MXPA96002763A - A device to clean the scraper of a wiper wiper from a vehic - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (1) for cleaning the rackets of a vehicle windshield wiper (3), wherein the device is in the form of a flat, self-adhesive metal strip (4), which is intended to be fixed to the outer part of the windshield (2) of the vehicle in the region of the path traveled by the doctor blade. This side of the strip (4) which faces outwardly when the strip is fixed to the windshield, has at least two projections (5, 6, 7) with sharp edges, smooth, rectangular cross section which extend continuously throughout of the entire length of the strip and which are spaced from each other and from the respective edges of the strip (

Description

A DEVICE TO CLEAN THE SCRAPER OF A WIPER WIPER FROM A VEHICLE FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for cleaning scrapers of automatic window glass cleaners, such as windshields or windshield wipers of a vehicle. The device is in the form of a self-adhesive flat strip which is proposed to be anchored to the outer surface of the vehicle windshield in the region of the sliding movement of the doctor blade.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION When a motor vehicle is driven on wet or muddy roads, particularly in the rain, dirt and grease of different kinds adheres to the windshield wipers / scrapers of the vehicle's headlights. Over time, the initially smooth cleaning surfaces of the doctor blades become uneven, whereby the cleaning effect of the doctor blades is greatly damaged or altered. Different devices are available Ref. 22773 to clean the scrapers of the contaminants that adhere to them and to restore the cleaning surfaces of such scrapers to their original smooth state, in the market. These devices typically include a narrow gap which is located between two opposing scraper surfaces and which are proposed to be manually placed on and extending along a doctor blade with the intention of cleaning the blade or doctor blade. Cleaning devices of this kind, however, can not be used while the vehicle is being driven, when the need is greatest. Attempts have been made to solve this problem by providing on the windshield, immediately upstream of the lower rotating portion of a doctor blade, a recess with sharp edges on which it is proposed that the doctor blade slide as it moves. A disadvantage with this solution, however, is that a recently equipped doctor blade will also pass over the cleaning device, leading to premature wear of the doctor blade. The intention with a cleaning device of the kind proposed here, is for the device to start functioning only when the doctor blade starts to wear out, ie after a new doctor blade has been used for some time. Accordingly, it has been proposed to attach to the windshield a strip of metal foil which, while having the same function as the scraper fitted on the windshield, can be applied subsequently, when the scraper begins to wear out. A metal foil strip of this kind is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,685,168. Although this smooth cleaning strip is simple, it does not provide the desired cleaning effect and because of its relatively large thickness it leads to rapid wear on the doctor blade. An attempt to solve the cleaning problem is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,199, which teaches a strip mounted on the windshield, which is provided with a zig-zag configuration or a wart-like configuration with the hope that the cleaning effect will be improved in this way. The ridges formed by the warts or the zigzag configuration have a rounded shape. Apart from the fact that the strip is relatively expensive in its manufacture, it does not provide the desired cleaning effect either. Other cleaning configurations are also known for the art. For example, DE Patent No. 3,138,388 teaches a metal foil strip which has an arched or curved profile shape and which includes grooves with sharp edges extending longitudinally. Because the grooves are formed in the strip, it is necessary that the strip be relatively thick (observed in relation to the related product), and accordingly it is necessary to profile the strip with the curved or arched configuration mentioned above. As a result, the strip is expensive in its manufacture and does not provide a satisfactory cleaning effect.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the problems associated with the known cleaning devices, although another object of the invention is to provide a device which can be easily equipped to a windshield with the intention of keeping the wipers clean. Both objects are achieved according to the invention with a device having the characteristic aspects defined in the claims. The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to an exemplary embodiment thereof and also with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a schematic front view of a vehicle windshield wiper, and also shows a device of the invention equipped to the windshield; Figure 2 is a sectional view at a larger scale of one embodiment of the device of the invention; Figure 3 is a sectional view of another embodiment of the device; and Figure 4 is a view from the front and from the top of the device shown in Figure 3, with the device shown broken or fragmented in its longitudinal direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The cleaning device of the invention is referred to as 1. Also schematically shown in Figure 1 is a windshield 2 of the vehicle on which two windshield wipers 3 are mounted. As will be seen from the Figure, each cleaning device 1 is mounted immediately above the lower rotating portion of the wipers 3 of the windshield, so that the wiper devices will be located in the fields in which the respective wipers slide. Figure 2 illustrates the cleaning device of the invention, wherein the numerical reference 4 identifies the self-adhesive metal sheet strip. The side of the strip opposite the side coated with adhesive, ie the side of the device which is intended to face or turn upwards from the windshield and which is in contact with a doctor blade when it moves, is provided with two smooth projections 5 with sharp edges, which have a rectangular cross section and which have a rectangular cross section and which extend continuously along the strip. In the embodiment illustrated in Figure 3, strip 4 of metal sheet includes three projections 6 and 7 with sharp, smooth edges, of rectangular cross section which extend continuously along the strip, instead of only with two projections as in the embodiment of Figure 2. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there extends along one edge of the strip in spaced relationship with the edge, a flange 6, which has a width (a) of approximately 4 mm and a thickness of 0.1-0.5 mm. The distance (b) from the edge of the nearest strip is approximately 3 mm. Two additional mutually spaced ribs 7 are mounted 1 ° long from the other edge of the sheet metal strip and spaced therefrom. These projections 7 have a width (c) of approximately 2 mm and a thickness of 0.1-0.5 mm. The distance (d) of the outermost shoulder from the edge of the strip is approximately 3mm and the distance (c) between the shoulders 7 is approximately 2mm. As a result of this configuration and positioning of the projections 6, 7 on the strip 4 and by the placement of the strip on the windscreen in such a way that the projection 6 will be located on the upper part, it is obtained there below and between the projections a trap for water and mud, which leads to a highly effective cleaning of the windshield. Figure 4 shows the strip 4 illustrated in Figure 3 when viewed from above, with the strip broken or fragmented in its longitudinal direction, and clearly showing the placement of the projections 5, 6 and 7 on the strip 4. The strip of metal foil by itself and the projections provided on it, they form longitudinally extending sharp scraper edges, which extend transversely with respect to the direction of movement of the scraper and which by means of their action on the respective scrapers clean by rubbing the scraper while at the same time, sharpen or sharpen the blade or doctor blade when it moves on the cleaning device of the invention. The metal foil strip 1 is suitably made of molded vinyl. The edges of the scraper blade (not shown) formed by the edges of the strip and the projections, may be reinforced with a thermosetting resin or with metallic filaments. It will be understood that the strip of the invention is self-adhesive and will be attached to the windshield, preferably as shown in Figure 1, when the cleaning capacity of the doctor blades has been reduced.

