Flexible circuit sensor

Abstract

The utility model provides a flexible circuit sensor. The flexible circuit sensor comprises a flexible circuit board assembly and a shell assembly, the flexible circuit board assembly comprises a flexible circuit board body, a metal conductor and a sensing element, the metal conductor is installed at one end of the flexible circuit board body, and the sensing element is installed at the other end, opposite to the metal conductor, of the flexible circuit board body. And the metal conductor is electrically connected with the sensing element through a flexible circuit on the flexible circuit board body. The flexible circuit board body includes a first portion, the sensing element is mounted at a free end of the first portion, and the first portion is inserted into the housing assembly. The flexible circuit sensor provided by the utility model adopts the flexible circuit board assembly, so that the adaptation capability is enhanced, the cost is reduced, the production efficiency is improved, and the weight is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of sensors, and particularly to a flexible circuit sensor. Background Art

[0002] Sensors are commonly used in industrial processes and industrial products. For example, temperature sensors need to be set in electric vehicles to monitor the temperature of the battery in real time to avoid temperature runaway or even explosion of the battery. Most of the existing sensors on the market are products in which a sensor body is integrated with a connector. The sensor is connected to a user interface through the connector, and the connector is connected to the sensor body by means of injection molding or wire harness connection, etc., so that the sensor body and the connector form a rigid integral part. Therefore, when connecting the sensor to the user interface, high installation accuracy or a large number of wire harnesses are required. Therefore, the existing sensors have low adaptability, high cost, low production efficiency and heavy weight. In addition, in the prior art, a lead type resistor is usually used as a sensing element of the sensor, and the leads of the lead type resistor need to be manually welded, so that the cost of the sensor is also relatively high.

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to improve the sensors in the prior art to at least partially solve the problems existing in the prior art. Summary of the Utility Model

[0004] To solve the above problems, an object of the present utility model is to provide a sensor, which has strong adaptability, so as to reduce the requirement for installation accuracy.

[0005] Another object of the present utility model is to provide a sensor, which improves production efficiency, reduces cost and lightens weight.

[0006] The present utility model provides a flexible circuit sensor, which includes a flexible circuit board assembly and a housing assembly. The flexible circuit board assembly includes a flexible circuit board body, a metal conductor and a sensing element. The metal conductor is installed at one end of the flexible circuit board body, and the sensing element is installed at the other end of the flexible circuit board body opposite to the metal conductor. The metal conductor and the sensing element are electrically connected through a flexible circuit on the flexible circuit board body. The flexible circuit board body includes a first part, the sensing element is installed at the free end of the first part, and the first part is inserted into the housing assembly.

[0007] Preferably, the sensing element is a surface mount component.

[0008] Preferably, the outer surface of the sensing element facing away from the flexible printed circuit board body and the connection position between the flexible printed circuit board body and the sensing element are covered or wrapped with a protective body for protecting the outer surface of the sensing element and the connection position.

[0009] Preferably, the protective body is made of silicone, epoxy resin or thermal conductive silicone grease.

[0010] Preferably, the flexible printed circuit board body further includes a second part, the second part is installed outside the housing assembly, and a tapered portion is provided at an end of the second part adjacent to the first part, and the tapered portion is configured to prevent the second part of the flexible printed circuit board body from being inserted into the housing assembly.

[0011] Preferably, an installation-in-place indicator bar is provided at an end of the first part of the flexible printed circuit board body adjacent to the second part.

[0012] Preferably, the surface of the first part of the flexible printed circuit board body is covered with a strength compensating member.

[0013] Preferably, the first part of the flexible printed circuit board body is hermetically fixed in the housing assembly.

[0014] Preferably, the sensing element is a negative temperature coefficient thermistor, a resistive temperature detector or a positive temperature coefficient thermistor.

[0015] Preferably, the housing assembly includes: a housing body, a base provided above the housing body, and a tubular member provided below the housing body.

