# US 11,994,433 B2 · Temperature sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,994,433 B2 - Document ID: US11994433B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/236,304 - Filed: 2021-04-21 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Granted: 2024-05-28 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-22 - Assignees: Denso Corporation - Applicants: Denso Corporation - Inventors: Masaki Hironaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11994433B2 ## CPC - G01K 7/22: the element being a non-linear resistance, e.g. thermistor (G01K7/26 takes precedence) - G01K 7/021: {Particular circuit arrangements (G01K7/026, G01K7/12, G01K7/14 take precedence)} - G01K 13/024: of moving gases - G01K 2007/163: {provided with specially adapted connectors} - Y02T 10/40: Engine management systems - G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00) - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract The temperature sensor includes a temperature sensing element, a pair of element electrode wires, and a pair of terminals. An overlapping wire portion of each of the element electrode wires is connected to the terminal in such a manner as to overlap the terminal in an overlapping direction. A fillet portion is disposed on a side surface of the overlapping wire portion. The fillet portion has a pair of fillet pieces formed in such a manner as to crawl up from a specific main surface that is a main surface at the overlapping wire portion side in the terminal. In a cross section of the temperature sensor orthogonal to a sensor axis direction and passing through the fillet portion, the maximum length in a width direction of the fillet portion is defined as a fillet maximum width A, and a length in a width direction between a pair of boundary portions between the pair of fillet pieces and the specific main surface is defined as a boundary width B. The temperature sensor has, at least partly in the sensor axis direction, a specific cross section satisfying B≤A, as a cross section of the temperature sensor orthogonal to the sensor axis direction and passing through the fillet portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A temperature sensor comprising: a temperature sensing element for detecting a temperature; a pair of element electrode wires connected to the temperature sensing element, and a pair of terminals connected to respective ones of a pair of the element electrode wires, wherein the element electrode wires each have an overlapping wire portion connected to the terminal in such a manner as to overlap the terminal in an overlapping direction orthogonal to a sensor axis direction, a fillet portion is disposed on a side surface of the overlapping wire portion, the fillet portion having a pair of fillet pieces formed in such a manner as to crawl up from a specific main surface that is a main surface at the overlapping wire portion side in the terminal, and when a direction orthogonal to both the sensor axis direction and the overlapping direction is defined as a width direction, and in a cross section orthogonal to the sensor axis direction and passing through the fillet portion, a maximum length in the width direction of the fillet portion is defined as a fillet maximum width A, and a length in the width direction between a pair of boundary portions between a pair of the fillet pieces and the specific main surface is defined as a boundary width B, the temperature sensor has, at least partly in the sensor axis direction, a specific cross section satisfying B≤A, as a cross section orthogonal to the sensor axis direction and passing through the fillet portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein a cross section orthogonal to the sensor axis direction and passing through the center of the fillet portion in the sensor axis direction is the specific cross section, and in the specific cross section located in the center of the fillet portion in the sensor axis direction, the fillet maximum width A and the boundary width B satisfy a ratio A/B≥1.05. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The temperature sensor according to claim 2, wherein when a cross section orthogonal to the sensor axis direction and passing through the center of the fillet portion in the sensor axis direction is the specific cross section, and a diameter of the overlapping wire portion in a cross section orthogonal to the sensor axis direction and passing through the fillet portion is defined as an electrode wire diameter C, the boundary width B and the electrode wire diameter C satisfy a ratio B/C≤6 in the specific cross section located in the center of the fillet portion in the sensor axis direction. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein in the specific cross section located at least partly in the sensor axis direction, at least one fillet piece of a pair of the fillet pieces extends to a side further from the terminal in the overlapping direction than a center is in the overlapping direction in the overlapping wire portion of the element electrode wire. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein when a cross section orthogonal to the sensor axis direction and passing through the center of the fillet portion in the sensor axis direction is the specific cross section, and the terminal side opposite the overlapping wire portion in the overlapping direction is defined as an embedded side, an end portion at the embedded side of the overlapping wire portion is embedded in the terminal in such a manner as to be disposed closer to the embedded side than a pair of the boundary portions are, and when in a cross section orthogonal to the sensor axis direction and passing through the fillet portion, a length in the overlapping direction of the fillet portion is defined as a fillet height D, and a shortest length in the overlapping direction between a position of an end portion at the embedded side of the overlapping wire portion and a pair of the boundary portions is defined as an embedded depth E, the fillet height D of at least one fillet piece of a pair of the fillet pieces and the embedded depth E satisfy a ratio D/E≥2 in the specific cross section located in the center of the fillet portion in the sensor axis direction. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein in the specific cross section located at least partly in the sensor axis direction, at least one fillet piece of a pair of the fillet pieces has a site with a thickness larger than a thickness of an end portion at the specific main surface side. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of fillet pieces directly contacts the overlapping wire portion; and the fillet pieces are positioned on opposing sides of the overlapping wire portion in the width direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein the pair of fillet pieces are substantially equivalent to each other in shape. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein a surface of each of the pair of fillet pieces bulges toward a side away from the overlapping wire portion in the width direction and bulges in an opposite direction from the surface of the other fillet piece of the pair of fillet pieces in the width direction. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The temperature sensor according to claim 1, wherein each of the pair of fillet pieces directly contacts the overlapping wire portion; and the fillet pieces are positioned on opposing sides of the overlapping wire portion in the width direction; and the fillet maximum width extends between a first outermost boundary of one of the pair of fillet pieces in the width direction and a second outermost boundary of another of the pair of fillet pieces in the width direction.