Patent Publication Number: US-8990999-B1

Title: Attachable wiper assembly for a windshield

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the right of priority to provisional patent application 61/706,985 filed Sep. 28, 2012, which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
     Not Applicable. 
     APPENDIX 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a windshield wiper, and more particularly to an attachable wiper assembly for a windshield. 
     2. Related Art 
     Motorcycles can be vulnerable to extreme weather conditions including rain. When a motorcycle rider encounters rainy conditions, looking through the windshield becomes difficult, if not impossible. Bad visibility obviously presents a serious safety problem. Accordingly, the rider typically must pull over and wait for the rain to stop. Alternatively, the rider may continue riding by looking over the top of the windshield as is recommended by most motorcycle manufacturers. Unfortunately, looking over the top of the windshield only transfers the visibility problem from the windshield to the rider&#39;s visor, glasses or goggles. By keeping sight through the windshield, rather than over it, most of the rain is avoided on the rider&#39;s glasses. 
     Generally, windshield wipers are not seen on motorcycles. First, motorcycles are the only licensed vehicles that are not required by law to be equipped with windshield wipers. Accordingly, if not required to do so, most riders will not use a windshield wiper despite the safety advantages. Second, the esthetics of a windshield wiper presents an issue. Most motorcycle riders do not like the looks of their motorcycles being altered by the presence of a permanently mounted windshield wiper. 
     Some types of windshield wipers are known in the prior art, but they unfortunately do not meet all of the safety concerns involved with windshield wipers as well are unsightly. For example, many motorcycle windshield wipers are permanently attached and require holes to be drilled in the motorcycle. Other examples include the Le Wipe, which is a hand operated wiper that requires the rider to remove his hand from the handlebar to operate, thus producing a safety hazard by distracting the driver. Additionally, the wiper obstructs the rider&#39;s view through and over the windshield. There is also a potentially dangerous situation where the unit can unexpectedly dislodge from the windshield and fall off. A safety lanyard is attached to the wiper assembly to catch the falling unit. 
     Another example of a motorcycle windshield wiper is provided in the MIT publication “Design of a Modular Motorcycle Windshield Wiper”. The horizontal wiper blade moves up and down vertically along the windshield. This action captures water behind the blade on the upward stroke then releases that captured water on the downward stroke effectively nullifying its effectiveness. Moreover, motorcycle windshields have more horizontal curvature than other vehicle windshields. The blade of the MIT device would not properly conform to the motorcycle windshield curvature since wiper blades are made to run on the vertically flat surface rather than the horizontally curved surface. Due to the vertical action of the wiper blade, the geometry of the wiped surface further reduces the field of view through the windshield. The MIT design also does not incorporate the ability to vary the speed of the wiper for different rain conditions. 
     A need remains for a motorcycle windshield wiper that satisfies both the safety and esthetic concerns with motorcycle windshield wipers. A further need remains for an attachable and removeable wiper for any type of windshield, including motorcycle, boats, recreational vehicles, etc. 
     Examples of known prior art devices are described in the references listed below. “Design of a Modular Motorcycle Windshield Wiper” June 2010 Robert Allen Michael Boyd—MIT “Le Wipe”&lt;http:www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=windshield+wipers&gt; 
     
       
         
           
               
               
               
             
               
                   
               
             
            
               
                   
                 U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,099 
                 U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,142 
               
               
                   
                 U.S. Pat. No. 4,027,354 
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                 U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,099 
               
               
                   
                 U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,775 
                 U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,217 
               
               
                   
                 U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,142 
               
               
                   
               
            
           
         
       
     
