FR3043043A1 - ADAPTER FOR WINDOW WIPER BLADE, AND CORRESPONDING CONNECTION DEVICE BETWEEN A BRUSH AND A DRIVE ARM - Google Patents

Abstract

An adapter (26) for connecting a wiper blade (12) to a drive arm (14), comprising at least one housing (45) configured to receive at least a portion of a connector (24) of said wiper blade ( 12), and comprising at least one portion (60) projecting into said housing (45), said projection (60) being configured to define at least one pivot axis (Y) of said adapter (26) on said connector (24), characterized in that the adapter (26) further comprises means (62) configured to define a mechanical stop of the adapter (26) on the connector (24). ) when exceeding the stroke necessary to assemble the adapter (26) on the connector (24) by translation along an assembly direction (A) of the adapter (26) on the connector (24).

Description

ADAPTER FOR WINDOW WIPER BLADE, AND CORRESPONDING CONNECTION DEVICE BETWEEN A BRUSH AND A

TRAINING ARM

The present invention relates to the field of wipers for windows, especially for motor vehicles, and more particularly relates to an adapter for connecting a wiper blade to a drive arm.

Motor vehicle window wiper devices, designed to remove, by sweeping, liquids and soils that could disturb the driver's vision of the environment, generally comprise a driving arm that makes a movement of energy. and angular, and elongated brushes equipped with scraping blades. These blades rub against the window to be cleaned and they evacuate the water and a certain number of soils by sweeping them outside the field of vision of the driver. Brushes are conventionally made in the form of articulated stirrups that hold the scraper blade in several discrete places by giving it a bend allowing it to marry the eventual curvature of the windshield, or a semi-rigid assembly which maintains the scraper blade over its entire length with one or bending vertebrae for applying the broom on the windshield without having to use stirrups (brooms including known under the name "fiat blade").

In any case, the wiper is attached to the drive arm by a connecting device which may include a connector and an adapter. The connector is a piece which is secured to the blade and which is usually attached directly to the wiper blade. The adapter is a piece which is secured to the drive arm and which is configured for this purpose to be engaged in an end piece of the drive arm. Connector and adapter then cooperate to allow articulated connection and attachment of the blade to the drive arm.

The articulated connection between the connector and the adapter comprises at least one transverse pivot axis of the connector vis-à-vis the adapter, which is a pivot axis of the blade vis-à-vis the arm. One of the members, for example the connector, generally comprises a substantially cylindrical shape which defines said transverse axis of pivoting and which is received in a housing of complementary shape to the other member, here the adapter. The adapter generally comprises a body configured to be engaged in the end piece of the arm, so that the body extends at least partly between two substantially parallel lateral legs of said end piece. The body of the adapter also generally comprises an actuating button which is engaged by resilient snapping into a hole or notch of the end piece to lock the adapter towards the end piece in this position. .

An adapter allows to associate a broom to a particular type of end piece or arm, and there are several varieties of end pieces. These varieties are very similar in appearance but differ from each other in size, in particular in their lateral widths or dimensions, the width of an end piece being defined by the distance between the lateral legs of said end piece and, more precisely , by the distance between the external faces of these lateral legs. They also vary by the positions of the orifices or notches intended to cooperate with the push buttons of the adapter.

It is understood that if the adapters have to vary accordingly, it is interesting for the broom manufacturers to keep a standard connector. However, the assembly of a standard connector with an adapter with variable dimensions from one assembly to another can create variable mounting sets and a way by the user to assemble these two parts that generates assembly errors .

To overcome this drawback, the invention provides an adapter adapted to be mounted on different varieties of wiper arm end parts and can be mounted without risk of incorrect assembly on a standard connector. The adapter according to the invention comprises: - at least one housing configured to receive at least a portion of a connector of a wiper blade, - at least one portion projecting inside said housing, said projecting portion being configured to cooperate with complementary means of said connector to define an articulated connection between said adapter and said connector and define at least one pivot axis of said adapter on said connector, - means configured to cooperate with complementary means of said connector to define a mechanical stop for stopping said adapter on said connector when exceeding the stroke required to assemble the adapter (26) on the connector (24) by translation along an assembly direction (A) of the adapter (26) on the connector (24).

