Patent Publication Number: US-2016223368-A1

Title: Sensor Carrier and Sensor

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of the filing date under 35 U.S.C. §119(a)-(d) of Chinese Patent Application No. 201520065377.5, filed Jan. 29, 2015. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates to a sensor, and more particularly, to a sensor having a sensor carrier. 
     BACKGROUND 
     With regard to various existing sensors (such as a speed or displacement sensor), based on the Hall principle, a chip senses the magnetic field change resulting from the speed change and the displacement change of an object, and the magnetic field change is converted into an electric signal to output the speed and the displacement. The sensor generally includes a carrier, on which a magnet, a chip, and a conductive pin set are mounted. On a known carrier, the chip may only be mounted in one direction. 
     In practical sensor applications, different customers have different requirements; some customers request a sensor to sense from the end face thereof, while some customers request a sensor to sense from the side face thereof. Two carriers need to be prepared when the chips are mounted for detection in two different directions to meet the different requirements. The necessary production of two different carriers decreases versatility and increases cost. 
     SUMMARY 
     An object of the invention, among others, is to provide a sensor carrier and a sensor that permit a chip to be mounted in different directions. The disclosed sensor carrier includes a carrier housing and a connecting circuit. The carrier housing has a signal detection end and an opposite signal transmission end. The connecting circuit has a main  circuit conductive pin, a first branch circuit conductive pin and a second branch circuit conductive pin. A first end of the main circuit conductive pin is connected with a first end of the first branch circuit conductive pin and a first end of the second branch circuit conductive pin. An opposite second end of the main circuit conductive pin extends out of the signal transmission end of the carrier housing. An opposite second end of each of the first and second branch circuit conductive pins is oriented toward the signal detection end, and each is exposed at a different side face of the carrier housing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures, of which: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a sensor carrier according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a sensor carrier according to another embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a connecting circuit of the sensor carrier shown in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a sensor according to the invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of a sensor according to the invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an exploded perspective view of a sensor according to another embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a sensor according to another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S) 
     The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to embodiments of a sensor and sensor carrier. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and still fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.  
     Referring to  FIG. 4 , the sensor according to the invention comprises a carrier housing  10 , a connecting circuit  20 , a magnet  30 , and a detection chip  40 . The major components of the invention will now be described in greater detail. 
     A sensor carrier is formed of housing  10  and connecting circuit  20 . The carrier housing  10  is generally made of an insulating material and integrally formed with the connecting circuit  20  through an injection molding process. One end of the carrier housing  10  serves as a signal detection end  11 , shown in  FIG. 1 , while the opposite end of the carrier housing  10  serves as a signal transmission end  12 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the connecting circuit  20  comprises an input end  21  and an output end  22 ; the input end  21  is arranged at the signal detection end  11  of the carrier housing  10  for connecting with a detection chip, and the output end  22  is arranged at the signal transmission end  12  of the carrier housing  10 . The carrier housing  10  is provided with a plurality of chip mounting surfaces  13  and  14 . A first chip mounting surface  13  is provided at a side face of the signal detection end  11  and a second chip mounting surface  14  is provided at an end face of the signal detection end  11 . The carrier housing  10  is provided with a magnet receiving groove  16  for receiving a magnet. The magnet receiving groove  16  is arranged at the signal detection end  11 . The magnet receiving groove  16  directly faces the first chip mounting surface  13  and the second chip mounting surface  14 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , in another embodiment of the sensor carrier, the connecting circuit  20  comprises a main circuit conductive pin  23 , a first branch circuit conductive pin  24  and a second branch circuit conductive pin  25 , wherein one end of the main circuit conductive pin  23  is connected with one end of the first branch circuit conductive pin  24  and one end of the second branch circuit conductive pin  25 , respectively, and the other end of the main circuit conductive pin  23  extends out of the signal transmission end  12  of the carrier housing  10 . The other end of the first branch circuit conductive pin  24  and the other end of the second branch circuit conductive pin  25  are respectively exposed at two side faces of the carrier housing  10  and extend towards the signal detection end  11 , and can extend along two adjacent side faces or two opposite side faces. The other end of the first branch circuit conductive pin  24  is closer to the signal detection end  11  than the other end of the second  branch circuit conductive pin  25 . Apart from the extending-out portion of the main circuit conductive pin  23  and the exposed portions of the first and second branch circuit conductive pins  24  and  25 , the other portions of the connecting circuit  20  are embedded in the carrier housing  10 . 
     In the specific embodiment shown in  FIG. 2 , the connecting circuit  20  is provided with three sets of main circuit conductive pins  23 , first branch circuit conductive pins  24  and second branch circuit conductive pins  25  arranged in parallel. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the main circuit conductive pin  23 , the first branch circuit conductive pin  24  and the second branch circuit conductive pin  25  in each set are generally formed integrally, wherein the main circuit conductive pin  23  can be formed by linearly extending from the first branch circuit conductive pin  24 , and the second branch circuit conductive pin  25  extends by a distance in a direction perpendicular to the first branch circuit conductive pin  24  from the joint of the first branch circuit conductive pin  24  with the main circuit conducive pin  23 , and then is bent to extend in a direction parallel to the first branch circuit conductive pin  24 , wherein the extending length and the bending times and modes can be selected according to specific requirements. For example, in the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 2 , in order to respectively expose the other end of the first branch circuit conductive pin  24  and the other end of the second branch circuit conductive pin  25  at two adjacent side faces of the carrier housing  10 , the second branch circuit conductive pin  25  firstly extends by a distance in the direction perpendicular to the first branch circuit conductive pin  24 , and is bent upwards to extend by a distance, and then is bent to extend in the direction parallel to the first branch circuit conductive pin  24 . In addition, when the other end of the first circuit conductive pin  24  and the other end of the second branch circuit conductive pin  25  are respectively exposed at the two opposite side faces of the carrier housing  10 , only one bending is required in the middle. 