[0016] Preferably, the housing body, the base and the tubular member are all hollow and together define a receiving cavity for receiving the first part of the flexible printed circuit board body, the first part of the flexible printed circuit board body is inserted into the receiving cavity, and the end of the flexible printed circuit board body on which the sensing element is installed is located inside the tubular member.

[0017] Preferably, the receiving cavity includes a central hole, and the central hole extends in the longitudinal direction of the housing assembly through the base and the housing body and extends into the tubular member.

[0018] Preferably, the receiving cavity further includes one or two limiting grooves, the limiting grooves are provided at the periphery of the central hole and communicate with the central hole, the limiting grooves extend downward from the top of the base in the thickness direction of the base through a part of the base or extend through the entire base, and the limiting grooves are configured to limit the insertion position and insertion direction of the first part of the flexible printed circuit board body.

[0019] Preferably, when the receiving cavity includes two limiting grooves, the two limiting grooves are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the central hole.

[0020] Preferably, the base includes a base body, and two buckle supports are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the base body. Each buckle support is provided with a buckle hole penetrating through the buckle support in the thickness direction of the buckle support, and a positioning protrusion protruding outward in the thickness direction of the buckle support is arranged above each buckle hole.

[0021] Preferably, the base includes a base body and an anti-fooling structure, and the anti-fooling structure is arranged on the side surface of the base body.

[0022] Preferably, the anti-fooling structure is an anti-fooling protrusion, an anti-fooling groove or an irregular non-planar surface arranged on the side surface of the base body.

[0023] The flexible circuit sensor of the present invention is connected to the user interface through a flexible circuit board assembly, so that the flexible circuit sensor of the present invention can be connected to the user interface by various methods; due to the good flexibility of the flexible circuit board assembly, the flexible circuit board assembly can achieve size compensation and can be used for installation positions with different distances / angles, so it has strong adaptability and can be conveniently and quickly assembled to the user interface without high position accuracy. Further, the flexible circuit sensor of the present invention can adopt a flexible circuit board assembly with a thin and light material without an integrated connector, realizing the reduction of the weight of the sensor; the flexible circuit sensor of the present invention does not need to weld the connector and the wire harness, saving the welding labor cost and realizing the improvement of production efficiency; due to the mature automated production process of the flexible circuit board assembly, high efficiency and low defect rate, the flexible circuit sensor of the present invention has high production efficiency and low cost; and because an integrated connector is not needed, the production man-hours and production and assembly labor costs of this connector are saved, and the cost of the flexible circuit board body is lower than that of the printed circuit board, making the flexible circuit sensor of the present invention have high production efficiency and low cost. In addition, the sensing element of the flexible circuit sensor of the present invention is a surface-mounted element, that is, the sensing element is mounted on the other end of the flexible circuit board body opposite to the metal conductor by surface mounting. The present invention adopts a surface-mounted sensing element and no longer needs a lead-type resistor, so manual welding is not required, and the surface-mounted sensing element can realize standardized large-scale automated production, thus realizing the further improvement of production efficiency and the further reduction of cost, and the surface-mounted sensing element directly transmits the processed signal to the flexible circuit board body without a lead. Description of the Drawings

[0024] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit sensor according to the present utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board assembly of the flexible circuit sensor according to the present utility model; and

[0026] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the housing assembly of the flexible circuit sensor according to the present utility model. Detailed implementation manners

[0027] Hereinafter, the flexible circuit sensor of the present utility model will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] Although terms such as first, second, and third may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections, these elements, components, regions, layers, and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be used only to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, terms such as "first" and "second" and other numerical terms do not imply an order or sequence when used herein. Thus, the first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below may be referred to as a second element, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the exemplary embodiments.

[0029] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit sensor 1 according to the present utility model. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the flexible circuit board assembly 20 of the flexible circuit sensor 1 according to the present utility model. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the housing assembly 10 of the flexible circuit sensor 1 according to the present utility model.

