Rain sensor

• US 7,911,356 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2007
• Issued: 03/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Original Assignee: TRW Automotive Electronics & Components GmbH & Co. KG
• Inventors: Ebner, Thomas, Wohlfahrt, Karl-Heinz
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): SMALL, NAOMI J
• Application Number:
  US11/985,004
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117074A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 340/693.5, 340/693.9, 248/674
• US Class Current: 340/693.9
• 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

Abstract

A rain sensor is provided for fastening on an inner side of a windscreen of a motor vehicle. The rain sensor includes a holding frame for fastening to the inner side of the windscreen, a sensor element, a housing part for housing the sensor element such that the sensor element is arranged in the housing part, and a holding device for engaging the holding frame, the holding device being fastened to the housing part, wherein the holding device is brought into engagement with the holding frame in a pre-mounted state, and the holding device presses the housing part with the sensor element onto the windscreen in a final mounted state.

Claims

1. A rain sensor for fastening on an inner side of a windscreen of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a sensor;

a housing part for housing the sensor such that the sensor element is arranged in the housing part;

a mounting frame for attachment to the inner side of the windscreen and having an accommodation for said housing part;

at least one fastening device for fastening the housing part on said mounting frame;

said fastening device comprising;

a lever pivotally mounted about an axis on the housing part, and a bracket that has a first end pivotally connected to said lever in eccentric relation to said axis and a second end formed as an engagement member for engagement with cooperating engagement members on said mounting frame, wherein;

in a pre-mounted state the engagement members of the bracket and of the mounting frame are loosely engaged with each other while the lever is in a first pivotal position and, in a final mounted state, the lever is in a second pivotal position thereby moving away the first end of the bracket from the windscreen and tensioning said bracket so as to urge the housing part towards the windscreen.

2. The rain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the bracket is made from a resilient sheet material such as spring steel.

3. The rain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the housing part is generally of a parallelepiped shape and has a fastening device on each of its short sides.

11. The rain sensor according to claim 1, wherein in the first pivotal position the lever has a first end pivotally mounted to the housing part and a second end spaced from the housing part.

12. The rain sensor according to claim 1, wherein the lever lies flat against the top of the housing part when the lever is in the second pivotal position.

4. A rain sensor for fastening on an inner side of a windscreen of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a sensor;

a housing part for housing the sensor such that the sensor element is arranged in the housing part;

a mounting frame for attachment to the inner side of the windscreen and having an accommodation for said housing part;

at least one fastening device for fastening the housing part on said mounting frame;

said fastening device comprising;

a bracket with a pair of engagement arms for engagement with cooperating engagement members on the mounting frame;

a lever pivotally mounted on said bracket intermediate the engagement arms;

and an eccentric cam attached to said lever;

wherein;

in a pre-mounted state the engagement arms of the bracket are loosely engaged with the engagement members of the mounting frame while the lever is in a first pivotal position and, in a final mounted state, the lever is in a second pivotal position thereby in which the eccentric cam abuts the housing part so as to urge the housing part towards the windscreen.

5. The rain sensor according to claim 4, wherein the bracket is rigid and the cam is resilient.

6. The rain sensor according to claim 4, wherein the housing part is generally of a parallelepiped shape and has a fastening device on each of its short sides.

9. The rain sensor according to claim 4, wherein said at least one fastening device comprises a pair of fastening devices that cooperate to substantially cover a top surface of said housing part facing away from said mounting frame.

10. The rain sensor according to claim 9, wherein the bracket pivots in a first direction relative to the axis into cooperating engagement with the engagement members on the mounting frame, the lever pivoting in a second, opposite direction relative to the axis into the second pivotal position.

13. The rain sensor according to claim 4, wherein in the first pivotal position the lever has a first end pivotally mounted to the bracket and a second end spaced from the housing.

14. The rain sensor according to claim 4, wherein the at least one fastening device comprises first and second fastening devices that cooperate to substantially cover a top surface of the housing part facing away from the mounting frame when the lever is in the second pivotal position.

15. The rain sensor according to claim 14, wherein the lever of each fastening device includes a projecting portion and a recess, the projecting portion of each lever being accommodated in the recess of each other lever when the lever is in the second pivotal position.

16. The rain sensor according to claim 4, wherein the lever lies flat against the top of the housing part when the lever is in the second pivotal position.

7. A rain sensor for fastening on an inner side of a windscreen of a motor vehicle, comprising:

a sensor;

a housing part for housing the sensor such that the sensor element is arranged in the housing part;

a mounting frame for attachment to the inner side of the windscreen and having an accommodation for said housing part;

a fastening device for fastening the housing part on said mounting frame;

said fastening device comprising;

a resilient bracket with a flat main body and a plurality of engagement arms for engagement with cooperating engagement members on the mounting frame;

wherein;

in a first mounting step the bracket is pre-assembled with the housing part so that the main body of the bracket contacts a flat top wall of the housing part, in a second mounting step the housing part is seated on the mounting frame and in third mounting step the engagement arms are engaged with the cooperating engagement members of the mounting frame while the bracket is urge against the housing part and in a final mounting step the bracket is released thereby leaving the housing part urged towards the windscreen by resilient deformation of the bracket.

8. The rain sensor according to claim 7, wherein the bracket has side wings each with an elongate slot in which a pin on a side wall of the housing part engages loosely in the preassembled condition of the housing part and the bracket.