Conductive terminal and pressure sensor

Abstract

The invention discloses a conductive terminal, which is convenient to form electric contact with external equipment and is relatively compact in overall structure. The elastic terminal is a spiral spring and comprises a first part and a second part, wherein the central axis of the first part is longitudinally arranged and sparsely coiled; the central axis of the second part is longitudinally arranged, the bottom end of the second part is connected to the top end of the first part, and the second part comprises a tight coiling part and a sparse coiling part with the bottom end connected to the tight coiling part; the transition part is connected with the top of the first part and the bottom of the second part and at least comprises a conical part, and the outer diameter of the bottom of the conical part is larger than that of the top of the conical part. The invention further discloses a pressure sensor which comprises the conductive terminal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of sensor technology, and in particular to a conductive terminal and a pressure sensor. Background Art

[0002] CN115752873A discloses a pressure sensor that connects its circuitry to an external device via a spring-shaped, resilient conductive terminal. This resilient conductive terminal generally consists of two parts with different outer diameters. The larger diameter part, with a sparsely coiled resilient portion, is electrically connected to the pressure sensor's circuitry at its lower longitudinal end, eliminating the need for a sealing ring to compensate for longitudinal dimensional tolerances. The smaller diameter part is tightly coiled and formed into a tapered head to facilitate connection to the external device's connector. Consequently, it occupies a significant amount of space during installation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, the present application provides a conductive terminal to facilitate electrical contact with an external device, while having a relatively compact overall structure.

[0004] The present invention provides a conductive terminal, wherein the elastic terminal is a coil spring, comprising:

[0005] A first portion disposed longitudinally along the central axis and sparsely coiled;

[0006] A second portion having a central axis disposed longitudinally and a bottom end connected to the top end of the first portion, comprising a tightly coiled portion and a sparsely coiled portion having a bottom end connected to the tightly coiled portion;

[0007] and a transition portion connecting the top of the first portion and the bottom of the second portion, comprising at least one tapered portion, wherein the outer diameter of the bottom of the tapered portion is greater than the outer diameter of the top.

[0008] Preferably, the top end of the sparsely coiled portion has a transverse portion.

[0009] Preferably, the elastic terminal further comprises a tapered tail portion connected to the bottom of the first portion and having a gradually decreasing outer diameter.

[0010] Preferably, the central axis of the first part and the central axis of the second part are collinearly arranged, and the maximum outer diameter of the second part is smaller than the outer diameter of the first part;

[0011] Alternatively, preferably, the central axis of the first part and the central axis of the second part are staggered by a certain distance in the transverse direction.

[0012] The present invention also provides a pressure sensor, characterized in that it includes:

[0013] The housing includes a terminal button;

[0014] at least one pressure measuring element;

[0015] an electronics module assembly electrically connected to the pressure measuring element;

[0016] And the above-mentioned elastic terminal, a first retaining hole for retaining at least a part of the bottom of the tightly coiled part and the transition part is provided in the terminal button; the inner wall of the first retaining hole presses against the transition part toward the bottom side so that the bottom end of the elastic terminal is electrically contacted with the electronic module assembly.

[0017] The present invention also provides another pressure sensor, a pressure sensor comprising:

[0018] The housing includes a terminal button;

[0019] at least one pressure measuring element;

[0020] an electronics module assembly electrically connected to the pressure measuring element;

[0021] And the above-mentioned elastic terminal, a first retaining hole for retaining at least a part of the bottom of the tightly coiled part and the transition part is provided in the terminal button; the inner wall of the first retaining hole presses against the transition part toward the bottom side so that the bottom end of the elastic terminal is electrically contacted with the electronic module assembly.

[0022] Preferably, in the sensor, projections of outer contours of the tapered portion and the first portion on a transverse plane partially overlap.

[0023] Preferably, the pressure sensor further comprises an additional retaining member; a second retaining hole for accommodating at least a portion of the first portion is provided in the additional retaining member; and the additional retaining member is fixed to the bottom end of the terminal button.