[0030] See Figures 1 to 3 , the flexible circuit sensor 1 of the present utility model includes a flexible circuit board assembly 20 and a housing assembly 10. The flexible circuit board assembly 20 includes a flexible circuit board body 21, a metal conductor 24, and a sensing element 22. The metal conductor 24 is installed at one end of the flexible circuit board body 21, and the sensing element 22 is installed at the other end of the flexible circuit board body 21 opposite to the metal conductor 24. The metal conductor 24 and the sensing element 22 are electrically connected through a flexible circuit on the flexible circuit board body 21, so as to transmit the signal at the sensing element 22 to the metal conductor 24. The flexible circuit board body 21 includes a first part 27. The sensing element 22 is installed at the free end of the first part 27, that is, at the end of the first part 27 far from the metal conductor 24, and the first part 27 is inserted into the housing assembly 10.

[0031] The flexible circuit sensor 1 of the present utility model is connected to a user interface (e.g., the PCBA on the user side) through a flexible circuit board assembly 20. Specifically, it is connected to the user interface through the end portion of the flexible circuit board assembly 20 that includes a metal conductor 24, enabling the flexible circuit sensor 1 of the present utility model to be connected to the user interface by various methods (e.g., the end portion of the flexible circuit board assembly 20 that includes a metal conductor 24 is directly soldered in the user interface, or assembled in the connector of the user interface, or connected to the connector of the user interface through the connector provided at its end portion). Since the flexible circuit board assembly has good flexibility, it can achieve dimensional compensation and can be used for installation positions at different distances / angles. Therefore, it has strong adaptability and can be easily and quickly assembled onto the user interface without high position accuracy.

[0032] Furthermore, the flexible circuit sensor of the present utility model can use a flexible circuit board assembly with a thin and light material without an integrated connector, achieving a reduction in the weight of the sensor. The flexible circuit sensor of the present utility model does not require soldering of the connector and the wire harness, saving the soldering labor cost and improving the production efficiency. Since the automated production process of the flexible circuit board assembly is mature, with high efficiency and low defect rate, the flexible circuit sensor of the present utility model has high production efficiency and low cost. And since it does not require an integrated connector, the production man-hours and production and assembly labor costs of this connector are saved, and the cost of the flexible circuit board body is lower than that of a printed circuit board (PCB), making the flexible circuit sensor of the present utility model have high production efficiency and low cost.

[0033] Preferably, the sensing element 22 is a surface-mounted element. That is to say, the sensing element 22 is mounted on the other end portion of the flexible circuit board body 21 opposite to the metal conductor 24 by surface mounting (SMD). For example, the sensing element 22 is attached to this end portion of the flexible circuit board body 21 by reflow soldering (i.e., the automated chip mounting process) through automated production. The automated chip mounting process is mature, with a low rejection rate and high reliability, making the flexible circuit sensor of the present utility model have high production efficiency and low cost. In the prior art, a lead-type resistor is usually used as the sensing element, and the leads of the lead-type resistor need to be manually soldered, resulting in a relatively high cost for the sensor. However, the present utility model uses a surface-mounted sensing element and no longer requires a lead-type resistor, thus eliminating the need for manual soldering. Moreover, the surface-mounted sensing element can achieve large-scale automated production in a standardized manner, thereby further improving the production efficiency and further reducing the cost. And the surface-mounted sensing element directly transmits the processed signal to the flexible circuit board body without leads.

[0034] See Figure 3, the housing assembly 10 includes: a housing body 11, a base 13 disposed above the housing body 11, and a tubular member 12 disposed below the housing body 11. The housing body 11, the base 13, and the tubular member 12 are all hollow and together define a receiving cavity for receiving a first portion 27 of the flexible circuit board body 21. The first portion 27 of the flexible circuit board body 21 is inserted into this receiving cavity, and the end of the flexible circuit board body 21 on which the sensing element 22 is mounted is located inside the tubular member 12. When using the flexible circuit sensor 1 of the present utility model, the tubular member 12 can be inserted into the area to be measured, and data induction is performed through the sensing element 22 inside the tubular member 12, making the flexible circuit sensor 1 of the present utility model convenient to operate and use.

