FR2841516A1 - Windscreen wiper blade has connector with pivot fitting into mounting attached to second connector, second connector fitting over guide block for first connector with clip cooperating with catch on second connector - Google Patents

Abstract

The windscreen wiper blade has a connector with a pivot which fits into a mounting attached to a second connector (50). This fits over a guide block (34) for the first connector which has a clip (42) which cooperates with a second catch on the second connector.

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a squeegee

  wiper comprising at least a first connection piece fixed to a support element and the end of which faces towards the outside of the ra5 debt has an articulation axis transverse to the squeegee and parallel to the window of the vehicle , this axis being housed in a hub open in the longitudinal direction of the blade and belonging to a second connection part fixed to the wiper arm, when the squeegee is mounted on the arm, the first connection part being guided in the second connecting piece 10 laterally and hinged in a limited manner by the hub and by an opposite bearing directed away from the opening of the hub, around

the axis of articulation.

  STATE OF THE ART Known wipers comprise an arm generally formed of a fixing piece mounted on the axis of the wiper and a hinge piece with a rod connected by means of '' a hinged articulation articulated to the fixing part. There are also known wiper arms without articulation, that is to say without articulation for folding down and whose function is replaced by the elasticity of the arm. A motor drives the axis of the wiper. The free end of the arm is articulated with a squeegee. This generally consists of a multi-element spreader system and a central spreader. The latter carries in an articulated manner stirrups at least some of which hold a wiper blade by their ends provided with

claws.

  Known wiper blades without articulation are also known; in place of the stirrup or spreader system, these squeegees have an elastic spring-loaded support element perpendicular to the window of the vehicle. This element is generally made of plastic. To improve the spring characteristics, this element may include at least one elastic spring steel rail. The support element in the unsolicited state has a greater curvature than that of the window or windshield, so that the blade is applied under the effect of the application force exerted by the arm with its own pressure distribution against the vehicle window. The 35 articulated squeegees are very compact, which is very advantageous from the point of view of their aeraulic (or aerodynamic) behavior and for the noise developed by the circulating wind. In addition, these squeegees can be hidden behind the parts of the body when stationary, for

  example in the interval left by the hood and the windshield or behind the column A of corresponding shape of the bodywork on the lateral edge of the windshield. The arm with the squeegee is also called the wiper lever.

  According to document DE 199 14 413 Ai, a windscreen wiper is known, the arm of which is removably articulated at its free end by a device for connection to a squeegee without articulation. The connection device comprises a first connection part fixed to a support element of the squeegee and the front face of which pos10 sedes an axis of articulation in the form of two bearing pins arranged laterally. At its end opposite the articulation axis, the first connection part has bearing surfaces turned towards the articulation axis and forming a counter-bearing with the bearing surfaces of the second connection part. The second connection part has, on its front face, an open hub provided in the lateral guide walls and in which are housed the bearing journals of the first connection part in the assembled state. The second connection piece is fixed to the arm laterally towards the open hub. The open hub is directed towards the arm offset parallel to its free end, so that the first connection piece attached to the arm can be slid parallel to the arm between the lateral guide walls of the second connection piece up 'so that the lateral bearing journals come to bear against the bearing surfaces of the open hub. During assembly, the bearing surfaces belonging to the opposite bearing and which can escape laterally by the elastic tabs of the first connection part, are pushed inwards to return elastically outwards to their former position as soon as the corresponding bearing surfaces of the second connection part have been passed. The

  bearing surfaces of the hinge pin or open hub and the bearing surfaces of the counter bearings are provided on the long sides of the connecting pieces. These surfaces are narrow. In addition, in the folded position of the arm, the squeegee can rotate about its hinge axis so that the bearing surfaces of the counter bearing can be released and the hinge pins can come out of the open hub. The hub is further opened towards the front face of the articulation device, so that the articulation axis and the corresponding bearing surfaces are not protected from the weather.

