Vehicle windshield cleaning system

1. An apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:

a housing extending in a first direction defining two interior chambers spaced from each other in the first direction by a separating wall extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to completely isolate said interior chambers from each other, said housing including an inlet port on one end thereof for routing fluid into a first chamber of said interior chambers for receiving and heating fluid from an external source;

said housing further defining an outlet port on same end as said inlet port and in fluid communication with said first chamber for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid onto a surface;

a heating element extending in the first direction for heating fluid that passes from said inlet port to said outlet port through said first chamber;

a heat exchanger supported by said housing in a position that is at least partially covered by fluid within said first chamber and coupled to said heating element, said heating element extending into said heat exchanger so that heat emitting surfaces of said heating element engage and transmit heat to said heat exchanger; and

a control circuit within a second chamber of said interior chambers for energizing said heating element with a voltage and thereby heat fluid passing from said inlet port to said outlet port through said first chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising a flexible seal interposed between said separating wall and said first chamber to inhibit leaking of fluid from said first chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said separating wall forms a boundary for each of said first chamber and said second chamber.

4. An apparatus for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:

a housing extending in a first direction defining two interior chambers spaced from each other in the first direction by a separating wall extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to completely isolate said interior chambers from each other, said housing including an inlet port for routing fluid into a first chamber of said interior chambers for receiving and heating fluid from an external source;

said housing further defining an outlet port in fluid communication with said first chamber for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid onto a surface;

a heating element for heating fluid that passes from said inlet port to said outlet port through said first chamber;

a heat exchanger supported by said housing in a position that is at least partially covered by fluid within said first chamber and coupled to said heating element so that heat emitting surfaces of said heating element engage and transmit heat to said heat exchanger;

a control circuit within a second chamber of said interior chambers for energizing said heating element with a voltage and thereby heat fluid passing from said inlet port to said outlet port through said first chamber; and

wherein said separating wall comprises a removable cover which partially bounds said first chamber.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control circuit comprises an electrical interface for communicating with a motor vehicle communications bus to communicate data to other vehicle components coupled to the communications bus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally comprising at least one nozzle to wash a vehicle surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 where the vehicle surface is a lens.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 where the lens is a camera lens.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 where the lens is a lamp lens.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 where the lamp lens is a headlamp lens.

11. A fluid heating assembly for providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface comprising:

a housing extending in a first direction defining two interior chambers spaced from each other in the first direction by a separating wall extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to completely isolate said interior chambers from each other, said housing including an inlet port on one end thereof for routing fluid into a first chamber of said interior chambers for receiving and heating fluid from an external source;

said housing further defining an outlet port on same end as said inlet port and in fluid communication with said first chamber for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid onto a surface;

a heating element extending in the first direction for heating fluid that passes from said inlet port to said outlet port through said first chamber;

a heat exchanger supported by said housing in a position that is at least partially covered by fluid within said first chamber and coupled to said heating element, said heating element extending into said heat exchanger so that heat emitting surfaces of said heat exchanger transmit heat to the fluid within said first chamber; and

a control circuit within a second chamber of said interior chambers for energizing said heating element with a voltage from a power source and thereby heat fluid passing from said inlet port to said outlet port through said first chamber.

12. A method of providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a housing extending in a first direction defining two interior chambers spaced from each other in the first direction;

providing an inlet fluid path on one end of the housing for routing fluid into a first chamber of the interior chambers for receiving and heating fluid from an external source;

providing an outlet fluid path on same end of the housing as the inlet fluid path and in fluid communication with the first chamber for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid onto a surface;

separating the first chamber from a second chamber of the interior chambers with a common bounding wall extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction that separates the first chamber and the second chamber to completely isolate the interior chambers from each other;

mounting a heater extending in the first direction and a heat exchanger in heat transfer relation to each other, the heater extending into the heat exchanger for heating fluid that passes through the first chamber;

mounting a control circuit within a second chamber of the interior chambers for energizing the heater with a voltage and thereby heat fluid passing through the first chamber; and

causing fluid to flow through the first chamber while energizing the heater to heat the fluid within the first chamber.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the heater and heat exchanger are mounted within the first chamber.

14. A method of providing a heated cleaning fluid to a vehicle surface, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a housing extending in a first direction defining two interior chambers spaced from each other in the first direction;

providing an inlet fluid path for routing fluid into a first chamber of the interior chambers for receiving and heating fluid from an external source;

providing an outlet fluid path in fluid communication with the first chamber for dispensing an amount of heated fluid to a nozzle for spraying heated fluid onto a surface;

separating the first chamber from a second chamber of the interior chambers with a common bounding wall extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction that separates the first chamber and the second chamber to completely isolate the interior chambers from each other;

mounting a heater and a heat exchanger in heat transfer relation to each other for heating fluid that passes through the first chamber;

mounting a control circuit within a second chamber of the interior chambers for energizing the heater with a voltage and thereby heat fluid passing through the first chamber;

causing fluid to flow through the first chamber while energizing the heater to heat the fluid within the first chamber; and

wherein the common bounding wall comprises a removable cover which is removed during placement of the heat exchanger within the first chamber.

15. The method of claim 12 additionally comprising the step of sealing a region of the wall in the first chamber to inhibit seepage of fluid from the first chamber.

16. The method of claim 12 additionally comprising the step of coupling the control circuit to a motor vehicle communications bus for communicating data to other vehicle components coupled to the motor vehicle communications bus.

17. The method of claim 12 where the surface is a lens.

18. The method of claim 17 where the lens is a camera lens.

19. The method of claim 17 where the lens is a lamp lens.

20. The method of claim 19 where the lamp lens is a headlamp lens.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 including a nozzle for spraying the heated fluid onto the vehicle surface.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 including a fluid and a surfactant in combination with the fluid to clean the vehicle surface.

23. The method of claim 12 including spraying the heated fluid with a nozzle onto the vehicle surface.

24. The method of claim 12 including cleaning the vehicle surface with the heated fluid and a surfactant in combination with the heated fluid.