Curved Through-Hole Sensor Terminal for Laser Welding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional physical quantity sensor manufacturing techniques face issues with lead pin insertion and welding due to diameter mismatches and heat distribution problems, leading to defects such as shaving of lead pin tips and suboptimal welding quality.
Innovation Solution
The use of an inner housing portion with R-surfaced through-holes and a pipe-shaped portion for lead pin insertion, combined with laser welding at a predetermined angle, to prevent lead pin shaving and improve heat concentration for efficient welding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a conventional through-hole is used in the inner housing portion, then the lead pin can be inserted, but the lead pin tip may be shaved off due to diameter mismatch and interference with the hole edge
Solution Approach 1:
The through-hole is designed with a curved R-surface instead of a flat or sharp-edged opening. This curvature eliminates the sharp edge that causes interference with the lead pin tip, allowing smooth insertion without shaving or damage to the lead pin while maintaining proper fit and electrical connection
2Ease of manufacture
If laser welding is performed with conventional heat distribution, then welding can be achieved, but excessive laser energy is required leading to high-cost welding devices
Solution Approach 1:
The R-surfaced through-hole concentrates laser energy locally at the welding interface between the lead pin and the inner housing portion. The curved surface geometry focuses the laser beam, improving heat distribution efficiency at the specific welding location, which reduces the overall laser energy required and enables the use of lower-cost welding devices
Solution Approach 2:
The curved R-surface of the through-hole acts as a focal element for the laser beam, concentrating thermal energy at the welding interface. This geometric focusing effect improves welding efficiency by reducing the total laser energy required, making the welding process more energy-efficient and accessible to lower-cost equipment
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 approach enhances the reliability of physical quantity sensor assembly by preventing lead pin defects and reducing the required laser energy for welding, allowing for high-quality connections with a low-cost welding device.
Implementation Method 1
irradiating laser light in a through-hole of the inner housing portion, from above at a predetermined angle of incidence to thereby weld an upper end of a first lead pin
Implementation Method 2
weld an upper end of a first lead pin and one end of a connector pin
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor device for measuring a physical quantity. The sensor device includes a sensor element having a semiconductor chip, a first terminal electrically connected to the sensor element, and a housing portion having a terminal, which is a second terminal and is electrically connected to the first terminal. The second terminal has a through-hole formed therein, the through-hole having a first end and a second end opposite to each other, an inner surface of the through hole at the first end being an R-surface that is a curved surface with a radius R. The first terminal is housed in the housing portion, and has one end thereof inserted in the through-hole from the first end of the through-hole.