Air-liquid system for cleaning vehicle headlight lens and similar surfaces

• US 5,657,929 A
• Filed: 01/05/1996
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Echlin, Inc. (Dana, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sprague Controls Inc.
• Inventors: DeWitt, Mark W., Partlow, Dennis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Lesley D.
• Application Number:
  US08/583,343
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 239/284.2, 15/250.002
• US Class Current: 239/284.2
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/52 Arrangement of nozzles; Liquid spreading meansnozzles per se B05B
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/528 the spreading means being moved between a rest position and a working position B60S1/526 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/54 using gas, e.g. hot air
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/603 the operation of at least a part of the cleaning means being controlled by electric means

Abstract

Liquid and air outlet nozzle assemblies are capable of mounting on a vehicle adjacent the headlights and are positioned such that liquid and air jets from the nozzles intersect prior to engaging the headlight to form a spray mixture that cleans the headlight. The nozzle assemblies are associated with a control valve capable of connection in a pressurized air system on the vehicle and in the pressurized washer system for the windshield wipers and also capable of automatically directing liquid from the vehicle washer system and pressurized air on the vehicle to the liquid and air nozzles to form a headlight cleaning function upon manual activation of the pressurized windshield washer system of the vehicle. An embodiment of the nozzle assembly has an extension and retraction piston for extending nozzle openings toward the headlight in operation condition of the assembly.

Claims

1. An air-liquid headlight cleaning system for vehicles of the type which have pressurized air on board and also a manual activated pressurized washer system for windshield wipers having a reservoir, said cleaning system comprising:

a liquid outlet nozzle,

means associated with said liquid outlet nozzle capable of mounting said liquid outlet nozzle on a vehicle in a position such that a jet of cleaning liquid from said liquid outlet nozzle is directed outward in the area of a headlight of the vehicle,

an air outlet nozzle,

means associated with said air outlet nozzle capable of mounting said air outlet nozzle on a vehicle in a position such that a jet of air from said air outlet nozzle intersects said jet of cleaning liquid and forms a spray mixture that is directed toward a headlight of the vehicle,

and a valve capable of connection in the pressurized air on a vehicle and in the pressurized washer system for the windshield wipers, wherein to automatically direct liquid from the pressurized washer system of the vehicle and air from the pressurized air on board the vehicle to said liquid and air outlet nozzles to form a headlight cleaning function upon manual activation of the pressurized washer system of the vehicle.

2. The headlight cleaning system of claim 1 wherein said valve includes plunger means arranged normally to shut off gravity flow of liquid to said liquid outlet nozzle and pressurized air flow to said air outlet nozzle but to allow pressurized liquid flow to said liquid outlet nozzle and air flow to said air outlet nozzle upon being exposed to liquid pressure from the pressurized washer system.

3. The headlight cleaning system of claim 1 including support means capable of mounting said liquid and air outlet nozzles on a vehicle in angular disposition to a headlight lens, said nozzles being angularly disposed relative to each other such that the lets from the pressurized liquid outlet and pressurized air outlet intersect at a point prior to impinging against the headlight lens for forming said spray.

4. The headlight cleaning system of claim 3 wherein the point at which the lets from said liquid and air outlets intersect is approximately 3 inches from the headlight lens.

5. The headlight cleaning system of claim 3 wherein one of said liquid outlet nozzle and air outlet nozzle is aimed toward the headlight lens and the other of said nozzles is aimed in angular relation to said one of said nozzles such that the lets intersect to cause the jet of cleaning liquid to be broken up into a spray that is driven into the headlight lens by the jet of air.

6. The headlight cleaning system of claim 5 including a nozzle housing that supports both of said liquid outlet and air outlet nozzles together in their angular relation.

7. The headlight cleaning system of claim 6 wherein said nozzle housing includes piston operating means that extend said liquid and air outlets outwardly of said housing upon activation of said cleaning system.