     The sensor according to the invention also comprises a magnet  30  and a detection chip  40 , as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     The detection chip  40  is electrically connected with the input end  21  of the connecting circuit; the detection chip  40  can be mounted optionally in two manners; referring to  FIG. 4 , when the detection chip  40  is mounted on the first chip mounting surface  13  of  the carrier housing  10 , the detection chip  40  is located on a side face of the signal detection end  11  and electrically connected with the second branch circuit conductive pin  25 , such that the sensor senses a signal of the magnet  30  from the side face of the signal detection end  11 . Alternatively, referring to  FIG. 5 , when the detection chip  40  is mounted on the second chip mounting surface  14  of the carrier housing  10 , the detection chip  40  is located on an end face of the signal detection end  11  and electrically connected with the first branch circuit conductive pin  24 , such that the sensor senses the signal of the magnet  30  from the end face. Thus, with regard to the same sensor carrier and the same detection chip  40 , options on two detection directions can be provided to meet the requirements of different customers. 
     According to the sensor carrier or the sensor of the invention, the connecting circuit  20  may further comprise a protective capacitor (not shown). In a specific embodiment, the protective capacitor is connected between the detection chip  40  and the first branch circuit conductive pin  24  or the second branch circuit conductive pin  25 ; the protective capacitor can protect the detection chip  40  to prevent damage to the detection chip  40  when a current or a voltage fluctuates seriously in the detection process. 
     The magnet  30  may be located in the magnet receiving groove  16  of the sensor carrier. The magnet  30  is disposed to directly face the detection chip  40 . The polarity direction of the magnet  30  corresponds to the arrangement position of the detection chip  40 , that is to say, for the same magnet  30 , it can be disposed in such a manner that the polarity thereof is disposed to correspond to the detection chip  40  located on the end face of the signal detection end  11  or in such a manner that the polarity thereof is disposed to correspond to the detection chip  40  located on the side face of the signal detection end  11 . The shape of the magnet  30  is preferably a cube, and thus can be fixed in the same magnet receiving groove  16  in the case that the mounting manner is changed. 
     In a specific embodiment, the sensor according to the invention can be a speed sensor or a displacement sensor; when the sensor gets close to an object to be detected, the speed or displacement change of the object will cause the magnetic field change of the magnet  30  which is converted by the detection chip  40  into a current or voltage signal based  on the Hall principle, and the current or voltage signal is transmitted outwards via the output end  22  (the main circuit conductive pin  23 ) of the connecting circuit  20 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6  and  FIG. 7 , in another embodiment, the sensor carrier or the sensor according to the invention may further comprise a signal adapter  50 . 
     The signal adapter  50  is provided with an adapter housing  51  and an adapter conductive pin  52  which is located within the adapter housing  51 , and the number of the adapter conductive pin  52  is generally consistent with that of the main circuit conductive pin  23  of the connecting circuit  20 . The adapter conductive pin  52  is provided with a first end  53  and a second end  54 , wherein the first end  53  of the adapter conductive pin is correspondingly electrically connected with the main circuit conductive pin  23  of the connecting circuit  20 , while the second end  54  of the adapter conductive pin is used to be electrically connected with an external element. Generally, there are three adapter conductive pins  52  and three main circuit conductive pins  23 , wherein one is used for supplying power to the detection chip  40 , one is used for transmitting a detection signal outwards, and another one is used for grounding. 
     In the embodiment as shown in  FIG. 6 , the first end  53  and the second end  54  of the adapter conductive pin  52  are arranged vertically so as to facilitate connection with the external element. Of course, in other embodiments, the first end and the second end of the adapter conductive pin also can be arranged in a same direction or at other angles. In order to fix the sensor in the using process, the adapter housing  51  can be provided with a mounting plate  55 . The mounting plate  55  can be provided with a mounting hole for fixedly mounting with other objects by means of a fastener. 
     The adapter housing  51  is generally made of an insulating material. In order to firmly combine the adapter housing  51  with the adapter conductive pin  52 , the adapter housing  51  and the adapter conductive pin  52  are integrally formed through an injection molding process; the adapter conductive pin  52  can be combined with the adapter housing  51  through the injection molding process before being connected with the main circuit conductive pin  23 , or the adapter housing  51  can be formed through the injection molding process after the adapter conductive pin  52  being connected with the main circuit conductive  pin  23 ; in the latter manner, the adapter housing  51  can be injection molded in different length according to the actual need length of the adapter conductive pin  52 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , the sensor carrier or the sensor according to the invention may further comprise an outer cover  60  which is also generally made of an insulating material. The outer cover  60  covers the periphery of the carrier housing  10  such that the connecting circuit  20 , the detection chip  40  and the magnet  30  are all located within the outer cover  60 , and thus the influence of the external environment (such as dust, oil stain or gases) on the sensor can be prevented. 
     Advantageously, according to the sensor carrier and the sensor of the invention, the same sensor carrier and the same detection chip are utilized to provide options on two detection directions to meet the requirements of different customers and applications. 
     Although the invention is described with reference to the specific embodiments as shown in the accompanying drawings, it should be understood that the sensor carrier and the sensor of the present invention may have many variations without departing from the spirit and the scope taught by the present invention. Various parts in the different specific embodiments in the present invention can be interchanged and re-combined with each other without departing from the spirit and invention taught by the present invention, and the sensor carriers and the sensors obtained in this way also fall within the protection scope of the present invention. It would be also appreciated by those skilled in the art that there are different ways to change the parameters in the disclosed embodiments, such as sizes, shapes, or types of elements or materials, which all fall within the spirit and the scope of the invention and the claims.