CA2133592A1

CA2133592A1 - Instant hot wash device

Info

Publication number: CA2133592A1
Application number: CA002133592A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Howard K. Breithaupt; Barry S. Haines
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: DEPP Inc
Priority date: 1993-10-04
Filing date: 1994-10-04
Publication date: 1995-04-05
Also published as: US5509606A

Abstract

ABSTRACT
A washer fluid system including a reservoir having a discharge for transferring fluid through a transfer hose via at least one discharge nozzle aligned to discharge the fluid onto a windshield of the vehicle. The device includes a housing having an inlet to receive fluid from the transfer hose at a point downstream from a discharge motor and an outlet to discharge fluid to the transfer hose for discharge by the nozzle. Fluid is held by a container operably connected to the inlet and the outlet. A heating element, preferably powered by the vehicle's electrical system, most preferably only when the ignition for the vehicle is in the on position, heats fluid in the container to a temperature which does not exceed a predetermined maximum temperature such as 50°F above ambient temperature. Insulation is provided for insulating the container in the housing. The heater device is preferably positioned on the fire wall of the vehicle proximate a pair of discharge nozzles for the windshield of an automobile or the like by a bracket. Preferably the housing and the container are axially concentric spaced apart cylinders, the inlet and outlet are tubular hoses axially aligned therewith, and the insulation comprises a hollow cylindrical filling the space between the housing cylinder and the container cylinder.

Description

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The preserlt in~entlon rel~e~ ~o an ins~arJt hot wa~h ~vice f~ v~3hiGle win~shields ~uch ~ automo~ile~, trucks, l::u~
trains, plan~3 ahd ~h~ like. More particularly the pre~en~
inventlon ~elates to ~ device ~or controlling the temp~rature and av~ilabil.ity Of ~ind~h~eld w~hing flu~d over a complete ~3p~ rum o:~' t~mp~ cur~ and c~in~ate condition~ whereby the c;levic~
~ ndepend~nt. oi~ hot~ ~he envirc~nm~nt and kh~ oper~ing corlditions ~ the veh~

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Clean windshields are important; for safety reaso~s and it h~s --long been 3~nown ~hat v~rtually all vehicles such as auto~obile~, trucks and the l.ik2 have ~een e~uipped with~what are known as wind~hield wa~hirlg devices. Th~e wincl~hield washers inc~lude a ~luid re~:ervoir, a pU~np, hose~ for transferring the washer fluid, and no~z~es for spraying the wash2r fluid on to th~
wlnd~hi~ld. The purpo~e of these d~vices is, o~ cour~e, to provide ~a~er, washing ~luid~ including detergent6 or o~her ~ddltives, and the like to the wind~:hiel~l in order to clean ~he wind~hiald .
In many i~ not all sy~tem~, the w~her equipmsn~ i8 de~ign~d to oper~t~ in aonjllnction With the windshielæ wip~r ~y~-tem, ~o t~t ~he ~luid c:an ~ ~pread over t~e wir~dshi~ld and loosen and ~ernove dir~, ice, dust or other contamin~nt~ tha~ have redllced visibility. In cold~r climat~s, wher~ temperatures drop below ~reezing, it i~ nece6~ary to ~dd antifree7!e to kh~ washer f luid to prevenk 1~h~ ~luid ~rom freezing in the re~ervoir or connec~ing ho~;e~. A~ ose ~i~ne~ oft~n n~es~:ar}~ to w~it until the deeroi~ter h~ melted ox other~i~e loosened ice or ~now 1:hat may have a¢~um~llated on the win~shield ~rom weather conditions.
~ome~ime~i, the windshi~ld wip~r sy~tem ~3acome~ :Erozen from melted and re ~rc: ~en. ice or sno~ and i~ i~; necessary to al~n ~he wind~:hield ~nd free the wiper sy~em by hand. Other ~lmes the aomhinat~.ion of ~.old, dir~, Ir~zen wiper blads ~yst~ms ~11 ~oope:rat~ ~o me~r ~nd oth~wi~;e obscur~ -~h~ wirldshield, requ:Lrin~ a ~pecial e~fort t:4 re~or~ 3afe ancl a~equate "~ ~

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visibility. At best thi~ i~ a cold ~nd unpleasant task. At worst lt expo~es ~he oper~tor ~o inclement weather and other dangers : o~ the environm~nt. F'or we~k, elderly and fra11 persons, this ~ecomes m~r~ than ~n inconvenienc~.
~one system ha~ be~n propo6~d ~o remedy ~he a~ove ~escribed di~fi~ultl~s. This sy~tem is de~cribed in U.S. Patent ~o.

