temperature sensor

Abstract

A temperature sensor (1) comprises a temperature measuring element (11), a receiving body (13) in which the temperature measuring element (11) is embedded and received, and a housing (20) with a storage space (46a) in which the receiving body (13) is stored. The housing (20) comprises a first housing (40) with a concave section (46) therein, which defines the storage space (46a) and has an external temperature measuring surface that comes into contact with an object to be measured; a second housing (30) that is mounted on the first housing (40) and closes an opening of the concave section (46); and a filler (50) with which the storage space (46a) is filled and a gap between the receiving body (13) and the first housing (40) is filled. The material forming the second housing (30) has a heat transfer property that is lower than that of the material forming the filler (50).

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature sensor in which a temperature measuring element is stored. State of the art

[0002] In related technology, temperature sensors have been proposed for measuring the temperatures of various objects (for example, a gas and a liquid). For example, one of the temperature sensors in related technology has a built-in thermistor for temperature measurement and is attached to a vehicle's internal line to measure the temperature of a fluid flowing in the vehicle's internal line (see, for example, patent literature 1). List of literature Patent literature

[0003] Patent literature 1: JP H02-245 626 A Summary of the invention

[0004] In the related technology, the temperature sensor consists of a protective tube, one section of which is sealed, filled with a protective resin. All components of the thermistor, the connecting wire extending from the thermistor, and the contact point between the connecting wire and an external electrical wire are embedded within this resin. When the temperature sensor is in use, heat transferred from the fluid being measured to the protective tube is transferred through the resin to the thermistor. More precisely, the heat received by the resin increases the temperature of the resin itself as it diffuses into it, and this heat is then transferred from the heated resin to the thermistor.Considering such a heat transfer principle, it is assumed that in the temperature sensor in the related technology, the heat transferred from the protective tube to the protective resin diffuses over the entire protective resin, which occupies most of the structure of the temperature sensor, making it difficult to improve the response performance of the temperature sensor.

[0005] One object of the present invention is to provide a temperature sensor with excellent response performance.

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the temperature sensor according to the present invention is characterized as follows.

[0007] A temperature sensor comprises: a temperature measuring element; a receiving body in which the temperature measuring element is embedded and received; and a housing with a storage space in which the receiving body is stored or housed.

[0008] The housing comprises a first housing with a concave section in it that defines the storage space and has an external temperature measuring surface that comes into contact with an object to be measured, a second housing that is mounted on the first housing and closes an opening of the concave section, and a filler material with which the storage space is filled and a gap between the receiving body and the first housing is filled.

[0009] A material forming the second casing has a heat transfer property that is lower than that of a material forming the filler.

[0010] According to the temperature sensor of the present invention, the concave section of the first housing defines the storage space. The receiving body, in which the temperature measuring element is received, is stored within this space. The second housing closes the opening of the storage space, and the gap within the storage space is filled with the filler material. Here, the material forming the second housing exhibits a lower heat transfer property than that of the filler material. Typical properties relating to the heat transfer of the material include thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat capacity. Of these, the degree of "heat transfer property" in the present invention can also be reformulated as the degree of thermal conductivity.In the temperature sensor with this configuration, the second housing exhibits relatively low heat transfer properties, and thus heat transfer at the interface between the second housing and the filler is less likely than if there were no difference in heat transfer properties between the second housing and the filler. In other words, heat is less likely to be released from the filler to the second housing. Therefore, the temperature of the filler itself is rapidly increased by the heat transferred from the first housing to the filler, and the temperature measuring element can quickly detect the temperature change. Therefore, the temperature sensor of the present invention, compared to temperature sensors in related technologies, has excellent response performance.

[0011] The present invention has been briefly described above. Further details of the present invention will be clarified by reading about the methods for carrying out the invention, which are described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Brief description of the drawings Fig. Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a temperature sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view that shows along a line AA of Fig. The cross-section taken corresponds to the following, to explain a state in which the in Fig. 1. The temperature sensor shown is attached to a mounting hole of a mounting object; Fig. Figure 3 is an enlarged view of section B in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side view showing an assembly process of the in Fig. 1 represents the temperature sensor shown; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view drawn along a line CC in Fig. 4 is taken; and Fig. Figure 6 is a side view (partial cross-sectional view) depicting a state in which an insertion section of a resin housing is inserted at an angle relative to a concave section of a metal sheath during a process of assembling the in Fig. 1 temperature sensor shown. Description of the embodiments<Ausführungsform>

[0012] A temperature sensor 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 2 is shown, the in Fig. Figure 1 shows the temperature sensor 1 in a state where it is inserted into and fixed to a mounting hole 3 of a mounting object 2. The mounting object 2 is, for example, a wall of a device in which a coolant flow path is installed in a vehicle, and in this case, the temperature sensor 1 attached to the mounting object serves to measure the temperature of the coolant in the device. The temperature sensor 1 comprises a thermistor 10 and a housing 20 that contains or accommodates the thermistor 10.

