JP6722800B1 - Wiper arm - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wiper arm having an arm main body rotatably connected to an arm head, capable of holding a constant pressing force applied to a wiper blade held by the arm main body during a wiping operation. I will provide a. In a wiper arm 1, an output of an actuator 15 provided in an arm head 2 acts on an arm body 3 via a link member 4. The link member 4 includes a head side member 31 rotatably connected to the arm head 2 and an arm body side member 32 rotatably connected to the head side member 31. The arm body side member 32 is a member having an L-shaped cross section including a base end side wall part 32A and a tip side wall part 32C, and the telescopic rod 16 of the actuator 15 abuts on the tip side wall part 32C and urges it. The arm body side member 32 is provided with a torsion spring 35 that urges the arm body side member 32 to rotate with respect to the arm body 3. [Selection diagram]

Description

The present invention relates to a wiper arm included in a wiper device for a vehicle.

A wiper device used in a vehicle such as an automobile generally includes a wiper blade that wipes a surface to be wiped such as a glass surface of the vehicle, a wiper arm that holds the wiper blade, and a drive unit (drive motor) that drives the wiper arm. Composed of. The wiper arm includes an arm head linked to the driving means and an arm body rotatably connected to the arm head, and the arm body holds the wiper blade. Such a wiper arm is generally provided with a spring interposed between the arm head and the arm body, and this spring applies a biasing force to the rotation of the arm body with respect to the arm head.

With such a configuration, during the wiping operation by the wiper device, the arm body is arranged at the wiping position that extends straight from the arm head, and the spring urges the arm body in the direction toward the surface to be wiped, so that the arm body is wiped. Generates a pressing force (arm pressure) for pressing the wiper arm held by to the surface to be wiped. On the other hand, during maintenance of the wiper device, the arm body is placed in an upright position in which it stands upright with respect to the arm head. Bias in the direction. As a result, the arm body 3 is held in the standing position (so-called lockback state).

JP, 2008-30601, A JP, 2013-49336, A

By the way, in such a wiping operation by the wiper device, the wiper arm is driven by the driving means, so that the wiper blade held by the wiper arm moves on the surface to be wiped. In this case, the shape of the wiping surface is different in each place, and the shape of the wiping surface at the wiping position by the wiper blade changes, so the wiper body holding the wiper blade swings up and down according to this change, and the arm head The rotation angle of the arm body with respect to changes. In this way, when the rotation angle of the arm main body with respect to the arm head changes, the spring force applied by the spring to the arm main body changes, and as a result, the pressing force changes. As a result, the wiping with the wiper blade sometimes causes unevenness.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and in a wiper arm including an arm body rotatably connected to an arm head, a wiper held by the arm body during a wiping operation. An object of the present invention is to provide a wiper arm that can keep the pressing force applied to the blade constant.

The present invention includes an arm head and an arm main body rotatably connected to the arm head, and the arm main body extends straight from the arm head by rotating with respect to the arm head. In a wiper arm that can be arranged in a wiped-out position that has come out and a standing-up position that stands upright with respect to the arm head, the arm body is urged in a rotation direction from the wiping position to the standing-up position. A spring and an actuator that urges the arm body in a rotational direction from the standing position to the wiping position against the urging force of the spring are provided.

A link member provided between the arm head and the arm body is provided, and the link member is rotatable with respect to the head side member rotatably connected to the arm head and the arm body. An arm body side member connected to the arm body side member, the head side member and the arm body side member are rotatably connected to each other, and the actuator is capable of urging the arm body side member. The spring may urge the arm body side member to rotate with respect to the arm body.

The arm body side member includes a base end side portion connected to the head side member, and a tip end side portion that vertically extends from the base end side portion, and the actuator includes the tip end side portion. It may be provided with a telescopic rod for pressing.

The spring may be a torsion spring assembled to the arm body side member.

A stopper member may be provided to restrict the rotation of the arm body beyond the standing position by contacting the arm body side member when the arm body is in the standing position.

The urging force of the actuator is controlled so that when the arm body rotates near the wiping position, the pressing force with which the wiper blade supported by the arm body is pressed against the surface to be wiped is kept constant. You may do it.

According to the present invention, in the wiper arm (for example, the wiper arm 1), the spring (for example, the torsion spring 35) for urging the arm body (for example, the arm body 3) in the rotation direction from the wiping position to the standing position, and the spring Since the arm body is provided with an actuator (for example, actuator 15) that urges the arm body in the rotational direction from the standing position to the wiping position against the urging force, the arm body is held by controlling the output of the actuator. The pressing force for pressing the wiper blade against the surface to be wiped can be easily and accurately set to an appropriate value.

