Washer fluid tank with magnetically responsive sensors
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsStuart C. Salter, Segundo Baldovino, Paul Kenneth Dellock, Venkatesh Krishnan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A washer fluid tank assembly for vehicle mounting includes a tank, a track, a float and two magnetically-responsive sensors. The tank has a fill opening. The track is formed in a first wall of and inside the tank. The float is slidably disposed on the track and has a magnet thereon proximate to a second wall of the tank. The magnetically-responsive sensors are fixed to the second wall of the tank in alignment with the track. The sensors are each associated with a predetermined fluid volume.
Claims20
A washer fluid tank assembly for vehicle mounting comprising:
- a tank having a fill opening;
- a track formed in a first wall of and inside the tank, wherein the track is fixed relative to the tank;
- a float slidably disposed on the track having a magnet thereon proximate to a second wall of the tank;
- and
- two magnetically-responsive sensors fixed to the second wall of the tank in alignment with the track and each associated with a predetermined fluid volume.
A vehicle visibility washer system comprising:
- a first tank having a fill opening;
- a first track formed in a first wall of and inside the tank;
- a first float slidably disposed on the track having a first magnet thereon proximate to a second wall of the tank;
- two magnetically-responsive sensors fixed to the second wall of the tank in alignment with the track and each associated with a predetermined fluid volume;
- a pumping unit connected to the tank for fluid communication therefrom;
- a plurality of visual sensor cleaners connected to the pumping unit for fluid communication therefrom;
- a windshield washer nozzle connected to the pumping unit for fluid communication therefrom;
- and
- a controller electronically connected to the magnetically-responsive sensors, the pumping unit, the nozzle and the cleaners.
A method of cleaning visual sensors, the method comprising the steps of:
- providing a tank;
- providing a track formed in a first wall of and inside the tank;
- providing a float slidably disposed on the track having a magnet thereon proximate to a second wall of the tank;
- providing a first magnetically-responsive sensor and a second magnetically-responsive sensor with each fixed to the second wall of the tank and in alignment with the track and each of the magnetically-responsive sensors being associated with a predetermined fluid volume;
- providing a pumping unit connected to the tank for fluid communication therefrom;
- providing a plurality of visual sensor cleaners connected to the pumping unit for fluid communication therefrom;
- providing a windshield washer nozzle connected to the pumping unit for fluid communication therefrom;
- and
- providing a controller electronically connected to the magnetically-responsive sensors, the pumping unit, the nozzle and the cleaners;
- determining if the float has moved within a sensing range of the first magnetically-responsive sensor;
- continuing to determine whether the float has moved within the sensing range of the first magnetically-responsive sensor when the float has not moved within the sensing range of the first magnetically-responsive sensor;
- and
- restricting fluid to the windshield washer nozzle when the float has moved within the sensing range of the first magnetically-responsive sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.