[0013] For the convenience of description, the terms "front", "back", "left", "right", "top" and "bottom" are used below as in Fig. 1 and the like are defined as follows. A "front-back direction," a "left-right direction," and an "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-back direction, the left-right direction, and the up-down direction need not necessarily correspond to a front-back direction, a left-right direction, and an up-down direction of the vehicle or the like on which the temperature sensor 1 is mounted. The components that make up the temperature sensor 1 are described below in sequence.

[0014] First, thermistor 10 is described. As in Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Figure 3 and the like, the thermistor 10 comprises a thermistor element 11, a pair of rod-shaped metal terminals 12 extending upward from the thermistor element 11, and a receiving body 13 that receives the thermistor element 11 such that the entire thermistor element 11 is embedded therein. The receiving body 13 is, for example, a molded body (primary mold) made of an epoxy resin. The thermistor element 11 is integrated with the receiving body 13, for example, by transfer molding (primary forming). The pair of terminals 12 project linearly upward from an upper surface of the receiving body 13, facing each other at a distance in the left-right direction, and are exposed on an outer surface of the receiving body 13.A large part of the pair of terminals 12, which are exposed to the outside of the receiving body 13, is stored (embedded) inside a resin housing 30 and a filler 50 (described later) that form the housing 20 (see . Fig. 2 and the like). In this example, the pair of terminals 12 has a linear shape, but the pair of terminals 12 can have a curved shape according to a shape of the resin housing 30 or the like.

[0015] The resin receiving body 13 is a molded object with a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. In other words, the receiving body 13 is formed using a mold to have a pre-designed shape. Consequently, the deviation in the shape of the receiving body 13 is reduced. The receiving body 13 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, with an outer surface formed by six faces. Generally, with a receiving body of such a shape, there are concerns that, due to stress concentration in the contact area or the like, deformation or the like of the receiving body may occur when a working tool or the like is brought into contact with a boundary or the like between adjacent surfaces.In the case of the temperature sensor 1, however, the receiving body 13 is stored inside the housing 20, and thus, even though the receiving body 13 has such a shape, deformation or the like of the receiving body 13 can be adequately reduced.

[0016] Next, housing 20 will be described. As in Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Figure 2 and the like, the housing 20 comprises the resin housing 30, a metal casing 40 and the filler 50.

[0017] First, the resin housing 30 is described. The resin housing 30 is, for example, a molded body (secondary molded body) made, for example, of polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). A resin material forming the resin housing 30 has a heat transfer property that is lower than that of a resin material forming the receiving body 13. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2 and the like, the resin housing 30 integrally comprises a substantially elongated columnar insertion section 31 extending in the top-bottom direction and a connector section 32 located above the insertion section 31, which has a substantially box-shaped hood extending upwards and a form extending as a whole in the top-bottom direction. The insertion section 31 is a section to be inserted into the concave section 46 of the metal jacket 40 (described later) (see Figure 2). Fig. 2 and Fig. 4 and the like). An upper end of connector section 32 is open.

[0018] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the entire section of the pair of connectors 12 extending upwards from the receiving body 13 (primary mold body), with the exception of the tip end sections 12a and base end sections 12b, is integrated into and held within the resin housing 30 (introduction section 31 + connector section 32). The tip end sections 12a of the pair of connectors 12 project upwards from a rear wall (lower end wall) of the connector section 32 into a hollow section of the connector section 32 and are exposed through an upper end opening of the connector section 32 to an outer surface of the resin housing 30 (see Figure 2). Fig. 2 and the like). The base end sections 12b of the pair of connections 12 project downwards from a lower end of the insertion section 31 and are exposed between the receiving body 13 (primary molded body) and the resin housing 30 (secondary molded body) to the outside of the resin housing 30.