[0024] Alternatively, preferably, the pressure sensor further comprises an additional retaining member and a supporting element for supporting the electronic module assembly; a second retaining hole for accommodating at least a portion of the first part is provided in the additional retaining member; and the additional retaining member is fixed to the supporting element. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 is a three-dimensional diagram of the elastic terminal of the first embodiment;

[0026] Figure 2 A front view of the elastic terminal of the first embodiment;

[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic structural diagram of the pressure sensor according to the first embodiment;

[0028] Figure 4 A front view of the elastic terminal of the second embodiment;

[0029] Explanation of reference numerals: 100, pressure sensor; 101a, tail portion; 101, first portion; 102a, tightly coiled portion; 102b, sparsely coiled portion; 102c, transverse portion; 102, second portion; 103, transition portion; 104, extension portion; 105, tapered portion; 10, elastic terminal; 110, pressure introduction channel; 11, pressure interface; 120, top portion; 12, cartridge case; 130, first retaining hole; 131, first hole portion; 132, second hole portion; 133, pressing surface; 13, terminal; 1, housing; 20, diaphragm; 21, pressure measuring circuit; 2, pressure measuring element; 31, second circuit board; 32, first circuit board; 33, flexible circuit board; 3, electronic module assembly; 40, clearance portion; 4, supporting element; 5, external device; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] The technical solution of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are exemplary and are only used to explain the present application and are not to be construed as limiting the present application. In the following description, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same or equivalent elements, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0031] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "left", "right", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientations or positional relationships in which the product of this application is conventionally placed when in use, or the orientations or positional relationships conventionally understood by those skilled in the art. These are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on this application. In addition, the prepositive terms "first", "second", "third", etc. are only used to distinguish the modified objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0032] In addition, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to fixed, detachable, or integral connections; mechanical or electrical connections; direct or indirect connections through an intermediary; and internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0033] It should be further understood that the term “and / or” used in this specification and the corresponding claims refers to any and all possible combinations of one or more of the listed items.

[0034] like Figure 1 、 Figure 2 As shown. The elastic terminal 10 of the first embodiment is a coil spring, comprising a first portion 101 having a longitudinally disposed central axis, and a second portion 102 having a longitudinally disposed central axis. The central axis of the second portion 102 is collinear with the central axis of the first portion 101. The top end of the first portion 101 and the bottom end of the second portion 102 are integrally connected via a transition portion 103. The outer diameter of the first portion 101 is greater than the maximum outer diameter of the second portion 102. The transition portion 103 includes a tightly wound tapered portion 105 (not labeled). The outer diameter of the top end of the tapered portion 105 is smaller than the outer diameter of the bottom end. The top end of the tapered portion 105 integrally transitions to the top end of the first portion 101, and the bottom end of the tapered portion 105 integrally transitions to the bottom end of the second portion 102. The tapered portion 105 is preferably tightly wound to provide strong rigidity, thereby facilitating compression toward the bottom end by other components. In other embodiments, the tapered portion 105 may also be sparsely wound.

[0035] The second portion 102 includes a tightly coiled portion 102a at the bottom and a sparsely coiled portion 102b at the top. The outer diameter of the sparsely coiled portion 102b may be smaller than or equal to the outer diameter of the tightly coiled portion 102a. Figure 3 The tightly coiled portion 102a can increase the lateral stiffness when in contact with an external device, thereby suppressing the lateral displacement of the second portion 102 when in electrical contact with an external device.

[0036] Preferably, the top of the sparsely coiled portion 102b forms a transverse portion 102c extending in the transverse direction, and the transverse portion 102c can provide a larger contact area when making electrical contact with an external device, so as to avoid the spiral inclination of the second portion 102, which causes it to only form point contact when making longitudinal contact with an external device.

