Patent ID: 8468636
Filing Date: 2013-06-25
Classification: B08B

Abstract:
1. A debris removal system that removes debris from a surface of a dish antenna, comprising: a wiper rotor; a wiper blade coupled to the wiper rotor, wherein the wiper blade is positioned over the surface of the dish antenna, and wherein the wiper blade is configured to remove debris from the surface in response to a rotational movement of the wiper rotor that rotates the wiper blade over the surface of the dish antenna; a spring coupled to the wiper rotor, wherein the spring is configured to store a potential energy as the spring is biased from a relaxed position to a biased position; a motor coupled to the spring, wherein the motor is configured to convert received electrical power into mechanical power that biases the spring from the relaxed position to the biased position; a remote device configured to receive a user input corresponding to a command to remove the debris from the surface of the dish antenna, and further configured to communicate an electrical control signal corresponding to the user input; and an interface device communicatively coupled to the remote device, wherein the interface device is configured to receive the electrical control signal from the remote device, where in response to receiving the electrical control signal at the interface device the spring is released from the biased position to the relaxed position, and wherein the stored potential energy is released from the spring as the spring returns to the relaxed position, and wherein the potential energy that is released from the spring is converted to mechanical energy that rotates the wiper rotor such that the rotation of the wiper rotor moves the wiper blade over the surface of the dish antenna.