[0019] In this example, the pair of connectors 12 extending upwards from the receiving body 13 each has a simple straight shape. Therefore, by inserting the pair of connectors 12 into a pair of through-holes provided in the resin housing 30 after it has been molded, the entire portion of the pair of connectors 12, except for the tip end sections 12a and the base end sections 12b, can be retained within the resin housing 30. Alternatively, an insert molding (secondary forming) process can be performed, such that the pair of connectors 12 is embedded within the resin housing 30. The first manufacturing process is advantageous in that one step of the insert molding (secondary forming) process can be omitted.If the pair of connectors 12 is bent, it is less likely that the first-mentioned manufacturing process will be used, and thus the latter insert molding will be carried out.

[0020] An outer surface of a boundary section between the inlet section 31 and the connector section 32 is provided with a circular annular projecting section 33, which projects laterally over an entire area in a circumferential direction (see Fig. 2) A circular, annular crimp piece 47 of the metal sheath 40, which will be described later, is to be crimped onto and fixed to the circular, annular, projecting section 33. At a plurality of locations (four locations in this example) in a circumferential direction of an outer circumferential surface of the substantially elongated, column-shaped insertion section 31, groove sections 34 are formed, which extend from a lower end to an upper section of the outer surface in the top-bottom direction (see Figure 1). Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) The functions and effects of forming such groove sections 34 will be described later. As described above, the resin housing 30 holds the pair of terminals 12 (i.e., the thermistor 10) in a state in which the tip end sections 12a and the base end sections 12b of the pair of terminals 12 and the receiving body 13 are exposed to the outside of the resin housing 30.

[0021] Next, the metal casing 40 is described. As in the Fig. 1 and Fig. As shown in Figure 2 and the like, the metal sheath 40, made of metal, has a cylindrical shape extending as a whole in the top-bottom direction and integrally comprises a cylindrical small-diameter section 41, a cylindrical medium-diameter section 42 located above the small-diameter section 41 and having an outer diameter larger than that of the small-diameter section 41, a cylindrical large-diameter section 43 located above the medium-diameter section 42 and having an outer diameter larger than that of the medium-diameter section 42, and a flanged section 44 located above the large-diameter section 43 and having a hexagonal shape whose outer circumferential shape is larger than that of the large-diameter section 43.The outer diameter of the large-diameter section 43 is designed such that it is a value corresponding to an inner diameter of the mounting hole 3 of the mounting object 2 (a value that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter) (see . Fig. 2).

[0022] The metal casing 40 is formed in which the elongated, columnar, concave section 46 extends in the top-bottom direction over an entire area in the top-bottom direction of the metal casing 40. A lower end of the concave section 46 (that is, a lower end of the smaller-diameter section 41) is closed by a bottom wall 45, and an upper end of the concave section 46 (that is, an upper end of the flanged section 44) is open. An inner diameter of the concave section 46 is configured to have a value corresponding to an outer diameter of the insertion section 31 of the resin housing 30 (a value slightly larger than the outer diameter) (see Fig. 2 and the like).

[0023] The circular annular crimp piece 47, which projects upwards over its entire area in a circumferential direction so that it surrounds the upper end opening of the concave section 46, is provided on an upper end face of the flange section 44 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) Of the concave section 46, which extends in the top-bottom direction, a section belonging to the smaller-diameter section 41 (section in the vicinity of the lower end of the concave section 46 including the lower end) defines a storage space 46a (see also Fig. 3) The storage space 46a stores the receiving body 13 of the thermistor 10 and is filled with the filler material 50 (see Fig. 2 and the like). Here, the smaller-diameter section 41 and the bottom wall 45 correspond to a “wall section of which one surface (outer surfaces) is a temperature measuring surface and of which the other surfaces (inner surfaces) are facing the storage space (46a)” of the present invention.

[0024] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the insertion section 31 of the resin housing 30, in a state where the filler 50 has been injected, is inserted into the concave section 46 of the metal jacket 40. More precisely, the liquid filler 50 is first injected into the concave section 46 via the upper end opening of the concave section 46 until at least the entire storage space 46a, located in the area surrounding the lower end of the concave section 46, is filled with the liquid filler 50. The filler 50 is, for example, made of epoxy resin.

[0025] Regarding the heat transfer properties of the above materials, the PPS used in this example (material forming the resin housing 30) has a lower thermal conductivity than the epoxy resin used in this example (material forming the filler 50).

