Motor vehicle with a windscreen wiper that can be hidden under the hood

Abstract

A motor vehicle comprises a longitudinal axis, a window, and a hood extending according to a first configuration substantially as a longitudinal extension of an upper portion of the window, wherein the hood and the upper portion successively extend along the longitudinal axis and are flush with each other according to a profile that is continuous between at least one domain of the longitudinal axis between a first median point of the hood and a second median point of the upper portion; wherein the hood comprises a hatch movable with respect to the rest of the hood to define a second configuration of the hood in which the hatch opens a cabin at least partially delimited along the longitudinal axis by a lower portion of the window extending below the hatch in the first configuration of the hood; the motor vehicle further comprises at least one windscreen wiper having a wiper blade movable in sliding manner on the window between a first position inside the cabin and a second position outside the cabin, respectively.

Description

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This patent application claims priority to Italian Patent Application No. 102024000027903, filed on December 9, 2024, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a motor vehicle, and more particularly, to a motor vehicle having a window and a hood, the shape of which is designed to define the natural longitudinal extension of the window, i.e., the window and the hood having their respective longitudinally adjacent portions having substantially equal curvature and being arranged flush with each other. Background Technology

[0004] As is known, some motor vehicles have a hood that is flush with the windshield, and the curvature of the rear edge of the hood is approximately equal to or in any case similar to the curvature of the longitudinally adjacent portion of the windshield.

[0005] In this way, even considering the possible gaps or dividing areas between the windshield and the hood, they still extend along a single continuous surface, so that the front aerodynamic flow impacting the hood during use does not deflect sharply from the front of the windshield adjacent to the hood, but flows continuously longitudinally along the windshield surface in a laminar manner.

[0006] The first drawback of this configuration of the hood and windshield is that it requires the windshield wipers to be particularly exposed, which deteriorates the aerodynamic performance of the vehicle.

[0007] In addition, the second drawback is that the exposure of the windshield wipers seriously damages the overall aesthetics of the front of the vehicle.

[0008] Therefore, it is necessary to address or eliminate at least one of the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0009] One object of the present invention is to satisfy the above-mentioned requirements, preferably in a simple and repeatable manner. Summary of the Invention

[0010] The above objective is achieved by a motor vehicle, which includes

[0011] - Longitudinal axis,

[0012] - The windows, which are arranged laterally relative to the longitudinal axis, and

[0013] - A hood that extends longitudinally as the upper part of the window according to a first configuration, wherein the hood and the upper part extend longitudinally in sequence and are flush with each other in accordance with a continuous profile within at least one defined domain of the longitudinal axis between a first midpoint of the hood and a second midpoint of the upper part.

[0014] The hood includes a hatch movable relative to the rest of the hood to define a second configuration of the hood in which the hatch opens a compartment defined at least partially along the longitudinal axis by the lower portion of the window, which extends below the hatch in a first configuration of the hood.

[0015] The motor vehicle also includes at least one windshield wiper having a wiper blade that is slidably movable on the window between a first position inside the cabin and a second position outside the cabin; the cabin is opened by the hatch in a second configuration of the hood to allow the wiper blade to move from the first position to the second position, or vice versa.

[0016] In one embodiment, the windshield wiper includes an arm that pivots about a pivot axis between a first angular position and a second angular position corresponding to a first position and a second position of the wiper blade, respectively, the wiper blade being coupled to the arm.

[0017] In one embodiment, the arm pivots at the compartment.

[0018] In some embodiments, the lower portion extends longitudinally from the upper portion in a continuous manner, and its curvature increases relative to the upper portion, so that the window has an ideal boundary line between the upper and lower portions.

[0019] In one embodiment, the motor vehicle further includes:

[0020] - A mechanism that is controllable to move the hatch between an open position corresponding to a second configuration of the hood and a closed position corresponding to a first configuration of the hood, and

[0021] - A control unit configured to control the movement by driving the wiper blade past a third position at the boundary line, and to control the mechanism such that during the movement, when the wiper blade is driven past the third position, the door is in an open position.

[0022] In one embodiment, the movement includes a first portion between the first position and the third position, and a second portion between the third position and the second position, wherein the control unit is configured to control the first portion with a greater force and a smaller speed of the wiper blade on the windshield than in the second portion.

[0023] In some embodiments, in a first configuration of the hood, the hatch closes the compartment, and the wiper blades are located in the first position inside the compartment.

[0024] In some embodiments, the profile is differentiable or at least Lipschitz continuous in the domain.

[0025] In some embodiments, the contour has a constant slope or curvature in the defined domain.

