DE4205268C1 - Windscreen wipers for vehicle - have control system setting initial wiping speed and intervals between wipes - Google Patents

Abstract

The windscreen wipers for a car have a control for intermittent operation. An initial wiping speed and interval between wipes is set automatically. Moving the switch between two positions within a certain time limit can progressively increase the wiping speed. A similar action is used to decrease progressively the interval between wipes. Returning the switch to its rest position, the wiper speed and interval are reset to their original values after a certain delay time has been exceeded. USE/ADVANTAGE - Windshield wiper control for a car; inexpensive, user-friendly way of obtaining variable-speed, variable-interval wiping action.

Description

The invention relates to a method for controlling the Wiping frequency of a wiper with the characteristics of Preamble of claim 1. A method with these Features are known (DE 35 29 004 C1).

According to the known method, the user has the equivalent controlled wiper system still a certain ge grateful effort of the detection, in which direction and in the degree to which the wiping frequency should be changed. In particular the operating times and the time intervals must be special of the individual switch operations when switching back and forth between interval, permanent and off switch position of the Schei benwischer control switch to be closely watched to the desired result of a shortening or extension of the Interval pause time, the procedure initially always assumes an average norm value.

An influence on the wiping frequency when the duration is switched on operation of the wiper is not disclosed there.

However, it is known to depend on the wiping frequency from the current driving speed of the with the windscreen shear equipped vehicle.

Furthermore, wiper controls with low were already impact sensors described.  

The wiping frequency is always above and below understood the number of wiping cycles per unit of time regardless of whether interval operation or continuous operation is switched on is switched. As is well known, intermittent operation is the wiping frequency is easiest by changing the interval breaks influenced at constant wiping speed while speed control of the drive in continuous operation motors for the wipers would be necessary to wipe the change frequency.

Usually two, and rarely three, are used in vehicles Wiper levels offered, but not necessarily the respective meet current requirements.

It is also known (DE 33 27 373 C1), in addition to the nor paint the windshield wiper control switch one more step by step provide adjustable resistance in the vehicle, its actuation but with the mentioned wiper control scarf ter can be assembled. By adjusting the resistance it is also possible to change the interval pause duration. Obviously, the hardware effort is clear higher than in the first-mentioned prior art, which no Actuator except for the already existing control switch needed.

The invention has the task, starting from a genus to specify procedural steps with which a Adjust the wiping frequency to the current need with ge the least possible mental effort of the user is possible.

This task is carried out with the characteristic features of Pa Claim 1 solved according to the invention.

Taking advantage of the usual behavior of vehicle drivers that have a higher wiping frequency than the first time  switch the windshield wiper at the factory and therefore at least temporarily to a higher gear switch, the wiping frequency is now at an eventu ellen then switch back to the original one switched switching level in a predetermined, by the user level cannot be influenced.

The characteristic features of the subclaims give advantage sticky developments of the method according to the invention.

Accordingly, the switching element by the aforementioned process actuation of the desired shortening of the factory default Wipe pause duration of the interval operation of the wiper Start value or a current value in each case by a predetermined, shortened decrement that cannot be influenced by the user. There are several levels can be called up in succession, with the appropriate values the decrements from the technical data of the respective discs wiper system (e.g. size of the wiping field, wiping speed in intermittent operation) and usually experimentally too will be determined.

As already mentioned in the introduction, the wiping frequency can also be be influenced in continuous operation. For example, the wipe is enough frequency in a first continuous operating level is not a second continuous operating level offered at the factory Subjectively perceived as too fast, can according to the invention by switching back and forth between them both (level 1 - level 2 - level 1) the wiping speed in the first continuous operating stage, if necessary, in several stages predefined increment that cannot be influenced by the user is increased will. To do this, however, is a speed control of the An drive necessary.

Alternatively, a gradual lowering of the highest would be Wiping speed possible.  

In any case, a RESET can be set by the user Increase in wiping frequency at any time by temporary full constant switching off of the windshield wiper (zero or off position control switch). Then stand like of the initial values specified at the factory. The RESET can also be compared to the switch-off time of the Switching element are performed with a delay, so not beforehand set values due to brief, accidental stripping lost again.

It is also advantageous if a wipe is called up repeatedly Increase in frequency up to a maximum value in one certain switching level, i.e. interval or slow duration operation, automatically remaining in the next higher permanent wipe step over.

The advantage of the generic state of the art, at ho Ease of use, especially logical approach analogous to the usual behavior of the user, as little as possible hardware effort, especially one usual wiper control switch inexpensive than Being able to continue using the switching element remains with the inventor method fully preserved.

The drawing shows an embodiment of a fiction, ge method in the form of a flow chart and will follow the described in more detail.

