RAINDROP SENSOR

• US 20070114369A1
• Filed: 11/17/2006
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tarui, Jun
• Granted Patent: US 7,230,260 B1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/227.250
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/274 Calibration, base line adjustment, drift correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/002 by shaping at least a portion of the light guide, e.g. with collimating, focussing or diverging surfaces

Abstract

A raindrop sensor for sensing water attached to a second surface of a transparent body includes a light emitting element, a light guide body, a light receiving element, and an abnormality determining device. The light emitting element is provided in a first surface side of the transparent body for emitting light toward the transparent body. The light guide body is mounted on a first surface of the transparent body for guiding the light. The light receiving element is provided in first surface side of the transparent body for receiving the reflected light, which is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body. The light receiving element outputs a signal based on an amount of the reflected light received. The abnormality determining device determines an abnormality of the light guide body by comparing a value indicated by the signal with an index value.

Claims

1. A raindrop sensor, which is provided in a first surface side of a transparent body for sensing water attached to a second surface of the transparent body, the raindrop sensor comprising:

a light emitting element that is provided in the first surface side of the transparent body for emitting light toward the transparent body;

a light guide body that is mounted on a first surface of the transparent body, wherein;

the light guide body guides the light, which is emitted by the light emitting element, to the transparent body; and

the light guide body guides the light, which is reflected by the transparent body, to the first surface side of the transparent body;

a light receiving element that is provided in the first surface side of the transparent body for receiving the reflected light, which is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body, the light receiving element outputting a signal based on an amount of the reflected light received by the light receiving element; and

an abnormality determining device that determines an abnormality of the light guide body by comparing a value indicated by the signal outputted by the light receiving element with an index value.

2. The raindrop sensor according to claim 1, wherein the light receiving element is a first light receiving element that outputs a first signal based on the amount of the reflected light received by the first light receiving element, the raindrop sensor further comprising a second light receiving element that is provided in the first surface side of the transparent body for receiving the reflected light, which is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body, wherein:

the second light receiving element outputs a second signal based on the amount of the reflected light received by the second light receiving element;

the light guide body includes;

a first light passage that guides the light emitted by the light emitting element to the transparent body and guides the reflected light, which is reflected by the transparent body, toward the first light receiving element; and

a second light passage that guides the light emitted by the light emitting element to the transparent body and guides the reflected light, which is reflected by the transparent body, toward the second light receiving element;

the abnormality determining device computes one of the followings;

a ratio of a first value indicated by the first signal to a second value indicated by the second signal; and

a difference between the first value and the second value; and

the abnormality determining device determines the abnormality of the light guide body by comparing the computed one of the ratio and the difference with the index value.

3. The raindrop sensor according to claim 2, wherein:

the first light receiving element is provided apart from the light emitting element by a first distance;

the second light receiving element is provided apart from the light emitting element by a second distance, which is different from the first distance; and

the light guide body includes a diverging portion that diverges the light emitted by the light emitting element into a first input light, which travels through the first light passage, and a second input light, which travels through the second light passage.

4. The raindrop sensor according to claim 2, wherein the light emitting element is a first light emitting element that emits the light, which travels through the first light passage, the raindrop sensor further comprising a second light emitting element that is provided in the first surface side of the transparent body for emitting the light, which travels through the second light passage, wherein:

the first light emitting element is provided apart from one of the first and second light receiving elements by a first distance; and

the second light emitting element is provided apart from the one of the first and second light receiving elements by a second distance, which is different from the first distance.

5. The raindrop sensor according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is a first light emitting element that emits the light, the raindrop sensor further comprising a second light emitting element that is provided in the first surface side of the transparent body for emitting the light toward the transparent body, wherein:

the light guide body includes;

a first light passage that guides the light, which is emitted by the first light emitting element, to the transparent body and guides the reflected light, which is reflected by the transparent body, toward the light receiving element; and

a second light passage that guides the light, which is emitted by the second light emitting element, to the transparent body and guides the reflected light, which is reflected by the transparent body, toward the light receiving element;

the first light emitting element is provided apart from the light receiving elements by a first distance;

the second light emitting element is provided apart from the light receiving elements by a second distance, which is different from the first distance; and

the light guide body further includes a converging portion that converges the light, which travels through the first light passage, to the light receiving element, and converges the light, which travels through the second light passage, to the light receiving element.

6. The raindrop sensor according to claim 2, wherein:

the light guide body includes a prism portion and a silicone portion, which is held between an end surface of the prism portion and the first surface of the transparent body;

the light, which travels through the first light passage, is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body, and the reflected light is guided toward the first light receiving element through the first light passage;

the light, which travels through the second light passage, is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body, and the reflected light is guided toward the second light receiving element through the second light passage; and

the light guide body further includes a third light passage that guides the light, which is emitted by the light emitting element, to the end surface of the prism portion and guides the reflected light, which is reflected by the end surface of the prism portion, toward the first light receiving element.

7. The raindrop sensor according to claim 4, wherein:

the light guide body includes a prism portion and a silicone portion, which is held between an end surface of the prism portion and the first surface of the transparent body;

the light, which is emitted by the first light emitting element and travels through the first light passage, is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body, the reflected light being guided toward the fist light receiving element through the first light passage;

the light, which is emitted by the second light emitting element and travels through the second light passage, is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body, the reflected light being guided toward the second light receiving element through the second light passage; and

the light guide body includes a third light passage that guides the light emitted by the second light emitting element to the end surface of the prism portion and guides the reflected light, which is reflected by the end surface of the prism portion, toward the first light receiving element.

8. The raindrop sensor according to claim 5, wherein:

the light guide body includes a prism portion and a silicone portion, which is held between an end surface of the prism portion and the first surface of the transparent body;

the light, which is emitted by the first light emitting element and travels through the first light passage, is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body, the reflected light being guided toward the light receiving element through the first light passage;

the light, which is emitted by the second light emitting element and travels through the second light passage, is reflected by the second surface of the transparent body, the reflected light being guided toward the light receiving element through the second light passage; and

the light guide body includes a third light passage that guides the light, which is emitted by the first light emitting element, to the end surface of the prism portion and guides the reflected light, which is reflected by the end surface of the prism portion, toward the light receiving element.