FR2728520A1 - WINDSCREEN WIPER DEVICE OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING MEANS FOR PROTECTING AT LEAST ONE WINDSCREEN WIPER IN THE PARKING POSITION - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a wiper device of the type comprising at least one wiper (26) located in a housing (24) arranged along one of the edges (14, 16) of the window (12), and of the type comprising an articulated flap (44) for closing the housing, characterized in that the means for controlling the pivoting of the flap comprise a control finger (50) which projects relative to the general plane of the flap (44) and with which the wiper (26) is capable of cooperating to cause the flap (44) to pivot from its open position to its closed position when the wiper enters the housing (24).

Description

The present invention relates to a wiper device for

  wiping a window of a vehicle

  automotive, including a windshield.

  The invention relates more particularly to a device for wiping the windshield of a motor vehicle of the type comprising at least wiper mounted on a drive shaft located in a housing arranged along one of the edges of the window and which is delimited by a structural element of the vehicle body, in particular by the awning grille, and by a body element of the vehicle, in particular by the front cover, so as to have an opening which extends along the edge of the window, and of the type comprising a housing closing flap which is mounted articulated between an open position in which the opening is released to allow an alternating rotational movement of the wiper, in particular for its stop in a parking position in which it extends longitudinally in the housing outside the surface of the window to be wiped, and a closed position in which the shutter closes the housing inside duq uel the wiper is retracted in the parking position, and of the type comprising means of

  control of the pivoting of the shutter around a sensitive axis -

  parallel to the edge of the glass.

  The document FR-A-2.015.528 describes and represents a

  exemplary embodiment of such a wiper device.

  According to the different designs proposed in this document, the means for controlling the closing flap

  of the housing are constituted by electromechanical means

  which are implemented by an opening and closing control circuit which receives signals from the alternating scan control circuit

performed by the wiper.

  According to another design, the shutter is controlled

  mechanically by hand or by the driver.

  Finally, according to yet another design, the means for controlling the pivoting of the flap are of the hydraulically actuated type and comprise an actuating cylinder supplied by an actuator comprising a piston on which the wiper acts. All the solutions proposed in this document for controlling the pivoting of the closing flap of the housing are therefore either of complex and costly design, or are such that they require a voluntary action of the driver to close and open the flap according to wishes to use the

wiper device.

  The present invention aims to propose a new design of a wiper device of the type described and shown in the document mentioned above which overcomes the drawbacks which come

to be mentioned.

  For this purpose, the invention provides a wiper device characterized in that the control means comprise a control finger which projects from the general plane of the shutter and with which the wiper is capable of cooperating. to cause the flap to pivot from its open position to its closed position when the wiper enters the

housing.

  According to other characteristics of the invention: - the structural element of the vehicle body is a plate which extends in line with the edge of the window to be wiped and against which the flap is in abutment in the open position; - the flap is returned elastically to its open position; - The axis of articulation of the flap is adjacent to the structural element of the vehicle body; - In the retracted position of the wiper, the flap is held in the closed position, against its elastic return means, by the wiper; - The control finger is produced in the form of a flap wing which extends transversely in a plane parallel to the pivot axis of the flap; - in the retracted position, the wiper is supported on the control wing; - In the retracted position of the wiper arm, a wiper blade carried by the wiper arm is supported on one side of the control wing; in the retracted position of the wiper arm, there is play between the wiping edge of a blade

  wiping carried by the wiper and the face facing

  shutter screw; - In the retracted position, the wiper is in abutment against a stop formed on the control wing; - Provision is made for damping means arranged between said sheet and the face opposite the flap; - in the closed position of the flap, the longitudinal edge of the free end of the latter extends in

  look of an edge of the bodywork element.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention

  tion will appear on reading the detailed description

  which will follow for the understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which:

  - Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view

  tive of the front part of a motor vehicle whose windshield is equipped with a wiping device produced in accordance with the teachings of the invention; - Figure 2 is a schematic sectional view along line 2-2 of Figure 1, and on a larger scale, which illustrates the flap in the open position and the wiper in an angular wiping position; - Figure 3 is a view similar to that of Figure 2 which illustrates the shutter in the closed position and the wiper retracted in the parking position in its protective housing; and - Figures 4 and 5 are views similar to those of Figures 2 and 3 which illustrate a second embodiment of a wiper device according to

teachings of the invention.

  We recognize in Figure 1 a motor vehicle 10 having a windshield 12 whose lower edge 14 equipped with a seal 16 extends above the canopy plate 18 which partially defines the engine compartment. The engine compartment is also closed by an articulated cover 20, the rear transverse edge 22 of which extends above the canopy plate 18 delimiting with the latter, as illustrated in particular in

Figures 2 and 3, a housing 24.