[0026] Next, the insertion section 31 of the resin housing 30 (and the receiving body 13, which is coupled to the insertion section 31 via the base end sections 12b of the pair of connectors 12) is inserted into the concave section 46 via the upper end opening of the concave section 46. During the process of inserting the insertion section 31 into the concave section 46, the filler 50 can be applied to the groove section 34 (see Fig. 4 and Fig. 5) are released, which is formed on the outer surface of the insertion section 31, while the receiving body 13 and the base end sections 12b of the pair of terminals 12 are embedded in the filler 50. As a result, it is possible to prevent air bubbles or the like, which affect the reaction performance of the temperature sensor 1, from remaining in the filler 50.

[0027] Furthermore, in the process of inserting the introductory section 31 into the concave section 46, as indicated by a white arrow in Fig. As indicated in Figure 6, even if a moment in an inclination direction acts on the insertion section 31 and the insertion section 31 is inclined with respect to the concave section 46, the insertion section 31 comes into contact with an inner circumferential surface of the concave section 46 before the receiving body 13 comes into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the concave section 46. This is due to the fact that the insertion section 31 has a long length in the top-bottom direction and the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the insertion section 31 and the inner circumferential surface of the concave section 46 is small. As a consequence, the deformation or similar effect of the receiving body 13 caused by the receiving body 13 coming into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the concave section 46 can be reduced.

[0028] In the state where the insertion of the introductory section 31 into the concave section 46 is completed, as in Fig. 2 and Fig. As shown in Figure 3, the upper end opening of the concave section 46 is closed by the insertion section 31, the receiving body 13 and the base end section 12b of the pair of connections 12 are completely embedded in the filler 50, and a gap between the outer surfaces of the receiving body 13 and the base end sections 12b of the pair of connections 12, and a lower end surface of the insertion section 31 of the plastic housing 30, an inner wall surface of the concave section 46 of the metal jacket 40, and an inner wall surface of the bottom wall 45 is filled with the filler 50. The storage space 46a, which stores the receiving body 13 and is filled with the filler 50, is sealed by the resin housing 30 (insertion section 31), which has a heat transfer property lower than that of the filler 50.Furthermore, after the insertion of the insertion section 31 is completed, the liquid level of the filler 50 is increased by the volume of the receiving body 13 and the base end sections 12b of the pair of ports 12 embedded in the filler 50, compared to the level before the insertion of the insertion section 31. That is, in the insertion completion state of the insertion section 31, not only is an entire space (= the entire storage space 46a) defined by the section of the concave section 46 belonging to the small-diameter section 41 filled with the filler 50, but also part or all of a space defined by a section of the concave section 46 belonging to the medium-diameter section 42 (see ). Fig. 2 and Fig. 3).

[0029] When the insertion of the insertion section 31 into the concave section 46 is complete, the circular annular crimp piece 47 of the metal jacket 40 is crimped onto and fixed to the circular annular projecting section 33 of the resin housing 30, thereby fixing the resin housing 30 to the metal jacket 40, and the filler 50 with which the concave section 46 is filled is solidified by natural cooling. As described above, the housing 20 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2) completed with the resin housing 30, the metal casing 40 and the filler 50, and the in Fig. The temperature sensor shown is complete.

[0030] As in Fig.As shown in Figure 2, the completed temperature sensor 1 is used in a state where a section of the metal sheath 40 below the flange section 44 is inserted from above into the mounting hole 3 of the mounting object 2, and a mating connector (not shown) connected to a temperature sensing device (not shown) is fitted into the connector section 32. In a state where the insertion of the temperature sensor 1 (metal sheath 40) into the mounting hole 3 is complete, the flange section 44 is locked to an edge section of the mounting hole 3, the large-diameter section 43 is fitted into the mounting hole 3, the medium-diameter section 42 is located in the mounting hole 3, and the small-diameter section 41 protrudes from the mounting hole 3 and is located in the flow path described above.At this point, the temperature sensor 1 is preferably arranged such that a liquid level of the cooling water is located in the flow path between the lower end of the insertion section 31 and an upper end of the receiving body 13. That is, the outer surfaces of the small-diameter section 41 and the bottom wall 45 of the metal jacket 40 form the "temperature measuring surface" that comes into contact with the cooling water (object to be measured) flowing through the flow path.

