Patent ID: 8157187

Claim:
A method of providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising: a) providing a metal heat exchanger having outwardly extending fins that define channels along a surface of the heat exchanger and defines a recess within a body of said metal heat exchanger having inwardly facing walls; b) mounting a heater element within the recess of the metal heat exchanger in heat transfer contact with the inwardly facing walls of the recess; c) positioning the heat exchanger within a fluid reservoir for receiving fluid through an inlet port; d) coupling the reservoir to an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid; e) routing fluid from the inlet port to the outlet port by forcing the fluid though the channels bounded by surfaces of the outwardly extending fins of said heat exchanger; and f) energizing the heater element with a voltage to heat the heating element and the fluid passing from the inlet to the outlet through the reservoir.