Sensor device for detecting moisture on a window

• US 6,545,285 B1
• Filed: 03/06/2000
• Issued: 04/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Burkart, Manfred, Pientka, Rainer
• Primary Examiner(s): PYO, KEVIN K
• Application Number:
  US09/445,492
• Time in Patent Office: 1,128 Days
• Field of Search: 250/573, 250/574, 250/575, 250/227.25, 250/239, 250/216, 318/483, 318/DIG.2, 340/602, 340/603, 340/604
• US Class Current: 250/574
• 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

Abstract

A sensor device is described for detecting wetting of a windshield that has only one transmitter with which two measuring zones of the sensor device can be implemented on a wettable outside of the windshield. A light guidance body injecting transmitter radiation into the windshield has structures with which the transmitter radiation emitted by the transmitter is collected and parallelized in two different directions.

Claims

1. A sensor device for detecting wetting of an automotive windshield, comprising:

at least two light-emitting transmitters;

at least two receivers; and

a light guidance body injecting radiation from the at least two light-emitting transmitters into the windshield at an angle of inclination and outputting the radiation from the windshield to the at least two receivers, the light guidance body including at least four structures, each of the at least four structures having two different surfaces to collect and parallelize the radiation from a corresponding one of the at least two light-emitting transmitters in two different directions, wherein the at least two transmitters and the at least two receivers are situated so that images thereof define corner points of a non-right parallelogram, the images being formed by projection onto a plane parallel to the windshield.

2. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the two directions form a beam angle of approximately 100 to 200 degrees.

3. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the radiation from the at least two light-emitting transmitters on each of the at least two receivers forms a beam angle of approximately 60 to 80 degrees.

4. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the angle of inclination of an optical axis of each of the at least four structures to the windshield is approximately 45 degrees.

5. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the plane is a surface of the light guidance body.

6. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein a contact area of the light guidance body on the windshield is rectangular.

7. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein a contact area of the light guidance body on the windshield forms a parallelogram.

8. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein a contact area of the light guidance body on the windshield forms an oval.

9. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least four structures is provided for a corresponding one of the at least two light-emitting transmitters and the at least two receivers.

10. The sensor device according to claim 9, wherein each of the at least four structures is a lens pair.

11. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the light guidance body filters out an ambient radiation due to one of a pigmentation of the light guidance body and a material of the light guidance body.

12. The sensor device according to claim 11, wherein the pigmentation is black.

13. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein the light guidance body is secured to the automotive windshield in a casing.

14. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least four structures comprises two lens-like optical surfaces pointing toward a corresponding one of the at least two transmitters and the at least two receivers such that the corresponding one of the at least two transmitters and the at least two receivers is disposed at a focal point of said two lens-like optical surfaces.

15. The sensor device according to claim 1, wherein each of the at least four structures comprises two lens-like optical surfaces and two cylindrical light guides, each of the two cylindrical light guides being connected to a corresponding one of the two lens-like optical surfaces.