JPH01247251A - Water droplet removing device for window glass - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to establish in a cabin a wiper member performing removal of water droplet on exterior surface of window glass of a cabin by driving a supersonic vibrators provided on a blade member at the top of a wiper arm oscilating in reciprocating along interior surface of window glass. CONSTITUTION:A wiper arm 16 is provided oscilatably in reciprocating along interior surface of window glass on front corner portion through which the driver can see a door mirror, and a water droplet removing device 20 is attached on a blade member at the top of the wiper arm 16. The water droplet removing device 20 uses supersonic vibrators 22, 23, 24 composed of three small piezoelectric vibrators and one ends thereof are connected to a hollow portion 21a on a bottom face of a housing 21 formed of plastics, aluminium, ceramics and so on. Supersonic vibrators 22, 23, 24 are driven by an oscillating circuit in a driving circuit composing body 26 equipped on a hollow portion 21b. Meanwhile, the wiper arm 16 holds on pinching a tabular spring 27 by an attached member 28 attached on one end portion thereof, and movement of the vibrators in axial direction of the wiper arm 16 is restricted therewith.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is applicable to rearview mirrors such as door mirrors. ff MW,
This technology relates to a water droplet removal device that maintains the transparency of windows in order to reduce the water droplets attached to the window glass.
This invention relates to a water droplet removal device for windshield glass that removes fog and the like.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, fender mirrors have been commonly used as outside mirrors for rear confirmation in passenger cars, but recently more and more passenger cars are using door mirrors. In vehicles with this type of door mirror, when checking the rear, it is necessary to insert the door mirror through the door glass located in the first nod of the driver's seat, especially in rainy weather.
Water droplets adhering to the 1-noid window glass may make it difficult to see the door mirrors.

As a technique to solve this kind of problem,
One example is the technology of a water droplet removing device for a windshield glass, which is published in Japanese Patent No. 347 and the like.

The technology described in the above publication is for an automobile door in which a door mirror is provided on the outside of the front part of the door glass constituting the door window, and a wiper is provided to wipe the door glass located near the rear of the door mirror. be.

[Problem to be solved by the invention] However, in the conventional windshield water droplet removal device described above, the wiper is installed on the outer lid of the vehicle, so it can be damaged by foreign objects that fly up on the road while driving. This was a problem because the vehicle could be tampered with or played with while the vehicle was parked. In addition, it is necessary to install the product with waterproofness in mind, which requires maintenance. However, there were times when the wipers were not able to wipe away the water droplets sufficiently.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a windshield water droplet removal device that can remove water droplets without disposing a wiper outside the conductor of a vehicle.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A water droplet removal device for a windshield according to the present invention is disposed on the inside of the windshield, and is disposed on a wiper arm that slides along the surface of the windshield on the inside of the cabin. It consists of an ultrasonic transducer and a drive circuit that drives the ultrasonic transducer.

[Operation] In the present invention, a wiper arm disposed on the inside of the windshield is reciprocated along the surface of the windshield on the inside of the inside of the vehicle. The wiper arm is equipped with an ultrasonic vibrator that imparts vibration to the inside surface of the windshield. Ultrasonic vibrations are generated on the inside of the window glass to atomize water droplets attached to the outside surface of the window glass.

[Example] Examples of the present invention will now be described.

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the essential parts of a windshield water droplet removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a windshield water droplet removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a perspective view, and FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the structure of a mechanical driving means of a windshield water removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Further, FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a 16-shot retraction path that constitutes a driving section of an ultrasonic vibrator of a water droplet removal device for a windshield glass according to an embodiment of the present invention.

At 33 in FIG. 2, a door mirror 2 used as a rearview mirror is disposed on the outside of the front door 1. The door mirror 2 is visible through the door glass 3 from a driver inside the vehicle. Further, on the passenger compartment side of the front door 1, a mechanical drive means 10 (a third
(see figure) is installed. The mechanical drive means 10 of the water droplet removing device 20 is disposed below the door window edge 4, that is, housed within the front door 1, in a normal stopped state.

In FIG. 3, the wiper motor 11 is a motor whose rotation is controlled so as to repeat normal rotation and reverse rotation at a predetermined rotation speed. A worm 13 is disposed on the shaft 12 of the wiper motor 11. The worm 13 meshes with a worm gear 14.

In the worm gear 14, the wiper arm 16 is connected to the shaft member 17.
A gear portion 15 formed concentrically with the shaft member 17 meshes with the end portion supported by the shaft member 17 .

A water droplet removing device 2o is attached to the wiper arm 16.

The water droplet removing device 20 is constructed as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, a housing 21 made of a material that is easy to mold, such as synthetic resin, aluminum, or ceramics, has a plurality of small piezoelectric elements, particularly three in this embodiment, on the upper surface of a recess 21a on its lower surface. One end of the ultrasonic transducers 22, 23, and 24, each consisting of a transducer, is joined.