4,83~,262 to Robertson. ~obert~on de3aribes a heat ~change member whi~h i5 ~ontoured to ~it along one side of an exhaust pipe o~ a vehicle. Hoses a~e provi~ed to circulate ~ater or wash~r ~lul~s ~rom ~he reservoir to the h~a~ ~xchanger to the pump ~nd fin~lly to ~he wind~hield. ~ober~so~ ~iscloses a system whiah r~quire~ engine heat, thu~ beiJlg less than effecti~e when a ~old ~ehicle h~ ju~t been started. This prior ar~ syste.m ~lso r~gu-lres that the fluid be pumped to th~ heat exchanger and then to the windshield w~sher nozzles, ~o that a~ the en~ine ~ontinues ~o heatr fluid or Yapo~ ~rom the fluid continue~ to ~low even ~ter the washer device ha~ been t~rned off. once the automo~ile or ~ruo~ ~as achieved ~ hot, opQrati~g condition it has been ~oun~ that ~he Robertson ~yste~ ~ctuall~ reduce~ visibillty by c,ontinuing ~ ~isch~rge a ~ine m~t that is no-~ wet ~no~gh ~o ~e clea~ed ~ui~kly by the windshield wlp~r~. This mist d~ies quiak~y, leavi~g a ~ h~t continu~s to reduce vi~ib1li~y ra~her ~han clean ~he windshield.
A~cordlngly, it ~ an object of the present invention ~
provide a win~shield wa~her ~y~tem ~hat can be modified ~o oper~te in cold and unple~sant weather wi~hout regard ~or engine tempera~ure or oper~tion.

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f`" ~ 3 ~ 9 2 ~nother obj~ct oî this invention is to provide a ~evice ~hiGh i!2 capable of providing warm or even hot w~she~ f lui~ to a wlnd~hield wa~:her sy~tem without wai~ing for l;he vehlcle engine to generate hea t .
~ ~et anol~her object of the presen~ invention is to prhvide a device capa!31e o~ providillg warm o~ hot washer f luid without aontinuing to contaminate ~he windshield wi~h unw~nted spra~ or mist ~fter the ~y~tern has baen deacti~ted.
O~her ob~e~ts will appear hereina~ter.

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It has now been discovered tha~ the ~bove and othe~ obj~3ct:;
of ~e pre~ent invention may be accs~lnplished in the followirlg m~nrl~l3r. Speci~ically, the present inventiQn prc~vldes a sUbQt;antial improvement ~n ex1~ting washer f luid ~ys~ems in use in vehicle~: ~uch as automobile~: or truck~. The typic~al windshield wa~;h2r sy~;tem includes a reserv~ir or washer ~luid bottle tha~
has a dischar~e for txansferring wa~her ~luid through ho~e~ to discharge nozzles ~ligned to discharge ~he wa~;her fluid direckly ~nto a windshield o~ the vehicle.
The devic~ o~ the present invention incluàes a hou6ing h~ving an inlet to reGeive f luid from th~ ~ransfer hose a~ a poin~ dosrnstream f~om a di~charge motor conn~cted to the reservoir~ The hou~:ing ~l~o lnclude3 an outle~ to disch~rge fluid to ~he tr~ans~er h~se for di~charge b~ the no zle. Fluid is held l~y a container operably connected t;: the inlet and the ou~let wh~re i~ eateà before i~ is dis~ha~ged.
A h~a~ing element heat~ fluid in the contal3le:~ to a tempera~u~e which doe~ not excesd a predetsrmined maxim~m temper~re such ~æ 50lF abov~ ~mbient temperatu~e~ The heatlng element is pr~erably pcwered by t~e vehlcle'~ electr~c~l ~y.~-tem h~t auxiliary power 1~; not needed~ In o~der tb preven~
exces~ive dr~in on the vehicle ' s battery it is most pr~ferred that the heal:ing element operate only when the igni~ on swi~ch for ~he vehicle 1~ in the on posi-tion~
Sinc:e ~h~ dqvi~e i~ norm~lly oper~ted in cold climat~
circumsl~.ance~, it is desira~le that cold he kep~ from the -fluid r- r~
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in ~he con~alner, Also, ~: engine heat i~ generated af-ter operatlon over a period o~ time, particularly in heavy tra:~fic where ~h~re i~ little air circulation, thls engine heat can in 80me~- c~se~ 0verhe~ he w~her fluid, causing exces~ive evapG~tion or even l~oi].ing. Accordingly, in a preferred em3~odimen~, insula'cion is provided ~or insul~ting the container in the hou~ing. ~h~ heat~r d~vice is pre~erab;ly positioned on ths fire ~all o~ the vehicle proximate a pair o~ discharge noz~les ror the windshield of an automobile or the like by a brack~t.
Pre~erab~y ~he ho-~sing and ~he contain~r are ax~ally conc~n~ric sp~ed apar~ cylinders, ~he inlet and outlet are ~ul~ular ho~es axl~lly ali~n~d there~ith, and the in5ula~ion c:ompri~:e~; ;d ho~low cyl~ndrical f illin~ the ~pace between 'che hou~ing cylinder and the cont~iner ~ylinder.

