Urea Sensor Protection Assembly Bubble Venting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing fluid sensor protection assemblies for urea sensors in tanks are inefficient and costly to produce, as they often require complex filter systems that are prone to bubble interference during fluid movement and particle contamination.
Innovation Solution
A urea sensor protection assembly with a housing featuring vertically spaced flow-through openings covered by outer members, a continuous flow-through passage, and a bubble outlet opening to prevent bubble entry and facilitate fluid analysis while allowing bubble removal, eliminating the need for complex filters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If filter members such as mesh material or semi permeable membranes are used to protect the sensor, then protection against bubbles and particles is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful elements (bubbles and particles) from the fluid stream by providing dedicated removal pathways. The housing includes a bubble outlet opening that allows bubbles to escape, and the flow-through openings are positioned and sized to allow particles to be carried away by the fluid flow, eliminating the need for complex filter members.
Solution Approach 2:
The housing is segmented into functional zones with multiple flow-through openings at different positions. The bottom wall has first flow-through openings and the top wall has second flow-through openings, creating a segmented flow path that separates fluid intake, sensor measurement zone, and bubble/particle removal zones, achieving protection without complex filters.
2Reliability
If filter members are used to protect the sensor, then protection against particles is improved, but manufacturing time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into the housing structure itself. The housing provides both fluid flow pathways and bubble/particle removal functions through integrated flow-through openings and a bubble outlet opening, eliminating the need for separate filter components and simplifying manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the fluid flow itself to carry particles away from the sensor through the flow-through openings, and uses pressure differential to drive bubbles out through the bubble outlet opening. The structure serves its own protection function without requiring additional active components or complex filtering mechanisms.
3Measurement precision
If the housing has flow-through openings for fluid access, then sensor measurement capability is improved, but bubble entry into the housing increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of bubbles entering through flow-through openings into a benefit by providing a dedicated bubble outlet opening. The same pressure differential that drives fluid through the sensor also drives bubbles out through the outlet, transforming a harmful effect into a self-cleaning mechanism that actually improves measurement 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
The solution effectively protects urea sensors from bubbles and particles, ensuring accurate measurements while simplifying production and reducing costs by using a compact, efficient design that allows unobstructed fluid flow and bubble venting.
Implementation Method 1
at least one continuous flow-through passage extends between the at least one lower outer flow-through opening and the at least one upper outer flow-through opening
Implementation Method 2
the housing is further provided with at least one bubble outlet opening that opens the housing to an outside of the assembly
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a fluid sensor protection assembly (1) for protecting at least one fluid sensor (5) of a fluid sensor system (7) against bubbles and/or particles, in particular for protecting at least one urea sensor of a urea sensor system. In order to provide an assembly (1) which allows to effectively protect a fluid sensor of a sensor system, and, at the same time, is easily and cost-efficiently to produce, the invention provides an assembly (1) which comprises a housing (9) for receiving the at least one fluid sensor (5), wherein the housing (9) comprises a bottom wall (11) and a top wall (13) which are spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction (V), wherein the bottom wall (11) is provided with at least one lower flow-through opening (17) and the top wall (13) is provided with at least one upper flow-through opening (19), wherein the lower and the upper flow-through openings (17, 19) are covered on an outside (21) of the housing (9) by a lower and an upper cover member (23, 25), respectively, wherein each cover member (23, 25) is spaced apart from the corresponding flow-through opening (17, 19) in the vertical direction (V) and provides at least one outer flow-through opening (27, 29), and wherein at least one continuous flow-through passage (31) extends between the at least one lower outer flow-through opening (27) and the at least one upper outer flow-through opening (29).