GB2064307A - Headlamp washer assembly - Google Patents

Abstract

A headlamp washing assembly comprises spray nozzles (16), a wash liquid reservoir (14), metering conduits (18), a gas source (22), a tank (20) for storing a predetermined volume of gas, and a control valve (24) which, in a first position provides for charging of the storage tank (20) with gas from source (22) while simultaneously charging the metering conduits (18) with liquid from reservoir (14), and, in a second position provides for subjecting the liquid in the metering conduits to pressurised gas from the tank to force the liquid through the conduits and out of the nozzles. The valve may be actuated by means of a solenoid when the headlamps are turned on or automatically in dependence, on the windscreen washer control system. A pressure switch may be located in tank (20) to actuate the valve when a predetermined pressure is reached. A flow-regulating valve may be located beneath the wash liquid reservoir (14). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Headlamp washer assembly The invention relates to a fluid dispensing assembly and one particularly suited for cleaning headlamps in an automotive vehicle. The headlamp cleaning assembly is of the type having nozzles for spraying liquid upon the headlamps of a vehicle and which also utilizes a compressed gas such as air for forcing the liquid out through the spray nozzles.

Various systems have been developed which utilize a liquid and a compressed gas such as air for cleaning the headlamps or windshields of automotive vehicles. Such systems typically include various valves for controlling the flow of pressurized air into and out of the air tank and the flow of liquid into the metering chamber and the flow of pressurized air into the metering chamber. The prior art systems have been unsatisfactory from the standpoints of cost, reliability, and speed of operation.

This invention is advantageous because it includes liquid storage means for storing liquid, gas storage means for storing a predetermined volume of gas, a gas source for charging the gas storage means, dispensing means for containing a predetermined quantity of dispensing liquid and for dispensing the liquid over a predetermined area with valve means in fluid communication with the liquid storage means, the gas storage means, the gas source and the dispensing means for charging the gas storage means from the gas source while simultaneously charging the dispensing means with dispensing liquid from the liquid storage means when in a first position and for discontinuing the charging of the gas storage means and the dispensing means while simultaneously subjecting the dispensing means to gas from the gas storage means to force the dispensing liquid through the dispensing means when in a second position.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention; and FIGURE 2 is a schematic illustration of the preferred embodiment.

The headlamp washing assembly is shown in an operative environment in FIGURE 1 and schematically in FIGURE 2. The assembly is shown as it would be disposed relative to a radiator 10 and the headlamps 12 (both shown in phantom) of an automotive vehicle.

The assembly includes a liquid storage means comprising a reservoir 14 for storing cleaning liquid to be dispensed. Also included are dispensing means comprising the nozzles 16 and the associated metering conduits 18 for containing a predetermined quantity of dispensing liquid and for dispensing or directing liquid over a predetermined area of the headlamps 12. The reservoir 14 contains a special liquid solution which is nonfreezing and includes additives to enable it to remove caked-on or baked-on road scum from the headlamps 12.

The assembly also includes gas storage means comprising a gas storage tank 20 for storing a predetermined volume of gas which, in the preferred embodiment, would be pressurized air utilized to force the liquid through the conduits 18 and the nozzle 16. Also included is a gas source or a source of gas 22 for charging the storage tank 20 with pressurized air, i.e., the source of gas 22 supplies pressurized air to the gas storage tank 20. The source of gas 22 is an air compressor of the type utilized on automotive vehicles having a load leveler system utilizing compressed air.

The gas storage tank 20 is associated with a valve means generally indicated at 24, but shown separately in the schematic version of FIGURE 2. The valve means 24 comprises a multi-ported valve. A first port in the valve 24 is in communication with the liquid storage reservoir 14 through the line or conduit 26. A second port of the valve 24 is in communication with the gas storage tank 20 through a line or conduit 28, as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Athird port of the valve 24 is in communication with the source of gas or compressor 22 through a line or conduit 30. A fourth port in the valve 24 is in communication with the nozzles 16 through the conduits 18. The valve 24 has yet another port in fluid communication with a line or conduit 32 which leads to the load leveling system utilized in the vehicle.

The valve means 24 is, therefore, in fluid communication with the liquid storage reservoir 14, the gas storage tank 20, the source of pressurized gas or air from the compressor 22, and the dispensing means or nozzles 16. The valve means 24 charges the gas storage tank 20 from the gas source 22 while simultaneously charging the dispensing means comprising the metering conduits 18 and nozzles 16 with dispensing liquid from the liquid storage tank 14 when in a first position. Thereafter, the valve means 24 discontinues the charging of the gas storage tank 20 and the charging of the conduits 18 and nozzles 16 while simultaneously subjecting the conduits 18 and nozzles of the dispensing means to pressurized gas from the gas storage tank 20 to force the dispensing liquid through the lines or conduits 18 and the nozzles 16 of the dispensing means when in a second position.

There is also included a control comprising a solenoid generally indicated at 34 in FIGURE 2 which has a spring 36 associated therewith for controlling the movement of the valve between the first and second positions. Further, there is included a sensing means comprising a pressure switch 38 illustrated in FIGURE 2 for sensing the pressure of the gas within the gas storage tank 20 as it is being charged for providing a signal to the solenoid 34 to move the valve from the first position to the second position.

The valve 24 is a single multi-ported valve. As illustrated in FIGURE 1, the electrical switches, the pressure switch 38, a pressure relief valve, valve 24 and the solenoid 34 and associated spring 36 along with the air storage tank 20 are all incorporated and enclosed in a single unit.