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., For a mo~e complete understanding of ~hs invention, re~arence is h~rehy m~d~ tQ ~he drawiny~, in w~ich: -` ~iy~re 1 i~ a em.i-schPma~ic, ~ragm2ntary p~r~p~ctive view showing a portion o~ the hood and windshi~ld o~ a typical ~utomobile ~hown in dot and d~h with ~he devlc~ of thi~
invention shown in full lin~, illustra~ing an arbitrary location for ~he d~vice.
~igure 2 i~ an enlarged, fragmentary, front el~vational ~iew o~ th~ devlce a~ vi~w~d on the line ~,2 of Flg. l.
Figur~ 3 i~ a righ-t ~ide, elevation~l view of the ~vice ~ho~n in Fi~. 2, with addi~ional det~ils ~hown.
Fi~ure 4 i8 an enlarged, ~ectional/ elevational view takPn on the lin~ 4,4 o~ Fig. 3.
Figure 5 iæ a ~chematic view of the elec~rical components o~ the device o~ thi~ in~en~ion.

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A~ ~hown in the drawings, a vehicle 10 includ~s a windshield 11 whidh i~, from tim~ to time, in nee~ o~ washer fluid sprayed th2reon by noæ~le~ 13, to Glean or de-ice or ot~.erwi~e improve the vision ~u~ ies Of the win~sh~el~. Spray 15 is dlrected onto ~he windshield 11 from the nozzle~ 13 to accompli~h th~ desired re~ul~s, u~u~lly in cooperation with ~ win~shiel~ wiper blade or blades, not 3hown.
The presen-t invention contempla-tes the additi~n o~ the devi~e o~ the pr~sent invention ~o an exisking wind~hield wa6hing unit on ~ v~hi~ A~ ~hown in Fig. 1, ~ fluid reservoir 17 i~
norm~lly p~e~nt in mos~ vehicle~ certainly all ~nanu~c~ure~ ln r~aent year~ ~o~ p~r~onal use in the United State~. ~e~ervoir 17 i~ ill~d with wa~h~r flui~ normally a ~luid whlch con~ains deter~ent, antifre2ze or other components ln water, vi~ cap ls~
~luid flo~ :erom re~erYoir 17 ~hxough hose 21 into the inlet ~ide o~ pump 23, exiting pu~np 23 through discharge hose 25 in~o he~ter 27 . Fluid is then pumped out o~ heater 27 by pump ~3 llpc: r commar2d, loy c:onv~n~ional csn~rols inside ~he vehis:le~ not shown, !0 1:o T" shapad ho~e 29, and to nozzle~ 13.
one pre~rred m~thod o~ mounting th~ h~t$3r 27 ~ th;L~
invention i~ illustr~ted ir~ Fig. 1 ~ere bracket 31 ~nd cl~nps 33 moun~ }lea~er 27 to the ~ire wall of the vehicle. As can ~e se~n in Fig. 2, clamp~; 33 are -flat straps, usua:Lly of metal, whic::h wrap he~t~r 27 and fit into bracX2t 31 ~ ~hown in Fig. 3.
Sarew~: 35 ~a~;t~n 3~rac~ t 31 to the ~lre wall. Electrical power i~ suppli~cl to he~ter 21 via electrical wiring 37 thr~ugh ~he ~ f''`

