Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
359512000 | Humidity or temperature control | 27 |
20090067050 | Exterior Rearview Mirror for a Motor Vehicle - An exterior rearview mirror for a motor vehicle has a mirror housing, a wiper motor, and a wiper arm which is driven by the wiper motor via a wiper mechanism and bears a wiper blade for cleaning a mirror surface. The wiper mechanism generates an essentially parallel reciprocating movement of the wiper blade. It is essential here to the invention that the wiper mechanism has a first L-shaped pivot arm and a second L-shaped pivot arm which are respectively mounted rotatably in a fixed position at their elbows and are mounted rotatably, at their limbs on the wiper side, on an inner parallel wiper arm. Furthermore, an outer parallel wiper arm which is connected to the inner parallel wiper arm and bears the wiper blade is arranged on the inner parallel wiper arm. The two pivot arms are driven by the wiper motor to which they are connected in terms of drive at their limbs on the drive side. | 03-12-2009 |
20090147360 | WINDOW WITH RESISTANCE HEATING ELEMENT - An electrically heated window intended to be fitted with an imaging device which views an object through a viewing area of the window. A resistance heating element comprises at least one electrically conductive wire extending across the viewing area a plurality of times along a plurality of arc-shaped path. | 06-11-2009 |
20090268293 | PLASTIC GLASS MIRROR FOR VEHICLES - The invention related to a rear view mirror using a plastic glass material to combine several functions as fixing and heating. | 10-29-2009 |
20090316265 | Mirror Assembly with Single Heating Element for Multiple Surfaces - A rearview mirror assembly for a motor vehicle includes a mirror bracket fixedly secured to the motor vehicle. A mirror case is secured to the mirror bracket. The mirror case defines a primary opening. A backing plate is operatively connected to the mirror case. A mirror is fixedly secured to the backing plate. The mirror defines a substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The second surface defines a primary mirror surface and a spot mirror surface formed within the second surface. The rearview mirror assembly also includes a heating element fixedly secured to the second surface of the mirror for heating the mirror. The heating element includes a primary portion fixedly secured to the primary surface and a secondary portion fixedly secured to the spot mirror surface. | 12-24-2009 |
20100202052 | A/C SYSTEM SIDE VIEW MIRROR AND SIDE GLASS DE-ICER - A vehicle heating system employs a vehicle rearview mirror outer case that defines a cavity within which a mirror resides. A vehicle rearview mirror inner case may define a cavity and the rearview mirror inner case may reside within the rearview mirror outer case. A mirror surface or mirror structure, such as glass or plastic, may reside against the rearview mirror inner case to enclose the inner case, with the exception of air inlet and outlet tubes. A rearview mirror inlet tube may pass through the outer case and the inner case and permit air to enter the rearview mirror inner case. A rearview mirror outlet tube that passes through the outer case and the inner case may permit air to exit the rearview mirror inner case. An HVAC unit attaches to the rearview mirror inlet tube to blow air into the rearview mirror outer case or inner case. | 08-12-2010 |
20100309553 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND ENDOSCOPE - An image pickup apparatus has a heater device including a heater and a temperature sensor. The heater device is arranged outside the effective light beam range of an objective optical system, with a predetermined air gap between the heater device and an inner circumferential surface of a rigid member that holds a cover glass. The heater device is pressed to the cover glass by an elastic member disposed at an outer circumferential portion of a protruding frame that holds a lens at a distal end. An electrical connection portion of the heater and an electrical connection portion of the temperature sensor of the image pickup apparatus are disposed facing each other with respect to an optical axis, on a proximal end side that is further to the rear than a distal end face of a lens on a distal end side of a front group lens unit that is a side on which a height of an effective light beam of the objective optical system is relatively low. | 12-09-2010 |
20110013280 | HEATER PAD FOR A MIRROR REFLECTIVE ELEMENT - A heater pad for a variable reflectance mirror reflective element of a vehicular mirror assembly includes a flexible substrate, an electrically conductive heating element, and first and second electrically conducting elements. The first electrically conducting element is in electrical connection with a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating of the equipped mirror reflective element and the second electrically conducting element is in electrical connection with a third surface electrically conductive coating of the equipped mirror reflective element when the equipped mirror reflective element is normally equipped with the heater pad. The electrically conducting elements and the heating element are electrically isolated from one another. The heating element and the first and second electrically conducting elements terminate at an electrical connector that is configured to electrically conductively connect with a wire harness that provides electrical connection to at least one of a power source and a control circuit. | 01-20-2011 |
