Abstract:
A device for preventing the accumulation of frozen precipitation on and around an automobile&#39;s windshield wipers. The device is defined by an elongated, substantially conical sleeve that is formed of polyester laminate industrial fabric. The sleeve is slid onto the windshield wiper of an automobile in advance of oncoming frozen precipitation. After frozen precipitation has accumulated on the automobile, the precipitation can be cleared from atop the protective sleeve and the sleeve can be removed to expose a clean, precipitation-free windshield wiper. Then windshield wiper can then be employed immediately in a conventional manner for cleaning the windshield of the automobile without being impeded by residual frozen precipitation that could otherwise accumulate on the wiper.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The accumulation of snow and other wintery precipitation, such as sleet, hail, and freezing rain, on an automobile commonly results in the windshield wipers of the automobile becoming covered and encased in one or more layers of snow and/or ice. This can be problematic, because even after a majority of the snow and ice have been removed from atop the windshield wipers an amount of frozen precipitation will typically remain adhered to various surfaces of the wipers, including surfaces of the wipers&#39; blades that are designed to engage and clean the windshield of the automobile. Moreover, conventional methods for removing snow and ice from the windshields of automobiles, such as by employing snow brushes or ice scrapers, are generally ineffective for removing snow and ice from tight areas underneath and around most windshield wipers, and in some cases can even cause damage to the wipers. 
         [0002]    Frozen precipitation that is not cleared from the windshield wipers, or from the areas of the windshield surrounding the wipers, can interfere with the operation of the wipers, such as by creating a barrier between the working edges of the wiper blades and the surface of the windshield. In extreme cases, heavily accumulated snow and ice surrounding the wipers can prevent movement of the wipers entirely. 
         [0003]    In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide a means for preventing the accumulation of frozen precipitation on and around an automobile&#39;s windshield wipers. It would further be advantageous to provide such a means that is highly portable and relatively inexpensive. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a protective sleeve for covering the windshield wiper of an automobile to shield the wiper from external elements such as frozen precipitation. The sleeve is generally conical in shape and is preferably formed of polyester laminate industrial fabric. The sleeve is preferably made substantially flat, such as by forming laterally-opposing, longitudinally-extending creases in the fabric of the sleeve. 
         [0005]    The protective sleeve is preferably used by sliding it longitudinally onto the windshield wiper of an automobile that is to be parked outdoors for a period of time, with the sleeve flatly abutting the automobile&#39;s windshield. This is typically done in advance of the predicted onset of frozen precipitation. A pair of sleeves will usually be employed simultaneously for covering both of the automobile&#39;s front windshield wipers (unless the automobile only has one front wiper). 
         [0006]    When the automobile is to be driven or otherwise needs to be cleared of accumulated frozen precipitation, the driver of the automobile or another individual removes any accumulated frozen precipitation from the windshield and from atop the protective sleeves, such as by using a conventional snow brush and/or ice scraper. The driver then removes the sleeves from the windshield wipers and allows the blades of the wipers to come to rest on the surface of the windshield. Because the wipers and the areas of the windshield surrounding the wipers were covered by the protective sleeves, they will be substantially free of any frozen precipitation that could have otherwise impaired the operation of the wipers. The protective sleeves are then stored (preferably somewhere in the automobile) for future use. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  is a front view illustrating a pair of the protective sleeves of the present invention mounted on the windshield wipers of a truck. 
       
    
    
       [0009]    In describing the preferred embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, it is not intended that the invention be limited to the specific term so selected and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/295,725, which is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0011]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a protective sleeve  10  for preventing the accumulation of frozen precipitation on a windshield wiper of an automobile, as well as on the areas of the automobile&#39;s windshield that surround the windshield wiper, is shown. The term “windshield wiper” is used herein to describe a conventional windshield wiper that is defined by an elongated wiper blade and a pivotably mounted wiper arm to which the wiper blade is attached. 
         [0012]    For the sake of convenience and clarity, terms such as “top,” “bottom,” “up,” “down,” “inwardly,” “outwardly,” “lateral,” and “longitudinal” will be used herein to describe the shape and configuration of the invention, all with respect to the geometry and orientation of the exemplary embodiment of the device as it appears in  FIG. 1 , with the term “longitudinal” defined as the direction in which the sleeve extends from the upper left to the lower right, and the term “lateral” defined as a direction perpendicular thereto. Said terminology will include the words specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. 
