Optoelectronic sensor device

US6018165A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Leopold KOSTAL GmbH & Co. KG · DE

Inventors

• Detlef Kerkmann · Altena, DE
• Berthold Esders · Schalksmühle, DE
• Ralf Bobel · Dortmund, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 16, 1998
• Grant date: Jan 25, 2000
• Expiry date: Mar 16, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B60S1/0881
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An optoelectronic sensor device for detecting precipitation on an outer surface (41) of a transparent pane (4) of a motor vehicle includes a beam guide element (1) having front and rear opposed parallel surfaces (2, 7) and first and second lateral opposed faces (5, 6). The front surface (2) is coupled to an inner surface (42) of a transparent pane (4) of a motor vehicle. Each of the lateral faces (5, 6) has a reflection region (52, 62). The rear surface (7) has first and second cut-out portions (8, 81) extending therefrom toward the front surface (2). Each of the cut-out portions (8, 81) has a reflective region (11). A beam transmitter (13) is disposed adjacent the rear surface (7) to transmit an infrared beam to the reflective region (11) of the first cut-out portion (8). The reflective region (11) of the first cut-out portion (8) reflects a beam transmitted from the beam transmitter (13) to the reflection region (52) of the first lateral face (5) which reflects the beam to the transparent pane (4). The transparent pane (4) reflects a part of the beam to the reflection region (62) of the second lateral face (6). The part of the beam reflected by the transparent pane (4) is a funct…