FR2960840A1 - FLAT BRUSH TYPE WIPER BLADE AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING SUCH BRUSH - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper blade for a motor vehicle, comprising a support frame of longitudinal main orientation, which comprises lower support means of a wiper blade and a tubular body of longitudinal main axis; a one-piece element (13) for connecting the blade with a drive arm, which is mounted on the support frame, and a blade-shaped vertebra (12), which can be mounted longitudinally inside the tubular body laterally. mounting the monobloc element (13) connecting to the support frame. According to the invention, the blade further comprises at least one attachment piece (14) mounted laterally to the one-piece element (13) and to the vertebra (12) by sliding in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the blade, said piece Fastener (14) having a generally T-shape, the transverse portion (141) of which is a substantially rectangular plate extending parallel to the plane of the blade, in contact on the one hand with the blade and on the other hand with a corresponding surface of the one-piece member (13) to which it is attached, and whose base (140) extending orthogonally to the transverse portion (141) has a projecting lateral portion cooperating with a lateral notch (120) on the vertebra (12) for locking the vertebra in longitudinal translation.

Description

The invention relates to a wiper blade of a motor vehicle of the flat-blade type or "flat-blade" in English terminology, having a link member with a drive arm which is mounted on a support mount. In known flat blade structures, the blade conventionally comprises: a support frame of longitudinal main orientation, which comprises lower support means for a wiper blade and a tubular body of longitudinal main axis; a structural element, also called a vertebra, in the form of a blade, which is received longitudinally inside the tubular body; and - a connecting element, or connector, of the blade with a drive arm, which is mounted on the support frame. The vertebra is made of an elastic material, generally metal, to allow to press the wiper blade against the glass surface to be wiped.

In some cases, the flat broom is used not only to wipe the vehicle window, but also to dispense washing liquid evenly along the entire length of the broom. It is then known, as described in particular in document WO 2010/006775 in the name of the Applicant, to provide the connecting element or connector with a hydraulic function so as to be able to convey liquid from a lava tank -glace towards the broom. This is called a hydraulic connector. In all cases, the structure of a flat broom must be simple enough to allow easy assembly, so at a lower cost, of the different elements constituting the broom. In addition, since the vertebra is a structural element intended to stiffen the structure of the blade, it is essential that this vertebra is properly maintained inside the support, and in particular locked in translation.

According to a known embodiment, described for example in the document WO 2007/068677 in the name of the Applicant, the connecting element or connector is made in two parts symmetrical with respect to a median vertical longitudinal plane of the blade. The two parts are mounted on the body in a transverse movement subsequent to the introduction of the vertebra into the support. The longitudinal locking is provided here thanks to two internal transverse lugs respectively carried by the two symmetrical parts of the connector, these lugs cooperating with two corresponding lateral notches made in the vertebra.

However, such an embodiment of the two-part connecting element increases the complexity of the component and involves an additional operation of assembling the two parts of the connecting element when mounted on the support mount, which is relatively complex. In order to simplify the previous structure, it has also been proposed to replace the two-piece connector with a monoblock connector. Document FR 2 911 834, also in the name of the Applicant, describes such a one-piece connector comprising at least two vertical longitudinal lateral tabs, each extending at least partly through a lateral opening of the tubular body, so that said tabs extend transversely on either side of the vertebra. For assembling the various components of the brush, the connector is first mounted on the tubular body in a downward sliding movement, where it is locked in longitudinal translation by the edge of the lateral openings of the tubular body. The vertebra is then inserted longitudinally inside the tubular body to its final position. In this position, the lower edge of each lug of the connector is adapted to cooperate with the vertebra so as to achieve a vertical locking of the connector on the support frame. Thus, the vertebra achieves vertical locking of the connector. In addition, as described in the broom of the document WO 2007/068677 cited above, each lateral lug of the connector has an internal lug which protrudes transversely and which cooperates with a corresponding notch provided on the vertebra so as to immobilize in longitudinal translation. of the vertebra.

Although this system makes it possible to simplify the assembly of the components of the brush due to the use of a monobloc connector, the solution described remains unsatisfactory with respect to locking in longitudinal translation of the vertebra.