[0031] The heat of the cooling water (object to be measured) flowing through the flow path is transferred to the filler 50 via the small-diameter section 41 and the bottom wall 45, which have the outer surfaces forming the "temperature measuring surface". The heat transferred to the filler 50 increases the temperature of the filler 50 itself (i.e., the receiving body 13 embedded in the filler 50) as it is transferred, so that it is distributed throughout the filler 50. The thermistor element 11 embedded in the receiving body 13 outputs an electrical signal representing a temperature around the thermistor element 11 (temperature of the receiving body 13), and when the electrical signal is input to the temperature sensing device, the temperature around the thermistor element 11 (i.e., the temperature of the object to be measured) is detected.Furthermore, the heat transferred to the filler 50 is not only transferred to the thermistor element 11 via the filler 50, but also transferred from the filler 50 to the thermistor element 11 via the connections 12. Consequently, the temperature around the thermistor element 11 is detected more quickly.

[0032] In temperature sensor 1, the inner surfaces of the small-diameter section 41 and the bottom wall 45, which form the outer surfaces that constitute the "temperature measuring surface," face the storage chamber 46a filled with the filler material 50. Therefore, the heat from the cooling water (the object to be measured) flowing through the flow path is rapidly transferred to the filler material 50, which fills the storage chamber 46a, via the small-diameter section 41 and the bottom wall 45. Furthermore, as described above, the storage chamber 46a, which houses the receiving body 13 and is filled with the filler material 50, is sealed by the inlet section 31 of the resin housing 30, which has a lower heat transfer coefficient than the filler material 50. Therefore, the heat transferred to the filler 50 can quickly increase the temperature of the filler 50 (that is, of the receiving body 13) itself.Furthermore, the outer surfaces of the base end sections 12b of the pair of terminals 12, which are connected to the thermistor element 11, are in direct contact with the filler 50. Therefore, the heat transferred to the filler 50 is readily transferred to the thermistor element 11 via the metal terminals 12 (i.e., with high heat transfer properties). As a result, even if the temperature of the cooling water (object to be measured) flowing through the flow path changes suddenly, the thermistor element 11 in the receiving body 13 can quickly detect the temperature change. In other words, the temperature sensor 1 exhibits excellent response performance. <Funktionsweisen und Effekte>

[0033] As described above, according to the temperature sensor 1 in the present embodiment, the second housing (resin housing 30) closes the opening of the concave section 46 of the first housing (metal jacket 40), which defines the storage space 46a. The storage space 46a houses the receiving body 13, in which the temperature measuring element (thermistor element 11) is received, and the gap within the storage space 46a is filled with the filler material 50. Furthermore, the material forming the second housing 30 has a lower thermal conductivity than the material forming the filler material 50. Consequently, the storage space 46a is sealed by the second housing 30, which has a low thermal conductivity. Thus, the heat transferred from the first housing 40 to the filler material 50 quickly raises the temperature of the filler material 50 itself, and the temperature measuring element 11 in the receiving body 13 can rapidly detect the temperature.Therefore, the temperature sensor 1 according to the present embodiment exhibits excellent response performance.

[0034] Furthermore, the heat transferred from the first housing (the metal sheath 40) to the filler 50 is not only transferred via the filler 50 to the temperature measuring element (thermistor element 11), but also via the terminals 12 from the filler 50 to the temperature measuring element 11. The terminal 12 is made of metal and usually has a higher heat transfer property than the filler 50. Consequently, the response performance of the temperature sensor 1 can be further improved.

