Patent Publication Number: US-2023160514-A1

Title: Fluidic connector provided with a pressure sensor

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a national phase entry under 35 U.S.C. § 371 of International Patent Application PCT/FR2021/050542, filed Mar. 26, 2021, designating the United States of America and published as International Patent Publication WO 2021/205093 A1 on Oct. 14, 2021, which claims the benefit under Article 8 of the Patent Cooperation Treaty to French Patent Application Serial No. 2003418, filed Apr. 6, 2020. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This disclosure relates to the field of fittings and connectors to allow fluid communication between pipes or ducts, notably for motor vehicles. It relates to, in particular, a fluid connector equipped with a sensor for measuring the properties of the fluid circulating in the internal duct of the connector, for example, pressure. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Automotive fluid connectors are widely used to connect flexible hoses to rigid tubes on various fluid lines of a vehicle. Such connectors are used, in particular, on the liquid or vapor fluid lines that comprise the fuel system. 
     Developments in the diagnostics and functional check of modern vehicle engines increase the need for monitoring operating conditions in the fuel system, in particular, monitoring fluid pressure. It is therefore desirable to have fluid connectors provided with sensitive and robust pressure sensors, compatible with this environment. 
     European Union Patent Application Publication EP1967782 is known, which proposes a quick connector for fluids integrating a chamber on its external cylindrical wall to house a pressure sensor. The sensor communicates with the internal duct of the connector. The chamber is closed by a cover. A drawback of this approach is that forming the chamber, which requires raising partitions above the outer wall of the connector, significantly increases the bulk of the fluid connector. In addition, since the electrical connector is overmolded with the duct, this approach does not confer any modularity to the fluid connector. 
     U.S. Patent Application Publication US2012/285571 is also known, which describes a quick connector for fluids provided with a sensor, for example, a pressure sensor. The connector comprises a body in which a fluid circulates, a support base disposed on this body, and an attachment element bonded to the support base. The compactness and robustness of this type of connector still need to be improved. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure provides an alternative solution to those of the prior art that seeks to remedy all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks. The present disclosure relates to, in particular, a compact, robust, modular fluid connector provided with a pressure sensor. 
     The present disclosure relates to a fluid connector comprising:
         a body of generally cylindrical shape, having two fluid connection end pieces and defining an internal duct in which a fluid is intended to circulate,   an assembly interface arranged on and in the body, comprising an orifice placing the internal duct in communication with the outside of the body, a first receiving area extending around the orifice, a second receiving area extending around the first receiving area, and attachment regions,   a pressure sensor comprising a connecting cylinder arranged in or opposite the orifice, the pressure sensor establishing contact with the first receiving area via a first gasket to provide a seal between the internal duct and the outside of the body, and   a cover arranged on the pressure sensor and establishing contact with the second receiving zone via a second gasket to isolate the pressure sensor from the external environment, the cover further comprising an electrical connection end piece for connecting the pressure sensor, and two side wings extending at least in part around the body to cooperate with the attachment regions and to allow the cover to be assembled on the body, the two side wings being configured so that the cover overlaps the body.       

