Pneumatic windscreen wiper for a transparent element of a vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a pneumatic windscreen wiper (11) for a transparent element (6; 9; 10) of a vehicle (1). The pneumatic windscreen wiper (11) has: at least one nozzle (12) which is arranged at the edge of the transparent element (6; 9; 10), faces the transparent element (6; 9; 10), and is capable of emitting a jet of compressed air (13) which impinges on the transparent element (6; 9; 10) to flush the transparent element (6; 9; 10); a compressed air source (14); and a control valve (15) which is inserted between the nozzle (12) and the compressed air source (14) and is suitable for regulating the flow rate of the compressed air.

Description

[0001] Cross - reference to related applications

[0002] This patent application claims the priority of Italian Patent Application No. 102020000011689, filed on May 20, 2020, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical field

[0003] The present invention relates to a pneumatic windshield wiper for a transparent element of a vehicle.

[0004] The present invention finds advantageous application in a pneumatic windshield wiper for a transparent element of an automobile, to which express reference will be made in the following description without, however, losing generality thereby. Background art

[0005] A windshield wiper is a device for removing rain, snow, and dust from a windshield (or other transparent elements, such as the glass covering the headlights or the rear window).

[0006] Traditionally, a windshield wiper includes at least one elastic brush that is held pressed against the windshield by an arm equipped with a spring and is moved back and forth at an adjustable speed by an electric or pneumatic motor (vehicles equipped with a compressed - air brake sometimes use an air - operated windshield wiper by directing air from the braking system to a mechanism of a pneumatic motor located just below the windshield).

[0007] Modern windshield wipers have proven effective in properly keeping the windshield clean; however, their presence poses problems in terms of aerodynamic efficiency and aesthetics. In addition, modern windshield wipers require the brush to be replaced quite frequently to maintain their cleaning effect. Modern windshield wipers are relatively large in size (due to the size of the electric motor and the moving mechanism), and thus constitute a significant limitation to the design of the automobile. Finally, modern windshield wipers are relatively fragile and may be damaged, for example, when washing the car at an automatic car - wash station.

[0008] Documents US2014117701A1, JP2002087219A, KR20070097388A, WO2009060413A2, JPH0752755A, and WO2016177380A1 disclose a pneumatic windshield wiper for a transparent element of a vehicle, which includes a plurality of nozzles, each nozzle being arranged at the edge of the transparent element, facing the transparent element, and adapted to emit a jet of compressed air that impinges on the transparent element to wash the transparent element. Summary of the invention

[0009] The object of the present invention is to provide a pneumatic windscreen wiper for a transparent element of a vehicle, which is not affected by the above-mentioned drawbacks and can also be manufactured in a simple and low-cost manner.

[0010] According to the present invention, there is provided a pneumatic windscreen wiper for a transparent element of a vehicle; said pneumatic windscreen wiper comprising:

[0011] At least one nozzle arranged at the edge of the transparent element, facing the transparent element and capable of emitting a jet of compressed air which impinges on the transparent element to wash the transparent element;

[0012] A compressed air source comprising a compressed air tank and a compressor adapted to supply compressed air to the tank; and

[0013] A control valve inserted between the nozzle and the compressed air source and suitable for regulating the flow rate of the compressed air;

[0014] The pneumatic windscreen wiper is characterized in that the compressed air source comprises a heat exchanger inserted between the compressor and the compressed air tank and suitable for cooling the compressed air supplied by the compressor to the compressed air tank.

[0015] The appended claims describe the preferred embodiments of the present invention and form part of the description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show non-limiting embodiments of the present invention, in which:

[0017] · Figure 1 is a perspective view of a motor vehicle having three pneumatic windscreen wipers according to the present invention;

[0018] · Figure 2 is Figure 1 a top view of the motor vehicle;

[0019] · Figure 3 is Figure 1 a side view of a part of the motor vehicle;

[0020] · Figure 4 is an enlarged view of the nozzle of the pneumatic windscreen wiper; and

[0021] · Figure 5 is Figure 1 a schematic plan view of the motor vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] In Figure 1 FIG. 1, the reference numeral 1 generally denotes a motor vehicle with a rear (or central) engine, which motor vehicle comprises a chassis supporting a pair of front wheels 2 and a pair of rear wheels 3.

[0023] There is a cockpit 4 between the front wheels 2 and the rear wheels 3, and the cockpit 4 can be accessed through a pair of doors 5; at the front, the cockpit 5 is delimited by a windshield 6. There is a front compartment (for example but not exclusively for luggage) in front of the cockpit 4, and the front compartment is closed at the top by a hinged front hood 7. There are two headlights 8 on the sides of the front hood 7, and each headlight is closed by a transparent glass 9 in front. There is a rear engine compartment behind the cockpit 4, and the rear engine compartment is closed at the top by a hinged rear hood 10 (as Figure 2 shown), and the rear hood 10 is transparent, centered and generally arranged in a substantially horizontal position.

