FR2806993A1 - Vehicle windscreen wiper comprises scraper blade carried by windscreen wiper blade support mounted to move perpendicular to wiping direction between top retracted and bottom cleaning positions - Google Patents

Abstract

Scraper blade (20) is carried by a support structure (36) belonging to the wiper blade (28). Scraper blade whose lower part is in a rigid material is mounted to move relative to the support in a direction perpendicular to the wiping direction and to the blade longitudinal direction between a top retracted position and a bottom cleaning position. Hydraulic control actuator (40) displaces the scraper blade between its top and bottom positions.

Description

The present invention relates to an arrangement for cleaning a vehicle window by moving a blade in an alternating scanning movement a blade for cleaning a window of a motor vehicle.

The invention more particularly relates to an arrangement comprising a blade intended to be associated with a wiper mechanism for cleaning a window by moving the cleaning blade in an alternating scanning movement in a direction which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the generally elongated blade body and i is generally parallel to the plane of the window surface to be wiped.

driving in the best conditions safety requires for the driver to have the best possible visibility and it is necessary for this purpose that different windows or windows of the vehicle, including the windshield I rear window, are the cleanest possible.

In order to ensure the cleanliness of the windows, it is known to arrange one or more windscreen wiper mechanisms which each cause alternating scanning a wiper blade flexible elastomer material whose essential function is to remove the liquids present at the outer surface of the window to be wiped, including rain, to ensure good visibility weather case. Such a flexible wiper blade makes it possible to remove snowflakes or other elements from the surface of the window, and in particular dirt, which is only deposited on the surface, that is to say which adhere to it too strongly.

When the outer surface of a window to be wiped covered with deposits, of different natures, which are generally glued elements or which adhere to the surface, the vi or several flexible blades of wiping are most often ineffective for cleaning the glass, that is to say, to "take off" these elements from the surface of the window and to evacuate them in a non-annoying area for the driver.

In order to solve this problem, it has already been proposed to associate with the wiper blade at least one wiper blade in one or more sections, of the type in which at least the lower part of the blade is made of rigid or semi-rigid material. rigid to remove from the surface of solid bodies that adhere to it.

The invention aims to propose a new design arrangement comprising such a cleaning blade to obtain a perfectly effective cleaning of the window.

For this purpose, the invention proposes an arrangement for cleaning a vehicle window by moving a blade in an alternating sweeping movement, in a direction is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the generally elongate body of the blade and which is parallel to the plane of the surface of the window to be wiped, in which type the blade is carried by a structural support member belonging to a wiper blade or a wiper arm, and of the type in which the blade is a scraping blade of which at least the lower part is made of rigid or semi-rigid material to remove adhering solid bodies from the surface, the scraping blade is mounted movable relative to the support element, generally according to a direction perpendicular to the scanning direction and the longitudinal blade direction, between a retracted high position and a low cleaning position, and that means are provided ns control movement of the blade between its two high and low positions.