  The windscreen 12 is wiped by means of two opposing wipers 26, each of which comprises a wiper arm 28 rotatably mounted on a drive shaft 29 which is arranged in the housing 24 in the vicinity of one of the lateral ends of the windshield 12. Each wiper arm 28 carries a wiper blade 30 which hingedly supports a

wiper blade 32.

  As can be seen in Figure 2, the plate

  or awning grille 18 extends partly under the screen

  breeze 12 and, in the vicinity of its inner end edge 34 by a portion 36 folded down substantially at a right angle, the free edge 38 of which carries a seal 40 with

  which cooperates with a sheet 42 for covering the cover 20.

  As can be seen in Figures 2 and 3, there is provided a plate-shaped flap 44 which is mounted

  pivoting around an X-X axis on the canopy plate 18.

  In its open position illustrated in FIG. 2, the plate-shaped flap 44 follows the profile of the canopy plate 18 on which it is supported under the action of a return spring 46 which, in this mode of realization, is a spiral spring mounted around the axis

hinge 44.

  The flap 44 is capable of pivoting between its open position illustrated in FIG. 2 in which the housing 24 has an opening defined by the edge 22 of the cover 20 and by the seal 16 which equips the lower edge 14 of the windshield 12, and a closed position illustrated in FIG. 3 in which the flap 44 closes

housing 24.

  In this closed position, the free end edge 48 of the flap 44 extends slightly below the edge

22 of cover 20.

  According to the invention, and in order to cause the flap 44 to pivot about the axis XX, the latter comprises a control wing 50 which, in this embodiment, is made integrally with the flap 44. L control wing 50 is a plate-shaped part which extends transversely to the general plane of the closing flap 44 at an angle

  substantially equal to 90 relative to the plane of the flap 44.

  In the open position of the flap 44, the control wing 50 has a control face 52 which extends transversely opposite the lower edge 14, 16 of the windshield 12 and with which the wiper 26 is

likely to cooperate.

  According to the first embodiment illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, and as can be seen in Figure 3, when the wiper 26 is in the storage position, also called the parking position, inside the housing 24 , the lower wiping edge of the wiper blade 32 in the form of an inverted arrow bears against the face 52 of the control wing 50 of the flap 44, so as to maintain the latter in its closed position,

  against the return force exerted by the spring 46.

  The closed position of the flap 44 is defined by the cooperation of the face 54 of the control wing, that opposite to the face 52, with a portion of abutment surface

  formed opposite in the awning plate 18.

  In normal operation of the wipers 26, they perform an alternating sweep of the windshield 12 and the wipers 26 are always located outside of the housing 24 which is open, the closing flap 44 being resiliently returned to its position. open illustrated

in figure 2.

  When the driver decides to stop the operation of the wipers, these are recalled by the control circuit to an angular parking position in which they are retracted into the housing 24. During this pivoting movement leading to the retraction of the wipers 26 in the housing 24, the wiper blade 32 of one of the wiper arms 30 cooperates with the face 52 of the control wing 50 which extends transversely in the housing 24 to cause the pivoting, in the anti-clockwise direction when considering FIG. 2, of the flap 44 from its open position illustrated in FIG. 2 to its closed position illustrated in FIG. 3 in which it is kept due to the pressure exerted by the wiper 26 on the

  face 52 of the control wing 50 of the flap 44.

  The closure of the flap 44 for the protection of the wipers 26 in the retracted position is therefore caused automatically and mechanically by one of the wipers 26 without any additional intervention from the driver and without using a

  additional electromagnetic control.

  When the driver decides to use again

  windscreen wipers, drive control circuit

  rotation of the wipers causes them to rotate from the retracted position to a service position

  in which they extend opposite the windshield 12.

  This rotation has the effect of moving the wipers 26 out of the housing 24, substantially from the left to the right by considering FIG. 3, movement during which the wiper blade 32 leaves the face 52 of the control wing. 50 then passes over the face 45 of the flap 44, the latter being returned simultaneously elastically to its open position

illustrated in figure 2.

  We will now describe the second embodiment illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 in which components identical or similar to those described with reference to Figures 2 and 3 are designated by the same

reference figures.

  As can be seen in FIG. 5, in the closed position of the flap 44, the lower edge 33 of the wiping blade 32 is no longer pressing against the face 52

  facing the control wing 50 of the flap 44.

