Packaged Sensor Pad

Abstract

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.

Claims

1-10. (canceled)

11. A method of creating a sensor pad, comprising: casting a silicone gel into a base section of a housing, and allowing the cast silicone gel to cure to form a unitary pad that resides within the base section, wherein the unitary pad is thereafter readily removable from the housing as a single unitary piece.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the cast silicone gel cures within a relatively short time window and with a durometer of about 10 on a Shore A scale.

13-14. (canceled)

15. A method of mounting, at a desired location, a vehicle sensor pad for a sensor system of a vehicle, comprising: removing a pre-formed vehicle sensor pad from a clamshell-type housing, the clam shell housing having opposing base and cover sections that are relatively movable between an open position and a closed position, with the closed position defining an enclosed volume of predetermined shape, the base section being sufficiently flexible, and the sensor pad being sufficiently pliable, such that during the removing the base section is able to be manipulated to push the sensor pad therefrom, toward the desired location, with minimum direct contact between the user and the outer surfaces of the sensor pad.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein base and cover sections are of one piece construction with a connector extending therebetween and the sections move between the open and the closed position by folding relative to the connector.

17. A method of making a package for a sensor pad, comprising: vacuum molding a clamshell-type housing out of a sheet of transparent polymeric material the housing having opposing base and cover sections with a connector extending therebetween, the sections being foldable along the connector from an open position to a closed position, and vice versa, the closed position defining an enclosed volume of predetermined shape.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a plurality of clamshell-type housings are vacuum molded using the same sheet, with the plurality of housings die cut so as to be removably held by the sheet, thereby to facilitate subsequent filling of each of the base sections while in the open position.

19-23. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a clamshell-type package for a sensor pad according to a first preferred embodiment of the invention, with the package in an open position.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a top view of the clamshell-type package shown in FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 3A is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3A-3A of FIG. 2.

[0040] FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIGS. 3A, of the base section of the package located below a nozzle, for dispensing the liquid silicone gel into the housing.

[0041] FIG. 3C is a cross-sectional view, similar to FIGS. 3A and 3B, but with the gel already cured to form an in situ pad, and the package in a closed position.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the clamshell-type package of FIG. 1, but in a closed position.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a perspective view which shows one exemplary manner for automatically producing sensor pads of the present invention, with a relatively movable automated dispensing nozzle, or head, arranged so as to programmably dispense a predetermined amount of the sensor pad material, in liquid or gel form, successively into the base sections of a plurality of clamshell-type packages that are in the open position, as the housings are moved, in relative fashion, under the dispensing head.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a clamshell-type package for a sensor pad according to a second preferred embodiment of the invention, with the package in an open position, and the package adapted for use in producing a differently shaped sensor pad.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the clamshell-type package for a sensor pad shown in FIG. 6, but with the package in a closed position.

[0046] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a clamshell-type package for a sensor pad according to a third preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the package in an open position, and the package adapted for use in producing another differently shaped sensor pad.

[0047] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the clamshell-type package for a sensor pad shown in FIG. 8, but with the package in a closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] The accompanying Figures, namely, FIGS. 1 and 2, 6 and 7, and 8 and 9, respectively, show three currently preferred embodiments of a foldable clamshell-type package, or housing, 10, 110, 210 according to the present invention, for three specific shapes of sensor pads, as defined by the volumes 12, 112, 212 located in the respective base sections 15, 115, 215 thereof. These three embodiments are intended to be exemplary. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the specific shapes of the enclosed volumes can be modified, as desired, to achieve a specific pad shape that is desired. In other words, each of these Figures shows a housing 10, 110, 210 which has an enclosable volume that is shaped to achieve one of the known and more common shapes for rain sensor pads used in current vehicle rain sensor systems. To achieve other pad shapes, other housing shapes would be used. Most of the rest of this detailed description focuses on FIGS. 1-5, and the reference numbers relate to the first embodiment. However, those skilled in the art will understand that like numbers in the 100s and the 200s represent corresponding components for the second and third embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 6-9. This application incorporates by reference, in its entirety, U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/529,803, filed on Jul. 7, 2017, entitled Packaged Sensor Pad For A Vehicle Windshield.

[0049] As currently contemplated, the foldable clamshell-type housing 10 of the present invention has a number of features that are common to all shapes and sizes of resulting sensor pads (not shown). For instance, the opposing sections, i.e. the base or bottom section 15 and the cover, or top section 16 of the housing 10 includes outwardly extending tabs 18, each of which is preferably marked with instructional indicia (not shown). These tabs 18 enable the user to more easily open and close the housing 10 by relative movement, i.e., in this case by folding or unfolding along a connector 20, with the folding or unfolding occurring with respect to a hinge line that bisects the connector 20. Preferably, the foldable clamshell-type housing 10 is made by vacuum forming, out of a sheet of thermoplastic material. Applicant has vacuum formed the housing 10 of the present invention from a sheet of 0.10 gauge polyvinyl chloride. However, other suitably moldable materials could also be used, in sheet form, including recycled polyethylene terephthalate (RPET). If desired, the sheet may include one or more surface treatments or components to produce a desired effect, either during or after vacuum molding. The desired effect could be enhanced molding capability, or a desired aesthetic effect for the eventual package, or a desired surface quality of the package itself. Such surface treatments may be included to the sheet prior to vacuum forming. As a result, the housing 10 formed in this manner is a single unitary, and integrally formed piece, with two sections 15 and 16 and a connector 20 extending therebetween.

