Scraping blade and device including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wiper blade (10) for cleaning a vehicle window pane, the wiper blade having an adapter (12) for fixing the wiper blade (10) to a wiper arm (14) of a wiper system, wherein a first supply element (16) is arranged on the wiper blade (10), via which a medium (17), such as a cleaning liquid and / or energy, such as an electric current, can be supplied to the wiper blade (10), and is characterized in that a second supply element (18) for the medium (17) and / or energy is arranged on the wiper blade (10), the second supply element being spaced apart from the first supply element (16).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiper blade for cleaning vehicle windows, the wiper blade comprising an adapter for fastening the wiper blade to a wiper arm of a wiper system, wherein a first supply element is arranged on the wiper blade, via which a medium, such as a cleaning liquid, and / or energy, such as an electric current, can be supplied to the wiper blade. Furthermore, the present invention relates to an arrangement comprising the wiper blade and the wiper arm. Background Art

[0002] Wiping systems consisting of a wiper arm and a wiper blade are known. For cleaning the vehicle window, a washer liquid is supplied, which is applied to the window by a nozzle from the hood. This type of cleaning can be disadvantageous because the vehicle occupants' visibility through the window may be impaired during application. This impairment is primarily due to the washer liquid remaining on the window for a long time until it is wiped off. Furthermore, in winter, the wiper blade may freeze to the window. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The object of the present invention is to provide a wiper blade which is advantageous for the visibility of the vehicle occupants and which at the same time retains its full functionality in winter.

[0004] According to the invention, the above-mentioned object is achieved with a wiper blade and a device of the type mentioned at the outset in that a second supply element for a medium and / or energy is arranged on the wiper blade, spaced apart from the first supply element. This allows, for example, washing liquid to be introduced as a medium directly into the wiper blade via a hydraulic connection and discharged via nozzles located in the wiper blade. The dwell time of the washing liquid is thus significantly reduced, since it is sprayed directly onto the window pane in front of the wiper blade. Energy can be introduced into the wiper blade, for example, by means of electric current via electrical contacts, heat via thermal contacts, and / or electromagnetic waves via an induction coil. The introduced heat can be used to heat the wiper blade by means of a heating element in the wiper blade and to protect it accordingly from freezing. This heat input also positively influences the wiping performance, since the rubber of the wiper blade in contact with the window pane remains soft and can rub tightly against the window pane. In particular, the spacing of the first and second supply elements from one another makes the scraper blade very robust against malfunctions caused by mixing of media and energy transmission modes. The spacing is characterized by the spatial distance between the two supply elements.

[0005] Further advantages result from the developments of the dependent claims.

[0006] The wiper blade advantageously has a scraper strip. The scraper strip is made of rubber and is shaped like a lip. This results in a scraper lip that rests with its free end on the vehicle window to be scraped. A feed element is arranged between the wiper arm and the scraper lip. This creates a direction of use for the scraper blade, which is characterized by the orientation of the scraper lip toward the vehicle window. The first and second feed elements are arranged above the scraper strip relative to the direction of use of the scraper blade.

[0007] To achieve a sturdy and preferably windproof wiper blade, an upper strip can be provided, positioned on the upper side of the wiper blade relative to the direction of use. The upper strip extends in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade. It can be divided into several, preferably three, sections, so that an intermediate element is arranged between the first and second supply elements. If the supply element does not extend across the entire longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, the remaining portion of the wiper blade not covered by the supply element is covered by sections of the upper strip. Sections of the upper strip can include spoilers for windproofing. The intermediate section can be free of such a spoiler. The lower section of the upper strip can be provided with a spoiler, forming a side with the free end of the wiper blade, which points away from the rotation point of the output of the wiper system and thus describes the outer contour of a circle. This section is the outer circular section. Likewise, the lower section of the upper strip, which covers the portion of the wiper blade facing the rotation point at the output of the wiper system, can be equipped with a spoiler. This section is the inner circumference section. The spatial separation of the feed elements is determined by the arrangement of the intermediate section. The upper strip can be made of rubber, and the intermediate section can function as a rubber spacer.

[0008] It is particularly preferred to equip the adapter with the first supply element. The supply element can be integrated into the adapter in one piece, with a monolithic body, preferably produced by injection molding, being provided as the adapter with the supply element. Alternatively, a multi-part adapter with the supply element can be provided, which can be joined together to form a one-piece structure in a hermetically sealed manner using connection techniques such as ultrasonic welding and / or laser welding. By integrating the supply element into the adapter, a compact design is achieved that is particularly easy to handle and offers the advantages of mass production.