Advantageously, the adapter according to the invention is such that the portion extending projecting inside the housing comprises a through hole. In this way, provision can be made for mounting a lateral locking type arm which comprises firstly an L-shaped rod and secondly a cylindrical rod defining an axis of articulation of the screw adapter. to the broom ("Side Lock" type arm), the cylindrical rod can then be inserted into the through hole when the adapter is mounted on this arm.

According to a preferred embodiment, the housing of the adapter according to the invention is delimited by at least one side wall intended to come into contact with a face of the connector during assembly of the wiper blade on the drive arm and by an upper wall, and this side wall is provided, at its end opposite said upper wall, of at least one protrusion intended to bear on a contact face of the connector with said adapter, and in particular on a corresponding flattened flat surface on this contact face.

Advantageously, said side wall is carrying said portion projecting inside the housing and is configured to cooperate with the connector to define a pivot axis of the adapter on the connector. More preferably, said projecting portion comprises a through hole. In this way, it can be provided mounting the adapter on a side locking type arm as mentioned above.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, and for reasons of symmetry, the adapter comprises at least two side walls each carrying a protrusion intended to come into contact with the contact face of the connector, and these walls are configured in such a way that the protruding parts which they carry extend towards each other and are situated facing each other, so as to define a same axis of pivoting of the adapter on the connector.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, but not exclusively, each of said excrescences has the shape of a disc portion centered on the above-mentioned pivot axis, and said disc portion comes, during the assembly of the disc. adapter on the connector, tangential support on the contact surface of said connector with said adapter.

The present invention also relates to a broom or a wiper arm, characterized in that it comprises or that it carries an adapter, a connector or an adapter / connector assembly as described above. The invention and its features will be better understood and detailed by the description which follows, illustrated by the following figures: - Figure 1, which is a schematic perspective view of a wiper blade and its drive arm connected to each other by a connecting device; - Figure 2, which is a schematic side view of a connection device according to the invention, in which a connector capable of being fixed to the broom and an adapter adapted to be secured to the arm; - Figures 3 to 5, which are schematic views of the adapter as shown in Figure 2, respectively in side view, in bottom view, and in top view; - Figure 6 which is a schematic view in partial close perspective of the interior of the housing of the adapter; and Figure 7, which is a. schematic perspective view of the connector of Figure 2.

In the following, the names "longitudinal" or "lateral" refer to the orientation of the wiper blade or drive arm according to the invention. The longitudinal direction corresponds to the main axis of the blade or arm in which it extends, while the lateral orientations cross the longitudinal direction, in particular perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the blade or the arm in its plane of rotation.

FIG. 1 schematically represents a wiper device 10 for windows, comprising in particular a brush 12 and an arm 14 for driving the brush 12.

The blade 12 shown is of the "fiat blade" type and comprises a longitudinal body 16, a wiper blade 18, generally of rubber, and at least one vertebra (not visible) which stiffens the blade and promotes its application on a bumper -brise vehicle.

The body 16 of the blade 12 here comprises an upper aerodynamic deflector 20 for improving the operation of the wiper system, the purpose of this deflector being to improve the plating of the blade on the windshield and therefore the aerodynamic performance of the device. 'wiping.

The brush 12 diagrammatically shown also comprises end tips or hooking clips 22 of the blade 18 and the vertebra on the body 16, these tips 22 being located at each of the longitudinal ends of the body 16.

In addition, the blade 12 comprises, substantially in the middle, a connector 24 which can be seen in Figure 1 a base, covered by an adapter 26. The adapter 26, integral with the arm 14, is mounted on the connector 24 of to maintain a degree of freedom in pivoting about a hinge axis Y which is a transverse axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the blade 12. This degree of freedom allows a pivoting of the blade 12 vis-à-vis the arm 14 and thus allows the broom to follow the curvature of the windshield during his movements. The adapter 26 can be detached from the arm 14 by pressing an actuation button, here a push button 27, carried by the adapter.