  Document DE 199 35 860 AI describes a wiper, the arm of which carries at its free end a squeegee without articulation, fixed in an articulated and removable manner by a connection device. The connection device has a first connection piece of plasti5 material that is fixed on the support element of the squeegee and an articulation axis in the form of two lateral bearing journals. The bearing journals are

  flattened transversely to the squeegee and are mounted in an open hub of a second connection piece itself fixed to the arm.

  The opening of the hub is turned towards the outer end of the rack; thus it is narrower than the largest diameter of the bearing journals. Due to their flattened part, these can be slid into the hub through the opening when the squeegee is in a rotated position of about 900 relative to the arm. When we tip the squeegee

  in its operating position, the bearing journals are ver15 rusted in the open hub.

  The first connection element has, at its end turned towards the bearing journal, a clipping hook whose hook surface in the assembled state cooperates with the external side of the connection piece on the side of the arm so that it it can only make a limited pivoting movement around the articulation axis and cannot leave the locked position. During the tilting movement of the connecting pieces within the given limits, the hook surface emerges more or less from the outside of the second connecting piece and the hook protrudes from the contour of the second connecting piece. The connection device is certainly suitable for a connection called locked by the

  side between the squeegee and the arm, the arm passing next to the squeegee while being integrally connected to the second connection part. However, this device is not suitable for a connection locked from above, according to which the arm is directed along the squeegee and partly overlaps it.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The purpose of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks and to this end relates to a wiper blade of the type defined above, characterized in that the hub is open in the direction of the drive side. of the arm and the second connection piece covers the top and the sides of a guide block of the first connection piece, the face of the guide block facing the drive side having a bearing surface for the opposite bearing and which leans against the bearing surface

  opposite bearing on the side of the arm.

  The hinge pin and the bearing surfaces of the opposite bearing (or counter bearing) are well protected by the second connecting part against dirt and weathering because the necessary movement intervals are covered by the second connecting part. on the side of the vehicle window. In addition, the squeegee is easily mounted on the arm because it is not necessary to turn it by 900 since the opening of the hub, thanks to the opposite bearing which ensures the locking can be larger than the largest diameter of the hinge pin necessarily made as a bearing cylinder. The bearing surfaces of the cylinder or axis of pa10 lier which may extend over the entire width of the first connecting piece and the corresponding bearing surfaces of the open hub are large surfaces and thus they are specifically very slightly stressed. The wear is thus low and the service life long. Similar conditions are obtained at the level opposite the other end of the

connection device.

  To avoid accidental detachment of the squeegee in the folded position of the arm, it is advantageous that, with respect to the bearing surface, the guide block comprises at least one clipping hook whose spout reaches the upper limit of the block guide and in the mounted state of the squeegee 20, it cooperates with a hooking element provided on the arm and which can reach the lower edge of the guide block to thereby allow a pivoting or tilting movement limited connection piece around the hinge axis. The achievable pivot angle is determined by the spout provided at the end of the clipping hook and a stop of the hooking element carried by the arm; the latter is advantageously constituted by the limit of an oblong hole or by a crosspiece of a T-shaped tab or of a connecting branch between two side walls. The snap hook can be easily unlocked thanks to a tab protruding from the outline of the second

connecting piece.

  The first connection piece can be fixed directly to the support element, for example clipped. For the articulated connection of the squeegee on the arm only the two connecting pieces are necessary. However, it is also possible to connect the first connection piece 35 in a removable manner to a fixing element carried by the support element. For this, the first connection part can be taken with hooking spouts on its interior sides in the manner of a connection clipped into cavities or openings of the fixing element; this last one is

  advantageously a sheet metal claw attached to the support element. Thus, the first connection element is also suitable for squeegees provided with a sheet metal claw for other applications.

