Wiper with rotating cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A windshield wiper includes a scrubbing assembly attached to a wiper assembly. The wiper assembly includes a wiper blade attached to a wiper housing. The scrubbing assembly includes a scrubbing element having a central longitudinal axis and one or more turbines attached to the scrubbing element, the turbine(s) being configured to fluidly couple with a washer fluid line of a vehicle and to rotate the scrubbing element about the central longitudinal axis when wiper fluid flows through the turbine(s). The wiper fluid may be deposited on the scrubbing element after flowing through the turbine(s) and the scrubbing assembly can also include a shield. The scrubbing assembly can be rigidly secured to the wiper assembly or can be detachable therefrom.

1 . A method of cleaning a windshield of a vehicle, the method comprising:
 passing fluid through a turbine so as to cause a scrubbing element that contacts the windshield to rotate about a central longitudinal axis; and   depositing the fluid that has passed through the turbine onto the scrubbing element as the scrubbing element rotates.   
     
     
         2 . The method recited in  claim 1 , further comprising fluidly coupling a washer fluid line of the vehicle to the turbine before passing the fluid through the turbine such that the fluid passed through the turbine and deposited onto the scrubbing element comprises washer fluid from the vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The method recited in  claim 1 , wherein depositing the fluid onto the scrubbing element comprises passing the fluid through a conduit that has a plurality of spaced apart fluid outlets aligned with the scrubbing element. 
     
     
         4 . A method of cleaning a windshield of a vehicle, the method comprising:
 passing fluid through a plurality of turbines so as to cause a scrubbing element that contacts the windshield to rotate about a central longitudinal axis; and   depositing the fluid that has passed through the plurality of turbines onto the scrubbing element as the scrubbing element rotates.   
     
     
         5 . The method recited in  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of turbines comprises a pair of turbines. 
     
     
         6 . The method recited in  claim 4 , further comprising fluidly coupling a washer fluid line of the vehicle to the turbines before passing the fluid through the turbines such that the fluid passed through the turbines and deposited onto the scrubbing element comprises washer fluid from the vehicle. 
     
     
         7 . The method recited in  claim 4 , wherein depositing the fluid onto the scrubbing element comprises passing the fluid through a conduit that has a plurality of spaced apart fluid outlets aligned with the scrubbing element. 
     
     
         8 . A method of cleaning a windshield of a vehicle using a windshield wiper having a wiper blade, a turbine, and a scrubbing element that contacts the windshield, the method comprising:
 passing fluid through the turbine so as to cause the scrubbing element to rotate about a central longitudinal axis so as to scrub the windshield; and   depositing the fluid that has passed through the turbine onto the scrubbing element as the scrubbing element rotates.   
     
     
         9 . The method recited in  claim 8 , further comprising passing the wiper over the windshield to remove the fluid from the windshield. 
     
     
         10 . The method recited in  claim 8 , further comprising fluidly coupling a washer fluid line of the vehicle to the turbine before passing the fluid through the turbine such that the fluid passed through the turbine and deposited onto the scrubbing element comprises washer fluid from the vehicle. 
     
     
         11 . The method recited in  claim 8 , wherein depositing the fluid onto the scrubbing element comprises passing the fluid through a conduit that has a plurality of spaced apart fluid outlets aligned with the scrubbing element. 
     
     
         12 . The method recited in  claim 8 , wherein passing fluid through the turbine causes a rotor within the turbine to rotate, the rotor being rotatably coupled to the scrubbing element. 
     
     
         13 . The method recited in  claim 12 , wherein the axis of rotation of the rotor is aligned with the central longitudinal axis. 
     
     
         14 . The method recited in  claim 12 , wherein the axis of rotation of the rotor is orthogonal to the central longitudinal axis.