FORM 2
THE PATENTS ACT 1970
[39 OF 1970]
&
THE PATENTS RULES, 2003
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION
[See section 10; Rule 13]
TITLE: “A SENSOR DEVICE FOR MEASURING TEMPERATURE AND AN OPERATING METHOD THEREOF”
Name and Address of the Applicant: MINDA INSTRUMENTS LIMITED, of Gut No. 287, 291-295, 298, 285/1, 286/1 Nanekarwadi Chakan, Taluka - Khed, Pune-410501, Maharashtra, India
Nationality: India
The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.

TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present subject matter generally relates to sensor device, more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to a method and a sensor device for measuring temperature.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Generally, temperature sensor is a device which is utilised for sensing temperature of an entity or various fluid media and give output in an analog format. The temperature sensor works on Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) technology. The various fluid media may include, but is not limited to, air, water, fuel, oil and the like. Further, the temperature senor may include, but is not limited to, NTC temperature sensor, Outside Air Temperature (OAT0 sensor, and the like. The OAT sensor is utilized to sense outside air temperature and measure the temperature in analog form. Further, Figure 1a, shows a prior art design of an OAT sensor. The prior art OAT sensor comprises a Direct Terminal Termination (DTT) subassembly, which in turn includes a thermistor welded with a DTT holder and O ring insertion. Further, the subassembly is inserted in a housing. Currently, the problem with the prior art OAT sensor is that it requires a dedicated production line, thermistor is damaged during DTT subassembly insertion in the housing, DTT subassembly that comes out from the housing may have loose fitment between the housing and the DTT subassembly.
[0003] In order to overcome the problem of the prior art OAT sensor, existing sensor utilises a plastic that is moulded in shape of the housing DTT holder assembly (i.e., DTT holder + thermistor) as shown in Figure 1b. However, the existing sensors face several challenges such as, but not limited to, during injection moulding process, damage to the thermistor may occur due to undesired lateral movements, the thermistor bulb may be subjected to stress which leads to latent field failure and may not be captured during the assembly process as well as during product validation process. Further, for some process variations or process handling issues in injection moulding during injection mould process, the thermistor is subjected to undesired movements which causes improper distribution of mould over the thermistor surface, thereby causing exposure of thermistor to the environment. This may cause the thermistor to get tempered or damaged during vehicle running condition easily. Therefore, it is required to improve quality of the temperature sensor to measure the temperature.

[0004] The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
SUMMARY
[0005] In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a sensor device for measuring temperature. The sensor device comprises a connector insulator assembly and a cap. The connector insulator assembly comprises a holder defined by a first side and a second side; at least two terminals insert molded through the holder. The at least two terminals at the first side of the holder are accessible to mate with a vehicle connector; a thermistor bulb secured to the at least two terminals at the second side of the holder. Thereafter, the cap is configured to securely accommodate the thermistor bulb.
[0006] In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method of measuring temperature. The method comprises measuring temperature of an object. Thereafter, the method comprises providing an analog output based on measured temperature of the object.
[0007] The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
[0008] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and regarding the accompanying figures, in which:
[0009] Figures 1a-1b shows prior art designs of sensor device;

[0010] Figure 2 shows a design of sensor device for measuring temperature, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;
[0011] Figure 3 illustrates a flow diagram showing exemplary method for measuring temperature, in accordance with some embodiments of present disclosure; and
[0012] It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
DETAILED DESCRITION
[0013] In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
[0014] While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure.
[0015] The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device, or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.

[0016] The terms “includes”, “including”, or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device, or method that includes a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “includes… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.
[0017] In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.
[0018] Present disclosure relates to a sensor device and a method for measuring temperature. Currently, existing systems/sensor device face several challenges such as, damage to the thermistor due to undesired lateral movements, the thermistor bulb may be subjected to stress which leads to latent field failure, the thermistor is subjected to undesired movements which causes improper distribution of mould over the thermistor surface, thereby causing exposure of thermistor to the environment. The present disclosure overcomes the above problem by using an improved sensor device for measuring temperature. The present disclosure discloses improved sensor device that comprises a connector insulator assembly and a cap. The connector insulator assembly includes a holder which has two sides defined as a first side and a second side. The connector insulator assembly also includes two terminals that are insert moulded through the holder. The two terminals at the first side of the holder are accessible to mate with a vehicle connector. Further, the connector insulator assembly includes a thermistor bulb which is secured to the two terminals at the second side of the holder. Thereafter, the cap of the present disclosure is configured to securely accommodate the thermistor bulb. Thus, the present disclosure is able to improve the design of the sensor device and protect the thermistor bulb from any damage.
[0019] Figure 2 shows an exemplary environment 200 for measuring temperature. The exemplary environment 200 includes a sensor device 201. The sensor device 201 includes one or more