  The solution according to the invention is also suitable for scrapers without articulation. In these, the support element comprises in the longitudinal direction, on both sides of the first connection part, a deflector for increasing the application pressure exerted on the squeegee at high traveling speeds. In this case, the first connection part comprises a guide block provided on the upstream side of the deflector. At the neighboring areas of the deflector, we continue with connection profiles of the first connection part, this

  which gives an overall aerodynamic closed deflector surface.

  The second connection piece can advantageously be

  made for a locking connection from above or for a locking connection from the side between the squeegee and the arm. It is possible to make the second connecting part in two parts, one of which advantageously comprises the functional parts which are important for the articulation, namely the open hub and the opposite bearing surface, while the other part comprises the elements of arm connection.

  The two parts after manufacture are secured to each other for example by rivets, glue, welding, crimping, injection or the like.

  In the case of the locked connection from above, the functional elements, the hub and / or the opposite bearing surfaces can be formed directly on the arm. If the second connection part and / or the arm are made of folded sheet metal, the open hub can be produced by a stamped sheet metal stirrup and by a curved tab, this stirrup being fixed by its other end, for example by crimping to the arm. The end of the arm curved to form a tab may have a bonding surface; this must have a defined distance from the bearing surface of the hub.

  The lug with the opposite bearing surface can be provided on a part manufactured separately from the second connection part, regardless of whether this surface is integrated into the second connection part or also formed by the end of the arm and advantageously provided clipping elements for the clipping hook of the first connecting part, namely an oblong hole or a T-shaped end; this results in a very compact construction. If the arm

  The wiper itself is a piece of stamped and bent sheet metal, it is possible to integrate the second connecting part with its functional parts completely to the wiper arm.

  Drawings The present invention will be described below in more detail with the aid of embodiments shown schematically in the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wiper blade with a sheet metal claw in the assembled state, 1o - Figure 2 is a perspective view of a cap, - Figure 3 is a perspective view of a sheet metal bracket, - Figure 4 is a partial longitudinal section a wiper rod with a sheet metal bracket and a cap installed on the sheet metal claw, - Figure 5 is a variant of Figure 4, - Figure 6 is a variant along line VI-VI of the figure 4, however without sheet metal stirrup, - FIG. 7 is a variant of FIG. 3, - FIG. 8 shows a cap adapted for the production of FIG. 7,

  - Figure 9 shows another variant of Figure 3.

  Description of the exemplary embodiments

  According to the figures, a wiper blade or squeegee 10 comprises a blade 14 provided with a wiping lip 12. This blade is fixed to a support element 16. The latter comprises two elastic rails inserted into the blade 14 which have, in the unloaded state, a greater curvature than the windshield of the vehicle, not shown, for which it is designed and that the lip 12 scans. The support element 16 directly carries a deflector 18 on both sides of the fixing element 20. The fixing element 20 is produced like a claw made of sheet metal. This element 30 has side cheeks 22 rising upwards and claws 24 fixed to the support element 16. Holes 26, 28 of the cheeks 22 are used for fixing a first connection part 30 (FIG. 2). For this, the hooking nozzles 76 (FIG. 6) of the interior sides of the first connection part 30 penetrate into the orifices 26, 28. In other applications, the orifices 26 can also serve as housings for an axis d 'joint.

  The first connection piece 30 which, as a variant, can also be fixed directly to the support element 16 as shown in FIG.

  flector 18, is attached to the fixing element 20; the nozzles 76 then hook into the corresponding orifices 26, 28. The profile of

  connection 32 then follows the first connection part 30 to continue the profile of the deflector 18 to obtain a continuous, aerodynamic deflec5 trice surface.

  On the upstream side of the deflector 18, the first connection part 30 comprises a guide block 34. The side walls 38 of this

  block have guide ribs 40 for adapting the guide block 34, simply, in the interval between the side walls 60, 1o 62 of a second connecting piece 50 (Figure 3) and guide them practically without clearance. The second connection piece 50 in the form of a sheet metal bracket is fixed to the end of a wiper arm 52 made as a wiper rod. For this, its end 54 surrounds the arm 52 and is crimped thereon. For this, the arm 52 has cavities at level 15 of the end 54. The second connection piece 50 covers the guide block 34 from above and laterally to thereby protect the joint against harmful influences from the outside. This also results in a closed appearance, optically interesting and from an aerodynamic point of view.