If the output of the actuator is transmitted to the arm body via the link member (for example, the link member 4), the acting direction of the actuator output can be appropriately converted into the acting direction of the pressing force. Therefore, the degree of freedom in designing the arrangement and mode of the actuator is increased.

A head-side member (for example, the head-side member 31) rotatably connected to the arm member to the link member, and an arm body-side member (arm that is rotatably connected to the head-side member and the arm body). A main body side member 32), and a spring biases the arm main body side member to rotate with respect to the arm main body, and the arm main body side member is connected to the head side member at a base end side portion ( For example, a telescopic rod (for example, telescopic rod 16) that includes a base end side wall portion 32A and a tip end side portion (for example, tip end side wall portion 32C) that extends vertically from the base end side portion and that presses the tip end side portion to the actuator. With such a configuration, the protrusion force directed in the extension/contraction direction of the telescopic rod (for example, the longitudinal direction of the arm body in the wiping position) is substantially orthogonal to the direction of the pressing force (for example, the longitudinal direction of the arm body in the wiping position). Direction). Therefore, since a sufficient spatial margin can be provided in the direction in which the telescopic rod of the actuator expands and contracts, the telescopic rod of the actuator can have a sufficient amount of expansion and contraction.

If the spring is a torsion spring assembled to the arm body side member (for example, the torsion spring 35), the mechanism for generating the pressing force and the mechanism for maintaining the lockback state can be integrated into a compact structure. it can. Therefore, the wiper arm that can appropriately control the pressing force can be downsized and thinned.

When the arm body is in the upright position, a stopper member (for example, a stopper pin 23) that restricts rotation of the arm body beyond the upright position by contacting the arm body side member is provided. Can be properly held in the standing position.

The urging force of the actuator is controlled so that the wiper blade supported by the arm body is pressed against the surface to be wiped when the arm body rotates near the wiping position so that the pressing force is kept constant. For example, the wiper blade enables uniform and stable wiping.

It is a perspective view showing the whole wiper arm composition in an embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view which similarly shows the internal structure near the base end of a wiper arm, and is a figure which shows the state in which an arm main body exists in a wiping position. Similarly, it is the perspective view which looked at the internal structure near the base end of the wiper arm from the wiper arm rear end side, and is a figure which shows the state in which the arm main body exists in the wiping position. Similarly, it is the perspective view which looked at the internal structure of the base end vicinity of the wiper arm from the wiper arm front end side, and is a figure which shows the state in which the arm main body exists in the wiping position. It is a side view which similarly shows the internal structure of the base end vicinity of a wiper arm, and is a figure which shows the state in which an arm main body exists in the standing position. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the internal structure near the base end of the wiper arm as seen from the rear end side of the wiper arm, showing the state in which the arm body is in the standing position. Similarly, it is a perspective view of the internal structure near the base end of the wiper arm as seen from the tip end side of the wiper arm, showing the state in which the arm body is in the standing position.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a wiper arm 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 to 7 show the internal structure of the wiper arm 1 near the base end. As shown in the drawing, the wiper arm 1 includes an arm head 2 arranged on the base end side and an arm body 3 rotatably connected to the arm head 2. 2 to 7, the arm body 3 is shown in a cut state so that the internal structure of the wiper arm 1 can be seen.

The arm head 2 is provided with a rotary shaft 12 that penetrates in the direction transverse to the rear end portion 11 in the left-right direction (the width direction of the wiper arm 1 ). The main body 3 is rotatably connected. As a result, the arm body 3 moves upward from the wiping position, which is shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and which extends straight out from the arm head 2 in the horizontal direction, and above the arm head 2 as shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. It is adapted to be able to take an upright position in which it stands upright by turning toward.

A drive shaft 13 extending vertically is provided near the center of the arm head 2 in the front-rear direction. The drive shaft 13 is linked to a drive motor (not shown). As a result, the wiper arm 1 is driven by the drive motor.

The arm head 2 is provided with an actuator 15 of which only a part is shown, and the telescopic rod 16 of the actuator 15 extends in the front-rear direction from the front end portion 14 of the arm head 2 (when the arm body 3 is at the wiping position). It extends in the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 1. The actuator 15 is, for example, an electric actuator, and the expansion/contraction rod 16 expands/contracts in the front-rear direction (extends forward from the arm head 2), whereby an output can be given to the target via the expansion/contraction rod 16. There is.

The arm body 3 includes a retainer 21 and an arm piece 22 attached to the tip side of the retainer 21. A tip portion of the arm piece 22 is a connecting portion 22A hooked in a U shape, and a wiper blade (not shown) is held by the connecting portion 22A.