[0009] In another development, it can be provided that the first supply element is formed on a lower part of the adapter, preferably a lower part of the adapter, which is rigidly connected to the wiper blade. The lower part of the adapter can be fastened, for example, indirectly or directly to a spring strip of the wiper blade.

[0010] Furthermore, the supply element can be surrounded by an upper part, wherein the upper part can be movably connected to the lower part of the adapter. The upper part at least partially covers the supply element so that it overlaps the upper part in the direction of use. The upper part can be placed on the rigid lower part of the adapter as another movable part of the adapter. The upper part is supported in a manner that it can rotate relative to the rigid part of the adapter. For this purpose, the rigid part and the upper part have a common sleeve. In a special improvement, the upper part does not have a supply element. In one embodiment, the rigid lower part of the adapter is provided with a supply element, by which the number of components required to provide the entire scraper blade can be kept low.

[0011] In order to be able to distribute the medium throughout the wiper blade, it can be provided that the medium flows from one supply element to another. If the medium is, for example, a cleaning liquid, which is discharged through a nozzle constructed in the wiper blade, at least one channel can be molded along the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade. This channel can either be contained in the upper strip and / or the scraper strip and / or can be contained in a separate part of the wiper blade extending along the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade. Such channels are interrupted (durchtrennen) by the arrangement of the supply elements spaced apart from each other. Therefore, at least one channel can be constructed in each of the supply elements, which channel can be connected to the remaining channels in the wiper blade. As an alternative or in addition, the nozzle can be constructed in the first and / or second supply element. In addition, as an alternative, the channel can only be constructed in the middle section between the first and second supply elements.

[0012] The wiper arm of the wiper system is equipped with pipelines for transmitting the media and energy. For example, liquid pipelines and current pipelines can be arranged in the wiper arm. These pipelines are connected to a connecting piece that can be connected to the supply element. For example, this connection can be achieved using the plug-and-socket principle. The connecting piece can be positioned in the area of the holding device of the wiper arm, wherein the holding device forms an interface with the adapter or with the upper part of the wiper blade. Via this interface, the wiper blade can be placed on the wiper arm in a releasable manner. While the wiper blade is being placed on the wiper arm, the connecting piece is connected to the supply element. This can be done simultaneously. This ensures that the wiper blade can be assembled on the vehicle in a very comfortable manner.

[0013] It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those explained below can be used not only in the respective combinations described, but also in other combinations. In particular, the first supply element can be interchanged with the second supply element in terms of its function, so that the first supply element delivers energy and the second supply element delivers a medium. In principle, the supply element can also be arranged in the rotatable upper part of the adapter. The scope of the present invention is limited solely by the claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The present invention will be explained in detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawings, which show:

[0015] Figure 1 Shown is a device consisting of a scraping arm and a scraping blade;

[0016] Figure 2 Shown are the feed elements on the wiper blade and the complementary connectors in the wiper arm;

[0017] Figure 3 shows a side view of a scraper blade with a feed element;

[0018] Figure 4 shows an interior view of the scraper arm with the connector; and

[0019] Figure 5a ) to d) show the assembly process of the wiper blade onto the wiper arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Figure 1 A wiper blade 10 for cleaning a vehicle window is shown. The wiper blade 10 has an adapter 12 for attaching the wiper blade 10 to a wiper arm 14 of a wiper system. The wiper system is part of a vehicle and comprises a drive device, to which the wiper arm 14 is mounted at one end, so that an output shaft of the drive device generates a circular wiping movement of the wiper arm 14. The wiper blade 10 is mounted on the opposite end of the wiper arm 14.

[0021] The adapter 12 has a lower part 30 and an upper part 32, which is rotatably secured to the lower part 30 by means of a sleeve 33. The upper part 32 is arranged on the upper side of the wiper blade 10 relative to the direction of use 1. The direction of use 1 is generated by the method of use of the wiper blade 10 for wiping a vehicle window. Here, the lip-shaped wiper strip 20 rests on the vehicle window and passes over it during the pivoting movement of the wiper arm 14. The wiper arm 14 connected to the adapter 12 is farthest from the vehicle window and is therefore arranged on the upper side of the wiper blade 10. The adapter 12 and the upper strip 22 of the wiper blade 10 are positioned between the wiper arm 14 and the wiper strip 20. The upper strip 22 can have a spoiler 23 that extends in the longitudinal direction 2 of the wiper blade 10. The spoiler 23 is positioned on the upper side of the upper strip 22.

