Electromagnetic windshield wiper system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11866147-B2
Application number	US-202117357438-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2021
Priority date	Jul 29, 2020
Publication date	Jan 9, 2024
Grant date	Jan 9, 2024

Abstract

A windshield wiper system for use on an aircraft includes a controller and a wiper assembly including a wiper arm, a wiper blade, and a moving block. Further, the windshield wiper system includes a rail assembly including a rail assembly rack, a plurality of electromagnets, and an electrical interface. The electrical interface and the plurality of electromagnets induce a force on the moving block of the wiper assembly, causing the wiper assembly to sweep across the windshield of the aircraft. The controller is coupled to the rail assembly and the controller is configured to direct the motion of the wiper assembly through command signals to the rail assembly.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A windshield wiper system for use on a windshield of an aircraft, the windshield wiper system comprising:
a wiper assembly comprising a wiper arm, a wiper blade, and a moving block, wherein the wiper blade is coupled to a first end of the wiper arm and the moving block is coupled to a second end of the wiper arm; and
a rail assembly comprising a rail assembly rack, an electrical interface coupled to the rail assembly rack, and a plurality of electromagnets positioned within and coupled to the rail assembly rack, wherein the electrical interface is configured to provide electrical energy to the plurality of electromagnets and the plurality of electromagnets are configured to produce a magnetic field;
wherein the moving block is positioned at least partially within the rail assembly rack and the plurality of electromagnets are configured to induce a force on the moving block to direct motion of the moving block through the rail assembly rack.

2. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the moving block includes a core surrounded by a magnetic coil, and wherein the moving block is configured to interact with and be influenced by the magnetic field produced by the plurality of electromagnets.

3. The windshield wiper system of claim 2 , wherein the core of the moving block is constructed from a ferromagnetic material to enhance or amplify the force induced on the moving block by the magnetic field.

4. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electromagnets are spaced along a length of the rail assembly rack.

5. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of electromagnets is configured to receive electrical energy from the electrical interface through the rail assembly rack.

6. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , wherein each electromagnet of the plurality of electromagnets is configured to produce a magnetic field.

7. The windshield wiper system of claim 6 , wherein each electromagnet has a polarity that is opposite the adjacent electromagnet, and wherein the polarity of each electromagnet alternates between a north pole and a south pole along a length of the rail assembly rack.

8. The windshield wiper system of claim 6 , wherein the magnetic field produced by each electromagnet is configured to induce a force on the moving block to cause magnetic levitation of the moving block within the rail assembly rack.

9. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , and further comprising a controller coupled to the rail assembly, wherein the controller is configured to alter an electric current provided to the plurality of electromagnets to direct the motion of the moving block through the rail assembly rack.

10. The windshield wiper system of claim 9 , wherein directing the motion of the moving block comprises changing one or more of a velocity of the moving block, direction of the moving block, and acceleration of the moving block.

11. The windshield wiper system of claim 9 , wherein directing the motion of the moving block comprises:
supplying a first electric current to the plurality of electromagnets, creating a magnetic field that forces the moving block to travel in a first direction through the rail assembly rack; and
supplying a second electric current to the plurality of electromagnets, creating a magnetic field that forces the moving block to travel in a second direction through the rail assembly rack, opposite the first direction;
wherein the direction of the second electric current is opposite the direction of the first electric current.

12. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the rail assembly further comprises a sensor positioned within and coupled to the rail assembly rack, and wherein the sensor collects environmental data and transmits the environmental data to a controller for storage and processing.

13. The windshield wiper system of claim 12 , wherein the sensor is one or more of a pressure sensor, wind speed sensor, altitude sensor, temperature sensor, or precipitation sensor.

14. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 and further comprising a rail positioned within the rail assembly rack, wherein the rail is configured to guide the moving block through the rail assembly rack.

15. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 and further comprising a pivot assembly comprising a pivot arm and an actuator, wherein the pivot arm is coupled to the second end of the wiper arm and the actuator is coupled to the pivot arm, and wherein the actuator is a rotational actuator configured to rotate the pivot arm with the attached wiper assembly from a stowed position to an extended position.

16. The windshield wiper system of claim 15 , wherein the wiper assembly is positioned non-parallel to the rail assembly rack when in the extended position.

17. The windshield wiper system of claim 15 , wherein the wiper assembly is positioned parallel to the rail assembly rack and positioned within the rail assembly rack when in the stowed position.

18. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the rail assembly rack is positioned above the windshield of the aircraft.

19. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the rail assembly rack is positioned below the windshield of the aircraft.

20. The windshield wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the electrical interface receives electrical energy from an electrical power source, and wherein the electrical power source is one or more of a battery, a generator, an alternator, and an auxiliary power unit.

Assignees

• Rosemount Aerospace Inc

Inventors

• Ainapure Mahesh
• Goyal Nitin Kumar
• Jha Ashutosh Kumar
• Madsen Michael William

Classifications

• B64C1/1484 Primary

  Windows (B64C1/1492 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60S1/08 Primary

  electrically driven {(conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606)} · CPC title

• B60S1/3404

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

• B60S1/44

  the wiper blades having other than swinging movement, e.g. rotary {(the wiper blade support member, e.g. arm, having a swinging movement B60S1/32)} · CPC title

• B60S1/0402

  completely or partially concealed in a cavity · CPC title