Motor Vehicle Sensor Element Housing Fixation via Thermoplastic Encapsulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor elements for motor vehicles face challenges in positioning accuracy and require carrier components for assembly and disassembly, leading to increased tolerance chains and unnecessary investment.
Innovation Solution
A sensor element design that uses a thermoplastic to enclose and fix a first housing within a second housing, with positioning pins and recesses for precise alignment, eliminating the need for carrier components and allowing thermoplastic to provide interlocking and frictional fixation, while incorporating a state sensor for precise control of the encapsulation process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If carrier components are used for assembly and disassembly, then ease of manufacture is improved, but positioning accuracy deteriorates due to increased tolerance chains
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the carrier component from the sensor element structure. By directly integrating the sensor circuit into the housing without an intermediate carrier, the tolerance chain is shortened, thereby improving positioning accuracy while maintaining ease of manufacture through simplified assembly processes
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the sensor circuit mounting function directly into the housing structure. The housing simultaneously serves as both the structural enclosure and the mounting substrate for the sensor circuit, eliminating the need for separate carrier components and improving positioning accuracy
2Ease of manufacture
If carrier components are used for assembly and disassembly, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional assembly and disassembly processes
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the carrier component and its associated assembly/disassembly processes from the manufacturing workflow. By integrating the sensor circuit directly into the housing, the number of manufacturing steps is reduced, thereby lowering device complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture
Solution Approach 2:
The invention combines the sensor circuit mounting operation with the housing assembly operation into a single integrated process. This merging eliminates the need for separate carrier component assembly and disassembly steps, reducing device complexity while preserving manufacturing ease
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 design significantly improves positioning accuracy, reduces assembly complexity, and lowers investment costs by eliminating the need for carrier components and simplifying the assembly process, while enabling precise control of thermoplastic introduction.
Implementation Method 1
there is an interlocking and frictionally engaging fixing of the sensor element by means of the hardened thermoplastic
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor element for a motor vehicle, includes a sensor circuit for detecting a physical variable, a first housing, in which the sensor circuit is arranged, a second housing, in which the first housing is arranged, a thermoplastic, which at least partially encloses the first housing and fixes the first housing in the second housing in a positioning position, at least two positioning recesses for receiving positioning pins being formed in the first housing in order to fix the first housing in the positioning position while the first housing is being enveloped by the thermoplastic.