The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 23, 1999
Filed:
Jul. 22, 1998
Shuhei Tanaka, Osaka, JP;
Tadashi Koyama, Osaka, JP;
Keiji Tsunetomo, Osaka, JP;
Hideki Imanishi, Osaka, JP;
Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A front windshield 1 having a rain sensor 2 for detecting the adhesion or presence of water drops W upon one side surface thereof, depending upon variation in an amount of reflected light, wherein the rain sensor 2 comprises: a light emitting element 7 for introducing a sensing light beam into the front windshield 1; a light receiving element 8 for detecting the light beam which is propagated by total internal reflection within the front windshield 1; and diffraction gratings 5, 6 formed on a surface of a glass substrate 4, through which the light emitting element 7 and the light receiving element 8 are provided on glass surface, whereby the rain sensor 2 is adhered on the other side surface of the front windshield 1 by means of an adhesive material 3 having a refractive index equivalent to that of the glass substrate 4.