  To this end, the face 52 is provided with a wedge 58 formed in relief on the face 52 and against the upper edge 60 of which is supported a lug 62 connected

  wiper blade 30 or wiper arm 28.

  The wedge 58 has an inclined ramp 64 which makes it possible to facilitate the mounting of the tab 62 on the wedge 58. When the wipers stop, at least one wiper cooperates by its wiping blade 32 with the facing the control wing 50 for

  cause the flap 44 to pivot in the anti-direction

  schedule considering figure 4 then the tab 62 comes into contact with the ramp 64 until it comes into abutment on the upper face 60 of the wedge 58 as is

illustrated in figure 5.

  In this second embodiment, damping blocks 66 are also provided, arranged in complementary housings 68 of the canopy plate 18 which are capable of cooperating with the face opposite 43 of the flap 44 when the latter is in the open position as

this is illustrated in Figure 4.

  The damping blocks 66 limit the noise harmful to passenger comfort when the flap 44 is opened and in the event of vibration in pivoting of the flap 44 against the force exerted by the return spring.

46 when the vehicle is running.

  Also shown in Figures 4 and 5 an alternative embodiment of the part 70 of the canopy plate 18 which receives the seal 16 and the edge

lower 14 of the windscreen 12.

  According to this modification, the part 70 comprises a ramp-shaped profile 72 which facilitates the passage of the wiping blade 32 to approach the canopy plate 18, the

  flap 44 and the face 52 of the control wing 50.

Claims (12)

  1. Wiper device for wiping a window (12) of a motor vehicle (10), in particular a windshield, of the type comprising at least one wiper (26) mounted on a drive shaft (29) located in a housing (24) arranged along one of the edges (14, 16) of the window (12) and which is delimited by a structural element (18) of the body of the vehicle and by a body element (20, 22) of the vehicle so as to have an opening which extends along the edge (14, 16) of the window (12), of the type comprising a closing flap (44) of the housing (24) which is articulated between an open position in which an opening (24) is cleared for   allow alternating rotational movement of the wiper   glass (26), in particular with a view to stopping it in a   parking position in which it extends longitudinally   LEMENT in the housing (24) outside the surface of the window to be wiped (12), and a closed position in which the flap (44) closes the housing (24) inside which the wiper is retracted in the parking position, and of the type comprising means for controlling the pivoting of the flap (44) about an axis (XX) substantially parallel to the edge (14) of the window (12), characterized in that the control means have a control finger (50) which projects relative to the general plane of the flap (44) and with which the wiper (26) is capable of cooperating to cause the flap (44) to pivot.   open position to its closed position when the wiper   glass enters the housing (24).   2. A wiper device according to claim 1, characterized in that the structural element (18) of the vehicle body is a plate which extends in the extension of the edge (14, 16) of the window to be wiped (12) and against which the flap is in abutment open position.   3. Wiper device according to claim   ation 2, characterized in that the flap (44) is resiliently returned (46) to its open position. 4. Wiper device according to one of the   claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the axis   of articulation (X-X) of the flap (44) is adjacent to   the structural element (18) of the vehicle body.   5. A wiper device according to claim 4, characterized in that, in the retracted position of the wiper (26), the flap (44) is held in the closed position, against its means   elastic return (46), by the wiper (26).   6. Wiper device according to one   any of the preceding claims, characterized in   that the control finger (50) is produced in the form of a wing (50) of the flap (44) which extends transversely in a plane parallel to the pivot axis (X-X) of the flap (44).   7. Wiper device according to claim 6 taken in combination with claim, characterized in that, in the retracted position of the wiper (26), the wiper is supported on the wing control (50, 52).   8. A wiper device according to claim 7, characterized in that, in the retracted position of the wiper, a wiper blade (32) carried by the wiper (26) is supported on a face (52) of the control wing (50).   9. A wiper device according to claim 7, characterized in that, in the retracted position of the wiper (26), there is a clearance between the edge (33) of wiping a blade wiping (32) carried by the wiper (26) and the opposite face (52) of   the flap control wing (50) (54).   10. Wiper device according to the claim   tion 9, characterized in that, in the retracted position, the wiper is in abutment against a stop (58, 60)   formed on the control wing (50).   11. Wiper device according to the claim   tion 2, characterized in that damping means (66) are provided arranged between said sheet (18) and the face opposite (43) of the flap (44).   12. Wiper device according to any one   as in the preceding claims, characterized in that,   in the closed position of the flap (44), the longitudinal edge of the free end of the latter extends opposite a   edge 22 of the bodywork element (20).