Patent ID: 6944906

Claim:
A direct drive windshield wiper assembly comprising: at least one brushless DC motor providing a drive torque through an output that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of said motor and a windshield wiper that is driven by said motor about said longitudinal axis in a repeated wiping motion across the surface of a windshield; said motor including a motor housing, a gear set housing operatively supported on one end of said motor housing and an electronics housing operatively supported on said motor housing opposite said gear set housing, said gear set housing encompassing a planetary gear set; said planetary said gear set being coaxially disposed relative to said rotational output and said longitudinal axis of said motor and operatively interconnecting said drive torque and said windshield wiper, said planetary gear set further operable to reduce the speed of the rotational output of said motor to said windshield wiper through said output shaft of said gear set; a position sensor disposed within said electronics housing that is adapted to sense the speed and position of said output shaft of said gear set, said position sensor includes a flux ring holder that is adapted to support at least one flux ring thereupon, said position sensor further includes a magnet holder operatively connected to said output shaft of said a gear set and adapted for rotation therewith, said magnet holder supporting at least one magnet in spaced parallel relationship with respect to said flux ring; and a position sensor circuit adapted for producing signals as to the rotational speed and position of said output shaft of said planetary gear set.