WIPER SHAKER TECHNOLOGIES : : The Shaker

" Once in a while something really new comes along that is so right! The SHAKER ™... impressive, affordable and it works..it's so right. The SHAKER ™ is something only a Canadian could invent.....it works! "

The Ottawa Citizen Friday, January 24, 2003
Page: C6 Section: Driving :
"Whole lotta shakin' clears ice off wipers: Ottawan had truckers test his invention"

"Ever get ice stuck under your windshield wiper while driving in the winter? Ever have your wiper blades so loaded with ice that they slide right over your windshield? Of course you have. It's typical in cold climates, and dangerous, too. Soon it may be a thing of the past. Ottawa inventor and entrepreneur Mike Kelly has come up with one of the most innovative, if not the most innovative, developments for windshield wipers since their invention a century ago.

He's patented a small (about the size of a coffee creamer) device that attaches to your windshield wiper arm. It's called The Shaker: Wiper De-icer. The "Made in Canada" Shaker is connected by wire to a discreet switch in your car. Flick the switch and The Shaker vibrates the wiper arm, quickly shattering any ice stuck on or below the blade, or attached to arm. Within seconds you've got a clear view of the road ahead. In many situations, it'll even unstick your blade from the windshield after freezing rain. You can put one on the passenger side, too, if you want.

It's so obvious, why didn't somebody think of it before? Well, somebody did. In fact, you probably did, when you rolled down the window while driving in a storm, stuck your arm out, reached around and tried to grab the windshield wiper to dislodge the ice. You haven't done that? You're in the minority. Mr. Kelly says about 60 per cent of Canadians have. It must be a Canadian rite-of-passage. Mr. Kelly tried it, and his car careered straight off the road and into a ditch. "I was really lucky," says Mr. Kelly, "I could have killed myself, and others. I couldn't believe what I just did." And that's where the idea took root. "Why isn't there a way to shake the ice off the wiper from inside the car?" he thought, and put the idea on his list of things to do. That was 14 years ago, but unlike most of us, Mr. Kelly keeps his lists.

Seven years later, he started actively working on the Shaker project. These days, he sure knows a heck of a lot about windshield wipers. In conversation with Mr. Kelly, industry terms like "conformance" (where the joints of the wiper blade become frozen, and the blade lifts off the windshield) and "A-pillar build-up" (where ice packs along the edge of the windshield) come tripping off his tongue. He knows all the different types and sizes of wiper arms, their blades and their shortcomings. He knows about ice and how it bonds to various automotive surfaces. The Shaker project has gone from idea to research, development, testing and patenting He's exhaustively tested the Shaker technology on big trucks, SUVs and cars, and is making final arrangements with retailers and installers across the country to market the new device. Most recently, Mr. Kelly quit his job as technology training account executive and went into the Shaker business full time, through his company, WiperShaker Technology Inc. Now he's on the brink of, well, he's not quite sure what he's on the brink of, but he has his fingers firmly crossed.

The first limited run of production grade Shakers were shipped to the Canadian distributor, Automobility Distribution Inc., just before Christmas. The Shaker will be available in quantity later this year. "We'll be shipping on a much larger scale this June/July, to retailers of all sizes," says Mr. Kelly. "We'll make sure all inquiries are dealt with appropriately. A wait list will be created for those who miss the boat this year." The Shaker has a suggested retail price of $49.95, and is not hard to install. However, most people will probably choose to have a technician do the job. "The installers I've talked to say that this is the easiest item they've seen to install on a car. It's way easier than installing a car starter, or something like that," says Mr. Kelly. Versions will also be available that plug into your car's 12V power point."

"We have found the Wiper Shaker a good fit with our salt plow trucks. The operators find it very helpful to clear the snow and slush off the windshield without having to stop and get out and crawling over the hood to clear the wipers by hand.

Not only are they are a great safety feature, but also a cost saving tool. We no longer need to use custom made steps ($230 each) to enable drivers to climb up on the slippery tires while on the shoulder of busy
roads to "flick" frozen wiper blades. By staying inside the cab this decreases the chance of an
incident occurring, i.e., other vehicles hitting our parked trucks or the operators, in poor visibility. It also increases response time to snow and ice
control by not having to stop. As a result of this past winters' results, a request has been made to our department heads to outfit our fleet with Shaker's (for driver and passenger side wipers)."

Doug Peveril
Fleet Service Co-ordinator for,
Nova Scotia Department of Transportation & Public Works, Western District.

"I found your product to be a simple yet innovative approach to addressing the issue of snow and ice build up on and under the wiper blade and arm, which is a serious safety concern for the Indiana Dept. of Transportation's plow truck operators.

