Patent ID: 7673814

Claim:
Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising: a. an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid; b. a heating reservoir for heating fluid entering the inlet port; c. an outlet port in fluid communication with the heating reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid; d. a heating element contacting fluid in the reservoir for heating fluid that passes through said reservoir from the inlet to the outlet; e. a temperature sensor thermally coupled to the heating element; and f. a control circuit for energizing at least a portion of the heating element with a voltage to heat the heating element and the fluid contacting the heating element passing from the inlet to the outlet, said control circuit i) responding to a user input by monitoring a temperature signal from the temperature sensor and ii) if the sensed temperature of the heating element is below a predetermined value, energizing the heating element with said voltage until the sensed temperature of the heating element reaches a desired heating element temperature that maintains a cleaning fluid temperature below a boiling point of the cleaning fluid, and iii) activates a pump for dispensing fluid from the outlet port against the vehicle surface.