The ends of the ultrasonic transducers 22, 23, and 24 are joined to a metal flat plate 25. The lower surface of the metal flat plate 25 protrudes from the lower surface of the housing 21, and the window glass surface The positional relationship is set so that only the lower surface of the metal flat plate 25 comes into contact with the metal flat plate 25.

The ultrasonic transducer 22, 23, 24 includes a housing 2.
The oscillation circuit 30a of the drive circuit assembly 26 is mounted in the circuit v1 mounting recess 21b formed in the middle part of the drive circuit structure 26.

30b and 30c. Note that the drive circuit component 26 is one in which the oscillation circuits 30a, 30b, and 30c are molded with an insulating material such as synthetic resin.

On the other hand, the wiper arm 16 holds a plate spring 27 by a mounting member 28 attached to its end, thereby restraining the wiper arm 16 from moving in the axial direction. Therefore, the wiper arm 1 is attached by the mounting member 28.
When the plate spring 27 is inserted into the port hole 210 formed in the upper part of the housing 21, the wiper arm 16 and the housing 21 are integrated into one body by the elastic force of the plate spring 27. Fixed.

Although not shown in the drawings in this embodiment, power is supplied to the oscillation circuits 30a, 30b, and 30C of the drive circuit assembly 26 through lead wires inserted through the wiper arm 16.

Oscillation circuits 30a, 30b, 3 of the drive circuit structure 26
0c is constructed as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, the well-known Colpitts
) type self-excited oscillation circuits, etc., oscillation circuits 30a, 30b,
3Qc drives the respective ultrasonic transducers 22, 23, 24.

The oscillation circuits 30a, 30b, and 30c are all the same circuit. Therefore, in the following explanation, only the oscillation circuit 30a will be explained,
A description of the oscillation circuits 30b and 30c will be omitted.

Let capacitor C1 and capacitor C2 in Fig. 4 be C=C
1・C2/ (CI +02), the oscillation frequency F becomes F=1/2πF "7σ" due to the accelerator L. Incidentally, the oscillation frequency F in this example is normally 1M
Used as IIZ or higher. At this time, the transistor Q is for amplification, the resistors R1, R2, R3 and the reactor [1 are for DC bias setting, and the capacitors C3 and C4 are for bypass.

In addition, the transformer T is for voltage setting, and the ultrasonic transducer 2
This is to obtain consistency with 2. The switch SW is installed on the instrument panel inside the vehicle (not shown).
This switch SW also supplies power to a wiper motor control system (not shown) that drives and controls the wiper motor 11.

The windshield water droplet removing device of this embodiment configured as described above operates as follows.

When the switch SW is turned on, the oscillation circuit 30a of the drive circuit component 26 installed in the housing 21 is activated.

30b and 30c oscillate at an oscillation frequency F=1.7MlI2. The oscillations of the oscillation circuits 30a, 30b, and 30c drive the ultrasonic transducers 22, 23, and 24 at the oscillation frequency F.

Therefore, the metal flat plate 25 attached to the ultrasonic vibrator 22°23.24 vibrates at the oscillation frequency F.

On the other hand, by turning on the switch SW, the wiper motor]1
repeats normal rotation and reverse rotation at a predetermined rotation speed, but since the water droplet removal device 20 attached to the wiper arm 16 is initially inserted into the front door 1 below the door window edge 4, the water droplet removal device 20 is not installed there. is the starting point of movement.

When the wiper motor 11 repeats normal rotation and reverse rotation at a predetermined rotation speed, the wiper arm 16 repeatedly rotates by a predetermined angle around the shaft member 17, and the water droplet removing device 20 attached to the wiper arm 16 Shaded area A in the diagram
As shown in the figure, the interior surface of the door glass 3 is driven. Since the water droplet removing device 20 attached to the wiper arm 16 is in contact with the door glass 3 with a predetermined pressing force, the door glass 3 shown in the shaded area in FIG. The door glass 3 itself vibrates in response to the vibration.

Therefore, water droplets adhering to the exterior surface of the door glass 3 can be instantly atomized and removed.

In addition, when the door glass 3 is added (dead), some of the water droplets are
The water drops downward on the surface of the door glass 3 due to gravity, and the transparency of the door glass 3 can be maintained.

At this time, if the outer surface of a predetermined door glass 3 is coated with a water-repellent material, the water droplets adhering to the window glass can be made into beads. When the water droplets attached to the Ryland glass become beads, the water particles can be removed from the film surface, and the efficiency of removing water droplets from the surface of the door glass 3 can be increased.

