Patent Application
20160096511
The invention relates to a wiper blade device for a wiper device for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm of a vehicle. The invention further relates to a wiper device.
A wiper device for connecting a wiper blade with a wiper arm comprising a wiper blade adapter having an adapter element on the wiper arm side and an adapter element on the wiper blade side, which are arranged pivotably with respect to each other in a rotation axis is known from prior art. This allows having a high rotation amplitude of the wiper blade with respect to the wiper arm.
The wiper blade is made of two wiper blade sections, each having spray ducts constructed inside, which are connected to the wiper blade adapter. The wiper blade adapter is connected to a supply line for the washing fluid which is guided along the wiper arm on the vehicle side.
One aim of the present invention is to provide a wiper blade device with a washing fluid spraying function for a wiper blade which has no internal spray ducts in a compact assembly.
This object is achieved by a wiper blade device for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm of a vehicle, comprising an adapter configured to be connected to a wiper arm and a blade connector configured to be connected to a wiper blade, said adapter and blade connector being arranged pivotably with respect to each other in a rotation axis destined to be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, wherein a fluid channel is arranged into the adapter, the fluid channel having an inlet destined to be plugged-in a water hose and ending by at least one spray nozzle enabling the spraying of a washing fluid.
Thus, the wiper blade device allows connecting the wiper blade to the wiper arm and allows providing a spraying function. The spraying function inserted in the adapter is thus well integrated near the rotation axis. This allows providing a compact wiper device while spraying the washing fluid directly on the surface that is swept by the wiper blade.
The wiper blade device may further comprise one or more features hereafter, taking alone or in combination:
Another object of the present invention is a wiper device for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm of a vehicle, wherein it comprises a wiper arm device destined to be connected to a wiper arm and a wiper blade device as previously described, destined to be connected to a wiper blade.
The spray nozzles may be arranged on a side of the front end of the assembled wiper device.
Further advantages, features and details of the invention will be apparent from the following description of preferred example embodiments and with the aid of the drawings, showing in:
Identical components or respectively components with the same function are provided with the same reference numbers in the figures.
In the description, will be adopted without limitation to the longitudinal, vertical and transverse directions as shown in figures by the system (L, V, T) fixed relative to the wiper device 1. The longitudinal direction L corresponds to the main direction of the wiper blade. As the wiper device is shown, the horizontal plane corresponds to the plane (L, T). Directions “up” and “down” are designated with reference to the orientation of the wiper device in
a, 3b, 3c, 4, 5a, 5b and 5c show a first embodiment of a wiper device 1 for connecting a wiper blade (not shown) to a wiper arm (not shown) of a vehicle. As it can be seen on
The wiper blade device comprises an adapter 30 configured to be mechanically connected to the wiper arm device 2 on the wiper arm side, and a blade connector 31 configured to be mechanically connected to the wiper blade, on the wiper blade side, for example by means of clips 4.
The adapter 30 and the blade connector 31 are arranged pivotably with respect to each other in a rotation axis R perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the wiper blade (
Better shown in
In more detail, the wiper arm device 2 has a U-shaped cross-section on the side facing the wiper blade. The wiper arm device 2 has a rectangular base section 12 in the connecting region with the wiper blade device, on the opposite side of the arm connector 3. Side walls 13, 14 project from the base section 12 which are bent at right-angles in the direction of the wiper blade. In the illustrated example embodiment, the complementary connecting elements of the wiper arm device 2 comprise at least two connecting lugs 17, such as four lugs 17, 18 in the example, arranged on each side wall 13, 14 of the wiper arm device 2 having a U-shaped cross-section in the connecting region.
The connecting lugs 17, 18 may be integrally formed in one piece on the lower boundary edges 15, 16 of the side sections 13, 14, facing away from the base section 12. Whereas the ones connecting lugs 17 are aligned with the end or respectively the front face of the wiper arm device 2, the others connecting lugs 18 are arranged in longitudinal direction of the wiper arm device 2 spaced apart from the connecting lugs 17. The connecting lugs 17, 18 are bent around inwards at right-angles facing each others and in the example embodiment have a rectangular cross-section. In the base section 12 of wiper arm device 2, a rectangular cut-out is constructed in the form of an aperture 19. The aperture 19 cooperates with a detent button 21 of the adapter 30 of the wiper blade device.
The connection of the wiper blade device with the wiper arm device takes place via the adapter 30 on the wiper arm side, which cooperates with the wiper arm device 2 in a form- fitting and force-fitting manner. For this, the wiper device 1 is made of plastic, or respectively the adapter 30 has an elastic section 33, which can be seen in
As it can be seen in
The adapter 30 comprises complementary slots 34 or boundaries 32 (instead of longitudinal slots 34, corresponding grooves could also be provided), extending in the vertical direction V, perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction L, and notches 37, 38 extending in the longitudinal direction L, at the ends of the slots 34 or boundaries 32. The slots 34 or boundaries 32 are arranged on the side walls 35 of the main body 22 of the adapter 30 and notches 37, 38 are arranged at the lower boundary edges of the side walls 35.
