WO2006117083A1

WO2006117083A1 - Pantograph kinematics window wiper arm

Info

Publication number: WO2006117083A1
Application number: PCT/EP2006/003630
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Pierre Eustache; Franck Cathala
Original assignee: Valeo Systemes D'essuyage
Priority date: 2005-04-29
Filing date: 2006-04-20
Publication date: 2006-11-09
Also published as: FR2885104B1; FR2885104A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a pantograph kinematics window wiper arm (1), comprising: a supporting arm (10) to be rotationally driven in an alternating manner; a moving head (20) pivotally mounted at the end of the supporting arm (10) and serving to support a wiper blade (30); means (40) for controlling the pivoting of the moving head (20) according to the angular displacement of the supporting arm (10), these controlling means (40) also generating a translational movement and transmitting it to the moving head (20) via a transmission element (50). The invention is characterized in that the distal portion (51) of the transmission element (50) is free, the moving head (20) comprises means for blocking said distal portion (51), and that the position of the fixing point can be adjusted along the free part of the said transmission element (50).

Description

WINDSCREEN WIPER ARM WITH PANTOGRAPH CINEMATICS

The present invention relates to a wiper arm ¹ capable of moving a wiper blade according to a kinematic pantograph type.

The invention finds a particularly advantageous, but not exclusive, application in the field of wiper devices for panoramic windshields of motor vehicles. Pantograph wipers are known to provide a maximum sweeping surface. They are particularly suitable for motor vehicles with panoramic windshields. Their pantograph kinematics make it possible to print a non-circular displacement movement on each wiper blade on at least certain portions of the windshield, unlike conventional windscreen wipers for which the trajectory described by each broom is always purely circular. on the entire surface of the windshield.

Of course, from a structural point of view, there are various technical solutions able to generate a pantograph kinematics, that is to say to modify the inclination of a wiper blade with respect to a support arm, in a plane substantially parallel to the surface to be scanned. One thinks in particular here of a first category of arms in which the kinematics is conventionally generated by implementing a deformable parallelogram, and to a second category whose mobility comes from the combination of a support arm and a head. pivoting actuated by a transmission member, itself controlled by the rotational displacement of said support arm. Anyway, one arm of ^one wiper kinematic pantograph always consists of a dimension for assembling parts and positions on well defined, that is to say a set whose final geometry proves preponderant to be able to properly perform the move function. In addition, there are purely aesthetic requirements. It is indeed important visually that the wiper blade ¹ is well positioned relative to the horizontal and / or relative to the amount of the windshield.

The problem with this type of arm ¹ wiper is that each of its component parts has dimensional tolerances which are peculiar to it. Added to this are geometric tolerances related to the relative positioning between the different parts in question. All this contributes to the fact that there will inevitably be important assembly dispersions. However, any modification of the geometry of the support arm is likely to call into question the movement kinematics of the wiper blade, as well as the overall aesthetics of the wiper if visually said blade is truly misaligned with respect to said support arm. Also the technical problem to be solved, by the object of the present invention, is to provide a pantograph kinematic wiper arm comprising a support arm which is intended to be driven in displacement in an alternating rotational movement around a so-called scanning axis substantially perpendicular to the surface to be wiped, a movable head which is pivotally mounted at the end of the support arm about a so-called pivot axis substantially parallel to the scanning axis, and which is on the other hand intended to support a wiper blade, as well as means controlling the pivoting of the movable head according to the angular displacement of the support arm, the control means being able to convert the rotational movement of the support arm in a translational movement, and to transmit this translational movement to the movable head via a transmission member, at a point said fixing which is eccentric with respect to the pivot axis, arm d wiper which would avoid the problems of the state of the art including providing a structure able to compensate for the inevitable mounting tolerances, while ensuring perfect operation and optimal aesthetics to the wiper considered in general .

The solution to the technical problem posed consists, according to the present invention, in that the distal portion of the transmission member is free, in that the movable head comprises means for blocking the distal portion of the transmission member, and in that the position of the attachment point is adjustable along the free portion of said transmission member.

