GB2290947A

GB2290947A - Vehicle window wipers

Info

Publication number: GB2290947A
Application number: GB9512655A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christopher David Dowli Hickey; David Giddings
Original assignee: WEEWAK WIPERS Ltd
Current assignee: WEEWAK WIPERS Ltd
Priority date: 1994-06-23
Filing date: 1995-06-21
Publication date: 1996-01-17
Anticipated expiration: 2015-06-21
Also published as: GB9512655D0; GB2290947B

Abstract

A wiper for a vehicle glass with wash liquid supply means comprises an elongate supply passageway or tube having a series of outlet jets 21, 49, 118 at spaced intervals running the length of the wiper. In one aspect, there is a tubular body 16 formed of a flexible material which is integral with a blade 18 and a pair of stop members 19 limiting flexing of the blade. In Figure 8 (also Fig. 6) the tubular body comprises a number of blades and rows of jets, and may be rotated when one blade has been worn to expose a fresh blade to the screen. In further aspects, the supply passageway may comprise a cavity 117 between co-operating surfaces of a blade rubber and a mounting member 114, or may be auached to, or integral with, the mounting member (Figs. 12 - 16). The wiper may be used with a vehicle windscreen, rear window, lamp or mirror. <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO VEHICLE WINDOW WIPERS This invention relates to vehicle window wipers.

The term window is intended to include a windscreen, rear window, headlamp glass and mirror.

It is normal to provide a motor vehicle with a window wiping mechanism and a system for delivering washing fluid to the window to assist in maintaining a clean window. Normally the jets for the washing system are mounted separately from the wiping mechanism to spray generally onto the window but this arrangement does not result in the most efficient use of the washing fluid where it is most needed, that is at the location where the wiper blade is acting on the window. Attempts have been made to incorporate the washing system with the wiper mechanism including arrangements in which the wiper blade is hollow to receive a pressurised supply of washer fluid with jets in the blade to deliver washing fluid onto the windscreen.To date these arrangements have not been successful mainly because the jets tend to close up with flexing of the blade or at least are not correctly directed when the blade flexes.

This invention provides a wiper for a vehicle glass (e.g. a windscreen, window, lamp or mirror) comprising an elongate tubular body formed in a flexible material providing a reservoir for connection to a pressurised supply of washing fluid, an integral mounting section extending along one side of the tubular body for mounting on a wiper arm, a flexible blade formed integrally with the tubular body on the opposite side to the mounting section to engage the vehicle glass, a pair of integral stop members projecting from the body on either side of the blade to limit flexing of the blade and a series of jets formed in the wall of the tubular body adjacent to one or other of the stop members on the opposite side thereof to the blade to direct washing fluid from the reservoir in the tubular body onto the vehicle glass during wiping of the glass.

In one specific arrangement, recesses may be formed at spaced locations along the outside of the tubular body adjacent one of said stop members and the jets from the reservoir in the tubular body open into the recesses.

According to another feature of the invention, the wiper may be formed in a rubber or rubber like material.

According to a further feature of the invention, the stop members may be formed at spaced locations around the wall of the tubular body and may diverge from one another and the blade may project from the wall of the tubular body between the stop members.

According to yet another feature of the invention, the mounting for the tubular body may be of generally I-section form to engage with the wiper arm.

In another embodiment of the invention, a wiper for a vehicle window glass comprises a flexible tubular body providing a reservoir for receiving a supply of pressurised washing fluid, a plurality of flexible blades extending along the tubular body at spaced locations around the body, for each blade a series of jets formed in the wall of the body adjacent the blade to direct washing of fluid onto the vehicle window for the respective blade and an elongate channel section flexible housing in which the tubular body is engaged with one blade of the body projecting from the housing to act on the vehicle window and the adjacent series of jets exposed to deliver washing fluid onto the window whilst the other blades and associated jets are enclosed and sealed within the housing.

In another aspect of this embodiment of the invention, the tubular body may be of hollow triangular cross-section and the wiper blades may be formed at the apexes of the body.