[0037] Please refer to Figure 3 . Figure 3A pressure sensor 100 including the above-mentioned multiple elastic terminals 10 is exemplarily shown. The pressure sensor 100 includes a housing 1, an electronic module assembly 3 and at least one pressure measuring element 2 arranged in the housing 1. Each pressure measuring element 2 is connected to the pressure medium to be measured through a pressure introduction channel 110 to obtain the pressure of the medium to be measured. The pressure measuring element 2 converts the above-mentioned pressure into an electrical signal and transmits it to the electronic module assembly 3. Exemplarily, the housing 1 may include a cylindrical shell 12 extending generally longitudinally, a terminal button 13 fixed to the top end of the cylindrical shell 12, and a pressure interface 11 fixed to the bottom end of the cylindrical shell 12. The pressure introduction channel 110 may be arranged in the pressure interface 11. The pressure introduction channel is not necessary. For example, one side of the pressure measuring element 2 may be directly exposed to the pressure medium to be measured.

[0038] A first retaining hole 130 may be formed on the end button 13, and the tapered portion 105 of the transition portion 103 is retained in the first retaining hole 130. Preferably, the first retaining hole 130 may be a stepped hole, comprising a first hole portion 131 on the bottom side and a second hole portion 132 on the top side. A pressing surface 133 forms a transition between the first hole portion 131 and the second hole portion 132, and the pressing surface 133 presses downward against the tapered portion 105 of the transition portion 103. The pressing surface 133 is preferably a tapered surface and preferably matches the outer shape of the tapered portion 105 of the transition portion 103.

[0039] At least a portion of the bottom of the tightly coiled portion 102a is retained within the first retaining hole 130, so that the sidewalls of the second hole portion 132 provide lateral support for the tightly coiled portion 102a, thereby increasing the lateral rigidity of the second portion 102. Preferably, the top end of the tightly coiled portion 102a extends to the outside of the first retaining hole 130.

[0040] In which, the electronic module assembly 3 may include a first circuit board 32, on which a first electrical contact portion (not shown) is provided, and the pressing surface 133 presses downward onto the conical portion 105 of the transition portion 103, so that the bottom end of the first portion 101 is elastically electrically contacted with the above-mentioned first electrical contact portion.

[0041] Illustratively, the pressure measuring element 2 may include a diaphragm 20 that generates surface strain under the aforementioned pressure. A pressure measurement circuit 21 is provided on the surface of the diaphragm 20 facing away from the pressure port 11, generating an electrical signal corresponding to the aforementioned strain. The pressure measurement circuit 21 is electrically connected to a first circuit board 32. For example, the pressure measurement circuit 21 may be electrically connected to the first circuit board 32 via a flexible circuit board 33. The flexible circuit board 33 may also be electrically connected to a second circuit board 31, preferably arranged longitudinally. A support element 4 may also be provided within the housing 1. The first circuit board 32 and the second circuit board 31 may be secured to the support element 4, and the bottom of the support element 4 may be supported on the pressure port 11. The support element 4 may include a clearance portion 40 to allow the flexible circuit board 33 to pass through.

[0042] The top of the shell 12 can be molded onto a plastic terminal 13, and the bottom of the shell 12 can be welded to the pressure port 11. In other embodiments, the top 120 of the shell 12 can also be fixed to the terminal 13 by riveting, in which case the support element 4 can provide support for the terminal 13.

[0043] It should be emphasized that the elastic terminal 10 of the present invention is not only suitable for Figure 3 The specific pressure sensor shown is also applicable to many known types of pressure sensors. The pressure sensor is particularly suitable for use in automobiles where it is built into a specific installation space to save installation space. For example, a pressure sensor built into an EBS (Electronic Brake System) can obtain brake medium pressure.

[0044] See also Figure 4 . On the basis of the first embodiment, the central axes of the second part 102 and the first part 101 of the elastic terminal 10 may also be non-collinear. For example, the central axes of the first part 101 and the second part 102 are laterally offset by a certain distance. In addition to the tapered portion 105, the transition portion 103 also includes an extension portion 104 whose two ends are respectively connected to the bottom end of the transition portion 103 and the top end of the first part 101. The above-mentioned lateral offset distance is mainly provided by the extension portion 104. The advantage of doing so is that when the area of the terminal button 13 that can be used to install the elastic terminal 10 is usually significantly smaller than the lateral area of the first circuit board 32, the arrangement of the electrical contact part can be facilitated.

