Headlight lens cleaning apparatus and method

Abstract

A headlight lens cleaning tool includes an internal cleaning pad and an external guider. The internal cleaning pad is configured to clean the interior surface of a sealed beam headlight lens without requiring removal of the headlight assembly from a vehicle or disassembly of the headlight assembly. The internal cleaning pad can be inserted into the headlight assembly by way of a headlamp bulb socket opening, and can include a core that is capable of being attracted by a magnetic field and a pliable covering to wipe clean the interior surface of the headlight lens. The external guider can include a permanent magnet, and can be placed against the exterior surface of the headlight lens in order to retain the cleaning pad against the interior surface and move the cleaning pad about the interior surface of the headlight lens to clean the interior surface of the headlight lens.

1 . A vehicle headlight lens cleaning device, comprising: 
 a cleaning pad configured to be inserted into a headlight assembly through a headlamp bulb socket; and    a guider configured to mate with an exterior surface of a headlight lens;    wherein one of the cleaning pad and the guider includes a magnet configured to create a first magnetic field, and the other of the cleaning pad and the guider includes a material that is capable of being attracted by the first magnetic field.    
   
   
       2 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the magnet further comprises at least one magnet chosen from the following: a ferromagnet, a composite magnet, a plastic magnet and an electromagnet.  
   
   
       3 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the material further is configured to create a second magnetic field.  
   
   
       4 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the guider is configured to actuate the cleaning pad by way of a magnetic force in order to wipe an interior surface of the headlight lens.  
   
   
       5 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad further comprises: 
 a core; and    a pliable covering configured to overlie at least a surface of the core.    
   
   
       6 . The cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein the core comprises the magnet.  
   
   
       7 . The cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein the core comprises the material.  
   
   
       8 . The cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein the pliable covering comprises at least one covering chosen from the following: a substantially lint-free cloth, a substantially lint-free felt, and a foam rubber.  
   
   
       9 . The cleaning device of  claim 5 , wherein the pliable covering is configured to facilitate removal of the pliable covering from the core and installation of a new pliable covering on the core.  
   
   
       10 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad is a generally circular shape in a cross-sectional plane.  
   
   
       11 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad is an generally elongated oval shape in a cross-sectional plane.  
   
   
       12 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad includes a plurality of appendages configured to conform to an interior contour of the headlight lens and an associated reflector in order to brush an interior corner of the headlight assembly.  
   
   
       13 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , wherein the guider includes: 
 a handle portion configured to allow an operator to grip the guider;    a constituent coupled to the handle portion, the constituent comprising one chosen from the following: the magnet and the material; and    a protective covering over an end of the guider to protect the headlight lens.    
   
   
       14 . The cleaning device of  claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning pad retriever configured to remove the cleaning pad from the headlight assembly, the retriever including a permanent magnet.  
   
   
       15 . The cleaning device of  claim 14 , wherein the retriever is relatively long and relatively thin, and is configured to be inserted into the headlight assembly though the headlamp bulb socket.  
   
   
       16 . A vehicle headlight lens cleaning device, comprising: 
 means for cleaning an interior surface of the headlight lens, the means for cleaning being configured to be inserted into a headlight assembly through a headlamp bulb socket; and    means for externally actuating the means for cleaning by way of a first magnetic field;    wherein one of the means for cleaning and the means for actuating includes means for creating the first magnetic field, and the other of the means for cleaning and the means for actuating includes a material that includes means for being attracted by the first magnetic field.    
   
   
       17 . The cleaning device of  claim 16 , wherein the means for cleaning further includes: 
 core means for structurally supporting the means for cleaning; and    pliable means for covering the means for supporting, the pliable means for covering further comprising means for wiping.    
   
   
       18 . The cleaning device of  claim 16 , wherein the means for actuating further includes: 
 means for gripping the means for actuating; and    means for protecting the headlight lens.    
   
   
       19 . The cleaning device of  claim 16 , further comprising means for retrieving the means for cleaning from the headlight assembly, the means for retrieving including one chosen from the following: means for being attracted by the first magnetic field and means for creating a second magnetic field.  
   
   
       20 . A method of cleaning a vehicle headlight lens, the steps comprising: 
 inserting a cleaning pad that includes a core capable of being attracted by a magnetic field into a headlight assembly through a headlamp bulb socket;    actuating the cleaning pad from outside the headlight assembly by way of the magnetic field; and    guiding the cleaning pad in order to wipe an interior surface of the headlight lens.