US 10,383,175 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for the melting of snow and ice from vehicle exteriors

OwnerJohn Oskwarekinventor

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for melting snow and/or ice on a vehicle comprises a precipitation sensor, a surface temperature sensor, an ambient temperature sensor, a heater, and a programmable controller. The programmable controller comprises a memory unit to store a cut off surface temperature Tc, and a set of program modules. The programmable controller further comprises a processor to execute the set of program modules. A heater control module, executed by the processor, is configured to deactivate a heater based on a surface temperature being greater than the cut off surface temperature. Further, heater control module is configured to activate the heater based on an ambient temperature being lower than freezing point of water and precipitation being present outside the vehicle, thereby melting snow and/or ice on the vehicle. The snow melts off because of heat generated by the heater upon activation.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An apparatus for melting snow from exterior portion of the vehicle roof, the apparatus comprising:

a precipitation sensor;
an ambient temperature sensor;
a surface temperature sensor;
a heater embedded within the vehicle roof, wherein the heater is disposed between a thermally conductive layer and an insulating layer of the vehicle roof;
wherein the thermally conductive layer comprises at least one of thermally conductive clips, wireways pre-formed with the roof, thermally conductive clips, wireways affixed to the roof by means of welding or thermally conductive adhesives, and pre-wired, thermally conductive polymer substrate assembly in which the heating cable is embedded, said assembly then being secured to underside of the roof by means of screws, bolts or clips with receivers formed in the roof, and wherein the insulating layer of the vehicle roof is installed to cover a passenger compartment or a cargo bay side of the vehicle, configured to minimize heat transfer into the passenger compartment or the cargo bay;
and
a programmable controller configured to activate and deactivate the heater, the programmable controller comprising:
a memory unit to store a cut off surface temperature, and a set of program modules, and
a processor to execute the set of program modules, wherein the set of program modules comprises:
an input module, executed by the processor, configured to:
receive information regarding an ambient temperature outside the vehicle via the ambient temperature sensor,
receive information regarding one of presence and absence of precipitation outside the vehicle, via the precipitation sensor, and
receive information regarding a surface temperature on an exterior portion of the vehicle via the surface temperature sensor;
and
a heater control module, executed by the processor, configured to:
deactivate the heater based on the surface temperature being greater than the cut off surface temperature, and
activate the heater based on:
the ambient temperature being lower than a freezing point of water, and
precipitation outside the vehicle being present, thereby melting snow and/or ice on the vehicle roof.

16 more elements

A method of melting snow from exterior portion of the vehicle roof, the method comprising:

storing in a memory unit, a cut off surface temperature, and a set of program modules;
receiving, by a processor executing an input module, information regarding an ambient temperature outside the vehicle, from an ambient temperature sensor;
receiving, by the processor executing the input module, information regarding one of presence and absence of precipitation outside the vehicle, from the precipitation sensor;
receiving, by the processor executing the input module, information regarding a surface temperature on an exterior portion of the vehicle, from the surface temperature sensor;
deactivating, by the processor executing a heater control module, the heater based on the surface temperature being greater than the cut off surface temperature;
and
activating the heater embedded within the vehicle roof, wherein the heater is disposed between a thermally conductive layer and an insulating layer of the vehicle roof, wherein the thermally conductive layer comprises at least one of thermally conductive clips, wireways pre-formed with the roof, thermally conductive clips, wireways affixed to the roof by means of welding or thermally conductive adhesives, and pre-wired, thermally conductive polymer substrate assembly in which the heating cable is embedded, said assembly then being secured to underside of the roof by means of screws, bolts or clips with receivers formed in the roof, and wherein the insulating layer of the vehicle roof is installed to cover a passenger compartment or a cargo bay side of the vehicle, configured to minimize heat transfer into the passenger compartment or the cargo bay, by the processor executing the heater control module, based on:
the ambient temperature being lower than a freezing point of water, and
precipitation outside the vehicle being present, thereby melting the snow from the vehicle roof.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/384,465Filed 20 Dec 2016 · us provisional application
Priority: 21 Dec 2015
Published: US 2017/0238363 A117 Aug 2017
Granted: 13 Aug 2019
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification15 codes

H05B 1/0236
Industrial applications: for vehicles
B60S 1/026
Including defroster or demisting means: using electrical means
B60S 1/66
Other vehicle fittings for cleaning: for cleaning vehicle exterior
F28D 15/00
Heat-exchange apparatus with the intermediate heat-transfer medium in closed tubes passing into