[0050] Additionally, after forming the housing 10, the inside surface of the base section 15 may be treated with a release agent so as to facilitate eventual removal of the cured sensor pad therefrom. Recall that this inside surface of the base section 15 defines the predetermined shape and thickness of the enclosable space 12 and hence the outer shape of the pad. Applicant has found that, with a housing made from PVC, a subsequent silicone coating proves sufficient, and that the silicone coating can be applied by spraying. But it is believed that other methods of applying the coating to the surface would also be suitable.

[0051] For all variations of the housing 10, a relatively large central wall 23 of the bottom section 15 is sufficiently thin and flexible so as to enable the user to push the outer or external surface thereof, i.e., the surface on the opposite side of the sensor pad held therein, to move the wall 23 and the pad in the desired direction, toward a location for installation. This central wall 23 is best seen in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 3A, 3B and 3C. Also, as shown in these same Figures, the enclosable volume 12 preferably resides above, or is spaced from, a plane 30 in which the tabs 18 reside when the housing 10 is in the closed position. In this condition, there is preferably some amount of space 33, i.e. open volume, between an inside surface of the corresponding upper wall 34 of the cover section 16 and the top of the pad (shown in FIG. 3C only).

[0052] Although the currently preferred embodiment for the housing 10 includes the connector 20 that extends between the two foldable sections 15/16, and the sections 15/16 are foldable and unfoldable relative to a fold line 25 that bisects the connector 20, other structures could be used for achieving the open and closed positions needed to form the sensor pad (not shown) in situ within the enclosable space 12. Moreover, even if the connector 20 were to break, the housing 10 itself would still be usable for its intended purpose, that of serving as a package for the sensor pad.

[0053] FIGS. 1, 2, 3A and 3B show the open position of the housing 10. This is the position of, or the operable mode of, the housing 10 when the volume 12 is filled with a desired and/or predetermined amount of silicone gel in liquid form. FIG. 3A shows a dispenser nozzle 27 located above the base section 15, with the housing 10 in the open position. Applicant expects that there may be any one of a number of combinations of nozzle 27 and silicone gel composition that could prove suitable for the present invention, depending on the circumstances and the particular application. One particular combination that applicant currently believes to be suitable is a two part room temperature cured silicone gel, with a static mixer as the nozzle 27. Nonetheless, those skilled in the art will recognize that other combinations could prove to be equally suitable, or perhaps even more suitable. Moreover, as described previously, current commercially available formulations of silicone gel are not suitable for forming a pad that is retrievable from such a package as a single unitary piece. In fact, applicant believes that if any of the current commercially available gel products were to be tried in combination with the housing 10 of the present invention, it is highly likely that the user would need to wait an extended period of time for the gel to cure. And even after curing, it is doubtful that the material retrieved from the bottom section 15, would still be a usable unitary piece. FIG. 3C shows the dispensed, or casted, gel after it has cured in volume 12 to form a pad 17, and after the lid section 16 has been closed.

[0054] When closed, the sections 15, 16 of the package form a relatively air tight seal, via a compression fit, to prevent moisture ingress. As shown in FIG. 3C, when the housing 17 is closed, there is a uniformly thick open space between pad 17 and the wall 34 of the top section 16. This open space enables an upper surface of the pad 17 to cure completely, without any further physical contact, thereby to produce the product 11 of the present invention, a pad 17 within a package 10.

[0055] In contrast, with the present invention the volume 12 is filled with the silicone gel when the package 10 is in an open position, to a level near to the top of the base section 15. After the casted silicone gel has cured, in situ, in the volume 12, the result is a sensor pad 17 residing therein. At that point, or after most of the curing has occurred, the lid section 16 is closed, as shown in FIG. 3C, thereby to enclose the pad 17 within the volume 12 of the housing 10. The housing 10 serves as the package for the pad 17. Notably, the housing/pad 10/17 combination may be shipped to and received at the site of an end-user, i.e. the aftermarket windshield installer, but at that point the pad 17 has not yet been touched by human hands. As best shown in FIG. 3C, once the dispensed gel material has cured within the base section 15, and the cover section 16 has been moved to a closed position to enclose the volume 12 with the pad 17 held therein, there is preferably some amount of open volume 33 between the inside surface of the wall 34 of the cover section 15 and the top of the pad 17.

