An Innovative Approach for Increasing the Life, Reliability, Functionality and Safety of Windshield Wiper Systems

The objective of this paper is to introduce to the trucking industry an innovative approach that will significantly increase the life and reliability of their windshield wiper systems.

The endurance of a windshield wiper system is dramatically reduced when operated in the intermittent mode. The motor's integral commutator switch opens a highly inductive load and closes a short circuit across the winding during each cycle. Using the commutator switch as a sensor allows control by an expendable relay to extend system life and enhance maintainability.

The sensor can also be used for “Wiper System Guard” or “Freeze Control” to detect non-rotation for quick, reliable shut down, which eliminates Thermal Cycling. Another feature requires the operator to control “Reset” for safe “Start-Up.”

To simplify the determination of the wipers' repetition rate, a “switch” control technique is employed to increase operator functionality based on “need” to see through a windshield.