GB1585300A

GB1585300A - Motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor assembly

Info

Publication number: GB1585300A
Application number: GB5112177A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: SWF Spezialfabrik fuer Autozubehoer Gustav Rau GmbH
Current assignee: SWF Auto Electric GmbH
Priority date: 1976-12-24
Filing date: 1977-12-08
Publication date: 1981-02-25
Also published as: DE2658746A1; FR2375738B1; FR2375738A1; DE2658746C3; DE2658746B2

Description

(54) MOTOR VEHICLE WINDSCREEN WIPER MOTOR ASSEMBLY (71) We, SWF-SPEZIALFABRIK FUR AUTOZUBEHÖR GUSTAV RAU G.m.b.H. a joint stock company organised under the Laws of Germany of Stuttgarter Strasse-119, 712 Bietigheim Bissingen, Germany do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: This invention relates to a motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor assembly including a limit switch having slide springs and an electrical socket fixed to a housing for the motor, the socket having blade terminals for electrical supply to the motor and blade terminals connected to the slide springs.

The slide springs of such a wiper motor limit switch co-operate with contact paths which, on the front side of a switching disk, are arranged laterally side by side to each other. Between these contact paths insulating strips are provided, the width of which cannot be reduced as desired. Also, because of functional efficiency, the width of the slide springs may not fall below a certain value. Therefore the minimum clearance between the slide springs and between the corresponding terminals is defined.

In a known embodiment the blade terminals connected to the motor current supply leads are located laterally on the left and on the right of the outer slide spring blade terminals to which the slide springs are directly connected. The socket therefore is of a relatively big volume, so that correspondingly big openings for leading through a suitable matching plug have to be made in the body of a motor vehicle.

Attempts have already been made to simplify the wiring of a wiper motor in that the motor current leads and the leads for the limit switch are each provided with a separate matching plug. Then the openings in the body of the motor vehicle can be smaller, but this arrangement is expensive with respect to production and assembly.

According to the present invention there is provided a motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor assembly including a limit switch having slide springs and an electrical socket fixed to a housing for the motor, the socket having blade terminals for electrical supply to the motor and blade terminals connected to the slide springs, wherein the blade terminals are in a parallel side-by-side arrangement and positioned between neighbouring slide spring blade terminals is a respective electrical supply blade terminal.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided an electrical socket fixed or adapted to be fixed to a motor housing of a motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor, the socket including a limit switch having slide springs, the socket having blade terminals for electrical supply to the motor and blade terminals adapted for connection with the slide springs, the blade terminals being in a parallel side-byside arrangement which is such that posi-.

tioned between neighbouring slide spring blade terminals is a respective electrical supply blade terminal.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is an external view of a wiper motor housing cover; Figure 2 is a back view of the housing cover of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a side view of the housing cover of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a section through the socket taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a section through the socket taken on the line V-V of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a view of the socket in direction of arrow X of Figure 1; Figure 7 is a front view of a matching plug; Figure 8 is a longitudinal section through the matching plug of Figure 7, and Figure 9 is a section through a brush bearing plate.

A wiper motor (not shown) has a housing cover 10 moulded integrally with a socket 11 from a plastics material. The socket 11 is divided into five chambers 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 by insulating webs 12. In the outer and middle chambers 13, 15 and 17, blade terminals 18, 19 and 20 are secured which, as Figure 4 shows, are approximately Tshaped and are punched out of metal sheet.

The longitudinal legs of the blade terminals 18, 19 or 20 project through corresponding slots 21 in the housing cover 10, so that slide springs 22 can directly be fixed to them by caulking, striking the ends of the legs with a blunt chisel. The slide springs, in wellknown manner, resiliently rest upon contact paths of a switching disk (not shown). The clearance A between these slide springs 22 is fixed by the width of the contact paths, and the insulating strips between the contact paths, and cannot be reduced.

Between chambers 13 and 15, and between chambers 15 and 17, are located the chambers 14 and 16, respectively for blade terminals 23 and 24, to which are fixed connecting wires 25 and 26 which serve as motor current supply leads and extend to carbon brushes (not shown) of the motor.

The width of these chambers 14 and 16 is somewhat bigger than that of the other chambers. They have a tapering lead-in channel 27 and, preferably on both sides of the lead-in channel 27, pockets 28 into which a lug 29 laterally projecting from the blade terminals 23 or 24 can engage. Then the blade terminals 23 and 24 are positively fixed in the socket 11.