[0056] As generally described herein, each of the foldable clamshell-type housing 10, 110, 210 shown in these Figures is used to form one specifically shaped sensor pad 17, 117, 217 that is commonly used as a rain sensor. For each additional pad shape, there would be a need for a corresponding specific housing, perhaps with different external dimensions, but certainly with a different internal volume. Nevertheless, to enhance the convenience of the use of such sensor pads 17, 117, 217, and to achieve cost savings with respect to producing these sensor pads in significant numbers, it is further contemplated that these housings 10, 110, 210 will be used in a coordinated manner, i.e. used in a production line that is capable of manufacturing high numbers of sensor pads 17 in assembly line fashion at a production site. In this context, it is expected that the gel material will be dispensed into the volume 12, 112, 212 via an automated dispenser with suitable controls, to move a nozzle 27 thereof generally above a base section 15, 115, 215 of the housing 10, 110, 210, to dispense the material therein, and to then move the nozzle relative to another housing 10, 110, 210, so as to thereafter dispense material into the next base section 15, 115, 215, and so on. Again, FIG. 5 generally shows this concept, but with respect to housing 10.

[0057] More specifically, FIG. 5 shows one preferred manner for mass producing the pad 17 in the package 10, i.e., the combination of the present invention. Similar to FIG. 3B, FIG. 5 shows a nozzle 27 located directly above a housing 10. But in addition, FIG. 5 also shows a plurality of housings 10 located alongside one another, to facilitate dispensing from the nozzle 27 as the housings 10 are moved relative thereto. In FIG. 5, a plurality of the housings 10 reside alongside one another on a template 29, as a result of having been simultaneously vacuum-formed on a single sheet of suitable material. FIG. 5 shows a plurality of housings 10 sized and shaped to form one particular type of pad 17. However, different housing types, and hence different pad 17 shapes, can be made from one single sheet.

[0058] Prior to forming a sensor pad within the clamshell-type housing 10, the housing 10 is preferably clean and dry. If forming of the sensor pads 17 of the present invention is to occur at a site that differs from the site of production of the housings 10, then the housings 10 need to be shipped to the site of pad manufacture, in sheet form with the housings 10 releasably attached thereto and held in the open condition.

[0059] For these and other reasons that relate to optimizing the benefits of this inventive clamshell-type housing 10 for in situ forming of sensor pads 17, the composition of the silicone gel used to form the pad 17 was formulated so as to enable the pad 17 to move easily from the package 10, 110, 210 as a unitary piece. Compared to applicant's current commercially available silicone gel, Quick Cure, there was a need to modify the existing silicone gel composition so as to enhance the structural integrity, once cured, while still retaining a sufficient amount of pliability. There was also a secondary desire to have the silicone gel cure relatively quickly, so as to preferably achieve the needed firmness within several minutes after dispensing. Via several tests on various iterations of the silicone gel, applicant was able to arrive at a suitable composition. Preferably, once cured, the pad 17 of the present invention has a durometer of about 10 on the Shore A scale (Shore 0060). Based on evaluations of the performance of the pad 17, applicant has arrived at an appropriate balance of the various relevant considerations, with a resulting pad composition that should prove suitable for use as a sensor pad, e.g. on a vehicle windshield as a rain sensor pad. Nonetheless, applicant also believes that other variations of the gel composition may prove to be equally suitable, depending on the parameters that are deemed to be the most important, so long as such variations achieve the desired degree of transmissivity, uniformity in shape, consistency, and pliability.

[0060] Moreover, the pad 17 of the present invention cures within a relatively short time window. In practical terms, this means that the pad 17 cures more quickly than the currently commercially available Quick Cure product, which typically cures anywhere from 4 to 60 minutes in ambient conditions. But it is not applicant's intent to achieve a specific cure time, or the absolute fastest cure time suitable for mass production. Rather, applicant has focused on achieving a pad 17 that provides optimal performance characteristics, and which does so at a considerable cost savings compared to the currently available pads.

[0061] Also, applicant expects that there may be further improvements and/or refinements with respect to the details of mass producing the pad 17 and the package 10 at the lowest reasonable cost, and that such improvements and/or refinements may depend on the particular application involved, or possibly other circumstances. Nonetheless, applicant's present disclosure focuses primarily on performance, and the characteristics needed to supply a product, i.e., a pad formed in situ in a package, that represents a significant improvement over current commercially available products.

[0062] This specification describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention, and specifically a rain sensor pad usable with a vehicle windshield rain sensor system. But those skilled in the art will understand and appreciate that the sensor pads disclosed herein may be applicable for other sensor systems, including vehicle sensing systems which sense conditions other than precipitation on a vehicle windshield. Moreover, those skilled in the art will also understand that the accompanying Figures and the detailed description are exemplary in nature, and not intended to be used to limit the scope of the following claims. Still further, this specification refers to various objects of the invention in order to help explain the deficiencies of the current state of the art, and to more fully encompass the benefits of the present invention over current sensor pad products, and current methods for making those products. This manner of explaining the benefits of the present invention is not intended to require that every claim achieve every one of the above-described objects.