Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-16
2003-09-16
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
C015S250480
Reexamination Certificate
active
06618895
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to reciprocating wipers, e.g., windshield wipers, and, specifically, to windshield wipers having one or more blades which have formations therein which permit flow of liquid, e.g., water, through the blades in one direction of movement of the wiper, but not in the other.
2. Related Art
Known wipers usually comprise one or more resilient rubber blades mounted on an arm which reciprocatingly sweeps the blades sideways across the surface of a window, vehicle windshield, headlight lens or other formation. As the blades move across the surface, they push water or other liquids on the surface sideways until the arm reaches the limit of its travel, discharging an accumulation of water at the point where the arm stops and reverses its motion. The result is a fan-shaped cleared arc on the surface which is swept clear of water, at least temporarily. In a typical windshield arrangement, an adjacent wiper assembly pushes some or all of the water it has cleared into the cleared arc of the adjacent wiper assembly. The accumulated water reduces visibility through a windshield or the like and presents a driving hazard. Removal of the water from the windshield is accomplished only when the accumulated water runs off the bottom and sides of the windshield or, in moving vehicles, is pushed off the upper edge of the windshield by aerodynamic pressure.
It is well known in the art to provide two or more parallel wiper blades on a single wiper arm to increase the efficiency of the wiping action, as shown by the following patents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,595, issued to James L. Naylor, Jr. on Dec. 8, 1992 and entitled “Windshield Wiper Blade and Assembly”, discloses one such system. A single wiper arm assembly
20
(shown in
FIGS. 1 through 7
) has an elongated blade carrier assembly
36
pivotally mounted to the arm
24
, and first and second blades
26
and
27
mounted on the blade assembly
36
.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,653, issued to Bedrich V. Bliznak on May 24, 1988 and entitled “Wiper/Scraper/Washer Blade for Windows on Transportation Means”, discloses a multiple edged blade
1
(shown in
FIG. 1
) having two blades of different cross sections in contact with the surface to be cleaned, the smooth blades having a serrated appearance in cross-sectional view.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,567,621, issued to Robert L. Alley, Jr. on Feb. 4, 1986 and entitled “Composite Windshield Wiper Assembly”, discloses a wiper blade assembly A (shown in
FIG. 1
) having a pair of spaced wiper blade elements
42
,
44
having thin resilient wiping edges
42
a
,
44
a
. A scrubbing block
50
occupies the entire space between the wiping blade elements and protrudes at
52
past the wiping edges
42
a
,
44
a.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,339,839, issued to Robert E. Knights on Jul. 20, 1982 and entitled “Windscreen Wipers”, discloses (see
FIG. 1
) a windscreen wiper having a pair of spaced parallel wiping lips
22
bounding a space
28
in which is a bristle
32
.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,916,473, issued to Zelmer L. Williams on Nov. 4, 1975 and entitled “Wiper for Windshields”, discloses (see
FIG. 6
) a single longitudinal blade
38
provided with a longitudinal groove
40
running substantially the length of the blade
38
. An aperture
42
in the blade base
36
permits feed of a fluid, such as windshield washer fluid to the groove
40
, from whence it flows to the windshield via passages
72
which run from the base of the blade
36
to the windshield.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,441,593, issued to Harry L. Lavietes on Jan. 9, 1923 and entitled “Windshield Cleaner”, discloses a windshield wiper (see
FIG. 1
) having multiple strips
16
held in a pair of longitudinal grooves
15
.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,370,910, issued to Julius Pederson on Mar. 8, 1921 and entitled “Windshield Cleaner”, discloses in
FIG. 1
a
windshield cleaner having wiper strips
11
held in channels
16
of wiper bar
10
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a wiper for wiping liquid from a surface. The wiper comprises a first blade having therein a plurality of formations disposed along at least a portion of the length thereof. The formations are configured: (a) to permit the passage of liquid through the first blade when the first blade moves across such surface in a first direction, and (b) to inhibit passage of liquid through the first blade when the first blade moves across such surface in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
In one aspect of the invention, the first blade is flexible and the formations therein are opened to permit the passage of water therethrough by flexing of the first blade during its movement in the first direction and are closed to inhibit the passage of water therethrough by flexing of the first blade during its movement in the second direction.
In another aspect of the present invention, the first blade has first and second opposite sides joined by a wiping face, the first side and the wiping face intersecting to define a first edge, and the second side and the wiping face intersecting to define a second edge.
In one aspect of the invention the wiper has a low friction material disposed on the first side of the blade at the first edge thereof whereby the coefficient of friction of the first side of the blade is lower than that of the second side of the blade. In other aspects of the invention, the formations comprise notches in, and/or protrusions on, the first edge, and/or slits extending through the first blade to define flap members between adjacent slits.
In the latter aspect of the invention, the slits may converge towards each other to provide a plurality of wedge-shaped flap members.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides for the wiper to further comprise a second blade disposed substantially parallel to the first blade, the first and second blades defining a channel therebetween. In this aspect of the present invention, the second blade may have therein a plurality of formations disposed along at least a portion of the length thereof, which formations are configured (a) to permit the passage of liquid into the channel through the second blade when the second blade moves across such surface in the second direction and (b) to prevent the passage of liquid through the second blade when the second blade moves across the surface in the first direction. In this aspect of the present invention, the second blade may be flexible and the formations therein are dimensioned and configured to be opened by flexing of the second blade during its movement in the second direction and closed by flexing of the second blade during movement of the second blade in the first direction.
Other aspects of the invention provide for a wiper which further comprises at least one intermediate blade disposed between the first and second blades. For example, the wiper may comprise one intermediate blade which divides the channel longitudinally into first and second courses. In this aspect of the present invention, the intermediate blade may be dimensioned and configured to prevent the passage of liquid therethrough, whereby liquid which passes through he first blade is constrained to flow along the first course and liquid which passes through the second blade is constrained to flow along the second course.
In a particular embodiment of the present invention, the wiper is comprised of a first lade and a second blade disposed substantially parallel to each other to define a channel therebetween. Each blade is flexible and has therein a plurality of formations disposed along at least a portion of the length thereof. The formations are configured to attain the following results. The passage of liquid through the first blade is permitted and the passage of liquid through the second blade is inhibited when the wiper moves across such surface in a first direction, by the formations in the first blade being opened and those in the second blade being closed by flexing of the blades during such movement in the first direction. Similarly, the passage of liquid throug
Graham Gary K.
Libert Victor E.
Libert & Associates
Spaeth Frederick A.
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