In addition, in the connector described in this document, the side tabs are thin enough to allow a slight spacing thereof at the time of insertion of the vertebra in the tubular body of the support frame and the connector. Nevertheless, this solution can not be transposed to the case of a hydraulic connector. Indeed, in this case, the side lugs of the connector must also integrate the liquid flow channels for bringing the liquid to the brush. As a result, the side tabs are relatively thick, so that it is difficult to introduce the vertebra into the pre-assembled bracket / connector mount without breaking the side tabs. Thus, to allow insertion of the vertebra without risk of breaking the connector, the depth of the notches on the vertebra and the thickness of the corresponding inner lugs on the connector must be very small, so that the locking of the vertebra in longitudinal translation is insufficient. The present invention aims to overcome the above drawbacks by providing a monobloc connector structure, with or without hydraulic function, which is simple to assemble, which limits the risk of breakage of the connector at the time of assembly, especially but not exclusively in the case of a hydraulic connector, and which guarantees the use and during the life cycle of the blade, positioning and locking in longitudinal translation of the vertebra. To do this, the subject of the present invention is a motor vehicle wiper blade, comprising: a support frame of longitudinal main orientation, which comprises lower support means for a wiper blade and a tubular body 30 of longitudinal main axis; - A one-piece link element of the blade with a drive arm, which is mounted on the support frame; - A blade-shaped vertebra, adapted to be mounted longitudinally within the tubular body after mounting the monobloc connecting element on the support frame; characterized in that the wiper further comprises at least one fastener mounted laterally to the one-piece element and to the vertebra by sliding in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the blade, said fastener having a general shape of T whose transverse part is a substantially rectangular plate extending parallel to the plane of the blade, in contact on the one hand with the blade and on the other hand, with a corresponding surface of the one-piece element to which it is attached, and the base extending orthogonally to the transverse portion has a projecting lateral part cooperating with a lateral notch on the vertebra to lock the vertebra in longitudinal translation, the assembly of the blade then comprises the following successive operations: one-piece member of the link on the support mount by sliding in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal main orientation nal insertion of the vertebra in the tubular body and the integral member 20 by longitudinal translation to a position in which the lateral notch of the vertebra is found substantially in a median plane of the monobloc element, orthogonal to the main longitudinal orientation of the broom; - inserting said fastener by sliding the side portion projecting from the base in the direction orthogonal to the plane of the blade through the notch, until the plate abuts against the blade; - Fixing said piece to the monoblock element of connection.

According to other advantageous additional characteristics related to the structure of the brush: the one-piece element and the fastener are made of thermoplastic material, and the transverse part is fixed to the corresponding surface of the monoblock element by ultrasonic welding; the one-piece connecting element comprises at least two vertical longitudinal lateral tabs each extending at least partly through a lateral opening of the tubular body, so that the tabs extend transversely on either side of the tubular body. the vertebra after insertion thereof into the tubular body, and each lateral tab preferably comprises an internal longitudinal groove each cooperating with a lateral edge of the vertebra to allow the translational guidance of said vertebra to said final indexed position ; - The lateral openings are preferably shaped so as to allow longitudinal locking and transverse locking of the monobloc element on the body of the frame. the vertebra may furthermore comprise a lateral cutout located at the end of the vertebra which is inserted first into the tubular body during assembly, said lateral cutout being intended to receive an end joining element which comes snap into one end of the support frame. - The monoblock element of connection may be a hydraulic connector adapted to connect a tank of washing liquid to liquid transport ramps integrated on either side of the blade, over at least a portion of the length of the blade. - In this case, the one-piece element comprises two inlet connectors, and four outlet connectors adapted to be connected in pairs to the routing ramps located on the same side of the brush, on either side of the element. monobloc and the two output connectors of the same pair are in communication through an internal flow channel extending inside the corresponding side tab of the monobloc element.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following detailed description of a wiper blade according to a possible embodiment of the invention, with reference to the appended figures in which: - Figure 1 shows a partial perspective of a brush according to the invention, according to an exploded view; FIG. 2 is a partial perspective illustrating the assembly of certain elements of FIG. 1; - Figures 3a to 3d schematically different successive steps for mounting the structural element or vertebra in the connector according to the invention. In the following description, identical, similar or similar elements will be designated by the same reference numerals.

There is shown in Figure 1 a wiper blade 10 of the type "flatblade" exploded perspective before assembly. This broom 10 comprises a frame 11 of longitudinal main orientation support, which carries the other components of the blade 10, a structural member or inner vertebra 12 blade-shaped, a connecting element or monobloc connector 13 for connecting the blade broom. 10 of the wiper 10 to a drive arm (not shown) and a lower wiper blade 14. The mount 11 conventionally comprises a tubular central body of longitudinal main axis, inside which the vertebra 12 extends longitudinally in the assembled position.

