Pressure Sensor Filling Opening Sealed by Soldering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pressure sensors filled with transmission media face challenges in achieving long-term stable hermetic sealing, particularly with materials like plastic, ceramic, or glass, where press fits are not applicable, leading to complex and costly production processes.
Innovation Solution
A pressure sensor design featuring a housing filled with a fluid medium, where the filling opening is sealed using a soldering or welding closure, eliminating the need for press fits and allowing hermetic sealing without volume changes, using a metal layer and surface tension differences between solder and fluid medium for effective sealing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If press fits are used to close the filling opening, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but the sealing stability deteriorates over time and additional volume changes occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical press fit system with a thermal joining system (soldering or welding). Instead of using friction and mechanical interference to achieve sealing, the invention uses melting and solidification of solder or direct welding to create a hermetic seal. This substitution eliminates the volume change problem associated with press fits and provides long-term sealing stability without degradation over time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the sealing material from solid (press fit) to liquid during the sealing process (molten solder or weld material), then allows it to solidify. This phase change enables the sealing material to flow into the filling opening and create a complete hermetic seal, then locks in place upon solidification, preventing both leakage and volume changes over time.
2Reliability
If press fits with metal balls or pins are used, then hermetic sealing is achieved, but manufacturing complexity and cost increase due to narrow tolerance requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex mechanical press fit system requiring precise metal balls or pins with a simpler thermal joining process. The soldering or welding closure eliminates the need for precisely fitted mechanical components, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining hermetic sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing approach from mechanical interference (requiring narrow tolerances) to thermal processing. By using molten solder or weld material that flows to fill the opening and then solidifies, the invention eliminates the need for tight tolerance fits, significantly simplifying the manufacturing process.
3Reliability
If press fits are used to close the filling opening, then sealing is achieved, but the fluid medium volume changes due to compression
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical press fit system with a thermal joining system (soldering or welding). This substitution eliminates the compression force applied to the fluid medium during sealing, thereby preventing volume changes in the fluid medium while still achieving hermetic sealing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the sealing mechanism from mechanical compression to thermal processing. By using molten solder or weld material that flows into the filling opening and solidifies, the invention seals the opening without applying compressive force to the fluid medium, thus maintaining constant fluid volume.
4Reliability
If conventional closure technology is used, then sealing is achieved for metal housings, but adaptability to other materials like plastic, ceramic, or glass is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal closure method that can be applied to various housing materials including metal, plastic, ceramic, and glass. The soldering or welding closure technique serves multiple material types, eliminating the limitation of press fits which only work with specific materials. This multi-functionality significantly enhances adaptability across different housing materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the material-specific mechanical press fit system with a universal thermal joining system. Soldering and welding can be adapted to work with metal, plastic, ceramic, and glass housings, providing a universal solution that maintains sealing effectiveness across diverse materials while eliminating the need for material-specific closure mechanisms.
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 method provides a cost-effective, long-term stable hermetic seal for pressure sensors with various housing materials, including those unsuitable for press fits, minimizing volume changes and simplifying the filling process.
Implementation Method 1
the surface tension of the solder being greater than the surface tension of the fluid medium
Implementation Method 2
The welded closure can be produced, for example, by means of resistance welding, for example resistance projection welding or annular projection welding
Implementation Method 3
The filling opening is closed directly by a solder. The solder closes the filling opening of the housing without using an additional sealing part
Data Source
AI summary
The invention specifies a pressure sensor (1) having a housing (2), a diaphragm (3) which forms, with the housing (2), a chamber (4) that is closed to the outside, and a filling opening (6) for filling the chamber (4) with a fluid medium (5). The filling opening (6) is closed by means of a soldered or welded closure (7, 8). A method for producing a pressure sensor (1) is also specified, in which a housing (2) which forms, with a diaphragm (3), a chamber (4) is provided, the chamber (4) is filled with a fluid medium (5) through a filling opening (6), and the filling opening (6) is then closed by means of soldering or welding.