Robert Kearns was an American mechanical engineer who invented the intermittent windshield wiper mechanism used on most automobiles since 1969. He modeled the device on the human eye, which blinks every few seconds rather than continuously, and filed his first patent for it in December 1964. When Ford and Chrysler used his design without a license, Kearns pursued patent infringement suits against them for decades and eventually won about thirty million dollars in compensation. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
FAQs
Why did Robert Kearns sue Ford and Chrysler over the intermittent windshield wiper?
The automakers rejected his licensing offer but used his patented design anyway.
Kearns tried to interest the Big Three automakers in licensing his intermittent wiper technology. Each rejected his proposal, yet began installing electronic intermittent wipers based on his design in 1969, when Ford introduced the feature on its Mercury line. Kearns refused settlement offers and pursued patent infringement suits, mostly acting as his own attorney. His case against Ford ran from 1978 to 1990 and his case against Chrysler from 1982 to 1992, and he won both.
How did Robert Kearns get the idea for a wiper that pauses between sweeps?
He modeled it on the way the human eye blinks.
Kearns said the constant motion of wiper blades irritated his already troubled vision while he drove his Ford Galaxie through a light rain in 1963. He modeled his mechanism on the human eye, which blinks every few seconds rather than continuously.
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Source Robert Kearns (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1Quote, Lead sentence 1
Robert William Kearns (March 10, 1927 – February 9, 2005) was an American mechanical engineer, educator, and inventor who invented the most common intermittent windshield wiper systems used on most automobiles from 1969 to the present.
Sources
1. Robert Kearns (Wikipedia)
Infobox, birth_date
1927-03-10
Infobox, death_date
2005-02-09
Extract, first sentence
March 10, 1927
Extract, first sentence [death-year]
February 9, 2005
Extract, first sentence [nationality]
American mechanical engineer, educator, and inventor
In Field: Mechanical Engineering, Lead section
Robert William Kearns (March 10, 1927, February 9, 2005) was an American mechanical engineer, educator, and inventor who invented the most common intermittent windshield wiper systems used on most automobiles from 1969 to the present.
In Group: Automotive Engineers and Inventors, Lead paragraph
who invented the most common intermittent windshield wiper systems used on most automobiles
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