Finally, the mounting 11 of support also comprises lower means for mounting the wiper blade 14, which consist for example, like the brush described in the document FR 2 911 834 supra, in two longitudinal lower hooks screwed which delimit a tubular housing open downwards, wherein an upper back complementary to the blade 14 is mounted. The vertebra 12 constitutes the structural element of the blade 10, which stiffens the frame 11. The vertebra 12 is made of a relatively rigid material, for example steel, and consists of a blade which is mounted longitudinally inside the body tubular. The blade has a standard shape including, as shown in particular in Figure 3b, two lateral notches 120, 120 '. The blade may comprise furthermore a lateral cutout 121 (see FIG. 3a) located at the end of the vertebra which is inserted first into the tubular body during assembly, so as to receive an end joining element ( not shown) which comes on the one hand, to fit at one end of the support mount 11, and secondly, to clip directly on the vertebra 12. The connecting element or monobloc connector 13 is mounted on the 5 support mount 11, so as to be positioned longitudinally globally in the middle of the mount 11. In a manner similar to the brush described in the document FR 2 911 834, two lower lateral tabs 130 of the monobloc element 13 connecting cooperate with lateral openings 110 of the support frame 11 to allow mounting. The lateral openings 110 are shaped to allow positioning of the connector 13 on the support frame in a vertical sliding movement from top to bottom. The openings 110 are furthermore shaped so as to allow, on the one hand, the longitudinal locking of the connector 13 on the body of the frame 11, and on the other hand, a transverse locking of this same connector 13 on the body of the 11. In the nonlimiting example given here, the connector 13 is furthermore a hydraulic connector, making it possible to connect a washing liquid reservoir (not represented) to integrated (not visible) liquid transfer ramps of both sides of the broom over at least part of the length of the broom. The ramps are provided with a plurality of orifices so as to allow a distribution of the liquid on either side of the blade on at least said portion of the length of the blade. The connector 13 thus comprises two inlet connections (not shown) and four outlet connectors 25 that can be connected two by two to the routing ramps located on the same side of the brush, on either side of the connector. 13. Two outlet connectors 132 of the same pair, therefore located on the same side of the blade, are in communication thanks to an internal flow channel (not shown) extending inside the lateral leg 130 corresponding connector 13, itself in communication with the corresponding input connector. According to the invention, the blade finally comprises at least one (FIG. 1), or even two (FIG. 2) T-shaped attachment pieces 14, intended to be mounted in a sliding movement in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the blade. blade, as represented by the different arrows in Figure 2, and this, once the connector 13 has been mounted on the support frame, and that the vertebra 12 has been inserted into the tubular body. The fastener or parts 14 are then advantageously fixed permanently to the connector 13 so as to ensure the positioning and locking in longitudinal translation of the vertebra. More specifically, each T-shaped attachment piece 14 has a base 140 which has a projecting lateral part able to slide inside one of the lateral notches 120, 120 'of the vertebra during the placement of the piece 14, and a transverse portion 141, corresponding to the bar of the T, in the form of a substantially rectangular fixing plate, which comes, when the piece 14 is in place, extend parallel to the plane of the blade in contact on the one hand with the blade and on the other hand with a corresponding surface of the monobloc element 13 to which it is attached. When the piece 14 is in place, the vertebra 12 is locked in longitudinal translation thanks to the cooperation of the protruding part and the notch 120. The assembly operations of the various components of the brush will now be explained with reference to the Figures 3a to 3d: It is assumed that the connector 13 has already been mounted on the support bracket by sliding in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal main orientation, as explained above. Nevertheless, in order not to overload the figures, the support frame 11 has not been shown in FIGS. 3a to 3d. Then, the vertebra 12 is inserted inside the tubular body and the one-piece element by longitudinal translation of the vertebra according to the arrow A shown in Figure 3a. An internal longitudinal groove 134 provided on each lateral lug 130 of the connector advantageously cooperates with a lateral edge of the vertebra to allow translational guiding of said vertebra 12 to the position shown in FIG. 3b, in which the lateral notches 120 and 120 'are substantially aligned in a median plane of the connector 13, orthogonal to the longitudinal main orientation of the blade. This position corresponds substantially to the final position to be occupied by the vertebra 12 relative to the connector 13. During assembly, this position can be very precisely determined by means of an optical sensor which detects the passage of the notches 120, 120 '.

