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Windshield wiper control with stall protection

  • US 5,694,011 A
  • Filed: 04/25/1996
  • Issued: 12/02/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 04/25/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A windshield wiper control comprising:

  • a wiper motor for driving a windshield wiper through a wipe cycle in which the wiper moves from a first position to a second position and back to said first position;

    a sensor communicating with the motor providing a wiper motion signal indicating a position of the motor;

    a wiper switch;

    a microcontroller electrically connected to receive signals from the sensor and switch and to switchably supply electrical power to the motor, the microcontroller operating according to a stored program to;

    (a) respond to switch on signal from the switch by periodically supplying electrical power to the motor for single wipe cycle at a period substantially equal in time to the time between the occurrence of the switch on signal and a previous wipe cycle regardless of an intervening switch off signal; and

    (b) respond to the switch off signal from the switch by removing electrical power to the motor at the completion of a wipe cycle;

    whereby the period between wiper cycles may be lengthened to a desired period by providing a switch off signal at a time when a periodic wipe cycle would have occurred and then providing a switch on signal at the desired period after the previous wiper cycle.

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