Corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of sensors, in particular to a corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor. The ultrasonic transducer comprises a circuit board and two transducers arranged on the circuit board. The bottom sealing cover is used for sealing a bottom opening of the shell; the transducer is detachably connected with the shell, the bottom sealing cover is connected with the transducer through the connecting frame, the contact position of the bottom sealing cover and the shell and the position where the transducer penetrates through the shell are all sealed, and the outer wall of the transducer, the shell and the bottom sealing cover are all made of corrosion-resistant materials. According to the ultrasonic sensor, the exposed parts of the whole ultrasonic sensor are all made of corrosion-resistant materials, the corrosion resistance is good, the installation contact positions are sealed through the sealing ring a, the sealing ring b and the sealing ring c respectively, the sealing performance is ensured, liquid and gas are prevented from entering the shell, and the corrosion-resistant effect is further ensured. Due to the fact that the ultrasonic sensor body is directly improved, other shells do not need to be sleeved outside the ultrasonic sensor body, and miniaturization and light weight design of the ultrasonic sensor can be achieved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of sensor technology, and more particularly to a corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor. Background Technology

[0002] Ultrasonic sensors are simple yet effective distance measurement tools, widely used in various scenarios requiring environmental sensing. Their working principle is based on the reflection characteristics of sound waves; by measuring the time it takes for a sound wave to travel from its emission point to its return, the distance between the object and the sensor can be calculated. In some environments, ultrasonic sensors need to be resistant to liquid corrosion. The conventional approach is to encase the ultrasonic sensor in a corrosion-resistant shell, which hinders miniaturization and lightweight design.

[0003] Chinese patent CN213090789U discloses a corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor. The sensor body is installed in an inner shell, which is used to protect the sensor body from corrosion by corrosive liquids. The outer shell can further improve the corrosion resistance.

[0004] However, the above-mentioned publicly available solutions have the following shortcomings: the ultrasonic sensor is covered with two layers of shell, but the ultrasonic sensor is not directly designed to be corrosion resistant, which is not conducive to the miniaturization and lightweight design of the ultrasonic sensor. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to address the problem in the prior art where corrosion resistance is achieved by using a casing, which is not conducive to the miniaturization and lightweight design of ultrasonic sensors. This invention proposes a corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor.

[0006] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor includes a circuit board and two transducers disposed on the circuit board, the two transducers being a transmitting transducer and a receiving transducer, respectively; it also includes a housing and a bottom cover that seals its bottom opening; the top of the housing is provided with two transducer through holes for the transducers to pass through, the transducers are detachably connected to the housing, the bottom cover is connected to the transducers through a connecting bracket, and the contact points between the bottom cover and the housing, as well as the points where the transducers pass through the housing, are all sealed; the outer wall of the transducers, the housing, and the bottom cover are all made of corrosion-resistant materials.

[0007] Preferably, the four pins of the circuit board are integrated by a wire harness, the wire harness has a connector at the connection point with the external controller, the wire harness passes through the bottom cover, and the place where the wire harness passes through the bottom cover is sealed.

[0008] Preferably, the bottom of the outer shell is provided with an inwardly tapering section, the bottom cover fits onto the tapering section, the top of the tapering section is provided with a sealing ring a, and the top of the bottom cover is pressed and fitted with the sealing ring a.

[0009] Preferably, mounting brackets are provided on both sides of the bottom of the bottom cover, and the mounting brackets are provided with multiple mounting holes. The mounting brackets are made of corrosion-resistant material.

[0010] Preferably, a limiting ring is provided on the outer wall of the transducer, a sealing ring c is provided on the upper end face of the limiting ring, a thread is provided on the outer wall of the transducer and a nut is provided to fit it, and the sealing ring c is pressed and fitted against the inner wall of the top of the outer shell.

[0011] Preferably, two sealing rings b are provided on the outer side of the top of the housing. The sealing rings b are located outside the transducer perforation, and the lower end face of the nut is pressed and fitted with the sealing rings b.

[0012] Preferably, the two ends of the connecting frame are connected to the limiting ring and the inner wall of the bottom cover, respectively.

[0013] Preferably, the circuit board is provided with multiple guide holes, and the inner wall of the top of the housing is provided with multiple guide rods, which cooperate to pass through the guide holes.