  The second connection piece 50 has at its end

  outside a hub 64 open towards the arm 52; in the mounted position (FIG. 4) this hub surrounds a hinge pin 36 in the form of a bearing cylinder on the front side of the guide block 34. So that the hinge pin 36 cannot accidentally slide from the open hub 64, the guide block 34 has, on its front face opposite to that of the hinge pin 36, a bearing surface 42. This surface bears against a bearing surface 43 of a part connected integrally to the arm 52. The bearing surfaces 42, 43 form a counter-bearing which provides the bearing function of the open hub 64 at its opening; thus this opening can be larger than the largest bearing diameter of the hinge pin 30. The counter-bearing 42, 43 is covered and protected laterally by the side walls 60, 62.

  In the support position, the second connection piece 50 is locked by a snap hook 46 formed opposite the bearing surface 42 on the guide block 34. The snap hook 46 extends 35 from the bottom edge of the guide block 34 as far as the zone of the upper limit and at this end it comprises a spout 47 cooperating with hooking elements in the form of a lug 56 provided with an oblong hole 58. The lug 56 is fixed directly or indirectly on the arm 52.

  In the embodiment of Figure 3, the tab 56 is formed by a curved end of the arm 52. During assembly, the hinge pin 36 is introduced into the open hub 64 and, during the tilting of the squeegee 10 , the lug 56 is pushed around the hinge pin 36 in the intermediate space between the bearing surface 42 and the clipping hook 46 so that the hook 46 hooks with its spout 47 in the oblong hole 58. In the assembled state, the pivoting movement of the squeegee 10 is limited by the external limit 59 of the oblong hole 58 against which the hook 47 bears in its extreme external position while 10 in its extreme internal position, the second connection piece 50 is applied against the back of the guide block 34. The tab 56 is covered and guided laterally by the lateral edges 44 of the guide block 34. For disassembly, the hook 46 is unlocked by a tab 48 formed on the hook 46; this tab comes out laterally from the outline of the second

connecting piece 50.

  In the embodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4, the open hub 64 is formed by a lug of the sheet metal stirrup 50, this lug being bent inwards and bent appropriately while the other lug 56, provided with the bearing surface 43 for the counter bearing, is formed by the curved end of the arm 52. The embodiment of FIG. 5

  is distinguished in that the hub 70 and the lug 72 are produced on the same sheet metal stirrup 68 connected by a fixing means 74 to the arm 66.

  According to a variant not shown in detail, the hub 70 and the lug 72 may constitute a part connected to a part of the second connection piece 50 comprising the side walls 60, 62 to form a sheet metal bracket 50 or 68. In principle , parts made in

  sheet metal can also be replaced by injected plastic parts.

  In the embodiment of Figures 7 and 8, the end 30 of the arm 78 curved to form a tab 80 has a T shape with a central branch 84 and a crosspiece 82. When mounting the first connection piece 30, the crosspiece 82 comes into the second connection part, between the bearing surface 42 and the parallel hooks 86, 88. Thus, the

  hooks 86, 88 apply on both sides of the central branch 84 with their beaks 47 in an extreme external position against the crosspiece 82 thereby limiting the pivoting movement of the second connection piece 50 around the axis of articulation 36. The hooks 86, 88 can be unlocked using a tab 90.

  In the embodiment of the second connection part in the form of a sheet metal stirrup 92 according to FIG. 9, the end of the sheet metal stirrup 92 on the side of the arm comprises a connecting branch 98 between the side walls 94 , 96 and the bearing surface 42 of the first connection part 30 bears against this branch and the hooks 46 or

  86 and 88 cling to this branch by their beaks 47.

