FR2776605A1 - Windscreen wiper bearing support and method of production - Google Patents

Abstract

The wiper system consists of a through beam (12), fixed to the vehicle and carrying a guide bearing for the drive shaft. The beam includes a plate section (18) with an opening (22) for the perpendicular passage of the tubular bearing body (16). The tube is fixed to the plate by a radial collar (24), which bears axially against the primary face (26) of the plate, and by a second radial collar (28), which bears on the second face (30) of the plate.

Description

The invention relates to a wiping system comprising a guide bearing

  and methods of making a radial collar on a

guide bearing.

  The invention relates more particularly to a wiping system for a motor vehicle of the type comprising a cross member which is fixed to the vehicle and which in particular carries a guide bearing

  of a drive shaft of a wiper.

  In such a wiping system, the drive shaft of a wiper is generally mounted to rotate, by means of two rings with a low coefficient of friction, in a cylindrical bore formed in a bearing body which is fixed relative to the

vehicle body.

  The cross member generally connects the two guide bearings of each of the two drive shafts of two wipers of the vehicle. The crossmember can also support a gearmotor group which drives the wiper drive shaft in a movement of

  rotary sweep, thanks to a linkage.

  In some wiping systems, the guide bearing is

  fixed directly to the vehicle body.

  In others, the bearing is fixed on the cross-member, which allows

  in particular to realize the wiping system in the form of a sub-

  autonomous assembly that it is possible to pre-assemble before mounting on the vehicle, the fixing of the system on the vehicle then being ensured in a simple and rapid manner by a reduced number

fasteners.

  The cross-member is generally produced in the form of a tubular element, most often of circular section, so as to be at the same time sufficiently light, rigid, easily realizable and put

in action.

  As a result, the various means which have been proposed for securing the bearing to the cross member, in which the bearing generally comprises a stump which extends inside one of the ends of the cross member, are generally relatively complex as to the shape of the pieces involved and as to the realization of

The assembly itself.

  The object of the invention is therefore to propose a new design for a wiping system in which the bearings of

  guides are simply and reliably attached to the crossmember.

  To this end, the invention provides a wiping system of the type described above, characterized in that the cross member has a section in the form of a plate element which is pierced with an orifice for the passage of a bearing body. tubular with an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of the plate element, and in that the bearing is fixed to the plate element by a first external radial collar which comes to bear axially against a first face of the plate element and by a second external radial collar which is produced by deformation of the bearing body and which bears against a second

l0 face of the plate element.

  According to other characteristics of the invention - the first radial collar of the bearing body is produced by deformation; The plate element of the cross member is produced by engaging, inside the cross member, at the level of a section intended to form a plate element, a tubular sleeve whose length is substantially equal to the length of the section and whose external diameter is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the cross member, and by radially deforming the section and the sleeve by crushing in a radial direction so as to conform them according to a plate element. The invention also provides a method of producing an external radial collar on a tubular body of a guide bearing of a wiper drive shaft of a motor vehicle, characterized in that, on both sides 'other than a zone for forming the external radial collar, the tubular bearing body comprises two end sections whose tubular wall is clamped radially between a tool and a counter-tool so that the clamping ensures an axial immobilization of the two sections, and the tool and the counter-tool are brought together axially so that the collar formation area is deformed

radially outward.

  The invention also proposes a method for producing a second external radial collar on a tubular body of a guide bearing of a windscreen wiper drive shaft of a motor vehicle, the bearing body comprising a first collar external radial and extending through a plate element, characterized in that, the first radial collar being in abutment against a first face of the plate element, an end section of the tubular bearing body, with the opposite of the first radial collar relative to the plate element, is clamped radially by a tool against a counter-tool so that the clamping ensures an axial immobilization of the section, and the tool and the counter-tool are brought together axially in the direction of the second face of the plate element so that a zone for forming the second flange, lying between the end section and the

  first radial collar, deforms radially outwards.

  Other characteristics and advantages of the invention

  will appear on reading the following detailed description for the

  understanding of which reference will be made to the appended drawings in which: - Figures 1 to 3 illustrate three phases of production and mounting of the bearing assembly on a crosspiece in accordance with the teachings of the invention; and - Figures 4 to 7 illustrate four steps of a method of producing, on an initially tubular bearing body, a collar

  external radial intended to ensure the fixing of the bearing on the cross-member.