[0022] The wiper arm 14 is locked to the upper part 32 by means of a retaining device 15 molded on the end of the wiper arm 14. In this case, the retaining device 15 can surround the upper part 32 or, as an alternative, be inserted into the upper part 32. The retaining device 15 can be formed from a punched and bent sheet metal. Alternatively, the retaining device 15 can be rod-shaped or pin-shaped and preferably have a profile with at least one recess that cooperates with the upper part 32. The upper part 32 can have an elastic element that cooperates with the retaining device 15, regardless of whether the retaining device 15 surrounds the upper part 32 or is inserted into the upper part 32. The upper part 32 can have an aerodynamic shape. The retaining device 15 can have an aerodynamic shape.

[0023] The connection between the holding means 15 and the upper part 32 represents the interface 34 between the wiper arm 14 and the wiper blade 10. The arrangement 100 obtained by the connection between the wiper arm 14 and the wiper blade 10 is part of a wiper system of a vehicle.

[0024] On its lower side facing the vehicle window, the wiper blade 10 has nozzles 21 that discharge a medium 17, such as a washing liquid, in a direction of use 1 and preferably apply it to the vehicle window. The nozzles 21 are distributed along the longitudinal direction 2. The spacing between the nozzles 21 can vary or be constant along the longitudinal direction 2. The medium 17 is supplied to the wiper blade 10 from the vehicle via a line in the wiper arm 14.

[0025] The upper strip 22 is divided into at least three sections by the lower part 30 of the adapter 12 and the base 19. A middle section 26 is positioned between the lower part 30 and the base 19. On the side of the wiper blade 10 that faces the output end of the wiper system with respect to the interface 34, an inner circumferential section 24 is provided as a section of the upper part 22. On the side of the wiper blade 10 that is opposite the interface 34, an outer circumferential section 28 is provided.

[0026] exist Figure 2 , the wiper blade 10 is shown without the upper part 32. The wiper blade 10 comprises a first supply element 16 and a second supply element 18, which are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction 2. The first supply element 16 is formed integrally with the lower part 30 of the adapter 12. The first supply element 16 and the lower part 30 can be produced, for example, by injection molding. The unit formed by the first supply element 16 and the lower part 30 can be a sealed body joined by welding or a body that can be produced in a single injection molding step. At least one projection of the sleeve 33, on which the upper part 32 is supported, can also be formed on the lower part 30.

[0027] The second supply element 18 is formed integrally with the base 19. The second supply element 18 and the base 19 can be obtained, for example, by injection molding. In this case, the unit formed by the second supply element 18 and the base 19 can be a body that is formed in a sealed manner, joined by welding, or a body obtained in a single injection molding step.

[0028] Both the lower part 30 and the base 19 can be rigidly fastened directly or indirectly to a spring strip arranged in the wiper blade 10. Arranged between the base 19 and the lower part 30 is the middle section 26 of the upper strip 22, which acts as a spacer and separates the base 19 and the part 30 from one another. As a result, the first and second supply elements 16, 18 are also spatially separated from one another.

[0029] The first supply element 16 and / or the second supply element 18 can supply a medium 17 to the wiper blade 10, which can be a cleaning liquid. Additionally or alternatively, energy 13, for example in the form of an electric current, can be supplied to the wiper blade 10 via the second supply element 18 and / or the first supply element 16. A channel 29 is formed in the wiper blade 10, extending in the longitudinal direction 2. The channel 29 is formed continuously through the upper strip 22, the base 19, and the lower part 30. The base 19 and the lower part 30 have connecting pieces that can be inserted into the channel sections of the middle section 26, the outer circumferential section 28, and / or the inner circumferential section 24. This creates a fluid connection between the sections 24, 26, 28 of the upper strip 22 and the first supply element 16 and the second supply element 18.

[0030] The first and second supply elements 16 , 18 are arranged above the wiper strip 20 relative to the direction of use 1 of the wiper blade 10 . The openings of the supply elements 16 , 18 are arranged on the upper side of the wiper blade 10 and are oriented substantially in the longitudinal direction 2 .

