Pressure Sensor Sealing Element for Tolerance-Robust Crash Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing pressure sensor modules in motor vehicles for impact recognition often suffer from inadequate sealing, leading to incomplete pressure acquisition and impaired measurement due to manufacturing and installation tolerances, which can result in unreliable impact detection.
Innovation Solution
A pressure sensor assembly with a sealing element that encompasses the pressure supply opening, featuring an inner wall with expanding sections to ensure complete sealing, even with large tolerances, and an elastic design to prevent pressure disruption, ensuring reliable pressure forwarding to the sensational element.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional sealing element is used to seal the pressure supply opening, then the sealing function is provided, but the sealing element covers or overlaps relevant areas of the pressure sensor unit, impairing pressure detection
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is segmented into distinct functional zones: a sealing region with radially extending sealing lips for sealing the pressure supply opening, and a reduced region with minimized surface area that does not cover the pressure sensor unit. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be performed independently without interfering with pressure detection areas.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the sealing element have different surface areas and functions. The sealing region has sufficient surface area to ensure reliable sealing, while the reduced region has minimized surface area to avoid covering the pressure sensor unit. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between sealing effectiveness and measurement precision.
2Reliability
If a sealing element with sufficient sealing surface area is used, then adequate sealing is ensured, but the surface covers or overlaps the pressure supply opening or pressure sensor unit
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element is divided into a sealing region with sufficient surface area for reliable sealing and a reduced region with minimized surface area. This segmentation allows the sealing function to be performed effectively while the reduced region accommodates installation tolerances without covering critical areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element provides sufficient sealing surface area to ensure adequate sealing (excessive action for sealing), while the reduced region minimizes coverage to avoid interfering with the pressure sensor unit. This partial application of surface area in different regions resolves the contradiction.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the sealing element is made rigid to maintain sealing under pressure, then sealing stability is improved, but manufacturing and installation tolerances cause incomplete sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing element comprises at least one sealing lip made of elastic material that can deform under compression. This flexibility allows the sealing lip to adapt to manufacturing and installation tolerances, ensuring complete sealing even when tolerances are not perfectly met, while maintaining sealing stability under pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing element utilizes elastic material properties that allow deformation under compression. This parameter change (from rigid to flexible state under load) enables the sealing surface to conform to tolerances while maintaining stable sealing under operating pressure.
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
The solution provides a robust and reliable pressure sensor module for impact recognition by ensuring complete sealing and preventing pressure disruption, enhancing the accuracy of impact detection and triggering of protective mechanisms.
Implementation Method 1
The elastic design to prevent pressure disruption
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a sealing element (1) for a pressure sensor assembly (2) for a motor vehicle for crash detection with a pressure sensor unit (12) inside an assembly housing, wherein the pressure sensor unit (12) comprises a sensing element arranged inside a pressure sensor housing (11) for detecting an air pressure, and wherein the pressure sensor housing (11) has a pressure supply opening (13) for supplying the air pressure from a pressure inlet of the assembly housing to the sensing element. The sealing element can be arranged between the pressure sensor housing (11) and an assembly housing wall, in order to seal the pressure supply opening (13) in relation to the inside of the assembly housing, in such a way that the sealing element (1) surrounds the pressure supply opening (13) and fluidically connects the pressure inlet with the pressure supply opening (13), wherein the sealing element (1) comprises a through-opening (3) running in an axial direction and a main body (4) having an outer wall (5) and an inner wall (6) surrounding the through-opening (3), as well as having a lower axial end (7) and an upper axial end (8), wherein the inner wall (6) of the main body (4) has a first wall section (9) widening towards the lower axial end (7), wherein the lower axial end (7) of the main body (4) is facing the pressure sensor housing (11) in the assembled state, and wherein the first wall section (9) forms a contact surface (10) for contact with the pressure sensor housing (11), on which at least sections of the pressure sensor housing (11) rest in the assembled state. The invention also relates to a pressure sensor assembly (2) comprising a sealing element (1) of this type.