US 5,179,758 AGranted

Wiper attachment for rear view mirrors

OwnerDarrel L. Smith, Donnie Knightinventors

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Abstract

A rear view mirror wiper accessory to be removably attached to the rear view mirror of a truck, bus, or similar vehicle, characterized by: a low profile vertically oriented armless wiper assembly that wipes from side to side, an electric power control that regularly reverses polarity and can be located in the truck's cab or otherwise away from the accessory, and an assembly of pulleys and a cable that imparts motion to a wiper blade. At each end of the wiper blade's range of travel is a switch that cuts off electric power until the power control changes polarity. The wiper accessory has means to hold it in place during installation and removal so it can be moved from vehicle to vehicle without requiring readjustment of the vehicles' rear view mirror(s). A low cost bidirectional motor and gear train make the accessory economical.

An exterior rear view mirror wiper accessory adapted for use with an exterior rear view mirror on a large commercial vehicle such as a truck, bus, or similar vehicle, said wiper accessory comprising:

(a) a frame, said frame having top, bottom, left, and right side members, a centrally disposed substantially rectangular opening for exposing the mirror to view, mounting means for mounting said frame on an existing rear view mirror of said vehicle, and a pair of runner tracks, one of said runner tracks being located in each of two opposite side members and said pair of runner tracks being parallel;
(b) a pair of runner assemblies, one said runner assembly slidably attached to each said runner track;
(c) a wiper assembly, said wiper assembly including a flexible wiper blade or squeegee for wiping said mirror and backing means for delivering substantially even pressure along said flexible wiper blade against said mirror, said flexible wiper blade being attached to said backing means and said backing means having two opposite ends, and each said opposite end of said backing means being mounted to one of said runner assemblies;
(d) a plurality of pulleys and a cable threaded around said pulleys, said cable being attached to said runner assemblies for constraining said runner assemblies to move synchronously back and forth along said runner tracks according to said cable's movements;
(e) a bidirectional motor;
(f) drive pulley means for urging said cable to move responsive to said bidirectional motor;
(g) power source means for applying electric power to said bidirectional motor;
(h) power control means for periodically reversing the polarity of said electric power applied to said bidirectional motor;
and
(i) detection means for detecting the presence of said wiper assembly at each of two opposing extreme positions along said mirror and for stopping further travel of said wiper assembly beyond said opposing extreme positions by removing electric power from said bidirectional motor until the polarity of said electric power is reversed.

7 more elements

Abstract

Claims17