Further, an ultrasonic vibrator 2 that vibrates the door glass 3
By using the heat generated from 2.23.24, water droplets, fog, etc. adhering to the door glass 3 can be evaporated, ice and frost stubbornly adhering to the surface of the door glass 3 can be thawed, and further,
The vibration of the door glass 3 instantly atomizes and removes the ice and frost adhering to the outer surface of the door glass 3, and removes the ice and frost that is in the process of being thawed, as well as the thawed water droplets. and can be removed from the surface of the door glass 3.

In particular, the heat generated from the ultrasonic transducers 22, 23, and 24 that impart vibrations to the door glass 3 according to this embodiment has a higher responsiveness to temperature rise than heating by Joule heat. It can rapidly thaw ice and frost that adhere to the surface.

The windshield water droplet removal device of the above embodiment has three ultrasonic transducers 22, 23, and 24.
When carrying out the present invention, since the vibration of the door glass 3 only needs to be increased, the number of door glasses 3 can be increased to increase the output.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a main part of a windshield water droplet removing device according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a driving section of an ultrasonic vibrator of the windshield waterdrop removing device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG.

In particular, in this embodiment, only the differences from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 will be explained.

In FIG. 5, four ultrasonic transducers 22a.

22b, 22c, 22d are laminated type ultrasonic transducers 2
2, and four ultrasonic transducers 23a.

23b, 23c, 23d are laminated type ultrasonic transducers 2
3 and 4 ultrasonic waves] radiators 24a, 24
b, 24c, and 24d constitute a laminated type ultrasonic transducer 24. In the recess 21a on the lower surface of the housing 21, a laminated type ultrasonic wave (one end of the cylinder 22, 23, 24
They are joined via an elastic substrate 29, and the other ends of the laminated type ultrasonic transducers 22, 23, and 24 are joined to a metal flat plate 25. The elastic substrate 29 provides a pressing force against the door glass 3 so that vibration energy does not escape to the upper part of the housing 21.

Laminated type ultrasonic transducer of this example 22°23.2
4 is driven by the circuit of FIG.

In FIG. 6, the knot circuit N0T1 and the knot circuit N
0T2, resistor R11, variable resistor R12, capacitor C
IO constitutes a known rectangular wave oscillation circuit.

The output of this rectangular wave generation (Tatsu circuit) is waveform-shaped by the NOT circuit N0T3, and the inverted signal is input to the base of the switching transistor Q1.
, the switching transistor Q1 is turned on when the rectangular wave is "HD", and the switching transistor Q1 is turned off when the rectangular wave is "L". Due to the switching operation of the switching transistor Q1, the connection potential of the resistor R15 and the resistor R1B is input to the base of the transistor Q2 to which the connection potential of the resistor R15 and the resistor R1B is added via the capacitor C11.
The connection potential of the resistor R17 and the resistor R1B is inputted to the base of the transistor Q3 via the resistor R17 and is amplified. As a result, transistor Q3 becomes transformer TI
An oscillation circuit 30 that oscillates by a separately excited oscillation circuit that applies a current that approximates a GC sine wave and vibrates the piezoelectric vibrator 22.
It becomes a.

Regarding the piezoelectric vibrator 23 and the piezoelectric vibrator 24, the sixth
Oscillation circuit 3 configured similarly to the oscillation circuit 30a shown in the figure.
0b, which is driven by the initiation circuit 30G,
Since their operations are the same, a description of the oscillation circuits 30b and 30c will be omitted. a3, this kind of oscillation circuit 30a, 3
In 0b and 30c, a separately excited oscillation circuit can also be shared.

The windshield water droplet removing device of each of the above embodiments is provided with a wiper arm 16 that is disposed on the inside of the vehicle interior of the door glass 3 and reciprocates along the surface of the door glass 3 on the interior side of the vehicle, and a wiper arm 16 that is disposed on the wiper arm 16. An ultrasonic transducer 22, 23, 24 or a laminated type ultrasonic transducer 22, 23, 24 that imparts vibration to the surface of the door glass 3 on the passenger compartment side, and an oscillation device that drives the ultrasonic transducer. The driving circuits such as circuits 30a, 30b, and 30c are illustrated.

Therefore, water droplets attached to the exterior surface of the door glass 3,
It atomizes and removes fog, etc., and maintains the transparency of the door glass 3 by causing some of the water droplets to drip downward on the surface of the door glass 3 with a small force when the door glass 3 is applied. can do. Therefore, in a passenger car that uses door mirror 2, when checking the rear, the driver's seat mirror 1
Since water droplets and the like on the door glass 3 located at night are removed and the transparency is improved, the door mirror 2 does not become difficult to see even in the rain.

In addition, the windshield water droplet removal device of this example is as follows:
Since the wiper arm 16 is located on the inside surface side of the door glass 3, there is no chance of damage caused by foreign objects flying up onto the path during driving. Also, you won't be tampered with while parking. Furthermore, there is no need for installation with waterproofness in mind, and therefore no maintenance is required.