[0026] In some embodiments, the contour is either entirely convex or concave within the defined domain, or has no inflection points.

[0027] In some embodiments, the hatch extends along a longitudinal axis, particularly in front of the window, between a first edge, such as the front edge, and a second edge, such as the rear edge, which is raised relative to the first edge and relative to the first configuration of the hood in a second configuration of the hood.

[0028] In one embodiment, the second edge of the hatch is part of the edge of the hood, particularly part of the rear edge.

[0029] In some embodiments, the hatch is hinged to the structure of the hood at the front edge about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis.

[0030] In some embodiments, in a second configuration of the hood, the hatch forms an obtuse angle with the longitudinally adjacent outer surface of the hood toward the outside of the motor vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of non-limiting examples and with reference to the accompanying drawings to provide a better understanding of the invention, wherein:

[0032] - Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a motor vehicle according to the present invention.

[0033] - Figure 2-4 It is a top view of a motor vehicle, depicting the various operating configurations of its windshield wipers, and

[0034] - Figure 5 , Figure 6 These are the front of the motor vehicle Figure 2 , Figure 3 The corresponding cross-sectional view along the vertical section and including the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle under the operating configuration shown. Detailed Implementation

[0035] exist Figure 1 In the attached figure, reference numeral 1 generally represents a motor vehicle.

[0036] The motor vehicle 1 has a longitudinal axis X, which coincides in particular with the roll axis of the motor vehicle 1. The longitudinal axis X belongs to a longitudinal plane that is orthogonal to axis Y; axis Y, in turn, coincides in particular with the pitch axis of the motor vehicle 1; axis Y is horizontal and orthogonal to axis X.

[0037] Therefore, the longitudinal plane is vertical and preferably defines the middle plane of the motor vehicle 1.

[0038] The motor vehicle 1 includes a hood 2 and a window arranged laterally relative to the axis X, or more specifically, a windshield 3, both of which form part of the front of the motor vehicle 1. The windshield 3 represents one example of a window, and throughout this specification, it may be replaced with a rear window or another window, taking into account necessary adaptive adjustments (if required). Therefore, the term "windshield 3" in the following text can always be replaced with the more general terms "window 3" or "rear window".

[0039] Similarly, although hood 2 is specifically the front hood, it could also be the rear hood or the rear door.

[0040] Furthermore, for clarity, from this moment on, expressions such as "front," "rear," "in front," and "in rear" will refer to axis X, or more specifically, to the normal driving direction of motor vehicle 1.

[0041] The orientation of the longitudinal axis X can be consistent with the normal driving direction, that is, it extends from the rear of the motor vehicle 1 to the front of the motor vehicle 1.

[0042] The hood 2 is positioned in front of the windshield 3; more specifically, according to axis X, the hood 2 follows the windshield 3 longitudinally. Clearly, if the windshield 3 were replaced by a rear window, the hood would be positioned behind the rear window.

[0043] Specifically, the hood 2 and the windshield 3 are separated from each other along the axis X by a gap, slot, or dividing line 4. In other words, the gap 4 extends or is arranged longitudinally between the hood 2 and the windshield 3.

[0044] The engine hood 2 can be arranged to cover a lower compartment (not shown), which can be, for example, a compartment for housing the engine or a cargo compartment.

[0045] The hood 2, or more generally, the motor vehicle 1, has at least a first configuration in which it is arranged to extend longitudinally (specifically forward) over the upper portion 3b of the windshield 3.

[0046] In this article, the term “basically” specifically refers to the gap 4 between the hood 2 and the upper part 3b along the axis X; the size of this gap 4 along the axis X is approximately on the order of millimeters, and in any case its measured value does not exceed 99 millimeters, and is therefore negligible relative to the size of the hood 2 and the windshield 3.

[0047] Along axis X, or more precisely, in the longitudinal plane ( Figure 3 In the first configuration of the hood 2, the hood 2 and the upper part 3b are arranged flush with each other. In other words, the hood 2 and the upper part 3b are aligned with each other at the gap 4; specifically, the alignment occurs based on a plane inclined relative to the axis X.

[0048] Furthermore, in the first configuration of Hood 2 ( Figure 3 The hood 2 and the upper part 3b extend longitudinally sequentially according to a profile 5, i.e., they are connected front to back, and the profile 5 is located in the longitudinal plane. In the longitudinal plane, the profile 5 can be treated as a function of a variable associated with the axis X, possibly according to either of two possible opposite directions of the axis X (from the front to the rear of the motor vehicle 1, or vice versa).