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~ire W~ hown in Fi~ 3. Wir~ng 37 i~ connected at it~ other end -to the control switch that op~ra~s the wind~hield wiper and washer.
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'~ Turning now to Fig. ~, ~he ~:p~cl~ic deta~ 3 of the preferred e~od~men~ o~ the pre~en~ invention are ~hown. Sp~ciîically, heater ~levice ~7 i~ formed ~s a cylindrical hou~ing in which the lnlet tuhe 3 3 iB introduced, ~i~h the inlek ~ube being connected to the fluid in pump 23 and pump dischar~e ho~P 25. As no-ted, inlet 39 is posi~oned insid~ tank ~r çontainer 41 which becomes fill~d With flui~ 43 ~rom pump 23. When pump 23 is turned on, fluid 43 flow~ Pr~m wa~h~r fluid r~servoir 17 to -the ~ottom o~
contai~er 41, thi~ fluid b~ing a~ ~mbient ~mpzrature. N~rm~lly, ambient tempe~atUre i~ below that Which i5 most ~fective ~or cle~ning wind~hields, par~icularly in winter Jnonth~:and in c:older clim~tes.
Fluid 43 exi~s container 41 ~hrough outlet tube 45, "Tl' fitting 2~ and connecting di~tri~ution ho~es ~o noz~les 13. Also forming part of hea~er 27 i~ a heating element ~7 which is pow2r~d by el~c~rical power f~om el~ctrical wireg 37. Heating element 47 i~ also controlled by tempe~ature controller 49, ~lgo pow~red by el~trical powe~ from electrical wir~ 51 and power wires 37. The temp~rature o~ Pluid 43 in container 41 is main~ained at a predetermined maximum ~emp~ratu~e no more than ~out 50~ abo~e am~ient temperature. Foam ins~lation 53 as~lst~
in ~aintaining thi~ con~tant kemperature of the flUid 4~ within contain~r 41 a~ long as the ignition switch i~ on ~nd pow~r ~upplied to the d~via~. Foam lns~ t:i.on 53 i.3 thu~ placed withir , r-. . .
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2~ 33~92 ~ hollow cylinder be~ween ~aid ho~6ing cylinder 27 and ~aid container cylinder 41.
Fig. 5 shows ~he simple ~lectrical circuit for the dèvice o t~l~ in~ention. ~eater element 47 re~eive~ pow~ via wires 37 upon` closing the switch 55 contained within temperature controllar 49. ~att~r~ 5~ and ~u~e 59 complete the circuit..
o~vio~sly, it is not ds~irable to ~upply power to a devlce when the vehicle is idle ~nd not in US8 f4r lon~ p~riods of time. For that r~son, ~then the device ~s in~talled, it i~ ln~ended that it b~ conn~c-~ed to a wire which is 'hot' or Qlectrically powered only when t~e ignition is on. In~tallation is s~raight~orwArd b~ed ~pon the forgoiny de~cription.
~ hen the vehlcle i~ to be us~d and the lgnitivn ~w~tch i5 ~urned on, heater elemen~ 47 heat~ fluid 43, preferably as stated ~ove ~o a pr~de~ermined max~mum temperature of a~out 50~ above ambi~n~ ~empe~ature. This fl~id i.s ready when the operator desire~ to clea~ the windshield. As fluid is withdrawn f~om thP
top o~ container ~1 via exlt tube 45, coole~ fluid i~ in~roduced via inlet tube 39 to the bottom of t~e container 41. Thus the w~rmer fluid i~ proximate the exit ~nd al~o proximate ~he temp~rature con~roller 51 so that prop~rly heated f luid is di~p~ed through nozzles 13.
This ~s an i~por~ant Eeature o~ the inventiun. ~luid i~ not ~oo ~o~, and when the d~vice is ~topped doe~ not csntlnu~ to 7,5 heat, generating ~t~a~ or vapor~z~d ~luid to fog th2 w~ndshield or c~us~ othe~ pro~lems. Fluid i8 not too c~ld ~d will not ~reeze vn ~he ~ndshi~ld. ~akher, the properly cond~lonPd fluid mel~s iae, dissolv~3 grea~e, 1006en~ dirt a~d ~ud, and o~her~i~e ~o ~ -, :

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~ f--a ~ 2 performs much ~ett~r than syqtem~ which do not properly control ~he exit temperature.

