Sensor-mirror arrangement on a windshield

• US 6,877,870 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2003
• Issued: 04/12/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Chemtron Research LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: DaimlerChrysler AG (Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
• Inventors: Krug, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Shafer, Ricky D.
• Application Number:
  US10/388,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20030179473A1
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 359/871, 359/872, 248/548, 248/549, 318/483, 250/208.1, 250/573, 731/701.7
• US Class Current: 359/871
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/04 mounted inside vehicle B60R1/025, B60R1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 2001/1223 with sensors or transducers

Abstract

A sensor-mirror arrangement on a windshield of a motor vehicle with an optical sensor that is fastened on the windshield in an edge region arranged between a free field of vision of the windshield and vehicle roof, and with an inside rearview mirror that is fastened using a mirror mounting in an upper edge region between the sensor and the vehicle roof. The mirror mounting has a first fastening element that interacts with a complementary second fastening element for fastening the inside rearview mirror, which is constructed with a mirror base of the inside rearview mirror. The mirror mounting moreover has a pedestal fastened on the windshield on its side facing away from the windshield the first fastening element is formed. The pedestal is dimensioned so that the mirror base fastened to the mirror holding has a predetermined distance from the windshield, which is greater that a minimum distance if need be required for the installation and/or function of the mirror base.

Claims

1. A sensor-mirror arrangement for a vehicle windshield, said arrangement comprising:

an optical sensor fastened by a sensor mounting in an upper edge region of the windshield inside a wiping field of a windshield wiper device on the windshield, said optical sensor and sensor mounting being arranged between a free field of vision of the windshield and a vehicle roof,

an inside rearview mirror fastened on the windshield using a mirror mounting in the upper edge region between the sensor and the vehicle roof,

said mirror mounting including a first fastening element that interacts with a complementary second fastening element, said second fastening element constructed on a mirror base of the inside rearview mirror,

said mirror mounting also including a pedestal fastened on the windshield, wherein the first fastening element is constructed on a side of said pedestal facing away from and distal from the windshield and which is dimensioned so that the mirror base, when fastened on the mirror mounting is a predetermined distance from the windshield, which predetermine distance is greater than a minimum distance necessary without said pedestal for the proper installation and function of the mirror base.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance between windshield and mirror base is selected such that the inside rearview mirror occupies a spatial bearing in the interior of the vehicle, said bearing having a prescribed angle of view geometry.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance of the mirror base from the windshield corresponds to a resulting distance which is formed by the sum of said minimum distance and an additional distance,

whereby the minimum distance is determined when said mirror is fastened on the windshield in an initial position using a mirror base, which is outfitted without said pedestal, the mirror having a spatial bearing in the vehicle interior with a predetermined angle of view geometry, and

whereby the resulting distance is determined when the mirror is fastened on the windshield in an end position which is staggered in relation to the initial position by a stretch distance along the windshield toward the vehicle roof and in which the mirror occupies a spatial bearing in the vehicle interior in which it again has said predetermined angle of view geometry.

4. The arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the inside rear view mirror is arranged in the vehicle interior in a final position approximately on the same vertical level as in the initial position.

5. The Arrangement according to claim 3, wherein the additional distance approximately corresponds to the stretch multiplied by the tangent of the angle of inclination (α

) of the windshield in relation to a horizontal plane.

6. The arrangement according to one of claim 1, wherein a one part cover is provided which is fastened on the windshield using a cover mounting in a region of the sensor mounting and the mirror mounting and forms, in the vehicle interior, a vision protection casing for the sensor and the fastening elements of the inside rearview mirror.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6, wherein at least two from the cover mounting, the mirror mounting and the sensor mounting are combined into a one part or one piece combined mounting.

8. A vehicle windshield sensor mirror device comprising:

a sensor on a sensor mounting mounted on an upper edge region of the windshield within a wiping field covered by a windshield wherein said upper edge region is between a free field of vision by a driver of said vehicle and a roof of said vehicle;

a mirror mounting fastened at one side to said windshield between the sensor and the vehicle roof and fastened on another side to a rearview mirror, said mirror mounting including;

a fastening arrangement constructed on a mirror base of the inside rearview mirror;

a pedestal fastened on the windshield wherein the fastening arrangement is constructed on a side of said pedestal facing away from and distal from said windshield and wherein said pedestal has a thickness so that the mirror is properly aligned the same as an installation without said pedestal.