[0035] Preferably, the housing body 11 and the base 13 are made of plastic and integrally injection molded, while the tubular member 12 is made of a metallic material; alternatively, the housing body 11, the base 13, and the tubular member 12 are all made of plastic and integrally injection molded; or, the housing body 11, the base 13, and the tubular member 12 are all made of metallic material and integrally die cast. During actual production, the material can be selected according to different usage environments.

[0036] Preferably, as Figure 3 shown, the receiving cavity includes a central hole 18, and the central hole 18 extends longitudinally through the base 13 and the housing body 11 of the housing assembly 10 and extends into the tubular member 12. Preferably, the bottom of the tubular member 12 is closed, thereby protecting the sensing element 22 inside it from being eroded by the external environment.

[0037] Preferably, the receiving cavity further includes one or two limiting grooves 19. The limiting grooves 19 are disposed at the periphery of the central hole 18 and communicate with the central hole 18. The limiting grooves 19 extend downward from the top of the base 13 along the thickness direction of the base 13 through a part of the base 13 or extend through the entire base 13. The limiting grooves 19 are configured to limit the insertion position and insertion direction of the first portion 27 of the flexible circuit board body 21. By providing the limiting grooves 19, the flexible circuit sensor 1 of the present utility model can ensure that the end of the flexible circuit board body 21 on which the sensing element 22 is mounted is inserted in the correct position and direction. In this embodiment, as Figure 3 shown, the receiving cavity includes two limiting grooves 19, and the two limiting grooves 19 are symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of the central hole 18. However, it can be envisioned that the receiving cavity can also include only one limiting groove, which can also limit the insertion position and insertion direction of the first portion 27 of the flexible circuit board body 21.

[0038] Preferably, as Figure 3As shown, the base 13 includes a base body. On opposite sides of the base body, two snap holders 15 are symmetrically arranged. Each snap holder 15 is provided with a snap hole 16 that penetrates the snap holder 15 in the thickness direction of the snap holder 15. Above each snap hole 16, a positioning protrusion 17 that protrudes outward in the thickness direction of the snap holder 15 is provided. By providing the snap holders 15, the snap holes 16, and the positioning protrusions 17, it can be ensured that the flexible circuit sensor 1 of the present utility model is firmly installed when externally installed.

[0039] Preferably, as Figure 3 shown, the base 13 further includes an anti-misassembly structure 14, and the anti-misassembly structure 14 is arranged on the side surface of the base body. Preferably, the anti-misassembly structure 14 is an anti-misassembly protrusion, an anti-misassembly groove, or an irregular non-planar surface arranged on the side surface of the base body. By providing the anti-misassembly structure 14, it can be ensured that the position of the flexible circuit sensor 1 of the present utility model is accurate when externally installed.

[0040] Preferably, as Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the flexible circuit board body 21 further includes a second portion 28. The second portion 28 is installed outside the housing assembly 10. The second portion 28 is provided with a tapered portion 25 at an end adjacent to the first portion 27. The tapered portion 25 is configured to prevent the second portion 28 of the flexible circuit board body 21 from being inserted into the housing assembly 10. The width of the tapered portion 25 (i.e., the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flexible circuit board body 21) gradually decreases in the direction from the second portion 28 toward the first portion 27. The width of the tapered portion 25 at the minimum width is greater than the radial dimension of the receiving cavity at the limiting groove 19, so that when the flexible circuit board body 21 is inserted into the housing assembly 10, the tapered portion 25 abuts against the edge of the limiting groove 19 of the housing assembly 10, thereby ensuring that the flexible circuit board body 21 will not be overly inserted into the housing assembly 10, that is, ensuring the accurate position of the flexible circuit board body 21 when inserted into the housing assembly 10.