[0014] Compared with existing technologies, this invention has the following beneficial technical effects: all exposed components of the ultrasonic sensor are made of corrosion-resistant materials, exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance. The contact points are sealed using sealing rings a, b, and c to ensure airtightness and prevent liquids and gases from entering the housing, further guaranteeing corrosion resistance. Since this is a direct improvement to the ultrasonic sensor body, no additional external housing is required, enabling miniaturization and lightweight design of the ultrasonic sensor. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial cross-sectional diagram of the structure; Figure 3 for Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure after removing the outer shell; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the outer shell structure; Reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Outer shell; 2. Inner section; 3. Bottom cover; 4. Sealing ring a; 5. Mounting bracket; 6. Mounting hole; 7. Transducer through hole; 8. Sealing ring b; 9. Circuit board; 10. Wiring harness; 11. Transducer; 12. Guide hole; 13. Guide rod; 14. Sealing ring c; 15. Nut; 16. Connecting bracket; 17. Limiting ring. Detailed Implementation

[0016] Example 1; as Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown, this invention proposes a corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor, comprising a circuit board 9 and two transducers 11 disposed on the circuit board 9. The two transducers 11 are a transmitting transducer and a receiving transducer, respectively. The metal ends of the transducers 11 are directly soldered to the circuit board via leads. The transmitting transducer converts electrical energy into mechanical energy, which refers to ultrasonic vibration. The receiving transducer converts the mechanical energy, i.e., the reflected ultrasonic waves, into electrical energy. The circuit board 9 has four pins: power supply positive and negative pins VCC and GND, a trigger pin Trig, and an echo pin Echo. The trigger pin is used to send a pulse signal to start ultrasonic transmission, and the echo pin is used to receive the reflected ultrasonic signal and output a pulse signal. In actual use, the Trig pin is usually connected to the output pin of the microcontroller, and the Echo pin is connected to the input pin of the microcontroller. The Echo signal is measured... The pulse width can be used to calculate the distance between the object and the sensor. The circuit board 9 and transducer 11 are conventional structures and do not involve the core protection of this application, so they will not be described in detail here. It also includes a housing 1 and a bottom cover 3 that seals its bottom opening. The top of the housing 1 is provided with two transducer through holes 7 for the transducer 11 to pass through. The transducer 11 is detachably connected to the housing 1. The bottom cover 3 is connected to the transducer 11 through a connecting bracket 16. The contact points between the bottom cover 3 and the housing 1, as well as the points where the transducer 11 passes through the housing 1, are sealed. The outer wall of the transducer 11, the housing 1, and the bottom cover 3 are all made of corrosion-resistant materials, such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, or aluminum alloy. Stainless steel has good corrosion resistance, especially 316L stainless steel, which is suitable for most environments. Titanium alloy has excellent corrosion resistance, especially in marine and high-temperature environments. Aluminum alloy is suitable for applications with high lightweight requirements and has good corrosion resistance, but not as good as stainless steel and titanium alloy.

[0017] Furthermore, the four pins of the circuit board are integrated through the wiring harness 10. The wiring harness 10 has a connector at the connection point with the external controller. The wiring harness 10 passes through the bottom cover 3, and the place where the wiring harness 10 passes through the bottom cover 3 is sealed. There are multiple sealing methods. Specifically, for ordinary corrosive environments, it is recommended to use epoxy resin glue or silicone for sealing. For high temperature or highly corrosive environments, it is recommended to use metal sealing rings or laser welding for sealing. The appropriate method should be selected according to the application scenario.

[0018] Furthermore, mounting brackets 5 are provided on both sides of the bottom of the bottom cover 3. Multiple mounting holes 6 are provided on the mounting brackets 5. The mounting brackets 5 are made of corrosion-resistant materials, such as stainless steel, titanium alloy, or aluminum alloy. It should be noted that, for ease of processing, the outer wall of the transducer 11, the outer shell 1, the bottom cover 3, and the mounting brackets 5 are made of the same material.

[0019] Furthermore, multiple guide holes are provided on the circuit board 9, and multiple guide rods 13 are provided on the top inner wall of the housing 1. The guide rods 13 cooperate to pass through the guide holes. In an optional embodiment, four guide rods 13 and four guide holes are provided, and the four guide holes are located at the four corners of the circuit board 9 respectively.

