Sensor assembly with housing for secure sensor connections

Abstract

A sensor assembly for use with a separate control unit has a housing with a cradling bracket, a sensor, and a connection socket. The housing has a sensor face, sides, a cradling bracket and a lid. The sensor face defines a sensor opening and a flange connection surface. Sides extend from the sensor face and attach at adjacent edges to form an enclosure with a lid opening. The cradling bracket is within the enclosure. The lid is sized to fit the lid opening and adapted for releasable attachment to the enclosure. The sensor has a sensing element, a flange member, and electrical leads. The sensing element senses a parameter through the sensor opening. The flange member extends from the sensing element and is fixedly attached to the sensing element. The flange member attaches the sensor to the flange connection surface of the housing. Electrical leads extend from the sensing element and terminate in terminal ends. The connection socket is attached to the terminal ends of the electrical leads. The connection socket has openings for receiving wires from the control unit to electrically connect with the electrical leads of the sensor. The connection socket is sized to mate with and be cradled by the cradling bracket. The cradling bracket and the lid cooperate in a closed position to prevent the connection socket from moving during use.