SNAP-FIT HEIGHT SENSOR AND HEIGHT SENSOR ASSEMBLY

A snap-fit height sensor and a height sensor assembly. The snap-fit height sensor is fixed to a base by means of a mounting support. The height sensor comprises a sensor body and a swing arm capable of swinging relative to the sensor body. An engagement seat is provided on the sensor body, the engagement seat being capable of receiving the mounting support and being fitted and fixed to the mounting support. The snap-fit height sensor and height sensor assembly provided in the present utility model overcome the shortcomings in the prior art, such that the mounting support and sensor have a small mounting volume, a light weight and a low cost, with simple mounting steps, few components and high efficiency.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) from Chinese Patent Application No. 202123023140.5 filed on Mar. 12, 2021, in the Chinese Patent Office, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of sensors, in particular to a snap-fit height sensor and a height sensor assembly.

2. Description of Related Art

A height sensor is a component that is commonly used on vehicles to measure chassis height. An existing chassis height sensor needs to be fitted to a mounting support with two bolts. To enable such fixing with bolts, bolt installation holes need to be reserved in both the mounting support and a sensor housing. This will inevitably increase the size, weight and cost of both the mounting support and the sensor housing. Moreover, the need to install two bolts increases the number of components and bolt assembly steps, thus further increasing costs.

SUMMARY

To overcome the shortcomings in the prior art, embodiments of the present application provide a snap-fit height sensor and a height sensor assembly, such that the mounting support and sensor have a small mounting volume, a light weight and a low cost, with simple mounting steps and few components.

To achieve the abovementioned objective, embodiments of the present application propose a snap-fit height sensor, fixed to a base by means of a mounting support, the height sensor comprising a sensor body and a swing arm capable of swinging relative to the sensor body. An engagement seat is provided on the sensor body, the engagement seat being capable of receiving the mounting support and being fitted and fixed to the mounting support.

Furthermore, the engagement seat is disposed on a side of the sensor body that is remote from the swing arm.

Furthermore, the engagement seat has two sidewalls spaced apart opposite each other and a top wall, lower ends of the two sidewalls being fixed to a surface of the sensor body, and the top wall being provided between upper ends of the two sidewalls; among themselves, the two sidewalls, the top wall and the sensor body together define an accommodating cavity for insertion of the mounting support.

Furthermore, a snap-fit part is further formed on the top wall, an opening is formed on the mounting support, and the snap-fit part is engageable with the opening on the mounting support, to limit movement of the mounting support.

Furthermore, the two sidewalls and top wall of the engagement seat extend in the direction of extension of the sensor body, such that the mounting support is insertable into the accommodating cavity of the engagement seat in the direction of extension of the sensor body.

Furthermore, the engagement seat further has a stop wall located between the top wall and the two sidewalls, the stop wall being capable of abutting an insertion end of the mounting support to limit the depth of insertion of the mounting support in the accommodating cavity.

Furthermore, the engagement seat and the sensor body are integrally formed by injection molding.

To achieve the abovementioned objective, embodiments of the present application further provide a height sensor assembly, comprising a mounting support and the abovementioned snap-fit height sensor.

Furthermore, an end of the mounting support that is inserted into the engagement seat has a shoulder, the shoulder being capable of abutting a sidewall of the engagement seat after the mounting support is inserted into the engagement seat, to limit the depth of insertion of the mounting support.

Furthermore, the base is connected to a vehicle body or the base is a vehicle body, and an end of the mounting support is inserted into the engagement seat on the snap-fit height sensor.

Compared with the prior art, the snap-fit height sensor and height sensor assembly provided in the present utility model enable the snap-fit height sensor to be fixed to the mounting support directly using a snap-fit insertion connection, with no need to use bolts to fixing. This obviously solves the problem of excessively large volume caused by reserving bolt installation holes and other structures, while also reducing the number of installed components and steps, such that the mounting support and sensor have a small mounting volume, a light weight and a low cost, with simple mounting steps, few components and high efficiency.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present application are explained further below with reference to the drawings.

