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EP-4390331-B1 - ELECTRONIC SENSOR ASSEMBLY HAVING A SIMPLIFIED STRUCTURE

EP4390331B1EP 4390331 B1EP4390331 B1EP 4390331B1EP-4390331-B1

Inventors

  • MACHEBOEUF, Pierre
  • MATHEY, JEAN-MARC
  • Rouland, Hervé

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20230123

Claims (13)

  1. Sensor assembly (10) comprising: - at least one electronic sensor member (16, 18) for measuring a physical quantity, wherein the at least one electronic sensor member (16, 18) is of the surface mounted type, and - two flexible electrical connection conductors (14) for connecting this electronic sensor member (16, 18) that are soldered to two corresponding connection pins (16P, 18P) of this electronic sensor member (16, 18), wherein the flexible electrical connection conductors (14) each consist of a flexible conductor (14) provided with a conductive core (A) and an insulating sheath (G), the sheath (G) being interrupted to separate a so-called coated part (14G) of the conductor, in which the sheath (G) covers the core (A), and a so-called stripped part (14A) of the conductor, in which the sheath (G) is removed from the core (A), the two connection pins (16P, 18P) of the electronic sensor member (16, 18) being soldered directly to the two corresponding stripped parts (14A) of the flexible conductors (14), the assembly further comprising a body (12) housing the flexible conductors (14) and the sensor member (16, 18), said body (12) comprising means (34, 36, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50) for immobilising the flexible conductors in three directions perpendicular to each other, referred to respectively as longitudinal (X), transverse (Y) and vertical (Z), these immobilisation means (34, 36, 40, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50) being distributed in first (12A) and second (12B) parts of the body (12) that can be separated from each other between a configuration in which the flexible conductors (14) and the electronic sensor member (16, 18) are mounted in the body (12) and a configuration in which the sensor assembly (10) is used.
  2. Sensor assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the first (12A) and second (12B) parts of the body (12) comprise complementary junction faces (22A, 22B) which, when these parts (12A, 12B) are in a configuration in which the assembly (10) is used, are pressing against each other and parallel to the longitudinal (X) and transverse (Y) directions, the flexible conductors (14) extending parallel to the longitudinal direction (X), the means for immobilising the conductors comprising transverse immobilisation means (34, 36, 40) formed in the first part of the body.
  3. Sensor assembly (10) according to claim 2, wherein the transverse immobilisation means (34, 36, 40) comprise at least two transversally opposed longitudinal stops (34), extending parallel to the stripped parts (14A) of the flexible conductors (14), formed in the first part (12A) of the body (12), between which extend transverse bracing stops (36), formed in the first part (12A) of the body (12), each stripped part (14A) of a conductor extending between at least one longitudinal stop (34) and one bracing stop (36).
  4. Sensor assembly (10) according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the transverse immobilisation means comprise grooves (40), formed in the first part (12A) of the body (12), into which the coated parts (14G) of the flexible conductors (14) are inserted.
  5. Sensor assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the means for immobilising the conductors comprise longitudinal immobilisation means (42, 44, 46) formed in a complementary manner on the first (12A) and second (12B) parts of the body (12), intended to immobilise each flexible conductor (14) in the longitudinal direction by blocking ir a chicane, formed by these longitudinal immobilisation means (42, 44, 46), of a part of a flexible conductor (14) selected from the stripped part (14A) of the flexible conductor (14) and the coated part (14G) of the flexible conductor (14).
  6. Sensor assembly (10) according to claims 3 and 5 taken together, wherein the longitudinal immobilisation means comprise a boss (42) formed in the first part (12A) of the body (12), extending in the transverse direction between the longitudinal stops (34), and a complementary recess (44) formed in the second part (12B) of the body (12), the stripped part (14A) of each flexible conductor (14) extending along a chicane between the boss (42) and the complementary recess (44).
  7. Sensor assembly (10) according to claims 4 and 5 taken together, wherein the longitudinal immobilisation means comprise wedges (46) formed in the second part (12B) of the body, offset in the longitudinal direction relative to the transverse immobilisation grooves (40), the coated part (14G) of each flexible conductor (14) extending against the wedges (46) and corresponding grooves (40) along a chicane.
  8. Sensor assembly (10) according to any one of claims 2 to 7, wherein the first part (12A) of the body (12) forms, using the means (34, 36, 40, 42) for immobilising the flexible conductors (14) arranged on this first part (12A) of the body (12), a support for the intermediate mounting of the sensor assembly (10) capable of positioning the flexible conductors (14) to solder, especially using a surface mount technology, the connection pins (16P, 18P) of the electronic sensor member (16, 18) to the corresponding stripped parts (14A) of the flexible conductors (14).
  9. Sensor assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the means for immobilising the flexible conductors (14) comprise vertical immobilisation means formed in a complementary manner on the first (12A) and second (12B) parts of the body (12), these vertical immobilisation means comprising complementary vertical clamping stops (38, 50) formed in the first (12A) and second (12B) parts of the body (12), between which each stripped part (14A) of a conductor is inserted, each clamping stop (50) formed in the second part (12B) of the body (12) being elastically stressed towards the other complementary clamping stop (38) formed in the first part (12A) of the body.
  10. Sensor assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the body (12) is made of plastic, for example by moulding.
  11. Sensor assembly (10) according to claims 9 and 10 taken together, wherein the second part (12B) of the body (12) comprises a plastic handle (48), elastically deformable in the vertical direction, in which each clamping stop (50) carried by this second part (12B) of the body (12) is formed.
  12. Sensor assembly (10) according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the first (12A) and second (12B) parts of the body (12) are provided with complementary means (28) for attaching them together by clipping.
  13. Sensor assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein each core (A) of a flexible conductor (14) is formed by a plurality of conductive strands, the strands of the stripped part (14A) of the flexible conductor (14) being agglomerated together, the stripped part (14A) of the flexible conductor (14) preferably being flattened so that it has at least one flat face (20) to form a junction with a connection pin (16P, 18P) of the electronic sensor member (16, 18).

