Preformed sensor housings and methods to produce thin metal diaphragms
View Patent ↗A preformed sensor housing including a conduit having an inside; a plug disposed within the conduit; and a deposit covering a portion of the plug and a portion of the conduit. A method is also disclosed for creating a thin film diaphragm on a housing including the step of inserting a sacrificial element into the housing; depositing a diaphragm material onto the sacrificial element and the housing; and removing the sacrificial element.
1. A sensor tip assembly comprising:
a housing having an interior;
a sacrificial element disposed in the housing, wherein a first portion of the sacrificial element is disposed in the housing interior and a second portion of the sacrificial element extends outside of the housing, wherein the second portion has a shaped surface; and
a diaphragm attached to the housing and attached to the second portion of the sacrificial element, the diaphragm including a side wall portion, the side wall portion of the diaphragm comprising a patterned surface that is formed on the shaped surface of the sacrificial element.
2. The sensor tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm is hermetically attached to the housing.
3. The sensor tip assembly of claim 2 , wherein the corrugated pattern comprises a plurality of parallel rings.
4. The sensor tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm further includes a front face portion having a second patterned surface.
5. The sensor tip assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second patterned surface comprises a flat surface.
6. The sensor tip assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second patterned surface comprises a corrugated surface.
7. The sensor tip assembly of claim 4 , wherein the second patterned surface comprises a regularly patterned surface.
8. The sensor tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the diaphragm comprises a chamber.
9. The sensor tip assembly of claim 8 , wherein the chamber is expandable.
10. The sensor tip assembly of claim 8 , wherein the chamber is compressible.
11. The sensor tip assembly of claim 1 , wherein the patterned surface of the diaphragm comprises a corrugated pattern.
12. A method comprising:
providing a housing having an interior and an opening therein;
inserting a plug in the housing such that a first portion of the plug is inside the housing and a second portion of the plug extends through the opening and outside the housing;
forming a cover over the second portion of the plug and at least a portion of the housing, the cover attached to the housing and the second portion of the plug; and
removing the entire plug, whereby the cover is still attached to the housing, thereby forming a chamber.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising removing the plug comprises removing the plug using a chemical.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of removing the plug comprises removing the plug using a change in temperature.
15. The method of claim 12 , further comprising creating a pattern on the plug.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein creating a pattern on the plug comprises creating a plurality of ridges on the plug.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein creating a pattern on the plug comprises forming a textured surface on at least a portion of the plug.