Combined headlight and windshield wiper control

• US 5,205,634 A
• Filed: 02/10/1992
• Issued: 04/27/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lewis L. Ruter
• Original Assignee: Lewis L. Ruter
• Inventors: Ruter, Lewis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HEYMAN, LEONARD
• Application Number:
  US07/833,698
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/253, 362/802, 362/276, 315/82, 315/83, 200/5 B, 200/50 C, 200/339, 200/50 R, 200/318
• US Class Current: 362/465
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/08 electrically driven conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A vehicle windshield wiper and headlight control that only allows operation of the windshield wipers when the headlights are ON has a control switch assembly connected to a battery, wiper motor, headlights and parking lights. The control switch assembly has separate headlight and wiper switches that are simultaneously closed when a wiper actuator is turned ON so that the wiper motor only operates at least at low speed when the headlights are ON.

Claims

1. A control for connecting an electric power source to vehicle headlights and electric powered means to operate the windshield wiper means of the vehicle only when the headlights are ON comprising:

windshield wiper switch means connected to said electric power source having windshield wiper actuator means selectively movable to ON and OFF conditions to control the operation of the electric powered means to operate the windshield wiper means, headlight switch means operable to selectively switch means having headlight actuator means selectively moveable to ON and OFF positions to turn the headlights ON and OFF, said windshield wiper actuator means and headlight actuator means having coacting means operable to move the headlight switch actuator means to the ON position when the windshield wiper actuator is moved to the ON position whereby the electric powered means operated the windshield wiper actuator means to the OFF position when the headlight actuator means is moved to the OFF position thereby terminating the operation of the electric powered means and turning the headlights OFF, said wiper actuator means includes a wiper actuator having a wiper ON arm and a wiper OFF arm, first pivot means pivotally mounting the wiper actuator for movement between ON and OFF positions, the headlight actuator means includes a headlight actuator located adjacent the wiper actuator having a headlight ON arm and a headlight OFF arm, second pivot means pivotally mounting the headlight actuator for movement between ON and OFF positions, said wiper OFF arm having a lateral projection extended under the headlight OFF arm and engageable with the headlight OFF arm whereby movement of the wiper actuator to the ON position moves the headlight actuator to the ON position.

2. The control of claim 1 with a vehicle having parking light including:

a parking light switch connected to the power source having a parking light switch actuator movable between an ON position and an OFF position to turn vehicle parking lights ON and OFF, said lateral projection of the wiper OFF arm engagable with the parking light switch actuator whereby the parking light switch actuator is moved to the ON position when the wiper switch actuator is moved to the ON position.

3. The control of claim 2 wherein:

the parking light switch actuator has an OFF arm engagable with the OFF arm of the headlight switch actuator and the OFF arm of the wiper switch actuator whereby when the wiper switch actuator is moved to the ON position the headlight switch actuator and parking light switch actuator is moved to their ON positions and when the parking light switch actuator is moved to the OFF position the headlight switch actuator and parking light switch actuator are moved to the OFF position.

4. A control for connecting an electric power source to vehicle headlights and electric power means to operate the windshield wiper means of the vehicle only when the headlights are ON comprising:

windshield wiper switch means connected to said electric power source operable in response to ON and OFF conditions to control the operation of the electric power means to operate the windshield wiper means ,headlight switch means operable in response to ON and OFF, said headlight switch means and windshield wiper switch means having coacting means operable to move the headlight switch means to the ON condition when the wiper switch means is moved to the ON condition whereby the electric power source operates the windshield wiper means only when the headlight switch means is ON and the headlights are ON, said wiper switch means has a wiper actuator movably to ON and OFF positions, the headlight switch means has a headlight actuator moveable to ON and OFF positions, said coacting means including a member connected to the wiper actuator and engageable with the headlight actuator to move the headlight actuator to the ON Position when the wiper actuator is moved to the ON position, said wiper actuator has an ON arm and an OFF arm, first pivot means pivotally mounting the wiper actuator for movement between ON and OFF positions, the headlight actuator has an ON arm and an OFF arm second pivot means pivotally mounting the headlight actuator for movement between ON and OFF positions, said member being part of the OFF arm of the wiper switch actuator and engageable with the OFF arm of the headlight switch actuator whereby movement of the wiper switch actuator to the ON position moves the headlight switch actuator to the ON position and movement of the headlight switch actuator to the OFF position moves the wiper switch actuator to the OFF position.