The connecting lugs 17, 18 of the wiper arm device 2 are able to cooperate with the complementary slots 34 or boundaries 32 and notches 37, 38 to connect the wiper arm device 2 with the wiper blade device after two movements of the wiper blade device 2 perpendicularly with respect to each other.
A fluid channel 50 is arranged into the adapter 30 (
The fluid channel 50 has an inlet 51 destined to be plugged-in a water hose connected to a supply line of washing fluid which is guided along the wiper arm on the vehicle side, and ends by at least one spray nozzle 52a, 52b, 52c enabling the spraying of the washing fluid.
The plug-in can be done in a very simple way by hand.
The at least one spray nozzle 52a, 52b, 52c, may be arranged on a protrusion 53 of the adapter 30, arranged on a side wall 35 of the main body 22 of the first part adapter 30. The protrusion 53 is for example linked to the side wall 35 by means of a thin bridge and a complementary aperture 54 is arranged on the corresponding side wall 13 of the wiper arm device 2, allowing the passage of the bridge and the assembly of the adapter 30 with the wiper arm device 2. The protrusion 53, the bridge and the main body 22 can be integrally formed in one piece or made in distinct elements assembled for example by clipping (a form-fit connection), glue, ultrasonics, screws or warm caulking.
At least one spray nozzle 52a may be arranged in the front of the protrusion 53 while at least one other spray nozzle 52b is arranged in the backside of the protrusion 53. This enables the spray of washing fluid in front and back direction of the longitudinal direction L.
For example and as it can be better seen on
The fluid channel 50 may comprise an intermediate fluid portion 55 and an inlet fluid portion 56, which are, for example, perpendicular with respect to each other. The fluid channel 50 may comprise cylindrical channels.
The inlet fluid portion 56 communicates between the inlet 51 and the intermediate fluid portion 55. The inlet fluid portion 56 extends to a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction L of the wiper blade.
The intermediate fluid portion 55 extends in a direction parallel to the rotation axis R and crosses the bridge of the adapter 30 to connect the spray nozzles 52a, 52b, 52c of the protrusion 53 with the inlet fluid portion 56.
In a first embodiment, the intermediate fluid portion 55 extends in a direction aligned with the rotation axis R. In other words, the pivot pin 44 is coaxial with the cylindrical intermediate fluid portion 55. The protrusion 53 can thus be well centered on the side wall 35 of the main body 22 of the first part adapter 30.
A hole 57, for example a drilled hole, is made in the adapter 30, to form the intermediate fluid portion 55 and to receive the pivot pin 44. The hole 57 may be made after the assembly of the distinct elements when made by distinct elements. The adapter 30 may also comprise watertight seals (not shown) inserted between the distinct elements.
The wiper device 1 may further comprise a closure element 58 inserted between the fluid channel 50 and the pivot pin 44 to close the fluid channel 50. The closure element 58 may be made for example by a disc or a ball. It can be fixed in the fluid channel 50 for example by glue or ultrasonics.
Thus, the wiper blade device allows connecting the wiper blade to the wiper arm and providing a spraying function. The spraying function inserted in the adapter is thus well integrated near the rotation axis. This allows providing a compact wiper device while spraying the washing fluid directly on the surface that is swept by the wiper blade. Moreover, this connection does not prevent the bayonet closure by connecting lugs into slots of the wiper blade device. The compact wiper device is therefore also easy to assemble and disassemble.
According to a second embodiment represented on
According to a third embodiment represented on
In this embodiment, the spray nozzles 52a, 52b, 52c may be arranged on a side of the front cover 42 of the main body 22 of the first part adapter 30″. Therefore, once assembled, the spray nozzles 52a are arranged on a side of the front end of the wiper device 1.
The spray nozzles 52a, 52b may be superimposed.
With this arrangement, the wiper arm device 2′ doesn't need to have complementary aperture 54 arranged on the side wall for assembling the adapter 30″.
As it can be seen on
In accordance with
When the connecting lugs 17, 18 are arranged at the height of the notches 37, 38, and the base section 12 of the connecting region lies on the upper side of the adapter 30′; 30″, the wiper blade device can be moved in the longitudinal direction L (arrow 41), i.e. sliding perpendicularly to the movement of introduction of the connecting lugs 17, 18 in the direction of the arrow 39, so that the connecting lugs 17, 18 arrive into the region of the notches 37, 38 and cooperate therewith, wherein the notches 37, 38 act as axial stops for the connecting lugs 17, 18. In the end position of the wiper blade device on the wiper arm device 2; 2′, the detent button 21 engages into the aperture 19 of the wiper arm device 2; 2′ and positions the wiper blade.
In addition, the base section 12 and the side sections 13, 14 are arranged on the one front face of the wiper arm device 2; 2′ in abutting contact with a front cover 42 of the adapter 30.
To release the wiper blade from the wiper arm, the described mounting steps take place in reverse order.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14306554.8 | Oct 2014 | EP | regional |
