Coating implements with material supply – With means to impart heat to material
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-18
2001-09-04
Walczak, David J. (Department: 3751)
Coating implements with material supply
With means to impart heat to material
C401S002000, C015S103000, C239S133000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06283656
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to devices for removing ice and frost from windshields and especially to a combination heated jet stream and cleaning tools.
PRIOR ART AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
In most areas high latitude in winter, if an automobile is parked outside a garage for a sufficient period, moisture condenses on the windshield and often freezes to frost and ice. Before driving, the driver is required to scrape the frost or ice off the windshield and windows. Typically, the driver first turns on the engine, waits for the car to warm up, then uses a hand tool, usually a plastic scraper with a brush, to remove the ice and snow from the vehicle.
A number of patents have issued related to removing ice and snow from windshields.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,646 discloses a scraper having a metal electrical heater. The rigid metal heater will not follow the contour of the windshield so that the heater contacts only a small area of the windshield resulting in poor heat transfer to the windshield and low efficiency for melting the ice.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,756 to Sprunger discloses another way to solve this problem. The patent describes a scraper using heated air and/or other fluid as auxiliaries to facilitate ice and frost removal. However, because the air or fluid passes over the large surface area of the scraper, the heat in the fluid. instead of being used to melt the ice or snow, will dissipate in the atmosphere. The heater is located in a chamber where the fluid is heated and then pumped from the chamber. The metal scraper not only leads to inefficient loss of heat before the fluid contacts the glass but also poses the problem of scratching the glass.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,287,593 to Sprunger is similar to U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,756 with the exception that the latter patent is powered by connection to a cigarette lighter of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,368 to Stephens discloses an electric heater-blower with a battery powered two speed motor for blowing an air stream against the windshield.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a deicing device for removing ice on the windshield of a vehicle that overcomes drawbacks of the prior art in terms of using no scraper, diminished power requirement, reduced bulk and weight and improved performance over a wide range of weather conditions.
It is a further object to eliminate the inconveniences posed by scrapers such as the amount of effort required and the danger of scratching the glass.
This invention is directed toward a hand-held de-icer featuring a hand operated sprayer which siphons antifreeze fluid from a bottle through an instant heating tube and then directs a jet stream of the heated fluid against the windshield.
The instant heater tube serves as both a heater and a passageway wherein, fluid passing through the passageway requires no preheating. Antifreeze fluid absorbs heat directly from the heater and comes directly into contact with ice on the windshield thereby maximizing efficiency of heat transfer and minimizing loss of heat to the environment.
A brush and/or a sponge covered with nylon mesh is provided which, together with the force of the jet stream effectively removes the melting ice. In one embodiment, the heater is powered by connection to the cigarette lighter of the vehicle. Heat loss is minimized by insulation surrounding the heating tube.
The shape of the outlet of the heating tube may be selected to change the pattern of the jet stream of warm antifreeze fluid according to conditions such as from a fan shaped spray to a mist.
In one embodiment, the stream of antifreeze fluid is ejected from the bottle by squeezing a trigger near the top of the bottle. A switch is mounted on the trigger for turning on electric current that heats the instant heating tube.
Overheating is prevented by a feedback control system using known techniques involving any one of a thermostat, or thermometer with a relay, or other temperature sensitive devices for controlling electric current applied to heating elements.
The preferred antifreeze solution is environmentally friendly monohydric or polyhydric alcohol or mixtures thereof such as isopropanol, butylene glycol, diaethylene glycol. The preferred antifreeze fluid depends on environmental conditions.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2832086 (1958-04-01), Wells
patent: 3898429 (1975-08-01), Chodak
patent: 4366368 (1982-12-01), Stephens
patent: 5189756 (1993-03-01), Sprunger
patent: 5287593 (1994-02-01), Sprunger
Smith Robert Samuel
Walczak David J.
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