The two fixing pieces 14 are then positioned so that the base 140 of each piece is facing one of the lateral notches 120, 120 '. Thus, during the sliding movement in the direction orthogonal to the plane of the blade through the notch shown in Figure 2 for the establishment of fasteners 14, the projecting lateral portion slides through the notch lateral 120 or 120 '. The sliding movement continues until the plate 141 of each piece 14 abuts against the blade 12. The final position of the fasteners 14 is illustrated in Figure 3d. In this position, as already indicated above, the plate 141 of each fixing piece 14 extends parallel to the plane of the blade 12, in contact on the one hand with the blade and on the other hand with a corresponding surface of the connector 13. The parts 14 may be dimensioned to be inserted into the notch by force. Nevertheless, it is preferable to provide attachment of the parts 14 to the connector 13. The connector 13 and the fastening parts 14 are preferably made of thermoplastic material. Thus, the plates 141 can be fixed permanently to the connector 13 by plastic welding, typically by ultrasonic welding. This final step is shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3d in which four ultrasonic welding points have been shown. Alternatively, it is also possible to fix by bonding, or by any additional attachment means. In doing so, the vertebra 12 finds itself locked in longitudinal translation, because the parts 140 of the fixing pieces 14 form abutments for the notches 120, 120 '.

It should be noted that a single attachment piece 14 is sufficient to guarantee the locking in translation of the vertebra 12.

Thanks to the invention, the blade remains simple to assemble because of the small number of components, and without risk of breakage of the connector. In addition, the vertebra is permanently locked in translation.

Claims (9)

REVENDICATIONS1. Motor vehicle windscreen wiper blade (10), comprising: - a longitudinally oriented main support mount (11), which comprises lower support means for a wiper blade (14) and a tubular body longitudinal main axis; - A one-piece member (13) for connecting the blade (10) with a drive arm, which is mounted on the mounting (11) support; - A vertebra (12) in the form of a blade, adapted to be mounted longitudinally inside the tubular body after mounting the monobloc element (13) connecting the mounting frame (11) support; characterized in that the wiper (10) further comprises at least one fixing piece (14) mounted laterally to the one-piece element (13) and to the vertebra (12) by sliding in a direction orthogonal to the plane of the blade, said attachment piece (14) having a generally T-shape, the transverse portion (141) of which is a substantially rectangular plate extending parallel to the plane of the blade, in contact with the blade on the one hand and with a corresponding surface of the one-piece member (13) to which it is attached, and whose base (140) extending orthogonally to the transverse portion (141) has a projecting side portion cooperating with a notch (120) Laterally on the vertebra (12) to lock the vertebra in longitudinal translation. 2. Broom (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the one-piece element (13) and said attachment piece (14) are made of thermoplastic material, and in that said transverse portion (141) is fixed to said surface corresponding to the one-piece element (13) by ultrasonic welding. 3. Broom (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the one-piece connecting element (13) comprises at least two vertical longitudinal side tabs (130) each extending at least partly through an opening (110) lateral tubular body, so that said at least two tabs (130) extend transversely on both sides of the vertebra (12) after insertion thereof into the tubular body, and each lateral tab (130) comprises an internal longitudinal groove (134) each cooperating with a lateral edge of the vertebra to allow translational guidance of said vertebra (12) during insertion. 4. Broom (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the lateral openings (110) are shaped so as to allow longitudinal locking and transverse locking of the monoblock element (13) on the body of the frame (11). ). Brush (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vertebra (12) further comprises a lateral cut (121) at the end of the vertebra which is inserted first into the tubular body. during assembly, said lateral cutout (121) being intended to receive an end joining element which is fitted at one end of the support frame (11). 6. Broom (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the monoblock element (13) of connection is further a hydraulic connector adapted to connect a tank of washing liquid to liquid transport ramps integrated on either side of the blade, over at least a portion of the length of the blade. 7. Broom (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the one-piece element (13) comprises two inlet connectors (131), and four outlet connectors (132) capable of being connected in pairs to the ramps. provided on the same side of the blade, on both sides of the one-piece element (13) and in that two outlet connectors (132) of the same pair are in communication through an internal flow channel extending inside the corresponding lateral lug (130) of the monobloc element (13). 8. A method of assembling the wiper (10) wiper according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: - Mounting the monobloc element (13) of the connection on the frame (11). ) slidably supporting in a direction orthogonal to the longitudinal main orientation; - Inserting the vertebra (12) in the tubular body and the monobloc element (13) by longitudinal translation to a position in which the lateral notch (120) of the vertebra is substantially in a median plane of the monobloc element (13), orthogonal to the longitudinal main orientation of the blade; - inserting said fastening piece (14) by sliding the lateral portion projecting from the base (140) in the direction orthogonal to the plane of the blade through the notch (120), until the plate (141) abuts the blade; - Fixing said piece to the monobloc element (13) of connection. 9. Assembly method according to claim 8, characterized in that, the one-piece element (13) and said part (14) being of thermoplastic material, the fixing step consists of the ultrasonic welding of the transverse part ( 141) of the fixing piece (14) is fixed on the corresponding surface of the one-piece element (13).