  Illustrated in Figures 1 to 3 a longitudinal end

  of a cross member 12 of a motor vehicle wiping system.

  The longitudinal end 10 is, in the embodiment illustrated in the figures, intended on the one hand to allow fixing of the cross member 12 on the vehicle body and, on the other hand, to carry a bearing

  guide 14 of a drive shaft (not shown) of a wiper

vehicle glass.

  According to the principle of the invention, the guide bearing 14 comprises a bearing body 16 which is intended to be received through an orifice 22 of corresponding diameter arranged in a plate element 18 integral with the cross member 12, I ' axis A2 of the bearing body 16 being substantially perpendicular to the general longitudinal axis A1 of the

  cross 12 and in the general plane of the plate element 18.

  According to one aspect of the invention, the plate element 18 integral with the cross member 12 is produced by plastic deformation of the end 10 of the cross member 12. More specifically, the end 10 of the cross member 12 is flattened radially along the direction of the axis A2 of the bearing body 14. To increase the resistance of the plate element 18, provision has been made to reinforce it by engaging in the cross-member 12, before it is crushed as illustrated in FIG. Figure 1, a reinforcing sleeve 20 which is received inside the longitudinal end 10 of

cross 12.

  In the exemplary embodiment, the cross member 12 and the reinforcing sleeve 20 are tubular of circular section, but it is also possible to envisage applying the teachings of the invention in the case of a

  tubular cross member of square or polygonal section.

  Of course, the outside diameter of the reinforcing sleeve 20

  is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the cross member 12.

  Once the sleeve 20 is in place, it then suffices to crush the end 10 of the cross-member 12 radially until two initially diametrically opposite points of the sleeve 20 come into contact with one another. The deformation carried out is of plastic type, that is to say

  permanent, and it is carried out for example using a press.

  Thus, the crosspiece 10 is provided with an end section which is flattened in the form of a plate element 18 having two opposite substantially parallel side faces 26, 30 and delimited by two

opposite longitudinal edges.

  The reinforcing action of the sleeve 20 is partly due to the inherent mechanical resistance of the sleeve. However, moreover, it can be seen in FIG. 2 that the presence of the reinforcing sleeve 20 makes it possible to limit the rate of deformation of the material constituting the cross member 12, in particular at the level of the longitudinal edges of the section in the form of a plate element which have here a sufficiently large radius of curvature to avoid any local overshoot of the limit

deformation of the material.

  Furthermore, the presence of the reinforcing sleeve 16 also makes it possible to increase, thanks to the sandwich effect, the resistance to

  bending of the section in the form of a plate element 18.

  In the plate element 18 thus formed, there is arranged

  the orifice 22 for the passage of the bearing body 16.

  The bearing body 16 is in the form of a tubular element of revolution of axis A2 and it is provided with a first external radial collar 24 which is intended to come to bear in the direction of the axis A2

  against a first 26 of the lateral faces of the plate element 18.

  In accordance with the teachings of the invention, and as can be seen in FIG. 3, the fixing of the bearing body 16 on the plate element 18 is completed by the formation of a second external radial collar 28 which is produced by deformation of the bearing body 16 and which comes to bear against the second lateral face 30 of the plate element 18, the latter thus being clamped between the two collars 24, 28. This

  fixing method is therefore akin to crimping.

  Four steps have been illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 7 illustrating a method for producing an external radial collar making it possible to produce

  one or other of the collars 24, 28 of the bearing body 16.

  Starting for example from a tube initially devoid of an external radial collar, as shown in FIG. 4, a counter-tool 36 in the form of a cylinder is engaged in each of the axial end sections 32, 34 of the tube. revolution of the same diameter as the inside diameter of the bearing body 16. Two clamping tools 38 are engaged around the bearing body 16, each at a counter-tool 36, 10 to tighten the body of the bearing radially inward. level 16 against

counter tool 36.

  Of course, by simple mechanical reversal, it is possible to use a tool / counter-tool assembly in which the tool is arranged inside the cross-member 12 and the counter-tool outside, the clamping of

  The tool then being exerted radially outwards.

  Between the two tools 38, but also between the two counter

  tools 36, an axial space has been left which delimits, in the bearing body 16, an area 40 of the bearing body 16 which is intended to form

an external radial collar.

