Moisture sensor for detecting moisture on a windshield
First Claim
1. A moisture sensor comprising:
- a housing and an internal body fitting within said housing;
a window means on a front portion of said housing composed of a material transparent to radiant energy and having an outer front surface adapted to be optically coupled to an inside surface of a windscreen;
said window means having an inner surface formed in a stepwise shape with a first planar surface oblique to said outer front surface, a second surface extending from said first surface substantially parallel to said outer front surface, an oblique third planar surface extending from said second surface, and a planar side surface adjacent said oblique third planar surface, and;
said internal body having a front outer surface of a stepwise shape fitting to said inner surface of said window means, and having a radiant energy emitter with an emitter surface positioned at an oblique surface complementary to one of said window means oblique surfaces and a radiant energy sensor means positioned at another oblique surface complementary to the other of said window means oblique surfaces;
such that when said internal body is fitted into said housing said window means provides an optical path between said radiant energy emitter means and said radiant energy sensor means passing internally through said window means and a windscreen optically coupled thereto, said optical path including internal reflections at an outer surface of said windscreen and at said planar side surface of said window means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A moisture sensor device for a vehicle windshield consists of a housing having a front portion composed of transparent material forming a window with an inner surface formed in a stepwise shape with two planar surfaces oblique to the outer front surface and an outer surface of which is adapted to be optically coupled to an inner surface of the windshield. An internal body portion fits within the housing and has a stepwise shaped outer surface fitting to the inside surface of the window, and includes a radiant energy emitter and a radiant energy detector positioned at oblique surfaces complementary to those of the window. Radiant energy passes from the emitter to the detector through the window and windscreen optically coupled thereto in an optical path that includes internal reflections at an outer surface of the windshield and at a planer side surface of the window. A circuit board alongside the internal body includes circuitry for operating the sensor device.
364 Citations
9 Claims
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1. A moisture sensor comprising:
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a housing and an internal body fitting within said housing; a window means on a front portion of said housing composed of a material transparent to radiant energy and having an outer front surface adapted to be optically coupled to an inside surface of a windscreen; said window means having an inner surface formed in a stepwise shape with a first planar surface oblique to said outer front surface, a second surface extending from said first surface substantially parallel to said outer front surface, an oblique third planar surface extending from said second surface, and a planar side surface adjacent said oblique third planar surface, and; said internal body having a front outer surface of a stepwise shape fitting to said inner surface of said window means, and having a radiant energy emitter with an emitter surface positioned at an oblique surface complementary to one of said window means oblique surfaces and a radiant energy sensor means positioned at another oblique surface complementary to the other of said window means oblique surfaces; such that when said internal body is fitted into said housing said window means provides an optical path between said radiant energy emitter means and said radiant energy sensor means passing internally through said window means and a windscreen optically coupled thereto, said optical path including internal reflections at an outer surface of said windscreen and at said planar side surface of said window means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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Specification