Non-contacting sensor multichip module with integral heat-sinks
AssigneeSSI Technologies, Inc.
InventorJeffrey Tola
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor assembly having a housing including a first portion and a second portion. One of the portions of the housing includes a plurality of walls. The walls at least partially define a chamber. The assembly also includes a hinge connected to the first portion and to the second portion. The second portion is pivotable about the hinge from an open position with respect to the first portion to a closed position with respect to the first portion. The assembly also includes a sensor positioned within the chamber and substantially encircled by the plurality of walls. The sensor is partially enclosed by the first portion and second portion when the second portion is in the closed position.
Claims41
A sensor assembly comprising:
- a housing having a first portion and a second portion together at least partially defining a chamber;
- a hinge connecting to the first portion and the second portion, the second portion being pivotable about the hinge from an open position with respect to the first portion to a closed position with respect to the first portion;
- and
- a sensor element located within the chamber and mounted to the first portion, the second portion of the housing movable with respect to the first portion and to the sensor element mounted to the first portion, wherein the sensor element is mounted to the first portion independently of movement of the second portion;
- wherein the hinge is defined at least in part by an electrical lead deformable to pivot the second portion from the open position to the closed position.
A sensor assembly comprising:
- a housing having a plurality of walls, a first portion and a second portion coupled with a hinge, the second portion being pivotable via the hinge from an open position relative to the first portion to a closed position relative to the first portion, the plurality of walls at least partially defining a chamber within the housing, a wall of the plurality of walls having an internal surface;
- a sensor element;
- a plurality of sensor mounts located on at least one internal surface of at least one of the walls, each of the plurality of sensor mounts having a respective predetermined location in the housing and at least partially defining a different respective position for the sensor element in the housing, wherein the sensor element is mounted to a sensor mount selected from the plurality of sensor mounts;
- and
- an integrated circuit located substantially within the chamber of the housing, the integrated circuit electrically coupled to the sensor element,
- wherein the hinge is at least partially defined by a deformable electrical lead, the lead electrically coupled to the integrated circuit and the first terminal.
A method of assembling a sensor assembly, the sensor assembly having a housing, the method comprising:
- connecting a hinge at least partially defined by an electrical lead between a first portion of a housing and a second portion of the housing, the first portion and the second portion at least partially defining a chamber within the housing;
- positioning a sensor element within the chamber;
- mounting the sensor element to the first portion of the housing;
- deforming the electrical lead of the hinge to move at least one of the first and second portions of the housing with respect to the other of the first and second portions of the housing after mounting the sensor element to the first portion of the housing;
- and
- at least partially enclosing the sensor element within the housing by moving the at least one of the first and second portions of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.