Sensor for detecting an amount of rain

• US 4,639,831 A
• Filed: 02/04/1986
• Issued: 01/27/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Iyoda, Motomi
• Primary Examiner(s): GRIFFIN, DONALD
• Application Number:
  US06/825,991
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 361/286, 324/61 R
• US Class Current: 361/286
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0818 including control systems responsive to external conditions, e.g. by detection of moisture, dirt or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0829 Oscillator-resonator rain sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0892 Testing and production of rain sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/226 Construction of measuring vessels; Electrodes therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 27/26 Measuring inductance or capacitance; Measuring quality factor, e.g. by using the resonance method; Measuring loss factor; Measuring dielectric constants ; Measuring impedance or related variables

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a transparent sensor for detecting an amount of rain positioned thereon, which does not prevent the passenger from seeing outside of a vehicle through a window glass. The raid sensor is made from transparent material, and the rain sensor is located within the wiping area on an exterior surface of the window glass. The rain sensor includes a pair of electrodes. One of the pair of electrodes has a plurality of projections, and an interval is defined between each two of the plurality of projections. Another one of the pair of electrodes has a plurality of projections, and an interval is defined between each two of the plurality of projections. Further, the plurality of projections of one of the electrodes are inserted into the interval being defined between each two of the projections of another one of the electrodes. A clearance is defined between the plurality of projections of one of the electrodes and the plurality of projections of another one of the electrodes. Accordingly, the pair of electrodes are insulated electrically by the clearance. An insulating protector film covers the plurality of projections of the electrodes and the clearance, and the insulating protector film is fixed to the plurality of projections of the electrodes and the exterior surface of the window glass. The insulating protector film is made from transparent material.

Claims

1. A sensor for detecting an amount of rain comprising:

a first conductor member being made of transparent material, the first conductor member including a plurality of first projections, each of the plurality of first projections being spaced from the other of the plurality of first projections;

a second conductor member being made of transparent material, the second conductor member including a plurality of second projections, each of the plurality second projections being spaced from the other of the plurality of second projections, at least one of the plurality of second projections being inserted between two of the plurality of first projections of said first conductor member with a clearance, said first conductor member being insulted electrically from said second conductor member by the clearance; and

a first insulating member being mounted on said first and second conductor members, said first insulating member being made from a first transparent material.

2. A sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 1, further comprising a base insulating member being made of transparent material, said first and second conductor members being mounted on said base insulating member.

3. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 2, wherein said first insulating member is mounted on said first and second conductor members and said base insulating member being defined between said first and second conductor members.

4. A sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 3, further comprising an anti-reflecting member being mounted on said first insulating member, said anti-reflecting member being made from a second transparent material.

5. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 4, wherein the first transparent material of said first insulating member is selected from the group consisting of Alumina, Zirconia and Silica.

6. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 5, wherein the second transparent material of said anti-reflecting member is selected from the group consisting of Alumina, Zirconia and Silica.

7. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 6, wherein a combination of the transparent material of said first insulating member with the second transparent material of said anti-reflecting member is selected from the group consisting of a first combination of Alumina with Silica, a second combination of Zirconia with Alumina, a third combination of Zirconia with Silica and a fourth combination of Silica with Alumina.

8. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 4, wherein said anti-reflecting member is fixed to said first insulating member by a method being selected from spattering, vacuum evaporation and ion plating.

9. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 3, wherein said first conductor member includes a plurality of first wide portions and said second conductor member includes a plurality of second wide portions, the plurality of first projections extending from the plurality of first wide portions, the plurality of second projections extending from the plurality of second wide portions, the first and second wide portions defining a plurality of groups of first and second projections.

10. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 3, wherein said first insulating member is fixed to said first and second conductor members and said base insulating member by a method being selected from spattering, vacuum evaporation and ion plating.

11. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 2, wherein said base insulating member is a windshield.

12. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 2, wherein said first and second conductor members are fixed to said base insulating member by a method being selected from spattering, vacuum evaporation and ion plating.

13. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 1, wherein said first and second conductor members are made from ITO film.

14. A sensor for detecting amount of rain comprising:

a base insulating member being made from transparent material;

a first conductor member being made from transparent material, the first conductor member being fixed to said base insulating member, the first conductor member including a plurality of first projections, each of the plurality of first projections being spaced from the other of the plurality of first projections;

a second conductor member being made from transparent material, the second conductor member being fixed to said base insulating member, the second member including a plurality of second projections, each of the plurality of second projections being spaced from the other of the plurality of second projections, at least one of the plurality of second projections being inserted between two of the plurality of first projections of said first conductor member with a clearance, said first conductor member being insulated electrically from said second conductor member by the clearance; and

a first insulating member being fixed to said first and second conductor members and said base insulating member being defined between said first and second conductor members, said a first insulating member being made from a first transparent material.

15. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 14, wherein said first conductor member includes a plurality of first wide portions and said second conductor member includes a plurality of second wide portions, the plurality of first projections extending from the plurality of first wide portions, the plurality of second projections extending from the plurality of second wide portions, the first and second wide portions defining a plurality of groups of first and second projections.

16. A sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 15, further comprising an anti-reflecting member being mounted on said first insulating member, said anti-reflecting member being made from a second transparent material.

17. A sensor for detecting an amount of rain comprising:

a windshield being made from transparent material;

a first conductor member being made from ITO film, the first conductor member being fixed to said windshield, the first conductor member including a plurality of first projections, each of the plurality of first projections being spaced from the other of the plurality of first projections;

a second conductor member being made from ITO film, the second conductor member being fixed to said windshield, the second conductor member including a plurality of second projections, each of the plurality of second projections being spaced from the other of the plurality of second projections, at least one of the plurality of second projections being inserted between two of the plurality of first projections of said first conductor member with a clearance, said first conductor member being insulated electrically from said second conductor member by the clearance; and

a first insulating member being fixed to said first and second conductor members and to said windshield being defined between said first and second conductor members, said first insulating member being made from a first transparent material.

18. A sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 17, further comprising an anti-reflecting member being mounted on said first insulating member, said anti-reflecting member being made from a second transparent material.

19. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 18, wherein said first conductor member includes a plurality of first wide portions and said second conductor member includes a plurality of second wide portions, the plurality of first projections extending from the plurality of first wide portions, the plurality of second projections extending the plurality of second wide portions, the first and second wide portions defining a plurality of groups of first and second projections.

20. The sensor for detecting an amount of rain of claim 19, wherein the first transparent material of said first insulating member is selected from the group consisting of Alumina, Zirconia and Silica.