It is noted that in relation to this date, the best method known by the applicant to carry out the aforementioned invention, is the conventional one for the manufacture of the objects to which it relates.

Having described the invention as above, property is claimed as contained in the following

Claims (6)

R E I V I N D I C A C I O N S

1. A device for cleaning the scrapers of a windshield wiper of a vehicle, wherein the device is in the form of a strip of flat, self-adhesive metal foil, which is proposed to be attached to the outer side of the vehicle windscreen in the region of the path traveled by a doctor blade, characterized in that the side facing away from the strip, when fixed to the windshield, has at least two projections with sharp edges, smooth and seated, of rectangular cross section, which extend continuously along the entire length of the strip and which are spaced apart from each other and from the respective edges of the strip.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the side of the strip that is turned out when the strip is attached to the windshield, has projections with sharp, smooth edges, which extend continuously along the entire length of the strip. the strip and of which one projection is located adjacent to and a distance from one edge of the strip, and of which two projections are mutually spaced from each other and from the other edge of the strip.

3. A device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the strip has sharp edges, and in that the projections have a thickness of approximately 0.1-0.5 mm.

4. A device according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the projections have a width of approximately 4 mm.

5. A device according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the projections have a width of approximately 2 mm.

6. A device according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that a projection has a width of approximately 4 mm; and because the two projections have a width of approximately 2 mm.