# US 2023/0056076 A1 · Method for detecting ingress of a viscous medium in an electronic assembly for a vehicle > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0056076 A1 - Document ID: US20230056076A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/797,299 - Filed: 2021-02-04 - Published: 2023-02-23 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-07 - Assignees: ZF Automotive Germany GmbH - Applicants: Zf Automotive Germany GmbH - Inventors: Ingo BECKER - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230056076A1 ## CPC - G01M 3/16: using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) - G01M 3/186: {for containers, e.g. radiators} - G01R 31/006: {on road vehicles, e.g. automobiles or trucks (testing of ignition installations peculiar to internal combustion engines F02P17/00)} - G01R 31/52: Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract The invention relates to a method for identifying infiltration of a viscous medium (18) into an electronic assembly (10) for a vehicle, the electronic assembly (10) comprising at least one housing (40), a printed circuit board (15) and a connection region (45), the housing (40) providing an almost tight enclosure for the electronic assembly (10) and a redundancy being provided in respect of a processing and/or forwarding of electrical signals by means of the printed circuit board (15) in the electronic assembly (10), the redundancy providing at least a first transmission path (1) and a second transmission path (2) operatively parallel thereto, each transmission path (1; 2) consisting of at least one first electrical conductor (11; 21) and a second electrical conductor (12; 22), the electrical conductors (11, 12; 21, 22) each being electrically insulated from one another, and the first transmission path (1) and the second transmission path (2) forwarding the same electrical signal (U), the second transmission path (2) providing a region (30), the first electrical conductor (21) and the associated second electrical conductor (22) having no insulation in this region (30), so that an electrical signal (U) which is conducted by the two electrical conductors (11; 12; 21; 22) is changed to an electrical signal (Uv) in the event that the viscous medium (18) infiltrates into the electrical assembly (10). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for detecting ingress of a viscous medium (18) into an electronic assembly (10) for a vehicle, which electronic assembly (10) comprises at least a housing (40), a printed circuit board (15) and a connection region (45), which housing (40) provides an almost tight enclosure for the electronic assembly (10), with redundancy being provided with regard to processing and/or transfer of electrical signals by means of the printed circuit board (15) in the electronic assembly (10), which redundancy provides at least a first transmission path (1) and a second transmission path (2), which is operatively parallel thereto, each transmission path (1; 2) consisting of at least a first electrical conductor (11; 21) and a second electrical conductor (12; 22), which electrical conductors (11, 12; 21; 22) are electrically insulated from each other, wherein the first transmission path (1) and the second transmission path (2) transfer an identical electrical signal (U), wherein the second transmission path (2) provides a region (30), in which region (30) the first electrical conductor (21) and the associated second electrical conductor (22) have no insulation, and therefore in the event of ingress of the viscous medium (18) into the electronic assembly (10), an electrical signal (U) that is being conducted by the two electrical conductors (11; 12; 21; ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first transmission path (1) is offset in parallel with, and/or at an angle to, the second transmission path (2). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the region (30) is positioned such that the viscous medium (18) penetrating into the electronic assembly (10) first reaches the region (30) of the second transmission path (2). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second electrical conductors (21, 22) of the second transmission path (2) provide at the region (30) a bridging point (33). ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bridging point (33) is formed by the first and second electrical conductors (21, 22). ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bridging point (33) is formed by a first test point (25) and a second test point (26), with the first test point (25) connected to the first electrical conductor (21) in an electrically conducting manner, and the second test point (26) connected to the second electrical conductor (22) in an electrically conducting manner. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the electrical conductors (11; 12; 21; 22) are conductor tracks on the printed circuit board (15) and/or electrical cables and/or plug-in contacts located inside the housing (40) and/or in the connection region (45). ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connection region (45) comprises at least one electrically conducting connection (47) in order to connect the electronic assembly (10) to a further electrical and/or electronic assembly (50). ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the electrically conducting connection (47) is designed as a current-conducting cable or as a plug-in connection. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the redundancy provides at least a third transmission path (3), which third transmission path provides at least a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor (31, 32), with the third transmission path provided between the first transmission path and the second transmission path (1; 2). ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the third transmission path (3) is similar in design to the second transmission path (2), with the following provided in the event of ingress of the viscous medium (18) into the electronic assembly (10): a) if there is further ingress of a viscous medium (18) into the electronic assembly (10), then in the third transmission path (3), the viscous medium (18) modifies the electrical signal (U) in the region (30′) into an electrical signal (Uv′); b) comparison with the electrical signal (U) in the first transmission path (1); c) if (U)≠(Uv′), an additional warning signal (W′) is produced. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the viscous medium (18) is water and/or an oil and/or an emulsion and/or a lubricant and/or a cleaning agent and/or an acid and/or a hydraulic fluid. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the further electrical/electronic assembly (50) is a steering assembly or a wheel brake or a radar assembly or a lidar assembly or an assembly related to the safety of a vehicle operation. ### Claim 22 is modified to an electrical signal (Uv), wherein, in addition, said modified signal (Uv) of the second transmission path (2) is compared with the electrical signal (U) of the first transmission path (1), and a warning message (W) is produced if the one electrical signal (U) differs from the modified electrical signal (Uv).