Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-13
2001-07-31
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
C015S250300, C015S250270, C074S037000, C074S043000, C074S096000, C074S500500
Reexamination Certificate
active
06266844
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to windshield wiper assemblies and, more particularly, to a wiper assembly for use with a vehicle which incorporates a cable and pulley drive system and which permits positioning of the electric motor at a remote location from the interior cabin for driving the wiper assembly and for reducing cabin noise.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Standard vehicle windshield wiper assemblies are well known in the art. The purpose behind such assemblies, as is clearly evident, is to remove accumulations of rain, dirt or other impediments which would otherwise affect the ability of the driver to clearly view the area in front of the vehicle windshield.
One of the more well known prior art windshield wiper assemblies contemplates the use of an electric motor mounted in close proximity to a firewall of the vehicle and for operatively engaging a steel linkage arm. The linkage arm in turn engages first and second wiper arms at respective ends of the linkage arm and, responsive to the driving force of the motor, actuates the wiper arms in reciprocating fashion. The shortcomings of this conventional design are twofold. Firstly, the steel linkage arm can tend to deflect during operation, resulting in the respective wiper arms reciprocating in less than a desired synchronous manner. Secondly, the requirements of the mechanical linkage connection between the motor and the linkage arm are such that the motor must be mounted in fairly close proximity to the vehicle firewall and windshield; thus the sounds of the motor are clearly audible to the occupants within the vehicle.
Additional variants of prior art wiper assemblies are further illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,755,140, issued to Turbessi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,440, issued to Sigety, Jr., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,068,942, issued to Vrettos. It is of interest to note that Turbessi teaches the use of a cable and lever arm arrangement for converting a motor output to a reciprocating driving force for the wiper arms. Vrettos is further interesting in that it teaches an endless belt positioned beneath a windshield and extending the width of the windshield. A wiper is attached to the belt on its inner side and the belt, when fully extended, defines an inner space large enough to accommodate the wiper.
SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
The present invention teaches a windshield wiper assembly for use in a motor vehicle, and which specifically provides the dual features of permitting remote mounting of the motor at a location distant from the vehicle firewall (and the vehicle occupant compartment), as well as for maintaining precise and synchronous movement of the first and second wiper arms. The positioning of the motor also increases the available space along the firewall for other automotive components. The vehicle includes an engine compartment which is capable of generating an on-board electrical power supply, an occupant compartment, and a windshield extending upwardly from a location contiguous the firewall separating the engine compartment and the occupant compartment.
Elements of the wiper assembly include an electric motor operatively connected to and powered by the on-board electrical supply. The motor forms a part of a housing mounted within the engine compartment at a location remote from the windshield, and typically to a sidewall defining portion of the vehicle's engine compartment. The housing including a driving wheel operatively engaged to the motor output and rotatable about a first shaft, the drive wheel in turn actuating an elongate and freely rotatably mounted linkage member. The linkage member engages at a remote end a driven member which is likewise rotatably mounted to the housing at a further location and along an axis of rotation parallel to an axis of rotation defined by the first shaft. The housing operates to convert an output of said motor into a reciprocating and translating driving force.
A drive mechanism is mounted proximate a lower edge of the windshield and includes an elongate body having a length, a width and a height. First and second gears are rotatably secured at first and second locations along the length of the drive mechanism. An elongate and closed loop timing belt is secured over the gears and, due to an interengaging and toothed arrangement of the gears and belt, the belt precisely rotates the second gear, responsive to rotation of the first gear, in a precise and synchronous manner. A first wiper arm pivotally secures to a first pin also mounting the first gear and a second wiper arm likewise pivotally secures to a second pin also mounting the second gear of the drive mechanism. Each of the first and second wiper arms further includes an elongate wiper blade which overlays and contacts an exterior face of the windshield;
At least one elongated and internally hollowed sleeve extends between the motor and drive housing and the wiper blade drive mechanism. A preferred embodiment teaches first and second sleeves each enclosing a flexible and incompressible cable securing to the housing at a first end and to the drive mechanism at a second end. The cables connect at respective locations to the driven member rotatably secured in the housing (either another wheel or a pivotally mounted and elongate plate) and respond by being translated internally in reciprocating fashion within the respectively mounted outer sleeves. The cables impart the reciprocating and translating driving force to a circular disk rotatably secured in coaxial fashion to the first gear of the drive mechanism to cause the first gear to rotate in reciprocating manner and, by virtue of the timing belt, to cause the second gear to identically actuate and to thereby operate the first and second wiper arms and blades in the desired synchronous manner.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2431570 (1947-11-01), Landon
patent: 2568922 (1951-09-01), Malone
patent: 2995766 (1961-08-01), Kuhn
patent: 3788681 (1974-01-01), Barenyi et al.
patent: 3842460 (1974-10-01), Wulf
patent: 4418440 (1983-12-01), Sigety, Jr.
patent: 4783876 (1988-11-01), Souma et al.
patent: 4898046 (1990-02-01), Mancewicz et al.
patent: 4938526 (1990-07-01), Sannomiya et al.
patent: 5068942 (1991-12-01), Vrettos
patent: 5074613 (1991-12-01), Unterborn et al.
patent: 5755140 (1998-05-01), Turbessi et al.
patent: 2155028 (1973-05-01), None
patent: 2312630 (1974-10-01), None
patent: 2130476 (1984-06-01), None
patent: 481141 (1953-05-01), None
patent: 197450 (1985-10-01), None
patent: 8-276825 (1996-10-01), None
Conflitti Mary
Schank Robert
Gifford, Krass, Groh Sprinkle, Anderson & Citkowski, P.C.
Graham Gary K.
Norwood Enterprises, LLC
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