The retainer 21 is a long member having a U-shaped cross section, and includes a top surface 21A and side walls 21B and 21C on both sides extending downward from both sides of the top surface 21A. The arm head 2 is arranged in the space surrounded by the top surface 21A and the side walls 21B and 21C near the base end 21D of the retainer 21, and is accommodated inside the retainer 21.

A link member 4 is provided between the arm head 2 and the arm body 3 and is arranged inside the retainer 21 (in the space surrounded by the top surface 21A and the side walls 21B and 21C). The link member 4 includes a head side member 31 rotatably attached to the arm head 2 and an arm body side member 32 rotatably attached to the head side member 31.

The head side member 31 includes a base end portion 31A and a pair of left and right arm portions 31B and 31C. The base end portion 31A is disposed between the left and right flange portions 17 extending upward from the left and right sides of the front end portion 14 of the arm head 2, and via the head press-fitting pin 18 fixed to the arm head 2, the flange portion. 17 is pivotally supported. The left and right arm portions 31B and 31C respectively extend from the left and right sides of the base end portion 31A. As a result, a space in which the telescopic rod 16 of the actuator 15 can expand and contract is formed between the arm portions 31B and 31C.

The arm body side member 32 is a plate-shaped member having an L-shaped cross section, and has a base end side wall portion 32A on the head side member 31 side and a tip end of the base end side wall portion 32A (end portion on the side opposite to the head side member 31). And a tip side wall portion 32C that extends from the bent portion 32B by bending at a substantially right angle. The base end side wall portion 32A is rotatably connected to the tip end portions of the arm portions 31B and 31C via the shaft support pin 33 at the end portion on the side opposite to the bent portion 32B.

Retainer press-fitting pins 34 are press-fitted and fixed to the side walls 21B and 21C of the retainer 21, and the retainer press-fitting pins 34 are arranged in a state of being bridged between the side walls 21B and 21C. A shaft support hole 32D is formed in the bent portion 32B of the arm body side member 32 so as to extend therethrough in the left-right direction, and the retainer press-fitting pin 34 penetrates the shaft support hole 32D. As a result, the arm body side member 32 is rotatable with respect to the retainer 21 (arm body 3) around the retainer press-fitting pin 34.

A torsion spring 35 is integrally attached to the retainer press-fitting pin 34. The torsion spring 35 is arranged in a notch 32E formed at the center of the left and right ends of the end side wall 32C on the side of the bent portion 32B. The torsion spring 35 is attached to the arm body side member 32, and the arm body side member 32 is rotated around the retainer press-fitting pin 34 in a rotation direction in which the tip side wall portion 32C approaches the arm head 2 (see FIG. And (in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 5).

When the arm body 3 is arranged near the standing position shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the torsion spring 35 rotates the arm body 3 from the wiping position to the standing position (counterclockwise rotation in FIGS. 2 and 5). Urging to rotate). On the other hand, stopper pins 23 are attached to predetermined positions of the side walls 21B and 21C on both sides of the retainer 21 in a suspended state, and when the arm body 3 reaches the standing position, the arm of the link member 4 is lifted. The main body side member 32 (tip side wall portion 32C) abuts on the stopper pin 23. As a result, further rotation of the arm body side member 32 is restricted, and as a result, rotation of the arm body 3 beyond the standing position is restricted, and the arm body 3 is held at the standing position. (The wiper arm 1 is held in the lockback state).

On the other hand, when the arm main body 3 is in the wiping position shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the head side member 31 of the link member 4 is arranged obliquely downward, and the base end side wall of the arm main body side member 32 is arranged. The portion 32A is arranged substantially horizontally (in the direction along the longitudinal direction of the arm body 3 at the wiping position). As a result, the front end side wall portion 32C is arranged substantially vertically upward, and the front end portion 16A of the telescopic rod 16 is in contact with the front end side wall portion 32C.

When the telescopic rod 16 of the actuator 15 which is in contact with the tip side wall portion 32C in this manner pushes the tip side wall portion 32C (arm body side member 32) forward against the spring force of the torsion spring 35, the arm body side is reached. The arm body 3 rotatably connected to the member 32 is urged (rotated) downward (in the rotation direction from the standing position to the wiping position). As a result, the wiper blade held by the arm body 3 is pressed against the surface to be wiped (for example, the glass surface of an automobile) with a force (pressing force) according to the output of the actuator 15.

When the arm body 3 is rotated from the wiping position to the standing position, the telescopic rod 16 is contracted to release the contact between the telescopic rod 16 and the tip side wall portion 32C, and then the user of the wiper arm 1 operates. This is done by manually lifting the arm body 3 upward.

