Mechanism for opening and closing a cover for a concealed windshield wiper system

Claim 2

A cover concealed windshield wiping apparatus for an automotive vehicle having a windshield, a support structure for supporting the windshield and which defines a well adjacent the lower end of the windshield and a cover supported for movement between closed and open positions in which it covers and uncovers said well, respectively, said apparatus comprising an oscillatable windshield wiper for wiping the windshield and which is adapted to be parked within the well beneath the cover when not operating; an actuating mechanism for oscillating said windshield cleaner assembly, said actuating mechanism including a rotatable member operatively connected with the windshield wiper for oscillating the same, a drive motor including a rotatable element having an interruptible driving connection with said rotatable member and means operable to establish a driving connection between said rotatable element and member during running operation of the windshield wiper and operable to disestablish the driving connection therebetween when running operation is being terminated and allow said rotative element to continue to rotate relative to said rotatable member through a given angular extent prior to de-energizing said drive motor, and a cover operating mechanism operatively connected with said cover for moving said cover from its open position towards its closed position in response to said continued rotation of said rotatable element when said driving connection is interrupted.

Claim 3

A combined windshield wiping and cover operating apparatus for use with an automotive vehicle having body structure which defines a well extending transversely of the vehicle, a windshield supported by said body structure and having its lower portiOn extending within said well, and a cover supported by said vehicle body structure for movement between closed and open positions in which it covers and uncovers said well, respectively, said apparatus comprising: a windshield cleaner assembly which is adapted to be supported by the body structure for oscillatory movement between inboard and outboard positions and with the inboard position being located within said well, an actuating mechanism for oscillating said windshield cleaner assembly and for parking the same in its inboard position, said actuating mechanism including a rotatable output member operatively connected with said wiper assembly for oscillating the same, a drive motor including a rotatable element having an interruptible driving connection with said output member and means for establishing a driving connection between said rotatable element and said output member during running operation and for disestablishing the driving connection therebetween when said wiper assembly reaches its inboard position when running operation is being terminated while allowing said rotatable element to continue to rotate through a given angular extent prior to de-energizing the drive motor, and a cover operating mechanism operatively connected with said cover and being operable in response to said rotatable element continuing its rotation to move said cover from its open position toward its closed position whereby said cover is not moved to its closed position until said wiper assembly is in its inboard park position.

Claim 4

A combined windshield wiping and cover operating apparatus for use with an automotive vehicle having body structure which defines a well extending transversely of the vehicle, a windshield supported by said body structure and having its lower portiOn extending within said well, and a cover supported by said vehicle body structure for movement between closed and open positions in which it covers and uncovers said well, respectively, said apparatus comprising: a windshield cleaner assembly which is adapted to be supported by the body structure for oscillatory movement between inboard and outboard positions and with the inboard position being located within said well, an actuating mechanism for oscillating said windshield cleaner assembly and for parking the same in its inboard position, said actuating mechanism including a rotatable output member operatively connected with said wiper assembly for oscillating the same, a drive motor including a rotatable element having an interruptible driving connection with said output member and means for establishing a driving connection between said rotatable element and said output member during running operation and for disestablishing the driving connection therebetween when said wiper assembly reaches its inboard position when running operation is being terminated while allowing said rotatable element to continue to rotate through a given angular extent prior to de-energizing the drive motor, and a cover operating mechanism operatively connected with said cover and being operable in response to said rotatable element continuing its rotation to move said cover from its open position toward its closed position whereby said cover is not moved to its closed position until said wiper assembly is in its inboard park position.

Claim 5

A combined windshield wiping and cover operating apparatus for use with an automotive vehicle having a body structure, which defines a well extending transversely of the vehicle, a windshield supported by said body structure and having its lower portion extending within said well, and a cover supported by the support structure for movement between closed and open positions in which it covers and uncovers said well, said apparatus comprising: a windshield cleaner assembly which is adapted to be supported by the body structure for oscillatory movement between inboard and outboard positions and with the inboard position being located within said will, an actuating mechanism for oscillating said windshield cleaner assembly between its positions during running operation and for parking the same in its inboard position when running operation is being terminated, said actuating mechanism including a rotatable crank arm operatively connected with said windshield wiper assembly, a drive motor, a rotatable output shaft having one end thereof secured to said rotatable crank arm, a tubular shaft surrounding said rotatable output shaft and which is drivingly connected with said motor, said tubular shaft having an end face lying in a plane which is skewed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft, said end face defining a cam surface having a rise portion and a fall portion, a collar surrounding said output shaft and supported for linear movement longitudinally thereof, aid collar having an end face adjacent said tubular shaft which is skewed with respect to its longitudinal axis and which defines a cam surface having a rise and fall portion, a linkage means operatively connected with said cover and said slidable collar for moving said cover between its positions in response to said collar being linearly moved relative to the output shaft, and means for establishing a driving connection between said tubular shaft and said output shaft during running operation and for disestablishing the driving connection therebetween when said wiper assembly reaches its inboard position when running operation is being terminated while allowing said tubular shaft to continue to rotate through a given angular extent prior to de-energizing the drive motor, said tubular shaft when rotated relative to said output shaft having the rise portion of its cam surface engaging in the rise portion of the cam surface of the collar to cause the collar to be linearly moved relative to the outPut shaft whereby the cover is caused to be moved from its open position towards its closed position subsequent to the windshield cleaner assembly being parked in its inboard position.

Claim 6

A combined windshield wiping and cover operating apparatus for use with an automotive vehicle having a body structure, which defines a well extending transversely of the vehicle, a windshield supported by said body structure and having its lower portion extending within said well, and a cover supported by the support structure for movement between closed and open positions in which it covers and uncovers said well, said apparatus comprising: a windshield cleaner assembly which is adapted to be supported by the body structure for oscillatory movement between inboard and outboard positions and with the inboard position being located within said will, an actuating mechanism for oscillating said windshield cleaner assembly between its positions during running operation and for parking the same in its inboard position when running operation is being terminated, said actuating mechanism including a rotatable crank arm operatively connected with said windshield wiper assembly, a drive motor, a rotatable output shaft having one end thereof secured to said rotatable crank arm, a tubular shaft surrounding said rotatable output shaft and which is drivingly connected with said motor, said tubular shaft having an end face lying in a plane which is skewed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular shaft, said end face defining a cam surface having a rise portion and a fall portion, a collar surrounding said output shaft and supported for linear movement longitudinally thereof, aid collar having an end face adjacent said tubular shaft which is skewed with respect to its longitudinal axis and which defines a cam surface having a rise and fall portion, a linkage means operatively connected with said cover and said slidable collar for moving said cover between its positions in response to said collar being linearly moved relative to the output shaft, and means for establishing a driving connection between said tubular shaft and said output shaft during running operation and for disestablishing the driving connection therebetween when said wiper assembly reaches its inboard position when running operation is being terminated while allowing said tubular shaft to continue to rotate through a given angular extent prior to de-energizing the drive motor, said tubular shaft when rotated relative to said output shaft having the rise portion of its cam surface engaging in the rise portion of the cam surface of the collar to cause the collar to be linearly moved relative to the outPut shaft whereby the cover is caused to be moved from its open position towards its closed position subsequent to the windshield cleaner assembly being parked in its inboard position.