[0045] At this time, the outer diameter of the top end of the conical portion 105 only needs to be smaller than the outer diameter of the bottom end, and the outer diameter of the first portion 101 does not need to be larger than the maximum outer diameter of the second portion 102. At least a portion of the second portion 102 can be retained by a second retaining hole (not shown) on an additional retaining element (not shown) to prevent it from lateral displacement. The additional retaining element can be fixed to the bottom end of the terminal button, or to the top end of the supporting element. Preferably, the conical portion 105 partially overlaps with the first portion 101 in the transverse direction, that is, the projections of the outer contours of the two on the transverse plane partially overlap, so that when the conical portion 105 is pressed with the pressing surface facing downward, the first portion can be effectively compressed to elastically electrically contact the first circuit board 32.

[0046] In the above embodiments, the elastic terminal 10 may further include a tapered tail portion 101 a connected to the bottom of the first portion 101 and having a gradually decreasing outer diameter.

[0047] The scope of the disclosure is defined not by the detailed description, but by the claims and their equivalents, and all variations within the scope of the claims and their equivalents are construed as being included in the disclosure.

Claims

1. A conductive terminal, characterized in that: The elastic terminal is a coil spring, comprising: A first portion disposed longitudinally along the central axis and sparsely coiled; A second portion having a central axis disposed longitudinally and a bottom end connected to the top end of the first portion, comprising a tightly coiled portion and a sparsely coiled portion having a bottom end connected to the tightly coiled portion; and a transition portion connecting the top of the first portion and the bottom of the second portion, comprising at least one tapered portion, wherein the outer diameter of the bottom of the tapered portion is greater than the outer diameter of the top.

2. The elastic terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top end of the sparsely coiled portion has a transverse portion.

3. The elastic terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that: The utility model further comprises a tapered tail portion connected to the bottom of the first portion and having an outer diameter gradually reduced.

4. The elastic terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The central axis of the first part and the central axis of the second part are collinearly arranged, and the maximum outer diameter of the second part is smaller than the outer diameter of the first part.

5. The elastic terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The central axis of the first part and the central axis of the second part are offset by a certain distance in the transverse direction.

6. A pressure sensor, characterized in that: include: The housing includes a terminal button; at least one pressure measuring element; an electronics module assembly electrically connected to the pressure measuring element; And the elastic terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a first retaining hole for retaining at least a portion of the bottom of the tightly coiled portion and the transition portion is provided in the terminal button; the inner wall of the first retaining hole presses against the transition portion toward the bottom side so that the bottom end of the elastic terminal is electrically contacted with the electronic module assembly.

7. A pressure sensor, characterized in that: include: The housing includes a terminal button; at least one pressure measuring element; an electronics module assembly electrically connected to the pressure measuring element; And the elastic terminal according to any one of claims 1, 2, 3, and 5, wherein a first retaining hole for retaining at least a portion of the bottom of the tightly coiled portion and the transition portion is provided in the terminal button; the inner wall of the first retaining hole presses against the transition portion toward the bottom side so that the bottom end of the elastic terminal is electrically contacted with the electronic module assembly.

8. The pressure sensor according to claim 7, characterized in that The projections of the outer contours of the tapered portion and the first portion on the transverse plane partially overlap.

9. The pressure sensor according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that An additional retaining member is further included; a second retaining hole is provided in the additional retaining member for accommodating at least a portion of the first portion; the additional retaining member is fixed to the bottom end of the terminal button.

10. The pressure sensor according to claim 9, characterized in that It also includes an additional retaining member and a supporting element for supporting the electronic module assembly; the additional retaining member is provided with a second retaining hole for accommodating at least a part of the first part; the additional retaining member is fixed on the supporting element.

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