The Wiper Shaker was installed and tested on twelve of our plow trucks prior to the 2006/2007 winter season as a research project on improving visibility and safety for the plow truck operator. The concept of your product was well received by our plow truck operators and when tested, performed as advertised.

I received very positive feedback on your product from the operators who tested them over the course of this past winter and I have since distributed the ordering information for the Wiper Shaker to our Districts. I am sure you can look forward to additional orders from INDOT for your product prior to winter 2007/2008.

"The units are installed and working with good results. The drivers I have talked to are giving me nice feedback about your product.

Thanks and take care, Tom"

Tom Osthoff
Transportation Operations Supervisor
Night Maintenance- Camden T. S.
Minnesota Dept. of Transportation
Highways

" We installed both Shaker's on plow dump trucks. They seem to be working great. We were happy with the way they installed and fit."

" They are great! Snowfall now up to 172.2 inches.

Normally in a plow round an operator might have to stop a half dozen times to bang the snow off of the wiper blade--even when using ANCO winter blades.

With the Wiper Shaker all that is required is a regular "buzz" and they're cleared of snow/ice buildup.

I've already recommended them to some of my colleagues. I will continue to do so.

Your company should be sending representatives to the state municipal
associations' conventions/trade shows to demo the product. Seeing them operate is worth a thousand words. As soon as you see the wipers jump up and down on the windshield, you realize the effect and value.

I'll get back to you later this spring to buy more for us for the rest of our vehicles.

Regards, "

Dave Henderson
Supervisor/Roadmaster
Franklin Township, Erie County, PA

"Commercial Vehicle Group has added the Wiper Shaker product to it's portfolio of products it supplies to the Heavy Duty Truck Industry. It's simplistic and unique solution to the age old problem of removing ice from wiper blades we feel will be a hit with the market place.

We look forward to helping the markets we serve by giving them an easy way to increase safety in their sometimes harsh environment."

"I've lived in Buffalo , NY for the first 33 years of my life and learned about snow and winter driving first hand. I worked for over 20 years in the wiper industry for a company with many more years of experience in how to deal with cleaning your windshield in inclement weather. I understand the problems when wipers don't work in snow and icy conditions.

Every once in a while a product is developed that changes the performance landscape. That product is Shaker . The simple fact is that if you drive in inclement weather you have had occasion to grab your wiper blade with your left hand and flick the blade in an attempt to free snow, ice and debris from either the blade or the windshield.

At the push of a button, the Shaker does that for you. No open windows. No struggling to grab. Quite simply, the Shaker vibrates your wiper blade when activated, enabling the rubber to stay in contact with the windshield by overcoming trapped and frozen debris that is so detrimental to the standard operation of our wiper systems. Also, per my knowledge of the industry testing performed on the Shaker , there are no concerns related to the wiper assembly in regards to wear or manufacturer warranty issues.

I highly recommend this product and believe you will be pleased with its ability to assist you or your loved one in difficult driving conditions."

James J. Shaul

Former VP of Technology, Trico Products

Rochester Hills, MI

"I have bought many car accessories in my life but have never come across such a useful item as the wiper shaker. I could not believe the difference that it made. I had it installed on the driver's side of my 1997 Camry. When the first snowfall arrived in November 2005 I used it for the first time and couldn't believe the difference between the driver's side and the passenger's side. It was incredible. My side of the windshield was clear, while the passenger side was streaky and hard to see out of.

I have since bought a 2005 Camry and will definitely have the wiper-shaker's installed on both sides of the windshield. What a great product!"

"I've used The Shaker periodically over the past six months, with good success. In the summer, it was helpful in speeding up the cleaning of bug debris plastered onto the windshield of my truck when I wiped with washer fluid, likely because of the enhanced scrubbing action of the wiper blades. This winter, however, has really shown the value of The Shaker. For instance, during a recent family vacation trip, we got caught in a major ice storm on Quebec freeways - very treacherous driving with poor visibility, and very unsafe to try to pull over to clean wipers and windshield. The Shaker performed like a charm - periodic activation of The Shaker from inside the car cleared the accumulated ice from the wiper blades and allowed them to keep the windshield clear in the wiper zone."

Dr. R. Engelhardt,
Ottawa, Canada
(Toyota Sequoia Owner.)

"After experiencing the Shaker while driving in the coldest Capital in the World (Ottawa, Can) for the past few months, I am totally convinced this product must be marketed as an automotive safety requirement. While pulling logs across the Big Rideau Lake this winter with my 4X4 1/2 ton in a blizzard with no roads to follow, the visibility aided by the Shaker kept me away from nearby open water."

