Abstract:
A system and method of collecting and conditioning rainwater and other moisture, such as dew, from a windshield of a vehicle and utilizing the collected fluid to replenish the fluids in the windshield washer reservoir. A collection funnel is positioned on a vehicle in order to collect rainwater and other moisture. Rainwater and other fluids from the collection funnel are directed to a conditioning cartridge where the water is de-ionized and windshield washer fluid is added. The cartridges are designed to be single replaceable units. The mixed fluid from the mixing cartridge is directed to the pre-existing windshield washer reservoir.

Description:
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     In accordance with 37 C.F.R. §1.76, a claim of priority is included in an Application Data Sheet filed concurrently herewith. Accordingly, the present invention claims priority as a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/797,259, entitled “WINDSHIELD WASHER CONDITIONER”, filed Mar. 12, 2013, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/610,275, entitled “REPLENISHING WINDSHIELD WASHER”, filed on Mar. 13, 2012. The contents of which the above referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to an apparatus and method of replenishing and conditioning the fluid within a windshield washing system. In particular, to an apparatus which can recover rainwater, dew and recapture dispensed fluids from the windshield of a vehicle to replenish and condition the fluid within a windshield washing system. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Windshield cleaning systems are old and well known in the art. Most of them employ a reservoir containing a fluid, such as water. The water can include an additive which will prevent the water from freezing in the colder climates. This additive is commonly known as a deicer. The deicer can also remove ice that has formed on the windshield of a vehicle. Other additives to the fluid reservoir include substances which enhance the cleaning properties of the water/fluid in the reservoir, such as all season windshield cleaner, all season windshield cleaner and deicer, rain repellant with or without all season cleaner or all season windshield cleaner and deicer. 
     In the winter months, when slush and other substances from the roads splash up onto the windshield of vehicles, the operator of the vehicle utilizes the windshield washer system repeatedly to clean the windshield to provide a clear view for driving. This high use of the windshield washer system can and normally does result in all of the fluid in the windshield washer reservoir being used up rapidly. If the vehicle operator is not vigilant in maintaining the washer reservoir full of fluid, the operator may be without the ability to clean the windshield when the need arises. Thus there is a need to provide a system and method of readily replenishing the fluid in a windshield washer reservoir without the vehicle operator constantly monitoring the fluid in the windshield washer reservoir. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,701,897 discloses a windshield cleaning system using water from the cooling system of an automobile. A metered amount of detergent is placed into the dispersed fluid. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 2,770,017 discloses a method of automatically replenishing the supply of liquefied solvent to the reservoir of a windshield washer. A trough or pipe line leads from the ventilating duct in the cowl as a means for recovering rainwater. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 3,738,575 discloses an automatic windshield washer for a vehicle of the type having a reservoir and spray nozzles. Means are provided to collect rain water and car wash water from the outer surface of the vehicle and means to feed the collected water to the reservoir. The valve means can trap sediment and add cleaning agents to the collected water. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,254 discloses a method and apparatus for self-replenishment of the solution contained within an automobile windshield washer system. Water is extracted from air such as through the use of a desiccant system in combination with an automobile air conditioning system. This water is combined with a stored concentrated anti-freeze liquid in a preselected ratio to produce a windshield washer solution having sufficient freezing point depression for use during winter weather conditions. 
     U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,669,986 and 6,024,803 disclose the use of rainwater on a vehicle to clean collection surfaces which have been contaminated with agents such as road salt and for storage in a reservoir for later use in windshield washing. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 6,266,842 discloses a windshield cleaning device for a windshield of a motor vehicle. A collecting device is provided for collecting and returning excess sprayed cleaning liquid, spray water, and rain water into the windshield fluid reservoir. A heat exchanger is provided for heating the cleaning liquid pumped by the pump by heat energy derived from the cooling water cooling the motor of the motor vehicle. A control circuit measures at least one temperature that can be the ambient temperature or the temperature of the cleaning liquid and allows pumping of the cleaning liquid onto the windshield only above a set temperature limit. A metering device automatically introduces an alcohol mixture, and optionally surface-active agents, into the cleaning liquid based on the measured temperature. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A system and method of collecting rainwater and other moisture, such as dew, from a windshield of a vehicle and conditioning the collected fluid to replenish the windshield washer reservoir. One or more collection funnels are located at various locations on a vehicle. Rainwater and other fluids from these funnels are directed to a fluid conditioning cartridge. The fluid conditioning cartridge includes quick connect fittings to allow the cartridge to be a single replaceable unit. 
     Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a system that collects fluids and utilizes these fluids to replenish the fluids in a windshield washer reservoir of a vehicle. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention to collect rain or dew on windshields to condition and replenish the fluids in a windshield washer reservoir of a vehicle. 
     It is yet another objective of the present invention to collect rain or dew on various parts of a vehicle to replenish the fluids in a windshield washer reservoir of a vehicle. 
     It is a still further objective of the present invention to provide a disposable fluid conditioning cartridge to condition the fluids in a windshield washer reservoir of a vehicle. 
     It is still yet a further objective of the present invention to collect rain, dew, or melting snow/ice on windshield wipers and to collect rain, dew, or melting snow/ice on various portions of a vehicle to replenish the fluids in a windshield washer reservoir of a vehicle. 
     It is still yet a further objective of the present invention to provide a replaceable mixing cartridge between the collection point of rain, dew, or other fluids and a windshield washer reservoir. Fluid additives may be added to the collected fluids in the mixing cartridge and the resulting fluid delivered to a pre-existing windshield washer reservoir on a vehicle. 
     Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a partial top perspective view of the mixing cartridge; 
         FIG. 3  is a partial top perspective view of the mixing cartridge illustrating the wick placement; 
         FIG. 4  is a partial bottom perspective view of the mixing cartridge; 
         FIG. 5  is a partial bottom perspective view of the mixing cartridge; 
         FIG. 6  is a perspective view of the mixing cartridge; 
         FIG. 7  is a top perspective view of the collection funnel; and 
         FIG. 8  is a bottom view of the collection funnel. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred, albeit not limiting, embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
     Now referring to the figures, set forth is a preferred embodiment of a vehicular windshield washer replenishing system comprising a collection funnel  14  having an angular shaped upper wall  22  and lower wall  24  spaced apart by opposing side walls  26 , 28 . The collection funnel  14  is constructed and arranged for positioning between a windshield and hood of a vehicle. 
     In a preferred embodiment the collection funnel  14  is positioned on the driver&#39;s side of the vehicle but could be positioned in another suitable location. One edge of the mouth will be contoured to fit the arc of the windshield and ensure a water tight seal. This edge will most likely be made of a soft rubber or any suitable material for creating a water tight seal. The positioning of the collection funnel  14  provides gravity feeding of collected liquid to an ion exchange resin chamber  40 . In addition to gravity flow, pumps and other types of fluid transport mechanisms can be utilized to transport the fluids from the collection funnel  14  to the ion exchange resin chamber  40 . 
     The collection funnel  14  collects and retains rain water, dew, melting snow, melting ice, and other fluids that come in contact with a vehicle. The collection funnel  14  further includes a mesh screen  30  to filter out large particles at the mouth of the collection funnel  14 . The collection funnel has at least one opening in the base  31  constructed and arranged for fluid coupling to the mixing cartridge. 
     The collection funnel base has a second opening  32  that functions as an initial drain when the funnel first begins to fill. An internal wall positioned perpendicular to the base will create two chambers. The chamber on the discharge side to the mixing cartridge will contain a screen. This configuration will direct approximately the first 40 ml to the second opening drain to dump because the initial water flow will carry most of the large dirt particles. The water will back up, overflow and pass through the screen and discharge to the ion exchange resin chamber  40  of the mixing cartridge  16 . 