With the START step 100 of the flowchart - which preferably by switching on a driving or ignition switch Zü a vehicle and simultaneously or later switching one to control a drive of a windshield wiper - z. B. for wiping and cleaning a vehicle windshield - provided switching element SG in one of its operating switching positions I (interval or intermittent operation, INT), L (slow continuous operation, CONT 1 ) or S (fast continuous operation with maximum wiping speed , CONT 2 ) is triggered - a variable wiping pause duration WP and a variable wiping speed v are initialized to factory-set start values or basic settings WP ₀ or v ₀ . Furthermore, binary flags (memory variables) F _i and F _{d are set} to zero.

This is followed by a query 101 of the switch state of the switch Zü, repeated later in the context of a loop. If this is now switched off again (n branch), the process immediately ends in step 101 E. The windshield wiper is switched off.

If Zü remains switched on (j branch), then the switch-on state of the switching element SG is generally queried in step 102 .

A dashed line between step 101 E and step 102 is intended to indicate that either, e.g. B. after only a short switch-off of the ignition at a traffic light stop or to restart a drive machine, with step 102 instead of START 100 , i.e. without initialization, who can continue to maintain the values already set by the user for this special case can. A suitable time window for the permissible duration of the switch-off status of the Zü switch must be provided. It can range from a few seconds to a few minutes. If the time available in the time window is exceeded, the process can only be restarted using the START 100 .

If SG has been set to an off or zero position (n branch), the query 102 is repeated at REP at 102R after a short waiting time T, after which, depending on the result, either with step 103 (n branch) or to Step 104 (j branch) is continued. It goes without saying that the windshield wiper is switched off immediately in the n branch of the query 102 , although a currently running wiping cycle is still being completed in the usual manner.

At 103 , a RESET is carried out, with which the wiping pauses duration WP and the permanent wiping speed v are reset to their starting values WP ₀ and v ₀ ; flags F _i and F _d are also reset to zero. The sequence can only be resumed from here via the START 100 , which also includes switching on the switching element SG when the switch Zü is switched on. With the interrogation repeated in 102 R, the execution of the RESET at 103 is slightly delayed compared to the switch-off time of the switching element SG, so that, in particular, briefly inadvertent switching-off of the switching element SG has no influence on the values of the wiping interval duration WP or speed v set by the user.

If the switching element SG remains closed (j branch of steps 102 and 102 R), the current switching position of SG is queried at 104 , that is to say I, L or S, and the corresponding operating mode mentioned above is carried out in steps 105 until further notice , 106 or 107 .

The last two queries 102 and 104 can also be carried out in one step if an n branch is provided in the latter, which is followed when there is no operating switch position and leads to the RESET step 103 described above.

In the case of the INT operating mode with the variable wiping pause duration WP (I branch from step 104 to step 105 ), flag F _i is now set to 1 in step 108 and flag F _d to zero before returning to step 101 . With the switching element position unchanged, the interval wiping operation is now carried out with the current wiping pause duration WP.

If the query at 104 reveals that the user has switched the switching element into the switching position L (L branch), the operating mode CONT 1 with slow continuous operation of the windshield wiper with a variable speed v is carried out immediately in step 106 . The status of flag F _{i is then} queried in step 109 . In the j branch, F _i = 1 - this means that the switching element has been switched from I to S -, a time window t _{fi is} opened in step 110 , for example by B. with the switch from Stel I to L a counter or the like. Is started, which runs from zero to a value t _fimax for the maximum period of time (with each restart and after reaching the maximum value, t _{fi is} automatically reset to zero ).

After the time span has been exceeded, the wiping should be shortened pause by switching back to position I no longer possible be. This period can be relatively long, e.g. B. in minutes area, because the user is usually the first after several wiping cycles of the wiper in continuous operation will find that the wiping frequency is subjectively too high is.

Therefore, the run of the time period t _fimax is now queried in step 111 . If the time span has already expired without a switching operation, then flag F _{i is} again set to zero in step 112 before returning to step 101 .

During the course of the time period t _fimax , however, the switching position of the switching _{element SG} is continuously queried in step 113 to determine whether it has been switched back to switching position S or to S.

If neither is the case (n branch), it is first determined in step 114 whether, for example, the switching _{element SG has} been switched off completely during the period of time t _fimax , which immediately applies to step 102 R if applicable, or, as indicated 103 (RESET) leads.

Otherwise (j branch), the time window loop is repeated from step 111 .

If the switching position S is detected in step 113 (S branch), then a jump is made to step 107 . In this step, flag F _{i is} also reset to zero in addition to switching on the fast continuous operation of the windshield wiper.

Obviously, within the time window t _fi, actuation of the switching element SG by the user has absolute priority; he can switch the windshield wiper at any time and accelerate it even further (to the highest wiping frequency in level CONT 2 ).

However, if the user has _made his wish for a shorter wiping pause time by switching back from switching position L to switching position I within the time period t _fimax , the wiping pause time WP in step 115 is now not changed by the user to a new, smaller value in one step influenceable decrement D is shortened. Thereafter, the process returns to step 101 .

