Patent ID: 7297932

Claim:
An optoelectronic sensor device for sensing wetting of a motor vehicle windshield having precipitation, the sensor device comprising: a first circuit support; a radiation emitter arranged proximate to the first circuit support to emit radiation toward a windshield; a radiation detector arranged proximate to the first circuit support to detect radiation reflected back from the windshield; a lens holder holding beam shaping means respectively associated with the radiation emitter and the radiation detector, wherein the beam shaping means associated with the radiation emitter parallelizes and directs at least some of radiation emitted by the radiation emitter toward the windshield, wherein the beam shaping means associated with the radiation detector focuses and directs at least some radiation reflected back from the windshield toward the radiation detector; a coupling element for coupling at least some radiation emitted by the radiation emitter into the windshield and for coupling at least some radiation reflected back from the windshield out of the windshield; a structural element arranged between the lens holder and the coupling element; and a second circuit support arranged between the lens holder and the structural element; wherein the structural element has retaining elements for holding and positioning the second circuit support relative to the windshield.