A heating system for use with a vehicular camera assembly including a heater bracket having a first surface and a second surface, the first surface having a plurality of adjacent ridges and a valley being defined between at least two of the adjacent ridges; a heating assembly disposed adjacent the second surface of the heater bracket; and at least one through opening in the valley between the at least two adjacent ridges, the at least one through opening extending from the first surface to the second surface of the heater bracket.

Energy management techniques for heating or cooling a surface of a component of a vehicle comprise determining a heating lag time indicative of a lag time for a surface element of the vehicle component to heat to a first target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of a heat transfer component, determining a cooling lag time indicative of a lag time for the surface element to cool to a second target temperature in response to a power on-off or power off-on modulation of the heat transfer component, and controlling power-on and power-off times of the heat transfer component based on the determined heating and cooling lag times so as to not require a temperature sensor for feedback-based temperature control.

A temperature sensor device for sensing a temperature of a windshield of a vehicle includes a single printed circuit board having a circuitry, a temperature sensor mounted on the printed circuit board, and a thermally conductive pad attached to the temperature sensor. The thermally conductive pad is arranged to thermally and mechanically directly contact the windshield.

A system for initiating a de-icing or de-fogging action on which ice has formed on a substrate material. The system includes (a) a substrate on which ice or fog has formed; and, (b) irradiation producing devices operative to emit irradiation that passes through at least some portion of the substrate so that a first portion of the ice or fog that is impacted by the irradiation is an interfacial portion nearest a surface of the substrate, the devices being proximate the substrate material, and selectively activated to effect irradiation, causing melting of at least some ice nearest the surface of the substrate. The substrate has an absorption coefficient lower than 15 m.sup.1 in the wavelength range from 750 to 1650 nm.

A method for providing electrical connection to a heater grid outside of a sealing area of a vehicular rear liftgate window assembly includes providing a glass window panel configured to be pivotally mounted at a vehicle and (i) establishing a heater grid at a central region of an inner surface of the glass window panel, (ii) establishing busbars at the inner surface inboard of a perimeter region and at terminal ends of the electrically conductive traces, and (iii) establishing busbar connecting portions at the inner surface that electrically connect to and extend from the respective busbars across the perimeter region to an outboard region of the inner surface of the glass window panel. The perimeter region includes a sealing region that contacts a seal at the vehicle when the glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle and when the glass window panel is in the closed position.

Vehicle glazing, which once served just to provide for vision and protect from the elements, has been taking on new functions as the complexity and functionality of modern automobiles has evolved. Performance films and interlayers are often used to add to and enhance the functionality of laminates. These functions include solar control, sound dampening, head up display and variable light transmittance. Recent advances have made it possible to produce electronic circuits on thin transparent substrates that are essentially invisible under normal lighting conditions. While these circuits can be inserted into the laminate and successfully laminated, the edges of the circuit insert are prone to objectionable aesthetics due to mismatch between the substrate and the interlayer index of refraction, thickness and color. The present invention compensates the edge of the solid insert by providing a sheet of a compatible compensation material that the substrate of the insert and which extends to at least the black band or the edge of glass of the laminate making the insert edge essentially invisible.

Provided is a fog removing device including a sensor configured to detect fog to generate sensing data, a heater configured to generate heat to remove the fog, and a control unit configured to supply a power to the heater by using the sensing data. The sensor includes a substrate, a first electrode and a second electrode, which are provided on the substrate and electrically disconnected from each other, and a recess region defined between the first and second electrodes.

The present invention relates to glass for vehicles including a glass plate; an information transmitting/receiving area, defined in the glass, via which a device mounted in a vehicle transmits or receives information; and a film that heats the information transmitting/receiving area, the film being attached to an area overlapping the information transmitting/receiving area in an interior side of the glass plate in a vehicle in a planar view; wherein the film includes a substrate, a heating element formed on the substrate, and a busbar connected to the heating element; the film has a heating zone divided into two or more heating areas; and the two or more of the heating areas share at least one busbar and are connected in series.

A photographing apparatus for vehicle includes a photographing apparatus, heating means, and a control device. The photographing apparatus is disposed inside a vehicle so as to face a window of the vehicle and is configured to receive photographing light passing through the window. The heating means is disposed inside the vehicle so as to face the window. The heating means generates heat that is given to the window when voltage of an electric power source of the vehicle is applied to the heating means. The control device changes voltage application time that is time period for applying the voltage of the electric power source to the heating means so that a total amount of heat generated by the heating means for a predetermined period of time is coincident with a predetermined amount determined based at least on an outside air temperature.

A wavetrap includes a housing having a base including a base plate. The housing has a wire channel, an inductor pocket and a terminal pocket. The housing has a capacitor pocket that receives a capacitor. The wavetrap includes a defroster wire having a wire end received in the wire channel. The defroster wire extends from the housing for connection to a vehicle defroster circuit. The wavetrap includes an inductor supported by the base plate. The inductor is received in the inductor pocket. The inductor has a coil extending between a first end and a second end. The first end is coupled to the wire end of the defroster wire. The wavetrap includes a ground terminal supported by the base plate. The ground terminal is received in the terminal pocket. The ground terminal is electrically connected to a ground circuit.