[0041] Preferably, as Figure 2As shown, the first part 27 of the flexible printed circuit board body 21 includes a first sub-segment 271 and a second sub-segment 272. The width of the first sub-segment 271 (i.e., the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flexible printed circuit board body 21) is smaller than the width of the second sub-segment 272 (i.e., the dimension in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the flexible printed circuit board body 21). The width of the second sub-segment 272 is equal to or slightly smaller than the radial dimension of the receiving cavity at the limiting groove 19, and the length of the second sub-segment 272 (i.e., the dimension in the longitudinal direction of the flexible printed circuit board body 21) is smaller than or equal to the distance that the limiting groove 19 extends along the thickness direction of the base 13. The width of the first sub-segment 271 is smaller than the diameter of the central hole 18, so that when the flexible printed circuit board body 21 is inserted into the housing assembly 10, the first part 27 of the flexible printed circuit board body 21 can be smoothly inserted into the housing assembly 10.

[0042] Preferably, as Figure 2 shown, an installation-in-place indicator strip 26 is provided at the end of the first part 27 of the flexible printed circuit board body 21 adjacent to the second part 28. By providing the installation-in-place indicator strip 26, when the flexible printed circuit board body 21 is inserted into the housing assembly 10, if the assembler observes that the installation-in-place indicator strip 26 is just completely inserted into the housing assembly 10, it means that the flexible printed circuit board body 21 has been installed in place, and then stop continuing to insert the flexible printed circuit board body 21. Therefore, by providing the installation-in-place indicator strip 26, the assembler can visually judge whether the installation position of the flexible printed circuit board body 21 is accurate.

[0043] Preferably, the surface of the first part 27 of the flexible printed circuit board body 21 is covered with a strength compensation member (not shown). Since the flexible printed circuit board body 21 is soft by itself, during actual assembly, the flexible printed circuit board body 21 may be deformed by an external force and cannot be inserted into the correct position. By covering the surface of the first part 27 of the flexible printed circuit board body 21, that is, the part inserted into the housing assembly 10, with a strength compensation member to enhance the hardness of this part, so as to ensure that this part can be smoothly inserted into place during assembly, thereby enhancing the assembly efficiency and quality.

[0044] Preferably, the outer surface of the sensing element 22 facing away from the flexible printed circuit board body 21 and the connection position between the flexible printed circuit board body 21 and the sensing element 22 are covered or wrapped with a protective body 23 that protects the outer surface and the connection position of the sensing element 22. Preferably, the protective body 23 can be made of silicone, epoxy resin, thermal conductive silicone grease or any other suitable flexible material, and these materials are all materials known in the prior art. In this embodiment, as Figure 2As shown, the protective body 23 covers the outer surface of the sensing element 22 facing away from the flexible circuit board body 21 and the connection position between the flexible circuit board body 21 and the sensing element 22. However, it is also conceivable that the protective body can also wrap the end of the flexible circuit board body 21 where the sensing element 22 is installed, thereby wrapping the outer surface of the sensing element 22 facing away from the flexible circuit board body 21 and the connection position between the flexible circuit board body 21 and the sensing element 22. The main function of the protective body 23 is to protect the sensing element 22 and the connection between the sensing element 22 and the flexible circuit board body 21 from external damage during actual use. Silicone, epoxy resin, thermal conductive silicone grease, etc. all have good protective effects.

[0045] Preferably, the first part 27 of the flexible circuit board body 21 is inserted into place through the receiving cavity and then sealed and fixed. As Figure 1 shown, the first part 27 of the flexible circuit board body 21 is sealed and fixed in the housing assembly 10 through the potting member 30. Preferably, the potting member 30 can be silicone, epoxy resin or thermal conductive silicone grease. However, it is conceivable that the first part 27 of the flexible circuit board body 21 can also be sealed and fixed in the housing assembly 10 by any other suitable sealing method, such as by a sealing ring. Sealing through the potting member 30 or by means of a sealing ring or the like can ensure a firm connection between the flexible circuit board body 21 and the housing assembly 10.

[0046] Preferably, the sensing element 22 is a negative temperature coefficient thermistor NTC, a resistive temperature detector RTD or a positive temperature coefficient thermistor PTC, etc. During actual operation, NTC, RTD or PTC can be selected as the corresponding sensing element 22 according to the functional requirements of the flexible circuit sensor.

