FR2878802A1 - Glass wiper for windshield of motor vehicle, has squeegee that rotates such that wiping blade supports against windshield while preserving angle between average angle and specific degrees with respect to windshield - Google Patents

Abstract

The glass wiper has a squeegee (16) rotating around a longitudinal axis following a determined movement when radius of curvature of a windshield (10) varies. The squeegee rotates such that a wiping blade supports against the windshield while preserving an angle between average angle and 90 degrees relative to the windshield. A drive arm driving the squeegee exerts a force in a mediator plane located between a blade and the wiping blade.

Description

1 2878802 Windscreen wiper for curved motor vehicle

  The present invention relates to a windscreen wiper, in particular for a windshield of a motor vehicle.

  The known windscreen wipers comprise a squeegee mounted on a drive arm, said drive arm being adapted to drive said squeegee against said windshield in a predetermined race and said squeegee equipped with a blade makes it possible to wipe the windscreen. -broken.

  Windshields generally have a variable radius of curvature between a substantially flat central portion and slightly curved side portions. The blade which maintains a constant inclination with respect to said squeegee during its travel forms an angle with said windshield, which varies substantially notably in the lateral parts.

  For certain types of motor vehicles, the curve of the side parts is accentuated and the blade of the squeegee is then strongly inclined with the windshield so that the wiping is less effective.

  In order to make the wiping of the windshields more effective, it has been well imagined complex squeegees equipped with a double pair of blades, said squeegees being mounted articulated on the drive arm in order to be able to pivot about a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the arm. A first pair of blades is mounted in a fixed position on said squeegee, the two blades being spaced apart from each other in parallel while the second pair is movably mounted between the blades of the first pair.

  Thus, when the squeegee is driven in one direction, two blades, one of each pair is in contact with the windshield to wipe, while in the opposite direction are the other two blades that wipe the windshield. However, such a device is relatively complex and therefore expensive, but most importantly, it does not properly wipe windshields especially in highly curved parts.

  A problem which then arises and which the present invention seeks to solve is to provide a windscreen wiper which makes it possible to wipe the windscreens both in the curved lateral parts and in the central part.

  For this purpose, the present invention proposes a windscreen wiper for a motor vehicle windscreen, said windshield having a variable radius of curvature, said windscreen wiper comprising a squeegee intended to be mounted articulated on a drive arm for pivoting about a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to said arm, said drive arm being adapted to drive said squeegee against said windshield according to a determined stroke, said squeegee having two blades substantially parallel and spaced apart from each other, at least one of said blades being a wiper blade intended to be held in abutment against said windshield, forming an average angle close to 90 with respect to said windshield during said determined run to wipe said windshield; according to the invention, the two blades are simultaneously held in abutment against said windshield, said squeegee pivoting about said longitudinal axis along said stroke when the radius of curvature of said windshield varies, so that said wiper blade remains in position. bearing against said windshield maintaining an angle between said average angle and 90 relative to said windshield.

  Thus, a feature of the invention lies in the simultaneous maintenance of the two blades resting against the windshield and the mode of cooperation of the squeegee and the arm which allows during said race against the curved portions of the windshield of allow the squeegee to pivot about the longitudinal axis so that the two blades remain firmly against the windshield. In this way, the wiper blade is rotated also against the curved portion of the windshield and thus retains an angle close to 90 relative to the windshield.

  Consequently, the side edges of the windshield, although curved and therefore with a small radius of curvature, are wiped in the same way as the central part of the windshield, which is less curved with a large radius of curvature.

  Advantageously, said blades are spaced apart from one another by a distance greater than the distance separating said longitudinal axis from said blades so as to ensure a permanent support of the two blades against the windshield. Preferably, the longitudinal axis and the two blades which are substantially parallel to each other form in perpendicular section an isosceles triangle, so that the arm which drives the squeegee against the windshield exerts a force included in a mediating plane situated between the two blades. In this way, the squeegee is not likely to tilt around one of the blades during its race and they remain in contact with the windshield.

  According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, said two blades are wiper blades adapted to bear against said windshield at an angle between said average angle and 90 with said windshield. In this way, the two blades have a wiping role that they perform equally in both directions of scanning.

  Advantageously, said wiper blade is pivotally mounted on said squeegee about an axis substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis but limited in pivoting by stops so as to substantially tilt said blade relative to said windshield.

  In addition, and preferably, said blades define a mean plane intersecting said blades and at least one of said blades is adapted to pivot about an intermediate position in which it extends perpendicularly to said middle plane so that the blade is inclined substantially with respect to said windshield as well in one scanning direction than in the other.

