WO2011066268A1

WO2011066268A1 - Device for guiding cleaning fluid

Info

Publication number: WO2011066268A1
Application number: PCT/US2010/057770
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kristian Albert ÖSTERGREN; Per-Arne Axelsson; Stephan Peltzer
Original assignee: Illinois Tool Works Inc.
Priority date: 2009-11-26
Filing date: 2010-11-23
Publication date: 2011-06-03
Also published as: DE102009057022B4; DE102009057022A1

Abstract

A device for guiding cleaning fluid to at least one cleaning nozzle for cleaning a pane, in particular a pane of a motor vehicle, comprising a fluid channel for guiding the cleaning fluid and at least one electric supply line for supplying at least one electric load, characterized in that the device comprises a duct running along the fluid channel, through which duct the at least one electric supply line is guided.

Description

DEVICE FOR GUIDING CLEANING FLUID

The invention relates to a device for guiding cleaning fluid to at least one cleaning nozzle for cleaning a pane, in particular a pane of a motor vehicle, comprising a fluid channel for guiding the cleaning fluid and at least one electric supply line for supplying at least one electric load.

Such devices are installed in automobiles for example in the region between the hood and a windshield. They feed cleaning fluid, for example water, to suitable cleaning nozzles, which spray the cleaning fluid onto the windshield of the automobile. Such devices are for example also used for rear windshields or headlight covers of automobiles. The cleaning fluid is conventionally guided through a suitable fluid channel to the cleaning nozzles. It is often desirable also to integrate an electric supply into the device, for example for heating means which heat the cleaning fluid or the cleaning nozzles so as in particular to prevent them from freezing in the winter. For the electric supply, suitable supply lines have to be guided to the heating means arranged for example in the region of the cleaning nozzles.

Figure 1 shows a device 10' according to the prior art in a perspective and partially cut-open view. The device 10' comprises two cleaning nozzles 12', 14'. Cleaning fluid supplied via a connecting valve 18' is guided to the cleaning nozzles 12', 14' via a fluid channel 16'. From there the cleaning fluid is sprayed onto a pane to be cleaned, as illustrated by reference numerals 20', 22' in Figure 1. Figure 1 shows, by way of two cuts made across the longitudinal axis of the fluid channel 16', that the fluid channel 16' has a circular cross section. Heating elements 24', 26' are in each case located in the region of the cleaning nozzles 12', 14'. To supply these heating elements 24', 26' with electricity, electric supply lines 28' are provided, which may be connected to an electric supply source (not shown) via a plug 30' . The supply lines 28' are held on the fluid channel 16' by way of a plurality of holding means 32 ' distributed along the longitudinal axis of the fluid channel 16'.

A disadvantage of the known device is on the one hand the increased installation effort for the supply lines on the fluid channel. In addition, the supply lines are not guided between the holders, such that they may become detached from the fluid channel and for example hang down therefrom. This may on the one hand lead to damage to the supply lines. Furthermore, such hanging down of the supply lines is sometimes visible from the interior of the vehicle and therefore undesirable for visual reasons. To solve this problem, it has been proposed to place adhesive tape by hand around the supply lines along the entire length of the fluid channel, to fix them to the fluid channel. This solution is complex and expensive, however.

Taking the described prior art as basis, the object of the invention is to provide a device of the above- mentioned type with which the supply lines may be simply and inexpensively fixed in place in a reliable and visually appealing manner.

For a device of the above-mentioned type, the object is achieved by the invention in that the device comprises a duct running along the fluid channel, through which the at least one electric supply line is guided. According to the invention, a duct is thus provided which runs in particular substantially along the fluid channel over the entire length thereof, through which duct the electric supply lines, which may for example be electric cables, are guided and thus securely fixed to the fluid channel . More extensive manual fixing of the supply lines is not needed, unlike in the prior art. Fitting is thereby simplified and less cost- intensive. Furthermore, the duct prevents the lines from hanging down in an undesired manner and thus reliably avoids detracting from the visual appearance. At the same time, electric supply of the at least one electric load, for example at least one heating element, such as a PTC element ("Positive Temperature Coefficient") is ensured. The device and in particular the cleaning nozzle or the cleaning nozzles may serve in particular for cleaning a windshield, a rear windshield or a headlight cover of an automobile . The fluid channel and the duct may each be tubular, such that together they form a twin tube.

