Sensor with Symmetrically Embedded Elements for Stress Compensation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle sensors face mechanical stress issues due to temperature changes and other influences, which can damage the system and reduce service life, especially in large circuit assemblies that are not compatible with the automotive industry's miniaturization requirements.
Innovation Solution
The sensor design incorporates a compensation element within an embedding compound to counteract mechanical stress, with elements arranged symmetrically to cancel out stress, and may include redundant or non-redundant components, such as filter elements for electromagnetic compatibility, and varying electrical contacts to minimize mechanical tension.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the sensor element is embedded in a protective material to ensure long service life, then reliability is improved, but mechanical stress is introduced that can damage the system and reduce service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by introducing a compensation element with different properties than the sensor element. The compensation element is specifically designed to generate mechanical stress that counteracts the stress from the sensor element, creating an asymmetric solution to balance the overall stress in the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The compensation element acts as a counterweight to the mechanical stress generated by the sensor element. By positioning and designing the compensation element to generate opposing stress, the patent neutralizes the harmful mechanical stress while maintaining the protective embedding structure.
2Reliability
If the circuit assembly is made large to accommodate all components, then reliability is improved, but the device size increases which is incompatible with miniaturization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensor element and compensation element into a single integrated sensor unit with a common embedding compound. This consolidation allows the entire assembly to be miniaturized while maintaining the stress compensation mechanism, resolving the conflict between reliability and size.
Solution Approach 2:
The sensor element and compensation element are nested within a common embedding compound, creating a compact integrated structure. This nesting approach enables miniaturization by consolidating multiple functional elements into a single small-volume package.
3Stress or pressure
If symmetric arrangement of elements is used to cancel mechanical stress, then stress compensation is optimized, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by allowing the compensation element to have different properties and dimensions than the sensor element. Rather than requiring perfect symmetry, the compensation element is specifically designed with local variations in size, shape, or material properties to generate the appropriate counteracting stress.
Data Source
AI summary
A sensor for detecting a physical variable, including: —a sensor element for outputting an electrical signal dependent on the physical variable, —a substrate carrying the sensor element, —a printed circuit board, conducting the electrical signal, on the substrate, and —an embedding compound, in which the sensor element is completely embedded and the printed circuit board is at least partly embedded, —wherein at least one compensation element is embodied in the embedding compound, by which compensation element a mechanical stress caused by an element of the sensor at least partly embedded in the embedding compound is counteracted.