         [0013]    The protective sleeve  10  is generally conical in shape with a first, relatively wide end  12  that is open and a second, relatively narrow end  14  that is closed. The sleeve  10  is formed of a sheet of, for example, 10 mil polyester laminate industrial fabric that is cut and sewn (in a manner that will be described in greater detail below) to produce the desired, generally conical shape. Polyester laminate is preferred for its durability, flexibility, impermeability to water, ability to shed frozen precipitation and longevity in a wide range of temperatures. In particular, a product sold under the trademark SHELTER-RITE manufactured by Seaman Corporation can be used. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that any sufficiently durable and moisture-resistant material, including, but not limited to nylon laminate, rubber, plastic, metal, various composites, and certain other fabrics can be substituted for the polyester-laminate without departing from the present invention. 
         [0014]    The sleeve  10  is preferably partially flattened, such as by forming laterally-opposing, longitudinally-extending creases  16  and  18  in the material of the sleeve  10 . This can be accomplished, for example, by compressing the sleeve  10  between two heated plates. When substantially flattened, the sleeve  10  has a generally trapezoidal shape with an overall length of about 26 inches and open and closed ends that measure about 5 inches wide and about 1.75 inches wide, respectively. These dimensions are suitable for accommodating the windshield wipers of most passenger cars. However, it is contemplated that the length and width of the sleeve  10  can be varied for accommodating a variety of other applications. For example, the sleeve  10  can be made longer and wider for accommodating the larger windshield wipers of vehicles such as vans, trucks, buses, airplanes, and trains, as well as the windshield wipers of some passenger cars that employ a single, large windshield wiper instead of two, smaller wipers as is common with most passenger cars. Alternatively, the sleeve  10  can be made shorter and narrower for accommodating smaller windshield wipers, such as those commonly found on the rear windshields of sport utility vehicles. The sleeve  10  can be made smaller still for accommodating headlight wipers that are found on some automobiles. 
         [0015]    In order to use the protective sleeve  10 , a person first grasps a windshield wiper that they wish to cover and then gently pulls and pivots the wiper away from its adjacent windshield. Wiper arms conventionally pivot to this position, for example, in order to clean the windshield. The sleeve  10  is then slid longitudinally onto the wiper, in the manner of a sock, with the wiper tip first passing through the open end of the sleeve  10  and extending into the interior of the sleeve  10 . The wiper and the mounted sleeve  10  are pivoted back toward the windshield once the wiper tip has reached or come close to the closed end  14 , and are brought to rest with the sleeve  10  flatly abutting the windshield, as shown in  FIG. 2 . This process is repeated with additional protective sleeves  10  for each of the automobile&#39;s windshield wipers that are to be covered. Mounted thusly, the lowest edge of the open end  12  of the protective sleeve  10  is positioned below the closed end  14  of the sleeve  10 . Water tends thereby to flow out of the sleeve  10  by the force of gravity, as gravity draws the water down the sleeve&#39;s lower crease and out of the lowest, open end  12 . Water is thereby prevented from entering the sleeve  10  except by blowing through the open end  12 . Any such water that enters the open end  12  will tend to flow back out of the sleeve due to the force of gravity. 
         [0016]    If, upon returning to the automobile, the person finds that the protective sleeves and the windshield of the automobile have been covered with frozen precipitation, the person preferably first clears away the frozen precipitation using conventional methods, such as by employing a snow brush or an ice scraper. During this clearing process the protective sleeves  10  shield the wipers against direct strikes from a brush or a scraper that could otherwise result in damage to the wipers. After the windshield has been substantially cleared of precipitation and the sleeves have been substantially uncovered, the person grasps and pivots each of the sleeved windshield wipers away from the windshield. The person then slides the sleeves  10  longitudinally off of the wipers. The wipers, having been covered by the sleeves during the accumulation of precipitation on the automobile, will be substantially free of any frozen precipitation. Moreover, the areas of the windshield that were underneath the flattened sleeves  10  during the accumulation of precipitation will also be substantially free of precipitation. The clean, precipitation-free wipers are then pivoted back against the windshield, with the working edges of the wiper blades being brought into engagement with the clean surface of the windshield. The windshield wipers can then be operated in a conventional manner with the wiper blades cleanly engaging the windshield without residual frozen precipitation interfering with effective contact therebetween. 
