Wireless Temperature Sensor Enclosure for Harsh Vehicle Environments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic devices for monitoring vehicle environments face challenges in maintaining reliability and longevity in harsh conditions, such as high humidity and temperature, while also requiring easy deployment and removal in portable or movable platforms.
Innovation Solution
A compact electronic device with an enclosure that prevents ingress of liquids and particulates, featuring a thermal member for improved thermal responsivity and wireless connectivity, allowing deployment in vehicles with enhanced sampling rates and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the electronic device uses a compact enclosure for easy deployment and removal, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability in harsh environments deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device is divided into a sealed enclosure housing electronics and a separate sensor array that can be independently positioned. This segmentation allows the enclosure to be easily deployed and removed while the sensor array remains protected or can be independently secured, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability in harsh environments.
Solution Approach 2:
A sealed enclosure acts as an intermediary barrier between the harsh external environment and the sensitive electronic components. This mediator protects the electronics from humidity and temperature extremes while allowing the device to maintain its compact, easily deployable form factor.
2Measurement precision
If the device includes a thermal member for improved thermal responsivity, then the measurement precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal member is integrated directly with the sensor assembly, merging the thermal management function with the measurement component. This combination improves thermal responsivity without adding separate complex thermal management systems, thus enhancing measurement precision while minimizing device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
A thin thermal member or thermal interface material is used to conduct heat efficiently from the environment to the sensor. This thin-film approach provides improved thermal responsivity without significantly increasing the device's overall complexity or size.
3Reliability
If the enclosure prevents ingress of liquids and particulates, then the reliability is improved, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The enclosure incorporates gaskets or sealing materials with controlled porosity that allow for tolerance in manufacturing while maintaining effective sealing. These materials compensate for minor variations in enclosure dimensions, achieving reliable protection from liquids and particulates without requiring extremely tight manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The enclosure uses composite construction with integrated sealing layers or coatings that provide liquid and particulate protection. This composite approach allows for more forgiving manufacturing tolerances compared to monolithic sealed structures, as the sealing function is distributed across multiple material layers.
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 device maintains reliability and longevity in harsh environments, supports easy deployment and removal, and provides efficient monitoring of ambient parameters with improved thermal responsivity and wireless communication.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal member that is thermally contacted to the temperature sensor and that improves the thermal responsivity of the electronic device
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic device is described to monitor a temperature of an ambient environment. The electronic device comprises an enclosure that defines an internal volume and a plurality of external surfaces. The enclosure comprises a thermal member exposed to the ambient environment at an opening defined through a first external surface. The thermal member has a greater thermal conductivity than other portions of the enclosure, which have a greater transmissibility of wireless signals than the thermal member. The plurality of external surfaces and the thermal member are disposed to prevent liquids from entering the internal volume. The electronic device further comprises a temperature sensor disposed in the internal volume, thermally contacted with the thermal member, and connected with wireless transmitter circuitry to wirelessly transmit measurements of the temperature of the ambient environment.