Step 115 can be repeated several times, provided, of course, that flag F _i remains set to 1. Theoretically, the wiping pause duration WP could be gradually reduced to zero, which corresponds to slow, continuous operation of the windshield wiper; Preferably, however, a query (not shown) is provided as to whether WP has already reached a minimum value, where appropriate jumping to step 106 , ie slow continuous operation, and flag F _i is still set to zero.

If flag F _i = 0 (n branch) was detected in step 109 , then flag F _{d is set} to 1 in step 116 before returning to query 101 . This indicates that the switch position S of the switching element SG was last switched on; the two flags F _i and F _d cannot both be set to 1 at the same time, as can also be seen from step 108 .

If it is determined in step 104 that the user has brought the switching element SG into the switching position S, the state of flag F _{d is first} queried after step 107 in step 117 . When F _d = 0 (n branch), the flow returns to step 101 , and the fast continuous wiping operation continues. It should be noted that the flags F _i and F _{d are set} for practical reasons only if the relevant switching state of the switching element SG was not only switched on in pulses; the latter is e.g. B. the case when with a conventional step switching element when switching on the switching position S one after the other, the two before running switching positions I and L are exceeded.

If F _d = 1 (j branch), a fast time window t _fd with a time span t _{fdm is now} opened in step 118 , in a _manner analogous to step 110 . In principle, both time windows can be the same; the same counter (e.g. a software subroutine) could also be used. However, different periods of time can also be considered expedient and made available.

In the following step 119 , the expiration of the time period t _{fdmax is} monitored analogously to step 111 . After an uneventful run (n branch, ie the switching element SG was left in the switching position S), flag F _{d is} reset to zero in step 120 and then jumped back to step 101 .

In step 121 , a change in position of the switching element is checked for L or I. If neither is the case (n branch), then in step 122 it is checked analogously to step 114 whether the switching element SG is still in the S position. If yes (j branch), the time window loop is repeated from step 119 . If no (n branch), the process jumps to step 102 R or 103 analogously to step 114 , which sets the windshield wiper operation.

If the switching element SG has been switched from the switching position S to the switching position I within the time window t _fd , the sequence jumps to step 105 , in the course of which F _{d is} reset to zero (step 108 ).

If, on the other hand, the user _switches back to switch position L within the time window t _fd , the control interprets this as a desire to increase the wiping speed in the switching position S, which is not done in step 123 by increasing the current wiping speed value v by a predetermined value influenceable increment I _{v is} executed. The sequence then returns to query 101 . Analogous to step 115 , step 123 can also be carried out several times in succession, provided that flag F _d remains set to 1. Here, too, after a maximum possible increment up to the vicinity of the fast continuous wiping operation, the process jumps directly to step 107 , the flag F _{d being set} to zero beforehand.

It should also be noted that even without representation in the Flußdia gram a detection of the position of the switch Zü during the time loops 111-113-114 and 119-121-122 can be provided, so that an abort of the time loops is also possible by turning this switch off .

It is understood that the method described above for Increase in wiping frequency deviating from the embodiment also isolated only for intermittent wiping or only for the continuous or continuous wiping operation carried out who that can.

Furthermore, the wiping pause duration is decremented or incremented or wiping speed v in constant steps, as in  Flowchart described, not mandatory, but rather progressive or degressive levels can also be provided without leaving the basic idea.

Claims (9)

1. A method for controlling the wiping frequency of a windshield wiper, in which an increase in the wiping frequency can be controlled by switching a switching element starting from a first switching position into a second switching position and back again into the first switching position (switching back and forth), characterized in that the wiping frequency starting from a predetermined starting state in response to successive back and forth switching is increased in at least one predetermined level that cannot be influenced by the user. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the wiping pause duration (WP) based on a predetermined basic setting (WP ₀ ) in response to successive switching back and forth of the switching element (SG) is shortened at least once with a predetermined decrement (D). 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the drive speed (v) of the wiper starting from a predetermined normal speed (v ₀ ) by in response to successive switching back and forth between a first and a second continuous operation switching position (L, S) is increased at least once with a predetermined increment (I _v ). 4. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized, that by moving the switching element (SG) in an opening position a predetermined initial state of the wiping at any time pause duration and speed in the sense of a RESET function is adjustable. 5. The method according to claim 4, characterized, that between moving the switching element into the switch-off position and the execution of the RESET function time is observed, but the RESET function does not stop is performed when the switching element is still during the delays time in one of its operating switch positions (I, L, S) is brought. 6. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that an increase in the wiping frequency is carried out in one stage only if the successive back and forth switching th within a predetermined time window (t _fi , t _fimax ; t _fd , t _fdmax ). 7. The method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized, that in stepwise caused by multiple repetition Increase the wiping frequency above a maximum available The next higher continuous speed beyond the range is switched on. 8. The method according to claim 1 or 7, characterized, that the increase in wiping frequency is repeated when repeated  subsequent switching back and forth of the switching element in the same permanent stages is carried out. 9. The method according to claim 1 or 7, characterized, that the increase in wiping frequency is repeated when repeated subsequent switching back and forth of the switching element in pro gressive stages is carried out.