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is an attachable and removeable wiper assembly suitable for a motorcycle, boat or other vehicle windshield, where the assembly has a motor housing and a wiper blade joined to the motor housing by a linkage arm. An upper clamp is joined proximally to the top of the motor housing and clamps to a side of the motorcycle windshield. A horizontal support bracket is joined proximally to the bottom of the motor housing and extends along a bottom of the motorcycle windshield. The horizontal support bracket includes a lower clamp to clamp to the bottom of the windshield. The horizontal support bracket is also adjustable in length to accommodate different size windshields. The wiper blade is mounted on the horizontal support bracket and extends vertically from there. In particular, a wiper arm is pivotably mounted on the horizontal support bracket and the wiper blade joined to the wiper arm so that the wiper blade pivots within a range of 45 degrees to 135 degrees with respect to the horizontal support bracket. 
     The motor housing covers a motor that drives an output shaft and a crank arm. The linkage arm is coupled between the crank arm and the wiper arm so that the motor drives the wiper arm. A rheostat may be used to adjust the speed of the wiper arm. The wiper assembly may be powered by the motorcycle using a power outlet or the wiper assembly may be battery powered. In a preferred embodiment, the wiper assembly is removably attachable to the windshield. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front view schematic of a windshield wiper assembly formed in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is a front view schematic of a windshield wiper assembly formed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  is a top perspective view schematic of a windshield wiper assembly formed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a wiring diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a rear view schematic of a windshield wiper assembly formed in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a rear view schematic of a windshield wiper assembly formed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a front view schematic of a windshield wiper assembly formed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 8  is a top perspective view schematic of a windshield wiper assembly formed in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     The present invention provides a motorcycle windshield wiper assembly that is portable and removably installed on the motorcycle without making permanent mounting or modifications to the motorcycle or the motorcycle&#39;s components. More particularly, the windshield of the motorcycle does not have to have holes drilled into it to mount the wiper assembly. The wiper assembly is adjustable to fit a variety of different size windshields. The wiper assembly may be powered by the motorcycle and/or include a self-contained battery. Additionally, the wiper assembly may include a variable wiper speed control. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the wiper assembly  50  includes a motor housing  13  that contains a direct current (DC) electric motor  9 . In the illustrated embodiment, the motor housing  13  is approximately cylindrical, but may the housing may have any suitable shape for use with a motorcycle. Preferably, the housing is water-tight and made out of metal. A preferred metal is aluminum, but composites or plastics are also suitable. The motor housing  13  is designed to position near the side edge of the motorcycle windshield  19  to minimize blocking the driver&#39;s vision. The cylindrical shape of the motor housing  13  allows the housing to be positioned along the edge of the windshield  19  without substantially affecting the aerodynamic design of the windshield. Accordingly, the wiper assembly  50  has little to no effect on the performance of the motorcycle. In one embodiment, the motor  9  is a DC electric motor with gear reduction; however other motors may be suitable. Optionally, a battery compartment is provided within the housing to receive at least one battery to power the motor. The at least one battery may be a standard household battery, for example a D battery, or the at least one battery may be a rechargeable battery. A power switch  14  is electrically coupled to the motor  9  to actuate the motor  9 . An output shaft  36  extends from the motor  9  at the bottom of the motor housing  13 . The motor  9  rotates the output shaft  36  about an axis of the motor when the motor  9  is activated. 
     A crank arm  12  is mounted to the output shaft  36  to convert the rotational motion of the output shaft  36  to a linear oscillating motion that activates a wiper arm  2 . The crank arm  12  is housed in the crank arm shield  11 . An adjustable rheostat  15  is positioned at the top of the housing  13  to vary the speed of the motor  9 , and consequently the output shaft  36 , crank arm  12 , and wiper arm  2 . In one embodiment, an accessory power cord and plug  18  are electrically coupled to the motor  9  to power the motor from the motorcycle. For example, the plug may be a standard cigarette lighter plug that is used when operating the wiper assembly from a motorcycle 12-volt electrical system. Accordingly, the wiper assembly  50  may be powered by battery or by the motorcycle electrical system. In one embodiment, the batteries may be rechargeable from the motorcycle electrical system. 
