DE10019782A1 - Sensor for cars uses dirt repellent window layers allows wide choice of location at reduced cost - Google Patents

Abstract

The sensor (20) is placed behind a dirt repellent layer (10) forming a sensor window in the windscreen (1) or bodywork or in direct contact with the environment behind the dirt repellent layer only.

Description

The invention relates to a sensor arrangement, in particular an opto-sensory one Sensor arrangement on or in the motor vehicle, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

Sensors are often used within the motor vehicle. These must either be placed in a protected place in order to keep it as free as possible from contamination be, or they are behind a window, especially the windshield one Motor vehicle arranged. This in turn means that the sensor in the wiping field Wipers must be arranged. On those panes where none Wipers are arranged or outside the wiping area, these are said Then sensors cannot be used because the glass pane above is dirty and thus the signal that the sensor is to record on a non-reproducible and is also weakened in a non-measurable way. The sensor values are at one Placement accordingly unreliable.

Another problem arises from the fact that both assembly and installation-technical reasons, as well as for design reasons the sensors are not can be placed anywhere.

Regardless of the sensor problem, surface coatings are of a general nature known that have dirt-repellent properties. Here, in particular Glass surfaces coated accordingly.

A surface coating is known from DE 43 26 502 C2, which in essentially consisting of zirconium dioxide and a propyl perfluorooctylsulfonamide Derivative exists. This creates a dirt-repellent coating on glass, what for example, could also be used in motor vehicles. The disadvantage here, however, is that Appropriate consideration of sensors, for example behind the glass pane, for example, the windshield is not provided. From the stated state of the Technology are only covering the entire surface of glass surfaces Diving operations described.  

DE 43 19 199 A1 describes dirt-repellent coatings and lacquer coatings Monomers and oligomers with polymerizable carbon compounds are known. This are not suitable for guaranteeing optical transmittance or any other radiation transmittance for the arrangement of sensors.

EP 0 492 545 B1 includes a transparent, water and oil-repellent object described a film of an element of the silane group with a fluoroalkyl group. Such a coating has none of the abilities mentioned above.

DE 41 15 857 A1 describes water-repellent coatings made of acylpolysiloxane known, but all are applied over the whole area.

From DE 35 11 720 C2 are more dirt-repellent hydrophilic Coatings of glass known. There is also a wide range of well known ones dirt-repellent coatings for glass, in which the glass is completely immersed must become.

The invention is therefore based on the object to place sensors or the To design sensor areas or corresponding parts on the vehicle body so that the sensors are as optimal and reproducible as possible and independent of Dirt can work.

The task is performed in a sensor arrangement of the generic type solved according to the invention by the characterizing features of claim 1.

Further advantageous configurations of the sensor arrangement according to the invention are shown in FIGS dependent claims 2-5 indicated.

The core of the sensor arrangement according to the invention is that the sensors in the Area of their sensory or opto-sensory surfaces, or arranged there covering glass surfaces with a dirt-repellent, but the corresponding specific radiation are provided with a loss-free permeable coating.

This is essentially improved over the prior art that Radiation to which the sensor is sensitive and which it should measure, accordingly can happen. This is usually guaranteed by most types of glass. Here however, only the areas within or behind which there are sensors  Partially coated, so to speak. This eliminates the one described in the prior art full coverage.

With the help of the invention, however, it is also possible, for example, one Installing rain sensor or a light sensor somewhere behind the windshield however, the windshield is only partially in the corresponding sensory window area to coat, the coating having to fulfill the task cumulatively, on the one hand to be dirt-repellent and secondly also to be transmissive. So with a corresponding coating only the so-called window surface of the sensor covered. The rest of the windshield can also go with a dirt-repellent coating in general, the Sensor window area is again excluded from this coating, because that is where the In addition to the dirt-repellent property, the coating also has good transmittance got to.

In this way, the entire windshield does not have to be quite expensive Coating to be coated, both the required Sensor transmittance properties as well as the dirt-repellent properties cumulatively fulfilled. Such a coating is then limited to that Sensor window.

In a further advantageous embodiment it is indicated that disks or Windshields or glass or plastic covers only partially where the or the sensors are arranged, are coated accordingly. This does not apply here only windscreens, but all used and possibly radiation for the appropriate sensor permeable materials, such as plastic.

In addition, the sensors no longer need only in the wiping area Windshield, but can also be used in other areas outside the Wiping area of the windshield can be arranged.

In addition, sensors can also be sliced that are not from Windscreen wiper elements are applied, be arranged, so for example behind side windows, if necessary also in glass or plastic covered Lighting fixtures etc.  

In addition, it is possible to close the sensitive areas of the sensors themselves coat. The coating now makes it possible to arrange the sensors in this way or to be placed in such a way that the sensor surfaces or part of the sensor body also quite can protrude from a body opening. By an appropriate The sensor surfaces are protected and dirt-repellent coating of the sensors can be exposed to environmental influences. Because of the dirt-repellent effect of the coating, which is also transmittant, in concerned spectral range, the surfaces are so to speak soiled and thus create permanently reproducible sensor values.