The arm 14 is driven by a motor (not shown) to follow an angular movement back and forth to evacuate the water and possibly other undesirable elements covering the glass to be cleaned. The connecting device, formed by the connector 24 and the adapter 26, connects the blade 12 to the arm 14. The adapter 26 is connected to a head or end piece 28 of the arm which can be formed in one piece with the arm or attached and fixed on it. The end piece 28 has an elongated shape in a general direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the blade 12. The end piece 28, at its rear end, is extended, in the example illustrated in FIG. 1, by a portion 30 of connection to the rest of the arm 14, for example by crimping. This portion 30 has a generally elongated shape and extends along an axis substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the part 28, as can be seen in FIG.

The adapter 26 will now be described in greater detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6. The adapter 26 has a generally elongate shape, in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the end piece 28 and to the longitudinal direction of the blade when this one and the arm are connected. It comprises a body and a head 46 disposed at a longitudinal end. The body has two lateral walls 42a, 42b substantially parallel to each other and to the longitudinal axis X of the adapter 26, and at a distance from one another. These walls 42a, 42b are interconnected at their upper ends by an upper transverse wall 44 which is substantially perpendicular thereto. The walls 42a, 42b, 44 here have an elongated shape in the longitudinal direction and they give the adapter an inverted U shape, defining between them a housing 45 intended to receive a part of the connector 24.

The head 46 has a lateral dimension greater than that of the body of the adapter and a height also greater than that of the body. The side walls 42a, 42b of the body of the adapter are thus recessed or offset relative to external lateral faces of the head, and its upper wall 44 is set back or offset relative to an external upper face of said head, as it is visible in Figures 2, 3 and 4.

The lateral faces 46a of the head 46 are connected to the lateral walls 42a, 42b of the body by lateral rear faces 48a, respectively, which extend substantially perpendicular to the axis X. The upper face 46c of the head 46 is connected to the upper wall 44 of the body by an upper rear face 48b which also extends substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis X of the adapter 26.

When the wiper blade 12 is assembled on the arm 14, the rear faces 48a, 48b of the head 46 form bearing faces for the end piece 28, as seen in Figure 1. More precisely, in position mounting of the adapter with the end piece 28, the free edges before the lateral legs 32 of the end piece bear against the faces 48a, and the front free edge of the transverse upper wall 34 of the end piece 28 comes to bear on the 48b face.

The upper wall 44 of the body of the adapter 26 comprises, substantially in the middle, a window 49. The upper wall 44 comprises at its longitudinal end opposite the head 46 longitudinal slots parallel to each other and to the axis X and spaced apart from each other, so as to define between them at least a portion of a longitudinal tongue 50.

The tab 50 extends longitudinally on the opposite side to the head 46, in the extension of the upper wall 44. It is elastically deformable and carries at its free end an upper push button 27 above, which extends in vertical projection of the tongue 50. In the free state without constraint, each tongue 50 is such that the push button 27 is located above a plane passing through the upper wall 44. The elastic deformations of the tongues here take place in a longitudinal plane median substantially vertical, that is to say substantially perpendicular to the upper wall 44. The adapter 26 is thus equipped with an upper push button 27.

When the adapter 26 is mounted in the end piece 28, the pushbutton 27 engages elastically snap-fastening in an opening 38 (see FIG. 1) of the end piece 28 to lock the adapter with respect thereto. last. The adapter 26 further comprises an upper orifice 51 for engaging a tab of an end piece of the arm. This orifice 51 is here formed in part by a first notch made in the head 46, at the rear end thereof, and partly by a second notch made in the upper wall 44, at the front end thereof. this. The orifice 51 has in plan view a generally square or rectangular shape.

The side walls 42a, 42b of the body extend longitudinally, opposite the head 46 by longitudinal tabs 52a, 52b elastically deformable transversely. Each wall 42a, 42b is connected to a tab 52a, 52b, these tabs 52a, 52b being substantially parallel and symmetrical with respect to a median longitudinal plane, substantially vertical, that is to say perpendicular to the upper wall 44 of the 'adapter. The free ends of the tabs 52a, 52b, which are located on the opposite side to the head 46, each carry a lateral push button 27 'projecting. Each tab 52a, 52b thus carries a push button 27 '. The tabs 52a, 52b can be brought closer to one another by elastic deformation. The push buttons 27 'are shaped to cooperate with notches of the end piece 28, to reinforce the locking of the adapter 26 with the latter.