By the way, the wiper arm of the above embodiment, which is disposed on the interior side of the window glass and reciprocates along the surface of the window glass on the interior side, is disposed on the interior side of the door glass 3,
Although the wiper arm 16 is configured to reciprocate along the surface of the door glass 3 on the vehicle interior side, when implementing the present invention,
It is not limited to the installation of the door glass 3 on the inside of the vehicle, but it can also be installed on other front windows, side windows, etc.
It can also be placed on the inside of a windshield such as a windshield. Furthermore, although the wiper arm 16 that reciprocates along the surface of the windshield on the vehicle interior side is electrically controlled in the above embodiment, it can also be manually controlled when the present invention is implemented.

The wiper arm 16 of the above embodiment reciprocates along the inside surface of the door glass 3, and the flat metal plate 25 of the windshield water droplet removing device slides on the inside surface of the door glass 3. be.

However, when carrying out the present invention, if scratches occur on the surface of the door glass 3 due to the sliding of the metal flat plate 25 on the single inner surface side of the door glass 3, the door The flat metal plate 25 of the window glass water drop removing device may be moved back and forth in a step motion while being moved perpendicularly to the surface of the door glass 3 so that the flat metal plate 25 of the window glass water droplet removing device comes into contact with the surface of the glass 3.

Or the flat metal plate 25 of the windshield water droplet removal device.
It is also possible to replace it with aluminum, copper, brass, ceramics, etc. Alternatively, a coating film may be formed on the surface of the metal flat plate 25 using a relatively soft material. However, when the metal flat plate 25 is used as an electrode or lead of an ultrasonic transducer, it is preferable to form the metal plate 25 with a conductive material.

Further, the ultrasonic vibrator disposed in the wiper arm of the above embodiment and imparting vibration to the surface of the windshield on the inside side of the vehicle is as follows:
An ultrasonic wave (radial vibrator 22, 23, 24 or laminated type ultrasonic vibrator 22, 23, 24) is disposed on the wiper arm 16 and imparts vibration to the surface of the door glass 3 on the passenger compartment side. , the arrangement and number of ultrasonic transducers when implementing the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments,
Any configuration may be used as long as it can output vibration energy efficiently.

Further, although the drive circuit for driving the ultrasonic transducer in the above embodiment is composed of a self-excited or separately excited oscillation circuit, when implementing the present invention, a temperature detection circuit for the ultrasonic transducer may also be used. , a circuit having other functions such as a timer circuit for intermittent work may be incorporated.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the windshield water droplet removal device of the present invention includes a wiper arm that is disposed on the inside of the windshield and reciprocates along the inside surface of the windshield.
The wiper arm includes an ultrasonic vibrator that is disposed on the wiper arm and applies vibration to the surface of the windshield on the vehicle interior side, and a drive circuit that drives the ultrasonic vibrator.

Therefore, the transparency of the windshield can be maintained by causing water droplets, fog, etc. attached to the exterior surface of the windshield to drip downward by atomization or enhanced photography. Furthermore, since the wiper arm is located on the side of the windshield inside the vehicle, rental items that fly up onto the road while driving will not be hit and damaged. And you won't be tampered with while parking. Furthermore, there is no need for installation with waterproofing in mind, and therefore no maintenance is required.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the essential parts of a windshield water droplet removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a front view of a vehicle showing an example in which the windshield water droplet removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration of a mechanical driving means of a windshield water droplet removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a windshield waterdrop removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. An emission circuit diagram configuring the drive unit of the ultrasonic transducer of the device,
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a windshield water droplet removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a drive section of an ultrasonic vibrator of the windshield waterdrop removing device according to the embodiment shown in FIG. FIG. In the figure, 3: Door glass, 16: Wiper arm, 22.23.24: Ultrasonic transducer, 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d: Ultrasonic transducer, 23
a, 23b, 23G, 23d: Ultrasonic transducer, 24a
, 24b, 24c, 24d: Ultrasonic transducer, 30a, 3
0b, 30C: generation circuit. In addition, in the figures, the same reference numerals and the same symbols indicate the same or equivalent parts. Patent applicant Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A wiper arm disposed on the interior side of the windshield and reciprocating along the interior side surface of the windshield; and a wiper arm disposed on the wiper arm that applies vibration to the interior side surface of the windshield. 1. An apparatus for removing water droplets from a window glass, comprising: an ultrasonic vibrator that generates an ultrasonic wave; and a drive circuit that drives the ultrasonic vibrator. (2) The device for removing water droplets from a windshield according to claim 1, characterized in that a plurality of ultrasonic vibrators are used to apply vibration to the surface of the windshield on the vehicle interior side.