In the latter arrangement the housing for the blade may comprise a base having upstanding convergent side walls to provide a socket for the triangular section body to mount the body with one apex thereof and the blade on it projecting from the mounting to act on the vehicle windscreen and with the series of jets formed in the body adjacent that blade exposed to deliver washing fluid onto the windscreen whilst the other blades are enclosed within the body and the jets associated therewith blanked off.

According to a further feature of this embodiment of the invention, the tubular body may be of generally triangular cross-section having integral blades formed along the respective sides of the triangle and jets extending from the reservoir within the tubular body to the apexes of the triangle and the channel section mounting for the tubular body engaging around the triangular section tubular body and two of the blades leaving the third blade projecting from the channel section to act on the vehicle windscreen and the side walls of the section are cut away at spaced locations on either side to expose the jets in the apexes of the tubular body to one side only of the projecting blade leaving the jets at the other apexes blanked off.

The invention also provides a wiper blade assembly for a vehicle glass, comprising an elongate resilient blade for engaging the surface of a vehicle glass, an elongate mounting member from which the blade extends for connection to a wiper mechanism for sweeping the blade over the surface of the glass, an elongate passageway formed by or on the mounting member for connection to a supply of washing fluid and a plurality of outlet ports from the passageway at spaced locations along the mounting member to one or both sides of the blade for delivery jets of washing fluid to the surface of the glass to assist in cleaning the glass as the blade sweeps over the glass.

In one construction according to the invention the blade is formed with a dovetail cross section element for connection to the mounting element and the mounting element is formed with a dovetail section channel to receive the dovetail mounting element of the blade, the mounting element stopping short of the bottom of the channel on at least one side of the mounting member to provide an elongate passageway extending along the mounting member to receive said washing fluid and the wall of the mounting member enclosing the passageway having outlet ports at spaced locations along the length thereof to deliver jets of washing fluid to one side of the wiping blade.

More specifically a tube may be formed in at least one side of said channel for connection to a supply of washing fluid, the tube being formed with outlet ports at spaced locations along the length thereof for delivering washing fluid to one side of the blade.

In a further construction the mounting member may be formed with an integral tube for washing fluid extending along the length of one of the mounting member and provided with outlet ports for delivering jets of washing fluid to one side of the blade.

In a still further arrangement a separate tubular member for connection to a supply of washing fluid may be provided which extends along the length of the mounting member and is secured thereto by clips engaging over the tubular member and connected to the side of the mounting members.

In any of the above arrangements a coupling element is provided connectable to the mounting member for connecting a supply of washing fluid to the passageway in the mounting element to deliver washing fluid from a source of fluid to the passageway of the mounting element.

The following is a description of some specific embodiments of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle windscreen wiper arm and blade in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view through the wiper blade of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a connector for delivering washing fluid to the wiper blade of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through part of the wiper blade showing a jet for delivering washing fluid to the windscreen; Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view through an end of the blade showing an end closure; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of a further form of wiper blade and mounting; Figure 7 is a side view of a still further form of wiper blade and mounting in accordance with the invention; ; Figure 8 is a perspective view of the blade and mounting of Figure 7; Figure 9 is a side view of the mounting alone; Figure 10 is a cross-sectional view through the mounting alone.

Figure 11 is a cut-away perspective view of further form of a wiper blade/mounting member for a windscreen wiper mechanism of a motor vehicle; Figure 12 is an exploded perspective view of a first modified form of mounting element/wiper blade; Figure 13 is an exploded perspective view of a second form of mounting element; and Figures 14, 15 and 16 showns still further forms of mounting elements.

Reference will be made firstly to the embodiment of Figures 1 to 5 of the drawings.