     According to other advantageous and non-limiting features of the present disclosure, taken alone or in any technically feasible combination:
         the first receiving area comprises a housing coaxial with the orifice and the connecting cylinder forms a protuberance extending into the housing, the first gasket being placed in the housing and around the protuberance in order to provide a radial seal between the internal duct and the outside of the body;   the first receiving area comprises a conical widening in continuity with the orifice and the pressure sensor has a shoulder, the first gasket being placed in the conical widening and against the shoulder to provide a seal between the internal duct and the outside of the body;   the pressure sensor has a shoulder, the first gasket being placed against the shoulder and compressed by the pressure sensor to provide an axial seal between the internal duct and the outside of the body;   at least one of the fluid connection end pieces is a quick connector end piece;   the pressure sensor connecting cylinder forms a protuberance that extends into the orifice, flush with the internal duct or projecting substantially therein;   the first and/or the second gasket have/has an annular shape configured to reduce the compressive forces during assembly of the cover on the body;   the annular shape of the gasket has a cross section with a thinner central portion;   the two side wings are clipped, bonded or welded to the attachment regions;   each side wing has at least one tooth at its end and each attachment region has at least one groove to allow clipping of one to the other;   the tooth of each side wing has a progressive profile and/or each side wing has an edge inclined at its end, in order to allow progressive clipping of the cover on the body;   the second gasket comprises a strip of adhesive material when the two side wings are bonded to the attachment regions, or a weld bead when the two side wings are welded to the attachment regions;   the cover and the assembly interface have a shape that is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal plane passing through a central axis of the internal duct and through a center of the orifice;   the body has a region with a narrowing diameter at one of the fluid connection end pieces, and the cover comprises a transverse wing resting on the narrowing region;   the pressure sensor comprises electrical connection terminals connected to pins leading into the electrical connection end piece;   the pins are overmolded or force-fitted in the cover;   the connection between the electrical connection terminals and the pins is provided by spring contacts;   the electrical connection terminals are soldered to the pins;   the fluid connector comprises a resilient element arranged between the cover and one face of the pressure sensor, the other face of the pressure sensor being in contact with the body to ensure the mechanical retention of the sensor between the cover and the body;   the fluid connector comprises a resilient element arranged between one face of the pressure sensor and the body, the other face of the sensor being in contact with the cover to ensure the mechanical retention of the sensor between the cover and the body;   the resilient element is made as a spring or of an elastomeric material;   the resilient element is overmolded on the cover or on the body, or fitted against the cover or against the body;   the assembly interface comprises centering pins for positioning the pressure sensor and/or the cover on the body; and   the pressure sensor is secured to the cover or to the body.       

    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description of example embodiments of the present disclosure, with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein: 
         FIGS.  1 A- 1 E  show a fluid connector provided with a pressure sensor, according to a first embodiment of this present disclosure, respectively, in exploded view ( FIG.  1 A ), in cross section according to a longitudinal plane (y,z) ( FIG.  1 B ), in cross section along a transverse plane (x,z) ( FIG.  1 C ), in side view ( FIG.  1 D ), and in top view ( FIG.  1 E ); 
         FIGS.  2 A- 2 C  show a fluid connector provided with a pressure sensor, according to a second embodiment of this present disclosure, respectively, in exploded view ( FIG.  2 A ), in cross section along a longitudinal plane (y,z) ( FIG.  2 B ), and in cross section along a transverse plane (x,z) ( FIG.  2 C ); 
         FIGS.  3 A- 3 C  show a fluid connector provided with a pressure sensor, according to a third embodiment of this present disclosure, respectively, in exploded view ( FIG.  3 A ), in cross section along a longitudinal plane (y,z) ( FIG.  3 B ), and in cross section along a transverse plane (x,z) ( FIG.  3 C ); and 
         FIGS.  4 A- 4 C  show a fluid connector provided with a pressure sensor according to an alternative embodiment of this present disclosure; each figure comprising a view in cross section along a transverse plane (x,z) and a side view in a longitudinal plane (y,z). 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In the descriptive part, the same references in the figures may be used for the same type of elements. 
     The present disclosure relates to a fluid connector  1  provided with a pressure sensor  10 , an example of which is illustrated in  FIG.  1 A , in exploded view, and in  FIG.  1 B , in assembled configuration. 
     The fluid connector  1  comprises a body  20  of generally cylindrical shape and having two fluid connection end pieces  21 ,  22 . In the example shown, one of the fluid connection end pieces is a quick connection end piece  21 , as is known in the state of the art. In general, the present disclosure applies to any type of end piece. 
     The generally cylindrical body  20  defines an internal duct  23  in which a fluid is intended to circulate. 
     The fluid connector  1  also comprises an assembly interface  200  arranged on and in the body  20 . More particularly, the assembly interface  200  forms part of the wall of the body  20  and corresponds to fittings made on and in this wall. 
