Liquid level sensing for washer fluid reservoir
AssigneeRosemount Aerospace Inc.
InventorMuralidhar Rao Bojjanapalli
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system includes a wiper system having at least one wiper arm configured to wipe a windshield of a vehicle, a reservoir configured to hold washer fluid, and a fluid line fluidly connected between the reservoir and the wiper system configured to provide the jet of washer fluid from an outlet of the reservoir to the wiper arm for spraying onto the windshield. The reservoir includes, an interior volume having an outlet, and a piston configured to force the washer fluid through the outlet to produce a jet of washer fluid at the outlet.
Claims16
A system, comprising:
- a wiper system having at least one wiper arm configured to wipe a windshield of a vehicle;
- a reservoir configured to hold washer fluid, the reservoir comprising:
- an interior volume having an outlet;
- a piston configured to force the washer fluid through the outlet to produce a jet of washer fluid at the outlet, wherein the piston includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side of the piston, wherein the first side of the piston is configured to be in contact with free space in the interior volume and the second side of the piston is configured to be in contact with a surface of the washer fluid;
- and
- a position sensor disposed on the piston configured to sense a position of the piston within the interior volume, wherein the position sensor is disposed on the second side of the piston such that the position sensor corresponds to a liquid level of the washer fluid in the reservoir;
- and
- a fluid line fluidly connected between the reservoir and the wiper system configured to provide the jet of washer fluid from the outlet of the reservoir to the at least one wiper arm for spraying onto the windshield.
A system, comprising:
- a wiper system having at least one wiper arm configured to wipe a windshield of a vehicle;
- a reservoir configured to hold washer fluid, the reservoir comprising:
- an interior volume having an outlet;
- and
- a piston configured to force the washer fluid through the outlet to produce a jet of washer fluid at the outlet, wherein the piston includes a first side and a second side opposite the first side of the piston, wherein the first side of the piston is configured to be in contact with free space in the interior volume and the second side of the piston is configured to be in contact with a surface of the washer fluid;
- a fluid line fluidly connected between the reservoir and the wiper system configured to provide the jet of washer fluid from the outlet of the reservoir to the at least one wiper arm for spraying onto the windshield;
- and
- a motor operatively connected to drive the piston via a drive shaft, the motor configured to rotate the drive shaft to drive the piston along the drive shaft between a first position and a second position, wherein the piston includes a relief channel extending from the first side to the second side of the piston to allow air on the second side of the piston, above the surface of the washer fluid, to escape to the first side of the piston as the motor drives the piston to meet the surface of the washer fluid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.