It is first of all specified that the distal portion of the transmission member is concretely that which is intended to be secured to the movable head.

It is then noted that the fact that this distal portion is free simply means that it is devoid of any roughness, including any fastener of any kind. In other words, it ideally has a substantially linear appearance and an almost constant section, as in the case for example of an actuating rod or a control cable. Note finally that in practice, the adjustment of the position of the fixing point can be achieved depending on the desired effective inclination between the wiper blade and the support arm, especially in the rest position. It can also be done against an external repository. In particular, there is considered a characteristic part of a motor vehicle, such as the amount or the base of a windshield, for example. The present invention as defined anyway the advantage of having an effective capacity adjustment of the geometry of the arms of ^one wiper. It consists in finely adjusting, at the very end of the assembly, the length of the transmission member which is a part which advantageously has no dimensional tolerance since it is not dimensioned because of the existence of its portion. distal free.

The present invention also relates to the features which will emerge during the following description, which should be considered in isolation or in all their possible technical combinations.

This description, given by way of non-limiting example, is intended to better understand what the invention is and how it can be achieved. It is also given with reference to the appended drawings in which:

Figure 1 illustrates in perspective a windshield wiper of the pantograph type, whose arm is in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, which more particularly demonstrates the mobility of the wiper blade relative to the wiper arm. Figure 3 shows in detail the pivoting region between the wiper blade and the arm of ^one wiper, the assembly being shown in a rest position. Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but wherein the wiper blade and the arm of ^one wiper are illustrated in a said pivoted position.

Figure 5 shows, in perspective from below and in the rest position, the pivotal connection between the movable head and the support arm.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, but in the rotated position.

Figure 7 is also a view similar to Figure 5, but in perspective from above.

Figure 8 shows the pivotal connection between the movable head and the support arm, in longitudinal section.

For the sake of clarity, the same elements have been designated by identical references. Likewise, only the essential elements for understanding the invention have been represented, and this without regard to the scale and in a schematic manner.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a wiper arm 1 kinematic pantograph type, which is intended to equip a wiper device of a motor vehicle.

This arm ¹ wiper 1 is first provided with a support arm 10 which is intended to be driven in displacement in an alternating rotational movement about a scan axis B. The said assembly is formed so that this scanning axis B is substantially perpendicular to the surface to be wiped, in the occurrence perpendicular to the windshield of the motor vehicle.

In this particular embodiment, selected solely by way of example, the support arm 10 is composed of several elements joined to each other, although a single piece or a smaller number of elements could very well be considered. equivalent way. There is therefore here a coach 11 intended to be coupled to motor means not shown for reasons of clarity, a housing 12, a rod 13 and a yoke 14.

The arm of ^one wiper 1 is then provided with a movable head 20 which is pivotally mounted at the end of the arm support 10, in this case the yoke 14, and which is supported a brush wiper 30. The mobility is exerted here along a so-called pivot axis P which is substantially parallel to the scanning axis B, and therefore substantially perpendicular to the surface to be wiped. The wiper arm 1 finally has means 40 for controlling the pivoting of the movable head 20 as a function of the angular displacement of the support arm 10. The assembly is arranged in such a way that the control means 40 are able to to convert the rotational movement of the support arm 10 into a translation movement, and to transmit this translational movement to the movable head 20 via a transmission member 50. It should also be noted that the movement of translation is transmitted to the movable head 20 at a said point of attachment which is eccentric with respect to the pivot axis (P), to constitute a kind of connecting rod / crank system. According to the object of the present invention, the distal portion 51 of the transmission member 50 is free. Furthermore, the movable head 20 comprises locking means 60 of the distal portion of the transmission member 50. Finally, the position of the attachment point is adjustable along the free portion of said transmission member 50.

According to a feature of the invention, the locking means 60 are able to immobilize the distal portion of the transmission member 50 in a reversible manner. This means in other words that their action is in no way final, they can be activated or deactivated at will and at any time, which helps to increase the adjustment capacity of the wiper arm 1.