20110032614 | OPTOELECTRONIC DETECTOR ASSEMBLY AND METHOD OF OPERATING SAME - An optoelectronic detector and method of using same. In order to avoid any condensation on a surface, it has been known to heat such a surface. However, heating an optoelectronic detector will create a stronger hissing noise due to the greater dark current that is caused thereby. The invention is intended to avoid any condensation on an optoelectronic detector without airtight encapsulation. To this end, the detector is cooled and equipped with a sensor for the determination of a current value of one of the variables ambient humidity and ambient dew point temperature and a control unit that is connected with the sensor and designed to control the cooling device in dependence of such a value. By taking into account the ambient humidity or, respectively, the dew point temperature in the control of the cooling device, condensation on the detector can be avoided. An airtight encapsulation of the detector and the cooling device is not required. | 02-10-2011 |
20110096398 | PROCESS TO APPLY HEATER FUNCTION TO PLASTIC GLASS - The invention is related to a process to apply a heater function to a plastic glass that was made of a polycarbonate. The process includes a sputtering process that allows producing high performance heater function on a plastic glass. Another aspect of the invention is the plastic glass mirrors produced by the inventive process. | 04-28-2011 |
20110109967 | REDUCED FOGGING SHOWER MIRROR - A reduced fogging mirror configured to be removably mounted to a surface such as a shower surface is disclosed. The reduced fogging mirror includes a reflective substrate and a foam backing attached to the reflective substrate. The foam backing is used as an insulator to keep the temperature of the reflective surface from fluctuating. This allows the reflective surface to maintain a temperature similar to a shower's water and steam, reducing the fogging on the reflective substrate. The foam backing is also configured to retain water such that the reduced fogging mirror can be adhered to the shower surface using water tension between the foam backing and the shower surface. | 05-12-2011 |
20110149394 | THERMAL MANAGEMENT FOR A SOLID IMMERSION LENS OBJECTIVE IN OPTICAL PROBING - Thermal management for a solid immersion lens is described. In one example, a system includes a solid immersion lens objective, a solid immersion lens tip assembly optically coupled to the objective, and a heat exchanger thermally coupled to the objective. The system may also or alternatively include a dry purge system coupled between the lens tip assembly and the objective to remove moisture between the lens tip assembly and the objective. | 06-23-2011 |
20110170192 | INTERIOR REARVIEW MIRROR ASSEMBLY - A vehicular interior rearview mirror assembly includes an electro-optic reflective element, a photo sensor and a light concentrator. The electro-optic reflective element has a front substrate with a first surface and a transparent second surface electrically conductive coating disposed on a second surface, and the electro-optic reflective element has a rear substrate with a third surface transflective metallic reflector disposed at a third surface thereof. The photo sensor is disposed behind a fourth surface of the rear substrate and operable to detect light passing through the transflective metallic reflector and the electro-optic reflective medium disposed between the second and third surfaces. The light concentrator is disposed between the photo sensor and the fourth surface of the rear substrate, and the light concentrator receives light passing through the transflective metallic reflector of the electro-optic reflective element and concentrates light onto a light sensing surface of the photo sensor. | 07-14-2011 |
20110286096 | AUTOMOTIVE EXTERIOR MIRROR HEATER CONTROL - An exterior rearview mirror system suitable for use on a vehicle includes an exterior rearview mirror assembly, a mirror heating element and a control. The mirror assembly includes a mirror head portion mountable to a side of a vehicle and a reflective element supported at the mirror head portion. The mirror heating element is disposed at a rear side of the reflective element and operable to heat the reflective element. The control is operable to power the mirror heating element to heat the reflective element. The control controls heating of the mirror heating element responsive at least in part to a signal indicative of air flow at or around the exterior rearview mirror assembly and the reflective element of the equipped vehicle. | 11-24-2011 |
