Combined headlight and windshield wiper control

• US 5,130,905 A
• Filed: 09/20/1991
• Issued: 07/14/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lewis L. Ruter
• Original Assignee: Lewis L. Ruter
• Inventors: Ruter, Lewis L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lazarus, Ira S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hagarman, Sue
• Application Number:
  US07/763,282
• Time in Patent Office: 298 Days
• Field of Search: 362/61, 362/80, 362/253, 362/802, 362/276, 315/82, 315/83, 307/10.8
• US Class Current: 362/464
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 1/143 combined with another condition, e.g. using vehicle recognition from camera images or activation of wipers
• CPC Class Codes: B60Q 2300/312 Adverse weather
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/08 electrically driven conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 362/802 Position or condition responsive switch

Abstract

A vehicle windshield wiper and headlight control that only allows operation of the windshield wipers when the headlights are ON has a wiper control switch and a headlight switch connected to a battery, wiper motor, and headlights. The headlight switch has a pair of switches that are concurrently closed with a movable actuator so that the wiper motor only operates when the headlights are ON. An indicator light is associated with the headlight switch to advise the vehicle operator that the headlights must be ON before the windshield wipers can be operated. An alternate control has a relay operable to complete the wiper circuit or headlight circuit so that the headlights are ON when the windshield wipers are operated.

Claims

1. A control apparatus for connecting an electric power source to vehicle headlights and electric powered means to operate the windshield wiper means of the vehicle only when the headlights are ON comprising:

windshield wiper switch means connected to said electric power source operable in response to at least ON and OFF conditions to control the operation of the electric powered means to operate the windshield wiper means, headlight switch means operate to selectively turn the headlights ON and OFF, said headlight switch means having actuator means selectively moveable to ON and OFF positions to turn the headlights ON and OFF, and relay means connected to the windshield wiper switch, electric powered means, and headlight switch means, said relay means being actuated in response to the operation of the actuator means in the ON position to complete the electric circuit to the electric powered means when the windshield wiper switch means is in the ON condition whereby the electric powered means operates the windshield wipers only when the headlights are ON.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 including:

the windshield wiper switch means is a switch having an actuator operable to control the operation of the electric powered means to operate the windshield wipers when the actuator means is in the ON position.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the relay means is a solenoid operated switch that is open when the actuator means is in the OFF position and closed when the actuator means is in the ON position to complete the electric circuit to the electric powered means to operate the windshield wipers.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 including:

indicator means connected to the headlight switch means to advise the vehicle operator that the actuator means of the headlight switch means must be ON before the windshield wipers can be operated.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the relay means has electric contact means and a solenoid operable to close the electric contact means, said solenoid being electrically connected to the headlight switch means, and said electric contact means being electrically connected to the wiper switch means and electric powered means to operate the windshield wiper means.

6. A control apparatus for connecting an electric power source to vehicle headlights and electric powered means to operate the windshield wiper means of the vehicle only when the headlights are ON comprising:

windshield wiper switch means connected to said electric power source operable in response to at least ON and OFF conditions to control the operation of the electric powered means to operate the windshield wiper means, said windshield wiper switch means having a wiper actuator selectively operable to turn the wiper switch means ON and OFF, headlight switch means operable to selectively turn the headlights ON and OFF, said headlight switch means having a headlight actuator selectively movable to ON and OFF positions to turn the headlights ON and OFF and relay means connected to the electric power source, headlights, and windshield wiper switch means, said relay means being actuated in response to operation of the wiper actuator in the ON position to complete an electric circuit to the headlights whereby the electric powered means operates the windshield wipers only when the headlights are ON.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the relay means is a solenoid operated switch that is open when the wiper actuator is in the OFF position and closed when the wiper actuator is in the ON position to complete the electric circuit to the headlights.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein:

the relay means has electric contact means and a solenoid operable to close the electric contact means, said solenoid being electrically connected to the windshield wiper switch means, said electric contact means being electrically connected to the headlights and electric power source to turn the headlights ON when the wiper control switch is turned ON.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 including:

a light responsive switch means connected to the electric power source and headlights operable to turn the headlights ON when the light intensity surrounding the light responsive switch means is below a selected level indicative of visually dark environmental conditions.

10. A control apparatus for connecting an electric power source to vehicle headlights and to electric motor means to operate the windshield wipers of the vehicle only when the headlights are ON comprising:

a wiper switch operable to control the operation of the electric motor means to operate the windshield wipers, first conductor means connecting the wiper switch to the power source, a headlight switch operable to connect and disconnect the electric power source with the headlights, second conductor means connecting the headlight switch to the headlights, and relay means to complete the electric circuit to the electric motor means whereby the headlights and electric motor means are selectively and concurrently connected to the power source so that the electric motor means operates the windshield wipers only when the headlights are ON and disconnected from the power source, third conductor means connecting the second conductor means to the relay means whereby when the headlight switch is ON the headlight switch can control the operation of the electric motor means for operating the windshield wipers, third conductor means connecting the relay means to the wiper switch, and fourth conductor means connecting the relay means to the electric motor means whereby when the headlight switch is ON the relay is actuated to electrically connect the third and fourth conductor means and when the wiper switch is ON the headlights and electric motor means for the windshield wiper means are concurrently operated.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 including:

indicator means connected to the headlight switch operable to advise the operator of the vehicle that the headlights are ON.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein:

the indicator means includes a light.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

the relay means is a solenoid operated switch that is open when the headlight actuator is in the OFF position and closed when the headlight actuator is in the ON position to complete the electric circuit to the electric powered means to operate the windshield wipers.

14. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein:

the relay means has electric contact means and a solenoid operable to close the electric contact means, said solenoid means being electrically connected to the headlight switch means, and said electric contact means being electrically connected to the third conductor means and fourth conductor means to operate the windshield wipers.