" It is with great pleasure that I add this testimonial to those I have seen online. I have installed two units on my vehicle and have had delightful results. The units have worked beyond my expectations. Not only do they remove the ice buildups but also clear the snow from the wipers as it accumulates. It has also worked extremely well for leaves and other debris that gets caught in the spring and fall seasons. I do a lot of highway driving in the summer and the units work well to shake off those unsightly bugs that get caught on the wiper arm. It is seldom these days that a new item on the market performs better than advertised."

"As a travelling salesman covering a region from Southern Ontario to Northern Ontario , and driving over 100,000 km a year, I appreciate what safety and bad weather offer me. This is the first winter that I have had a SHAKER on my Toyota Tercel. I always had serious issues with my blades freezing up while on my long trips on the highway and attempting to grab the blade and clean it while driving is cold and extremely dangerous. I switched to the new flat blade first which improved my wiper performance, but I still had problems with the ice under my blade and they do freeze up leaving the center of the blade not touching the glass. Adding the SHAKER has resolved these problems, and I finally have a wiper system that will work with me while I work the highways of Ontario . I appreciate what you have done for my vision and safety, and I recommend this product to every person I talk to. Great invention, and a welcome addition to safety for all of us drivers who have to be out in really nasty conditions."

"Upon receiving my Shaker, I could hardly wait to try it out. I installed it easily myself in only a few minutes and then waited for a snow storm. At the first sight of falling snow, I jumped into my car and drove around town. Just as I had hoped, the ice soon began to build up on my windshield wipers. It was all I could do to wait for the build-up to accumulate before finally turning on the Shaker. Within a second or two, the ice was gone. It works as well as I had hoped - well done!"

"We've been on one long trip to London/Sarnia and only had to use it once, and that was within the last 50kms coming back into Kanata in early Jan. I have used it, albeit sparingly since then, and I have seen other people on those days, rolling down the window and doing the grab and snap trick to try and remove the stuck on ice and snow. I am very glad I purchased one, ..... it works very well, and I, nor my wife didn't have to roll down the window (letting the frigid cold air and wind in!) to clean the wiper; and we also did not have to pull over and stop, get out and clean the blades. I like it, and think you have a real winner here. Good luck in getting the word out to the masses in the cold regions of North America. It is a welcome safety feature in our Jeep, ..... really helps to keep the windshield clean and wipers free of ice. After you concur this continent, think global, ...... all the best"

Bob Watson

Kanata, Ontario Canada

(Jeep Owner)

"This was a retirement gift from friends that knew I was a gadget guy and had most everything.
I seen it advertised on the fall auto show web site and talked about it to my friend and Manager Dave Devine, then forgot it. Dave remembered. My friends remembered my interest and went to the trouble to order this for my retirement gift.

What a great surprise. It was very personal and well appreciated. Best of all the install was simple and it works marvelous. I love it.
It should be standard equipment on vehicles sold in our climate."

The install is relatively easy and it was not long before I had to go on an unexpected road trip, that gave me a chance to test it. Driving several days through a snow storm in one direction and a blizzard coming back the Shaker worked well to keep the wiper blade clear. It is small and light and hardly noticeable on the outside and from the driver's field of view. It also continued to work well in a very cold spell down to -26c.

"Hi folks, and thank you. It works great. I drive 200, 000 km's a year. I have a very small list of products that work well, and the Shaker is now one of them. I was coming back from Thunder Bay and used the
Shaker. My side was ice free, while the passenger side was back in the ice age. I now want one for the passenger side. Bring on the Canadian winter I'm ready. And thanks again for a great product. And its Canadian..."

"Hi there, I just wanted to drop you a note of thanks for coming up with such an innovative new safety product. I purchased the Shaker at a car show last year and used it last winter whenever necessary. I love how easy it is to use the Shaker - just a click of a button and any ice build up is gone! Because I don't even realize it is there, I never bothered with removing it for the summer. I want to tell you that I'm really glad I didn't because the other night while leaving work, we had the first bit of freezing rain. When I put my wipers on, there was a bit of ice on the blade and it was leaving streaks across my window. I plugged in my Shaker, pushed the button and instantly the ice was gone as well as the streaks! This is such a great idea!!! I will be purchasing another Shaker this year for our van.

Sharon Davies

Kanata, Ontario

(Toyota Corolla Owner)

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"I really like the Shaker and it has worked very well for me, in those wet sticky snowy conditions. (Which we should be expecting in the very near future!)Thank you,"

Ken Valcamp

North Gower, Ontario

(Ford Explorer Owner)

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"I have recently purchased and installed the "Shaker". Its proven to be one of the best investments I have made in recent years. Being an Ottawa driver I experience the extremes of winter driving. The "Shaker" has enabled me to maintain a clear windshield during freezing rain & snow storms. I highly recommend the "Shaker" to all drivers who value clear driving vision."
Peter Sims
Ottawa Ontario Canada