An automatic wiper control system for a vehicle window determines the presence of rainfall based on window vibrations. During a vehicle driving cycle, a controller measures the window vibrations with an accelerometer attached to the window. The controller calculates a psycho-acoustic metric based on the measured vibrations, wherein the metric can be comprised of Articulation Index, Sharpness, or Roughness. The calculated metric is compared to a threshold indicative of rain impacting the window. The wiper system is activated according to a result of the comparison.

A lens component of an optical rain sensor (10) has an emitter lens (16) configured as a Fresnel lens and a receiver lens (18) configured as a Fresnel lens, each of which, in a top view, has a rectangular contour with first edges and second edges extending at right angles thereto, the center (M.sub.S) of the emitter lens (16) and/or the center (M.sub.E) of the receiver lens (18) being arranged off-center with respect to the side length of at least one of the edges, and the emitter lens (16) and the receiver lens (18) being arranged side by side. The lens component (12) is manufactured in a negative molding process in which first and second mold inserts are arranged side by side, each of which having a Fresnel lens mold, the first and second mold inserts each being selectively arranged in a manner rotated through 0 or through 180, and the mold inserts arranged in this way forming a negative mold for the emitter lens (16) and the receiver lens (18) of the lens component (12) during the negative molding process. This provides a modular system for manufacturing optical rain sensors (10), having lens components (12) in a plurality of different configurations which differ from each other in regard to the distance of the centers (M.sub.S, M.sub.E) of the emitter lens (16) and the receiver lens (18). For manufacturing the lens component (12), the mold inserts are arranged side by side, each in a manner selectively rotated through 0 or through 180, and are negative-molded using a suitable plastic material. This is performed in a tool for manufacturing a lens component (12), which includes a mount into which the mold inserts can be placed next to each other along the second edge, the first and/or the second mold insert each being adapted to be inserted into the mount in a manner rotated through 0 or through 180.

A vehicle glazing unit including a glazed element and at least one base for reversible attachment of an accessory to the glazed element, the base including an aperture for passage of the accessory, the base including a non-flat outer face which is fastened opposite a non-flat inner face of the glazed element. The outer face includes two adhesive strips each having an elongate shape and both positioned lengthwise along the transverse horizontal axis of the glazing unit.

A vehicle glazing includes a glazed element, at least one mounting plate for the reversible attachment of an accessory to the glazed element, the mounting plate having an exterior face which is fixed facing an interior face of the glazed element, and including at least one mount for the reversible attachment of another accessory to the glazed element, wherein the mount is mechanically connected by at least one connecting arm connecting the mount to the mounting plate and the mount having an exterior face which is fixed facing an interior face of the glazed element.

A holder to fasten a component to a glass pane is disclosed. The holder includes a supporting body with a lower side, where the supporting body is adhereable to the glass pane by the lower side, and an upper side, where a holding element is included on the upper side and where the component is fastenable to the supporting body with the holding element. A first section of the supporting body which includes the holding element is separated from a remaining portion of the supporting body along a first slot and a second slot, where both the first slot and the second slot each begin at an outer edge of the supporting body and each end at a connection region at a distance from the outer edge, and where the first section of the supporting body is connected to the remaining portion of the supporting body by the connection region.

A vehicle mirror and camera mounting system includes a camera mounting bracket that includes an injection molded bracket formed by injection molding a polymeric molding resin. A camera, when its camera module is attached at the camera mounting bracket at the vehicle windshield, has a field of view through the vehicle windshield. The camera mounting bracket includes a mirror attachment portion configured for attaching an interior rearview mirror assembly thereat. At least one cover element is attached at (i) the camera mounting bracket, (ii) the camera module and/or (iii) the mirror mount so that the camera module and the camera mounting bracket are not readily viewable to a person viewing the construction from inside the vehicle. The mirror mount includes an electrical connector for electrical connection to (i) a connector at the camera module or (ii) a wire harness of the vehicle, with the connection hidden from view.

A holder to fasten a component to a glass pane is disclosed. The holder includes a supporting body with a lower side, where the supporting body is adhereable to the glass pane by the lower side, and an upper side, where a holding element is included on the upper side and where the component is fastenable to the supporting body with the holding element. A first section of the supporting body which includes the holding element is separated from a remaining portion of the supporting body along a first slot and a second slot, where both the first slot and the second slot each begin at an outer edge of the supporting body and each end at a connection region at a distance from the outer edge, and where the first section of the supporting body is connected to the remaining portion of the supporting body by the connection region.

An accessory system for a vehicle includes a bracket having a windshield-facing side and a cabin-facing side. The windshield-facing side of the bracket is configured to be bonded by an adhesive at a first windshield location to an in-cabin surface of the vehicle windshield. The cabin-facing side of the bracket includes first structure. An accessory module is configured to mount to the bracket. A housing of the accessory module has second structure that directly engages the first structure of the bracket when mounting the housing to the bracket. An electronic device and circuitry are housed by the housing. With the accessory module mounted to the bracket attached to the vehicle windshield, the circuitry may be in communication with a vehicle bus system of the vehicle.

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.