Resin Flow Rate Sensor Ultrasonic Welding Height Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing flow rate sensors for gas measurement, particularly in internal combustion engines, face challenges with adhesive-based casing construction, which leads to reduced productivity, higher costs, and design restrictions due to the need for thermosetting adhesives and precise adhesive control.
Innovation Solution
A flow rate sensor with a casing constructed by welding a housing and a cover made from resin materials, featuring a protruding portion for height control to prevent sinking during welding, allowing for efficient and cost-effective assembly while maintaining accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermosetting adhesives are used for sealing the housing and cover, then sealing reliability is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to required hardening time
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the bonding method from adhesive bonding to ultrasonic welding, transforming the physical state and bonding mechanism. Ultrasonic welding uses vibration energy to melt and fuse resin materials directly, eliminating the need for adhesive hardening time while maintaining strong sealing reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical bonding system (adhesive hardening) with a mechanical-vibrational system (ultrasonic welding). The ultrasonic vibration energy directly melts and fuses the resin housing and cover, substituting the chemical process with a physical-mechanical process that is much faster and more efficient.
2Reliability
If thermosetting adhesives are used for sealing, then sealing reliability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases due to large amount of adhesive required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the adhesive from the sealing system entirely. By using ultrasonic welding, the bonding function is achieved through direct fusion of the resin materials themselves, removing the need for separate adhesive materials and reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the housing and cover into a single integrated structure through ultrasonic welding. The bonding interface becomes a fused joint between the two resin parts themselves, eliminating the need for separate adhesive layers and reducing overall material requirements and costs.
3Reliability
If adhesive sealing is used, then sealing reliability is improved, but design freedom deteriorates due to restricted area for adhesive control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the adhesive application system with ultrasonic welding, which uses vibration energy to create bonds directly at the contact interface. This eliminates the need for adhesive control areas and protrusion management, freeing up design space and simplifying the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the bonding mechanism from chemical adhesive bonding to physical ultrasonic fusion. This parameter change eliminates the need for adhesive layers and control zones, allowing for more compact and flexible design configurations without compromising sealing reliability.
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 solution eliminates the need for adhesive hardening time, reduces costs, and minimizes irregular variations in flow rate detection, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the sensor.
Implementation Method 1
a cover (304) made from a resin material, covering one surface side of the housing, and welded to an upper surface of the side wall of the housing
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(A)~2(B)
Figure 3(A)~3(B)
AI summary
A flow rate sensor includes: a housing made from a resin material and having a bottom base portion and a side wall, at least one surface side of the housing being open; a cover made from a resin material, covering the one surface side of the housing, welded to an upper surface of the side wall of the housing, and defining, with the bottom base portion and the side wall of the housing, an auxiliary passage within which a gas to be measured flows that is taken in from a main passage; and a flow rate detection unit disposed within the auxiliary passage. A protruding portion for height control is provided to one of the housing and the cover at least in a vicinity of the side wall around the flow rate detection unit so as to suppress sinking in of the cover during welding.