CN216815791U

CN216815791U - Temperature sensor and temperature sensor assembly

Info

Publication number: CN216815791U
Application number: CN202122937298.7U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 孙庆顺
Original assignee: Vitesco Automotive Changchun Co Ltd
Current assignee: Vitesco Automotive Changchun Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-11-26
Filing date: 2021-11-26
Publication date: 2022-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 2031-11-26

Abstract

The utility model relates to a temperature sensor (1), which comprises a connector (2), a shell (3) and a thermistor (4) arranged in the shell (3), wherein the connector (2) comprises an insulator (21) and a conductive terminal (22) which is fixed in the insulator (21) and connected with the thermistor (4), and is characterized in that the insulator (21) is provided with a cylindrical main body part (23), a buckling structure (5) is arranged along the circumferential direction of the main body part, the buckling structure and the main body part are integrally molded by injection, and the temperature sensor (1) is arranged in a temperature measuring area through the buckling structure (5). The utility model also relates to a temperature sensor assembly (10) comprising such a temperature sensor. This temperature sensor utilizes the buckle structure of integrative moulding plastics, has cancelled the metal jump ring, not only the cost is reduced, has still optimized production efficiency.

Description

Temperature sensor and temperature sensor assembly

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of temperature sensors, and more particularly, to a coolant temperature sensor having an improved mounting structure, and a temperature sensor assembly including the same.

Background

In a vehicle, the coolant temperature sensor is a passive sensor for measuring the coolant temperature specifically designed for automotive applications. The primary purpose of the coolant temperature sensor is to measure the temperature of the circulating coolant in the engine cooling system, thereby protecting temperature sensitive components and preventing overheating damage, which in special cases acts as a switch for the cooling module fan control. The coolant temperature sensor is an absolute temperature sensor, and they use a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) that changes resistance according to temperature. The typical area where the sensor is mounted is where the temperature of the coolant needs to be measured, such as the outlet plastic cover of the heat sink in the cooling module.

As shown in fig. 1, the conventional coolant temperature sensor 1 ' requires a separate metal clip 2 ' to be assembled to the customer mounting structure 3 '. The temperature sensor needs an independent metal snap spring, and is high in manufacturing cost.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

In order to solve the problems, the utility model provides a temperature sensor which utilizes an integrally injection-molded buckle structure, cancels a metal clamp spring, not only reduces the cost, but also optimizes the production efficiency and is easy to install.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a temperature sensor, comprising a connector, a housing and a thermistor disposed in the housing, wherein the connector comprises an insulator and a conductive terminal fixed in the insulator and connected to the thermistor, wherein the insulator has a cylindrical main body portion, a snap structure is provided along a circumferential direction of the main body portion, the snap structure is integrally injection-molded with the main body portion, and the temperature sensor is mounted to a temperature measurement region through the snap structure. The temperature sensor adopts the buckle structure which is integrally manufactured with the main body part, so that the manufacturing cost is reduced, the production efficiency is optimized, and the temperature sensor is easy to install.

According to a preferred aspect, the snap-fit structure may be configured to include two connecting arms extending radially outwardly from the main body portion, the two connecting arms preferably being diametrically opposed about the main body portion. It should be understood that three or another number of connecting arms may be provided and are also contemplated as falling within the scope of the present application.

According to a specific aspect of the present invention, each of the connection arms may include a first section extending horizontally radially outward from an outer peripheral surface of the main body portion to a distal end away from the main body portion, and a second section extending obliquely from the distal end toward the main body portion and forming a hook portion at a distal end thereof bent toward the main body portion. The second section is configured to be slightly inclined so that in the mounted state of the temperature sensor, the connecting arm itself generates a certain elastic holding force for better fixing holding of the temperature sensor to the temperature measurement area.

In an advantageous version, the second section of the connecting arm may be configured to be inclined at an angle of about 0 to about 20 degrees, preferably about 5 to about 10 degrees, for example 5 degrees, with respect to the central axis of the main body portion.

In an advantageous embodiment, the temperature sensor is mounted to the temperature measuring area by means of the snap-in structure cooperating with the coupling.

In the present invention, the insulator is made of a plastic material such as a polyamide material, and the housing is made of a metal material such as a stainless steel material, and the housing is connected to the insulator by crimping.

In the present invention, the temperature sensor is, in particular, a coolant temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of circulating coolant in an engine cooling system of a vehicle. It should be understood that the temperature sensor may be other types of temperature sensors and are also contemplated as falling within the scope of the present application.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a temperature sensor assembly including a coupling member to which a temperature sensor is mounted to a temperature measurement region by means of the coupling member, and the temperature sensor is fixedly fitted to the coupling member via the snap structure.