According to other features of the invention - the control means comprise at least one hydraulic control cylinder; the pressurized liquid which supplies the control chamber of the hydraulic cylinder is liquid washing the window to be wiped; - The cylinder comprises a cylinder body is carried by the support structural member and a sliding piston which ige carries the scraping blade at its lower free end; - The jack comprises a cylinder body which carries the scraping blade at its lower free end, and a sliding piston, a rod is carried by the structural support member; - A return spring of the scraping blade towards its high retracted is high is interposed between the cylinder body and piston; - The cylinder body comprises a side wall which defines the control chamber of the cylinder and which comprises at least one lateral hole which communicates with the control chamber when the piston reaches a predetermined axial position to form a spray orifice washing liquid The piston rod comprises a spray channel whose upper end communicates with the control chamber and the lower end of which is connected to a spraying orifice of liquid for washing the glass pane. wipe ; - The scraping blade is slidably mounted relative to the structural element support; the scraping blade is pivotally mounted relative to the supporting structural element, about a longitudinal axis, and in that said control means cause the scraping blade to pivot between a high angular position in which an active zone of the blade in the retracted position, and a low position in which said active zone is in contact with the surface of the pane; - The control means comprise at least two analog control cylinders operating in parallel; - The control actuators bodies can be slidably mounted relative to the structural support member in a plane generally parallel to the longitudinal direction (L) of the scraping blade and the scanning direction; means for damping the movements of the control cylinders with respect to the structural support element are provided; said damping means comprise at least one hydraulic damper; - The hydraulic damper comprises a pressure chamber is fed with washing liquid under pressure; - Cylinder body, or the piston rod is an attached element i is fixed, in particular by elastic interlocking, on the structural support member; - Cylinder body, or the piston rod is an element that is made of material with the support structural element; - supply pipe of the control chamber of the cylinder is a reported flexible pipe; - supply pipe of the control chamber of the jack is integrated at least in part in the structural support member; - scraping blade is a longitudinal profiled section which comprises at least one upper longitudinal groove in which is received the lower free end portion complementary shape of the piston rod; - The support structural element is a wiper accessory, including an aerodynamic baffle and / or a spray bar of the window wipe liquid wash; the lower free end of the aspersi channel is connected to a network of spraying passages formed in the scraping blade and each of which opens outwards through a spraying orifice in liquid from washing the glass to be wiped.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description which follows for the understanding of which reference will be made to the accompanying drawings, in which - FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view which represents a first embodiment of FIG. an arrangement of a scraping and scraping blade according to the invention which is shown in a raised position; - Figure 2 is a view similar to that of Figure 1 on which the scraping blade is shown in the active down position; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a section of the scraping blade and its connecting means with jack rods; - Figures 4 and 5 are views on a larger scale which illustrate two control cylinder design variants associated scraping blade; FIGS. 6 and 7 are two views similar to those of FIGS. 4 which further illustrate another variant of the scraping blade design and means for controlling its displacements, the blade being illustrated respectively in the low-high position on these two figures; - Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view which illustrates another arrangement according to the invention according to which the cylinders are mounted transversely movable; - Figures 9 and 10 are two cross sectional views the arrangement of Figure 8 in which the cylinder 40 shown in two different transverse positions; - Figures 11 and 12 are two partial perspective views which illustrate another embodiment of the invention and the integration of the invention in a wiper blade.

In the following description, identical, similar or analogous components will be designated by the same reference letters.

non-limiting title, and to facilitate understanding of the description and claims, we use the terms top, vertical, horizontal, upper, lower, etc., with reference to the figures.

FIGS. 1 to 3 show a blade 20 for cleaning, scraping and scraping, which is intended to clean the outer surface 22 of a window 24 shown in silhouette in FIGS.

In its illustrated design, without limitation, to Figures 3, the scraping blade or scraper 20 is in the form of an extruded profile section which extends in a longitudinal direction L which is generally parallel to the upper face 22 of the window 24 and perpendicular to direction B alternating scanning of the windscreen wiper (not shown).

For example, the scraper blade 20 has two opposite rigid transverse edges 26 for scraping and scraping, and here it is associated with a "conventional" flexible cleaning blade 28 i which includes an upper fixing mounting heel 30 and an active lower part 32 in the form of a scraper. an inverted arrow which, when the windscreen wiper is in operation as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, is permanently in contact with the face 22 of the window 24 by its lower edge which is the cleaning edge.

According to the principle of the invention, scraping blade 20 is mounted vertically movable, in both directions, in a direction V between its upper position, retracted or retracted, illustrated in Figure 1 and an active low position shown in Figure 2 in which the scraping blade 20 cooperates with the face 22 of the pane 24 in order to scrape it.

V direction of displacement of the scraping blade 20 is generally perpendicular to the plane of the upper face 22 of the pane 24, and is therefore perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L of the blade 20 and the direction of alternating scanning blade 20 is generally mounted mobile report to a structural support member 36 which is here shown in cross-section in FIGS. 1 and 2 in the form of a rigid molded plastic part, the right part of which, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, supports the upper bead 30 of the cleaning blade 28 and whose left part comprises connecting and fixing means 38, here by elastic interlocking, for mounting and fixing one or more hydraulic jacks 40 for controlling the blade movements 20.

Only cylinder 40 is shown in the figures will now be described in detail, but it is of course desirable to provide several cylinders, including at least one pair of cylinders.

However, as a variant, it is possible to provide a single jack for controlling the movements of the scraping blade 20 and to provide complementary means (not shown) for vertical sliding guide sliding blade 20 with respect to the structural element of FIG. support 36.