Many specific details are expounded in the following description so that those skilled in the art can understand the present utility model more comprehensively. However, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present application can be realized without some of these specific details. In addition, it should be understood that the application is not limited to the specific embodiments described. On the contrary, consideration may be given to the use of any combination of the following features and key elements to implement the present application, regardless of whether they relate to different embodiments. Therefore, the following aspects, characteristics, embodiments and advantages only serve an illustrative purpose, and should not be regarded as key elements or limitations of the claims, unless expressly specified in the claims. Furthermore, if words indicating direction such as up/down/left/right, upper side, lower side, etc. appear herein, this is purely for convenience of expression in accordance with the relative positions of components in the current drawings, and should not be interpreted as limiting the scope of protection.

FIG.1is a schematic drawing of the height sensor assembly in a mounted state in an embodiment of the present application.

Referring toFIG.1, in an embodiment of the present utility model, a height sensor assembly is proposed, comprising a snap-fit height sensor1and a mounting support2. One end of the mounting support2is fixed to a base3, and another end of the mounting support2is fixed to the snap-fit height sensor1. The base3may be a vehicle body chassis structure or another structure capable of fixing the mounting support2. The snap-fit height sensor1is used to measure variation in the chassis height of a vehicle, or in other scenarios requiring height measurement.

FIG.2is a three-dimensional schematic drawing of the height sensor assembly in an embodiment of the present application; andFIG.3is a sectional drawing of an engagement region between the snap-fit height sensor and the mounting support inFIG.2.

Referring toFIGS.2and3, the snap-fit height sensor1in this embodiment comprises a sensor body11, and a swing arm12capable of swinging relative to the sensor body11. An engagement seat13is further provided on the sensor body11, for example on an outer surface at a side of the sensor body11that is remote from the swing arm12. The engagement seat13can receive an insertion end20of the mounting support2and be fixed to the mounting support2in a tight fit.

The engagement seat13comprises two sidewalls131which are spaced apart opposite each other, and a top wall132. Lower ends of the two sidewalls131are fixed to the outer surface of the sensor body11, and the top wall132is provided between upper ends of the two sidewalls131. Among themselves, the two sidewalls131, the top wall132and the outer surface of the sensor body11together define an accommodating cavity (not marked in the figures) for insertion of the mounting support2. Furthermore, the two sidewalls131and top wall132of the engagement seat13extend in the direction of extension of the sensor body11, such that the mounting support2can be inserted into the accommodating cavity of the engagement seat13in the direction of extension of the sensor body11. This arrangement can further reduce the space taken up when the height sensor assembly is mounted on the vehicle body.

Referring toFIG.3, furthermore, the engagement seat13also has a stop wall133located between the top wall132and the two sidewalls131.

The stop wall133can abut the insertion end20of the mounting support2to limit the depth of insertion of the mounting support2in the accommodating cavity. Furthermore, a snap-fit part134is also formed on the top wall132, and an opening21is formed on the mounting support2; the snap-fit part134can engage with the opening21on the mounting support2, to limit movement of the mounting support2and thereby prevent detachment of the mounting support2from the engagement seat13.

FIG.4is a schematic drawing of the mounting support in a preferred embodiment of the present utility model.

Referring toFIGS.3and4, in this embodiment, a head of the insertion end20of the mounting support2is provided with a tongue23, the opening21is provided on the tongue23, and the tongue23is inserted into the engagement seat13to fix the sensor body11. The width of the tongue23is less than the width of a body of the insertion end20, such that a shoulder22is formed at each of two sides of the junction of the tongue23with the body of the insertion end20. The shoulders22can abut the sidewalls131of the engagement seat13after the insertion end20of the mounting support2is inserted into the engagement seat13, to limit the insertion depth of the mounting support2.

The snap-fit part134, stop wall133and shoulder22of the present utility model can limit displacement of the mounting support2relative to the sensor body11more effectively, such that the connection and fit between the mounting support and the sensor body is more stable, and wobbling or detachment is avoided.

Furthermore, the body11and engagement seat13in this embodiment are both made by injection molding of resin material, and are integrally formed by injection molding. Of course, there is no limitation to this; in other embodiments, the sensor body11and the engagement seat13may also be separately made from other materials and fixedly connected in another way.

Although the present application has been disclosed above through preferred embodiments, it is by no means limited to these. Various changes and modifications made by any person skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application, and therefore the scope of protection of the present application shall be the scope defined by the claims.