     The assembly interface  200  comprises an orifice  24  passing through the wall of the body  20  and placing the internal duct  23  in communication with the outside of the body  20 . It also comprises a first receiving area  25  extending around the orifice  24  and a second receiving area  26  extending around the first receiving area  25 . These receiving areas  25 ,  26  define flat or inclined annular surfaces, preferably concentric, as will be apparent during the description of various embodiments. These are so named because they respectively provide a location to receive a first  35  and a second  36  gasket. In addition, the first receiving area  25  provides a point of contact, via the first gasket  35 , with another element (the pressure sensor  10 ) of the connector  1 , this contact providing a sealed connection between the element and the body  20 ; and the second receiving area  26  provides a point of contact, via the second gasket  36 , with another element (a cover  40 ) of the connector  1 , this contact providing a sealed connection between the element and the body  20 . 
     Lastly, the assembly interface  200  comprises attachment regions  27 . As illustrated in  FIG.  1 C , these attachment regions  27  are located around the periphery of the body  20 , on either side of the second receiving area  26 . 
     The fluid connector  1  also comprises the pressure sensor  10  mentioned above. This sensor  10  comprises a connecting cylinder  11 , which makes it possible to bring the fluid to a pressure measuring cell. The connecting cylinder  11  is placed in or opposite the orifice  24 . Advantageously, the connecting cylinder forms a protuberance, which extends into the orifice  24 , flush with the internal duct  23  or projecting substantially into the latter. Alternatively, the connecting cylinder  11  may only comprise an opening placing the fluid and the pressure measuring cell in communication. 
     The pressure sensor  10  also comprises a printed circuit, for example, of the PCB (printed circuit board) type, supporting the electronics and the electrical connection terminals  12  of the sensor  10 . 
     The pressure sensor  10  establishes contact with the first receiving area  25  via the first gasket  35 , to provide a seal between the internal duct  23  and the outside of the body  20 . The first gasket  35  may have various shapes to adapt to the first receiving area  25 ; preferably, it is made of an elastomeric material. Alternatively, the gasket  35  may be made as a strip of adhesive: in this case, the pressure sensor  10  becomes integral with the body  20 . 
     According to a first embodiment, shown in  FIGS.  1 A- 1 E , the first receiving area  25  comprises a housing, coaxial to the orifice  24 , with the connecting cylinder  11  forming a protuberance extending into the housing. The first gasket  35  is placed in the housing and around the protuberance to provide a radial seal between the internal duct  23  and the outside of the body  20 . The seal is provided by the radial compression of the gasket  35  against the plane and vertical surfaces (that is to say, parallel or tangent to the plane (y,z) in the figures) of the housing of the first receiving area  25  and of the protuberance of the connecting cylinder  11 , respectively. 
     According to a second embodiment, shown in  FIGS.  2 A- 2 C , the first receiving area  25  comprises a conical widening in continuity with the orifice  24 . The pressure sensor  10  has a shoulder, the first gasket  35  being placed within the conical widening and against the shoulder to provide the seal between the internal duct  23  and the outside of the body  20 . Here, the seal is provided by the axial and radial compression of the gasket  35  against the inclined surface of the widening of the first receiving area  25  and against the wedge formed by the shoulder of the sensor  10 . 
     According to a third embodiment, shown in  FIGS.  3 A- 3 C , the pressure sensor  10  comprises a shoulder, the first gasket  35  being placed against the shoulder; the gasket is compressed by the pressure sensor  10  to provide an axial seal between the internal duct  23  and the outside of the body  20 . The seal is provided by axial compression of the gasket  35  against the flat and horizontal surfaces (parallel to the plane (x,y) in the figures) of the first receiving area  25  and of the shoulder of the sensor  10 , respectively. 
     Lastly, returning to the general description of the present disclosure, the fluid connector  1  comprises a cover  40  arranged on the pressure sensor  10 . The cover  40  makes contact with the second receiving area  26  through the second gasket  36 , to isolate the pressure sensor  10  from the external environment (in particular, humidity, dust, etc.). To do this, the second receiving area  26  completely surrounds the space occupied by the sensor  10  on the body  20 , and the cover  40  completely encloses the sensor  10 . 
