Patents by Inventor Robert V. Rhodes

Robert V. Rhodes has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9463779
    Abstract: A wiper assembly for sweeping a glass surface on a vehicle. The wiper assembly includes a windshield washer assembly connected to the windshield wiper drive arm of the vehicle for controllably dispensing washer fluid onto the glass surface of the vehicle. The wiper assembly includes a pivotally mounted wiper blade and a washer liquid feed conduit carried by the body of the wiper blade that is connected to the fluid reservoir of the vehicle for supplying a washing liquid directly upon the glass surface of the vehicle via the wiper assembly. Uniquely, the flow of fluid onto the glass surface of the vehicle is determined by the position of the wiper blade relative to the glass surface. Advantageously, the washer liquid feed conduit and blade assembly can be interconnected with the supporting structure of the windshield wiper assembly without the need for special tools and without the need for any substantial modification to the conventional wiper assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2016
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Gross, Robert V. Rhodes, Michael A. Gross
  • Publication number: 20110271980
    Abstract: A wiper assembly for sweeping a glass surface on a vehicle. The wiper assembly includes a windshield washer assembly connected to the windshield wiper drive arm of the vehicle for controllably dispensing washer fluid directly down onto the glass surface of the vehicle. The wiper assembly also includes a novel control unit carried by the vehicle for controlling the dispensing of the washing liquid from the windshield washer assembly. Uniquely, the control unit includes a sensor that is operably associated with the pump for sensing the position of the wiper arm as it moves upwardly and downwardly relative to the glass surface and for controllably energizing the pump at selected positions of the wiper drive arm so that the washer fluid is always dispensed forwardly of the wiper blade to avoid smearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2011
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Robert V. Rhodes, Kenneth A. Gross, Michael A. Gross
  • Patent number: 8001649
    Abstract: A wiper assembly for sweeping a glass surface on a vehicle. The wiper assembly includes a windshield washer assembly connected to the windshield wiper drive arm of the vehicle for controllably dispensing washer fluid directly down onto the glass surface of the vehicle. The wiper assembly also includes a novel control unit carried by the vehicle for controlling the dispensing of the washing liquid from the windshield washer assembly. Uniquely, the control unit includes a sensor that is operably associated with the pump for sensing the position of the wiper arm as it moves upwardly and downwardly relative to the glass surface and for controllably energizing the pump at selected positions of the wiper drive arm so that the washer fluid is always dispensed forwardly of the wiper blade to avoid smearing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2011
    Inventors: Robert V. Rhodes, Kenneth A. Gross, Michael A. Gross
  • Publication number: 20110047738
    Abstract: A wiper assembly for sweeping a glass surface on a vehicle. The wiper assembly includes a windshield washer assembly connected to the windshield wiper drive arm of the vehicle for controllably dispensing washer fluid onto the glass surface of the vehicle. The wiper assembly includes a pivotally mounted wiper blade and a washer liquid feed conduit carried by the body of the wiper blade that is connected to the fluid reservoir of the vehicle for supplying a washing liquid directly upon the glass surface of the vehicle via the wiper assembly. Uniquely, the flow of fluid onto the glass surface of the vehicle is determined by the position of the wiper blade relative to the glass surface. Advantageously, the washer liquid feed conduit and blade assembly can be interconnected with the supporting structure of the windshield wiper assembly without the need for special tools and without the need for any substantial modification to the conventional wiper assembly.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Gross, Robert V. Rhodes, Michael A. Gross
  • Publication number: 20080083081
    Abstract: A wiper assembly for sweeping a glass surface on a vehicle. The wiper assembly includes a windshield washer assembly connected to the windshield wiper drive arm of the vehicle for controllably dispensing washer fluid directly down onto the glass surface of the vehicle. The wiper assembly also includes a novel control unit carried by the vehicle for controlling the dispensing of the washing liquid from the windshield washer assembly. Uniquely, the control unit includes a sensor that is operably associated with the pump for sensing the position of the wiper arm as it moves upwardly and downwardly relative to the glass surface and for controllably energizing the pump at selected positions of the wiper drive arm so that the washer fluid is always dispensed forwardly of the wiper blade to avoid smearing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 10, 2006
    Publication date: April 10, 2008
    Inventors: Robert V. Rhodes, Kenneth A. Gross, Michael A. Gross
  • Patent number: 6112949
    Abstract: A dual cap dispenser has an inner cap connected to a bottle and an outer cap is detachably connected to the inner cap. There is a longitudinally extendable bellows-like tube connected to the inner cap and having an outer end closed by the outer cap. Preferably, the bellows-like tube is semi-rigid and comprises three stable states. A first state has the sides of a fold of the bellows collapsed against each other. A second state has the sides of the fold spaced apart from each other when the tube is extended. The third state has a fold on one side of the tube collapsed while the same fold on the diametrically opposite side of the tube is expanded, thereby providing an opportunity to have a curved dispensing tube. The inner cap is threaded on the bottle and the outer cap is connected to the inner cap by a bayonet fitting or similar "quick release" arrangement. Tamper evident connections may be made between the inner and outer caps, and between the inner cap and the bottle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 1998
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2000
    Assignee: Robert V. Rhodes
    Inventors: Robert V. Rhodes, Dennis Radersma
  • Patent number: 4039185
    Abstract: Devices are disclosed for use in the sport of Indian wrestling. In such a contest each of two contestants is to stand at a prescribed place such as on areas marked on a board. Each contestant holding one side of the device attempts by moving the device to unbalance the other contestant to cause him to shift his footing and thereby lose the contest. Each of the several embodiments of the wrestling device disclosed comprises a block having means for grasping it.In some embodiments the movement of the device by one contestant is fully resistible in all degrees of freedom of movement by the other, while in other embodiments one part can swivel relative to another, reducing in number the degrees of freedom of movement which can be resisted, and thereby changing the sport remarkably.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 1975
    Date of Patent: August 2, 1977
    Inventor: Robert V. Rhodes