Figure 1 shows a wiper blade and mounting assembly, the blade being indicated generally at 10 and the mounting being indicated at 11. The mounting comprises a main section 12 to which a socket 13 is pivoted to receive an end of a reciprocating arm of a vehicle wiper mechanism in conventional manner. Two subsidiary sections 14 are pivoted to the ends of the arm each of which is formed with integral end clips 15 to receive and support the wiper blade 10. This main and subsidiary sections of the mounting are formed in a resilient material so that they can flex when the wiper blade engages to allow the blade to take up the natural curvature of the windscreen. Reference will now be made to Figure 2 of the drawings which illustrate the wiper in cross-section.The wiper is an extruded length of rubber or rubber like material and comprises a main tubular body 16 having an integral generally I-section mounting 17 formed along one side of the body to receive the clips 15 of the mounting sections referred to above. The opposite side of the body is formed with an integral projecting flexible blade 18 to engage the windscreen and a pair of integral divergent abutments 19 are formed on either side of the blade to limit the flexing of the blade.

The blade is hollow to provide a reservoir 20 for washing fluid and jets 21 extend through the wall of the blade from the reservoir to the outer surface thereof to one side of the blade outside the adjacent abutment 19 to deliver washing fluid to the windscreen where the blade is acting on the windscreen. Each jet 21 opens into a recess 22 formed in the outer surface of the tubular element to assist in preventing the jets closing up as the blade flexes. Figure 4 shows the recess 22 in the wall of the tube in greater detail.

Washing fluid is delivered from a suply of fluid via a flexible hose to the reservoir 20 by an elbow connector 23 having an integral clip 24 which locks onto the I-section 17 of the blade towards the centre of the blade as can be seen in Figure 1. One leg 25 of the elbow projects through a passage formed in the blade into the reservoir 20 and the other leg 26 is formed with a head 27 to receive an end of a hose (not shown) extending along the arm to deliver washing fluid to the connector. Alternatively, the flexible hose can be connected directly into one end of the blade by a ribbed coupling sleeve.

Figure 5 of the drawings shows an end of the wiper closed by a snap-on plug 28.

Figure 6 of the drawings shows a further embodiment of the invention comprising an extruded triangular section body 30 formed in rubber or rubber like material with blades 31 formed at the apexes of the triangle. The triangle is hollow to provide a reservoir 32 for receiving a supply of pressurised washing fluid as before and a series of jets 33 is formed in the wall of the hollow body to one side of each apex for delivering washing fluid to the windscreen adjacent the apex.

The wiper is mounted in a channel section member indicated generally at 34 having a base 35 and convergent side walls 36 from which one apex for use projects. It will be appreciated that the triangular body can be rotated when the edge of one blade has been worn to present the next blade for use to until all three blades have been worn and the blade then requires replacement as a whole.

The side wall 36 of the section are dimensioned so that the jets 33 adjacent the operative apex 31 of the blade are exposed to deliver washing fluid to the windscreen whereas the jets 33 for the inoperative blades enclosed within the section are blanked off by the walls of the section to prevent unnecessary loss of washing fluid.

Reference is now made to Figures 8 to 10 of the drawings which show yet a further embodiment. In this case the wiper indicated generally at 40 is again formed as an extrusion in a rubber or rubber like material and comprises a triangular section body 41 having a central reservoir 42 to receive a supply of pressurised washing fluid. The triangular section has integral wiper blades 43 projecting from each face of the triangle and the apexes of the triangle are formed with shallow channels 44. The mounting for the wiper is indicated at 45 and comprises a T-section head 46 for attachment to the wiper arm and a channel section indicated at 47 in which the wiper is engaged with one blade of the three exposed for use.The outer edges of the channel 47 have inturned edges 48 which engage in the shallow channels 44 in the body on either side of the operative blade 43 to lock the body firmly in the channel.

The body is formed with jets 49 extending from the reservoir 42 to the bases of the shallow channels 44 in the apexes of the body. The side walls of the channel section each have spaced triangular cutouts 50 as shown in Figure 7 which expose the jets 49 to one side only of the operative wiper blade 43 to direct washing fluid onto the windscreen adjacent the location where the blade is acting leaving the remaining jets blanked off. The cutouts also serve to increase the flexibility of the mounting 45 to allow the blade to take up the curvature of the windscreen.

