VEHICLE WINDSHIELD CLEANING SYSTEM
First Claim
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 housing bounding 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 in thermal contact with the heater element for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir comprisinga strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths andelongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through said 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.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface having an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; a housing bounding a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port; and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid. A heater element heats fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through the reservoir. A heat exchanger in thermal contact with the heater element for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir has a strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths and elongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through said reservoir. A control circuit energizes the heater element with a voltage to heat the heating element and the fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet through the reservoir.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; b) a housing bounding 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 in thermal contact with the heater element for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir comprising a strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths and elongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through said 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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A fluid heating assembly for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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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 interior 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) one or more heating elements for heating fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through said reservoir; c) a heat exchanger having elongated strut supported by the housing in a position that is at least partially covered by fluid within the reservoir which extends between opposed walls of said plastic housing to define two flow paths on opposite sides of said strut and having one or more hubs having at least one heater element per hub, said heater elements extending into the hubs of the heat sink so that heat emitting surfaces of the heater element engage interior curved surfaces of the hubs to transmit heat to the heat exchanger; and 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.
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9. 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.
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10. A method of providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) providing a reservoir and dividing the reservoir into portions by placing a heat exchanger having a elongated strut into the reservoir so that the strut divides the reservoir into portions; b) thermally coupling a heater element to the heat exchanger; c) coupling the reservoir to an inlet port and routing fluid into the reservoir for heating fluid through contact with the heat exchanger; d) 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. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; b) a housing bounding 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 in contact with the heater element and at least partially covered by fluid within the reservoir including a center strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into different flow paths and which conveys heat to the fluid within the reservoir and a plurality of side fins that extend away from the strut at transverse angles and define a multiple number of fluid flow channels for directing fluid along a back and forth increased flow path as said fluid flows from the inlet to the outlet; 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; g) said housing including a first wall facing the heat exchanger having inwardly extending lands that contact the heat exchanger and an opposite wall facing the heat exchanger having inwardly extending lands that contact the heat exchanger to cause fluid entering the reservoir to flow through passageways bounded by side fins of the heat exchanger and said first and opposite walls. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A fluid heating assembly for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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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 an elongated strut supported by the housing in a position that divides fluid entering the housing into different flow paths and transversely extending fins that bound serpentine flow paths of fluid through the reservoir to extend a latency of fluid engagement with the heat exchanger thereby promoting heat transfer efficiency; c) one or more heater elements for heating fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through said reservoir in thermal contact with the heat exchanger, and 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. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
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24. A method of providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) mounting a heater element in a metal heat exchanger having outwardly extending fins that define channels along a surface of the heat exchanger and placing the heat exchanger into a fluid reservoir for receiving fluid through an inlet port; 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 by forcing the water though serpentine channels bounded by the outwardly extending fins 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. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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Specification