Washer apparatus for vehicle

• US 9,221,430 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2012
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Kikuta, Tomoyuki, Matsushita, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Kevin G
• Application Number:
  US13/399,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20120266926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 134/57.R, 134/58.R, 239/284.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0848 Cleaning devices for cameras on vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/481 the operation of at least part of the liquid supply being controlled by electric means electrical washing liquid warming-up means B60S1/488
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/486 including control systems responsive to a vehicle driving condition, e.g. speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/58 for rear windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/62 Other vehicle fittings for cleaning

Abstract

A branch conduit is branched from a main conduit. A switching device is provided at a location between an upstream side portion of the main conduit and the branch conduit and is adapted to connect the upstream side portion of the main conduit to one of a rear window wash nozzle and a camera wash nozzle. When the switching device receives an electric signal, which indicates placement of a vehicle in a reverse drive mode, the switching device connects the upstream side portion of the main conduit to the camera wash nozzle through the branch conduit upon disconnecting the upstream side portion of the main conduit from the at least one window wash nozzle.

Claims

1. A washer apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an onboard camera that is placed at a rear side of the vehicle;

a tank that is adapted to store washer fluid;

a camera wash nozzle that is adapted to receive the washer fluid from the tank and to spray the washer fluid over one side of the onboard camera where a lens of the onboard camera is located;

at least one window wash nozzle that is adapted to receive the washer fluid from the tank and to spray the washer fluid over at least one of a front window glass and a rear window glass of the vehicle, the at least one window wash nozzle including a rear window wash nozzle that is placed at the rear side of the vehicle to spray the washer fluid over the rear window glass;

an electric pump that is adapted to pump the washer fluid from the tank and thereby to supply the washer fluid toward the camera wash nozzle and the at least one window wash nozzle;

a washer switch that outputs a command to drive the electric pump when the washer switch is manipulated by a user of the vehicle;

a main conduit that is adapted to connect between the electric pump and the at least one window wash nozzle to supply the washer fluid to the at least one window wash nozzle, the main conduit forming a flow passage between the electric pump and the rear window wash nozzle;

a branch conduit that is branched from the main conduit and is adapted to connect between an upstream side portion of the main conduit, which is located on an upstream side of the branch conduit, and the camera wash nozzle to supply the washer fluid to the camera wash nozzle;

a switching device that is provided at a location between the upstream side portion of the main conduit and the branch conduit and is adapted to connect the upstream side portion of the main conduit to one of the at least one window wash nozzle and the camera wash nozzle, wherein the switching device is configured to, when the switching device receives an electric signal, which indicates placement of the vehicle in a reverse drive mode, connect the upstream side portion of the main conduit to the camera wash nozzle through the branch conduit upon disconnecting the upstream side portion of the main conduit from the at least one window wash nozzle,

a rear wiper motor that drives a rear wiper, which is adapted to wipe the rear window glass; and

a controller that is configured to;

control the switching device to maintain the connection of the upstream side portion of the main conduit to the camera wash nozzle through a predetermined time period when the controller receives both of the electric signal, which indicates the placement of the vehicle in the reverse drive mode, and the command outputted from the washer switch;

drive the electric pump to spray the washer fluid through the camera wash nozzle through the predetermined time period; and

drive the rear wiper motor to wipe the rear window glass with the rear wiper in a subsequent period, which is immediately after the predetermined time period and in which the controller continuously receives the command from the washer switch even after elapsing of the predetermined time period.

2. The washer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric signal is a signal that indicates positioning of a shift lever of a transmission of the vehicle into a reverse position.

3. The washer apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:

the electric signal, which indicates the positioning of the shift lever into the reverse position, is an electric power that is directed to a back lamp, which is lit upon placement of the shift lever into the reverse position; and

the switching device receives a portion of the electric power directed to the back lamp, as the electric signal.

4. The washer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the switching device is connected to a power supply circuit that supplies the electric power to a rear wiper motor, which drives a rear wiper that is adapted to wipe the rear window glass; and

a portion of the electric power directed to the rear wiper motor is supplied to the switching device to drive the switching device.

