WIPER MOTOR DRIVE SYSTEM HAVING BREAKWAY CLUTCH

摘要

The present invention relates to a wiper motor drive system (28) that includes a motor (30), an output shaft (32) operatively connected to a wiper blade (26), and a breakaway clutch (34) operatively connected between the motor (30) and output shaft (32). The breakaway clutch (34) includes a torque- sensitive releasable locking mechanism (52) having a first position (52A) wherein torque is translated from the motor (30) to the output shaft (32) through the breakaway clutch (34) to drive the wiper blade (26) across a surface to be wiped (20), and a second position (52B) wherein torque is interrupted between the motor (30) and the output shaft (32) in response to a predetermined rotational torque differential acting on the output shaft (32), with the locking mechanism (52) being movable back to the first position (52A) when the differential torque is reduced on the output shaft (32).