[0020] Example 2; as Figures 2-4 As shown, the present invention proposes a corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor. Compared with Embodiment 1, this embodiment details the sealing structure of each connection. The bottom of the outer shell 1 is provided with an inwardly contracting section 2, the bottom cover 3 is fitted onto the inwardly contracting section 2, the top of the inwardly contracting section 2 is provided with a sealing ring a4, and the top of the bottom cover 3 is pressed and adhered to the sealing ring a4.

[0021] A limiting ring 17 is provided on the outer wall of the transducer 11, and a sealing ring c14 is provided on the upper end face of the limiting ring 17. A thread is provided on the outer wall of the transducer 11 and a nut 15 is provided to fit it. The sealing ring c14 is pressed and fitted against the inner wall of the top of the outer shell 1. Two sealing rings b8 are provided on the outer side of the top of the outer shell 1. The sealing rings b8 are located outside the transducer through hole 7. The lower end face of the nut 15 is pressed and fitted against the sealing rings b8. The transducer 11, circuit board 9 and bottom cover 3 can be quickly installed by tightening the two nuts 15. When maintenance is required, the transducer 11, circuit board 9 and bottom cover 3 can be removed by simply unscrewing the nuts 15. The operation is simple and convenient. The two ends of the connecting bracket 16 are connected to the limiting ring 17 and the inner wall of the bottom cover 3, respectively. In an optional embodiment, four connecting brackets 16 are provided, and two connecting brackets 16 are symmetrically provided on the outer wall of each transducer 11.

[0022] In summary, in this invention, all exposed components of the ultrasonic sensor are made of corrosion-resistant materials, exhibiting excellent corrosion resistance. The contact points are sealed using sealing rings a4, b8, and c14 to ensure airtightness and prevent liquids and gases from entering the housing 1, further guaranteeing corrosion resistance. Since this is a direct improvement to the ultrasonic sensor body, no additional external housing is required, enabling miniaturization and lightweight design of the ultrasonic sensor.

[0023] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. Various changes can be made within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor comprising a circuit board (9), and two transducers (11) disposed on the circuit board (9), the two transducers (11) being a transmitting transducer and a receiving transducer, respectively; characterized in that, It also includes a housing (1) and a bottom cover (3) that seals its bottom opening; the top of the housing (1) is provided with two transducer through holes (7) for the transducer (11) to pass through. The transducer (11) is detachably connected to the housing (1). The bottom cover (3) is connected to the transducer (11) through a connecting bracket (16). The places where the bottom cover (3) contacts the housing (1) and where the transducer (11) passes through the housing (1) are sealed. The outer wall of the transducer (11), the housing (1) and the bottom cover (3) are all made of corrosion-resistant materials.

2. The corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The four pins of the circuit board are integrated by a wire harness (10). The wire harness (10) has a connector at the connection point with the external controller. The wire harness (10) passes through the bottom cover (3), and the place where the wire harness (10) passes through the bottom cover (3) is sealed.

3. The corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the outer shell (1) is provided with an inwardly contracting section (2), and the bottom cover (3) fits on the inwardly contracting section (2). The top of the inwardly contracting section (2) is provided with a sealing ring a (4), and the top of the bottom cover (3) is pressed and adhered to the sealing ring a (4).

4. The corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom cover (3) has mounting brackets (5) on both sides of the bottom. The mounting brackets (5) have multiple mounting holes (6) and are made of corrosion-resistant material.

5. The corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, A limiting ring (17) is provided on the outer wall of the transducer (11), and a sealing ring c (14) is provided on the upper end face of the limiting ring (17). A thread is provided on the outer wall of the transducer (11) and a nut (15) is provided in conjunction. The sealing ring c (14) is pressed and adhered to the inner wall of the top of the outer shell (1).

6. The corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that, Two sealing rings b (8) are provided on the top outer side of the outer casing (1). The sealing rings b (8) are located outside the transducer perforation (7). The lower end face of the nut (15) is pressed and fitted with the sealing rings b (8).

7. The corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that, The two ends of the connecting frame (16) are connected to the limiting ring (17) and the inner wall of the bottom cover (3), respectively.

8. The corrosion-resistant ultrasonic sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Multiple guide holes are provided on the circuit board (9), and multiple guide rods (13) are provided on the top inner wall of the outer casing (1). The guide rods (13) pass through the guide holes.

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