     Note that in the case of a relative pressure sensor, a ventilation system  45  is fitted in the cover  40 , to provide access to the external pressure, as illustrated in  FIG.  4 A . 
     The cover  40  further comprises two side wings  41  extending at least in part around the body  20  to cooperate with the attachment regions  27  and to allow the assembly of the cover  40  on the body  20 . The configuration of the side wings  41 , which allows the cover  40  to overlap the body  20 , improves the mechanical stability of the cover  40  on the body  20  and thus the robustness of the connector  1 ; it also reduces the bulk associated with the integration of the pressure sensor  10  and provides a functional and compact connector  1 . In addition, this configuration effectively protects the electronics of the sensor  10  from dust. 
     Several methods for mounting the cover  40  on the body  20  may be used; for example, the two side wings  41  may be clipped, bonded, or welded to the attachment regions  27 . 
     In the particular case of a clip assembly, each side wing  41  advantageously comprises at least one tooth  41   a  at its end and each attachment region  27  comprises at least one groove to allow the one to be clipped to the other ( FIGS.  1 C,  2 C,  3 C ). More advantageously, the tooth  41   a  of each side wing  41  has a progressive profile and/or each side wing  41  has an inclined edge at its end ( FIG.  1 D ), to allow a progressive resilient deformation of the cover  40  during its assembly onto the body  20  until it is clipped into place. 
     Naturally, each side wing  41  could comprise at least one groove or window  41   b  (instead of, or in addition to, the tooth  41   a ) at its end and each attachment region  27  could comprise at least one tooth  27   a  to allow the one to be clipped to the other; examples of such a variant are shown in  FIGS.  4 A- 4 C . 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  1 D , the body  20  may advantageously comprise a bead  29  along the edge of the side wings  41  to block access to the attachment region  27  and to prevent the disassembly of the connector  1 . 
     When the assembly is achieved by clipping, the second gasket  36  is advantageously a gasket made of elastomeric material, an O-ring or of another shape suitable for the second receiving area  26 . In the example illustrated in  FIG.  1 E , the second gasket  36  will be substantially square- or rectangular-shaped, identical to the contours of the cover  40  (and of the second receiving area  26 , not visible in the figure). 
     In the case of an assembly by bonding, the end of each side wing  41  may be bonded to an associated attachment region  27 . According to another option, all the edges of the cover  40  in contact with the body  20  may be bonded to the body  20  by a continuous peripheral adhesive strip; the second gasket  36  may then comprise or consist of the strip of adhesive material. 
     In the case of a welded assembly, the end of each side wing  41  may be welded to an associated attachment region  27 . According to another option, all the edges of the cover  40  in contact with the body  20  may be welded to the body  20 , forming a continuous peripheral weld bead; the second gasket  36  may then comprise or consist of this weld bead. 
     In the particular case where the body  20  has a region where the diameter at the level of one of the fluid connection end pieces is made narrower, for example, at the level of the end piece  22  as illustrated in  FIGS.  1 A and  1 B , the cover  40  may comprise a transverse wing  44  resting on the narrowed region. This transverse wing  44  reinforces the mechanical stability of the cover  40  on the body  20 . 
     Lastly, the cover  40  of the fluid connector  1  according to the present disclosure comprises an electrical connection end piece  42  for connecting the pressure sensor  10  to the outside. In particular, metal pins  43  connected to the electrical connection terminals  12  of the sensor  10  lead to and extend into the electrical connection end piece  42 . The connection between the terminals  12  and the pins  43  may be provided by spring contacts or alternatively by a conductive solder. The spring contacts are particularly advantageous because they make it possible to adjust the positioning of the PCB (of the sensor  10 ) and of the connecting cylinder  11 , which must enter the orifice  24 ; in general, they relax the dimensioning constraints of the parts and provide better resistance to vibrations and shocks. 
     The pins  43  may be overmolded or force-fitted in the cover  40 . The pins allow the connection of the sensor  10  to an external controller, for example. 
