Methods are provided for optimizing usage of water harvested or generated on-board a vehicle. An amount of water selected for injection or spraying purposes, as well as an order of water injection responsive to various vehicle operating conditions, is varied based on the amount of water to be delivered, as well as a current water level relative to a predicted future water level. The method allows water usage benefits to be maximized particularly when water availability is limited.

Apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface includes an inlet port for receiving an amount of fluid, a housing bounding a reservoir in fluid communication with the inlet port, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reservoir for dispensing an amount of heated fluid. A heater element heats fluid that passes from the inlet port to the outlet port through the reservoir. A heat exchanger in thermal contact with the heater element for conveying heat to the fluid within the reservoir has a strut that divides fluid entering the housing through the inlet port into two flow paths and elongated fins that extend outwardly from the strut at transverse angles that bound fluid flow channels for fluid moving through the reservoir. A control circuit energizes the heater element with a voltage to heat the heating element and the fluid passing from the inlet port to the outlet port through the reservoir.

A windshield wiper includes a support structure, a scrubbing wiper assembly, and a motor. The scrubbing wiper assembly is slidably attached to the support structure and has a central longitudinal axis extending in the elongate direction between a first end and a spaced apart second end. The scrubbing wiper assembly includes a slider element and a wiper blade rigidly secured to the slider element. The motor is mounted to the support structure and is engaged with the slider element to reciprocally move the scrubbing wiper blade along the central longitudinal axis. The reciprocation can impart a linear torque to the slider element. Methods of cleaning and polishing a windshield using a windshield wiper are also included.

The invention relates to a device for wiping and cleaning a glazed surface (S) of an automotive vehicle, comprising at least: one direct current electric motor (7) rotating in a single direction and capable of moving at least one wiper arm unit (BB) formed by a drive arm (1) and a wiper blade (2) by means of a linkage (14), said wiper arm unit being moved according to an angular reciprocating movement between a rest position (11) and an end position (12) opposite the rest position (11) in relation to an angular sector (13) on the glazed surface (S), a device (15) for dispensing an active liquid on the glazed surface (S), the active liquid preferably being a de-icing liquid or an insect-removing liquid, a control means (10) configured to control, on the one hand, the operation of the motor (7) in order to stop the wiper arm unit (BB) for a nonzero duration and, on the other hand, the dispensing of the active liquid by the dispensing device (15). The invention also relates to a wiping and cleaning method implementing such a device.

A cleaning device for a surface, such as a windshield of a vehicle, has a housing that holds a spray bar, rotatable brush and a wiper blade. An engagement mechanism moves spray bar, the brush, and the wiper blade out from a disengaged position within the housing to an engaged position outside the housing so that they can be used to clean, brush, and dry the surface. After the spray bar, brush, and wiper blade are used to, respectively, clean, brush, and dry the surface, the engagement mechanism then moves the spray bar, the brush, and the wiper blade to a disengaged position within the housing.

Methods and systems are disclosed for cleaning a rear view vehicle camera. An example vehicle camera cleaning system includes a camera, a blade for cleaning a lens of the camera, a fluid reservoir for dispensing fluid using gravity via a one-directional gateway valve, and an actuator for moving the blade vertically across the lens, wherein the fluid reservoir dispenses fluid responsive to actuation of the blade.

A windshield window wiping system, including a wiper blade in contact with a windshield window; a wiper motor operatively connected to the wiper blade, configured to perform a wiper blade stroke; a reservoir for a wash fluid; a first hood mounted nozzle, configured to project the wash fluid toward the windshield window; a wash pump, wherein the wash pump is hydraulically connected to the first hood mounted nozzle; and a first electronic circuit, configured to estimate a position of the wiper blade during the wiper blade stroke based on an input to the first electronic circuit and to synchronize the projection of the wash fluid toward the windshield window with the estimated position of the wiper blade. In other aspects, a method of wiping a windshield window and a non-transitory computer readable medium are provided.

When an operation signal of a view-obstructing material removal mode switch has been detected, a controller controls such that wiping operation is performed while spraying washer fluid toward the opposite side to a movement direction side of a wiper blade, after which a wiping operation in which washer fluid is not sprayed is performed.

The present disclosure provides a vehicle wiper-washer device including: a wiper motor causing to-and-fro wiping operation on a wiping surface by a wiper blade coupled to a wiper arm; a washer pump that feeds washer fluid under pressure to a jetting portion provided to at least one of the wiper blade or the wiper arm, to cause washer fluid to be jetted from the jetting portion toward the wiping surface on an outward movement direction side of the wiper blade during the to-and-fro wiping operation; and a control unit that, when a predetermined signal is detected, controls the wiper motor and the washer pump such that the to-and-fro wiping operation is performed, and such that washer fluid is jetted from the jetting portion toward the wiping surface on the outward movement direction side while a return path wiping operation of the to-and-fro wiping operation is being performed.

Vehicle camera assemblies comprising integrated self-cleaning assemblies. In some embodiments, the self-cleaning assembly may be configured to engage the camera housing and/or assembly by way of a snap-fit connection. In some embodiments, the snap-fit means may comprise a flexible coupling member. In some such embodiments, the snap-fit means may further comprise a rigid coupling member. The cleaning assembly may be removably coupleable with the camera housing to allow for cleaning, maintenance, and the like.