Patent ID: 8136197

Claim:
A vehicle comprises: a rear-facing side; a rear windshield; an aperture formed in the rear-facing side, wherein the rear windshield encloses the aperture; a rear wiper-washer system comprising: a rear wiper assembly comprising: a rear wiper arm; a rear washer nozzle assembly; a fluid supply portion comprising: a supply reservoir; a washer motor pump; a fluid delivery conduit, wherein the washer motor pump and the fluid delivery conduit work in conjunction to move a fluid from the supply reservoir to the rear wiper assembly; an actuator portion comprising: a wiper driving apparatus; an output shaft, wherein the wiper driving apparatus is operatively coupled to the output shaft and the output shaft is operatively coupled to the rear wiper arm, wherein the operation of the wiper driving apparatus at least partially causes the oscillation of the rear wiper arm; a control system comprising: a first switch for generating an input signal indicating a vehicle ignition status; a second switch for initiating a process for moving the rear windshield from a fully closed position to an open position; a third switch for generating an input signal indicating the position of the rear windshield; a fourth switch for initiating a process for operating the washer motor pump; a fifth switch for initiating a process for causing the oscillation of the rear wiper arm; wherein the control system determines the position of the rear windshield prior to initiating the process for operating the washer motor pump and the control system prevents the initiation of the process for operating the washer motor pump if the rear windshield is determined to be in an open position; wherein the control system determines the position of the rear windshield prior to initiating the process for causing the oscillation of the rear wiper arm and the control system prevents the initiation of the process for causing the oscillation of the rear wiper arm if the rear windshield is determined to be in an open position; and, wherein the control system causes the termination of the operation of the washer motor pump and causes the termination of the oscillation of the rear wiper arm upon the initiation of a process for moving the rear windshield from a fully closed position to an open position during the operation of either the washer motor pump or the oscillation of the rear wiper arm.