# US 11,079,356 B2 · Ultrasonic sensing apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,079,356 B2 - Document ID: US11079356B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/847,684 - Filed: 2020-04-14 - Published: 2020-12-17 - Granted: 2021-08-03 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-12 - Assignees: Qian Jun Technology Ltd. - Applicants: Qian Jun Technology Ltd. - Inventors: Yu-Yen Fu; Po-Chun Yeh; Dong-Fu Chen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11079356B2 ## CPC - G01N 29/02: Analysing fluids (using acoustic emission techniques G01N29/14 {; constructional or flow details for analysing fluids G01N29/222; optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425}) - G01N 29/2437: {Piezoelectric probes} - G01F 23/296: Acoustic waves - G01F 23/2968: {Transducers specially adapted for acoustic level indicators} - G01N 29/22: Details {, e.g. general constructional or apparatus details} - G01N 29/222: {Constructional or flow details for analysing fluids (optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425)} - H10N 30/302: {Sensors} - H10N 30/88: Mounts; Supports; Enclosures; Casings - G01N 2291/022: Liquids - G01N 2291/0228: Aqueous liquids - G01N 2291/02809: Concentration of a compound, e.g. measured by a surface mass change - G01N 2291/02836: Flow rate, liquid level - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01F: MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUID LEVEL; METERING BY VOLUME - H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract An ultrasonic sensing apparatus includes an accommodating shell and at least one detection device. The accommodating shell includes a base and a convex portion connected to the base. A side of the base has a first detection opening toward a first direction, and a side of the convex portion has a second detection opening toward a second direction. Each of the at least one detection device is disposed in the base or the convex portion of the accommodating shell and includes a board, a piezoelectric assembly, a housing and a plurality of fixing members. The plurality of fixing members are configured to fix the board on the top wall of the housing to press the board to the encapsulating body of the piezoelectric assembly, thereby pressing the piezoelectric sheet to the bottom wall. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An ultrasonic sensing apparatus, comprising: an accommodating shell, comprising a base and a convex portion connected to the base, wherein a side of the base has a first detection opening toward a first direction, and a side of the convex portion has a second detection opening toward a second direction; and at least one detection device, wherein each of the at least one detection device is disposed in the base or the convex portion of the accommodating shell and comprises: a board, disposed in the accommodating shell and covering the first detection opening or the second detection opening; a piezoelectric assembly, comprising an encapsulating body and a piezoelectric sheet, wherein at least a portion of the piezoelectric sheet is enclosed by the encapsulating body, the encapsulating body is disposed on the board, and the piezoelectric sheet has a sensing surface exposed to the encapsulating body and away from the board; a housing, comprising a top wall, a bottom wall and a surrounding side wall connected between the top wall and the bottom wall and surrounding the encapsulating body, wherein the top wall has an opening formed at the position where the top wall is connected with the surrounding side wall and opposite to the bottom wall, and the top wall is disposed on the board, so that at least the bottom wall of the housing is exposed to the first detection opening or the second detection opening; and a plurality of fixing members, configured to fix the board on the top wall of the housing to press the board to the encapsulating body of the piezoelectric assembly, thereby pressing the sensing surface of the piezoelectric sheet to the bottom wall. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a cable conduit communicating with the convex portion, wherein each of the at least one detection device comprises at least one cable, and the cable conduit is configured to guide the at least one cable to an outside of the accommodating shell. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a quantity of the at least one detection device is two, and the housings of the two detection devices are exposed to the first detection opening and the second detection opening respectively. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a cable conduit communicating with the convex portion, wherein each of the at least one detection device comprises at least one cable, and the cable conduit is configured to guide the at least one cable to an outside of the accommodating shell. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a cable conduit communicating with the convex portion, wherein each of the at least one detection device comprises at least one cable, and the cable conduit is configured to guide the at least one cable to an outside of the accommodating shell. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the accommodating shell further comprises a board part connected to the base, a reflective sheet is disposed on the board part and opposite to the second detection opening, wherein the reflective sheet is configured to reflect a vibration signal of the piezoelectric sheet of the at least one detection device when the at least one detection device is disposed in the convex portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a cable conduit communicating with the convex portion, wherein each of the at least one detection device comprises at least one cable, and the cable conduit is configured to guide the at least one cable to an outside of the accommodating shell. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a waveguide connected to the first detection opening and extended away from the base along the first direction, wherein the waveguide is configured to concentrate a vibration signal of the piezoelectric sheet of the at least one detection device when the at least one detection device is disposed in the base. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a cable conduit communicating with the convex portion, wherein each of the at least one detection device comprises at least one cable, and the cable conduit is configured to guide the at least one cable to an outside of the accommodating shell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the board is bent or flat. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the board is a circuit board. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric assembly further comprises a positive guide pin having an end connected to the piezoelectric sheet and a negative guide pin having an end connected to the piezoelectric sheet, the positive guide pin and the negative guide pin pass through the encapsulating body, and the board has two openings allowing the positive guide pin and the negative guide pin to pass therethrough. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulating body is adhered to the surrounding side wall. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulating body has a surrounding shape conformed to the surrounding side wall. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the piezoelectric assembly further comprises a matching layer or a conducting layer disposed on the sensing layer of the piezoelectric sheet and corresponding to vibration energy of the piezoelectric sheet. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of fixing members is a screw, the board has a plurality of through holes, and the top wall has a plurality of screw holes. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The ultrasonic sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the encapsulating body comprises a matching layer and/or an absorbing layer corresponding to vibration energy of the piezoelectric sheet.