5. The control of claim 4 wherein:

the OFF arm of the headlight switch actuator has a recess in the lower section thereof, said member being located in said recess.

6. The control of claim 4 wherein:

the first pivot means and second pivot means are in general axial alignment whereby the wiper actuator and headlight actuator pivot about a common axis.

7. The control of claim 4 with a vehicle having parking light including:

a parking light switch connected to the power source having a parking light switch actuator movable between an ON position and an OFF position to turn vehicle parking lights ON and OFF, said member of the wiper OFF arm engagable with the parking light switch actuator whereby the parking light switch actuator is moved to the ON position when the wiper switch actuator is moved to the ON position.

8. The control of claim 7 wherein:

the parking light switch actuator has an OFF arm engagable with the OFF arm of the headlight switch actuator and the OFF arm of the wiper switch actuator whereby when the wiper switch actuator is moved to the ON position the headlight switch actuator and parking light switch actuator is moved to their ON positions and when the parking light switch actuator is moved to the OFF position the headlight switch actuator and parking light switch actuator are moved to the OFF position.

9. A control for connecting an electric power source to vehicle headlights, parking lights and to electric motor means to operate the windshield wipers of the vehicle when the headlights and parking lights are ON comprising:

a wiper switch operable to control the operation of the electric motor means to operate the windshield wipers, first conductor means connecting the wiper switch to the power source, a headlight switch operable to connect and disconnect the electric power source with the headlights, second conductor means connecting the headlight switch to the headlights, a parking light switch operable to connect and disconnect the electric power source with the parking lights, third conductor means connecting the parking light switch to the parking lights, said wiper switch, parking light switch and headlight switch having coacting means operable to move the headlight switch and parking light switch to ON positions when the wiper control switch is moved to the ON position whereby the electric power source operates the windshield wipers only when the headlights and parking lights are ON.

10. The control of claim 9 wherein:

the wiper actuator means includes an actuator having an ON arm and an OFF arm, and pivot means pivotally mounting the actuator for movement between ON and OFF positions, said OFF arm being engageable with the headlight actuator means whereby movement of the actuator to the ON position moves the headlight actuator means to the ON position.

11. The control of claim 9 wherein:

the wiper actuator means includes a wiper actuator having a wiper ON arm and a wiper OFF arm, first pivot means pivotally mounting the wiper actuator for movement between ON and OFF positions, the headlight actuator means includes a headlight actuator located adjacent the wiper actuator having a headlight ON arm and a headlight OFF arm, second pivot means pivotally mounting the headlight actuator for movement between ON and OFF positions, said wiper OFF arm being engagable with the headlight OFF arm whereby movement of the wiper actuator to the ON position moves the headlight actuator

12. The control of claim 11 wherein:

the wiper OFF arm has a lateral projection extended under the headlight OFF arm.

13. The control of claim 9 wherein:

the parking light switch has an actuator movable between an ON position and an OFF position to turn the vehicle parking lights ON and OFF, said coacting means including a lateral projection on the wiper actuator engagable with the headlight switch actuator and parking light switch actuator whereby when the wiper actuator is moved to the ON position the headlight switch actuator and parking light switch actuator are moved to their ON positions and when the parking light switch actuator is moved to the OFF position the headlight switch actuator and wiper switch actuator are moved to the OFF positions.

14. The control of claim 13 wherein:

the wiper switch actuator has an OFF arm, the headlight switch actuator has an OFF arm, the parking light switch actuator has an OFF arm, said lateral projection being part of the OFF arm of the wiper switch actuator and engagable with the OFF arms of the headlight switch actuator and parking light switch actuator.

15. The control of claim 14 wherein:

the OFF arms of the wiper switch actuator and headlight switch actuator have recesses accommodating the lateral projection.