Ultrasonic Sensor Holder Integrates Stiffening and Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
In covered ultrasonic sensor arrangements for motor vehicles, a significant challenge is preventing ultrasonic waves from spreading backwards, which leads to pseudo echoes and fake targets due to energy reflection from the vehicle body, reducing echo energy and improving sensor accuracy.
Innovation Solution
An ultrasonic sensor device with a pot-shaped membrane and a sensor housing, featuring a stiffening element and holder integrally formed from ceramic, which serves both to delimit vibrations and securely fasten the sensor on the vehicle's trim element, reducing backward ultrasonic signal emission and enhancing vibration attenuation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a holder is used to fasten the ultrasonic sensor on the back side of the bumper, then the sensor can be reversibly mounted, but ultrasonic waves spread backwards causing pseudo echoes
Solution Approach 1:
The holder and stiffening element are merged into a single integrated component. The holder serves dual functions: mechanically fastening the sensor to the bumper and acting as an acoustic barrier to prevent backward ultrasonic wave emission. This integration eliminates the need for separate components while simultaneously achieving both mounting and acoustic isolation functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The holder is designed with multi-functionality, serving both as a mechanical fastening element and an acoustic barrier. By incorporating acoustic isolation properties into the holder structure, it prevents backward ultrasonic wave emission while maintaining its primary function of reversibly mounting the sensor to the bumper.
2Reliability
If a stiffening element is added to delimit vibrations, then vibration attenuation improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder and stiffening element are combined into one integrated component. The holder structure incorporates stiffening features directly into its design, eliminating the need for a separate stiffening element. This merger maintains effective vibration attenuation while reducing the total number of components and simplifying the overall device structure.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If the holder and stiffening element are integrally formed, then backward echo is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The holder and stiffening element are integrally formed as a single component, creating an effective acoustic barrier against backward echo. While integral formation may increase manufacturing complexity compared to assembling separate parts, it eliminates the need for additional fastening elements and assembly steps, potentially simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The integrated holder-stiffening element can be manufactured using composite materials or specialized molding techniques that allow for complex geometries to be formed in a single manufacturing step. This approach manages the manufacturing complexity by leveraging advanced materials and processes rather than traditional multi-step assembly methods.
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 integrated stiffening and holding function significantly reduces backward ultrasonic echo and pseudo targets, ensuring accurate sensor operation by minimizing energy reflection and maintaining reliable sensor contact with the vehicle body.
Implementation Method 1
a stiffening element arranged around the membrane, which serves in particular for delimiting the vibration
Implementation Method 2
The holder is connected with the back side of the bumper via a adhesive connection or by using a glue
Implementation Method 3
the front side of the membrane is brought into contact with the back side of the bumper—possibly via a mounting lid—so that the ultrasonic signals are emitted and received through the material of the bumper
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to an ultrasonic sensor device (1) for a motor vehicle, comprising ultrasonic sensor (7) which comprises a pot-shaped membrane (6) for emitting and/or receiving ultrasonic signals as well as a sensor housing (10), comprising a stiffening element (3) arranged around the membrane (6) and comprising a holder (4), which is designed for holding the sensor housing (10) on a back side of a trim element of the motor vehicle, wherein the stiffening element (3) and the holder (4) are designed to be integrally formed from a uniform material.