Sensor for detecting solar insolation

US6185950A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Behr GmbH & Co. · DE

Inventors

• Wilhelm Baruschke · Schallstadt, DE
• Oliver Kaefer · Murr, DE
• Karl Lochmahr · Leinfelden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Dec 4, 1998
• Grant date: Feb 13, 2001
• Expiry date: Dec 4, 2018

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01J2001/4266
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor for detecting the direction and intensity of solar insolation, particularly, for controlling an air conditioning system, having at least two sensor elements that, are assigned to the left-hand and right-hand sides of the vehicle, respectively, and are arranged on a respective face whose surfaces are, at least partially, subject to the solar insolation entering the vehicle from the left-hand and right-hand sides, respectively. To provide an improved sensor that is particularly cost effective and can be fitted simply into a vehicle to control an air conditioning system, the sensor elements are designed as temperature sensors and are each connected in a heat conducting manner to their associated surfaces, which surfaces absorb, at least, most of the solar insolation which is incident thereon.