 to move up and down linearly through the nut-screw mechanism, so that the on-off or throttling of the refrigerant in the third hole 937 is realized.

As shown in fig. 25, the present application also provides a thermal management or air conditioning system 95 comprising a compressor 951, a condenser 952, a valve device 93 (electronic expansion valve), an evaporator 953, and a sensor 100. The compressor 951 compresses refrigerant into high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, releases heat to air or cooling liquid through the condenser 952, enters the third hole 937 of the valve device 93 (electronic expansion valve) to be throttled and decompressed into low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant, enters the evaporator to absorb heat from the air or cooling liquid to be evaporated into gaseous refrigerant, measures the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant through the fourth hole 938 and the sensor 100, and then enters the compressor 951 for circulation. The sensor 100 and the electronic expansion valve are merely illustrated in principle in the system, and the actual physical structure is an integrated structure as shown in fig. 21 to 24.

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, comprising: the sensor comprises a metal shell, a circuit board assembly and an insulating cover, wherein the circuit board assembly comprises a substrate, a conductive path and a plurality of electronic elements, the sensor is provided with a flow channel and a first cavity which are positioned on different sides of the thickness direction of the substrate, at least part of the electronic elements are positioned in the first cavity, and the flow channel is not communicated with the first cavity;

the electronic elements are electrically connected with each other through an electrically conductive path, the electronic elements comprise a pressure sensing element, a first capacitor and a conditioning chip, and the electrically conductive path comprises a power supply path electrically connected with the conditioning chip;

the sensor comprises a grounding piece, the first capacitor comprises a first polar plate and a second polar plate, the first polar plate is electrically connected with the power supply path, the second polar plate is electrically connected with the grounding piece, and the grounding piece is electrically connected with the metal shell.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein: the metal shell comprises a first abutting part, the insulating cover comprises a second abutting part, the grounding piece comprises a third abutting part, the third abutting part is pressed between the first abutting part and the second abutting part, and the grounding piece is in contact with the first abutting part.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein: the circuit board assembly comprises a flexible circuit board, the substrate comprises a ceramic substrate, the pressure sensing element is formed on the ceramic substrate, the grounding sheet is a part of the flexible circuit board, and the flexible circuit board is located in the second cavity.

4. A sensor as claimed in claim 3, wherein: the ceramic substrate comprises a first surface facing the flow channel and a second surface facing the flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board comprises a first circuit board and a second circuit board which are arranged at intervals, the first circuit board is arranged on the second surface, and the second circuit board is far away from the second surface compared with the first circuit board;

the flexible circuit board comprises a first flexible circuit board and a second flexible circuit board, the first flexible circuit board is connected between the first circuit board and the second circuit board, the second flexible circuit board is connected with the second circuit board, the grounding sheet is arranged on the second flexible circuit board, the conditioning chip is arranged on the first circuit board, and the first capacitor is arranged on the second circuit board.

5. The sensor of claim 4, wherein: the sensor comprises a base, the base comprises a bottom wall and a peripheral wall, the base is provided with a groove positioned between the bottom wall and the peripheral wall, the ceramic substrate is positioned in the groove, and the flow channel penetrates through the base along the thickness direction of the base;

insulating cover is including being located insulating cover thickness direction's first portion and second portion, metal casing includes the basal portion, follows the barrel portion that extends and the kink of buckling from the barrel portion of keeping away from the runner direction from the basal portion, the kink supports and presses ground lug and second portion, first portion supports and presses base plate and base.

6. The sensor of claim 5, wherein: the second flexible circuit board comprises a first extending portion extending from the second circuit board, a second extending portion extending from the first extending portion, a third extending portion extending from the second extending portion and a fourth extending portion extending from the third extending portion, the first extending portion is located in the second cavity, the second extending portion is pressed between the second portion and the peripheral wall, the third extending portion is attached to the peripheral wall of the insulating cover, the fourth extending portion is pressed between the bending portion and the first portion, the third extending portion is located between the peripheral wall of the insulating cover and the inner wall surface of the cylinder, and the grounding piece is arranged on the fourth extending portion.

7. The sensor of claim 6, wherein: the sensor comprises a temperature sensing element, the temperature sensing element comprises a temperature sensing part and a pin part, the pin part is arranged in the base through insert injection molding, the pin part is electrically connected with a conductive path from the temperature sensing part to the circuit board assembly, the temperature sensing part is positioned in the flow channel, or the temperature sensing part exceeds the flow channel along the direction far away from the first cavity.

8. The sensor of claim 1, wherein: the circuit board assembly is a ceramic circuit board assembly, the substrate comprises a ceramic substrate, the ceramic substrate comprises a first surface facing the flow channel and a second surface facing the first cavity, the pressure sensing element is a pressure sensing chip, the conditioning chip and the first capacitor are welded on a conductive path on the second surface, and the grounding sheet is connected with the conductive path on the second surface;

the insulating cover comprises a first portion and a second portion, the first portion and the second portion are located in the thickness direction of the insulating cover, the metal shell comprises a base portion, a barrel portion and a bent portion, the barrel portion extends from the base portion along the direction far away from the refrigerant flow channel, the bent portion is bent from the barrel portion, the second portion of the insulating cover is pressed by the bent portion, and the first portion is pressed by the substrate and the grounding piece.

9. The sensor of claim 1, wherein: the circuit board assembly comprises a printed circuit board, the conducting path is arranged in the printed circuit board or on the surface of the printed circuit board, the grounding sheet is physically and electrically connected with the conducting path of the printed circuit board, the sensor comprises a temperature sensing element, and the temperature sensing element, the pressure sensing element and the first capacitor are welded on the surface of the printed circuit board.

10. A valve device characterized by: the sensor device comprises the sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the valve device further comprises a valve body and a valve core part, the valve core part is fixed with the valve body, the valve body is provided with a hole, the valve core part can control the opening and closing of the hole, the sensor is fixed with the valve body, a flow passage of the sensor is communicated with the hole of the valve body, and the metal shell is electrically connected with the valve body.

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