Melexis Nv

Johan Schuurmans

Roger Diels

William R Betts

Adrian Hill

The elements of a tire pressure monitoring and transmitting system are encapsulated into a single package. A pressure sensitive device is covered with a flexible gel coat and then inserted into a molding tool cavity. A removable pin is incorporated into the molding tool and in its normal position is in contact with the gel. A molding compound is injected into the cavity so as to encapsulate the device and gel coat. When the pin is extracted and the device ejected from the molding cavity, an airway is left defined by the removable pin. The airway exposes the flexible gel covering the pressure sensitive device to the local air pressure, whereby the gel, being flexible, transfers the pressure to the pressure sensitive device.

Tire pressure sensors and methods of making the same

Elements of a sensor system are encapsulated into a single package. The sensor elements are covered with a flexible gel coat and then inserted into a molding tool cavity. Each element may be individually coated with a gel blob, or all elements may by coated with a single gel blob. One or more retractable pins are incorporated into the molding tool and in their normal position are each in contact with the gel. A molding compound is injected into the cavity so as to encapsulate the device and gel coat. When the pins are extracted and the device ejected from the molding cavity, one or more passageways in the molding are left defined by the pins. The passageways expose the flexible gel covering the device elements to the atmosphere. For pressure sensitive elements, the gel, being flexible, transfers the local air pressure to the pressure sensitive element. For optical elements, the exposed gel is preferably removed to allow for the passage of radiation to and from the device elements. Alternatively, or in addition, an optically transmitting gel is used so as to allow for the passage of radiation at specific wavelengths.

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Balen, Belgium

Johan Schuurmans