The side walls 42a, 42b preferably each comprise a through orifice 56. The orifices 56 of the walls 42a, 42b are substantially coaxial and define at their center the axis Y of pivoting of the adapter 26 on the connector 24, and therefore of the brush vis-à-vis the arm. The orifices 56 are here circular in section and each have a substantially cylindrical inner surface. The orifices 56 open at their outer lateral ends on the outer faces of the walls 42a, 42b, respectively and, at their inner lateral ends, in the housing 45.

The internal lateral faces facing the lateral walls 42a, 42b comprise projecting parts, here forming bearings 60. Each side wall 42a, 42b comprises a bearing 60, said bearings being here facing each other and s extending substantially towards each other. The bearings 60 are symmetrical with respect to a median longitudinal plane of the adapter, perpendicular to the upper wall 44. Each bearing also has a plane of symmetry passing through the Y axis and perpendicular to the X axis.

Each bearing 60 has a generally cylindrical shape and more preferably comprises a through hole extending the aforementioned orifice 56. The axis of each orifice 56, which coincides with the axis Y, is also coincident with the axis of the corresponding bearing 60, so that each bearing 60 here forms an annular bead of material around the orifice 56, bead whose radial thickness with respect to the Y axis is substantially constant.

Furthermore, each side wall 42a, 42b forms, at its free lower end, opposite the wall 44, an edge or a surface 55 which here has a convex curved shape. The free end edge 55 is advantageously curved to allow the tilting of the adapter around the pivot axis without its longitudinal ends come into contact with the connector.

A protrusion 62 is arranged at the end of each of the convex surfaces 55 of the side walls 42a, 42b, of the adapter 26.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 to 5 and in FIG. 7, each protrusion 62 has the shape of a disc portion centered on the Y axis, and which extends opposite the upper wall. 44 of the adapter 26, from the lower end of each convex surface 55 previously described. The thickness of each disk portion is smaller than that of the sidewall 42a, 42b, from which it extends.

According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, each side wall 42a, 42b comprises, in its thickness, cavities 42c intended, among other things, to lighten the adapter 26. Each protrusion 62 is here formed from the internal face each side wall 42a, 42b, of the adapter 26, and its thickness is that of the inner portion of the side wall which defines the corresponding cavity 42c. In other words, and as shown in Figure 7, the inner face of each of the protrusions 62 is flush with the inner face of the side wall 42a, 42b, at the end of which it is arranged.

Each protrusion 62 is intended, during assembly of the adapter 26 with the connector 24, to bear against a contact surface of the connector.

The connecting device according to the invention is illustrated in FIG. 2. The adapter 26 is assembled with the connector 24 by snap-fitting cooperation of the bearings 60 around the complementary means of said connector 24.

The connector 24, schematically represented in perspective in FIG. 7, is designed to be secured, for example by crimping, of the blade 12. The connector 24 here provides a so-called complete mechanical connection with the blade 12, in that it there is no degree of freedom.

The connector 24 comprises a base 70 which extends longitudinally and transversely. This base 70 comprises a securing zone 72 on the blade 12, and more particularly on at least one vertebra of this blade. This securing zone 72 takes for example the form of a groove formed in the base 70, this groove being bordered by two hooks adapted to engage the brush. The base 70 is surmounted by a flank 76, for example, made of material with the base. This flank 76 has a transverse dimension smaller than that of the base and a longitudinal dimension substantially equal to that of the base. The flank 76 is for example centered on the base 70, along the Y axis. The flank 76 may have a plurality of ribs which provide its mechanical reinforcement.

The flank 76 of the connector 24 comprises, parallel to the Y axis, a through-cavity 80. According to the example illustrated in FIG. 7, the cavity 80 is a through-orifice of circular section whose axis coincides with the axis Y.

