Floating electrical connector for a pressure sensor

Details Floating electrical connector for a pressure sensor Floating electrical connector for a pressure sensor

2001-05-08

2003-01-14

Patel, Tulsidas (Department: 2839)

Electrical connectors

Self aligning contact

Contact mounted in floating nonconductive holder

C439S067000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06506069

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates in general to pressure sensors and in particular to an electrical connector for a pressure sensor having movable electrical contacts that compensate for the stack up of tolerances of connected components.
An anti-lock brake system (ABS) is often included as standard equipment on new vehicles. When actuated, the ABS is operative to control the operation of some or all of the vehicle wheel brakes. A typical ABS, which controls all four vehicle wheels, includes a plurality of normally open and normally closed solenoid valves which are mounted within a control valve body and connected to the vehicle hydraulic brake system. A separate hydraulic source, such as a motor driven pump, is included in the ABS for reapplying hydraulic pressure to the controlled wheel brakes during an ABS braking cycle. The pump is typically included within the control valve body while the pump motor is mounted upon the exterior of the control valve body. A pressure sensor mounted upon the control valve body monitors the pressure generated by the vehicle master cylinder.
It is also known to provide an ABS for the rear wheels only. Such a system is commonly referred to as a rear wheel anti-lock brake system (RWABS). Typically, RWAL does not include a motor driver pump, but utilizes the vehicle master brake cylinder as a source of pressurized brake fluid. While RWABS has a limited volume of pressurized brake fluid available during an ABS braking cycle, elimination of the pump and pump motor simplifies the system while reducing the cost thereof. plurality of solenoid coils associated with the solenoid valves and one or more wheel speed sensors for monitoring the speed and deceleration of the controlled wheels. Additionally, the control module is electrically coupled through a connector to the pressure sensor. The control module is typically mounted within a removable housing which is attached to the control valve body to form a compact unit which is often referred to as an ABS Electro-hydraulic Control Unit (ECU).
It is known to mount the coils for actuating the solenoid coils within the control module housing. Tubular sleeves which enclose the valve armatures extend from the valve body, forming a seal for the hydraulic brake circuit. When the control module housing is mounted upon the valve body, each of sleeves is received by an associated solenoid coil. Accordingly, the housing can be removed from the valve body for servicing of the control module electronics without opening the hydraulic brake circuit.
During vehicle operation, the microprocessor in the ABS control module continuously receives wheel speed signals from the wheel speed sensors and pressure signals from the pressure sensor. The microprocessor monitors the wheel speed signals and pressure signals for potential wheel lock-up conditions. When the vehicle brakes are applied and the microprocessor senses an impending wheel lock-up condition, the microprocessor is operative to actuate the pump motor, in a four wheel ABS. The microprocessor also is operable to selectively operate the solenoid valves in the valve body to cyclically relieve and reapply hydraulic pressure to the controlled wheel brakes. The hydraulic pressure applied to the controlled wheel brakes is adjusted by the operation of the solenoid valves to limit wheel slippage to a safe level while continuing to produce adequate brake torque to decelerate the vehicle as desired by the driver.
Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated, in
FIG. 1
, a typical prior art pressure sensor
10
. The sensor
10
includes a generally cylindrical base
12
having a central axial bore
14
formed therein. The sensor
10
is mounted upon a control valve body
16
with the central bore
14
communicating with a control valve passageway
18
that is connected to the brake system master cylinder (not shown). An O-ring
20
is mounted upon the exterior of the base
12
to provide a seal between the sensor
10
and the control valve body
16
. The upper end of the bore
14
terminates in a diaphragm
22
.
The base
12
carries a central sensor portion
24
which typically includes a strain gauge type pressure sensing device
26
that uses resistive technology arranged in a full or half bridge configuration. The pressure sensing device
26
is mounted upon the upper surface of the diaphragm
22
. The sensor central bore
14
receives pressurized brake fluid that presses against the lower surface of the diaphragm
22
. The pressurized brake fluid slightly deflects the diaphragm
22
, generating strains within the diaphragm
22
. The strains are detected by the pressure sensing device
26
and converted into an electrical pressure signal. When the pressure within the central bore
14
changes, additional strains are developed in the diaphragm
22
and are detected by the pressure sensing device
26
.
The central portion
24
of the sensor
10
also can include a Printed Circuit Board (PCB)
28
which carries an electronic circuit
30
for conditioning the pressure signals generated by the pressure sensing device
26
. While the sensor
10
has been described and illustrated as having a resistive strain gauge type of pressure sensing device
26
, it will be appreciated that the sensor
10
also can include other types of pressure sensing devices, such as, for example, a capacitive type of pressure sensing device (not shown).
The pressure sensor
10
further includes a cylindrical outer housing
32
that carries a male electrical connector
34
. The electrical connector includes a disc-shaped base
36
that is crimped into the upper end of the outer housing
32
. As shown in
FIG. 1
, a pair of pin connectors
38
extend through the connector base
36
. While two pin connectors
38
are shown in
FIG. 1
, it will be appreciated that the sensor
10
also can have more or less pin connectors. Alternately, blade connectors (not shown) may be utilized. The lower ends of the pin connectors
38
extend through the printed circuit board
28
and are electrically connected to the electronic circuit
30
. A corresponding female connector
40
is mounted upon the bottom surface of a control module PCB
42
. The female connector
40
includes a base portion
44
that carries a pair of female connector sleeves
45
. A portion of each of the connector sleeves
45
extends through the control module PCB
42
and is electrically connected to conductive traces (not shown) deposited upon the upper surface of the PCB
42
. As illustrated in
FIG. 1
, the upper ends of the pin connectors
38
extend into, and make electrical contact with, the sleeves
45
. The control module PCB
42
is carried by a control module housing (not shown). As described above, the control module housing is removeably mounted upon the control valve body
16
. Upon removal of the control module from the control valve body
16
, the male and female connectors
34
and
40
are separated.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an electrical connector for a pressure sensor having movable electrical contacts that compensate for the stack up of tolerances of connected components.
As explained above, it is desirable to be able to remove the electronic control module from a control valve body. To enable removable, a two piece electrical connector is provided between the pressure sensor
10
mounted upon the control valve body
16
and the PCB
44
carried by the electronic control module. However, the lower portion of the electrical connector is rigidly attached to the pressure sensor
10
that is mounted upon the control valve body
16
while the upper portion of the electrical connector is attached to the PCB
44
that is carried by the electronic control module housing. Accordingly, the stack up of tolerances of the components could cause misalignment of the upper and lower portions,
40
and
34
, of the electrical connector and thereby actually prevent assembly of the electronic control module onto the control valve body
16
. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved p

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