         [0017]    The protective sleeve  10  is typically employed when near-term weather forecasts predict the onset of frozen precipitation. For example, a person may cover the windshield wipers of his or her automobile with a pair of the protective sleeves before going to bed in anticipation of predicted overnight snowfall. Alternatively, the protective sleeves can be employed to cover the windshield wipers of an automobile that is to be parked out-of-doors for an extended period of time without being driven or cleared of precipitation, regardless of near-term or long-term weather forecasts. Moreover, in addition to shielding windshield wipers from frozen precipitation, it is contemplated that the protective sleeves can be employed to cover the windshield wipers of an automobile that is parked under direct sunlight which can cause rubber windshield wiper blades to become dry and brittle after lengthy exposure. 
         [0018]    A preferred method for fabricating the above-described protective sleeve  10  will now be described. It will be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art that various others methods for fabricating the sleeve  10 , including a variety of manual and automated processes, can be employed in addition or in the alternative to those described below. 
         [0019]    A first step in fabricating the above-described protective sleeve  10  is to cut a template from a sheet of Plexiglas or other sufficiently rigid material. To form a standard size protective sleeve  10 , the template will be trapezoidal in shape, measuring 28 inches long at center with a first end measuring 11 inches wide and a second, opposite end measuring 3 and ⅜ inches wide. A sheet of 10 mil polyester industrial fabric measuring at least about 12 inches by 30 inches is then placed on a table or other flat surface that is suitable for razor type cutting. The template is then placed firmly on top of the fabric and is used as a pattern guide for cutting the fabric with a razor to produce a work piece having the shape of the template. 
         [0020]    Next, using a sewing machine with a Teflon foot, a 100% polyester thread and bobbin, and a heavy duty (size 16) sewing needle, the wide end of the work piece is hemmed at ⅜ inch with the rough side of the fabric facing up. The stitch is reversed at both ends of the hem in a conventional manner for ½ inch to secure the hem. The work piece is then folded in half lengthwise with the rough side of the fabric facing outwardly (thus putting the partially fabricated sleeve in an inside-out configuration). The two long sides of the work piece are then sewn together with a ⅜ inch seam, with the stitch being reversed at both ends of the seam for ½ inch. 
         [0021]    Next, the configuration of the work piece must be reversed so that the work piece is right-side-out. This is accomplished by first inserting a string, which can be a tape, ribbon or band, through the wide end of the work piece and extending the string a short distance though the opposing, narrow end of the work piece. Using the sewing machine as described above, a seam is sewn laterally across the work piece at a distance of about 26 inches from the wide end of the work piece, and the stitch is reversed to secure the enclosed string in place. 
         [0022]    Next, the inside-out work piece is longitudinally slid onto a broom handle or other elongated instrument, with the broom handle extending into the work piece until the broom handle engages the closed end of the work piece. Starting at the wide, hemmed end of the work piece, the work piece is manually turned right-side-out for about 6 inches to form a cuff at the wide end. Next, the string protruding from the wide end of the work piece is held securely against the broom handle with one hand while another hand is used to pull the partially folded cuff away from the first hand until the work piece is right-side-out. The string is then trimmed and the completed sleeve is ready for further processing or use. It will be appreciated that the string can be a fabric label that remains in place during use to hold indicia, such as a trademark or instructions. 
         [0023]    An alternative method for turning the work piece from inside-out to right-side-out without using the above-described string involves longitudinally sliding the work piece onto a first elongated instrument, such as an elongated shaft extending downwardly from a ceiling. A second elongated instrument, such as an elongated shaft mounted to a base, is placed end-to-end with the first elongated instrument in a substantially collinear relationship therewith. The wide, open end of the work piece is then gripped with two hands and is longitudinally pulled over the second elongated instrument until the work piece is right-side-out. The completed sleeve can be pulled off of the second elongated instrument, once the instruments&#39; ends are spaced apart, and passed along for further processing or use. 
         [0024]    This detailed description in connection with the drawings is intended principally as a description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and is not intended to represent the only form in which the present invention may be constructed or utilized. The description sets forth the designs, functions, means, and methods of implementing the invention in connection with the illustrated embodiments. It is to be understood, however, that the same or equivalent functions and features may be accomplished by different embodiments that are also intended to be encompassed within the spirit and scope of the invention and that various modifications may be adopted without departing from the invention or scope of the following claims.