The connector 24 and the adapter 26 are mechanically connected by a pivot connection, resulting from the free rotation of the bearings 60 of the adapter inside the cavity 80, which has an internal diameter substantially equal to and slightly greater than the external diameter. bearings. The adapter 26 is mounted on the connector 24 by vertical translation, along an axis perpendicular to the upper wall 44 of the adapter 26 (direction represented by the arrow A in FIG. 5), and by elastic snapping of its projecting parts 60 in the cavity 80 of the connector. Concretely, the user exerts a pressure, oriented in the direction represented by the arrow A in FIG. 5, on the upper wall 44 of the adapter 26.

When the protruding portions 60 are inserted into the cavity 80, the side walls 42a, 42 of the adapter are forced to deform away from one another. This operation is continued until the projecting portions 60 snap or spring back into the cavity 80. The adapter is then fixed to the connector and can further pivot on it about the Y axis, in cooperation its protruding parts with the internal cylindrical surface of the cavity 80.

Once the adapter 26 is assembled with the connector 24, the flank 76 of the connector 24 is partially housed in the housing 45 of the adapter 26, and the lower ends of the convex surfaces 55 of the adapter 26 come closest to the upper surface 75 of the base 70 of the connector 24, ideally in contact with the latter, thus forming a stop means of the adapter 26 on the connector 24.

According to the invention, in the assembled position, the protrusions 60 are supported on the upper surface 75 of the base 70 of the connector 24. It is understood that the distance between the axis defining the orifice 56 of the projections 60 and the free end of the protrusions 62 is substantially equal to, or slightly less than, the distance between the axis defining the cavities 80 and the upper face 75, so that when the connector is assembled relative to the adapter, the protrusions are in contact or slightly away from the contact surface.

As illustrated in FIG. 7, the connector 24 may comprise flats 85 configured on the upper surface 75 of the base 70 of the connector 24. The flats 85 are arranged on either side of the flank 76 of the connector 24, symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal direction of the latter. The thickness of each flat 85 varies in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the connector, so that the upper surface 85a of each of the flats is substantially parallel to the upper face 81 of the connector 24. More specifically, in the As illustrated in FIG. 7, the thickness of each flat 85 increases from the portion of the flat closest to the flank 76 to the portion of said flat closest to the edge of the base 70 of the connector 24.

When assembling the adapter 26 with the connector 24, the flank 76 of said connector is engaged in the housing 45 of said adapter, and the outer faces of the flank 76 cooperate with the inner faces of the housing 45 to guide the adapter and , in particular, its projections 60, towards the cavity 80 of the connector 24. The dimension on which each protrusion 62 extends, in the direction opposite to the upper wall 44 of the adapter 26, and the thickness of each flat 85 of the connector, are defined in such a way that, once the projecting parts 60 engaged by resilient latching in the cavity 80, each protrusion 62 bears on the corresponding flat surface 85, thus forming a stop mechanical stop which then prevents the user to exceed the stroke necessary to assemble the adapter with the connector.

Given the shape of each protrusion, the support is here tangential, which keeps the pivoting connection around the Y axis between the connector and the adapter. Moreover, because of the natural elasticity of the material used to form the adapter, the shape of the protrusions 62 confers a slight degree of freedom in the direction of the pressure exerted for the assembly of said adapter with the connector 24 and for thus ensure a satisfactory resilient snap of these two bodies.