  As can be seen in FIG. 6, the two tools 38, and therefore the two counter-tools 36, are then brought together axially from one another. The two end sections 32, 34 of the bearing body 16 being each made integral with a tool 38 / counter-tool 36 assembly due to the clamping force, the two sections 32, 34 approach one of I other, which causes crushing of the area 40 of the bearing body 16, which deforms radially outward to form a

  external radial collar as shown in FIG. 7.

  To ensure that the material deforms well radially outward, provision may be made, at the level of the formation zone 40 of the radial collar, either for a preforming or for a primer

  folding made in the form of an annular notch.

  In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, it can be seen that the two radial collars 24, 26 are produced in the same way by deformation of an initially rectilinear tube. However, it can also be provided that the first external radial collar 24 is produced in the form of an insert or that the bearing body 16 is produced for example by molding, the first collar 24 then being produced

come from material by molding.

  For the production of the second external collar 28, it is possible either to use the same method which has just been described, or on the contrary to use only a single tool 38 / counter-tool 36 assembly, the bearing 24 being held in place by simple tightening, in the direction of the axis A2, of the first collar 24 against the first face 26 of the plate element 18. The end 10 of the cross member 12 in the form of a plate element 18 also has a housing 42 which is for example intended to receive a damping block (not shown) by which the cross member 12

  is likely to be attached to the body of the motor vehicle.

  o10 The method of fixing the bearing housing is therefore particularly reliable and economical insofar as it does not require any specific element. It is advantageously combined with the production of a plate element by radial crushing of a section of the cross member, in particular with the presence of an internal reinforcement of this plate element which makes it possible to reconcile a great saving in construction with a mechanical resistance. sufficient to absorb the forces that appear during the deformation of the bearing housing to

form the second collar 28.

Claims (5)

  1. Wiping system for a motor vehicle, of the type comprising a cross member (12) which is fixed to the vehicle and which in particular carries a guide bearing (14) of a drive shaft of a wiper, characterized in that the cross-member (12) has a section (18) in the form of a plate element which is pierced with an orifice (22) for the passage of a tubular bearing body (16) with an axis (A2) substantially l0 perpendicular to the plane of the plate element (18), and in that the bearing (14) is fixed to the plate element (18) by a first external radial collar (24) which bears axially against a first face (26) of the plate element (18) and by a second external radial collar (28) which is produced by deformation of the bearing body (16) and which bears against a second face (30) of the plate element (18). 2. Wiping system according to claim 1, characterized in that the first radial collar (24) of the bearing body (16) is produced by deformation.   3. Wiping system according to any one of   previous claims, characterized in that the plate element   (18) of the cross-member (12) is produced by: - engaging, inside the cross-member (12), at the level of a section (10) intended to form a plate element (18), a tubular sleeve (20) whose length is substantially equal to the length of the section (10) and whose external diameter is substantially equal to the internal diameter of the crosspiece (12), and by radially deforming the section (10) and the sleeve (20) by crushing in a radial direction so as to conform them according to a plate element (18).   4. Method for producing an external radial collar (24, 28) on a tubular body (16) of a guide bearing (14) of a motor vehicle windscreen wiper drive shaft, characterized in that, on either side of a formation zone (40) of the external radial collar (24, 28), the tubular bearing body (16) comprises two end sections (32, 34) whose wall tubular is clamped radially between a tool (38) and a counter tool (36) so that the clamping ensures an axial immobilization of the two sections (32, 34), and in that the tool (38) and the counter tool (36) are brought together axially so that the area of   formation (40) of the collar (24, 28) deforms radially outwards.   5. Method for producing a second external radial collar (28) on a tubular body (16) of a guide bearing (14) of a motor vehicle windscreen wiper drive shaft, the body of bearing (16) comprising a first external radial collar (24) and extending through a plate element (18), characterized in that, the first radial collar (24) being in abutment against a first face (26 ) of the plate element (18), an end section (34) of the tubular bearing body (16), opposite the first radial collar (24) relative to the plate element (18) , is clamped radially by a tool (38) against a counter-tool (36) so that the clamping ensures an axial immobilization of the section (34), and in that the tool (38) and the counter-tool (36 ) are brought together axially in the direction of the second face (30) of the plate element (18) so that a zone for forming the second collar (28), included between the end section (34) and the first radial flange   (24), deforms radially outwards.