In a preferred version, the coupling member may be configured as a cylindrical body having a first flange portion, the cylindrical body having a first end and an opposite second end and defining a first cylindrical chamber at the first end adapted to receive the main body portion and a second cylindrical chamber at the second end adapted to receive the housing, the first cylindrical chamber having a diameter greater than that of the second cylindrical chamber, the temperature sensor being fixedly fitted to the coupling member by the hook portions of the two connecting arms being snapped to the first flange portion.

In a more preferred aspect, the first flange portion is located at the first end and at a terminal end of the coupling, the coupling further comprising a second flange portion located at an intermediate portion of the cylindrical body. The second flange portion is provided primarily for cooperating with a mounting structure of the temperature measurement area to more easily mount the temperature sensor to the temperature measurement area.

Drawings

The utility model is described in detail below by way of non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, which are schematic only and not necessarily to scale, and which show only those parts which are necessary in order to elucidate the utility model, while other parts may be omitted or merely mentioned briefly. That is, the present invention may include other components in addition to those shown in the drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art temperature sensor and custom mounting structure.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a temperature sensor according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the temperature sensor shown in fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the temperature sensor according to the present invention taken along line a-a of fig. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a temperature sensor assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the temperature sensor assembly shown in fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the temperature sensor assembly according to the present invention taken along line B-B of fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is an exploded view of the temperature sensor assembly shown in fig. 5.

Detailed Description

A temperature sensor and a temperature sensor assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the present invention to those skilled in the art. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Furthermore, it should be understood that the utility model is not limited to the specific embodiments described. Rather, it is contemplated that the utility model may be practiced with any combination of the following features and elements, whether or not they relate to different embodiments. Thus, the following features, embodiments and advantages are merely illustrative and should not be considered elements or limitations of the claims except where explicitly recited in a claim.

As shown in fig. 2, a temperature sensor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown, and in particular, a coolant temperature sensor, whose primary purpose is to measure the temperature of the coolant circulating in the engine cooling system, thereby protecting temperature sensitive components and preventing overheating damage.

Referring to fig. 2 to 4, the temperature sensor 1 includes a connector 2, a housing 3, and a thermistor 4 disposed in the housing 3, the connector 2 includes an insulator 21 and a conductive terminal 22 fixed in the insulator 21 and connected to the thermistor 4 (fig. 4), and the insulator 21 may be made of a plastic material such as a polyamide material, the housing 3 may be made of a metal material such as stainless steel, and the housing is connected to the insulator by crimping. In this embodiment, the insulator 21 is configured to have a cylindrical main body portion 23, on the outer periphery of which the snap structure 5 is provided, the snap structure 5 comprising two connecting arms 50 extending radially outwards from the main body portion 23, the two connecting arms 50 being diametrically opposed with respect to the main body portion 23. Here, the number of connecting arms is exemplary, and other suitable numbers of connecting arms, such as three, or four, may be selected.

Advantageously, the snap-on structure is injection moulded integrally with the body part, and the temperature sensor 1 is mounted to the temperature measurement area by means of the snap-on structure 5. By providing the buckle structure integrally formed with the main body part, the cost of the temperature sensor is reduced, the production efficiency is optimized, and the installation is easy.

Referring particularly to fig. 4, each connecting arm 50 of the snap structure 5 is configured to include a first section 51 and a second section 52, the first section 51 extending horizontally radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the main body portion 23 to (or terminating at) a distal end 5a remote from the main body portion 23, the second section 52 extending slightly obliquely from the distal end 5a (downward as viewed in the drawing, or facing the housing 3) toward the main body portion 23, and forming a hook portion 53 at its tip end bent toward the main body portion. In one embodiment, the second section 52 is inclined at an angle of about 0 to about 20 degrees, preferably about 5 to about 10 degrees, such as 5 degrees, relative to a central axis (not labeled) of the body portion 23.

In the present invention, it is also possible to provide a dedicated coupling member 6, by means of which the temperature sensor 1 can be mounted to the temperature measuring area by means of its snap-in structure 5, in particular the hook 53 of the connecting arm 50, in cooperation with the coupling member 6. In the above embodiment, since the second section 52 of the connecting arm 50 is configured to be slightly inclined inward, when the temperature sensor 1 is connected to the coupling member 6, the connecting arm itself generates an elastic holding force toward the coupling member 6, while the hook portions 53 are engaged with the corresponding structures on the coupling member 6, so that the temperature sensor is more stably and quickly mounted to the coupling member.