[0031] In addition, Figure 2 The scraping arm 14 is shown in FIG. On the free end of the scraping arm 14 is constructed the following holding means 15, which is connected to the scraping arm 14. Figure 2 The upper part 32 (not shown) cooperates in such a way that the wiper blade 10 is fixedly connected to the wiper arm 14. A connecting piece 36 is positioned in the region of the retaining means 15 and can be coupled to the supply elements 16, 18. The connecting piece 36, which is designed essentially to complement the supply elements 16, 18, is connected to the line for supplying the wiper blade 10. The unillustrated line extends from the vehicle along the wiper arm 14 to the connecting piece 36 and conveys the medium 17 and the energy 13. For example, a first connection 35 for coupling to the first supply element 16 and a second connection 37 for coupling to the second supply element 18 can be realized on the connecting piece 36.

[0032] The opening of the first supply element 16 can be arranged above the opening of the second supply element 18 with respect to the direction of use 1. The openings of the supply elements 16, 18 can also have different shapes from one another, so that, for example, the first supply element 16 has a circular contour for accommodating the first connector 35. Therefore, the first connector 35 can also have a circular contour. In addition, the second connector 37 can have an angular contour that can engage with the angularly shaped receptacle of the second supply element 18. Since the supply elements 16, 18 are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction 2 of the wiper blade 10, the corresponding openings can also be spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction 2. Accordingly, the connectors 35, 37 are not the same length. As an alternative, the openings of the supply elements 16, 18 can be arranged one above the other with respect to the longitudinal direction 2, so that the lengths of the connectors 35, 37 can be the same. The connectors 35, 37 are arranged one above the other in the area of the retaining device 15.

[0033] In an alternative embodiment, the openings of the supply elements 16 , 18 can be arranged side by side so that they are located at a common position with respect to the longitudinal direction 2 . Accordingly, the connections 35 , 30 , 37 can be located side by side and can be of the same length.

[0034] In the scraper blade 10, two channels 29 can be arranged along the longitudinal direction 2. Alternatively, only one channel 29 can be provided. If two channels 29 are included in the scraper blade 10, an opening can be provided for each channel in the corresponding supply element 16, 18. Thus, two openings can be provided for each supply element 16, 18.

[0035] The connections 35, 37 can be tubular and sealed into the openings of the supply elements 16, 18. Alternatively, tubular connections can be formed on the supply elements 16, 18, which can be joined into openings molded into the connecting piece 36. The joining of the connections 35, 37 is schematically illustrated by Figure 2 The two arrows are shown.

[0036] If the holding means 15 of the wiper arm 14 is punched and bent from sheet metal, the connecting means 36 can be surrounded by the holding means 15 , so that the connecting means 36 is covered by the holding means 15 .

[0037] The first and / or second supply element 16, 18 is surrounded and, in particular, covered by the upper part 32. This is not visible from above and can only be seen from a perspective in the longitudinal direction 2. Therefore, the connections 35, 37, which are open in the longitudinal direction 2 at the ends of the holding means 15, engage in the supply elements 16, 18.

[0038] Figure 3 A side view of a wiper blade 10 with two supply elements 16, 18 is shown. The lower part 30, the base 19, and the sections 24, 26, 29 of the upper strip 22 have spray openings 21. The medium 17 flows from one supply element 16, 18 to the other supply element 18, 16. To this end, the medium 17 is introduced, for example, into the opening of the first supply element 16 and guided via the lower part 30 to the channel 29, from which it is distributed along the longitudinal direction 2 throughout the wiper blade 10 and discharged through the nozzles 21. This process is illustrated by solid arrows.

[0039] Energy 13, which can be supplied to the wiper blade 10 in the form of electric current, can be supplied, for example, to a second supply element 18. The electric current can be supplied to a heating element arranged in the wiper blade, which, when the electric current is supplied, heats the wiper blade 10. The heating element can be arranged along the entire longitudinal direction 2 or only along a portion of the length of the wiper blade 10. The flow of energy 13 is indicated by dashed arrows.

[0040] The middle section 26 has no spoiler 23. The outer circular section 28 and the inner circular section 24 have spoilers 23. Accordingly, the base 19 and the lower part 30 have, on their sides facing the spoilers 23 of the sections 24, 28, connecting elements 25 which are connected to the spoilers 23 in a spoiler-like manner. This creates a soft and, in particular, kink-free or gap-free contour at the transition of the base 19 or the lower part 30 to the sections 24, 28.

[0041] exist Figure 4 , a bottom view of the holding element 15 is disclosed in FIG. The connecting element 36 is arranged in the U-shaped holding element 15 inside the scraper blade 14 and is accessible in the longitudinal direction 2. The tubular connections 35, 37 are oriented in the longitudinal direction 2 and can be joined to the supply elements 16, 18 according to the schematic arrows. The connecting element 36 can be formed as a one-piece plug.