In a further advantageous embodiment, it is stated that the sensors are thus also so can be placed in such a way that they are in direct contact with the surroundings without any cover. Coverless means that there are no glass or plastic covers and the sensors with their coated sensor surface are directly exposed to the environment.

In the last advantageous embodiment it is indicated that the sensors in Body recesses or openings are placed, possibly so that the same do not protrude from the coherent body surface, but from the environmental influences are exposed. For example, either a cover can then be in the body be provided from glass or plastic, which is correspondingly transmittant and in the is coated in accordance with the invention, or the openings are free, since, for example, the sensor surfaces are based on an embodiment according to the invention are coated.

Furthermore, it is also advantageous to insert the sensors into the exterior mirror housing. in the The area of the exterior mirrors is very much the splash water and thus the pollution high, but the coating according to the invention makes it insignificant, and the Sensors can also advantageously be placed there.

The invention as a whole ensures that icing or soiling is observed redundant, and the sensors can be used anywhere, H. also outside of Application area of wiping or cleaning systems can be arranged

The invention is illustrated in the drawing and described in more detail below.

It shows:

Fig. 1 arrangement of a sensor behind the windshield.

Fig. 2 arrangement of a sensor on a body part.

Fig. 1 shows the arrangement of a sensor 20, such as a light or rain sensor in the central upper part of a windshield 1. The sensor 20 is arranged behind the windshield and, for example, behind the fastening device for the inside mirror, and is therefore placed in a concealed manner. The light-sensitive sensor surface is located directly behind the windshield 1 . In an embodiment according to the invention, a partial coating 10 of the windshield 1 is carried out there in the area of the sensitive surface of the sensor 20 . Said coating according to the invention must meet two conditions cumulatively. On the one hand, it must be transparent, so to speak, transmissive in the corresponding spectral range that is essential for the sensor, and on the other hand, said surface must be dirt-repellent in the manner according to the invention, so that non-reproducible dirt deposits weaken the essential signal. In addition, the sensor 20 is placed in such a way that it is arranged outside the active wiping area of the windshield wipers.

Thus, in this illustration, it advantageously follows that sensors can also be placed at other locations on the vehicle, outside the active wiping area of windshield wipers. In addition, a corresponding coating 10 that fulfills both of these conditions, which is generally more expensive than simple dirt-repellent coatings, now only has to be partially provided on sensor windows 15 , so to speak.

The remaining area of the windshield 1 shown here can be coated with only a dirt-repellent, possibly less expensive coating. Said remaining coating is then excluded from the sensor window surface 15 , ie the same is not covered with it again. In terms of production technology, this can be achieved by carrying out two coatings which are carried out separately from one another and in which cover masks are used.

Fig. 2 shows an example in which the sensor is arranged protruding on a body part of a motor vehicle. The sensor 11 is not surrounded by a body cover section or a glass cover, but rather is a sensor 11 with a correspondingly coated sensor surface 12 described according to an embodiment of the invention. In this case, however, the remaining protruding sensor part 11 must also be weatherproof. The weather resistance in the rest of the sensor surface 12 results from said coating 13 according to the invention, which in turn fulfills itself cumulatively, on the one hand to be dirt-repellent and on the other hand to be transmissive for the required wavelength range.

In addition, further configurations have already been given above, sensors for example also being arranged within body recesses, which in turn are either covered with glass or plastic or are also exposed, as are the examples mentioned in FIG. 2. In the event that the same are in a glass-covered body opening, said cover glass is then coated in the manner according to the invention.

In addition, the arrangement of sensors in the exterior mirror housings is advantageous, because there, in particular, the sensors have hardly any angle shadowing from parts of the body are exposed. In a figurative sense, one could say that the sensors have one wider field of vision. Because the sensors are either coated directly or by one at least partially coated cover glass are covered in this optimally protected particularly contaminated area.

Claims (8)

1. Sensor arrangement, in particular opto-sensory sensors on or in the motor vehicle, characterized in that the sensors ( 11 , 20 ) in the area of their sensory or opto-sensory surfaces or cover glass surfaces arranged there with a dirt-repellent, but transmitting the corresponding radiation with as little loss as possible Coating ( 10 , 13 ) are provided as a sensor window surface ( 15 ). 2. Sensor arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the windows or windshields ( 1 ) or glass or plastic covers only partially where the sensor or sensors ( 11 , 20 ) is or are arranged, is coated accordingly . 3. Sensor arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more sensors ( 11 , 20 ) is or are arranged behind a side or rear window in the motor vehicle. 4. Sensor arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that one or more sensors ( 11 , 20 ) is or are arranged in a lighting fixture. 5. Sensor arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensitive surfaces ( 12 ) of the sensors ( 11 , 20 ) themselves, ie are directly coated. 6. Sensor arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that said sensors ( 11 , 20 ) are directly in contact with the environment without cover. 7. Sensor arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensors ( 11 , 20 ) are arranged in body recesses with a corresponding coating ( 13 ) or coated cover. 8. Sensor arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sensor or the sensors ( 11 , 20 ) is or are arranged in the exterior mirror housing of the motor vehicle.