Holding clip for a rain sensor

• US 8,763,970 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2007
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Mordau, Ulf, Neumann, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Korie H
• Application Number:
  US11/654,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20070164188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,721 Days
• US Class Current: 248/300
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0822 characterized by the arrangement or type of detection means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0881 characterized by the attachment means on the windshield
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0888 characterized by the attachment of the elements in a unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/245 Housings for sensors
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 11/30 Supports specially adapted for an instrument; Supports specially adapted for a set of instruments

Abstract

A holding clip (16) for a sensor (10) includes a plate (22), the plate (22) being able to cover the sensor, at least one holding arm (26) and at least one detent arm (28), the holding arm (26) and the detent arm (28) being constructed such that they can engage on a holding frame (12) for the sensor (10), the holding clip (16) being formed integrally.

Claims

1. An assembly consisting of:

a holding frame (12) which can be mounted on a pane of a motor vehicle;

a sensor (10) which may be a rain sensor in particular; and

a holding clip (16) with a plate (22), said plate (22) being able to cover said sensor (10), at least one holding arm (26) and at least one detent arm (28), said holding arm (26) and said detent arm (28) being constructed such that they can engage on a holding frame (12) for said sensor (10), said plate (22), said at least one holding arm (26) and said at least one detent arm (28) being formed integrally as one piece;

wherein said holding frame has an abutment (14), said detent arm (28) of said holding clip (16) has a recess (32) and said sensor (10) has a detent nose (44), said detent nose (44) cooperating with said recess (32) in said detent arm (28) of said holding clip (16) such that said detent nose (44) can hold said detent arm (28) in a pre-mounted state in which said detent arm (28) can be inserted into said abutment (14) on said holding frame (12), and can arrest said detent arm (28) in a detent position after said sensor (10) is mounted on said holding frame.

2. An assembly for a pane of a motor vehicle comprising:

a holding frame (12) mounted to the pane;

a rain sensor (10) having a rear side facing away from the holding frame and the pane when the assembly is connected to the pane; and

a one-piece holding clip (16) having;

a plate (22) for covering the rain sensor (10);

at least one holding arm (26) extending from the plate toward the holding frame; and

at least one detent arm (28) extending from the plate (22) toward the holding frame (12), the plate (22) extending from the at least one holding arm (26) to the at least one detent arm (28) with the rear side of the rain sensor (10) substantially between the plate (22) and the holding frame (12) to cover the rain sensor (10) when the rain sensor is connected with the holding frame (12);

the at least one holding arm (26) and the at least one detent arm (28) engaging the holding frame (12) to mount the rain sensor (10) to the holding frame (12), the plate (22), the at least one holding arm (26) and the at least one detent arm (28) being integral with each other,

wherein the holding clip (16) is pre-mounted to the rain sensor (10) before the holding clip (16) is engaged with the holding frame (12),

wherein the at least one detent arm (28) has a first condition deflected towards the at least one holding arm (26) by a detent nose (44) on the rain sensor (10) when the holding clip (16) is pre-mounted to the rain sensor (10) and a second, undeflected condition in which the detent nose (44) is retained in a recess (32) of the at least one detent arm (28) when the holding clip (16) is engaged with the holding frame (12).

3. The assembly according to claim 2, wherein the at least one detent arm (28) moves from the first condition to the second condition due to a downward force applied to the plate (22) towards the holding frame (12).

4. An assembly for a pane of a motor vehicle comprising:

a holding frame (12) mounted to the pane;

a rain sensor (10) having a rear side facing away from the holding frame and the pane when the assembly is connected to the pane; and

a one-piece holding clip (16) having

a plate (22) for covering the rain sensor (10);

at least one holding arm (26) extending from the plate toward the holding frame; and

at least one detent arm (28) extending from the plate (22) toward the holding frame (12), the plate (22) extending from the at least one holding arm (26) to the at least one detent arm (28) with the rear side of the rain sensor (10) substantially between the plate (22) and the holding frame (12) to cover the rain sensor (10) when the rain sensor is connected with the holding frame (12);

the at least one holding arm (26) and the at least one detent arm (28) engaging the holding frame (12) to mount the rain sensor (10) to the holding frame (12), the plate (22), the at least one holding arm (26) and the at least one detent arm (28) being integral with each other,

wherein the holding clip (16) is pre-mounted to the rain sensor (10) before the holding clip (16) is engaged with the holding frame (12),

wherein the plate (22) includes a spring tongue (38) having a first condition bent downwards from a plane of the plate (22) when the holding clip (16) is pre-mounted to the rain sensor (10) and a second condition deflected towards the plane of the plate (22) and pressing the rain sensor (10) into the holding frame (12) when the holding clip (16) is engaged with the holding frame (12).

5. The assembly according to claim 4, wherein the spring tongue (38) moves from the first condition to the second condition due to a downward force applied to the plate (22) towards the holding frame (12).

6. An assembly for a pane of a motor vehicle comprising:

a holding frame (12) mounted to the pane;

a rain sensor (10) having a rearmost side facing away from the holding frame and the pane when the assembly is connected to the pane; and

a one-piece holding clip (16) having

a plate (22) for covering the rain sensor (10);

at least one holding arm (26) extending from the plate toward the holding frame; and

at least one detent arm (28) extending from the plate (22) toward the holding frame (12), the plate (22) extending from the at least one holding arm (26) to the at least one detent arm (28) with the rearmost side of the rain sensor (10) substantially between the plate (22) and the holding frame (12) to cover the rain sensor (10) when the rain sensor is connected with the holding frame (12);

the at least one holding arm (26) and the at least one detent arm (28) engaging the holding frame (12) to mount the rain sensor (10) to the holding frame (12), the plate (22), the at least one holding arm (26) and the at least one detent arm (28) being integral with each other.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the at least one holding arm (26) has a straight outer contour and the least one detent arm (28) has a recess (32) on its inner side.

8. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the plate (22) includes a spring tongue (38) pressing the sensor (10) into the holding frame (12).

9. The assembly according to claim 8, wherein the spring tongue (38) includes an opening (40) receiving a fixation projection (42) of the rain sensor (10).

10. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the holding clip (16) is pre-mounted to the rain sensor (10) before the holding clip (16) is engaged with the holding frame (12).

11. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the at least one detent arm (28) and the at least one holding arm (26) include tips (31) which extend in the same direction and engage the holding frame (12).

12. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein the holding clip (16) includes a lateral tongue (50) having a guide link (52) for receiving a guide projection (54) of the rain sensor (10).

13. The assembly according to claim 12, wherein the holding clip (16) is pre-mounted to the rain sensor (10) before the holding clip (16) is engaged with the holding frame (12).

14. The assembly according to claim 13, wherein the guide projection (55) is positioned in a first portion of the guide link (52) when the holding clip (16) is pre-mounted to the rain sensor (10) and in a second portion of the guide link (52) when the holding clip (16) is engaged with the holding frame (12).

15. The assembly according to claim 14, wherein the guide projection (55) moves from the first portion to the second portion of the guide link (52) due to lateral movement of the holding clip (16) relative to the rain sensor (10).

16. The holding clip according to claim 6, wherein said plate (22) has a portion extending between said holding arm (26) and said detent arm (28) that is spaced farther from said holding frame (12) than the entire rear side of said sensor (10) when said sensor is connected with said holding clip (16).