Washing and wiping apparatus for a vehicle windshield

Claim 1

A modular apparatus for washing and wiping a windshield of a vehicle which includes said windshield, defining a lower edge thereof, an interior region and a hood having an outer surface and extending downwardly away from said lower edge, wherein the apparatus comprises at least two modules, including an elongated reservoir module defining a reservoir for containing a windshield washing liquid, and a screen wiper module comprising a windshield wiper, the apparatus further including assembly means for assembling said modules together and to the vehicle, wherein the reservoir module defines a duct for guiding air from outside into the interior region of the vehicle, and an air inlet grille disposed at an inlet end of said duct, said grille forming a single unit with the reservoir module, wherein the reservoir module comprises two elongated hollow portions defining respective internal cavities for containing said washing liquid, one said hollow portion being adjacent to the hood and the other being adjacent to the windshield when the apparatus is assembled to the vehicle, the two hollow portions being disposed side by side but in spaced-apart relationship, the reservoir module further including two lateral portions joining the ends of said elongated hollow portions and bringing said cavities into fluid communication with each other, the reservoir module further defining an exposed upper face which is generally flat and which defines an extension of the outer surface of the hood when the apparatus is assembled to the vehicle, to extend, longitudinally of said upper face, over at least a part of the width of the vehicle and laterally of said upper face between the hood and the lower edge of the windshield, the two elongated hollow portions having walls facing each other, together with lateral walls, said facing walls and lateral walls defining said duct so that the latter is oriented generally at right angles to a plane of said upper face and is open through said upper face.