[0049] Outline 5 extends along the outer surfaces 18 and 19 of the hood 2 and upper part 3b (although in Figure 3 For ease of display, and to avoid confusion with the outlines of the hood 2 and windshield 3, these outlines are represented by dashed lines that are raised relative to the outer surfaces 18 and 19.

[0050] Surfaces 18 and 19 form an approximately flat angle, about 180°, especially between 170° and 190°.

[0051] More specifically, the upper part 3b, the gap 4, and the hood 2 are connected in this order along the contour 5, especially since there are no other elements or gaps between them, that is, they are tightly connected.

[0052] In addition to the upper part 3b, the windshield 3 also includes a lower part 3c, which defines the lower end of the windshield 3.

[0053] In the first configuration of the hood 2, the lower part 3c extends at least partially or almost completely under the hood 2, i.e., is covered by the hood 2.

[0054] The lower part 3c extends longitudinally from the upper part 3b in a continuous manner (especially integrally formed to form a single piece), i.e., along the axis X, and at the ideal (i.e. virtual) boundary or boundary line 3a between the upper part 3b and the lower part 3c, its curvature increases or jumps relative to the upper part 3b (especially a sudden increase or jump).

[0055] In fact, when viewed along the longitudinal axis X and contour 5, the ideal boundary line 3a is the last line that aligns with and is flush with the hood 2 according to contour 5. More specifically, after boundary line 3a, the starting portion of the windshield 3 or lower part 3c becomes misaligned (or deviates) from or deviates from contour 5 by extending downward relative to contour 5 below the hood 2 and below contour 5 itself.

[0056] Specifically, the curvature of the upper part 3b at or near the ideal boundary line 3a is essentially zero (the radius of curvature is essentially infinite), while the lower part 3c at or near the ideal boundary line 3a is concave (the radius of curvature is finite or limited), specifically towards the interior of the motor vehicle 1 or downwards.

[0057] exist Figure 5 and Figure 6 In this context, the ideal boundary line 3a is represented as a point.

[0058] The outline 5 is continuous within at least one domain, interval, or segment of the axis X between a midpoint of the hood 2 and a midpoint of the upper part 3b.

[0059] More precisely, the midpoint refers to a point that is neither on the edge of the hood 2 nor on the ideal boundary line 3a. Therefore, according to the axis X (especially in the longitudinal plane), the midpoint is spaced apart from the edge 6 (especially the rear edge) of the hood 2 or from the ideal boundary line 3a, towards the inside of the opposite component. Typically, edge 6 is the edge that is closest to the ideal boundary line 3a along the X-axis.

[0060] However, contour 5 clearly crosses edge 6, ideal boundary line 3a, and gap 4.

[0061] The windshield 3 extends longitudinally between edge 7 (particularly the front edge) and opposite edge 8 (particularly the rear edge) along axis X, and extends laterally between side edges 9.

[0062] The hood 2 extends longitudinally between the rear edge 6 and the opposite edge 9a (particularly the front edge) along the axis X, and extends laterally between the side edges 9b.

[0063] The gap 4 is defined in the longitudinal direction between the edge 6 and the ideal boundary line 3a.

[0064] Furthermore, contour 5 is preferably globally continuous along the entire axis X.

[0065] Specifically, profile 5 has a constant slope or curvature, at least within the aforementioned domain or globally along axis X. Alternatively, the difference between the curvature of profile 5 at edge 6 and at the ideal boundary line 3a or around them on axis X is limited by a threshold, specifically such that during use of the motor vehicle 1, the front airflow A flows along profile 5 in a basically laminar state, or no significant turbulence is generated at gap 4.

[0066] In fact, contour 5 is not raised at the ideal boundary line 3a of the windshield 3.

[0067] In other words, from a mathematical point of view, contour 5 is differentiable in the domain or globally along the entire axis X, or at least Lipshitz continuous (e.g., because it has a limited derivative with respect to the axis X).

[0068] Alternatively or additionally, profile 5 may maintain its concavity or convexity (i.e., always concave or always convex) within the defined domain or globally along the entire axis X. In other words, profile 5 may have no inflection points, at least not within the defined domain or along the entire axis X.

[0069] In the embodiments shown herein, contour 5 is straight within the defined domain, and more specifically, it is straight globally, although this is not required.

[0070] Specifically, outline 5 extends upwards, meaning it extends between the front end and the rear end, which is taller than the front end. If the windshield 3 were replaced by the rear window, outline 5 would obviously extend in the opposite direction, i.e., downwards.