Referring to fig. 5-8, a temperature sensor assembly 10 is shown according to one embodiment of the present invention. Referring particularly to fig. 5, the temperature sensor assembly 10 includes a temperature sensor 1 and a coupling 6 for securing the temperature sensor 1 to a temperature measurement area (not shown). As can be seen from the figures, said coupling 6 is configured as a cylindrical body having a first end 6a and an opposite second end 6b (fig. 8), the inner wall of which defines a stepped hole, i.e. a first cylindrical chamber at the first end and a second cylindrical chamber at the second end, the diameter of the first cylindrical chamber being greater than the diameter of the second cylindrical chamber, so that the first cylindrical chamber is adapted to receive at least a portion of the main body portion 23 of the insulator 21 of the temperature sensor, and the second cylindrical chamber is adapted to receive the housing 3 of the temperature sensor 1. Here, the coupling 6 is preferably configured to have a first flange portion 61 and a second flange portion 62, wherein the first flange portion 61 is located at the tip end of the coupling 6, and the second flange portion 62 is located at a substantially middle portion of the cylindrical body. The temperature sensor 1 is fixed to the coupling by the hook portions 53 of the two connecting arms 50 snapping to the first flange portion 61, so as to be fixedly mountable to the temperature measuring area via the coupling 6. Here, the second flange portion 62 is provided in order to enable the coupling 6 to be fitted to the mounting structure of the temperature measurement region.

It should be understood that the configuration of the coupling 6 is merely exemplary and may vary accordingly depending on the particular configuration of the temperature measurement zone.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the present invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and therefore the scope of the present invention should be determined by that defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A temperature sensor (1) comprises a connector (2), a shell (3) and a thermistor (4) arranged in the shell (3), wherein the connector (2) comprises an insulator (21) and a conductive terminal (22) which is fixed in the insulator (21) and connected with the thermistor (4), the temperature sensor is characterized in that the insulator (21) is provided with a cylindrical main body part (23), a buckling structure (5) is arranged along the circumferential direction of the main body part, the buckling structure and the main body part are integrally injection-molded, and the temperature sensor (1) is installed in a temperature measuring area through the buckling structure (5).

2. The temperature sensor (1) according to claim 1, wherein the snap-on structure (5) comprises two connecting arms (50) extending radially outwards from the main body portion (23), the two connecting arms (50) being diametrically opposite with respect to the main body portion (23).

3. The temperature sensor (1) according to claim 2, wherein each of the connecting arms (50) includes a first section (51) and a second section (52), the first section (51) extending horizontally radially outward from an outer peripheral surface of the main body portion (23) to a distal end (5a) away from the main body portion (23), the second section (52) extending obliquely from the distal end (5a) toward the main body portion (23) and forming a hook portion (53) bent toward the main body portion at a distal end thereof.

4. A temperature sensor (1) according to claim 3, wherein the angle of inclination of the second section (52) with respect to the central axis of the main body (23) is 0-20 degrees.

5. A temperature sensor (1) according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the temperature sensor is mounted to the temperature measuring area by the snap-fit structure (5) in cooperation with a coupling (6).

6. The temperature sensor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the insulator (21) is made of a plastic material and the housing (3) is made of a metal material, the housing being connected to the insulator by crimping.

7. A temperature sensor (1) according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that the temperature sensor is a coolant temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the circulating coolant in the engine cooling system of a vehicle.

8. A temperature sensor assembly (10), comprising a coupling (6) and a temperature sensor (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the temperature sensor is fixedly fitted to the coupling (6) via the snap-in structure (5).

9. The temperature sensor assembly (10) according to claim 8, wherein the coupling member (6) is configured as a cylinder having a first flange portion (61), the cylinder having a first end (6a) and an opposite second end (6b) and defining a first cylindrical chamber at the first end adapted to receive the body portion (23) and a second cylindrical chamber at the second end adapted to receive the housing (3), the first cylindrical chamber having a larger diameter than the second cylindrical chamber, the temperature sensor (1) being fixedly fitted to the coupling member by snapping hook portions (53) of two connecting arms (50) of the snapping arrangement (5) to the first flange portion (61).

10. The temperature sensor assembly (10) of claim 9, wherein the first flange portion (61) is located at the first end and is formed at a distal end of the coupling member (6), the coupling member (6) further including a second flange portion (62) located at an intermediate portion of the cylindrical body.