U.S. Pat. No. 6,789,415 (WO00/63665) discloses a pressure-sensing sensor having a pressure-sensing device and a spring-loaded connector array (a plurality of spring-loaded connectors) for outputting detection signals of the pressure-sensing device.
However, the conventional pressure sensor has the following issues when the spring-loaded connector array thereof is electrically connected to a pad array located on an attachment component. These issues will be described in the following with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG. 7 depicts structures of a conventional sensor appliance 800 and an attachment component 900 schematically. FIG. 8 depicts connection states of the sensor appliance 800 and the attachment component 900.
As shown in FIG. 7, the sensor appliance 800 is provided with a sensor frame having sensing devices a case 810 thereof. The sensor appliance 800 is also provided with a plurality of terminals 820 for outputting detection signals of the sensing devices in such a manner of projecting out of the case 810 in a same direction and in parallel. While, the attachment component 900 is provided with a plurality of pads 920 on its connection surface 910 facing the tips of the plurality of terminals 820 and arranged at corresponding positions to those of the plurality of terminals 820.
The terminals 820 have a common shape, and the tips of the terminals 820 are arranged at a generally uniform height relative to the attachment component 900 and symmetrically disposed with respect to a center axis of the case 810. Thus, the terminals 820 and the pads 920 can securely contact to each other even when the terminals 820 is shifted to some extent relative to the pads 920 of the attachment component 900.
Specifically, in FIG. 8, it is assumed that the sensor appliance 800 has four terminals 820 of V for power supply, O for output, G for grounding and C for control and that the attachment component 900 has four pads 920 of V, O, G and C.
When the terminals 820 and the pads 920 are at a regular position as shown in an uppermost figure in FIG. 8, the tips of each of the terminals 820 of V for power supply, O for output, G for grounding and C for control are respectively in contact with and electrically connected to the pads 920 of V for power supply, O for output, G for grounding and C.
However, as shown in a lowermost figure in FIG. 8, the terminals 820 and the pads 920 are erroneously assembled if the sensor appliance 800 is in a rotated angle of 90 degrees from the above regular position, for example. Even in this case, the terminals 820 and the pads 920 come in contact to each other because the terminals 820 have a common shape, and the tips of the terminals 820 are arranged at a generally uniform height relative to the attachment component 900. This erroneously assembly may cause a failure of an electric circuit formed between the sensor appliance 800 and the attachment component 900 that are electrically connected at all contact points when electricity flows therein without noticing an error in the assembly.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds