Angular Circuit Board Assembly for Flowmeter Sensor Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
The design of flowmeters faces challenges in reducing costs and saving component space while effectively detecting rotary motion pulses, as existing solutions require expensive and larger components to facilitate signal detection.
Innovation Solution
An angular circuit board assembly is used to maintain a printed circuit board in an angular position relative to a rotatable component, allowing it to 'dive' through the board and enable the use of low-cost sensors like optical or magnetic sensors for detecting mechanically induced signals, such as those from a pulse disk, thereby reducing component costs and space requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional components are used for detecting rotary motion pulses, then detection reliability is maintained, but component cost and space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit board is positioned at an angular orientation (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the rotatable component, allowing the rotation axis to extend through the board. This angular arrangement enables the use of inexpensive surface-mount sensors on a compact board layout while maintaining effective detection of rotary motion pulses through the board thickness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces expensive mechanical sensors with inexpensive optical or magnetic surface-mount sensors. These electronic sensors detect changes in optical or magnetic fields as the rotatable component moves, substituting mechanical detection mechanisms with field-based detection that is both cheaper and more compact.
2Device complexity
If conventional circuit board arrangement is used, then structural simplicity is maintained, but component space and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
By orienting the circuit board angularly rather than parallel to the rotation plane, the design utilizes the third dimension (board thickness) for sensor placement. This allows compact SMD components to be mounted on the board surface while the rotatable component passes through, achieving space efficiency without complicating the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The circuit board serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides structural support, mounts the sensors, and allows the rotation axis to pass through it. This merging of functions into a single angularly-oriented component reduces the total number of parts and simplifies the overall assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration allows for the use of inexpensive sensor components, resulting in cost savings of approximately $0.53 per unit, translating to $265,000 annually with 500,000 units produced, while maintaining measurement accuracy by utilizing low-cost SMD optical sensors and light barriers.
Implementation Method 1
the at least one sensor can comprise an optical sensor that detects mechanically inducted signals
Implementation Method 2
the at least one sensor can comprise a magnetic sensor that detects mechanically inducted signals
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor apparatus and a method of operating the sensor apparatus can include one or more sensors and a circuit board, wherein the one or more sensors can include a rotatable component (e.g., pulse disk, crank, pin, shaft, etc), and an angular circuit board assembly that maintains the circuit board in an angular position with respect to the rotatable component in an arrangement that allows the rotatable component to dive through the circuit board. The sensor can be, for example, a magnetic sensor, a light emitting diode or a photo diode. The sensor apparatus can include a flow channel and the rotatable component can oscillate to provide a measurement of a flow of fluid through the flow channel. The sensor apparatus can be used for the mechanical/electrical detection of pulses of a rotary motion.