-A~ not~d previouæly, U.S. Patent No. 4,B32,262 to ~obertso~.
Ro~r$son describe~ a heat exaha~ge ~ember which is conto~red to _ fit along one ~i~e o~ an exha~s~ p~pa o~ a vehic~e. ~his-prior art deviae doas not provide a uniform temperature, is complicat~d to instal~ and potentially har~ful -to exhaust sy~tems if not prop~rly in~talled, and i~ ~low ~o operate when the engine tempe~a~ure oP the ~ehicle 1~ low.
In order t~ demon~trate th~ ef~i~acy of ~he present in~n~ion, test~ were conducted to ~imu~ate adver~e weather aondition~ often ~ound in cold ~int~r climates. Specifically, an automobile fitted with th~ pr~sent ~n~ention wa~ frozen for ~ifteen hou~ at a temperature of -15DF a~ter having water spray~d over the entire wind6hi~1d and ~ront p~rt ~f the car. Th~ cold t~mp~ratures ~roze a thlck coa~ing of ice on the windshield so that the wind~hleld wlper ~ystem ~as un~ble ~o oper~teO The de~ a2 of the present invention/ which ~ad been in~talled on the vehicle prior to the . ~0 t~st, w~ t~rned on, h~ating the wind~hield washer fluld to 85~
in 35 8econ~6~ Wikh~n two minutes ~rom the moment th~- device w~
t~rn~d on, th~ ~ntire ~indshield h~d been cleared of ice and was complet~ly clean. A companlon te~t of thd pr~or a~ sy~em usin~
he~t f~om th~ motor exhau~ ~y~tem took ov~r ten minut~ to ~rea ~5 the ~indshi~ld from ice and dicl not ~top gen~rating mi~t and ~pray when sh~t off, th~reb~ reducing vi~ibility when the vehi~le wa~ in use. ~eaXs ~lso developed in the tank, providing unreliable oper~tlon. ~y contra~t, continue~ opera~ion o~ the , ~ f ::, 3 ~ 2 ~ehicle having the present inven~ion ins~alled in it re~ulted in no ~nist or other contamination o~ th~ windshield, thus re~ulting ir a oclmpletely ~atisïactory test obvi~ting all of the fault~ of th~ ~rior art sy~:tem.
~ Whil~ particular embodimsnt~ he p~e~ent inven-tion have l~een illustrated and descri}~ed, it is not intendsd to li~nit the inVerl~ion, e~cept as defined by the ~vllowing claim~.

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Claims

1. In a washer fluid system in a vehicle, said system including a fluid reservoir having a discharge pump for transferring fluid from said reservoir through a transfer hose, at least one discharge nozzle aligned to receive fluid from said transfer hose to discharge said fluid onto a windshield of said vehicle, a heater device comprising:
a housing having an inlet to receive fluid from said transfer hose at a point downstream from said discharge pump and an outlet to discharge fluid to said transfer hose for discharge by said nozzle;
a container means in said housing for holding a quantity of fluid, said container means being operably connected to said inlet and said outlet for holding fluid to be heated;
heating element means in said container for heating fluid introduced from said inlet prior to discharge by said outlet;
temperature controller means for regulating the temperature of said fluid in said container to a predetermined maximum temperature above ambient temperature;
insulation means for insulating said container in said housing; and bracket means for mounting said housing in said vehicle.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said predetermined maximum temperature is no more than about 50°F above ambient temperature.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said heating element is powered by the electrical system of said vehicle.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein said heating element is connected to said electrical system only when the ignition for said vehicle is in the on position.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said housing and said container are axially concentric spaced apart cylinders, said inlet and outlet are tubular hoses axially aligned with said container cylinder.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein said insulation means comprises a hollow cylinder filling said space between said housing cylinder and said container cylinder.

7. In a washer fluid system in a vehicle, including a discharge pump for transfer of fluid from a reservoir to a discharge nozzle at one end of a conduit to discharge the fluid onto a windshield of the vehicle, a heater device comprising:
a container downstream of the discharge pump connected to the conduit by inlet and outlet means, said inlet means for receiving the fluid from the conduit transferred from the reservoir, said outlet means for discharging the fluid from the container means to the conduit;

a housing surrounding said container means;
heating element means in said container means for heating the fluid introduced from said inlet means prior to discharge by said outlet means, said heating means being the only means for heating the fluid;
temperature control means in said container means for regulating the temperature of the fluid in said container means to a predetermined maximum temperature above ambient temperature; and insulation means for insulating said container means in said housing.

8. The device of Claim 7, wherein said container includes a lower portion and an upper portion, and said inlet means receive the fluid proximate said lower portion of said container, and said outlet means discharge the fluid proximate said upper portion of said container.

9. In a washer fluid system in a vehicle, including a discharge pump for transfer of fluid from a reservoir to a discharge nozzle at one end of a conduit to discharge the fluid onto a windshield of the vehicle, a heater device comprising:
a container downstream of the discharge pump connected to the conduit by inlet and outlet means, said inlet means for receiving the fluid from the conduit transferred from the reservoir, said outlet means for discharging the fluid from the container means to the conduit;

a housing surrounding said container means;
heating element means in said container means for heating the fluid introduced from said inlet means prior to discharge by said outlet means, said heating means being the only means for heating the fluid;
temperature control means in said container means for regulating the temperature of the fluid in said container means; and insulation means for insulating said container means in said housing.