     According to a variant providing flexibility in mounting and conferring modularity to the fluid connector  1 , the cover  40  may have a shape that is symmetrical with respect to a longitudinal plane (y,z) passing through the central axis y of the internal duct  23  and through the center of the orifice  24 . The assembly interface  200  is also arranged symmetrically along this same longitudinal plane (y,z). This symmetrical shape allows the assembly formed of the cover  40  and the pressure sensor  10  to be mounted on the body  20  with the electrical connection end piece  42  placed either on the side of the first end piece  21  or on the side of the second end piece  22  of the fluid connector  1 . 
     Note that to facilitate the assembly of the connector  1  it is also possible to provide an assembly interface  200  comprising at least one centering pin  28 , to help position the pressure sensor  10  and/or the cover  40  on the body  20  ( FIGS.  1 A,  2 A,  3 A ). 
     Advantageously, the fluid connector  1  comprises a resilient element  30  to ensure the mechanical retention of the sensor  10 , i.e., to keep it wedged between the cover  40  and the body  20 , while compensating for the dimensional variations and mounting clearances during assembly, in particular, by clipping. In particular, the printed circuit board of the pressure sensor  10  may have non-uniform and/or non-reproducible thicknesses from one sensor to another: it is therefore advantageous to have a resilient element  30  to accommodate these tolerances and ensure in any circumstance that the sensor  10  is pressed between the cover  40  and the body  20  at the same time, without altering the calibration of the sensor  10 . 
     The resilient element  30  also provides the advantage of absorbing the potential vibrations transmitted either by the body  20  or by the electrical connection end piece  42  of the cover  40  by acting as a damper. The fluid connector  1  may thus be compact, without requiring reinforcements by adding material, whatever the frequencies of vibration encountered. 
     Such a resilient element  30  may be arranged between the cover  40  and one face of the pressure sensor  10  (the only contact between the cover  40  and the sensor  10  being established via the resilient element  30 ), the other face of the sensor  10  being in contact with the body  20 , as is illustrated, for example, in  FIGS.  1 B,  1 C,  2 B,  2 C . 
     Alternatively, the resilient element may be arranged between one face of the pressure sensor  10  and the body  20  (the only contact between the body  20  and the sensor  10  being established via the resilient element  30 ), the other face of the sensor  10  being in contact with the cover  40 . In the third embodiment illustrated in  FIGS.  3 A- 3 C  and describing a configuration of the first gasket  35  providing an axial seal, a proposed option is that the first gasket  35  acts as the resilient element, due to its arrangement between the bottom face of the sensor  10  and a surface of the body  20  (the first receiving area  25 ) parallel to the bottom face. The resilient element  30  illustrated in  FIGS.  3 A- 3 C  then becomes optional. 
     By way of example, the resilient element  30  may be made as a spring or of an elastomeric material. 
     In general, when made as an elastomeric material, the resilient element  30 , the first gasket  35 , and/or the second gasket  36  may be overmolded on the cover  40  or on the body  20  or fitted against the cover  40  or against the body  20 . 
     Likewise, at least one of these three elements  30 ,  35 ,  36  or all three may have a particular annular shape, configured to reduce the compressive forces during the assembly of the cover  40  on the body  20 . For example, the annular shape may have a cross section with a thinner central portion, which limits the resistance to crushing of the resilient element  30  and/or of the gaskets  35 ,  36 . 
     The particular structure of the fluid connector  1  according to this disclosure gives it modularity, robustness, and compactness. In particular, the cooperation between the cover  40  and the assembly interface  200  makes it possible to greatly limit the bulk, while effectively maintaining the pressure sensor  10  and protecting it from the external environment. 
     It is conceivable for the pressure sensor  10  to be secured (for example, by bonding) to the cover  40  or to the body  20 . Note that in the case where it is secured to the body  20 , this provides additional security against the risk of leakage of the fluid flowing into the internal duct  23 , in the event of accidental removal of the cover  40 . In effect, the pressure sensor  10  integral with the body  20  acts as a safety plug due to its cooperation with the first receiving area  25  via the first gasket  35 . 
     Naturally, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments and examples that have been described, and it is possible to add alternative embodiments thereto without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claims.