A rain sensor includes an emitter, a receiver, a processor, and a printed circuit board (PCB). The emitter projects an incident beam that is reflected, as a reflected beam, by a windshield of a vehicle that includes the rain sensor. The receiver generates, based upon a received intensity of the reflected beam, a rain signal indicating a potential presence of rainwater on the windshield. The processor receives the rain signal and performs a filtering operation on the rain signal to generate a filtered signal. The PCB electronically interconnects the emitter, the receiver, and the processor. The filtering operation comprises filtering noise from the rain signal such that the filtered signal has a signal frequency within a predetermined range of frequencies and related harmonics with respective magnitudes and frequencies that are correlated with a definitive presence of the rainwater on the windshield.

An optical sensor device for the detection of ambient light is adapted to be coupled to a pane (10), in particular to a windshield of a vehicle. The optical sensor device has a sensor unit which includes at least one light receiver (22) for ambient light and a lens plate (12) for directionally coupling an ambient light beam (26) out of the pane (10) onto the light receiver (22). The lens plate (12) has a surface (18) facing the light receiver (22) and oriented substantially parallel to the pane (10) in the coupled condition of the optical sensor device. The surface (18) includes a prism structure (20) having a plurality of single prisms (24) which are designed to direct the rays of a specific ambient light beam (26) defined by a principal direction (A) and an aperture angle onto the light receiver (22).

A rain sensor has a frost sensing function, and is attached to a windshield glass of a vehicle. The frost sensor includes a casing provided with a frost sensing region formed by recessing a part of the casing to contact indoor air; a light emitting unit that emits light such that the light is incident on the windshield glass; a light receiving unit that receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit and reflected from the windshield glass and the frost sensing region; and a control unit that outputs the light received by the light receiving unit as a control signal and activates a wiper and an air conditioner of the vehicle.

A method for detecting liquid on a windowpane in which radiation is emitted by at least one radiation emitter, the radiation is coupled into the windowpane via at least one optical element, and, after reflection in the windowpane, the radiation is coupled out of the windowpane. The radiation which is coupled out of the windowpane is captured in single measurements. A measurement cycle is formed from a multiplicity of single measurements. An average value is calculated from the measurement results of a measurement cycle. The average value is used a reference value for the single measurements of the subsequent measurement cycle currently in progress. The differences between the measured values of the single measurements of a measurement cycle currently in progress and the reference value are determined. The differences between the measured values of the single measurements of the measurement cycle currently in progress and the reference value are evaluated statistically. A conclusion is drawn regarding the state of coverage with liquid of the measuring section on the windowpane from the statistical evaluation.

A mounting bracket is fastened to a roof header panel. The mounting bracket has an extending portion extended to a position facing a windshield. A rain sensor is engaged with the extending portion so that the rain sensor can move back and forth with respect to the windshield. A coil spring is interposed between the extending portion and the rain sensor, and a light emitting/receiving surface of the rain sensor is pushed toward the inner surface of the windshield through a silicone sheet by a biasing force from the coil spring. Since there is no need to use adhesion as a means of supporting the rain sensor, there is no need to control or inspect the quality of the adhesion.

A method of mounting, at a desired location, a vehicle sensor pad for a sensor system of a vehicle wherein the sensor pad is initially packaged in a product that includes a foldable clamshell-type housing folded to a closed position to contain the pre-formed sensor pad that was formed in situ therein when the housing was in an open position, prior to closing. The housing has an enclosed volume bounded by relatively thin and flexible walls, and outwardly extending tabs which facilitate opening. This structure enables the user to easily open the housing to remove the sensor pad, a cured silicone composition, by pushing inward on an outer surface of the outer wall of a base section of the housing. This product reduces the amount of manipulation needed to mount the sensor pad in a desired position, for example, during installation of a rain sensor system for a vehicle windshield.

A product [11] includes a foldable clamshell-type housing [10] folded to a closed position to contain a pre-formed sensor pad [17] that was formed in situ therein when the housing [10] was in an open position, prior to closing. The housing [10] has an enclosed volume [12] bounded by relatively thin and flexible walls [23, 34], and outwardly extending tabs [18] which facilitate opening. This structure enables the user to easily open the housing [10] to remove the sensor pad [17], a cured silicone composition, by pushing inward on an outer surface of the outer wall [34] of a base section [15] of the housing [10]. This product [11] reduces the amount of manipulation needed to place the sensor pad [17] in a desired position, for example, during installation of a rain sensor system for a vehicle windshield.

A wiper system for a vehicle windshield, the wiper system comprising a support assembly that is slidably movable along a guide rail, a wiper rotatably mounted on the support assembly, the wiper comprising a wiper arm and a wiper blade connected thereto, wherein the support assembly comprises a first motor mounted on a motor base, the motor base being slidably movable relative to a tilting table between at least two different positions for interacting with a first coupling element to rotate the wiper arm around a rotation axis, and for interacting with a second coupling element to adjust a length of the wiper, a second motor adapted to pivot the tilting table around a pivot axis, the tilting table being movable between at least two different positions, i.e., a non-operating position and a tilted position wherein the wiper blade is inclined thus applying a pressure on the vehicle windshield.

A method for calibrating a rain sensor (3), the rain sensor (3) being configured to measure a quantity of rain on a window (101) of a vehicle (100), the rain sensor (3) including a transmitter (4) and a receiver (5), the transmitter (4) being configured to emit or transmit light to the window (101) and the receiver (5) being configured to receive measurement light that is emitted or transmitted by the transmitter (4) and guided to the receiver (5) by the window (101); the method comprising: varying (S1) an incidence angle () of the light emitted or transmitted by the transmitter (4) to the window (101).