components. The one or more components include, but is not limited to, a connector insulator assembly 202, a cap 203 and a housing 204 as shown in Figure 2. Further, the connector insulator assembly 202 comprises but not limited to, a holder 205, at least two terminals 206 and a thermistor bulb 207. In an embodiment, the connect insulator assembly 202 are parts or devices used for electrically protecting and connecting or disconnecting circuits. In an embodiment, the holder 205 is defined by a first side and a second side. In an embodiment, the holder 205 is insert moulded within the connector insulator assembly 202. The holder 205 is a Direct Terminal Termination (DTT) connector insulator assembly. In an embodiment, the at least two terminals 206 is insert moulded through the holder 205. The at least two terminals 206 are accessible to mate with a vehicle connector at the first side of the holder 205. In an embodiment, the holder 205 is a modular connector that is designed for establishing a stable and secure connection when two or multiple terminal wires are put together. In an embodiment, the vehicle connector is also referred as car connector and is a common part of the car. The vehicle connector main function is to connect various equipment of the car, or to connect the car with the external equipment of the car through the car connector. Further, the thermistor bulb 207 of the connector insulator assembly 202 is secured to the at least two terminals 206 at the second side of the holder 205 as shown in Figure 2. Thereafter, the cap 203 of the sensor device 201 is configured to securely accommodate the thermistor bulb 207. In an embodiment, the cap 203 is made of, but not limited to, plastic, metal, elastic material and the like. In an embodiment, the connector insulator assembly 202 and the cap 203 is then fitted or inserted in the housing 204 as shown in Figure 2. In an embodiment, the housing 204 is made of any material and is not limited to plastic, metal and the like.
[0020] In an embodiment, the sensor device 201 is configured to measure the temperature of an object. The object may include, but is not limited to, a solid substance, a liquid substance, a gaseous substance and the like. The object may include, but is not limited to, air, water, fuel, oil, an equipment and the like. The sensor device 201 is configured to provide an analog output based on measured temperature of the object. In an embodiment, the sensor device 201 measures the temperature of the object using a Negative Temperature Coefficient (NTC) technology. In an embodiment, in the NTC technology resistance of the thermistor bulb 207 decreases with increase in temperature and increases with decrease in temperature.

[0021] Figure 3 illustrates a flow diagram showing exemplary method for measuring temperature, in accordance with some embodiments of present disclosure.
[0022] As illustrated in Figure 3, the method 300 may include one or more blocks for executing processes in the sensor device 201. The method 300 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform particular functions or implement particular abstract data types.
[0023] The order in which the method 300 are described may not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the methods without departing from the scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.
[0024] At block 301, measuring, the temperature of the object.
[0025] At block 302, providing, the analog output based on the measured temperature of the object.
Advantages
[0026] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides an improved sensor device that restrict the movement of the thermistor bulb which in turn prevents damage of the thermistor bulb.
[0027] An embodiment of the present disclosure increases life of the thermistor bulb due to two insert moulds and the cap.
[0028] An embodiment of the present disclosure prevents stress induced during moulding process on the thermistor bulb.
[0029] An embodiment of the present disclosure prevents exposure of thermistor bulb on housing surface. Thus, results in prevention of wear and tear to the housing surface due to the tempering during vehicle running condition.
[0030] An embodiment of the present disclosure helps in better/ improved response time due to uniform distribution of insulation material during insert moulding process.

[0031] An embodiment of the present disclosure increases productivity and reduces rejections of the sensor device.
[0032] An “article of manufacture” includes non-transitory computer readable medium, and /or hardware logic, in which code may be implemented. A device in which the code implementing the described embodiments of operations is encoded may include a computer readable medium or hardware logic. Of course, those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications may be made to this configuration without departing from the scope of the invention, and that the article of manufacture may include suitable information bearing medium known in the art.
[0033] The terms “an embodiment”, “embodiment”, “embodiments”, “the embodiment”, “the embodiments”, “one or more embodiments”, “some embodiments”, and “one embodiment” mean “one or more (but not all) embodiments of the invention(s)” unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0034] The terms “including”, “comprising”, “having” and variations thereof mean “including but not limited to”, unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0035] The enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0036] The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.
[0037] A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the invention.
[0038] When a single device or article is described herein, it will be readily apparent that more than one device/article (whether or not they cooperate) may be used in place of a single device/article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein (whether or not they cooperate), it will be readily apparent that a single device/article may be used in place of the more than one device or article, or a different number of devices/articles may be used instead of the shown number of devices or programs. The functionality and/or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices which are not explicitly described as having such functionality/features. Thus, other embodiments of the invention need not include the device itself.

[0039] The illustrated operations of Figure 4 shows certain events occurring in a certain order. In alternative embodiments, certain operations may be performed in a different order, modified, or removed. Moreover, steps may be added to the above-described logic and still conform to the described embodiments. Further, operations described herein may occur sequentially or certain operations may be processed in parallel. Yet further, operations may be performed by a single processing unit or by distributed processing units.
[0040] Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based here on. Accordingly, the disclosure of the embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
[0041] While various aspects and embodiments have been disclosed herein, other aspects and embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The various aspects and embodiments disclosed herein are for purposes of illustration and are not intended to be limiting, with the true scope and spirit being indicated by the following claims.

Referral numerals:

Reference Number Description
200 Environment
201 Sensor device
202 Connector insulator assembly
203 Cap
204 Housing
205 Holder
206 At least two terminals
207 Thermistor bulb

We claim:
1. A sensor device (201) for measuring temperature, comprising:
a connector insulator assembly (202) comprising:
a holder (205) defined by a first side and a second side;
at least two terminals (206) insert molded through the holder, the at least two terminals (206) at the first side are accessible to mate with a vehicle connector;
a thermistor bulb (207) secured to the at least two terminals (206) at the second side of the holder (205); and
a cap (203) configured to securely accommodate the thermistor bulb (207).
2. The sensor device (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder (205) is insert molded within the connector insulator assembly (202).
3. The sensor device (201) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the holder (205) is a Direct Terminal Termination (DTT) connector insulator assembly.
4. A method for measuring temperature, the method comprising:
measuring, by a sensor device (201), temperature of an object; and
providing, by the sensor device (201), an analog output based on measured temperature of the object.
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, wherein the object is a solid substance, a liquid
substance, and a gaseous substance.