     An upper clamp  17  is fixed to the top of the motor housing  13 A. The upper clamp assembly  17  may be formed from metal, plastic, or any suitable material that can withstand motorcycle riding conditions without become damaged or deformed. Preferably, the clamp  17  is made of aluminum. In particular, the upper clamp  17  is attached to the top of the motor housing  13 A using support bushing  26 , which is attached to the top of the housing. The upper clamp  17  is either frictionally fit onto the vertical edge of the windshield, or is manually tightened to be fixed on the edge of the windshield. The upper clamp  17  includes a slot  37  through which the edge of the windshield is received. Clamp cushions  24  are provided on the inner surfaces of the slot  37  to grip the windshield. At the back of slot  37  is a rubber windshield cushion  27 , against which the vertical edge of the windshield  19  can rest without being damaged. Moreover, the cushions  24  are pliable so that the clamp  17  can be joined to windshields having various thicknesses. 
     A horizontal support bracket  8  is fixed to the bottom of the motor housing  13 B and extends outward therefrom. The horizontal support bracket  8  may be formed from metal, plastic, or any suitable material that can withstand motorcycle riding conditions without become damaged or deformed. A preferred metal is aluminum. In the first embodiment of this invention, the horizontal support bracket  8  attaches to each side of the windshield  19  along a lower portion of the windshield and extends across the lower portion of the windshield. Both ends of the horizontal support bracket  8  includes a cushioned lower clamp assembly  10  that secures to the windshield  19  and prevents damage and scratching to the windshield from the horizontal support bracket  8 . The lower clamp  10  includes a slot  37  through which the edge of the windshield  19  is received. 
     The cushions  24  are provided on the inner surfaces of the slot  37  to facilitate the frictional fit with the windshield and to protect the windshield from scratching. The cushions  24  are also pliable so that the clamp can be joined to windshields having various thicknesses. The lower clamp  10  is either frictionally fit onto the vertical edge of the windshield, or is manually tightened to be fixed on the edge of the windshield. As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 5 , in a preferred embodiment, the upper clamp  17  and the lower clamp  10  are manually tightened using clamping knobs  25 . The horizontal support bracket  8  includes bracket cushion  23  positioned between the bracket  8  and the windshield  19 , to prevent damage to the windshield. In one embodiment, the cushion is 3/16″ thick adhesive backed rubber cushioning that is adhered to the horizontal support bracket  8 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , in a first embodiment of the invention, the horizontal support bracket  8  is hinged at approximately the center of the horizontal support bracket  8  to allow the bracket to be folded into a smaller package capable of being stored on the motorcycle, for example, in a storage compartment of the motorcycle or in a rider&#39;s pack. The hinge  33  separates the horizontal support bracket  8  into a first section  37  and a second section  38 . Each of the first section  37  and the second section  38  of the horizontal support bracket  8  includes adjustment mechanisms  34  to adjust the length of the section. Preferably, the mechanism comprises two overlapping sections. Adjustment is made by aligning the slots or holes and fastening with appropriate devices such as nuts and studs, screws, bolts, cotter pins, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the adjustment mechanism  34  includes slots having a screw positioned therein. Alternatively, the adjustment mechanism  34  can have spaced openings that align having a screw, bolt, cotter pin or stud  7  positioned therein. Each section is adjustable so that the screw is maintained in the slot. Once the desired length of the section is obtained, the screw is secured at the desired length. In one embodiment, the screw may include a wing nut so that the screw can be operated without the use of tools. The adjustable sections enable the horizontal support bracket  8  to be sized to fit various different windshields  19 . In particular, the horizontal support bracket  8  may be adjusted to accommodate windshields having various widths. 