In this particular embodiment, chosen solely by way of example, the locking means 60 comprise a through hole 61 receiving the distal portion 51 of the transmission member 50 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 7), as well as a locking screw 62 acting transversely (Figures 5 and 6).

It should be noted that in a very general manner, the locking means 60 materialize the point of attachment at the mobile head 20. According to another feature of the invention, the arm ¹ wiper 1 also comprises means 70 which are able to maintain the transmission member 50 in the vicinity of the point of attachment, but also to guide the translational movement propagated by said transmission member 50.

In this embodiment, the guiding means 70 are constituted by an independent piece 71 which is able to be secured to the support arm 10 removably, close to the head mobile 20. It is observed that the fixing is carried out here by clipping but that of course any other joining technique could be used in an equivalent manner. According to another feature of the invention, the arm ¹ wiper 1 is also provided with stop means 80 which are adapted to block the pivoting of the movable head 20 between two extreme positions corresponding to a rest position and a rotated position. the goal is to limit the forces in the various joints, particularly during handling of the arm ¹ wiper 1. We think here for example a broom change operation wiper 30, which requires raising the arm support 10 and to grip said wiper blade 30.

In any case, and in accordance with FIGS. 3 to 7, the abutment means 80 are here first provided with a rest stop 81 which is secured to the support arm 10, and which is able to block the pivoting of the movable head 20 in the rest position in which the wiper blade 30 extends substantially parallel to the support arm 10 (Figures 1, 3, 5 and 7). As can be seen in these same FIGS. 3 to 7, the abutment means 80 also have an inclination stop 82 which is integral with the guide means 70, and which is able to block the pivoting of the movable head 20 in pivoted position in which the wiper blade 30 is inclined relative to the support arm 10 (Figures 2, 4 and 6).

Since the arm of ^one wiper 1 is intended to equip a device for wiping windscreens of motor vehicle, it may be specified that position rest, the wiper blade 30 may be advantageously disposed substantially parallel to the bottom of the windshield. Similarly, in the pivoted position, the same wiper blade 30 may advantageously extend substantially parallel to the amount of windscreen directly adjacent when the arms ¹ wiper 1 will be scavenging stroke end.

Particularly advantageously, the portion of each stop 81, 82, which is intended to cooperate by blocking contact with the movable head 20, comprises a damping element 83, 84 which is able to attenuate said contacts.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the transmission member 50 is flexible, that is to say that its structure is flexible while being longitudinally inextensible. It should be noted that this specificity is entirely appropriate in the case where, as in the example chosen here to illustrate the invention, the support arm 10 is provided with a joint A allowing it to be raised in for example to perform a change of wiper blade 30.

In this presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the transmission member 50 is moreover constituted by a sheathed control cable. It is observed in this regard that the free portion of this particular type of transmission member 50, corresponds to the cable portion protruding from the sheath (Figures 3, 5 and 7).

According to another feature of the invention, the support arm 10 is articulated at its proximal portion, that is to say in the vicinity of the scanning axis B ₁ along a so-called articulation axis A which is substantially perpendicular to said scanning axis B

(figure 1). This means in other words that the hinge axis A is oriented substantially parallel to the surface to be wiped. This feature is particularly advantageous when it is necessary to raise the support arm 10, for example to change the wiper blade 30.

Particularly advantageously, the transmission member 50 extends in the direct vicinity of the hinge axis A. The passage of the transmission member 50 as close as possible to the hinge axis A in fact avoids the deformation problems cases of raising the support arm 10 and in the case where of course said transmission member 50 has a flexible structure.

According to another feature of the invention, the movable head 20 obviously includes connecting means 90 to at least one type of wiper mop 30 given. In particular, in accordance with FIGS. 3 to 7, it is observed that in this embodiment there is a connection with a lateral pivot axis, commonly referred to as "side lock" anglicism. But of course, the lateral pivot 91 and the holding lug 92 (Figure 7) could very well be replaced by connecting means 90 compatible with other types of wiper blades 30. It could thus be a classic hook connection or a connection by longitudinal clipping, commonly referred to as "top lock" anglicism.