The jack 40 comprises a cylinder cylindrical body 42, which is here made in two upper lower 44 parts 46, of general vertical axis A. The body 22 defines a hydraulic control chamber 48, which is here an upper chamber which connected a pipe flexible 50 to a source of pressurized liquid (not shown) so as to control laces of a cylinder piston 52 which is slidably mounted in both directions in the chamber 48.

The jack 52 is extended at its lower face with a rod projecting axially downwardly from the lower part 46 of the body 42 of the jack 40 so that its lower free end 56 located outside the jack is connected to the scraping blade 20. .

FIG. 3 schematically shows a detailed design of the scraping blade 20 showing how can be ensured the connection in vertical translation between the rod of the jack 40 and the scraping blade 20.

For this purpose, the upper part of the scraper blade 20, is in the form of an extruded profile, has a longitudinal groove 58 which opens vertically upwards in the bottom 60 of which can be positioned a reinforcing vertebra 62.

Above the vertebra 62, which is shown in an exploded position in FIG. 3, the groove 58 comprises two opposite longitudinal notches 64 which can receive the lower free end 56 of the rod 54 which is in the form of a collar of complementary dimension which can be introduced longitudinally into opposite slots or notches 64.

Thus, in the assembled position, the flanges 56 vertically hold the reinforcing vertebra 62 in the bottom 60 in the groove 58 and ensure the connection in vertical translation of the scraping blade 20 with the rod 54. In order to resiliently return the blade 20 to its high position, the cylinder 40 comprises a coil spring 66 which is mounted compressed between the lower face of the piston and the bottom of the body 42 so as to elastically bias the piston 52 upwards.

The side wall 43 of the body 42 of the jack 40 comprises a series of radial holes 68, which face each other in a direction parallel to the longitudinal plane of the scraper and which are formed at the connection between the upper and lower portions 46 of the body 42, which are as many orifices for spraying the glass by the washing liquid.

Indeed, according to a feature of the invention, pressurized liquid which feeds the control chamber is the washing liquid of the window to be wiped.

This feature is particularly advantageous insofar as it allows the use of the arrangement according to the invention on a vehicle which is already equipped with a wiper assembly of conventional design including in particular a liquid spraying circuit. washing under pressure window to wipe.

It is therefore sufficient to connect the circuit to the pipe for firstly, when it is desired to wash the window 24, power the cylinder or cylinders 40 so as to cause the output of the scraper blade 20 and, on the other hand, simultaneously spray washing liquid on the glass.

In order not to brake the piston 52 in displacements, the lower part of the inner chamber of the "in" is connected to the open air by a hole 70.

The effect of projection or spraying is illustrated in FIG. 2 on which it can be seen that, beyond a determined stroke of the piston 52, preferably corresponding to the maximum stroke necessary to bring the scraping blade 20 into contact with each other. with the upper face 22 of the window 24, the piston is located vertically below the holes 68 which are then in communication with the chamber 48 and which constitute orifices for spraying the window.

In that the scraping blade 20 carried by the jacks 40 associated with the structural support element 36 which is driven alternating sweeping movement all of the two cleaning blades 28 and scraping simultaneously participates in the cleaning of the window 24, with more here a liquid projection.

The design according to the invention using one or more hydraulic cylinders requires no additional energy source other than that provided for the washing liquid spraying circuit.

The size of the jacks 40 is particularly small and their assembly can be easily achieved by means of resilient interlocking means 38.

According to a general variant, not shown, it is of course possible to reverse the arrangement of the cylinder body and the piston, that is to say to associate the cylinder body with the scraping blade 20 to associate the piston rod to the structural support member 36.

FIG. 4 shows a first variarite embodiment 40 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

In this variant, the projection of the washing liquid on the glass is performed more advantageously near the latter.

Indeed, the body of the rod 54 comprises a central axial spray channel 72 whose upper end 74 communicates with the chamber 48 filled with pressurized liquid and whose lower free end 76 is connected to two lateral orifices 78 constituting spray nozzles of the window. This arrangement therefore makes it possible to bring the sprinkling points closer to the window, and thus to improve the efficiency of the sprinkling. note further that the spraying by the liquid is immediate the pressurization of the chamber 48, that is to say that it is not necessary that the scraping blade 20 reaches its low active scraping position.

