Vehicle Windshield Cleaning System

• US 20080277497A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uusi LLC (Nartron Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nartron Corporation
• Inventors: Washeleski, John, Gronski, Thomas, Strom, Peter, Shank, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,857,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 239/130
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 9/002 incorporating means for heating or cooling, e.g. the material to be sprayed
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/482 combined with the operation of windscreen wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/488 electrically
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/50 Arrangement of reservoir

Abstract

Apparatus and method for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface. The apparatus has an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; an outlet port for dispensing an amount of heated fluid two glow plug heating elements and a control for activating or energizing the glow plugs to heat fluid within a reservoir.

Claims

1. Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:

a) an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid;

b) a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port;

c) an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid;

d) a heater element for heating fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through said reservoir;

e) a heat exchanger at least partially covered by fluid within the reservoir in thermal contact with the heater element for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir; and

f) a control circuit for energizing the heater element with a voltage to heat the heating element and the fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet through the reservoir.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the heat exchanger comprises first and second spaced apart hubs joined together by a intermediate portion and further comprising elongated fins that extend outwardly from the hubs.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the hubs have cavities which support first and second heater elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the heater elements are glow plugs having generally cylindrical heat emitting surfaces in thermal contact with interior wall portions of the hubs that surround said cavities.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the reservoir is contained by a housing having openings that define throughpassages in housing walls that define the inlet port and the outlet port.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the said housing is plastic.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 additionally comprising a housing that defines the inlet port and the outlet port in the form of throughpassages which extend into a housing interior region which defines the reservoir and further comprising an interior wall which supports the heat exchanger in the reservoir.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising a temperature sensor for providing a feedback signal to the controller that is in thermal contact with the heat exchanger.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 where the current draw and heating time can be configured by designing in different heating elements.

9. A fluid heating assembly for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:

a) a plastic housing defining an interior reservoir and including an inlet port for routing fluid into the reservoir from an external source;

said housing further defining an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid from the reservoir onto a surface such as a windshield;

b) a heat exchanger having struts supported by the housing in a position that is at least partially covered by fluid within the reservoir having at least one generally spaced hub

c) at least one heater element for heating fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through said reservoir in the vicinity of the heat exchanger, said heater elements extending into the hubs of the heat sink so that heat emitting surfaces of the heater engage interior curved surfaces of the hubs to transmit heat to the heat exchanger;

d) a control circuit supported by a printed circuit board supported by the housing for energizing the heater with a voltage and thereby heat fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet through the reservoir;

10. The apparatus of claim 9 additionally comprising connectors for routing battery, ground and control signals to the control circuit mounted to the printed circuit board.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 where said fluid is heated to a predetermined temperature and dispensed by operator command.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 where said fluid is heated to a predetermined temperature and dispensed by the system a multiple number of times.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 where two heater elements are used.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 where the heater elements are glow plugs.

18. The apparatus of claim 9 where the heater elements'"'"' current draw increases or decreases the fluid heating time.

11. A method of providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:

a) mounting a heater in a heat exchanger and placing the heat exchanger into a fluid reservoir through an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid;

b) coupling the reservoir to an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid;

d) heating fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through said reservoir;

e) energizing the heater element with a voltage to heat the heating element and the fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet through the reservoir.

12. The method of claim 11 including providing a redundant control to prevent thermal runaway of the device should a primary control fail.