  Furthermore, according to a particular embodiment, said squeegee is articulated on said arm along a transverse axis substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis so as to ensure permanent contact of the squeegee against the windshield although the average plane defined by the arm stroke is not strictly parallel to the windshield. Also, during the stroke of the arm the squeegee pivots substantially around 4 2878802 the transverse axis to stay in contact with the windshield. Of course, the arm is itself driven by pivotally force through elastic means towards the windshield.

  According to a first embodiment of the invention, the other of said blades is a bearing blade having a shoe which is not strictly speaking a wiper blade but which nevertheless makes it possible to form a support so that the squeegee can rotate during the stroke of the arm and the first blade retains its inclination relative to the windshield. According to another embodiment of Io the invention, the other of said blades is a bearing blade having rollers for the purpose of producing the same effect.

  In a particularly advantageous manner, said arm comprises a deformable parallelogram to guide said squeegee and thus allow wiping of almost the entire surface of the windshield, both in the side edges and in the lower edge.

  Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge on reading the following description of particular embodiments of the invention, given as a non-limiting, non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a windscreen wiper according to the invention; - Figure 2 is a schematic perspective detail view of the windscreen wiper illustrated in Figure 1; - Figure 3A is a schematic sectional view along the plane III-III of the windscreen wiper illustrated in Figure 2 and in a first position; - Figure 3B is a schematic sectional view along the plane III-III of the windscreen wiper illustrated in Figure 2 in a second position; and, Figures 4A and 4B are schematic detail views of the object of Figure 3 in two operating positions.

  Figure 1 shows from the front, a windshield 10 of a motor vehicle, which has a central portion 12 whose radius of curvature is relatively large, and here a side 14 more curved 2878802 whose radius of curvature is less. In addition, Figure 1 shows a windscreen wiper comprising a squeegee 16, integral with a drive arm 18, which is capable of being pivotally driven about its shaft 20 to alternately carry the squeegee 16 between a position in which is substantially parallel to a lower edge 21 of the windshield 10 and a position in which it is substantially parallel to a side edge 23 of the side portion 14 of the windshield 10.

  Furthermore, the squeegee 16 is mounted articulated on the drive arm 18 as will be explained below with reference to Figure 2.

  This figure 2 shows a portion of the drive arm 18 and the squeegee 16 joined together by means of a hinge 22. The squeegee 16 has a connecting face 24 and an opposite active face 26 in which lie parallel and spaced from each other, two blades 28, 30. The two blades are intended to be applied against the windshield in order to wipe it.

  The squeegee 16 extends longitudinally substantially in the direction of the drive arm 18, has on its connecting face 24 a yoke 32 adapted to receive an axis 34 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the squeegee 16. The drive arm 18 and the yoke 32 are connected together by a spider 36 so that the squeegee 16 is both movable in pivoting about a longitudinal axis A defined by the drive arm 18 and rotatable about a perpendicular axis B defined by the axis 34 of the yoke 32.

  Reference will now be made to FIG. 3A to describe in more detail the mode of operation of the windscreen wiper according to the invention. Note in this Figure 3A that the proportions of the squeegee 16 and its yoke 32 are not strictly adhered to those of Figure 2. However, the mode of operation is not affected.

  3A, and in a first position, the windshield 10 and the squeegee 16 equipped with its two blades 28, 30 bearing against the central portion 12. The two blades 28,30 define 6 2878802 respectively a mean plane P28 and P30, here substantially coincident with normal N1 and N2 windshield 10.

  It also includes the yoke 32 and the spider 36 which connect together the drive arm 18 and the squeegee 16.

  The driving arm 18 also exerts on the squeegee 16 a bearing force F directed towards the windshield 10 so as to force the two blades 28, 30 against the windshield 10. Moreover, on the one hand the distance separating the two blades 28, 30 is greater than the distance separating the longitudinal axis A here confused with the drive arm Io with said two blades 28, 30 and on the other hand, the support force F. is exerted between the two blades 28, 30 in the median plane, so as to ensure an identical distribution of the forces on the blades 28, 30.

  In this way, when the drive arm 18 drives the squeegee 16 sliding on the windshield 10 in a direction D, the two blades 28, 30 remain in contact on the windshield 10 and the squeegee 16 does not rock , for example around the blade 30. To do this, the distance between the blades 28, 30 is an important criterion compared to the distance between the drive arm 18 of the blades 28,30 but the support force F is it too.

  In addition, not only the squeegee 16 does not rock but as will be explained with reference to Figure 3B, the blades 28,30 maintain an angle with the windshield close to 90. In addition, the two blades 28, 30 allow a better wiping of the windshield.

