Moisture sensor

• US 5,323,637 A
• Filed: 08/05/1992
• Issued: 06/28/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Leopold Kostal GmbH & Company KG
• Inventors: Esders, Berthold, Bendicks, Norbert
• Primary Examiner(s): McMahon, Timothy M.
• Application Number:
  US07/925,938
• Time in Patent Office: 692 Days
• Field of Search: 73/29.01, 73/29.07, 73/335.01, 73/335.07, 73/29.04, 73/29.05, 318/34, 318/119, 318/140, 318/806, 318/483, 318/DIG. 2
• US Class Current: 73/29.01
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0833 Optical rain sensor
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0881 characterized by the attachment means on the windshield
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 318/02 Windshield wiper controls

Abstract

A moisture sensor which registers the amount of moisture from tear-shaped precipitation, particularly on a windshield. The device includes a beam director which is mounted on the windshield by an optical adhesive. The beam director has a beam transmitter on one side and a beam receptor on the other. To ensure an optically perfect attachment of the beam director as an integrated unit to the windshield, there is a parallel relationship between the windshield and the facing surface of the beam director. An optical adhesive is applied to the gap between the windshield and the beam director, and is confined to a particular area.

Claims

1. A sensor device for registering the degree of moisture on a transparent windshield, comprising:

a beam director having a rectangular windshield-facing surface, the beam director being attached by an optical adhesive to the inner surface of the windshield;

a beam transmitter in optical communication with the beam director, the beam director being configured in such a manner that the beams emitted by the beam transmitter, depending on the precipitation on the windshield, are reflected;

a beam receptor also in optical communication with the beam director, the beam receptor receiving reflected beams passing through the beam director before communicating a signal to a control unit which controls a motor for driving the windshield wipers, the signal being dependent on the degree of moisture;

the windshield-facing surface of the beam director being comprised of a rectangular area formed adjacent to the inner surface of the windshield;

a first pair of elevations of equal height, separated from each other but symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the rectangular windshield-facing surface of the beam director and being located proximate an edge of the rectangular area;

at least one additional elevation located at the opposite edge of the beam director, the at least one additional elevation being symmetrical with the first pair of elevations and of corresponding height such that the windshield-facing surface of the beam director is parallel to the windshield;

a pair of elevated guideways located proximate the edges of at least two sides of the windshield-facing surface of the beam director, the elevated guideways running parallel to and extending nearly the full length of these edges and having a height which is slightly less than the other three elevations so as to retain the optical adhesive within the rectangular area; and

at least one aperture in the beam director through which the optical adhesive is applied, the aperture extending from a back surface of the beam director to the windshield-facing surface thereof, and being situated outside the beam path proximate a central area of the sensor device.

3. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the first pair and the at least one additional elevations are of such a height that an equal distribution of the optical adhesive is ensured through the aperture between the windshield-facing surface of the beam director and the inner surface of the windshield.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the first pair and the at least one additional elevations have heights in the range of 0.2 to 0.3 mm.

7. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the elevated guideways have heights approximately 0.1 mm less than the height of the other elevations.

9. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein an adhesive layer is provided in the area defined by the margins of the beam director;

the adhesive being colored darkly in a manner which allows emitted beams to pass, but which does not allow visible light to penetrate.

11. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein an adhesive layer is provided in the area defined by the margins of the beam director;

the windshield being provided with a structure in the area comprised of the margins of the beam director which conceals the elevations and the guideways;

the adhesive being colored darkly in a manner which allows emitted beams to pass, but which does not allow visible light to penetrate.

13. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the windshield is provided with a structure in the area comprised of the margins of the beam director which conceals the elevations and the guideways;

the beam director being colored darkly in a manner which allows emitted beams to pass, but which does not allow visible light to penetrate.

14. The sensor device of claim 1 wherein the beam director is colored darkly in a manner which allows emitted beams to pass, but which does not allow visible light to penetrate.

2. A sensor device for registering the degree of moisture on a transparent windshield, comprising:

a plurality of beam directors integrated into one unit but optically separated from each other, the integrated unit having a rectangular windshield-facing surface and being attached by an optical adhesive to the inner surface of the windshield;

one or more beam transmitters in optical communication with the beam directors, the beam directors being configured in such a manner that the beams emitted by the beam transmitters, depending on the precipitation on the windshield, are reflected;

one or more beam receptors also in optical communication with the beam directors, the beam receptors receiving reflected beams passing through the beam directors before communicating a signal to a control unit which influence a motor for driving the windshield wipers, the signal being dependent on the degree of moisture;

the windshield-facing surface of the integrated beam director being comprised of a rectangular area formed adjacent to the inner surface of the windshield;

a first pair of elevations of equal height, separated from each other but symmetrical about the longitudinal axis of the rectangular windshield-facing surface of the beam directors and being located proximate an edge of the rectangular area;

at least one additional elevation located at the opposite edge of the beam director, the at least one additional elevation being symmetrical with the other two elevations and of corresponding height such that the windshield-facing surface of the beam director is parallel to the windshield;

a pair of elevated guideways located proximate the edges of at least two sides of the windshield-facing surface of the beam director, the elevated guideways running parallel to and extending nearly the full length of these edges and having a height which is slightly less than the other three elevations so as to retain the optical adhesive within the rectangular area; and

at least one aperture in the beam director through which the optical adhesive is applied, the aperture extending from a back surface of the beam director to the windshield-facing surface thereof, and being situated outside the beam path proximate a central area of the sensor device.

4. The sensor device of claim 2, wherein the first pair and the at least one additional elevations are of such a height that an equal distribution of the optical adhesive is ensured through the aperture between the windshield-facing surface of the beam director and the inner surface of the windshield.

6. The sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the first pair and the at least one additional elevations have heights in the range 0.2 to 0.3 mm.

8. The sensor device according to claim 2, wherein the elevated guideways have heights approximately 0.1 mm less than the height of the other elevations.

10. The sensor device of claim 2, wherein an adhesive layer is provided in the area defined by the margins of the integrated beam director;

the adhesive being colored darkly in a manner which allows emitted beams to pass, but which does not allow visible light to penetrate.

12. The sensor device of claim 2, wherein an adhesive layer is provided in the area defined by the margins of the integrated beam director;

the windshield being provided with a structure in the area comprised of the margins of the integrated beam director which conceals the elevations and the guideways;

the adhesive being colored darkly in a manner which allows emitted beams to pass, but which does not allow visible light to penetrate.

15. The sensor device of claim 2 wherein the beam director is colored darkly in a manner which allows emitted beams to pass, but which does not allow visible light to penetrate.