Patent ID: 6488217
Filing Date: 2002-12-03
Classification: B60B

Abstract:
In a vehicle having a number of tires, an engine driving the tires, and a vehicle electrical system powered by the engine, an improvement comprising:an anti-hydroplane system carried on the vehicle, the anti-hydroplane system comprising: a system control unit; an on/off switch; an air compressor unit; a melting solution heater/reservoir tank having a reservoir resistance heating element and a reservoir cavity filled with a quantity of a heatable liquid, the reservoir cavity having a reservoir outlet fitting in connection therewith; an electrically controlled, reservoir control valve having an electrical reservoir valve control input and installed in liquid flow controlling connection with the reservoir outlet fitting of the melting solution heater/reservoir tank; a compressed air storage tank having an air inlet and an air outlet fitting; an electrically controlled, compressed air control valve having an electrical air tank control input and installed in air flow controlling connection with the air outlet fitting of the compressed air storage tank; a number of heater/blower assemblies, one installed in front of each of the number of tires of the vehicle and having a high pressure stream output nozzle in connection with a mixing chamber, the mixing chamber having a number of mixing fins provided therein; the mixing chamber being in connection with a blower output of an included blower mechanism, a compressed air inlet fitting, and a liquid inlet fitting; interconnecting tubing connecting the outlet side of the electrically controlled, reservoir control valve to the liquid inlet fitting of each of the heater/blower assemblies and the outlet side of the electrically controlled, compressed air control valve to the compressed air inlet fitting of each of the heater/blower assemblies; and control/power supply wiring connecting the control unit to the on/off switch, the air compressor unit, the tank resistance heating element of the melting solution heater/reservoir tank, the electrical reservoir valve control input, the electrical control input of the compressed air control valve connected to the tank outlet of the compressed air storage tank, and a sealed electrical blower motor and a blower resistance heater element of each of the heater/blower assemblies; the control unit turning on the air compressor unit, turning on the tank resistance heating element, turning on the sealed electrical blower motor and the blower resistance heater element of each of the heater/blower assemblies, and opening the electrically controlled, compressed air control valve and the electrically controlled, reservoir control valve in response to a user placing the on/off switch into an â€œonâ€  position; operation of the air compressor unit, the tank resistance heating element, the sealed electrical blower motor and the blower resistance heater element of each of the heater/blower assemblies, while the electrically controlled, compressed air control valve and the electrically controlled, reservoir control valve are in the open position causes each of the heater blower assemblies to generate a high pressure stream of mixed, heated air and liquid that is directed out of the pressure stream output nozzle of the respective heater/blower assembly toward a water dispersing area directly in front of a respective vehicle tire.