The foregoing description clearly explains how the invention makes it possible to achieve the objectives which it has set itself and in particular to propose a wiper device which makes it possible to adapt a standard connector to a dimension adapter optimized for this connector. . The invention thus further extends the field of use of an adapter as just described to a wider variety of connectors and wiper blades. It is understood that the adapter 26 can be installed on a wide variety of arms, whether or not they have an end piece. However, it may occur for certain types of arms that the height H2 of the housing 45, measured between the Y axis of the projections 60 and the inner face 44a of the upper wall 44 of the adapter 26 is greater than the height H1 between the Y axis of the cavity 80 of the connector 24 and the upper surface 81 of the same connector. In this case, once the adapter 26 and the connector 24 are assembled, there remains a distance, or "clearance" D (not shown in the figures) between the upper surface 81 of the connector 24 and the inner face 44a of the upper wall. 44 of the adapter 26. When assembling the adapter 26 with the connector 24, it may then occur that, at first, the projecting portions 60 of the adapter engage, by elastic snap, in the cavity 80 of the connector 24, then that, under the effect of excessive pressure exerted by the user and because of the "clearance" D materialized by the difference between said height H1 and said height H2, the inner face 44a the upper wall 44 of the adapter is brought into contact with the upper surface 81 of the connector, causing the projections 60 of the adapter to at least partially leave the cavity 80. This then results in a bad assembly of the adapter and the connector, which can bare to the proper operation of the glass wiper and its holding over time.

The presence of a protrusion 62 makes it possible to ensure a stop with the connector to avoid an excessive amplitude of insertion of the adapter by the user, and its disk portion shape makes it possible to ensure a tangential contact which does not penalize the good pivoting of the adapter relative to the connector.

Claims (14)

An adapter (26) for connecting a wiper blade (12) to a drive arm (14), comprising at least one housing (45) configured to receive at least a portion of a connector (24) thereof. wiper blade (12), and comprising at least a portion (60) projecting into said housing (45), said projection (60) being configured to define at least one pivot axis (Y ) of said adapter (26) on said connector (24), characterized in that the adapter (26) further comprises means (62) configured to define a mechanical stop of the adapter (26) on the connector (24) when exceeding the stroke necessary to assemble the adapter (26) to the connector (24) by translation along an assembly direction (A) of the adapter (26) on the connector (24). An adapter (26) according to claim 1, characterized in that said portion (60) projecting into the housing (45) includes a through hole (56). 3. Adapter (26) according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that said means (62) consist of at least one protrusion arranged at the free end of a wall (42a, 42b) of said adapter ( 26) laterally delimiting said housing (45), said protrusion extending in a direction opposite to that of an upper wall (44) of said adapter (26) which delimits said housing (45) at its upper part. 4. Adapter (26) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises at least two side walls (42a, 42b) and an upper wall (44) defining said housing (45), and in that each of said side walls (42a, 42b) carries at least one protrusion (62) which extends in the extension of the plane of the side wall projecting from the free end edge arranged opposite said upper wall (44). 5. Adapter (26) according to any one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that each of the protuberances (62) has the shape of a disk portion. 6. Adapter (26) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the disk portion is disposed at right said pivot axis (Y) of said adapter (26) on said connector (24). 7. Adapter (26) according to any one of claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the thickness of each of said protrusions (62) is less than the thickness of said wall (42a, 42b) at the end of which it is arranged. 8. Adapter (26) according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the inner face of each of said protuberances (62) is flush with the inner face of the wall (42a, 42b) at the end of which it is arranged. 9. Device for connecting a wiper blade to a drive arm, via a connector (24) and an adapter (26) according to any one of claims 1 to 8. 10. Connecting device according to claim 9, characterized in that each of said protuberances (62) is adapted to abut a flat (85) arranged on a surface of said connector (24) of wiper blade. 11. Connecting device according to any one of claims 9 and 10, characterized in that said projecting portion (60) is configured to cooperate with a cavity (80) of said connector (24). 12. Connecting device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that said means (62) are configured to cooperate with an abutment surface (75) of said connector (24). 13. Connection device according to the combination of claims 11 and 12, characterized in that the dimension on which each of said protrusions (62) extends in the opposite direction to that of said upper wall (44) is defined in such a way that when said pivotally articulated connection about said axis (Y) of said adapter (26) with said connector (24) is made by cooperation of said projections (60) of said adapter (26) with said means (80) of said connector, each of said protrusions (62) is tangentially supported on the corresponding bearing surface. A wiper device for a motor vehicle comprising at least one wiper blade (12) connected to a drive arm (14), wherein the connection between said drive arm (14) and said wiper blade (12). wiper is performed by means of a connecting device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, the connector being fixed on the brush and the adapter being secured to the arm.