DE10029294C1 - Water catchment device for automobile windscreen has water catchment rail moved between active and passive positions, via electric setting motor and wedge-shaped setting element - Google Patents

Abstract

The water catchment device has a water catchment rail (2), which is adjusted in height between active and passive positions within a guide rail (1), positioned at the side edge of an automobile windscreen (6), via an electric setting motor and a cooperating wedge-shaped setting element, moved along the guide rail, via at least one actuator.

Description

The invention relates to a water trap on one Motor vehicle, especially on the side edges of a Windshield according to the preamble of claim 1.

Such a device is known from DE 39 36 372 A1. For the possible between an active and a passive position Moving the water catch bar is already there electric servomotor proposed without it Execution has been discussed in more detail.

The invention addresses the problem of a simple one constructed and safely functioning servomotor for the Relocate the water catch bar to create.

In addition, an activation of the water collection device should only be done at certain external conditions may be possible especially considering the current Water volume, the ambient temperature and when in use a windshield of a motor vehicle depending the wiper actuation.

A basic solution to the problem according to the invention shows a generic device with the characteristic Features of claim 1.

Appropriate designs and operating conditions show the Subclaims.  

The invention is based on the general idea that Height shift of the water trap bar by a to achieve mutual wedge displacement. As an actuator for Shifting the wedges can be particularly advantageous Adjustment elements made of a shape memory material are used become. Such shape memory materials are in themselves known. They deform depending on the temperature. This one Materials metals and therefore electrically conductive can targeted the temperature of these materials through energization to be controlled.

The shape memory material is expedient according to the invention in the form of a current-carrying wire used with the adjusting wedges in a simple way can be moved.

In principle, an adjustment of the Water trap bar already with an actuator with only an adjusting wedge. Advantageously, however an actuator with a pair of adjusting wedges used. In In this case, the adjusting wire between the two wedges of the used wedge pair be excited. The current supply the wire is made by an electrical energy supplier of the motor vehicle.

Basically, it is sufficient if the Wedge a shift of the water catch bar in one Direction can be achieved. The movement in the The opposite direction can then be effected by spring elements that are each preloaded accordingly by the adjusting wedges.

The direction of action of the adjusting wedges is advantageously chosen such that the water catch bar with the help of the Wedges are moved to their active position while the Return movement to the passive position under the force of the previous one spring elements tensioned by the adjusting wedges.  

Through a U-shaped profile of the water trap The bar can drain a large volume of water.

The water trap bar is under certain Operating conditions of the vehicle and environmental conditions activated. The environmental conditions exist on the one hand in an attack of water to be drained above Predeterminable volume flow and in the current one Outside temperature. In order to impair the function of the Movability of the water trap bar in freezing water To avoid a control device is provided, the one Active position of the bar only above a temperature of for example 0 ° C allowed.

The size of the volume flow of water to be removed, at if they are exceeded, the water catch bar is activated should, with the help of a rain sensor and / or by a interval switching of the wiper depending on the amount of rain Windshield can be specified in each case.

In principle, the servomotor can work for the Water trap bar by switching on the windshield wiper be switched when the water catch bar on one Windshield is provided.

Furthermore, an additional switch can be provided via which the water trap bar is independent of any Ambient and operating conditions in active or Passive position can be switched manually as required.

An advantageous embodiment is in the drawing shown.

In this show  

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle mounted on a side edge of a windshield water collection device,

Fig. 2 shows a 1 view of a height adjustable bar of the water-catching device according to Fig. In the direction of arrows II, in which the guide elements of the strip are indicated merely chain-dotted lines,

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the water trap bar with adjusting wedges as a servomotor and dash-dotted guide elements of the bar.

On the side edges of a windshield 6 of a motor vehicle, a water trap device is provided in the area of the two A-pillars over the entire height of the windshield.

Compared to a guide rail 1 fixedly mounted on the respective A-pillar, a water catch bar 2 is mounted such that it can be displaced in height relative to the windshield 6 .

The strip 2 has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile and is in the activated state in a position in which rainwater penetrates into the U-shaped interior of the strip 2 under the free-running U-leg directly facing the windshield 6 and through this space can flow off along the top of the bar 2 .

In the passive state of the strip 2 , the U-leg adjoining the windshield lies directly on the windshield, so that the space inside the strip is closed off from the windshield 6 . In this way, the strip 2 prevents wind noise in a passive state, which can occur when the strip position is activated.

According to FIG. 3, the servomotor for the bar 2 has adjusting wedges 3 which are guided on the guide rail 1 and which cooperate with the wedge surfaces of the adjusting wedges 3 which are complementarily assigned wedge surfaces of the bar 2 .

The two adjusting wedges 3 , which are provided in the regions marked with III in FIG. 1, are connected to one another with a wire 4 made of a shape memory material, indicated by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 3. The wire 4 can be energized (not shown in the drawing). When current is applied, the wire 4 is heated, which shortens its length. With a shortening wire length, the setting wedges 3 cause a height shift of the bar 2 in the direction of the active position that can be occupied by the bar 2 .

By interrupting the energization of the wire 4, the wire 4 cools down with the result that it expands again to its original length.

The springs 5 , which have been tensioned by the adjusting wedges when activating the bar 2, ensure the return movement of the bar 2 from its active position to the passive position.

Regarding the mode of operation and the possible operational control The water trap bar is based on the designs concerned referred to in the previous general description section.

Claims (9)

1. Water catchment device on a motor vehicle, in particular on the side edges of a windshield, with a water catch bar that is height-adjustable by a particularly electric servomotor within a guide rail between an active and passive position, characterized by the features

• - the actuator motor having at least one in the guide rail (1) longitudinally displaceably mounted, wedge-like design actuating member (3) each having a guide surface and a base with respect to said inclined wedge surface,
• - The at least one control element ( 3 ) engages with its wedge surface on a wedge surface of the strip ( 2 ) which is complementarily adapted to this surface,
• - At least one actuator ( 4 ) is provided for moving the at least one control element.

2. Water collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuator ( 4 ) is a thermally shape-changeable shape memory material. 3. water collection device according to claim 2, characterized, that the shape memory material can be energized for heat generation is connected to a power source. 4. water collection device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized,  that the shape memory material is rod-shaped. 5. Water collection device according to claim 4, characterized in that the shape memory material is designed as a wire ( 4 ). 6. Water catchment device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the servomotor has at least one pair of adjusting wedges ( 3 ) connected to one another by the shape memory material and having inclined wedge surfaces. 7. Water collection device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the features

• - The adjusting wedges ( 3 ) of the servomotor only serve to move the bar ( 2 ) in one direction,
• - For moving in the opposite direction, spring elements ( 5 ) which can be tensioned accordingly are provided between the guide rail ( 1 ) and the strip ( 2 ).

8. Water collection device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the features

• - The bar ( 2 ) is U-shaped in cross section,
• the free ends of the U-legs face the guide rail ( 1 ) in a direction perpendicular to the water-carrying surface of the vehicle,
• - When the bar ( 2 ) is in the active position, the U-leg directly facing the water-carrying surface is at a distance from the water-carrying surface.

9. Water collection device according to one of the preceding Expectations, characterized,  that the control variables for the servomotor alternatively and / or cumulatively result from signals from a rain sensor, Sequences of movements of a wiper and a die Ambient temperature sensing temperature sensor.