The mounting itself is illustrated separately in Figure 9 and the cross-section of the mounting is shown in Figure 10.

Referring to Figure 11 of the drawings, there is shown a wiper blade assembly for a motor vehicle windscreen wiper mechanism. The assembly comprises a blade 110 formed from rubber or rubber like material to be resilient and having a generally triangular cross section having a base 111 and an apex 112. The apex 112 forms the wiping edge of the blade engaging the windscreen. The base of the blade is of dovetail section 113 and an elongate flexible mounting member 114 formed in metal or plastics has a corresponding dovetail section channel 115 in which the dovetail section base of the blade is a tight fit to support the blade on the mounting member. The mounting member/blade assembly is intended to be flexible to allow the blade to take up the curvature of the windscreen when held against the windscreen by the blade support assembly of the wiper mechanism which is not shown.

There are gaps between the edges 116 of the dovetail section base 113 of the wiper blade and the bottoms of the channels 115 in the mounting member which the base engages which provide elongate passages 117 extending along the length of the mounting member. The passages are connected to a supply of pressurized washing fluid by way of an adaptor (not shown) secured to the back of the mounting member.

Outlet ports 118 are provided at spaced locations along the mounting member to either side of the blade to create jets of washing fluid on either side of the blade acting on the vehicle windscreen to assist in cleaning the windscreen as the blade moves over the surface of the screen. Since the washing fluid is directed onto the screen close to the blade and the spaced locations along the length of the blade, the maximum effect is achieved by the washing fluid as compared with conventional arrangements in which the washing fluid is directed at the windscreen from separate jets and usually mounted on the vehicle bodywork in front of the windscreen.

Figure 12 shows a modified version of the arrangement of Figure 11 in which one side of the mounting member 114 providing the dovetail section 115 channel is formed with an integral tube 119 to receive the pressurised supply of washing fluid provided with outlet ports for delivery of the washing fluid.

Figure 13 shows a further variation of the arrangement of Figure 11 which the mounting member is of T-shaped cross section providing an upstanding ridge 120 extending along the length of the back of the member to which an adaptor 121 is clipped to connect a supply of washing fluid to the mounting member. The ridge is formed with inlet ports 122 which communicate with passages in the adaptor to deliver washing fluid through the mounting member to the bottom regions of the channels 115 of the mounting member which provide the aforesaid passages.

Figure 14 shows a further form of mounting member in which the passage for washing fluid is formed by a separate tube 123 extending along the length of the side of the mounting member and held thereon by clips 124. The tube has outlet ports 125 for delivery of the washing fluid from the tube onto the windscreen.

Figure 15 shows as further arrangement in which the tube 123 is formed integrally with one side of the mounting member and has a circular cross section, and Figure 16 shows a further variation in which the tube is formed integrally with one side of the mounting member and has a triangular cross section.

Although the mounting member/blade assembly has been described as a two piece construction, the mounting member and blade may alternatively be integral with one another with passages running therethrough for washing fluid.

Claims

CLAINS:

1. A wiper for a vehicle glass (e.g. a windscreen, window, lamp or mirror) comprising an elongate tubular body formed in a flexible material providing a reservoir for connection to a pressurised supply of washing fluid, an integral mounting section extending along one side of the tubular body for mounting on a wiper arm, a flexible blade formed integrally with the tubular body on the opposite side to the mounting section to engage the vehicle glass, a pair of integral stop members projecting from the body on either side of the blade to limit flexing of the blade and a series of jets formed in the wall of the tubular body adjacent to one or other of the stop members on the opposite side thereof to the blade to direct washing fluid from the reservoir in the tubular body onto the vehicle glass during wiping of the glass.

2. A wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein recesses are formed at spaced locations along the outside of the tubular body adjacent one of said stop members and the jets from the reservoir in the tubular body open into the recesses.

