Heated vehicle exterior object sensor
AssigneeITT Manufacturing Enterprises, Inc.
InventorThomas R. Daniel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle exterior object detector apparatus includes a transmitter and receiver carried within a housing and mounted by a holder to a support on the vehicle. A heater element is carried in the holder in surrounding relationship with one end of the transmitter and receiver housing for melting ice and snow build up on the end of the housing for proper operation of the transmitter and receiver.
Claims18
An object detection apparatus comprising:
- transceiver means for transmitting a signal and receiving a return signal reflected off of an object within a range of the transceiver means;
- means for mounting the transceiver means on a support, the mounting means including a holder coupled to the transceiver means, the holder having an end facing exteriorly of an exterior surface of the support and disposed adjacent an end of the transceiver means;
- and
- heating means, carried by the end of the holder, for elevating the temperature of at least the end portion of the transceiver means to remove meltable material disposed on the transceiver means.
An object detection apparatus comprising:
- a transceiver for transmitting a signal and receiving a return signal reflected off of an object within a range of the transceiver;
- the transceiver including a housing carrying a transmitter and a receiver;
- means for mounting the housing on a support, the mounting means having an end facing exteriorly of the support and disposed adjacent to an end portion of the transceiver;
- and
- heating means, carried on the end, for elevating the temperature of the end portion of the housing of the mounting means to remove meltable material on the transceiver.
A mount for an object detection apparatus having a transceiver means for transmitting a signal and receiving a return signal reflected off of an object within a range of the transceiver means mounted within a housing having a signal transmission and receiving surface, the mount comprising:
- a body having a through bore;
- the housing of the transceiver mounted within the bore of the body of the mount;
- an enlarged diameter end flange carried on the body and engageable with an exterior surface of a support, the signal transmitting and receiving surface of the housing of the transceiver disposed in proximity with the end flange for transmitting and receiving signals exteriorly of the end flange;
- means for mounting the body of the mount to the support;
- and
- heating means, carried by the mounting means, for elevating the temperature of the signal transmitting and receiving surface of the housing of the transceiver means to remove any meltable material disposed on the signal transmitting and receiving surface of the housing of the transceiver means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.