Windshield touch and clean system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10538221-B2
Application number	US-201916394416-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2019
Priority date	Jun 30, 2016
Publication date	Jan 21, 2020
Grant date	Jan 21, 2020

Abstract

A cleaning device for a surface, such as a windshield of a vehicle, has a housing that holds a spray bar, rotatable brush and a wiper blade. An engagement mechanism moves spray bar, the brush, and the wiper blade out from a disengaged position within the housing to an engaged position outside the housing so that they can be used to clean, brush, and dry the surface. After the spray bar, brush, and wiper blade are used to, respectively, clean, brush, and dry the surface, the engagement mechanism then moves the spray bar, the brush, and the wiper blade to a disengaged position within the housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning apparatus for a surface having a first side, a second side, a top side, and a bottom side, the cleaning apparatus comprising:
a rotatable brush extending between the top and bottom sides of the surface;
a wiper blade extending between the top and bottom sides of the surface;
a spray bar extending between the top and bottom sides of the surface;
a housing sized and disposed to house the rotatable brush, the wiper blade, and the spray bar within the housing;
an engagement drive mechanism configured to move the rotatable brush, the wiper blade, and the spray bar from a disengaged position within the housing to an engaged position outside the housing; and
a movement drive mechanism configured to move the rotatable brush, the wiper blade, and the spray bar from the first side of the surface to the second side of the surface.

2. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surface comprises a motor vehicle windshield.

3. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the rotatable brush, the wiper blade, and the spray bar has a length that extends across at least 90% of a distance between the top and bottom sides of the surface.

4. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a brushing drive mechanism configured to rotate the rotatable brush as the rotatable brush is moved from the first side to the second side by the movement drive mechanism.

5. The cleaning apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the brushing drive mechanism is configured to rotate the rotatable brush in two opposing directions.

6. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wiper blade is coupled to a side of the spray bar.

7. The cleaning apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising a transitioning drive mechanism configured to move the spray bar from a spraying position to a wiping position,
wherein, when the spray bar is in the spraying position, a nozzle of the spray bar is closer to the surface than the wiper blade, and
wherein, when the spray bar is in the wiping position, the wiper blade is closer to the surface than a nozzle of the spray bar.

8. The cleaning apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the transitioning drive mechanism is configured to move the spray bar from the spraying position to the wiping position by rotating the spray bar about the rotatable brush such that the spraying position is on a first side of the rotatable brush and the wiping position is on a second side of the rotatable brush opposing the first side of the rotatable brush.

9. The cleaning apparatus of claim 7 ,
wherein the movement drive mechanism is configured to move the rotatable brush, the wiper blade, and the spray bar from the first side of the surface to the second side of the surface when the spray bar is in the spraying position, and
wherein the movement drive mechanism is configured to move the rotatable brush, the wiper blade, and the spray bar from the second side of the surface to the first side of the surface when the spray bar is in the wiping position.

10. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a splashguard extending between the top and bottom sides of the surface, wherein both the rotatable brush and the spray bar are disposed between the splashguard and the surface.

11. A method of cleaning a surface, comprising:
moving a brush bar, a spray bar, and a wiper blade from a disengaged position within a housing to an engaged position outside the housing;
rotating the brush while the brush is in contact with the surface;
spraying a liquid from the spray bar to the surface;
moving the spray bar and the brush while the spray bar sprays the liquid to the surface and while the brush rotates against the surface;
stopping rotating of the brush and spraying of the liquid;
placing the wiper blade in contact with the surface;
moving the wiper blade across the surface to remove a portion of the liquid from the surface; and
disengaging the brush bar, the spray bar, and the wiper blade from the engaged position to the disengaged position.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising moving the brush away from the surface before moving the wiper blade across the surface.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising spraying an air from the spray bar to the surface while moving the wiper blade across the surface.

14. The method of claim 13 ,
wherein spraying the liquid comprises spraying liquid through a plurality of liquid spray nozzles of the spray bar, and
wherein spraying the air comprises spraying air through a plurality of air spray nozzles of the spray bar.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising closing a door over a cavity of the housing after disengaging the brush bar, the spray bar, and the wiper blade.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising spraying a deicing material from the spray bar to the surface before spraying the liquid from the spray bar to the surface.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising heating the deicing material before spraying the deicing material from the spray bar to the surface.

18. A cleaning system for a surface, comprising:
a first arm comprising a first rotatable brush, a first wiper blade, and a first spray bar;
a housing sized and disposed to house the first arm within the housing;
a first engagement drive mechanism that moves the first arm from a first disengaged position within the housing to a first engaged position outside the housing; and
a first movement drive mechanism configured to (a) move the first arm across the surface to clean the surface when the first spray bar sprays a liquid at the surface and the first rotatable brush rotates against the surface and (b) move the first arm across the surface to dry the surface when a tip of the first wiper blade abuts the surface.

19. The cleaning system of claim 18 , further comprising:
a second arm comprising a second rotatable brush, a second wiper blade, and a second spray bar, wherein the housing is further size and disposed to house the second arm within the housing;
a second engagement drive mechanism that moves the second arm from a second disengaged position within the housing to a second engaged position outside the housing; and
a second movement drive mechanism configured to (a) move the second arm across the surface to clean the surface when the second spray bar sprays a liquid at the surface and the second rotatable brush rotates against the surface and (b) move the second arm across the surface to dry the surface when a tip of the second wiper blade abuts the surface.

20. The cleaning system of claim 19 , wherein the housing is further sized and disposed to house the first arm and the second arm within the housing simultaneously.

21. The cleaning system of claim 18 ,
wherein the first movement drive mechanism is configured to move the first arm across the surface to scrub the surface in a first direction from a first side of the surface to the second side of the surface, and
wherein the first movement drive mechanism is configured to move the first arm across the surface to dry the surface in a second direction from the second side of the surface to the first side of the surface.

22. The cleaning system of claim 18 ,
wherein the disengaged position orients a length of the arm along a first axis,
wherein the engaged position orients the length of the arm along a second axis, and
wherein the first axis and the second axis are substantially perpendicular to one another.

Assignees

• Singer Nicholas J

Inventors

• Singer Nicholas J

Classifications

• B60S2001/3831

  cleaning by scrubbing or abrasive action · CPC title

• B60S1/3404

  the wiper blades being moved substantially parallel with themselves · CPC title

• B60S2001/3834

  equipped with brush-like elements · CPC title

• B60S1/3409 Primary

  the wiper arms consisting of two or more articulated elements · CPC title

• B60K5/00

  Arrangement or mounting of internal-combustion or jet-propulsion units (B60K7/00 takes precedence; arrangement or mounting of plural diverse prime-movers for mutual or common propulsion B60K6/00) · CPC title