Vehicle windshield cleaning system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
- a) an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid;
b) a housing including an interior wall bounding a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port;
c) an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid;
d) a heater for heating fluid that passes from the inlet port to the outlet port through said reservoir;
e) a heat exchanger in thermal contact with the heater for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir comprising;
i) a strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths; and
ii) elongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through said reservoir; and
f) a control circuit for energizing the heater with a voltage to heat the heater and the fluid passing from the inlet port to the outlet port through the reservoir;
g) wherein one or more of the elongated fins abut wall regions of the interior wall to impede fluid flow between the fin and said wall regions and thereby extend a fluid flow path between the inlet port and the outlet port.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface having an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; a housing bounding a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port; and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid. A heater element heats fluid that passes from the inlet to the outlet port through the reservoir. A heat exchanger in thermal contact with the heater element for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir has a strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths and elongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through said reservoir. A control circuit energizes the heater element with a voltage to heat the heating element.
32 Citations
20 Claims
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1. Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; b) a housing including an interior wall bounding a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port; c) an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid; d) a heater for heating fluid that passes from the inlet port to the outlet port through said reservoir; e) a heat exchanger in thermal contact with the heater for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir comprising; i) a strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths; and ii) elongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through said reservoir; and f) a control circuit for energizing the heater with a voltage to heat the heater and the fluid passing from the inlet port to the outlet port through the reservoir; g) wherein one or more of the elongated fins abut wall regions of the interior wall to impede fluid flow between the fin and said wall regions and thereby extend a fluid flow path between the inlet port and the outlet port. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 19)
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8. A fluid heating assembly for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) a housing defining an interior reservoir and including an inlet port for routing fluid into the interior reservoir from an external source;
said housing further defining an outlet port in fluid communication with the interior reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid from the reservoir onto a surface;b) one or more heater elements for heating fluid that passes from the inlet port to the outlet port through said reservoir; c) a heat exchanger having an elongated strut supported by the housing in a position that is at least partially covered by fluid within the reservoir and which extends between opposed walls of said housing to define two flow paths on opposite sides of said elongated strut and having one or more hubs connected to said elongated strut wherein each such hub defines at least one cavity that supports a heater element within the cavity so that heat emitting surfaces of the heater element engage interior curved surfaces of the cavity to transmit heat to the heat exchanger; d) an elastomeric seal interposed between the heat exchanger and inner wall regions of the interior reservoir to impede flow of fluid between the heat exchanger and inner wall regions to lengthen a fluid flow path from the inlet port to the outlet port; and e) a control circuit for energizing the one or more heater elements with a voltage and thereby heat fluid passing from the inlet port to the outlet port through the reservoir, and f) a printed circuit board supported by the housing that supports the control circuit. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; b) a housing bounding a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port; c) an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid; d) a heater for heating fluid that passes from the inlet port to the outlet port through said reservoir; e) a heat exchanger in contact with the heater and at least partially covered by fluid within the reservoir including; i) a center strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into different flow paths and which conveys heat to the fluid within the reservoir; and ii) a plurality of side fins that extend away from the strut at transverse angles and define a multiple number of fluid flow channels for directing fluid along a back and forth increased flow path as said fluid flows from the inlet port to the outlet port; and f) a control circuit for energizing the heater with a voltage to heat the heater and the fluid passing from the inlet port to the outlet port through the reservoir; g) said housing including a first wall facing the heat exchanger having inwardly extending lands that contact the heat exchanger and an opposite wall facing the heat exchanger having inwardly extending lands that contact the heat exchanger to cause fluid entering the reservoir to flow through the flow channels between the side fins of the heat exchanger and said first and opposite walls. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A fluid heating assembly for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) a plastic housing defining an interior reservoir and including an inlet port for routing fluid into the interior reservoir from an external source;
said plastic housing further defining an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid from the reservoir onto a vehicle surface;b) a heat exchanger having an elongated strut supported by the housing in a position that divides fluid entering the housing into different flow paths and transversely extending fins that bound serpentine flow paths of fluid through the reservoir to extend a latency of fluid engagement with the heat exchanger thereby promoting heat transfer efficiency; c) one or more heater elements for heating fluid that passes from the inlet port to the outlet port through said reservoir in thermal contact with the heat exchanger; and d) a control circuit supported by a printed circuit board supported by the plastic housing for energizing the one or more heater elements with a voltage and thereby heat fluid passing from the inlet port to the outlet port through the reservoir. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18)
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20. A fluid heating assembly for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:
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a) a housing defining an interior reservoir and including an inlet port for routing fluid into the interior reservoir from an external source;
said housing further defining an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid from the reservoir onto a vehicle surface;b) a heat exchanger having an elongated strut supported by the housing in a position that divides fluid entering the housing into different flow paths and transversely extending fins that bound serpentine flow paths of fluid through the reservoir to extend a latency of fluid engagement with the heat exchanger thereby promoting heat transfer efficiency; c) one or more heater elements for heating fluid that passes from the inlet port to the outlet port through said reservoir in thermal contact with the heat exchanger; and d) a control circuit supported by a printed circuit board supported by the housing for energizing the one or more heater elements with a voltage and thereby heat fluid passing from the inlet port to the outlet port through the reservoir.
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Specification