As can be seen only in Figures 2 and 8, the arm ¹ wiper 1 is further provided with a protective cover 100 which is secured at 10 to removably support arm, namely by clipping, and which substantially envelops the entire movable head 20 regardless of the inclination of the wiper blade 30.

Of course, the invention also relates and more generally any motor vehicle with at least one wiper arm 1 as previously described. We are thinking in particular of motor vehicles equipped with panoramic windshields.

he

Claims

1. Arm d ¹ wiper (1) kinematic pantograph having a carrier arm (10) which is intended to be driven in displacement along an alternating rotary motion about an axis of said scanning (B) substantially perpendicular to the surface to be wiped, a movable head (20) which is pivotally mounted at the end of the support arm (10) about a so-called pivot axis (P) substantially parallel to the scanning axis (B) , and which is on the other hand intended to support a wiper blade (30), and means (40) controlling the pivoting of the movable head (20) as a function of the angular displacement of the support arm (10), the control means (40) being able to convert the rotational movement of the support arm (10) into a translational movement, and to transmit this translational movement to the movable head (20) via a control member. transmission (50), at a point said fixing which is eccentric with respect to the axis of p ivotement (P), characterized in that the distal portion (51) of the transmission member (50) is free, in that the movable head (20) has locking means (60) of the distal portion (51). ) of the transmission member (50), and in that the position of the attachment point is adjustable along the free portion of said transmission member (50).

2. wiper arm (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking means (60) are adapted to immobilize the distal portion of the transmission member (50) in a reversible manner.

3. Arm of ^one wiper (1) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the locking means (60) comprise a through hole (61) receiving the distal portion of the transmission member ( 50) and a locking screw (62) acting transversely.

4. Arms ¹ d wiper (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises guide means (70) adapted to hold the transmission member (50) adjacent the fixing point, and to guide the translation movement propagated by said transmission member (50).

5. wiper arm (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the guide means (70) are constituted by an independent piece (71) which is adapted to be secured to the support arm (10) so as to removable, close to the movable head (20).

6. wiper arm (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises stop means (80) adapted to block the pivoting of the movable head (20) between two extreme positions corresponding to a rest position and a rotated position.

7. Arm d ¹ wiper (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that the abutment means (80) include a rest stop (81) which is integral with the support arm (10) and which is adapted to blocking the pivoting of the movable head (20) in the rest position in which the wiper blade (30) extends substantially parallel to the support arm (10).

8. Arms of ^one wiper (1) according to one of Claims 6 or 7, characterized in that the abutment means (80) comprise a tilt stop (82) which is integral with the guide means (70 ), and which is adapted to block the pivoting of the movable head (20) in the rotated position in which the wiper blade (30) is inclined relative to the support arm (10).

9. Arm d ¹ wiper (1) according to one of Claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the portion of each stop (81, 82), which is intended to cooperate by blocking contact with the movable head (20 ), comprises a damping element (83, 84) capable of attenuating said contacts.

10. Arm d ¹ wiper (1) according to any of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the transmission member (50) is flexible.

11. wiper arm (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the transmission member (50) is constituted by a sheathed control cable.

12. Wiper arm (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the support arm (10) is articulated at its proximal portion, along a so-called axis of articulation (A ) which is substantially perpendicular to the scanning axis (B).

Windscreen wiper arm (1) according to Claim 12, characterized in that the transmission member (50) extends in direct proximity to the hinge axis (A).

Wiper arm (1) according to one of Claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the movable head (20) has connection means (90) for at least one type of wiper blade. (30) given.

15. Wiper arm (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that it comprises a protective cover (100) which is secured to the support arm (10) removably, and which substantially envelops the entire movable head (20) regardless of the inclination of the wiper blade (30).

16. Motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one wiper arm (1) according to any one of the preceding claims.