Optical: systems and elements – Protection from moisture or foreign particle
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-01
2001-09-18
Shafer, Ricky D. (Department: 2872)
Optical: systems and elements
Protection from moisture or foreign particle
C359S509000, C359S512000, C454S124000, C454S125000, C015S250003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06290361
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system for cleaning and clearing windows and external rear view mirrors of a vehicle and particularly to a system which provides conditioned ventilation to the exterior mirrors and windows of a motor vehicle. The invention may be used for a variety of moving transportation means such as cars, trucks, all-terrain vehicles, trains, ships, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The accumulation of dirt and/or precipitation on the exterior of side windows of a motor vehicle is a common problem for operators of motor vehicles. This accumulation prevents and obstructs the operator's visibility to the periphery and more importantly, the ability to see in the exterior rear view mirror any traffic approaching in the adjoining lane. Moisture will collect on the viewing surface of exterior rearview mirrors during times of precipitation. This condition has the ability to distort the reflective properties of images viewed therein. This situation is further compounded during periods of darkness when the reflection of headlights upon the moisture covered rearview mirror creates additional visual distortion to images viewed therein.
Various improvements have been made to exterior rearview mirrors including but not limited to: remote movement mechanisms (e.g. mechanical means to move mirrors from inside an automobile with the windows up), reduced glare viewing surfaces and structural housings designed to improve the aerodynamics of air flow around the circumference of the mirror, and mechanical wiper assemblies.
A number of solutions have been proposed in the prior art to solve the problem of clearing the rear view mirrors from dirt and water condensate. They can be generally combined into two groups: passive air deflectors and active air blowers. The first group consists of a variety of simple and inexpensive “add-on” devices aimed at collecting the incoming air during the movement of a vehicle and projecting it onto the surface of the rear view mirror. For example, a U.S. Pat. No. 3,598,469 was granted to Mr. William J. Landen on Aug. 10, 1971. Through the use of air pressure gradients resulting from the forward motion of a motor vehicle, moisture would be removed from the viewing surface of an exterior rearview mirror. Other examples of such passive air deflectors may be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,868,867; 5,815,315; 5,760,956; 5,343,328; 5,179,470; 4,979,809; 4,963,011; 4,903,581; 4,898,458; and 4,869,581. These devices have the advantage of being reasonably universal so as to be usable for a number of vehicles. They also work in a satisfactory way during a high speed movement of a vehicle. However, at low speeds (which is most likely in bad weather conditions!) or when the vehicle is not moving at all, these devices lose their ability to provide air flow. Also, they are inherently incapable of conditioning the air flow such as to increase its temperature or reduce humidity, all of which may be helpful in extreme weather conditions.
The use of various active air blowers provide improved effectiveness of these systems by removing their dependency of the speed of the vehicle and by allowing some air conditioning to occur. Another advantage of these systems is that they allow the clearing of the side windows as well as the rear mirrors. At the same time, these systems are complex and hence vehicle-specific. They assume incorporation of unique design elements with the on-board air-system of a vehicle and can not be easily adapted to be used for a variety of different vehicles. In addition, in many cases the air blowers are underpowered and blow the air at an acute angle towards the surface of the mirror so that the incoming moist and cold air flow simply overwhelms their function.
Examples of such devices can be found in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,012,817; 5,953,158; 5,903,389; 5,383,054; 4,981,072; 4,561,732; 4,462,303; 4,439,013; 4,350,084; 3,877,780; 3,859,899; as well as in a PCT application No. WO 88/00142 and a UK application No. 2,262,441A.
Another limitation of the prior art devices is in the way the air flow is often organized. Typically, a narrow long passage opening is present in the devices of the prior art and the air is emitted therethrough does not provide for optimal coverage of the surface of the mirror or a side window.
Therefore, the need exists for a universal system for maximal clearing of the rear view external mirrors and the side windows of a vehicle which is free from the above mentioned drawbacks.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome these and other drawbacks of the prior art by providing a novel clearing system for a vehicle capable of providing improved visibility for the windows and the external rear view mirrors of that vehicle in a variety of weather conditions (such as rain, snow, and ice) and at various speeds of movement including a complete stop.
It is another object of the invention to provide a clearing system capable of uniform clearing of the entire surface of an external mirror or a window by covering it with a flow of air equally spread over that surface.
It is another object of the invention to provide a universal clearing system for rear view external mirrors and windows of a vehicle capable of blowing preconditioned air onto the surface of the widows and mirrors to be cleared.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a clearing system with main components being small enough to be capable of fitting inside the cavity awarded by the external mirror housing.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a clearing system for external mirrors and windows of a vehicle capable of being mounted universally as an “add-on” component onto a variety of existing vehicles having mirrors and windows of different designs and sizes.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a clearing system for external mirrors and windows of a vehicle capable of having its air blower nozzles position being adjusted to maximize the clearing effect.
The clearing system of the invention generally consists of a source of compressed air connected to an optional but highly preferred air conditioning unit, typically an electrical heater. In one embodiment, both the air compressor and the air heater are located in a cavity awarded by a mirror housing in order to minimize the dimensions of the system. An optional air filter may also be included in the air conditioning unit to prevent any debris from being blown onto a mirror surface. In turn, an air conditioning unit is connected to an air flow distribution unit. It is this unit which mostly comprises the essence of the invention. It is equipped with a number of closely located openings each designed to optimize the individual air flow so that the surface coverage is optimally organized. In operation, the air is compressed and heated up in the first two units of the device and then the air is distributed through the uniquely designed openings of the air distribution system to provide a full coverage clearing function for the outside surface of the side window or a rear view mirror of a vehicle. In additional embodiments of the invention, adjustable air nozzles are provided to ensure the clearing of a side window independently of the rear view mirror, as well as provisions for mounting the system onto existing vehicle mirrors. The system of the present invention is especially easy to mount onto vehicles equipped with power mirrors.
For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2622261 (1952-12-01), Smith
patent: 2796506 (1957-06-01), Lumbert
patent: 3059540 (1962-10-01), Robinson
patent: 3455624 (1969-07-01), Godfrey
patent: 3859899 (1975-01-01), Mills
patent: 3877780 (1975-04-01), Taylor
patent: 43500
Leschinsky Boris
Shafer Ricky D.
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