  This Figure 3B shows the squeegee 16 as defined in Figure 3A but in the curved side portion 14 with a smaller radius of curvature. The squeegee 16 is then in a pivoted position with respect to the longitudinal axis A, at the point of support of the driving arm 18, the two blades 28 and 30 being in abutment with them, against the windshield 10.

  Given the curvature of the windshield 10 in this curved portion 14, the average planes P28 and P30 of the two respective blades 28, 30 are slightly spaced from the normal N3 and N4 of the windshield 10; However, they form an angle with the windshield sufficiently close to 90 to give the blades 28, 30 all their effectiveness. Furthermore, it is thanks to the pivoting of the squeegee 16 about its longitudinal axis A that the blades maintain a position close to the normal to the windshield 10, because without pivoting, in an extreme position of the curved part, the plane means of at least one of the blades 28,30 would be substantially coplanar with this curved portion 14 of the windshield 10.

  Reference will now be made to FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrating a particular embodiment of the invention. These figures show an end of a squeegee 16 'on which a blade 30' is mounted to pivot about an axis O. In addition, the blade 30 'is limited in pivoting about a position perpendicular to a P plane which cuts the two blades and found in Figure 3B, with opposing stops 40 and 42. In this way, substantially increases the inclination of the blade 30 'relative to the windshield 10 , both in a direction of movement of the squeegee 16 'than in the opposite direction. Of course, provision is made to equip the second blade 28 with such a pivoting device.

  It is understood that the inclination of the blades relative to the windshield 10 can remain close to 90 despite the position of the squeegee between a part with a large radius of curvature of the windshield and a low radius of curvature part and this thanks when the squeegee is pivoted during the stroke of the driving arm 18. The squeegee 16 having two bearing points constituted by the blades 28, 30 can therefore pivot when it is driven in the curved parts so as to rotate also the blades 28, 30 which retain substantially their orientation relative to the windshield.

  Also, according to another embodiment of the invention not shown, one of the blades 28, 30 is replaced either by a support pad or by rollers which also allow the pivoting of the squeegee along the windshield between the part with a large radius of curvature and the part with a small radius of curvature. The other blade performs its role and allows the windshield to be wiped just like the blades of the previous embodiments.

  In addition, the windscreen wiper which is the subject of the invention is capable of being coupled to simple drive arms as illustrated in FIG. 1, or else to parallelogram arms which then make it possible to increase the surface area even more. wiping particularly in the lower side parts.

Claims (1)

Claims 1. Windscreen windscreen wiper (10) for a motor vehicle, said windshield having a variable radius of curvature, said windscreen wiper comprising a squeegee (16) intended to be mounted articulated on an arm of drive (18) for pivoting about a longitudinal axis (A) substantially parallel to said arm, said driving arm (18) being adapted to drive said squeegee (16) against said windshield (10) according to a determined stroke said wiper (16) having two blades (28, 30) substantially parallel and spaced apart from each other, at least one of said blades being a wiper blade adapted to be held in abutment with said windshield (10 ), forming an average angle close to 90 relative to said windshield during said determined race to wipe said windshield; characterized in that the two blades (28, 30) are simultaneously held in abutment against said windshield (10), said squeegee (16) pivoting about said longitudinal axis (A) along said stroke when the radius of curvature of said windshield varies so that said wiper blade remains in abutment against said windshield by maintaining an angle between said average angle and 90 relative to said windshield (10). 2. Wiper according to claim 1, characterized in that said blades (28, 30) are spaced from each other by a distance greater than the distance between said longitudinal axis (A) of said blades (28). , 30). 3. Wiper according to claim 1, characterized in that said two blades (28, 30) are wiper blades adapted to abut against said windshield (10) at an angle between said average angle and 90 with said windshield.   The windscreen wiper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said wiper blade (30) is pivotally mounted on said squeegee (16) about an axis (0) substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis ( AT).   5. Wiper according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said blades (18, 30) define a mean plane (P) intersecting said blades and in that at least one of said blades is adapted to pivot about an intermediate position in which they extend perpendicular to said mean plane (P).   6. Windscreen wiper according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said squeegee (16) is articulated on said arm (18) along a transverse axis (B) substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis (A). 7. Windscreen wiper according to claim 1 and any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the other of said blades is a bearing blade having a pad.   8. Wiper according to claim 1 and any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that the other of said blades is a bearing blade having rollers.   9. Windscreen wiper according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said arm comprises a deformable parallelogram for guiding said squeegee.