[0042] The joining process of the wiper blade 10 to the wiper arm 14 is as follows: Figure 5a ) to d).

[0043] according to Figure 5a ), the holding means 15 is guided along the schematic arrow onto the upper part 32. The supply elements 16, 18 are covered by the upper part 32 and can only be accessed in the longitudinal direction 2 through the openings 27 in the upper part 32 for the connections 35, 37 of the connecting piece 36.

[0044] Figure 5b) shows a device 100, for which the wiper arm 14 is engaged in the end position on the upper part 32 of the wiper blade 10. In this case, the elastic securing device of the upper part 32 is locked on the upper side of the holding means 15.

[0045] exist Figure 5c ) the upper part 32 is not shown and the holding means 15 is shown transparently in a schematic manner. Figure 5a ) in which the wiper blade 10 and the wiper arm 14 are joined together in the direction of the arrow until the connecting piece 36 engages in the supply elements 16, 18 and reaches Figure 5b ) terminal position.

[0046] The end positions are schematically shown in Figure 5d ) is shown in which the connections 35 , 37 are hermetically sealed and simultaneously engage in the supply elements 16 , 18 .

[0047] Reference Signs List

[0048] 1. Directions for use

[0049] 2 Vertical direction

[0050] 10 Scrape Sheet

[0051] 12 Adapter

[0052] 13 Energy

[0053] 14 Scraping Arm

[0054] 15 Holding device

[0055] 16 First supply element

[0056] 17 Medium

[0057] 18 Second supply element

[0058] 19 base

[0059] 20 Scrape the slats

[0060] 21 Nozzle

[0061] 22 upper slats

[0062] 23 Spoiler

[0063] 24 inner circle segments

[0064] 25 connectors

[0065] 26 middle section

[0066] 27 Opening

[0067] 28 outer circle segment

[0068] 29 channels

[0069] 30 lower part

[0070] 32 Upper part

[0071] 33 sleeve

[0072] 34 interfaces

[0073] 35 First joint

[0074] 36 connectors

[0075] 37 Second connector

[0076] 100 devices.

Claims

1. A wiper blade (10) for cleaning vehicle windows, comprising an adapter (12) for fastening the wiper blade (10) to a wiper arm (14) of a wiper system, wherein a first supply element (16) is arranged on the wiper blade (10), via which a medium (17) and / or energy (13) can be supplied to the wiper blade (10), characterized in that: A second supply element (18) for a medium (17) and / or energy (13) is arranged on the scraper blade (10), which is spaced apart from the first supply element (16), and the scraper blade has an upper strip (22) which is positioned on the upper side of the scraper blade (10) with respect to the use direction (1) and is divided into a plurality of sections (24, 26, 28) along the longitudinal direction (2) of the scraper blade (10) so that a middle section (26) of the upper strip (22) is arranged between the first and second supply elements (16, 18).

2. The scraper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that A scraper strip (20), wherein the first and second feed elements (16, 18) are arranged above the scraper strip (20) with respect to the direction of use (1) of the scraper blade (10).

3. The scraper blade (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The upper strip is divided into three sections (24, 26, 28) along the longitudinal direction (2) of the scraper blade (10), so that a middle section (26) is arranged between the first and second supply elements (16, 18).

4. The scraper blade (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The adapter (12) comprises the first supply element (16).

5. The scraper blade (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first supply element (16) is formed on a lower part (30) of the adapter (12) which is rigidly connected to the wiper blade (10).

6. The scraper blade (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The supply element (16) is surrounded and covered by an upper part (32).

7. The scraper blade (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that A medium (17) flows from one supply element (16, 18) to the other supply element (18, 16).

8. The scraper blade (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The adapter (12) is equipped with the first supply element (16) and / or the base (19) of the second supply element (18) is equipped with a nozzle (21) for the liquid medium (17).

9. The scraper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that The medium (17) is a cleaning liquid, and the energy is an electric current.

10. A device (100) comprising a scraper blade (10) according to any one of the preceding claims and a scraper arm (14), wherein the scraper arm (14) is releasably connected to the adapter (12) via an interface (34), and a connecting piece (36) is connected to the first and second supply elements (16, 18) in the area of the interface (34), so that the lines for the medium (17) and the energy (13) in the scraper arm (14) are connected to the scraper blade (10).

11. The device (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that The connecting piece (36) is a one-piece structure, and the first and second supply elements (16, 18) can be connected simultaneously via the connecting piece (36).

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