[0047] Herein, the exemplary embodiments of the flexible circuit sensor according to the present invention have been described in detail. However, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated above in detail. Without departing from the gist and scope of the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to the present invention. All such modifications and variations fall within the scope of the present invention. Moreover, all the components described herein can be replaced by other technically equivalent components.

Claims

1. A flexible circuit sensor, characterized in that, The flexible circuit sensor includes a flexible circuit board assembly and a housing assembly. The flexible circuit board assembly includes a flexible circuit board body, a metal conductor, and a sensing element. The metal conductor is mounted at one end of the flexible circuit board body, and the sensing element is mounted at the other end of the flexible circuit board body opposite to the metal conductor. The metal conductor and the sensing element are electrically connected through a flexible circuit on the flexible circuit board body. The flexible circuit board body includes a first portion, the sensing element is mounted at the free end of the first portion, and the first portion is inserted into the housing assembly.

2. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 1, wherein, The sensing element is a surface-mounted element.

3. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 1, wherein The outer surface of the sensing element facing away from the flexible circuit board body and the connection position between the flexible circuit board body and the sensing element are covered or wrapped with a protective body for protecting the outer surface and the connection position of the sensing element.

4. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 3, characterized in that, The protective body is made of silica gel, epoxy resin, or thermal conductive silicone grease.

5. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 1, wherein The flexible circuit board body further includes a second portion, the second portion is mounted outside the housing assembly, and a tapered portion is provided at the end of the second portion adjacent to the first portion. The tapered portion is configured to prevent the second portion of the flexible circuit board body from being inserted into the housing assembly.

6. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that, An installation-in-place indicator strip is provided at the end of the first portion of the flexible circuit board body adjacent to the second portion.

7. The flexible circuit sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The surface of the first portion of the flexible circuit board body is covered with a strength compensation member.

8. The flexible circuit sensor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, The first portion of the flexible circuit board body is sealed and fixed in the housing assembly.

9. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 2, wherein, The sensing element is a negative temperature coefficient thermistor, a resistance temperature detector, or a positive temperature coefficient thermistor.

10. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 1, wherein The housing assembly includes: a housing body, a base provided above the housing body, and a tubular member provided below the housing body.

11. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 10, wherein, The housing body, the base, and the tubular member are all hollow and together define a receiving cavity for receiving the first portion of the flexible circuit board body. The first portion of the flexible circuit board body is inserted into the receiving cavity, and the end of the flexible circuit board body on which the sensing element is mounted is located inside the tubular member.

12. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 11, wherein, The receiving cavity includes a central hole, and the central hole extends longitudinally through the base and the housing body of the housing assembly and extends into the tubular member.

13. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 12, wherein The receiving cavity further includes one or two limiting grooves. The limiting grooves are provided at the periphery of the central hole and communicate with the central hole. The limiting grooves extend downward from the top of the base along the thickness direction of the base through a part of the base or through the entire base, and the limiting grooves are configured to limit the insertion position and insertion direction of the first portion of the flexible circuit board body.

14. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 13, wherein, When the receiving cavity includes two limiting grooves, the two limiting grooves are symmetrically provided on opposite sides of the central hole.

15. The flexible circuit sensor according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that, The base includes a base body, and two snap holders are symmetrically arranged on opposite sides of the base body. Each snap holder is provided with a snap hole penetrating the snap holder in the thickness direction of the snap holder, and a positioning protrusion protruding outward in the thickness direction of the snap holder is arranged above each snap hole.

16. The flexible circuit sensor according to any one of claims 10 to 14, characterized in that The base includes a base body and an anti-fooling structure, and the anti-fooling structure is arranged on the side surface of the base body.

17. The flexible circuit sensor according to claim 16, wherein, The anti-fooling structure is an anti-fooling protrusion, an anti-fooling groove or an irregular non-planar surface arranged on the side surface of the base body.

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