According to another variant shown in FIG. 5, the lower end 76 of the spray channel 72 is connected to a network of passages or conduits 80 for spraying formed directly in the body of the scraping blade 20 and open at their ends. free by side spray ports 88.

Figures 6 and 7 illustrate another scraping blade design 20 and its displacement between its two extreme high positions shown in Figure 6 and low shown in Figure 7.

blade 20 here comprises a single active longitudinal edge and it is generally pivotally mounted relative to the cylinder body about a horizontal pivot axis P which is parallel to the longitudinal direction L, and which is perpendicular to the scanning direction B.

The lower end 56 of the rod 54 of the piston 52 carries a horizontal driving finger 82, pivoting in two directions about the axis P, of the blade 20 which is received in light 84 formed for this purpose in the body. of blade 20.

As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 6 and 7, finds that the active right part 26 of the scraping blade 20, opposite its left articulation part, is generally mounted vertically movable, under the action of the jack 40 between high retracted position and an active low position.

The variant of arrangement illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 10 will now be described according to which the body 42 of each cylinder is mounted transversely movable, in a direction T is parallel to the plane of the upper face 22 of the window to be wiped and parallel to the direction of sweep B.

Indeed, each body 42 is slidably mounted transversely on two rails or slides 86 which are carried here the structural support element 36.

body 42 is integral with a transverse rod 90 is connected to a piston 92 which is slidably mounted in the internal pressure chamber 94 of a hydraulic damper cylinder 96 which is connected to the same source of liquid under pressure as the pipe 50 supply of the jack 40.

Thanks to its sliding assembly, each cylinder can thus occupy two distinct and opposite lateral positions illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the damper 96 constituting a hydraulic damper for the transverse displacements of cylinder 40 with respect to the structural element 36.

The operation of the arrangement illustrated in Figures 8 to 10 is as follows.

When, under the effect of the alternating scanning movement in the direction B, the edge 26 of the scraping blade reaches a dirt 98 which is particularly adherent to surface 22, and which is therefore difficult to remove by scraping, blade 20 butte on dirt and it back transversely in the direction with the cylinders 40 (from the right to the left considering FIGS. 9 and 10), to occupy the position shown in FIG. 9. Under the driving effect the windscreen wiper, the assembly will then advance at once with an acceleration of the scraper blade due to filling the rear pressure chamber 94 in liquid under pressure. The dampers 96 thus act as push dampers and they animate the blade 20 in an oscillation movement in the transverse direction by allowing repeated passage of the scraping blade at the same place to remove the dirt 98.

As schematically represented in FIGS. 9 and 10, it can be seen that the support structural element may be an aerodynamic deflector shaped for this purpose.

The integration of the scraper blade 20 with its control means into a wiper blade 100 is illustrated, by way of example, in FIGS. 11 and 12.

As can be seen in these figures, the body of the scraping blade 20 is carried by two rods 54 belonging to cylinders (not shown in detail) whose bodies are made integrally by molding with the body of the structural element. 36 which is here an aerodynamic deflector carried by the articulated structure 102 of the brush 100 which carries the cleaning blade 28.

The aerodynamic profile of the body of the scraper blade 20 is complementary to the profile of the baffle 36 in the high rest position, the assembly constitutes a complete deflector ".

As schematically illustrated in FIG. 11, the underside of the scraping blade 20 has a series of teeth or scraping edges 26.

As can be seen in FIG. 12, the aerodynamic deflector 36 comprises means 106 for mounting it to the articulated wiper 100, 102 and includes a connection 104 for connecting it to the pipes (not shown) for feeding the jacks. control of the scraper blade 20, the body of the aerodynamic baffle 36 may itself comprise internal passages or channels to bring the liquid at the connector 104 while being connected to a general pipe carried by the wiper arm (not shown) The invention is limited to the modes and variants of embodiments that have just been described.

The scraping blade may in particular be carried by a structural element consisting of a spray bar or be carried directly by a portion of a wiper arm.