     An ion exchange resin chamber  40  is fluidly coupled to the outlet  31  of the collection funnel  14  for conditioning of collected rain water. In a preferred embodiment the transportation of the collected rain water takes place by gravity. In addition to gravity flow, pumps and other types of fluid transport mechanisms can be utilized to transport the fluids from the mixing cartridge to the windshield washer reservoir. 
     A mixing chamber  50  fluidly coupled to said ion exchange chamber  40  for treating the conditioned rain water, said mixing chamber  50  drawing treatment fluid from an adjacent concentrate chamber, said treated and conditioned rain water directed to the preexisting windshield washer reservoir  18 . 
     The ion exchange resin chamber  40  preferably includes cation and anion mixed bed resin for reduction of total dissolved solids in the collected rain water. Alternatively, the ion exchange resin chamber may include a sodium based resin for exchange of calcium cations in the collected rain water. The first chamber is in fluid communication with the inlet port. The ion exchange chamber  40  includes a passageway wall  42  to prevent passage of ion exchange resin and provide an unrestricted flow of water there through. The ion exchange chamber  40  may also contain a filter  41  to filter out solid particulates. The mixing chamber  50  is in fluid communication with the outlet port. 
     The concentrate chamber  60  contains windshield washing fluid concentrate. In a preferred embodiment, the windshield washing fluid is a concentrated liquid, however the windshield washing additive can be in the form of and have the consistencies of, but are not limited to, a gel, a “soap bar” texture, a solid, a “gummy bear” substance or a powder. The various types of water or fluid additives include, but are not limited to, all season windshield cleaner, deicer, all season windshield cleaner and deicer, rain repellant with or without all season cleaner or all season windshield cleaner and deicer. 
     The mixing chamber  50  includes a wick  52  providing a capillary draw of treating fluid from the concentrate chamber. The wick is constructed and arranged to deliver a predetermined amount of the windshield washing fluid concentrate through capillary action into the mixing chamber  50 . The wick can be constructed of any suitable material. In a preferred embodiment, the wick  52  is further defined as a tape style wick comprised of wool, synthetic, cotton, polyester or any other suitable wick material with passageways therein that distribute the windshield washer fluid concentrate by capillary action to the mixing chamber  50 . However, metering pumps and other devices can be utilized to deliver the windshield washer fluid concentrate to the mixing chamber  50 . 
     In a preferred embodiment, the concentrate chamber  60  has a conduit channel  54  constructed and arranged to extend into the mixing chamber  50 . The wick  52  passes through the conduit channel  54  and extends into the mixing chamber. The windshield washer fluid concentrate formulation is formulated for pass through of the passageways in the wick  52  without clogging or blocking. 
     The wick is fluidly attached to a pad  56  in the mixing chamber. The pad  56  is constructed and arranged to provide optimal mixing between the windshield washer concentrate and the water. The pad  56  can be comprised of wool, synthetic, cotton, polyester or any suitable wick material know to someone of ordinary skill in the art. 
     The fluid is transported from the collection reservoir to the ion exchange resin by tubing  73  or other fluid conduits. The fluid coupling between the collection funnel and the ion exchange resin chamber is releasably secured by use of quick connect  70 . The conditioned and mixed fluid is transported from the mixing chamber to the existing windshield washer reservoir by tubing  75  or other fluid conduits. The fluid coupling between the mixing chamber and the existing windshield water reservoir is releasably secured by use of quick connect  71 . 
     All of the tubing or fluid conduit are made from plastic materials in a preferred embodiment. However, they can be made from any type of material which can transport fluids without being affected by the fluids. 
     The ion exchange resin chamber  40 , the mixing chamber  50 , and the concentrate chamber  60  forms a single replaceable cartridge assembly  16 . The cartridge assembly  16  can be reconditioned for reuse and the concentrate can be interchanged with different compositions. The cartridge assembly includes a sight glass  62  in said concentrate chamber. 
     All patents and publications mentioned in this specification are indicative of the levels of those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. All patents and publications are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. 
     It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein. 
     One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.