According to one configuration, the duct may comprise a closing device, with which closing device the duct can be selectively opened or closed along its length. The closing device may again extend substantially over the entire length of the duct and thus also of the fluid channel. If the closing device is open, the electric supply may be particularly simply fitted by inserting the electric supply lines into the duct . The duct may then be closed by the closing device and the electric supply line securely fixed. The closing device may furthermore comprise a snap projection running along the length of the duct, in particular over the entire length of the duct, and a snap receptacle corresponding to the snap projection and running along the length of the duct, in particular along the entire length of the duct. To close the closing device, the snap projection may be snapped into the snap receptacle. This particularly practical configuration results in particularly simple fitting. Furthermore, the closing device according to this configuration may be repeatedly opened and closed in a simple manner, for example for maintenance of the electric supply lines. According to a further configuration, the duct may comprise at least one lateral opening, through which at least one electric supply line is guided out of the duct . Such a lateral opening of the duct may in particular be provided in each case in the region of a cleaning nozzle, such that the electric loads, for example heating means, conventionally arranged in the region of the cleaning nozzles may be supplied by the supply lines . Often such a device is provided with two cleaning nozzles and thus also at least two electric loads, such as heating means. Two lateral openings may accordingly then likewise be provided in the duct .

According to a further particularly practical configuration, the fluid channel, the duct and the closing device are formed in one piece. At least the fluid channel and the duct may furthermore consist of a flexible plastics material or flexible rubber material . With such a configuration the device may be of particularly simple, robust construction. The closing device may likewise consist of a flexible plastics material or flexible rubber material . The snap function of the closing device is then particularly simple to operate. A particularly simple way to produce the fluid channel, the duct and the closing device is for them to be produced in an extrusion process . The duct with its closing device is then extruded in particular with the closing device in its open state. In this way, with a flexible configuration of the duct and the closing device, the open state of the closing device may be set as a resting state of the material, the closing device accordingly moving automatically into said resting state when not exposed to forces .

The device may comprise at least one cleaning nozzle for cleaning a pane, in particular a pane of a motor vehicle, such as a windshield, rear windshield or headlight cover, and at least one electric load. The at least one electric load may comprise at least one electric heating device, for example a PTC element, for heating the at least one cleaning nozzle and/or the cleaning fluid.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to schematic figures, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device for guiding cleaning fluid according to the prior art,

Fig. 2 shows a device according to the invention in a first perspective view,

Fig. 3 shows the device of Fig. 2 in a second perspective view,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective representation of a portion of the fluid channel and duct according to the invention,

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the representation of Fig. 4 in a first operating position,

Fig. 6 shows the representation of Fig. 5 in a second operating position, and

Fig. 7 shows the representation of Fig. 5 in a third operating position.

Unless otherwise indicated, in the figures the same reference numerals are used to denote the same items. Figure 2 shows a device 10 according to the invention for guiding cleaning fluid. In the example shown, the device 10 comprises two cleaning nozzles 12, 14 for cleaning a pane, not represented in any more detail, of an automobile and a fluid channel 16. In the longitudinal direction of the fluid channel 16, the cleaning nozzle 12 is located approximately in the middle thereof and the cleaning nozzle 14 at one end of said fluid channel 16 . At its other end the fluid channel 16 is provided with a fluid valve 18 , with which it may be connected to a supply, not represented in any more detail, of cleaning fluid, for example water. The cleaning fluid is fed to the cleaning nozzles 12 , 14 via the fluid channel 16 . These spray the cleaning fluid onto the pane to be cleaned, as illustrated by reference numerals 20 , 22 . Reference numerals 24 , 26 additionally show two heating means, in this case PTC elements, associated with the cleaning nozzles 12 , 14 . These serve to heat the cleaning nozzles 12 , 14 or the cleaning fluid and thus in particular to prevent freezing in winter. Furthermore, electric supply lines 28 , in this case electric cables 28 , are shown in Figures 2 and 3 , which may be connected via an electric plug-in device 30 with an electric supply of an automobile not represented in any more detail .