5. The washer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

control the switching device to connect the upstream side portion of the main conduit to the rear window wash nozzle while disconnecting the upstream side portion of the main conduit from the camera wash nozzle in the subsequent period; and

drive the electric pump to spray the washer fluid through the rear window wash nozzle in the subsequent period.

15. The washer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching device is an electrically controlled switching device.

16. The washer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the switching device is a solenoid switch.

17. The washer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined time period is shorter than the time during which the command is outputted from the washer switch.

6. A washer apparatus for a vehicle, comprising:

an onboard camera that is placed at a rear side of the vehicle;

a tank that is adapted to store washer fluid;

a camera wash nozzle that is adapted to receive the washer fluid from the tank and to spray the washer fluid over one side of the onboard camera where a lens of the onboard camera is located;

a rear window wash nozzle that is adapted to receive the washer fluid from the tank and to spray the washer fluid over a rear window glass of the vehicle;

a rear wiper motor that drives a rear wiper, which is adapted to wipe the rear window glass;

an electric pump that is adapted to pump the washer fluid from the tank and thereby to supply the washer fluid toward the camera wash nozzle and the rear window wash nozzle;

a washer switch configured to output a command to drive the electric pump when the washer switch is manipulated by a user of the vehicle;

a main conduit that is adapted to connect between the electric pump and the rear window wash nozzle to supply the washer fluid to the rear window washer nozzle;

a branch conduit that is branched from the main conduit and is adapted to connect between an upstream side portion of the main conduit, which is located on an upstream side of the branch conduit, and the camera wash nozzle to supply the washer fluid to the camera wash nozzle;

a switching device that is provided at a location between the upstream side portion of the main conduit and the branch conduit and is adapted to connect the upstream side portion of the main conduit to the rear window wash nozzle and the camera wash nozzle, wherein;

when the switching device receives an electric signal, which indicates placement of the vehicle in a reverse drive mode, the switching device connects the upstream side portion of the main conduit to the camera wash nozzle through the branch conduit upon disconnecting the upstream side portion of the main conduit from the rear window wash nozzle; and

a controller that is configured to;

control the switching device to maintain the connection of the upstream side portion of the main conduit to the camera wash nozzle through a predetermined time period when the controller receives both of the electric signal, which indicates the placement of the vehicle in the reverse drive mode, and the command outputted from the washer switch;

drive the electric pump to spray the washer fluid through the camera wash nozzle; and

stop the rear wiper motor to prevent wiping of the rear window glass with the rear wiper during the predetermined time period.

7. The washer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the electric signal is a signal that indicates positioning of a shift lever of a transmission of the vehicle into a reverse position.

8. The washer apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the electric signal, which indicates the positioning of the shift lever into the reverse position, is an electric power signal that is directed to a back lamp, which is lit upon placement of the shift lever into the reverse position; and

the switching device receives a portion of the electric power signal directed to the back lamp, as the electric signal.

9. The washer apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:

the switching device is connected to a power supply circuit that supplies the electric power signal to a rear wiper motor, which drives a rear wiper that is adapted to wipe the rear window glass; and

a portion of the electric power signal directed to the rear wiper motor is supplied to the switching device to drive the switching device.

10. The washer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the controller is configured to drive the rear wiper motor to wipe the rear window glass with the rear wiper in a subsequent period, which is immediately after the predetermined time period and in which the controller continuously receives the command from the washer switch even after the predetermined time period has elapsed.

11. The washer apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the controller is configured to:

control the switching device to connect the upstream side portion of the main conduit to the rear window wash nozzle while disconnecting the upstream side portion of the main conduit from the camera wash nozzle in the subsequent period; and

drive the electric pump to spray the washer fluid through the rear window wash nozzle in the subsequent period.

12. The washer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the switching device is an electrically controlled switching device.

13. The washer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the switching device is a solenoid switch.

14. The washer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined time period is shorter than the time during which the command is outputted from the washer switch.