Fastening and coupling of an optoelectronic sensor to a pane and

Details Fastening and coupling of an optoelectronic sensor to a pane and Fastening and coupling of an optoelectronic sensor to a pane and

1996-08-08

1998-01-20

Rosenberger, Richard A.

Optics: measuring and testing

Of light reflection

318DIG2, 15DIG15, 356136, G01N 2188, B60S 102, G01W 100

Patent

active

057106339

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION



Prior Art

The invention is based on a sensor for optically detecting foreign bodies, especially raindrops, on a pane, particularly on the windshield of a motor vehicle, of the type including a transmitter and a receiver, which are coupled on the inside of the pane, for detecting foreign bodies on the outside of the pane in the region of the measurement path between the transmitter and the receiver.
In a known device of this type (German Patent Disclosure DE 40 06 420 A1), on the inside of an optically transparent pane, the sensor that contains a transmitter and receiver is glued directly to the inside of a pane with the aid of an intermediate layer. The intermediate layer comprises an optically nontransparent film, which has recesses in the region of the transmitter, the receiver, and the measurement path between them. Pieces of film comprising optically transparent material are inserted into the two recesses for the transmitter and the receiver. With the aid of this intermediate layer, comprising different materials, the sensor is adhesively secured directly to the inside of the pane, in particular the windshield of a motor vehicle.
The device described above requires an especially embodied film of the intermediate layer and must be glued on over the entire length of the transmitter injection, measurement path, and receiver decoupling. It proves to be especially difficult in practice to glue such a layer of relatively great size onto the surface of the pane without trapping air bubbles. The functioning and proper operation of the sensor, however, require that the optical coupling of the transmitter and receiver to the pane be done so directly that there is no change in the diffraction conditions of the beam path at the transition into the pane. In the gluing operation, however, such a change is disadvantageously brought about from air inclusions between the pane and the transmitter/receiver.


SUMMARY AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

A sensor according to the invention for optically detecting foreign bodies, especially raindrops, on a pane, particularly on the windshield of a motor vehicle, includes a transmitter and a receiver which are coupled on the inside of the pane to detect foreign bodies on the outside of the pane in the region of the measurement path between the transmitter and the receiver: and wherein the sensor includes an outer housing part and an inner housing part as well as a fastening device that is glued to the pane; the essential or functional elements of the sensor are held by the inner housing part; the inner housing part is pressed against the pane by at least one spring which engages the outer housing part; and, a fastening means is mounted on the outer housing part and engages the fastening device in order to releasably secure the sensor to the pane.
The sensor of the invention as defined by the characteristics of the body of claim 1 has the advantage over the prior art that it reliably precludes air inclusions between the pane and the transmitter/receiver. In this highly critical region, as well as in the region of the measurement path between the transmitter and the receiver, adhesive technology is used neither for securing the sensor to the pane nor for the optical coupling. Advantageously, the transmitter and receiver are pressed against the surface of the pane and thus coupled to it by means of silicone pads pressed by spring force. The sensor advantageously has both an outer and an inner housing part and a fastening device that is glued to the pane. The inner housing part carries the essential optoelectronic elements and is pressed against the pane by spring force that engages between the outer and the inner housing part. The outer housing part has a fastening means that can be made to releasably engage the fastening device glued to the pane, in order to secure the sensor to the pane.
Because according to the invention only the fastening device itself is glued to the pane, this operation can be separated entirely from the mounting of the sensor

REFERENCES:
patent: 4701613 (1987-10-01), Watanabe et al.
patent: 4871917 (1989-10-01), O'Farrell et al.
patent: 4973844 (1990-11-01), O'Farrell et al.
patent: 5414257 (1995-05-01), Stanton

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