CA2319654A1

CA2319654A1 - Heater for windshield wiper

Info

Publication number: CA2319654A1
Application number: CA 2319654
Authority: CA
Inventors: James Milton Mclelland
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-09-15
Filing date: 2000-09-15
Publication date: 2002-03-15

Description

This invention relates to heaters and more particularly to heaters for windshield wipers of motor vehicles.
In cold weather windshield wipers operate less effect-ively than in warm weather. Accumulations of ice and snow, of course, interfere with the operation of wipers but even in their absence, wipers tend to operate less and less effect-ively as ambient temperature drops. There is a number of reasons for this: the blades of the wipers tend to harden as the temperature drops and they do not mould to the curvature of the windshield. As a result the wipers leave areas of the windshield unwiped. Dirt, snow and ice tend to accumulate on those areas and interfere with a driver's vision.
Another reason why low temperatures tend to impair the effectiveness of wipers is that at such temperatures the blade of the wiper does not pivot freely relative to the arm to which it is attached but tends to become fixed immovably to the arm. As a result the wiper does not mould to the curvature of the windshield and the wiper misses areas of the windshield as it sweeps back and forth across it.
I have found a way of heating a windshield wiper so that it operates effectively in cold weather. I have found that the liquid heated in the radiator of a motor vehicle may be used in a heater to warm a windshield wiper.

The heater in accordance with my invention is for a windshield wiper of a motor vehicle having a radiator for cooling circulating liquid. The wiper has pivotally interconnected blade and arm each of which has lengths relatively long relative to their widths and both of which are caused to reciprocate such that the blade sweeps back and forth across a windshield of the vehicle. Briefly, the heater includes a conduit which extends adjacent to and along the lengths of the blade and the arm. The conduit is adapted to be in fluid flow communication with the circulating liquid and provides a channel for circulating the liquid along the lengths of the arm and the blade.
The heater of the invention is described with reference to the accompanying photographs in which:
Figure 1 is a perspective view of the heater in con-junction with the blade and arm of a windshield wiper;
Figure 2 a perspective view of the heater in conjunction with the wiper, windshield and a portion of the hood of a motor vehicle; and Figure 3 is a perspective view of the heater, wiper and engine of.a motor vehicle.
Like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the description of the drawings.

With reference to Figure l, the heater of the invention, generally 10 is attached to the arm 12 and the blade 14 of a windshield wiper. As is conventional, the blade is pivotally attached to the arm.
The heater includes a continuous conduit 18 having a first limit 18a which extends along the length of the arm and connects with a second limit 18b which extends to an end 14a of the blade. From the second limit, the conduit has a third.
limit l8c which extends the length of the blade and connects to a fourth limit 18d which extends from the end 19b of the blade to the arm where it connects to a fifth limit 18e which extends along the length of the arm.
Preferably the limits of the conduit which are connected to the blade are relatively rigid composed of for example copper which is a good conductor of heat and conducts heat in the liquid to the blade. The portion of the conduit attached to the arm are flexible such as polypropylene or other poly-meric material which also should be a relatively good con-ductor of heat so that the arm is also heated by the liquid.
With~reference to Figure 2, the heater is shown in conjunction with a windshield 20 and the dashboard 22 of a motor vehicle. With reference to Figure 3, the portion of the conduit 24 which extend from the arm of the windshield wiper is connected to the radiator 26 of the motor vehicle. The conduit may also be connected to the hose where liquid heated or cooled by the cooling system of the motor vehicle flows.
In operation, liquid from the radiator or cooling system circulates through the conduit and serves to heat the arm 12 and blade 14 of the windshield wiper. In warm weather when the heater is not needed the conduit may be disconnected from the radiator or cooling system. Alternatively a switch (not illus-trated) may be provided for opening and closing the flow of liquid to the conduit.
It will be understood of course that modifications can be made in the heater illustrated and described herein without departing from the scope and purview of the invention.