The width of the socket then approximately corresponds to the clearance of the outer slide springs, and the matching plug can be made sufficiently small that it can be put through apertures of a motor vehicle body having a diameter of the order of 25 mm.

By arranging the blade terminals in individual chambers separated by insulating webs, the width of the socket may be further reduced to the point where it is dictated by the minimum space between the blade terminals which is required in order to perform the soldering or welding operations needed to attach connecting wires thereto.

As Figure 6 shows, the socket 11 because of two inclined portions 30 has an unsymmetrical opening 31 for a suitable matching plug 40. In addition. locking recesses 33 are provided in the side walls 32 for detents 41 laterally projecting from the matching plug 40. In this manner it is ensured that the connecting winos originating from a wiring harness are clearly assigned to the blade terminals and also if, as happens in various cases, the slide springs are arranged mirrorinvertedly to the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

The connecting wires 25 and 26 of Figure 1 are motor supply current leads which extend to carbon brushes such as 50 (Figure 9) of the motor. The brushes are guided in quivers 51 on a brush bearing plate 52. To this brush bearing plate 52 a tubular rivet 53 is attached, into which the connecting, wire 25 as well as a pigtail 54 connected to the carbon brush 50 is inserted. Thereby in a simple manner an electrically conductive connection between the connecting wire 25 and the pigtail 54 is effected by squeezing and welding the tubular rivet. Thereby the tubular rivet serves as a traction relief as well as a connecting element. An embodiment in which the pigtail 54 is led through the tubular rivet 53 and directly fixed to the corresponding blade terminals 23 or 24 is also possible. Also, into the tubular rivet could be inserted and fixed a terminal of an interference-suppression choke or of a suppression capacitor. In this manner the motor can be connected to the wiring harness of the vehicle without any soldered connection, and by using the tubular rivet arrangement the constructional volume for the wiring of the wiper motor is reduced.

In the embodiments shown the socket and the housing cover are integrally made of plastic material. Alternatively, an embodiment with a housing cover made of metal sheet on which a plastics socket is mounted is possible.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. A motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor assembly including a limit switch having slide springs and an electrical socket fixed to a housing for the motor, the socket having blade terminals for electrical supply to the motor and blade terminals connected to the slide springs, wherein the blade terminals are in a parallel side-by-side arrangement and positioned between neighbouring slide spring blade terminals is a respective electrical supply blade terminal.

2. A wiper motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein the socket is provided with a plurality of chambers, one for each blade terminal, which chambers are separated by insulating webs, and wherein the chambers for the electrical supply blade terminals are broader than the chambers for the slide spring blade terminals.

3. A wiper motor assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 2, further including a matching plug for the socket, wherein the socket has an unsymmetrical opening for the matching plug which has a corresponding crosssection, and wherein at least one side wall of the socket is provided with a locking recess for a detent laterally projecting from the