     The horizontal support bracket  8  provides a mounting point for the wiper arm  2 . A wiper arm pivot joint  4  is mounted on the horizontal support bracket  8 . In the first embodiment, it is mounted substantially in the middle of the horizontal support bracket  8  and proximate to the hinge  33  between the first section  37  and the second section  38 . In a preferred embodiment, the wiper arm pivot joint  4  is secured to an end of the first section  37  of the horizontal support bracket  8  proximate to the hinge  33 . A lower wiper arm  29  is attached to the wiper arm pivot joint  4 . An upper wiper arm  30  is hingedly attached to the lower wiper arm  29  so that the upper wiper arm  30  can be drawn away from the windshield  19 . The upper wiper arm  30  includes a spring loaded support arm for a standard rubber wiper blade  1 . The spring ensures that the rubber blade  1  contacts the windshield  19  surface evenly. 
     The lower wiper arm  29  includes a socket joint that is connected to a ball end of a linkage arm. The wiper end of the linkage arm  31  has a ball joint that is coupled to the lower wiper arm  29  socket joint. A tie rod end or any rotational linkage device can be substituted for the ball and socket joint. The motor end of the linkage arm is bent at approximately 90 degrees and secured within a hole in the end of the crank arm  12 . The motor end of the linkage arm may be secured to the crank arm with a cotter pin or any other suitable securing mechanism. The linkage arm  31  transfers the linear oscillating motion from the rotating crank arm  12  of the output shaft  36  to the lower wiper arm  29  socket joint. In the illustrated embodiment, the linkage arm  31  has an adjustable link  32  that allows a length of the linkage arm  31  to be adjusted for various sized windshields  19 . In particular, the length of the linkage arm  31  is adjustable to accommodate windshields  19  having various widths. In a preferred embodiment, the adjustable link  32  is retained onto the linkage arm  31  with a plurality of screws that can be adjusted to adjust the length of the linkage arm  31 . 
     The wiper assembly  50  is configured to be stored when not in use. In particular, the horizontal support bracket  8  is folded to reduce the size of the wiper assembly  50 , i.e., the second section  38  of the lower support bracket is folded about the hinge  33  onto the first section  37  of the horizontal support bracket  8 . Additionally, the linkage arm  31  is readily detachable from the crank arm  12  in order to fold the motor housing  13  down and parallel to the lower horizontal support bracket  8 A. This allows the unit to fold into a much smaller package for storage. The wiper assembly  50  is capable of being stored in the storage compartment of the motorcycle or in a pack attached to the motorcycle or carried by the rider. When inclement weather begins, the wiper assembly may be quickly attached to the windshield of the motorcycle by securing the upper clamp  17  and the lower clamp  10  to the windshield. Because the wiper assembly does not utilize bolts or any other mechanisms that are secured to the motorcycle, the wiper assembly may be installed and removed without the use of any tools. The wiper assembly is also installed without permanently altering the appearance of the motorcycle or modifying it in any way. 
     The horizontal bracket  8  may first be adjusted in length so that the lower clamps  10  on each end of the horizontal bracket  8  firmly attach to the lower portion of the windshield. In adjusting the length of the horizontal bracket  8 , the length of the linkage arm  31  may also be adjusted to accommodate the size of the windshield. Once the horizontal bracket  8  is secured to the windshield, the upper clamp  17  is firmly positioned on an upper portion of the windshield to hold the entire windshield wiper assembly in place. 
     When the wiper assembly  50  is positioned on the windshield, the motor housing  13  extends proximate to the windshield  19 . Particularly, the motor housing  13  extends along the side of the windshield  19  to which the upper bracket is secured. The wiper assembly  50  may be plugged into a power outlet of the motorcycle or may be operated with batteries. To activate the wiper assembly  50 , the power switch  14  on the motor housing  13  is toggled to an on position to activate the motor  9 . The motor  9  drives the crank arm  12 , and consequently the linkage arm  31  to pivot the wiper arm pivot joint  4  thereby moving the wiper  1  along an arc in a side-to-side motion. The speed of the wiper  1  may be adjusted by operating the rheostat  15  at the top of the motor housing  13 . 
     The wiper moves side-to-side to direct water out of the rider&#39;s field of view, as opposed to some wipers which direct the water upward so that the water runs down the field of view when the wiper is in the downward motion. By clearing the rider&#39;s field of view, the rider may continue to look through the windshield when riding in inclement weather conditions. As such, the rider has a clear field of view without having to look over the windshield. Additionally, the rider can block water from the rider&#39;s goggles or visor by viewing the road through the windshield. 