Claims (1)

<U> CLAIMS </ U> An arrangement for cleaning a vehicle window (24) by moving a blade (20) in an alternating scanning movement in a direction (B) which is substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (L) of the body (20). ) of generally elongate shape of the blade (20) and generally parallel to the plane of the surface (22) of the wiping glass (24), of the type in which the blade (20) is carried a structural support member (36) belonging to a wiper blade or a wiper arm, and of the type in which the blade is a scraping blade of which at least the lower part (26) is of rigid or semi-rigid material to remove the surface of solid bodies adhering thereto, characterized in that the scraping blade (20) is movably mounted relative to the support member (36), generally in a direction (V) perpendicular to the scanning direction (B) and at the longitudinal direction (L) of the blade (20), between a retracted high position e and a low cleaning position, and in that means (40) are provided which control movements of the blade (20) between its two high and low positions. Arrangement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the control means (40) comprise at least one hydraulic control cylinder. Arrangement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the pressurized liquid feeds the control chamber (48) of the hydraulic cylinder (40) is washing liquid of the window to be wiped. Arrangement according to one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that the jack comprises a jack body (42) carried by the structural member (36) support and a sliding piston (52) having a rod (54) the scraper blade (20) at its lower free end (56). 5. Arrangement according to one of claims 2 or characterized in that the cylinder (40) comprises a cylinder body which carries the scraping blade at its lower free end, a sliding piston, a rod is carried by the structural member of support. 6. Arrangement according to one of claims 4 or characterized in that a spring (66) for returning the scraper blade (20) to its retracted high position is interposed between the cylinder body (42) and the piston (52). ). 7. Arrangement according to any one of claims 4 to 6 taken in combination with claim 3, characterized in that the cylinder body (42) has a side wall (43) which delimit the chamber (48) for controlling the jack (40) and comprises at least one lateral hole (68) which communicates with the control chamber (48) when the piston (52) reaches a predetermined axial position, to constitute a spraying orifice of the glass washing liquid (24) to wipe. 8. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the piston rod (54) comprises a spray channel (72) whose upper end (74) communicates with the control chamber (48) and whose lower end ( 76) is connected to a washing liquid spraying orifice of the window (24) to be wiped. 9. Arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the scraping blade (20) is slidably mounted relative to the structural support member (36). 10. Arrangement according to any one of revendi cations 1 to 8, characterized in that the scraping blade (20) is pivotally mounted relative to the structural support member (36), about a longitudinal axis (P ), and in that said control means (40) cause the scraper blade (20) to pivot between a high angular position in which an active zone (26) of the blade is in the retracted position, and a low position in which said active area (26) is in contact with the surface (22) of the pane (24). 11. Arrangement according to claim characterized in that the control means (40) comprise at least two analog control cylinders operating in parallel. 12. Arrangement according to the preceding claim taken in combination with claim 4, characterized in that the bodies (42) of the control cylinders (40) are slidably mounted relative to the support structural element (36), in a plane ( T) generally parallel to the longitudinal direction (L) of the scraping blade and to the scanning direction. 13. Arrangement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that there is provided means (96) damping displacements of the control cylinders (40) relative to the structural support member (36). 14. Arrangement according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said damping means comprise at least one hydraulic damper (96). 15. Arrangement according to the preceding claim taken in combination with claim 3, characterized in that the hydraulic damper comprises a pressure chamber (94) is fed with washing liquid under pressure. 6. Arrangement according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the cylinder body (42), or piston rod, is an attached element which is fixed, in particular elastic interlocking (38), on the structural element support (36). 7. Arrangement according to one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the cylinder body, or the piston rod is an element which is made integrally with the structural support member (36). 18. An arrangement according to any one of claims 4 or 5, characterized in that the pipe (50) for supplying the control chamber (48) of the jack (40) is a reported flexible pipe. 19. Arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the supply pipe of the control chamber (48) of the jack (40) integrated at least partially in the support structural element (36). . 20. Arrangement according to claim 4, characterized in that the scraping blade (20) is a section of a longitudinal section which comprises at least one upper longitudinal groove (58) in which is received the lower free end section (56). ) of complementary shape of the rod (54) of the piston (52). 21. Arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the structural support member (36) is a wiper accessory, including an aerodynamic baffle and / or a spray boom wiper pan in washing liquid. Arrangement according to claim 8, characterized in that the lower free end (76) of the spray channel (72) is connected to a network of spray passages (80) formed in the scraper blade (20) and each of which opens outwardly through a spray port (88) wiper liquid to wipe.