Dew sensor

• US 20050174561A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Niles Company Limited (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Niles Company Limited (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Furusawa, Satoshi, Sasaki, Mikio, Murakami, Harunori
• Application Number:
  US10/497,406
• Publication Number:
  US 20050174561A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 356/37
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10036 comprising two outer glass sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B32B 17/10174 Coatings of a metallic or dielectric material on a constituent layer of glass or polymer
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0837 with a particular arrangement of the optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0877 at least part of the sensor being positioned between layers of the windshield
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection

Abstract

A dew condensation detecting apparatus is independent of a wavelength of a detected light beam, and has a heat capacity of the detecting apparatus body so as to miniaturize the apparatus. A light beam is introduced from a light emitting element into the transparent plate and travels through the transparent plate with repetitions of total reflection. It is then detected by a light receiving element to detect a degree of dew condensation on a surface of the transparent plate in accordance with a variation in detected light quantity. The transparent plate is formed of two sheet glasses bonded to each other by an intermediate film, a part of which is a reflection film. A micro-mirror array for turn-back reflection, composed of oblique reflection surfaces inclined to the surfaces of the spaced sheet glasses, is provided near one end of the reflection film.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting a degree of dew condensation caused on a surface of a transparent plate in accordance with a variation in quantity of detected light, in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged outside of the transparent plate, a light beam from the light emitting element is introduced into the transparent plate in order to detect a light beam traveling through the transparent plate with repetition of total reflection by the light receiving element,

characterized in that the transparent plate is made of a laminated glass composed of at least two sheet glasses which are bonded together through the intermediary of an intermediate film, a reflection film is provided in a part of the intermediate film, in parallel with surfaces of the sheet glasses, and a micro mirror array in which a plurality of oblique reflection surfaces inclined to the surfaces of the sheet glasses are arranged being spaced from one another, is arranged around one end of the reflection film, the light emitting element and the light receiving element being juxtaposed with each other, outside of the laminated glass in the vicinity of the other end of the reflection film,

wherein the light beam from the light emitting element travels through only one of the sheet glasses with repetitions of reflection on the reflection film and total reflection on the glass surface, and the light beam is reflected through turn-back by the micro-mirror array toward the light receiving element.

2. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the micro-mirror array has such a configuration that a plurality of triangular columnar members made of transparent materials are arranged, proximate to one another, and each of the triangular columnar members is formed on an oblique side surface thereof with a reflection film.

3. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of the triangular columnar members in the micro-mirror array has a shape in which it is arcuately curved about a midpoint between the light emitting element and the light receiving element as a center point.

4. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 2 or 3, wherein the micro-mirror array and the reflection film are formed on the inner side surface of one of the sheet glasses.

5. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 2 or 3, wherein the micro-mirror array and the reflection film are formed on a transparent film which is then bonded to the inner side surface of one of the sheet glasses.

6. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claims 1 to 3, wherein a plane angle between the optical axis of the light emitting element and the optical axis of the light receiving element is not greater than 30 degrees.

7. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein prisms incorporating collimator lenses are arranged between the light emitting element and the glass surface and between the light receiving element and the glass surface, respectively, the light beam from the light emitting element is collimated by the lens and is then introduced into the sheet glass while a return light beam is led out from the sheet glass and is converged by the lens before it is incident upon the light receiving element, and a light emitting diode is used as the light emitting element.

8. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein an incident angle of the light beam from the light-emitting element with respect to the laminated glass is set in a range from 42.5 to 63 degrees, and the angle of the oblique reflection surfaces in the micro-mirror array is set to be substantially equal to the incident angle.

9. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein a distance from the position where light beam from the light emitting element is incident upon the laminated glass and light beam into the light receiving element is outgoing from the laminated glass to the center position of the micro-mirror array is set in a range from 25 to 100 mm.

10. A dew condensation detecting apparatus as set forth in claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the at least two sheet glasses consists of a green glass, and a green light emitting diode is used as the light emitting element.