20120170119 | DEFOGGING AND DEFROSTING DEVICE FOR PROTECTIVE LENS OF A CAMERA - The present invention relates to a defogging and defrosting devices for the protective lens of camera, which includes a heater that is coupled to a control circuit panel, a thermal gasket that is in contact contacting with the heater, receives the heat from the heater and transmits the heat to the glass or mirror object which contacts with in order to avoid and prevent the loss of lucidity of the glass or mirror object due to humidity. The defogging and defrosting device is installed on the body of the camera instead of on the protective lens in order to avoid shading the camera view and to facilitate the removal of protective lens while adjusting the focus of the camera. It also facilitates the replacement of the protective lens of the camera. | 07-05-2012 |
20120170120 | ANTI-FOG HEAT GENERATING GLASS SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME - An anti-fog heat-generating glass system, comprising: a heat-generating glass unit separating an indoor and outdoor area, including general glass and heat-generating glass; a glass surface temperature-sensing unit arranged on indoor side heat-generating glass for sensing glass surface temperature; a control unit which compares the glass surface temperature and a fogging point of the indoor area to control heat-generation of the heat-generating glass unit; and a power-source unit supplying power to the heat-generating glass system to operate the system. A method for controlling the anti-fog heat-generating glass system comprises: simultaneously sensing the temperature and relative humidity of the indoor area and the temperature of the heat-generating glass surface; calculating a fogging point based on the temperature and relative humidity of the indoor area; comparing the temperatures of the heat-generating glass surface and the fogging point; and returning to the sensing step or heating the heat-generating glass, based on the comparing step. | 07-05-2012 |
20120212817 | SELF HEATABLE INSPECTION MIRROR - A self heating inspection mirror for dental use has a pencil like handle with an angled mirror. A resistance wire heating coil is surrounded by wafers of insulation and lies in contact with the mirror. Leads pass down the handle to a plug and socket. The socket is in the battery compartment which allows the operator to unplug the handle and immerse the mirror and handle as a unit. The battery compartment has an integral switch for connecting the battery to the heating coil The 3V rechargeable lithium battery maintains the lightweight mirror at 43EC. | 08-23-2012 |
20130308190 | Method for Providing Fog Free Shower Mirror - A method for achieving and maintaining a substantially fog-free mirror surface in a hot water shower. The method involves locating a thin acrylic mirror in a flow of hot water having a water temperature in an enclosed shower for a treatment period of time of 10 seconds or less to treat the mirror to bring the mirror to a temperature substantially the same as the water temperature to achieve a substantially fog free mirror surface. The treated mirror maintains the substantially fog free mirror surface for a period of time at least 18 times the treatment time. | 11-21-2013 |
20130314791 | Heated Mirror - The mirror includes a flexible support layer with at least one metallic layer and electrical contacts on the support layer, wherein the metallic layer forms the mirror and contains interruptions smaller than 100 μm, through which metallic layer an electric current applied to the mirror to heat the mirror is evenly distributed along the metallic layer, which has a thickness of about 700 nm or less. The interruptions are so constructed as to avoid hot spots in the metallic layer when heated. The mirror and its heating functions are produced on one production line. | 11-28-2013 |
20140254015 | EXTERIOR MIRROR WITH SPOTTER MIRROR - An exterior rearview mirror assembly for a vehicle includes a principal reflective element, a wide angle auxiliary reflective element and a back plate. The principal reflective element is disposed at a principal reflective element region of the back plate and has a cutout at a corner region thereof. The wide angle auxiliary reflective element is disposed at the auxiliary reflective element region of the back plate and is adjacent to the principal reflective element at the corner region of the principal reflective element. A single heater pad is disposed between the principal reflective element and the principal reflective element region of the back plate and between the wide angle auxiliary reflective element and the auxiliary reflective element region of the back plate. When powered, the single heater pad heats the principal reflective element and the wide angle auxiliary reflective element. | 09-11-2014 |
