Automatically controlled cleaning device, notably for a motor vehicle windscreen
First Claim
1. An automatically controlled cleaning device for removing foreign bodies from the surface of a window, the window having an inside surface and an outside surface, and said device comprising cleaning means which defines at least one cleaning area on the outside surface of the window, driving means for driving the cleaning means, detection means for supplying a detection signal representative of the presence of foreign bodies on the outside surface of the window, and control means for supplying a control signal to the driving means in response to the detection signal, wherein the detection means comprises a single transducer, means for causing said transducer to emit at least one incident ultrasonic signal propagating across the thickness of the window, and means for measuring and discriminating the amplitude of an ultrasonic signal reflected back to said single transducer to determine the presence of said foreign bodies on a portion of the outside surface of the window opposite to said single transducer and to provide the detection signal in response to said determination, and wherein said single transducer is fixed with a fist face against the inside surface of the window.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automatically controlled cleaning device is adapted to remove foreign bodies such as water from the surface of a window, such as a car window, which has an inside surface and an outside surface. This device has cleaning element which define at least one predetermined area on the outside surface of this window, driving circuit for the cleaning element which operate in response to a control signal, detection element capable of supplying a detection signal representative of the presence of foreign bodies on the outside surface of the window and control device capable of supplying a control signal in response to the detection signal wherein the detection element comprise a transducer able to emit at least one incident ultrasonic signal propagating within the thickness of the window and able to receive a reflected ultrasonic signal representative of the presence of the foreign bodies to analyse the detection signal and where the transducer is fixed by a first face against the inside surface of the window.
94 Citations
20 Claims
- 1. An automatically controlled cleaning device for removing foreign bodies from the surface of a window, the window having an inside surface and an outside surface, and said device comprising cleaning means which defines at least one cleaning area on the outside surface of the window, driving means for driving the cleaning means, detection means for supplying a detection signal representative of the presence of foreign bodies on the outside surface of the window, and control means for supplying a control signal to the driving means in response to the detection signal, wherein the detection means comprises a single transducer, means for causing said transducer to emit at least one incident ultrasonic signal propagating across the thickness of the window, and means for measuring and discriminating the amplitude of an ultrasonic signal reflected back to said single transducer to determine the presence of said foreign bodies on a portion of the outside surface of the window opposite to said single transducer and to provide the detection signal in response to said determination, and wherein said single transducer is fixed with a fist face against the inside surface of the window.
Specification