[0035] Furthermore, according to the temperature sensor 1 of the present embodiment, the insertion section 31 of the second housing 30 comprises, on its outer surface, the groove section 34, which extends along the insertion direction into the concave section 46. Consequently, when the temperature sensor 1 is manufactured, the filler 50 is pre-injected into the concave section 46 of the first housing 40, and when the receiving body 13 and the insertion section 31 of the second housing 30 are inserted into the concave section 46, the filler 50 can be released into the groove section 34 of the insertion section 31 while the receiving body 13 is embedded in the filler 50. As a result, it is possible to prevent air bubbles or similar particles, which affect the response performance of the temperature sensor 1, from remaining in the filler 50. Therefore, the response performance of the temperature sensor 1 can be improved.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the temperature sensor 1 of the present embodiment, one surface of the wall section (small-diameter section 41 and bottom wall 45) of the first housing 40 is the temperature-measuring surface, and the other surfaces of the wall sections 41 and 45 face the storage space 46a. Consequently, when the temperature sensor 1 is actually used, the heat from the object to be measured can be rapidly transferred via the temperature-measuring surface to the filler in the storage space 46a. Therefore, the response performance of the temperature sensor 1 can be improved.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the temperature sensor 1 of the present embodiment, the receiving body 13 in which the temperature measuring element 11 is embedded is a molded object with a predetermined shape. In other words, the receiving body 13 is not formed using a fluidized bed coating process in the related technology, but is formed using a mold designed to have a predetermined shape. Consequently, the deviation in the shape of the receiving body 13 is reduced compared to the prior art. Therefore, for example, the receiving body 13 can be precisely shaped to have a shape suitable for temperature measurement of a gas, liquid, or the like. Therefore, the response performance of the temperature sensor 1 can be improved.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the temperature sensor 1 of the present embodiment, the receiving body 13 has a shape with an outer surface formed by a plurality of surfaces (six surfaces). In this case, for example, if the working tool or the like comes into contact with the boundary or the like between the adjacent surfaces, stress concentration occurs in the contact area, and thus deformation or the like of the receiving body 13 can occur. However, the receiving body 13 is housed within the casing 20, and thus, even if the receiving body 13 has such a shape, the deformation or the like of the receiving body 13 can be adequately reduced. Therefore, the temperature sensor 1 can have the intended temperature measurement performance. <Andere Ausführungsformen>

[0039] The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications can be assumed within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and modifications, improvements, and the like can be appropriately implemented. Furthermore, materials, shapes, sizes, numbers, arrangement positions, and the like of components are freely chosen and are not limited in the embodiments described above, as long as the present invention can be implemented.

[0040] Features of the embodiment of the temperature sensor 1 according to the present invention, which is described above, are briefly summarized here and listed in the following [1] to [6]. [1]

[0041] A temperature sensor (1), comprising: a temperature measuring element (11); a receiving body (13) in which the temperature measuring element (11) is embedded and received; and a housing (20) with a storage space (46a) in which the receiving body (13) is stored or housed, in which the housing (20) comprises a first housing (40) with a concave section (46) therein, which defines the storage space (46a) and which has an external temperature measuring surface that comes into contact with an object to be measured, a second housing (30) which is mounted on the first housing (40) and closes an opening of the concave section (46), and a filler (50) with which the storage space (46a) is filled and a gap between the receiving body (13) and the first housing (40) is filled, and a material forming the second casing (30) has a heat transfer property that is lower than that of a material forming the filler (50).

[0042] According to the temperature sensor with the configuration of [1], the concave section of the first housing defines the storage space, the receiving body in which the temperature measuring element is received is stored in the storage space, the second housing closes the opening of the storage space, and the gap within the storage space is filled with the filler material. Here, the material forming the second housing has a heat transfer property that is lower than that of the material forming the filler material. Typical properties relating to the heat transfer of the material include thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity, and specific heat capacity. Of these, the degree of the "heat transfer property" in the present invention can also be reformulated as the degree of thermal conductivity.In this configuration of temperature sensor, the second housing has a relatively low heat transfer property. Therefore, heat transfer at the interface between the second housing and the filler is less likely than if there were no difference in heat transfer properties between the second housing and the filler. In other words, heat is less likely to be released from the filler to the second housing. Consequently, the temperature of the filler itself is rapidly increased by the heat transferred from the first housing, and the temperature sensor can quickly detect this temperature change. Therefore, compared to temperature sensors in related technologies, this configuration offers excellent response performance. [2]

[0043] The temperature sensor (1) according to [1], further comprising: a connection (12) which is connected to the temperature measuring element (11) and extends from the receiving body (13), in which the connection (12) is in contact with the filler (50).

[0044] According to the temperature sensor with the configuration of [2], the heat transferred from the first housing to the filler is not only transferred to the temperature sensing element via the filler, but also from the filler to the temperature sensing element via the connection. The connection is made of metal and typically has a higher thermal conductivity than the filler. Consequently, the response performance of the temperature sensor can be further improved. [3]

[0045] The temperature sensor (1) according to [2], in which the second housing (30) has an insertion section (31) which holds the connector (12) and is inserted into the concave section (46) to close the opening, and the introduction section (31) has a groove section (34) on an outer surface of the introduction section (31) which extends along an introduction direction into the concave section (46).