NOMENCLATURE

  wiper blade / wiper 12 wiping lip 14 blade 16 support element 18 deflector 20 fixing element 1o 22 cheek 24 claw 26 orifice 28 orifice 30 first connection part 32 connection profile 34 guide block 36 axis d hinge 38 cheek 40 guide rib 42 bearing surface 43 bearing surface 44 lateral edge 46 snap hook 47 spout 48 plate bracket tab 52 wiper arm 54 end 56 tab 58 oblong hole 59 stopper 60 side wall 62 wall side 64 hub 66 wiper arm 68 sheet metal bracket hub 72 lug 74 fixing means 76 clipping hook 78 lug arm 82 cross member 84 central branch 86 hook 88 lug hook o 92 sheet metal bracket 94 side wall 96 side wall 98 liaison branch

Claims (7)

RESELL I CATI O NS) Wiper blade comprising at least one first connecting part (30) fixed on a support element (16) and whose end facing the outside of the squeegee (10) comprises a articulation axis (36) transverse to the squeegee (10) and parallel to the vehicle window, this axis being housed in a hub (64) open in the longitudinal direction of the brush (10) and belonging to a second connection part (50, 92) fixed to the wiper arm (52, 66, 78), when the squeegee (10) is mounted on the arm (52, 66, 78), the first connection part (30) being guided in the second connection piece (50, 92) laterally and hinged in a limited manner by the hub (64) and by an opposite bearing (42, 43) directed opposite the opening of the hub (64), around the hinge pin (36), characterized in that the hub (64, 70) is open towards the drive side of the arm and the second piece of connection (50, 68, 92) covers the top and sides of a guide block (34) of the first connection piece (30), the face of the guide block (34) facing the drive side having a bearing surface (42) for the opposite bearing and which bears against the bearing face (43) of the opposite bearing on the side of the arm. ) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide block (34) has a bearing axis formed on its front face as a hinge axis (36). ) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, facing the bearing surface (42) of the guide block (34), at least one clipping hook (46) is provided. , 86, 88) whose spout (47) reaches as far as the upper limitation of the guide block (34) and cooperates in the assembled state of the squeegee (10) with a hooking element (58, 80) on the side of the arm, the stop (59, 82) of which reaches the lower limit of the guide block (34) and thus authorizes a limited pivoting movement 35 for the second connection part (50, 92) around the axis articulation (36). 4) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the snap hook (46, 86, 88) is connected to a tab (48, 90) which protrudes from the outline of the second part connection (50, 92).   50) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that   the guide block (34) has guide ribs (40) on its side walls (38).   60) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that   the first connection piece (30) is removably attached to a fixing element (20) carried by the support element (16).   70) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that in the longitudinal direction, on both sides of the fastening element (20), there is provided a deflector (18) mounted on the support element (16) and this continues with a connection profile (32) in the form of a cap for the first connection piece (30), the guide block (34) is   located on the leading side of the deflector (18).   8) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that   the second connection part (50, 68, 92) is a sheet metal bracket having side walls (60, 62, 94, 96) for guiding the guide block (34) and the front face of which comprises an open hub (64 ) in the shape of a curved leg.   90) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the sheet metal stirrup (50) has a tab (56, 80) with a bearing surface   (43) against which the bearing surface (42) of the first connection piece (30) bears.    ) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the tab (56) has an oblong hole (58) in which the hook penetrates (46) with its beak (47).   ) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that the free end of the tab (80) has a T shape, the hooks (86, 88) clinging to a crosspiece (82 ) on both sides of a central branch (84) of the tab (80).   1o 12) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 8, characterized by   at least one tab (50, 80) formed on a separate piece and which is integrally connected to the sheet metal bracket (50).   13) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that   a curved end of the arm (52, 78) forms the tab (50, 80).   14) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that   the sheet metal bracket (50) is formed in one piece with the arm (52, 66, 78).    ) Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that   the arm (52, 66, 78) is an extension of the guide block (34).