Wiper for multiple and independent surfaces
AssigneeGeneral Motors Corporation
InventorsDante Cataldo Zuccaro, Mark Steven Babcock
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A singular wiper for wiping multiple and independent surfaces which obviates the conventional need for a wiper respectively for each of the surfaces. The wiper includes a wiper motor assembly, a wiper arm connected to the wiper motor assembly, a blade assembly connected to the wiper arm, and a cam having a cam profile. The wiper motor assembly reciprocates the wiper arm and thereby reciprocates the blade assembly over a predetermined range of reciprocation. The cam profile interacts with the wiper arm in a normal direction that is perpendicular to the plane of reciprocation of the wiper assembly so as to selectively regulate contact of the blade assembly with various surfaces disposed in the range of reciprocation of the blade assembly.
Claims11
A wiper apparatus for wiping multiple and independent surfaces comprising:
- a wiper comprising a blade assembly and a wiper motor assembly, wherein said wiper motor assembly reciprocates the blade assembly over a range of reciprocation;
- and
- at least one cam for selectively interacting with said wiper so that said blade assembly is selectively moved in a direction normal to the reciprocation.
A wiper and independent surfaces combination comprising:
- a first surface;
- a second surface separated from said first surface by a surface discontinuity;
- a wiper comprising a blade assembly and a wiper motor assembly, wherein the wiper motor assembly reciprocates the blade assembly over a range of reciprocation which includes the first and second surfaces, wherein said blade assembly is biased in a first direction which is normal to the reciprocation and toward said first and second surfaces;
- and
- a cam for selectively interacting with said wiper so that said blade assembly is selectively moved in a second direction which is normal to the reciprocation and away from the first and second surfaces, wherein said blade assembly contactlessly passes over the surface discontinuity and wipingly contacts the first and second surfaces during the reciprocation.
A method for wiping multiple and independent surfaces comprising the steps of:
- wiping a first surface with a wiper blade;
- wiping a second surface with the wiper blade, wherein the second surface is separated from the first surface by a surface discontinuity;
- and
- between said first and second steps of wiping, moving the wiper blade contactlessly across the surface discontinuity.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.