Description

The invention relates to the field of electronic sensors, in particular sensors intended to measure a relevant physical quantity in a motor vehicle, for example a temperature or a brightness. The state of the art already describes a sensor assembly comprising: at least one electronic sensor member for measuring a physical quantity, andtwo electrical connection conductors for connecting this electronic sensor member that are soldered to two corresponding connection pins of this electronic sensor member. Usually, the two electrical connection conductors for connecting the electronic sensor member are formed by tracks of a printed circuit. The printed circuit generally comprises a rigid support consisting of a plate, the conductive tracks of the printed circuit being arranged on at least one face of the support. The printed circuit is usually connected to an electrical power source by flexible conductors. In the state of the art, it is therefore necessary firstly to connect the flexible electrical power supply conductors to the printed circuit, generally by soldering, and secondly to connect the electronic sensor member to the conductive tracks on the printed circuit, also generally by soldering. It is known to use whenever possible "surface mounted components", usually designated by the acronym SMC. A component of this type comprises connection pins intended to be soldered to the surface of conductive tracks, without crossing through the printed circuit support. DE 10 2021 205 841 A1 shows a printed circuit board on which electronic components are mounted. Electrical conductors are connected to the printed circuit board. US 2015/0354990 A1 shows a sensor for sensing an angular position comprising a rotatable, annular encoder and an annular sensor body having a printed circuit board with sensing elements, which are connected by pins to the printed circuit board. Electric wires are connected to the circuit board by soldering. FR 2 864 700 A1 shows a wheel sensor having an electronic unit which is overmolded with a housing part. The cost of producing a sensor assembly therefore depends in particular on the cost of the printed circuit and the cost of the numerous soldering operations. However, the new technologies used more and more frequently in motor vehicles require an increasing number of sensors, in particular temperature sensors, but also other types of sensors such as brightness sensors, intended to check the correct operation of the various items of electronic equipment, in particular power electronic equipment. Whenever possible therefore, the aim is to limit the cost of manufacturing an electronic sensor assembly, in particular by simplifying its structure. The invention therefore aims to propose a sensor assembly of limited manufacturing cost which allows the use of "surface mount" type soldering technologies. The invention therefore relates to a sensor assembly as defined in claim 1. Since the two connection pins of the electronic member are soldered directly to the two corresponding stripped parts of the flexible conductors, flexible electrical power supply conductors can therefore be connected directly to the electronic sensor member, without the need for a printed circuit. The cost of manufacturing a sensor assembly is therefore reduced by removing the need for a printed circuit. In addition, this avoids the risk of accidentally separating the electronic member from the stripped parts of the flexible conductors by housing the flexible conductors and the electronic member in a body comprising means for immobilising the flexible conductors in the three directions perpendicular to each other. In addition, it is quite possible to solder the sensor electronic member to the corresponding stripped parts of the flexible conductors using a "surface mount" type soldering technology. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the first and second parts of the body comprise complementary junction faces which, when these parts are in a configuration in which the assembly is used, are pressing against each other and parallel to the longitudinal and transverse directions, the flexible conductors extending parallel to the longitudinal direction, the means for immobilising the conductors comprising transverse immobilisation means formed in the first part of the body. Preferably, the longitudinal and transverse directions define together a plane to which the complementary junction faces are parallel in a configuration in which the assembly is used. It is therefore easy to immobilise the electrical connection conductors in the transverse direction, using means arranged in the first part of the body. According to a particular embodiment of the invention, to efficiently immobilise the electrical connection conductors in the transverse direction, the transverse immobilisation means comprise at least two transversally opposed longitudinal stops, extending parallel to the stripped parts of the flexible conduct