[0024] According to Figure 2 , the vehicle 1 includes four pneumatic wipers 11: the first pneumatic wiper 11 is coupled to the windshield 6 to clean the windshield 6, two second pneumatic wipers 11 are coupled to the transparent glasses 9 of the two headlights 8 to clean the transparent glasses 9, and the third pneumatic wiper 11 is coupled to the rear hood 10 to clean the rear hood 10.

[0025] Each pneumatic wiper 11 includes a plurality of nozzles 12, which are arranged side by side at a given distance from each other along the edge of the corresponding transparent element 6, 9 or 10; each nozzle 12 faces the corresponding transparent element 6, 9 or 10 and is designed to emit a jet of compressed air 13 ( Figure 3 schematically shown in), and the jet of compressed air 13 impinges on the corresponding transparent element 6, 9 or 10 to rinse the corresponding transparent element 6, 9 or 10. In particular, the jet of compressed air 13 emitted by each nozzle 12 is oriented parallel to the corresponding transparent element 6, 9 or 10. In the same wiper 11, the nozzles 12 can have a non-uniform spatial distribution (i.e., the distance from each other): for example, in the case of the windshield 6, the nozzles 12 can be closer to each other in the area of the windshield 6 in front of the driver, and farther from each other in the area of the windshield 6 in front of the passenger.

[0026] The jet of compressed air 13 emitted by each nozzle 12 is preferably a supersonic jet, that is, the moving speed of the compressed air flowing out of the nozzle 12 is greater than the speed of sound; in other words, each nozzle 12 is shaped to emit a jet of compressed air 13 at supersonic speed.

[0027] In each pneumatic wiper 11, the nozzles 12 are preferably arranged in the area of the front edge of the corresponding transparent element 6, 9 or 10 relative to the driving direction D of the vehicle 1; thus, the air flow generated by the movement of the vehicle 1 joins the jet of compressed air 13 emitted by the nozzles 12, thereby improving its effectiveness.

[0028] According to a feasible embodiment, at least some of the nozzles 12 have an elongated shape (as Figure 4As shown, the lateral dimension of the elongated shape perpendicular to the driving direction D of the vehicle 1 is greater than the longitudinal dimension parallel to the driving direction D of the vehicle 1; this embodiment allows a single nozzle 12 to impact a larger surface of the corresponding transparent element 6, 9, or 10 with its compressed air jet 13, and thus allows the nozzles 12 to be spaced further apart (obviously, this solution is mainly applicable when the corresponding transparent element 6, 9, or 10 is of large size, i.e., the case of the windshield 6).

[0029] According to Figure 5 , each pneumatic wiper 11 further includes a compressed air source 14 and (at least) a control valve 15, and the control valve 15 is inserted between the nozzle 12 and the compressed air source 14 and is designed to regulate the compressed air flow rate.

[0030] Generally speaking, each pneumatic wiper 11 includes a single control valve 15 that opens or closes the supply of compressed air to all the nozzles 12. However, alternatively, for the same pneumatic wiper 11, there can be multiple valves 15, so as to divide the nozzles 12 into different regions that are independently controlled from each other (obviously, this solution is mainly applicable when the corresponding transparent element 6, 9, or 10 is of large size, i.e., the case of the windshield 6); for example, in the case of the windshield 6, when the passenger seat is empty (since the presence / absence of the passenger is a known information item due to the sensor for the unfastened seat belt for warning settings), only the area of the windshield 6 in front of the driver can be kept clean (by not supplying compressed air to the nozzles 12 arranged in front of the passenger).

[0031] Generally speaking, each control valve 15 is an on / off valve and is only adapted to adopt an open position or a closed position; this solution is preferred because it is simpler, more economical, and more energy-efficient, and it always allows the operation of the pneumatic wiper 11 to be divided into multiple parts, adjusting the duration and / or frequency of the individual opening of the control valve 15.

[0032] According to Figure 5 In the preferred embodiment shown, the compressed air source 14 is shared by all the pneumatic wipers 11, that is, the pneumatic wipers 11 share the same compressed air source 14, and there is only one compressed air source 14.

[0033] (A single) common compressed air source 14 includes a compressed air tank 16 connected to the control valve 15 and a compressor 17 that supplies the compressed air tank 16.

[0034] A heat exchanger 18 is provided, which is inserted between the compressor 17 and the compressed air tank 16 and is adapted to cool the compressed air supplied by the compressor 17 to the compressed air tank 16, thereby reducing the volume occupied by the compressed air in the compressed air tank 16; due to the cooling of the compressed air supplied by the compressor 17 to the compressed air tank 16, when the pressures are equal, a larger amount (mass) of compressed air can be stored in the compressed air tank 16.

[0035] According to a preferred embodiment, the compressor 17 directly receives motion from the internal combustion engine of the vehicle 1. Alternatively, the compressor 17 receives motion from the front axle (i.e., from the two front wheels 2) or from the rear axle (i.e., from the two rear wheels 3); in other words, the rotor of the compressor 17 can be connected to the front axle (i.e., the two front wheels 2) or to the rear axle (i.e., the two rear wheels 3) so as to be operated by the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 3 (therefore, using the motion of the front wheels 2 or the rear wheels 3).

