Abstract A motor vehicle includes a transversely extending hinged cowl panel adjacent the lower edge of the windshield for concealing therebelow the windshield wiper arms and blades when parked. The hinged cover or cowl panel is movable from a closed position when the wipers are parked to an open position when the wipers are operating. A fluid pressure windshield wiper motor oscillates the wiper arms and blades through a linkage transmission. The motor includes an auxiliary linearly reciprocating drive shaft for moving the cowl panel to open position when the wiper motor is started before the arms and blades move out of parked position and to closed position when the wiper motor is switched off following movement of the wiper arms and blades to a depressed park position. The linearly reciprocating drive shaft is coupled to the hinged cowl panel through a releasable coupling assembly which can be uncoupled to permit manual movement of the cowl panel to an extreme open detent position for access to the equipment stowed therebelow. The coupling assembly is provided with an intermediate detent position for returning the cowl to a position to permit wiper operation in case of failure of the cowl retracting mechanism.
In a motor vehicle, a closure panel secured for pivotal movement on a longitudinal axis between a first limit position and a second limit position; the combination comprising a shaft fixed to said panel having its axis coincident with said longitudinal axis, a keeper fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said keeper having a plurality of detent positions, a drive lever disposed adjacent to said keeper and having one end thereof pivotally secured to said shaft, a motor having a linearly reciprocable output shaft, the free end of said output shaft being pivotally secured to the other end of said driver lever, and manually disengageable coupling means normally biased for effecting engagement between sAid drive lever and said keeper to cause conjoint movement thereof, said keeper being movable from one detent position to another when said output shaft is in a fixed position whereby said panel can be moved by the output of said motor when said coupling means is engaged and manually when said coupling means is disengaged.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
170 words
In a motor vehicle, a closure panel secured for pivotal movement on a longitudinal axis between a first limit position and a second limit position; the combination comprising a shaft fixed to said panel having its axis coincident with said longitudinal axis, a keeper fixed to said shaft for rotation therewith, said keeper having a plurality of detent positions, a drive lever disposed adjacent to said keeper and having one end thereof pivotally secured to said shaft, a motor having a linearly reciprocable output shaft, the free end of said output shaft being pivotally secured to the other end of said driver lever, and manually disengageable coupling means normally biased for effecting engagement between sAid drive lever and said keeper to cause conjoint movement thereof, said keeper being movable from one detent position to another when said output shaft is in a fixed position whereby said panel can be moved by the output of said motor when said coupling means is engaged and manually when said coupling means is disengaged.