20140327964 | VEHICULAR EXTERIOR SIDEVIEW MIRROR SYSTEM WITH EXTENDED FIELD OF VIEW - An exterior sideview mirror system includes an exterior sideview mirror assembly including a reflective element having a rearward field of view when attached to a side of an automobile. The reflective element includes has a plano reflective element and a separate auxiliary reflective element having a curvature. The plano reflective element and the auxiliary reflective element are supported adjacently at a backing plate element having a first support portion supporting the plano reflective element and a second support portion supporting the auxiliary reflective element. The auxiliary reflective element is positioned at an outboard portion of the reflective element assembly when the exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached to the side of the automobile. When the exterior sideview mirror assembly is attached to and operated at the side of the automobile, the field of view of the auxiliary reflective element overlaps with the field of view of the plano reflective element. | 11-06-2014 |
20140368910 | FOG-PROOF DEVICE - A fog-proof device for evaporating fog from a camera's lens includes a glass covering a front surface of the lens, and a light-shielding cylinder mounted to the glass. The light-shielding cylinder defines a through hole. A zigzagging heat-generating portion is formed along a circumference of the light-shielding cylinder, and two ends of the heat-generating portion are separated by a gap. Ends of the heat-generating portion at opposite sides of the gap are electrically connected to two power wires. | 12-18-2014 |
20150062704 | Optical Article Comprising a Precursor Coating for An Antifogging Coating and a Temporary Layer Rendering Same Suitable for Edging - The present invention concerns an optical article comprising a substrate, at least one of the main surfaces of which is coated with a first coating comprising, at its surface, silanol groups and, in direct contact with this coating, a second coating which is a precursor for an antifog coating, the second coating being formed by deposition, on the first coating, of at least one compound A having:
| 03-05-2015 |
20150138637 | EXTERIOR MIRROR REFLECTOR SUB-ASSEMBLY WITH AUXILIARY REFLECTOR PORTION - A mirror reflector sub-assembly for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a mirror reflective element having a glass substrate. A principal reflector portion has a first radius of curvature and an auxiliary reflector portion includes a curved recess having a second radius of curvature smaller than the first radius of curvature. The curved recess is established at the second surface of the glass substrate by physical removal of glass from a portion of the substrate. The mirror reflective element is supported at a side of a mirror back plate and an opposing side of the mirror back plate is adapted for attaching the mirror back plate to a mirror actuator of an exterior rearview mirror assembly equipped with the mirror reflector sub-assembly. A heater pad is disposed at the second surface of the glass substrate between the mirror reflective element and the mirror back plate. | 05-21-2015 |
20150321556 | PASSIVE REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION OF FROST AND FOG - Lens fogging or frosting on inside surfaces of an instrument lens may be reduced or prevented by sealing the instrument housing. Damage or rupture of the sealed housing due to an increase or decrease in pressure within the housing may be avoided while reducing introduction of moisture into the housing by venting the housing through a tube to a location having a relatively lower humidity. | 11-12-2015 |
20160091714 | VEHICLE IMAGER ASSEMBLY WITH LOCALIZED WINDOW DEFOGGING - An imager assembly adapted to capture an image proximate to a vehicle includes a camera and a heater element. The camera is configured to capture an image of a field-of-view about a vehicle through a window of the vehicle. The heater element is configured to direct heat toward a portion of the window that intersects the field-of-view for defogging the portion of the window. The heater element is located outside of the field-of-view. | 03-31-2016 |
20160147034 | COOLING STRUCTURE OF SEALED CASING AND OPTICAL APPARATUS USING THE SAME - A cooling structure of a sealed casing according to the present invention includes sealed containers for housing heat-generation components irradiated with light from a light source to generate heat, an evaporation unit disposed in the sealed container to store a refrigerant, a condensation unit configured to liquefy the refrigerant gasified by the heat received from the heat-generation component, a steam pipe configured to connect the evaporation unit and the condensation unit, through which the gasified refrigerant flows, and a liquid pipe configured to connect the evaporation unit and the condensation unit to each other, through which the liquefied refrigerant flows. Thus, a cooling structure capable of preventing performance deterioration of a cooling target device can be achieved. | 05-26-2016 |
20160154235 | Anti-Fogging Mirror with Water Dispensing Outlet | 06-02-2016 |