[0046] According to the temperature sensor with the configuration of [3], the insertion section of the second housing includes, on its outer surface, the groove section that extends along the insertion direction into the concave section. Consequently, when the temperature sensor is manufactured, the filler is pre-injected into the concave section of the first housing. When the receiving body and the insertion section of the second housing are inserted into the concave section, the filler can be released into the groove section of the insertion section while the receiving body is embedded in the filler. As a result, it is possible to prevent air bubbles or similar contaminants, which affect the response performance of the temperature sensor, from remaining in the filler. Therefore, the response performance of the temperature sensor can be improved.

[0047] [4] The temperature sensor (1) according to [1], in which the first housing (40) contains a wall section (41, 45) which has one surface which is the temperature measuring surface and another surface which faces the storage space (46a).

[0048] According to the temperature sensor with the configuration of [4], the first housing comprises the wall section, one surface of which is the temperature sensing surface, and the other surface of which faces the storage space. Consequently, when the temperature sensor is actually used, the heat from the object being measured can be rapidly transferred to the filler material in the storage space via the temperature sensing surface. Therefore, the response performance of the temperature sensor can be improved.

[0049] [5] The temperature sensor (1) according to [1], in which the receiving body (13) is an object formed in a mold with a predetermined shape.

[0050] According to the temperature sensor with the configuration of [5], the receiving body in which the temperature measuring element is embedded is the object formed in a mold with a predetermined shape. In other words, the receiving body is not formed using a fluidized bed coating process in the related technology, but is formed using a mold designed to have the predetermined shape. Consequently, the deviation in the shape of the receiving body is reduced compared to the prior art. Therefore, for example, the receiving body can be precisely shaped to have a shape suitable for temperature measurement of a gas, liquid, or the like. Therefore, the response performance of the temperature sensor can be improved.

[0051] [6] The temperature sensor (1) according to [5], in which the shape of the receiving body (13) is a shape with an outer surface formed by a plurality of surfaces.

[0052] According to the temperature sensor with the configuration of [6], the receiving body has a shape with an outer surface formed by a plurality of surfaces. In this case, for example, if the working tool or the like comes into contact with the boundary or the like between the adjacent surfaces, a stress concentration occurs in the contact area, and thus deformation or the like of the receiving body can occur. However, the receiving body is stored within the housing, and thus, even if the receiving body has such a shape, the deformation or the like of the receiving body can be adequately reduced. Therefore, the temperature sensor can exhibit the intended temperature measurement performance. [Explanation of reference symbols] 1 temperature sensor 11 Thermistor element 12 connection 13 recording bodies 20 cases 30 resin housings (second housing) 31 Introductory section 34 Groove section 40 Metal casing (first case) 41 Small-diameter section (wall section) 45 Floor wall (wall section) 46 concave section 46a Storage space 50 Filler QUOTES INCLUDED IN THE DESCRIPTION

[0000] This list of documents cited by the applicant was automatically generated and is included solely for the reader's convenience. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA accepts no liability for any errors or omissions. Cited patent literature

[0000] JP H02- 245 626 A

[0003]

Claims

[1] Temperature sensor (1), comprising: a temperature measuring element (11); a receiving body (13) in which the temperature measuring element (11) is embedded and received; and a housing (20) with a storage space (46a) in which the receiving body (13) is stored, wherein the housing (20) comprises a first housing (40) with a concave section (46) therein defining the storage space (46a) and having an external temperature-measuring surface that comes into contact with an object to be measured, a second housing (30) mounted on the first housing (40) and closing an opening of the concave section (46), and a filler (50) with which the storage space (46a) is filled and a gap between the receiving body (13) and the first housing (40) is filled, and wherein a material forming the second casing (30) has a heat transfer property that is lower than that of a material forming the filler (50). [2] Temperature sensor (1) according to claim 1, further comprising: a connection (12) which is connected to the temperature measuring element (11) and extends from the receiving body (13), wherein the connection (12) is in contact with the filler (50). [3] Temperature sensor (1) according to claim 2, wherein the second housing (30) has an insertion section (31) which holds the connector (12) and is inserted into the concave section (46) to close the opening, and wherein the insertion section (31) has a groove section (34) on an outer surface of the insertion section (31) which extends along an insertion direction into the concave section (46). [4] Temperature sensor (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first housing (40) includes a wall section (41, 45) which has a surface which is the temperature measuring surface and another surface which faces the storage space (46a). [5] Temperature sensor (1) according to claim 1, wherein the receiving body (13) is an object formed in a mold with a predetermined shape. [6] Temperature sensor (1) according to claim 5, wherein the shape of the receiving body (13) is a shape with an outer surface formed by a plurality of surfaces.

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