3. A wiper as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 formed in a rubber or rubber like material.

4. A wiper as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the stop members are formed at spaced locations around the wall of the tubular body and diverge from one another and the blade projects from the wall of the tubular body between the stop members.

5. A wiper as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the mounting for the tubular body is of generally I-section form to engage with the wiper arm.

6. A wiper for a vehicle window glass comprising a flexible tubular body providing a reservoir for receiving a supply of pressurised washing fluid, a plurality of flexible blades extending along the tubular body at spaced locations around the body, for each blade a series of jets formed in the wall of the body adjacent the blade to direct washing of fluid onto the vehicle window for the respective blade and an elongate channel section flexible housing in which the tubular body is engaged with one blade of the body projecting from the housing to act on the vehicle window and the adjacent series of jets exposed to deliver washing fluid onto the window whilst the other blades and associated jets are enclosed and sealed within the housing.

7. A wiper as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tubular body is of hollow triangular cross-section and the wiper blades are formed at the apexes of the body.

8. A wiper as claimed in claim 7, wherein the housing for the blade comprises a base having upstanding convergent side walls to provide a socket for the triangular section body to mount the body with one apex thereof and the blade on it projecting from the mounting to act on the vehicle windscreen and with the series of jets formed in the body adjacent that blade exposed to deliver washing fluid onto the windscreen whilst the other blades are enclosed within the body and the jets associated therewith blanked off.

9. A wiper as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tubular body is of generally triangular cross-section having integral blades formed along the respective sides of the triangle and jets extending from the reservoir within the tubular body to the apexes of the triangle and the channel section mounting for the tubular body engaging around the triangular section tubular body and two of the blades leaving the third blade projecting from the channel section to act on the vehicle windscreen and the side walls of the section are cut away at spaced locations on either side to expose the jets in the apexes of the tubular body to one side only of the projecting blade leaving the jets at the other apexes blanked off.

10. A wiper blade assembly for a vehicle glass, comprising an elongate resilient blade for engaging the surface of a vehicle glass, an elongate mounting member from which the blade extends for connection to a wiper mechanism for sweeping the blade over the surface of the glass, an elongate passageway formed by or on the mounting member for connection to a supply of washing fluid and a plurality of outlet ports from the passageway at spaced locations along the mounting member to one or both sides of the blade for delivery jets of washing fluid to the surface of the glass to assist in cleaning the glass as the blade sweeps over the glass.

11. A wiper blade assembly as claimed in claim 10, wherein the blade is formed with a dovetail cross section element for connection to the mounting element and the mounting element is formed with a dovetail section channel to receive the dovetail mounting element of the blade, the mounting element stopping short of the bottom of the channel on at least one side of the mounting member to provide an elongate passageway extending along the mounting member to receive said washing fluid and the wall of the mounting member enclosing the passageway having outlet ports at spaced locations along the length thereof to deliver jets of washing fluid to one side of the wiping blade.

12. A blade assembly as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, wherein a tube is formed in at least one side of said channel for connection to a supply of washing fluid, the tube being formed with outlet ports at spaced locations along the length thereof for delivering washing fluid to one side of the blade.

13. A wiper blade assembly as claimed in claim 12, wherein the mounting member is formed with an integral tube for washing fluid extending along the length of one side of the mounting member and provided with outlet ports for delivering jets of washing fluid to one side of the blade.

14. A wiper blade assembly as claimed in claim 13, wherein a separate tubular member is provided which extends along the length of the mounting member and is secured thereto by clips engaging over the tubular member and connected to the side of the mounting member.

15. A wiper blade assembly as claimed in any of claims 10 to 14, wherein a coupling element is provided connectable to the mounting member for connecting a supply of washing fluid to the passageway in the mounting element to deliver washing fluid from a source of fluid to the passageway of the mounting element.

16. A vehicle window wiper substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 1 to 5, 6 or 7 to 10 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A wiper blade assembly substantially as described with reference to and as illustrated in Figures 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16 of the accompanying drawings.