[0036] According to a preferred embodiment, the control unit 19 uses the motion received from the wheels 2 or 3 or from the internal combustion engine 4 to start the compressor 17 especially during the braking phase, so as to use the kinetic energy possessed by the vehicle 1, which would otherwise be dissipated as heat by the braking system.

[0037] According to other embodiments not shown in the text, the pneumatic wiper 11 is used to clean the transparent element covering the optical sensor (e.g., camera) of the vehicle 1 for the autonomous driving mode, or to protect the transparent elements of the turn signal lights or the tail lights.

[0038] In the embodiment shown in the drawings, the pneumatic wiper 11 is mounted on the vehicle 1; according to other embodiments not shown herein, the pneumatic wiper 11 is mounted on different types of road vehicles (e.g., vans, trucks or buses), or also on non-road vehicles (e.g., trams, locomotives, airplanes, ships).

[0039] The embodiments described herein can be combined with each other without thereby exceeding the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] The above-mentioned pneumatic wiper 11 has many advantages.

[0041] First of all, the above-mentioned pneumatic wiper 11 is completely "invisible" (i.e., hidden) both from an aerodynamic perspective (i.e., it does not reduce the aerodynamic efficiency) and from an aesthetic perspective.

[0042] In addition, the above-mentioned pneumatic wiper 11 does not require any type of regular maintenance and is basically "self-cleaning" (i.e., it is capable of removing possible deposits or dirt on it when the vehicle is parked outdoors for a long time).

[0043] The above-mentioned pneumatic wiper 11 has a very small size in the vicinity of the transparent elements 6, 9 or 10 (the compressed air source 14 and the control valve 15 can be placed away from the nozzle 12), so it does not pose any significant limitation to the definition of the vehicle structure.

[0044] The above-mentioned pneumatic wiper 11 is completely within the body dimensions, so it is not at risk of accidental damage, for example when washing the vehicle at an automatic car wash station.

[0045] Finally, since the above-mentioned pneumatic wiper 11 can share a single compressed air source 12 with all other pneumatic wipers 11 installed in the same vehicle 1, the above-mentioned pneumatic wiper 11 allows all the transparent elements of the vehicle 1 to be cleaned at a moderate cost.

[0046] List of reference numerals

[0047] 1 Vehicle

[0048] 2 Front wheels

[0049] 3 Rear wheels

[0050] 4 Cockpit

[0051] 5 Doors

[0052] 6 Windshield

[0053] 7 Front hood

[0054] 8 Headlights

[0055] 9 Transparent glass

[0056] 10 Rear hood

[0057] 11 Pneumatic wiper

[0058] 12 Nozzle

[0059] 13 Compressed air jet

[0060] 14 Compressed air source

[0061] 15 Control valve

[0062] 16 Tank

[0063] 17 Compressor

[0064] 18 Heat exchanger

[0065] 19 Control unit

[0066] D Direction of travel

Claims

1. A pneumatic windscreen wiper (11) for a transparent element (6; 9; 10) of a vehicle (1); the pneumatic windscreen wiper (11) comprising: at least one nozzle (12) arranged at an edge of the transparent element (6; 9; 10), facing the transparent element (6; 9; 10), and capable of emitting a jet of compressed air (13), the jet of compressed air impinging on the transparent element (6; 9; 10) to flush the transparent element (6; 9; 10); a compressed air source (14) comprising a compressed air tank (16) and a compressor (17) adapted to supply compressed air into the tank (16); and a control valve (15) inserted between the nozzle (12) and the compressed air source (14), suitable for regulating the flow rate of compressed air; the pneumatic windscreen wiper (11) is characterized in that the compressed air source (14) comprises a heat exchanger (18) inserted between the compressor (17) and the compressed air tank (16), suitable for cooling the compressed air supplied by the compressor (17) to the compressed air tank (16), the nozzle (12) is shaped to emit the jet of compressed air (13) at supersonic speed, the nozzle (12) has an elongated shape, the transverse dimension of the elongated shape perpendicular to the travel direction (D) of the vehicle (1) being greater than the longitudinal dimension parallel to the travel direction of the vehicle (1).

2. The pneumatic windshield wiper (11) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The jet of compressed air (13) emitted by the nozzle (12) is directed parallel to the transparent element (6; 9; 10).

3. The pneumatic windshield wiper (11) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The nozzle (12) is arranged at the front edge of the transparent element (6; 9; 10) relative to the travel direction (D) of the vehicle (1).

4. The pneumatic windscreen wiper (11) according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of nozzles (12) arranged side by side at a distance from each other along the edge of the transparent element (6; 9; 10).

5. The pneumatic windscreen wiper (11) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control valve (15) is of the on / off type and can only adopt an open position and a closed position.

6. A vehicle (1) comprising: a transparent element (6; 9; 10)； and the pneumatic windscreen wiper (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The vehicle (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The compressor (17) receives motion directly from the internal combustion engine of the vehicle (1).

8. The vehicle (1) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The compressor (17) receives motion from the front axle or the rear axle of the vehicle (1).

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