Wiper blade with embedded heating element
OwnerDana L. Theckstoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A heated windshield wiper assembly having a heat resistant flexible blade element provided with an electrical heating arrangement disposed in a cavity of the blade element. The heating arrangement includes a resistance element encased in the blade element for heating water fed into the cavity and out holes in the blade element onto an associated windshield. The resistance element is advantageously a wire arranged in a folded non-conductive tubular member encased in the blade element. A non-conductive coil encircling the tubular member for holding same in a folded condition so that the tubular member will uniformly distribute heat transferred to the tubular member from the resistance wire.
Claims9
A heated windshield wiper assembly, comprising, in combination:
- a. a heat resistant flexible blade element having an internal cavity arranged for receiving water;
- and
- b. electrical heating means encased in the blade element for uniformly distributing heat throughout the blade element and heating water in the cavity, the heating means including:
- i. a resistance element;
- ii. coupling means for establishing a grounded electrical connection to the resistance element, the heating means further including a heat distributing element in the form of a flexible, tubular member encased in the blade element and constructed from a non-conductive material, the tubular member arranged extending in a folded condition along the length of the blade element for flexing therewith, the heating means still further including a nonconductive coil means encircling the tubular member in folded condition for holding the tubular member in its folded condition and assuring uniform distribution of heat transferred from the resistance wire throughout the blade element, the coil means being completely encased in the blade element;
- and
- c. a plurality of holes provided in the blade element, the holes being arranged communicating with the cavity along coextensive sides of the blade element, water being fed from the tube into the cavity in the blade element for exiting through the holes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.