In FIGURE 2, the valve 24 is in the second position where the gas storage tank 20 is in communication with the metering conduits 18 and nozzles 16 with the source of compressed gas or air 22 being in communication with the load leveler system through the conduit 32. This is the normal position of the solenoid valve 34, or said another way, the off or deenergized position. The control means will include an appropriate switch for supplying current to the solenoid, which switch may be, in turn, activated automatically by the windshield washer control or may be actuated when the headlamps are turned on or there may be a separate headlamp washer control.The liquid storage reservoir 14 is disposed above the conduits 18 and the nozzles 16 so that the metering conduits 18 may be charged with liquid moving under the force of gravity from the liquid storage tank 14 and into the conduits 18. When the solenoid is actuated to be moved to the first position, the conduit 26 will be in fluid communication through the valve 24 with the conduits 18 whereby the conduits 18 will fill with a predetermined amount of dispensing liquid under the force of gravity from the liquid storage tank 14. Simultaneously, the pressurized gas from the line 30 from the gas source of pressurized gas 22 will be in fluid communication with the conduit 28 leading to the gas storage tank 20.Thus, the gas storage tank 20 will be charged as a predetermined amount of liquid which flows under the force of gravity from the liquid storage tank 14 and into the metering conduits 18.

in the preferred embodiment, the liquid storage tank 14 is approximately one gallon in capacity and the conduits 18, which may be referred to as metering tubes, hold two and one-half ounces of solution or dispensing liquid in each conduit or metering tube. Each metering tube 18 is connected to two spray nozzles 16, providing one and one-quarter ounces of solution or dispensing liquid to each nozzle 16. In order to calibrate or otherwise control the rate of flow of liquid from the tank 14 to the metering tubes 18, a flow control valve 40 is disposed beneath the tank 14 and in the flow line 26 to the metering tubes 18.The flow control valve 40 may be a manually adjustable valve which may be adjusted to the desired setting for controlling or changing the rate of liquid from the liquid storage tank 14 to provide the desired amount of liquid in the metering tubes in the time it takes for the gas storage tank 20 to reach the predetermined pressure at which the pressure switch 38 is activated.

The gas storage tank 20 is approximately of thirty (30) cubic inch capacity and will be pressurized to 100 psi before the pressure switch 38 closes. This will result in a 60 psi force at the spray nozzles 16 as the last of the solution in the conduits 18 is expelled through the nozzles 16. The remaining volume of air in the storage tank 20 is exhausted through the nozzles 16 and assists in an air dry-off of the headlamps 12 while purging the line 16 of any residual solution.

There is a pressure relief valve not shown which would relieve the pressure in the storage tank 20 at approximately 110 psi. Pressurized air from the compressor 22 charges the gas storage tank 20 to a 100 psi in approximately fifteen seconds. This fifteen-second time interval prevents a predeter mined amount of dispensing solution or liquid from the storage reservoir 14to fill the metering tubes or conduits 18. Atthe end of fifteen seconds, the pres sure switch 38 is activated to open its electrical contacts breaking the circuit discontinuing current flow to the solenoid 34 whereby the spring 36 moves the solenoid to the second position illustrated in FIGURE 2 allowing pressurized gas from the storage tank 20 to flow through the metering tubes or conduits 18.

The assembly remains in the deactivated condition illustrated in FIGURE 2 until it is again reactivated or resequenced.

Claims (10)

1. A headlamp washing assembly comprising: liquid storage means (14) for storing liquid; gas storage means (20) for storing a predetermined volume of gas; a gas source i,22) for charging said gas storage means; dispensing means (16,18) for containing a predetermined quantity of dispensing liquid and for dispensing the liquid over a predetermined area; valve means (24) in fluid communication with said liquid storage means (14), said gas storage means (20), said gas source (22) and said dispensing means (16,18) for charging said gas storage means (20) from said gas source (22) while simultaneously charging said dispensing means (16, 18) with said dispensing liquid from said liquid storage means (14) when in a first position and for discontinuing said charging of said gas storage means (20) and said dispensing means (16, 18) while simultaneouslysubjecting said dispensing means (16, 18) to gas from said gas storage means (20) to force said dispensing liquid through said dispensing means (16, 18) when in a second position.

2. An assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said valve means (24) comprises a single multiported valve (24), having a first port in communication with said liquid storage means (14), a second port in communication with said gas storage means, (20), a third port in communication with said gas source (22) and a fourth port in communication with said dispensing means (16, 18).

3. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 including sensing means (38) for sensing the pressure of the gas in said gas storage means (20) for providing a signal to control the position of said valve (24).

4. An assembly as set forth in claim 2 including control means (34, 36) for controlling the movement of said valve (24) between said first and second positions.

5. An assembly as set forth in claim 4 including sensing means (38) for sensing the pressure of the gas in said gas storage means (20) while being charged for providing a signal to said control means (34,36) to move said valve (24) from said first position to said second position.

6. An assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said liquid storage means (14} is disposed above said dispensing means (16, 18) for charging said dispensing means (16, 18) with liquid moving under the force of gravity from said liquid storage means (14) to said dispensing means (16, 18).

7. An assembly as set forth in claim 6 including a flow control valve (40) for controlling the rate of flow of liquid from said liquid storage tank (14) to said dispensing means (16, 18).

8. An assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said dispensing means (16,18) includes at least one nozzle means (16) for spraying liquid and conduit means (18) interconnecting said fourth port in said valve and said nozzle means (16).

9. An assembly as set forth in claim 8 wherein said control means (34, 36) includes a solenoid (34) for controlling the position of said valve (24).

10. A headlamp washing assembly constructed and arranged to operate substantially as herein be fore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.