With the above configuration, according to the wiper arm 1 of the present embodiment, the pressing force (arm pressure) applied to the wiper blade is determined by the output of the actuator 15 (protruding force of the telescopic rod 16). Therefore, during the wiping operation, when the rotation angle of the arm body 3 with respect to the arm head 2 changes before and after the wiping position in accordance with the shape of the wiping surface at the point where the wiper blade moving on the wiping surface is disposed, By appropriately controlling the output of the actuator 15 so as to deal with the change, the pressing force applied to the wiper blade can be kept constant.

Specifically, the output of the actuator 15 (protruding force of the telescopic rod 16) is, for example, the rotation angle of the arm body 3 calculated from the rotation angle of the head-side member 31 of the link member 4, and the torsion at that rotation angle. In consideration of the spring force of the spring 35, the wiper device is controlled to be constant during operation. In this case, the rotational force applied to the arm body 3 by the protrusion force of the telescopic rod 16 of the actuator 15 in order to obtain the downward pressing force is applied to the arm body 3 by the spring force of the torsion spring 35. It will be set larger than the rotating force.

As described above, according to the wiper arm 1 of the present embodiment, the pressing force applied from the wiper arm 1 to the wiper blade during the wiping operation can be kept constant, so that the wiper blade can perform a stable wiping without unevenness. It can be performed. Moreover, by adjusting the output of the actuator 15, the value of the pressing force can be easily and accurately set to an appropriate value.

Further, since the output of the actuator 15 is transmitted to the arm body 3 via the link member 4, the protrusion force of the telescopic rod 16 of the actuator 15 in the front-back direction (longitudinal direction of the arm body 3 in the wiping position) is: The pressing force that is directed in the up-down direction (direction substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal direction of the arm body 3 at the wiping position) is appropriately converted. Further, since a sufficient spatial margin can be provided in the direction in which the telescopic rod 16 of the actuator 15 expands and contracts, the telescopic rod 16 can have a sufficient amount of expansion and contraction.

Further, on the arm body 3 in the wiping position, the force from the actuator 15 is configured to act via the link member 4, while the arm is fixed by the torsion spring 35 incorporated in the link member 4. Since the main body 3 is held in the standing position, the mechanism for generating the pressing force and the mechanism for maintaining the lockback state can be integrated into a compact structure. Therefore, the wiper arm 1 capable of appropriately controlling the pressing force can be downsized and thinned.

1 Wiper Arm 2 Arm Head 3 Arm Body 4 Link Member 11 Rear End 12 of Arm Head 12 Rotating Shaft 13 Drive Shaft 14 Front End of Arm Head 15 Actuator 16 Telescopic Rod 17 Flange of Arm Head 18 Head Press-fit Pin 21 Retainer 22 Arm piece 23 Stopper pin 31 Link member head side member 31A Base end part 31B Arm part 31C Arm part 32 Link member arm body side member 32A Base end side wall part 32B Bend part 32C Tip side wall part 32D Shaft support hole 32E Notch part 33 Shaft support pin 34 Retainer press-fit pin 35 Torsion spring

Claims (6)

A wiping position including an arm head and an arm main body rotatably connected to the arm head, and the arm main body being rotated with respect to the arm head, thereby extending straight from the arm head. And a wiper arm that can be placed in an upright position upright with respect to the arm head,
A spring for urging the arm body in a rotating direction from the wiping position to the standing position,
A wiper arm comprising: an actuator for urging the arm body in a rotational direction from the standing position to the wiping position against the urging force of the spring. A link member provided between the arm head and the arm body,
The link member includes a head side member rotatably connected to the arm head, and an arm body side member rotatably connected to the arm body,
The head side member and the arm body side member are rotatably connected to each other,
The actuator is capable of urging the arm body side member,
The wiper arm according to claim 1, wherein the spring biases the arm body side member to rotate with respect to the arm body. The arm body side member includes a base end side portion connected to the head side member, and a tip end side portion extending in a vertical direction from the base end side portion,
The wiper arm according to claim 2, wherein the actuator includes a telescopic rod that presses the tip side portion. The wiper arm according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the spring is a torsion spring assembled to the arm body side member. The stopper member for restricting rotation of the arm body beyond the standing position by contacting the arm body side member when the arm body is in the standing position is provided. The wiper arm according to any one of 1. The urging force of the actuator is controlled so that when the arm body rotates near the wiping position, the pressing force with which the wiper blade supported by the arm body is pressed against the surface to be wiped is kept constant. The wiper arm according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

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