     After use, the wiper assembly  50  is removable from the windshield. The assembly may then be folded into a more compact size so that the assembly is easily stored on the motorcycle or within a rider&#39;s pack. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3  a second embodiment of the invention, the wiper assembly  100  has a horizontal support bracket  8 A is fixed to the bottom of the motor housing  13  and extends outward therefrom. The horizontal support bracket  8 A may be formed from metal, plastic, or any suitable material that can withstand motorcycle riding conditions without become damaged or deformed. A preferred metal is aluminum. The horizontal support bracket  8 A attaches to the side of the windshield  19  where the motor housing  13  is attached, along a lower portion of the windshield. The terminus of the support bracket  8 A is approximately at the center of the windshield  19 . The motor housing  13  end of the horizontal support bracket  8 A includes a cushioned lower clamp assembly  10  that secures to the windshield  19  and prevents damage and scratching to the windshield from the horizontal support bracket  8 A. The horizontal support bracket  8 A includes cushion  23 . In particular, the cushion  23  sits between the horizontal support bracket and the windshield to space the lower support bracket from the windshield. In one embodiment, the cushion is 3/16″ thick adhesive backed rubber cushioning that is adhered to the horizontal support bracket  8 A. 
     A wiper arm pivot joint  4  is mounted on the horizontal support bracket  8 A near its terminus. To secure the terminus end of the horizontal support bracket  8 A to the windshield  19 , a suction cup  3  is secured to the terminus end and is positioned between the horizontal support bracket  8 A and the windshield  19 . To secure the tie rod end  5  and the wiper arm pivot joint  4  proximate to the terminus of the horizontal support bracket  8 A, a pivot shaft bushing  28  is used to provide the spacing required for clearance of the wiper blade to oscillate without being hindered by the horizontal support bracket  8 A. 
     The horizontal support bracket  8 A includes adjustment mechanism  34  to adjust the length of the section. The length of the horizontal support bracket  8 A may be adjusted so that the clamp  10  and the suction cup  3  firmly attach to the lower portion of the windshield  19 . The horizontal support bracket  8 A provides a mounting point for the wiper arm  2 . Preferably, the wiper blade  1  is easily attached and removed from the wiper arm  2 . More preferably, commercially available wiper blades mount onto the wiper arm  2 . 
     Optionally, the crank arm  12  can have a magnet  22  attached to the crank arm  12  on the opposite side of the tie rod  6  attachment. The magnet  22 , as the crank arm  12  rotates, moves past a magnetic reed switch  21  fastened immovably to the crank arm shield  11 , proximate to the magnet  22 , thereby activating the switch  21  when it is proximate to it. When the power switch  14  is turned to the off position thereby turning the power to the motor  9  off, the magnetic reed switch  21  moves the wiper blade  1  to the side of the wind shield  19 , out of the line of vision of the driver. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the wiring diagram of wiper assembly  100  with the optional magnet  22  and magnetic reed switch  21 . Power is provided by a battery source  39 , either within the motor housing  13  or provided by the motor cycle. The power switch  14  is attached to the battery, and the magnetic reed switch  21 . The magnetic reed switch  21  is proximate to the magnet  22 . The speed of the motor  9 , with motor output shaft  36  is varied using the potentiometer  41 . The latching relay  42  is connected to the magnetic reed switch  21  and the power switch  14 . 
     A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8 , and is suitable for windshields that do not have a vertical edge readily available on which to attach a lower clamp or an upper clamp, such as a boat windshield. The third embodiment is a modification of the second embodiment in that horizontal support bracket  8 A is fixed to the bottom of motor housing  13  and extends outward therefrom, but is not attached to the vertical edge of the windshield. Rather, the motor housing  13  is attached to the windshield using an upper motor housing suction cup  61  and a lower motor housing suction cup  60 . This third embodiment, as well as the first and second embodiments may optionally include additional suction cups or fastening devices, such as adhesives or loop and hook fasteners as needed to fasten the wiper assembly to the windshield  19 . The upper motor housing suction cup  61  is attached to the top of the motor housing  13 A using support bushing  26 , which is attached to the top of the housing. 
     The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to persons who are skilled in the art. As various modifications could be made to the exemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to the corresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.