Vehicle sensor assembly including integral heating unit

• US 6,710,302 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mark Rennick
• Original Assignee: Mark Rennick
• Inventors: Rennick, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeffery, John A.
• Application Number:
  US10/284,983
• Time in Patent Office: 509 Days
• Field of Search: 219/202, 219/209, 219/544, 219/201, 340/941, 340/943, 340/933, 340/552-564, 340/903, 340/435-436, 340/904
• US Class Current: 219/202
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/04 Systems determining presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/931 of land vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 2015/938 in the bumper area
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/521 Constructional features

Abstract

A sensor assembly includes an integral heating unit. The sensor assembly includes a sensor housing which can be attached to an exterior surface of a vehicle. A transducer is seated in the sensor housing. The transducer is configured to receive interrogation signals from a controller and to transmit signals in response to the interrogation signals. A heating unit is positioned in the sensor housing. The heating unit includes a shell including a recess which is sized and configured to receive the transducer. A heating coil formed of a high resistance wire is embedded in the shell. The heating coil is configured to radiate heat to warm the transducer to melt built up ice and snow which can block signals emitted by the transducer.

Claims

1. An object proximity sensor assembly for a vehicle comprising:

a sensor housing configured for attachment to an external surface of said vehicle, a recess being formed in said sensor housing;

a heating unit fitted into said recess and comprising;

a solid, single layer shell including a side wall;

an opening surrounded by said shell side wall; and

a heating coil embedded in said shell side wall; and

a sensor seated in said opening and configured to emit interrogation signals into the ambient environment to detect the presence of an object or sense an ambient environmental condition representative of the proximity of an object and generate signals representative of the environmental condition.

2. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein said sensor is configured to emit ultrasound signals.

3. The sensor assembly of claim 2, wherein said sensor is a piezoelectric transducer.

4. The sensor assembly of claim 1, including an amplifier connected in series with said sensor, said amplifier being configured to receive said signals generated by said sensor representative of the environmental condition and amplify said signals.

5. The sensor assembly of claim 1, including an isolator seated in said shell opening, said isolator including a side wall which surrounds an isolator recess;

and

said sensor being fitted into said isolator recess.

6. The sensor assembly of claim 5, wherein said isolator is formed of a flexible material and said sensor is compressed by said isolator in said recess.

7. The sensor assembly of claim 6, wherein said isolator side wall extends upward from a bottom wall and includes an upper rim extending into said isolator recess;

and

said sensor is trapped in said isolator recess between said upper rim and said bottom wall.

8. The sensor assembly of claim 7, including an amplifier which is connected in series with said sensor and is positioned in said isolator recess.

9. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein said shell is formed of an injection moldable polycarbonate material.

10. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein said shell side wall has a thickness between 2.5 and 4.0 mm.

11. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein said heating coil is formed from 22 gage wire.

12. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein said shell side wall has top and bottom surfaces;

and

said heating coil is formed from a length of wire helically coiled within said shell side wall, said wire having a first end which originates at said shell side wall bottom surface and a second end which extends transversely along said opening toward said bottom surface to terminate adjacent said first wire end.

13. The sensor assembly of claim 12, wherein a groove is formed along said shell side wall adjacent said opening and extends transversely between said top and bottom surfaces;

and

said wire second end extends along said groove toward said bottom surface.

14. The sensor assembly of claim 1, wherein said heating coil is formed from a length of wire which is helically wound around an interior of said shell side wall in a plurality of windings;

and

each of said plurality of windings are spaced apart by a distance between 0.7 and 2.0 mm.