Inductively heated windshield wiper assembly

• US 8,389,910 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2007
• Issued: 03/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TSI SUB LLC
• Original Assignee: TSI Technolocies, LLC
• Inventors: Bourke, Michael J. III, Clothier, Brian L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuen, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hung D
• Application Number:
  US11/835,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,036 Days
• Field of Search: 219/202, 219/203, 219/600, 219/634, 219/635, 219/636, 152/500.4, 152/500.5, 152/500.6, 152/500.7, 152/500.9, 152/501.9
• US Class Current: 219/600
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3805 electrically

Abstract

A wiper assembly having a wiper with an inductively heatable portion, and an induction heating device including an induction work coil which is configured to be placed near the wiper to inductively heat the inductively heatable portion. The inductively heatable portion may be in the wiper blade, the wiper arm which supports the blade, or both. The induction work coil may be placed on or near the windshield or other surface which is cleaned by the wiper and may heat the wiper regardless of its position or only when the wiper is at a specific location such as its retracted “rest” position. The wiper assembly may also include a temperature sensor for sensing a current temperature of the wiper and control circuitry associated with the induction heating device for controlling operation of the work coil.)

Claims

1. An inductively heated wiper assembly for a windshield having an inner surface, an opposed outer surface, and a thickness between the inner and outer surfaces, said assembly comprising:

a wiper configured for removing water or other substances from the outer surface of said windshield, the wiper including an inductively heatable portion; and

an induction work coil operable to generate an alternating magnetic induction field and configured to be placed separate from and in spaced relationship to the wiper and proximal to said inner surface of said windshield remote from said wiper, to inductively heat the inductively heatable portion of the wiper by passage of said magnetic induction field generated by said induction work coil unit through the thickness of said windshield.

2. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wiper includes a wiper blade for removing water or other substances from said outer surface of said windshield, and a wiper arm for supporting the blade in contact with said outer surface, wherein the inductively heatable portion is in the wiper arm.

3. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wiper includes a wiper blade for removing water or other substances from said outer surface of said windshield, and a wiper arm for supporting the blade in contact with said outer surface, wherein the inductively heatable portion is in the wiper blade and the wiper arm.

4. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 1, further including control circuitry coupled to the induction work coil and configured to activate the induction work coil based on an environmental condition.

5. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to be placed in thermal contact with the inductively heatable portion of the wiper and operable to sense a current temperature of the wiper; and

control circuitry associated with the induction work coil for reading the current temperature from the temperature sensor and for controlling operation of the work coil to maintain the current temperature of the wiper in a desired temperature range.

6. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 5, further including an RFID tag coupled with the temperature sensor and an RFID reader operable to read the current temperature from the RFID tag.

7. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 5, further including a microwire temperature sensor and a microwire reader operable to read the current temperature from the microwire temperature sensor.

8. An inductively heated wiper assembly for a windshield having an inner surface, an opposed outer surface, and a thickness between the inner and outer surfaces, said assembly comprising:

a wiper configured for removing water or other substances from the outer surface of a said windshield;

a susceptor coil for placement in contact with a portion of the wiper; and

an induction work coil operable to generate an alternating magnetic induction field and configured to be placed separate from and in spaced relationship to the wiper and proximal to the inner surface of said windshield remote from said wiper, to induce current in the susceptor coil to heat the susceptor coil or a heating element in electrical contact with the susceptor coil, by passage of said magnetic induction field generated by said induction work coil through the thickness of said windshield.

9. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 8, further including a thermal switch electrically connected to the susceptor coil and control circuitry coupled to the induction work coil and configured for controlling operation of the work coil in response to the thermal switch.

10. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 8, wherein the wiper includes a wiper blade for removing water or other substances from said outer surface of said windshield, and a wiper arm for supporting the blade in contact with said outer surface, wherein the susceptor coil is in the wiper blade.

11. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 9, further including control circuitry coupled to the induction work coil and configured to activate the induction work coil based on an environmental condition.

12. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to be placed in thermal contact with the wiper and operable to sense a current temperature of the wiper; and

control circuitry coupled to the induction work coil and configured for reading the current temperature from the temperature sensor and for controlling operation of the work coil to maintain the current temperature above a desired set point.

13. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 12, further including an RFID tag coupled with the temperature sensor and an RFID reader operable to read the current temperature from the RFID tag.

14. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 12, further including a microwire temperature sensor and a microwire reader operable to read the current temperature from the microwire temperature sensor.

15. The wiper assembly as set forth in claim 12, wherein the wiper includes a wiper blade having a spline, wherein the susceptor coil is attached to the spline.

16. An inductively heated wiper assembly for a windshield having an inner surface, an opposed outer surface, and a thickness between the inner and outer surfaces, said assembly comprising:

a wiper configured for removing water or other substances from the outer surface of a said windshield;

a resonant susceptor coil for placement in contact with a portion of the wiper; and

an induction work coil operable to generate an alternating magnetic induction field and configured to be placed separate from and in spaced relationship to the wiper and proximal to the inner surface of said windshield remote from said wiper, to induce current in the resonant susceptor coil to heat the resonant susceptor coil or a heating element in electrical contact with the resonant susceptor coil, by passage of said magnetic induction field generated by said induction work coil through the thickness of said windshield.

17. A system for inductively heating a wiper operable to remove water or other substances from the outer surface of a windshield having an inner surface, an opposed outer surface, and a thickness between the inner and outer surfaces, the system comprising:

an induction work coil operable to generate an alternating magnetic induction field and configured to be placed separate from and in spaced relationship to the wiper and proximal to the inner surface of said windshield; and

a susceptor coil configured to be placed proximal to said outer surface of said windshield for heating the wiper when subjected to a current induced by the induction work coil,

said magnetic induction field passing through the thickness of said windshield from said induction work coil to said susceptor coil to induce said current in said susceptor coil.

18. The system as set forth in claim 17, wherein the susceptor coil heats the wiper by delivering the induced current to a heating element coupled with the wiper.

19. The system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to be placed in thermal contact with the wiper and operable to sense a current temperature of the wiper; and

control circuitry coupled to the induction work coil and configured for reading the current temperature from the temperature sensor and for controlling operation of the work coil to maintain the current temperature above a desired set point.