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Windshield and windshield wiper heating apparatus assembly

  • US 5,881,428 A
  • Filed: 06/23/1997
  • Issued: 03/16/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An improved windshield and windshield wiper heating apparatus assembly for use in installable combination with a windshield wiper arm assembly, a flexible and pivotable wiper blade and frame assembly, a vehicle windshield having outside and inside surfaces and a vehicle engine;

  • the windshield wiper arm assembly being electrically activated and pivoted in relation to the outside surface of the windshield, and having at one end thereof a wiperarm pin member which moves in adjacent relation with the outside surface when the wiper arm is activated and pivoted; and

    the wiper blade and frame assembly having at least a length component and a transverse width component, the transverse width component of the wiper blade and frame assembly defining a pin connection channel;

    the length component of the wiper blade and frame assembly having a middle portion and first and second lateral portions on either side thereof;

    said improved windshield and windshield wiper heating apparatus assembly comprising;

    a open-ended shroud housing subassembly having a longitudinally oriented roof portion, a pair of opposing longitudinally positioned wall portions and a pair of opposing transversely positioned endwall portions, defining an arcuate open end opposite of said roof portions,said roof portion having a middle section and adjoining first and second lateral sections, extending longitudinally on either side thereof,said middle section having and defining a first transversely and vertically disposed upper width and a second, differentially dimensioned, transversely and vertically disposed lower width such that a shelf portion is defined transversely of a vertical axis of the lower width, the first and second lateral sections being concurrent and coextensive with, and between, the upper width of the middle section and each of the respective end wall portions,said shroud housing subassembly defining a first inner pin-channel extending substantially transversely of a common vertical axis of the upper width of said middle section and the open end, for receipt and installation of the wiperarm pin member, said wiperarm pin member being inserted through and rotatably and pivotably attached to the upper width of the middle section of said shroud housing subassembly, such that the shroud housing can pivot in response to motion when the windshield wiper arm is movably activated, and can respond positionally to weight bearing stress generated by the outside surface of the windshield and an installed windshield wiper blade and frame assembly in contact with the windshield,said shroud housing subassembly further having and defining a second inner pin-channel, extending substantially transversely of a vertical axis of the lower width, and substantially parallel with the first inner pin-channel, for alignment, during installation of the wiper blade and frame assembly, with the pin connection channel of the transverse width component of the wiper blade and frame assembly,the shroud housing subassembly further comprising a wiper frame and blade connection pin, said pin being slideably and releasably installed, when the wiper blade and frame assembly is in installable position, such that said pin registers and communicates with the second inner pin-channel of said shroud housing subassembly and the pin connection channel of the wiper blade and frame assembly, so that the wiper blade and frame assembly is movably and pivotably attached and installed within the open-ended shroud housing subassembly and pivotably responsive, rotationally, in weight-bearing relationship, about a axis of the frame and blade connection pin so registered, to a contour and configuration of the outside surface of the vehicle windshield,said shroud housing subassembly having and defining an inner installation channel operatively coextensive through the first upper width, the second lower width, the lateral sections, wall portions, endwall portions and open end, and through which the first and second inner pin-channels pass, and by, and within, which the wiper blade and wiper frame assembly is movably and releasably channeled and flexibly and pivotally connected; and

    a perforated duct means for providing heated fluid, mountably, positioned within the inner installation channel, generally, transversely of and vertically between the first inner pin-channel and the second inner pin-channel of the middle section, and extending, on either side thereof, substantially along each of the first and second lateral sections such that it is positioned above and adjacent to the first and second lateral portions of the wiper blade and frame assembly for fluid heating thereof within the inner installation channel,one of the pair of opposing longitudinally positioned wall portions of said open-ended shroud housing subassembly defining a heated fluid entry port, positioned adjacent to and proximally, vertically between the first and second inner pin-channels of the middle section, in channelable communication with said perforated duct means, for the communication and passage of a heated ambient fluid therethrough; and

    heating and pump assembly means for heating an ambient fluid with convection currents from the vehicle engine and directing the ambient fluid to the heated fluid entry port of the open-ended shroud housing subassembly, said heating and pump means comprising;

    heat exchanger subassembly means mounted generally adjacent to a heat energy and convection current generating portion of the vehicle engine, for collecting and utilizing heating convection currents therefrom to heat the ambient fluid, said heat exchanger subassembly means having an inboard communication line for directing the ambient fluid into the heat exchanger subassembly means and an outboard communication line for directing the ambient fluid, after heating, out of the heat exchanger subassembly,pump subassembly means for pulling the ambient fluid, after heating, from the heat exchanger, and directing the ambient fluid to the heated fluid entry port of the open-ended shroud housing subassembly, said pump subassembly means having a first communications line channelably connected to the outboard communication line of the heat exchanger subassembly means for directing the ambient fluid, after heating, from the heat exchanger subassembly means to the pump subassembly means, and a second communications line for directing the ambient fluid from the pump subassembly means to the heated fluid entry port of the open-ended shroud housing subassembly.

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