Digital or resistorless interval wiper switch and system

• US 6,069,461 A
• Filed: 11/16/1998
• Issued: 05/30/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Buchanan, Michael J., Aaron, Mark Christian, Jaworski, David Joseph, Slotkowski, Kenneth George
• Primary Examiner(s): Witkowski, Stanley J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leykin, Rita
• Application Number:
  US09/192,483
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 318/443, 318/444, 318/DIG. 2, 15/250.001, 15/250.12, 15/250.17
• US Class Current: 318/443
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0807 using electronic control means, e.g. tubes, semiconductors B60S1/0818, B60S1/0896 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/482 combined with the operation of windscreen wipers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 318/02 Windshield wiper controls

Abstract

The use of a Gray code ganged wiper switch and an electronic circuit controlling the washer-pump motor and wiper motor allow the use of a minimal number of wires in the overall interval wiper system than found in conventional systems. Circuit redundancy and Gray coding method provides several added reliability features at a low manufacturing cost. The system further provides a resistorless control of the several power output functions of the system.

Claims

1. A digital resistorless interval wiper switch adaptable for controlling windshield wipers of a motor vehicle, comprising;

a ganged switch having a plurality of switch decks, each deck having a plurality of positions equally and angularly spaced from an axis position;

a switch wiper on each of said ganged decks for angular reciprocal synchronous movement across said positions, each switch wiper electrically connected to a common node; and

at least one output on each deck respectively connected to one or more positions;

whereby as said switch wipers are rotated across said decks, the outputs from said ganged switch are adaptable to form a Gray code output equal to the number of positions on said decks.

2. A digital resistorless interval wiper switch according to claim 1 additionally including a momentary push button switch electrically connected to one of said outputs overriding one of said Gray code outputs adaptable for generating an additional unique output.

3. A digital resistorless interval wiper switch according to claim 1 additionally including switch means electrically connected in circuit for providing a unique output from said ganged switch outputs that renders all other outputs invalid.

4. A digital resistorless interval wiper switch according to claim 1 wherein the number of positions on each deck is eight in number and the number of Gray code outputs equals the number of positions on each deck.

5. A digital resistorless interval wiper switch according to claim 4 additionally including a push button switch electrically connected to one of said outputs for providing an additional output exceeding the number of positions on said decks as long as said push button switch is actuated.

6. A digital resistorless interval wiper switch according to claim 4 additionally including switch means electrically connected in circuit for providing an additional output code exceeding the number of positions on said decks, said output operates to render all other outputs invalid as long as said switch means is actuated.

7. A digital resistorless interval wiper switch according to claim 1 additionally including:

an electronic control circuit electrically having a plurality of inputs connected to said outputs, said electronic control circuit having a decoder means responsive to said Gray code outputs from for decoding said outputs;

timer circuit means in said electronic control circuit for generating pulse timing signals in response to said Gray code outputs; and

a plurality of relays electrically connected to said electronic control circuit and actuable in response to said Gray code outputs.

8. A digital resistorless interval windshield wiper system comprising:

a ganged rotary switch having three switch decks with at least eight positions on each of said decks, said switch having

switch wipers synchronously rotatable on said decks addressing the identical position on each of said decks, and

at least one output terminal for generating and one of said decks having at least two output terminals for creating a four bit Gray code from said output terminals;

an electronic control circuit having at least four inputs, each input for receiving one of said four bit Gray code output terminals from said ganged switch, said electronic control circuit having

logic means, and

a timing circuit responsive to one or more inputs and operable for generating a plurality of pulsed signals, each signal having a predetermined time period;

a plurality of relays operationally responsive to said logic means and said timing circuit for actuation; and

a wiper motor electrically connected to one or more of said relays for reciprocally moving one or more windshield wipers across said windshield.

9. A digital resistorless interval windshield wiper system according to claim 8 additionally including a single pole switch electrically connected to generate a single unique code for actuating a relay for actuating a washer pump motor for a predetermined time period.

10. A digital resistorless interval windshield wiper system according to claim 8 additionally including redundant means comprising a logic circuit in parallel with the timer circuit to initiate a low speed wiper motor control signal during a failure of the timer circuit whereby the wiper operation is not discontinued.

11. A digital resistorless interval windshield wiper system according to claim 8 additionally including logic circuit means bypassing the high speed control system during a fault and causing the low speed control system to activate for preventing loss of wiper motor operation.