Modular Industrial Sensor Housing With Wireless Sealed Expansion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Self-contained industrial sensors are difficult to retrofit with additional functionalities due to sealed housings, leading to high development and production costs and limited adaptability.
Innovation Solution
A sensor base unit with a wireless communication and power transmission system, allowing modular expansion through hermetically sealed expansion modules, eliminating the need for physical connections and enabling additional functions like displays, data storage, and enhanced energy capabilities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a self-contained sensor with sealed housing is used, then hermetic sealing and reliability are improved, but adaptability and ease of expansion deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The sensor system is divided into a base unit with sealed housing and separate expansion modules. The base unit maintains hermetic sealing for reliability, while expansion modules can be attached to add functionality without compromising the sealed housing integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
A wireless communication unit acts as an intermediary between the sealed base unit and external expansion modules. This allows data and power transmission through the sealed housing without physical openings, maintaining hermetic sealing while enabling expansion capabilities.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple customer-specific sensor variants are developed, then adaptability to different requirements is improved, but device complexity and development costs worsen
Solution Approach 1:
A universal base unit design with standardized expansion module interfaces allows a single sensor platform to serve multiple customer requirements by combining different module configurations rather than developing separate variants for each application.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor system allows dynamic reconfiguration by enabling or disabling different expansion modules based on specific application requirements, providing adaptability without requiring physical retooling or developing entirely new device variants.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional hardware is installed in sealed sensor housing, then functionality and adaptability are improved, but sealing integrity and reliability worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the sealed base unit containing critical sensing components from expansion modules that provide additional functionalities. This segmentation allows the sealed housing to maintain its integrity while still enabling functional expansion through attached modules.
Solution Approach 2:
Wireless communication and power transmission methods replace traditional mechanical connections that would require openings in the sealed housing. This substitution maintains sealing integrity while enabling the addition of functional modules.
Data Source
AI summary
A base sensor for process variable determination in an industrial environment. The base sensor includes first wireless communication circuitry that transmits signals to a first expansion device and/or receives signals from the first expansion device, and a first housing including a first receiving device that receives the first expansion device or a second housing, the first housing completely enclosing the base sensor.