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. Figure 8 is a longitudinal section through the matching plug of Figure 7, and Figure 9 is a section through a brush bearing plate. A wiper motor (not shown) has a housing cover 10 moulded integrally with a socket 11 from a plastics material. The socket 11 is divided into five chambers 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 by insulating webs 12. In the outer and middle chambers 13, 15 and 17, blade terminals 18, 19 and 20 are secured which, as Figure 4 shows, are approximately Tshaped and are punched out of metal sheet. The longitudinal legs of the blade terminals 18, 19 or 20 project through corresponding slots 21 in the housing cover 10, so that slide springs 22 can directly be fixed to them by caulking, striking the ends of the legs with a blunt chisel. The slide springs, in wellknown manner, resiliently rest upon contact paths of a switching disk (not shown). The clearance A between these slide springs 22 is fixed by the width of the contact paths, and the insulating strips between the contact paths, and cannot be reduced. Between chambers 13 and 15, and between chambers 15 and 17, are located the chambers 14 and 16, respectively for blade terminals 23 and 24, to which are fixed connecting wires 25 and 26 which serve as motor current supply leads and extend to carbon brushes (not shown) of the motor. The width of these chambers 14 and 16 is somewhat bigger than that of the other chambers. They have a tapering lead-in channel 27 and, preferably on both sides of the lead-in channel 27, pockets 28 into which a lug 29 laterally projecting from the blade terminals 23 or 24 can engage. Then the blade terminals 23 and 24 are positively fixed in the socket 11. The width of the socket then approximately corresponds to the clearance of the outer slide springs, and the matching plug can be made sufficiently small that it can be put through apertures of a motor vehicle body having a diameter of the order of 25 mm. By arranging the blade terminals in individual chambers separated by insulating webs, the width of the socket may be further reduced to the point where it is dictated by the minimum space between the blade terminals which is required in order to perform the soldering or welding operations needed to attach connecting wires thereto. As Figure 6 shows, the socket 11 because of two inclined portions 30 has an unsymmetrical opening 31 for a suitable matching plug 40. In addition. locking recesses 33 are provided in the side walls 32 for detents 41 laterally projecting from the matching plug 40. In this manner it is ensured that the connecting winos originating from a wiring harness are clearly assigned to the blade terminals and also if, as happens in various cases, the slide springs are arranged mirrorinvertedly to the embodiment shown in Figure 2. The connecting wires 25 and 26 of Figure 1 are motor supply current leads which extend to carbon brushes such as 50 (Figure 9) of the motor. The brushes are guided in quivers 51 on a brush bearing plate 52. To this brush bearing plate 52 a tubular rivet 53 is attached, into which the connecting, wire 25 as well as a pigtail 54 connected to the carbon brush 50 is inserted. Thereby in a simple manner an electrically conductive connection between the connecting wire 25 and the pigtail 54 is effected by squeezing and welding the tubular rivet. Thereby the tubular rivet serves as a traction relief as well as a connecting element. An embodiment in which the pigtail 54 is led through the tubular rivet 53 and directly fixed to the corresponding blade terminals 23 or 24 is also possible. Also, into the tubular rivet could be inserted and fixed a terminal of an interference-suppression choke or of a suppression capacitor. In this manner the motor can be connected to the wiring harness of the vehicle without any soldered connection, and by using the tubular rivet arrangement the constructional volume for the wiring of the wiper motor is reduced. In the embodiments shown the socket and the housing cover are integrally made of plastic material. Alternatively, an embodiment with a housing cover made of metal sheet on which a plastics socket is mounted is possible. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. A motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor assembly including a limit switch having slide springs and an electrical socket fixed to a housing for the motor, the socket having blade terminals for electrical supply to the motor and blade terminals connected to the slide springs, wherein the blade terminals are in a parallel side-by-side arrangement and positioned between neighbouring slide spring blade terminals is a respective electrical supply blade terminal.

matching plug.

4. A wiper motor assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the housing is made of metal and the socket of a plastics material is mounted on the housing.

5. A wiper motor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the socket and the housing are in one piece and made of a plastics material

6. A wiper motor assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein between the socket and a carbon brush of the motor a motor electrical supply lead is conducted through a tubular rivet held on a brush bearing plate.

7. A wiper motor assembly as claimed in claim 6, wherein the supply lead terminates in the rivet and a pigtail lead extends between the rivet and the carbon brush, the pigtail lead and the supply lead being inserted into the tubular rivet and interconnected in electricallv conductive manner by squeezing of the tubular rivet and welding.

8. A wiper motor assembly as claimed in claim 7, wherein the connecting wire of an interference -suppression choke. and/or of a suppression capacitor. is secured in the tubular rivet.

9. An electrical socket fixed or adapted to be fixed to a motor housing of a motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor. the socket including a limit switch having slide springs, the socket having blade terminals for electrical supply to the motor and blade terminals adapted for connection with the slide springs. the blade terminals being in a parallel side-bv-side arrangement which is such that positioned between neighbouring slide spring blade terminals is a respective electrical supply blade terminal.

10. An electrical socket as claimed in claim 9. wherein the blade terminals are positioned in individual chambers. the chambers being separated by insulating webs.

11. An electrical socket as claimed in claim 9 or l() in combination with a match ing plug.

12. A motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor assembly substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 8. or Figures 1 to 9 of the accompanying drawinns.

13. An electrical socket including a limit switch having slide springs for use in a motor vehicle windscreen wiper motor assemblv.

and substantially as herein described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 of the accom panting drawings.

14. An electrical socket and plug combination including a limit stitch having slide springs for use in a motor vehicle windy screen wiper motor assemble and substan tally is herein described wfih reference to Figures 1 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.