In the example shown, a duct 34 , through which the electric supply lines 28 are guided, runs parallel to the fluid channel 16 and substantially over the entire length of the fluid channel 16 . The fluid channel 16 and the duct 34 together form a twin tube. In addition to its inlet opening 36 , the duct 34 comprises two lateral openings 38 , 40 in the region of the cleaning nozzles 12 , 14 or the heating elements 24 , 26 . The supply lines 28 are fed to the heating elements 24 , 26 via these lateral openings 38 , 40 . It should furthermore be noted that in the longitudinal direction of the fluid channel 16 and of the duct 34 , three holding clips 42 are clipped onto the duct 16 and the fluid channel 34 . They are provided at the top in each case with a peg-like projection 44 , with which the device 10 may for example be fastened to the inside of an automobile hood. Furthermore, it is clear in particular from Figure 2 that the cleaning nozzles 12 , 14 are provided in each case with a holder 46 , 48 , these in each case comprising a snap projection 50, 52. With these snap projections 50, 52, the device 10 with the cleaning nozzles 12, 14 may be snapped onto corresponding automobile snap receptacles .

Figures 4 to 7 show enlarged representations of the fluid channel 16 according to the invention and of the duct 34 according to the invention. Of these, Figure 4 is a portion view showing just a shortened longitudinal portion of the twin tube . It is clear therefrom that the fluid channel 16 is of substantially circular cross section. The duct 34, on the other hand, has an irregular geometric cross-sectional shape. It is additionally clear that the duct 34 comprises a closing device designated in general by reference numeral 46, with which the duct 34 can be selectively opened or closed. In Figures 4 and 5 the duct 34 is shown in its open position and in Figure 7 in its closed position. Figure 6 shows an intermediate position between the open and closed states. The closing device 46 has a snap projection 50 extending at one end of the wall 48 defining the duct 34 in the longitudinal direction of the duct 34 and in particular over the entire length of the duct 34. At the opposite end of the wall 48 defining the duct 34, the closing device 46 comprises a snap receptacle 52 corresponding to the snap projection 50 and likewise extending over the entire length of the duct 34. The snap receptacle 52 has two undercuts 54, 56. The wall 48 is flexible, such that it and with it the snap projection 50 may be pressed from the state shown in Figures 4 and 5 towards the snap receptacle 52 into the operating position shown in Figure 6. If the wall 48 with the snap projection 50 is pressed from this operating position further in the direction of the snap receptacle 52, the undercuts 54, 56 of the snap receptacle 52 arrive behind the snap projection 50, as shown in Figure 7. In this position, the duct 34 is closed. For fitting purposes, the electric supply lines 28 are placed into the duct 34 in the state shown in Figures 4 and 5. Then the closing device 46 is closed, by snapping the snap projection 50 into the snap receptacle 52, as shown in Figure 7. The supply lines are then held securely in the duct 34. If at a later time access to the supply lines is required, for example for maintenance purposes, the closing device may be reopened out of the closed state shown in Figure 7, by pulling the wall 48 and with it the snap projection 50 out of the snap receptacle 52, the snap undercuts 54, 56 being pressed outwards, such that the snap projection 50 may be withdrawn from the snap receptacle 52 into the open position shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this position the supply lines 28 may be removed .

In the example shown, the fluid channel 16 and the duct 34, including the closing device 46 with snap projection 50 and snap receptacle 52, are produced in one piece in an extrusion process . In the example shown they consist of a flexible rubber material .

Claims

Patent claims

1. A device for guiding cleaning fluid to at least one cleaning nozzle for cleaning a pane, in particular a pane of a motor vehicle, comprising a fluid channel (16) for guiding the cleaning fluid and at least one electric supply line (28) for supplying at least one electric load (24, 26),

characterized in that the device comprises a duct (34) running along the fluid channel (16) , through which duct (34) the at least one electric supply line (28) is guided.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the duct (34) comprises a closing device (46), with which closing device (46) the duct (34) can be selectively opened or closed along its length.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the closing device (46) comprises a snap projection (50) running along the length of the duct (34) and a snap receptacle (52) corresponding to the snap projection (50) and also running along the length of the duct (34) , wherein the snap projection (50) can be snapped into the snap receptacle (52) for closing the closing device (46) .

4. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the duct (34) comprises at least one lateral opening (38, 40), through which at least one electric supply line (28) is guided out of the duct (34) .

5. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fluid channel (16) , the duct (34) and the closing device (46) are formed in one piece .

6. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least the fluid channel (16) and the duct (34) consist of a flexible plastics material or rubber material .

7. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fluid channel (16) , the duct (34) and the closing device (46) are produced in an extrusion process .

8. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises at least one cleaning nozzle (12, 14) for cleaning a pane, in particular a pane of a motor vehicle, and at least one electric load (24, 26) .

9. The device as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the at least one electric load (24, 26) comprises at least one electric heating device (24, 26) for heating the at least one cleaning nozzle (12, 14) and/or the cleaning fluid.