8. The headlight cleaning system of claim 1 wherein said valve includes a housing having an internal chamber, a diaphragm in said chamber having a stem slidable in said housing, washer fluid inlet means in said housing capable of communication with the pressurized washer system of the vehicle and washer fluid outlet means communicating with said liquid outlet nozzle, sealing means in said housing associated with said diaphragm for controlling flow between said washer fluid inlet means and said washer fluid outlet means, air inlet means in said housing capable of communication with the pressurized air on the vehicle and air outlet means communicating with said air outlet nozzle, and sealing means in said housing between said air inlet and air outlet means capable of being unseated by said stem upon slidable movement of the latter in said housing as a result of force being applied to said diaphragm from the pressure washer system.

9. The headlight cleaning system according to claim 1 wherein said liquid outlet nozzle and said air outlet nozzle are defined on an extensible member, wherein upon application of air from the pressurized air on board the vehicle system, said extensible member will extend to a cleaning position.

10. The headlight cleaning system according to claim 9 further comprising biasing means for urging said extensible member to a retract ed position upon removal of air from the pressurized air system on board said vehicle system.

11. An air-liquid headlight cleaning system for vehicles of the type which have pressurized air on board and also a manual activated pressurized washer system for windshield wipers, said cleaning system comprising:

a liquid outlet nozzle and an air outlet nozzle,

means capable of mounting said nozzles on a vehicle adjacent the headlight lens of the vehicle,

means capable of connection of said liquid outlet nozzle in communication with the pressurized washer system of the vehicle and means capable of connection of said air outlet nozzle with the pressurized air of the vehicle,

means connectable between said nozzles and the pressurized washer system and pressurized air of the vehicle capable of activating said liquid outlet nozzle and said air outlet nozzle when the pressurized washer system on the vehicle for the windshield wipers is activated.

12. The headlight cleaning system according to claim 11 wherein said liquid outlet nozzle and said air outlet nozzle are defined on an extensible member, wherein upon application of air from the pressurized air on board the vehicle system, said extensible member will extend to a cleaning position.

13. The headlight cleaning system according to claim 12 further comprising biasing means for urging said extensible member to a retracted position upon removal of air from the pressurized air system on board said vehicle system.

14. A vehicle comprising:

a source of pressurized air on said vehicle,

a manually activated pressure washer system for windshield wipers,

a liquid outlet nozzle,

means associated with said liquid outlet nozzle mounting said liquid outlet nozzle on the vehicle in a position such that a jet of cleaning liquid from said liquid outlet nozzle is directed toward a headlight of the vehicle,

an air outlet nozzle,

and means associated with said air outlet nozzle mounting said air outlet nozzle on the vehicle in a position that is directed angularly in relation to the jet of cleaning liquid from said liquid outlet nozzle to form a spray for cleaning the lens.

15. The vehicle according to claim 14 wherein said liquid outlet nozzle and said air outlet nozzle are defined on an extensible member, wherein upon application of air from the pressurized air source on board the vehicle, said extensible member will extend to a cleaning position.

16. The vehicle according to claim 15 further comprising biasing means for urging said extensible member to a retracted position upon removal of air from the pressurized air source on board said vehicle.

17. An air-liquid headlight cleaning system for vehicles of the type which have pressurized air on board and also a manual activated pressurized washer system for windshield wipers having a reservoir, said cleaning system comprising:

a nozzle housing,

means in said housing supporting a liquid outlet nozzle and an air outlet nozzle,

means on said nozzle housing capable of mounting said housing on a vehicle in a position adjacent a headlight of the vehicle,

a valve capable of connection in the pressurized air of a vehicle and in the pressurized washer system for the windshield wipers wherein to automatically direct liquid from the pressure washer system of the vehicle and air from the pressurized air on board the vehicle to said liquid and air outlet nozzles to form a headlight cleaning function upon manual activation of the pressurized windshield washer system of the vehicle,

and drive means in said housing capable of extending said liquid and air outlets outwardly upon activation of said cleaning system.

18. The air-liquid headlight cleaning system of claim 17 wherein said drive means includes a piston operable by the pressurized air on board the vehicle upon activation of the headlight cleaning system.

19. The air-liquid headlight cleaning system of claim 18 wherein said piston has a liquid supply channel and an air supply channel defined therein, said liquid supply channel being in sliding/sealing engagement with a liquid supply tube.

20. The air-liquid headlight cleaning system according to claim 19 further comprising a biasing spring for urging said piston to a retracted position in absence of activation of said cleaning system.