[0071] From front to back, along axis X, profile 5 is increasing (more specifically, strictly increasing) within its defined domain, or more specifically, globally increasing along the entire axis X. If the windshield 3 were replaced by the rear window, profile 5 would obviously decrease in the opposite direction.

[0072] The hood 2 includes a hatch 10 that is movable relative to the rest of the hood 2. In other words, the hood 2 includes a portion or structure 11 to which the hatch 10 is movably connected.

[0073] For example, in addition to structure 11, hood 2 also includes an outer skin 12 that covers structure 11, defines the outer surface 18 of hood 2, and the outer skin 12 contains hatch 10. In particular, structure 11 defines or includes the skeleton of hood 2.

[0074] In addition to the hatch 10, the outer skin 12 also includes at least one panel or plate 13, more specifically, the panel or plate is longitudinally adjacent to the hatch 10.

[0075] The hatch 10 is movable between a closed position corresponding to a first configuration of the hood 2 and an open position, which will be described below.

[0076] In the first configuration ( Figure 5 More specifically, the arrangement of panel 13 and hatch 10 relative to each other is substantially similar to the aforementioned relative arrangement between the entire hood 2 and windshield 3. In other words, panel 13 and hatch 10 are longitudinally separated by a gap 14, the dimensional characteristics of which along axis X are similar to those of the aforementioned gap 4. Alternatively or further, panel 13 and hatch 10 are arranged flush with each other. Alternatively or further, panel 13 is longitudinally connected to hatch 10 according to profile 5. In other words, panel 13 and hatch 10 extend longitudinally sequentially according to profile 5.

[0077] In more detail, the upper part 3b, the gap 4, the hatch 10, the gap 14 and the panel 13 are connected in this order along the contour 5, especially since there are no other elements or gaps between them, that is, they are closely connected to each other.

[0078] Therefore, the aforementioned domain can be extended from a point on panel 13 (including edge 15 of panel 13, especially the rear edge) to a midpoint on the upper part 3b.

[0079] In the open position, hatch 10 defines the second configuration of hood 2 ( Figure 6 In this configuration, the hatch 10 opens a compartment 23, which is at least partially defined along the X-axis by a lower portion 3c, which extends below the hatch 10 in the first configuration of the hood 2.

[0080] On the other hand, in the closed position, that is, in the first configuration of the hood 2, the compartment 23 is closed by the hatch 10.

[0081] The compartment 23 is preferably formed on the structure 11 such that the walls 23a and 23b of the structure 11 define the compartment 23 below the side opposite to the lower part 3c and longitudinally along the axis X on the side opposite to the lower part 3c.

[0082] Independently, in the first configuration of the hood 2 (with the hatch 10 in the closed position), the compartment 23 is closed and defined above by the hatch 10; while in the second configuration of the hood 2 (with the hatch 10 in the open position), the compartment 23 opens upward through an opening 23c defined transversely to the axis X between the hatch 10 and the lower part 3c.

[0083] The hatch 10 extends between a first edge 16 (more specifically, the front edge) and a second edge 17 (more specifically, the rear edge), particularly in the longitudinal direction (i.e., along axis X).

[0084] Specifically, but not necessarily, the second edge 17 overlaps with or is part of the edge 6 of the hood 2.

[0085] If the hood 2 is a rear hood, then the first edge 16 and the second edge 17 will be interchanged, that is, the first edge 16 will become the rear edge, and the second edge 17 will become the front edge.

[0086] In the second configuration of Hood 2 ( Figure 6 The second edge 17 of the hatch 10 is raised relative to the first configuration and relative to the first edge 16 in the second configuration (preferably also relative to the first edge 16 in the first configuration).

[0087] In other words, when the hood 2 is switched from the first configuration to the second configuration, or when the hatch 10 is changed from the closed position to the open position, the (vertical) height of the second edge 17 (especially in the longitudinal plane) increases, and the (vertical) height relative to the first edge 16 also increases, especially relative to the first configuration.

[0088] Preferably, when the hood 2 is switched from the first configuration to the second configuration, or when the hatch 10 is changed from the stationary position to the open position, the hood 2 remains fixed or does not move relative to the rest of the hatch 10—or more precisely, the panel 13 and / or structure 11.

[0089] In other words, in the open position, the hatch 10 is tilted upward more than in the first configuration (according to axis X, specifically from the front edge 16 toward the rear of the vehicle 1).

[0090] In this way, in the specific embodiment shown herein, and in the second configuration (i.e., open position) of the hood 2, the hatch 10 forms an aerodynamic ramp to deflect the forward aerodynamic flow A (during use of the motor vehicle 1) across the boundary line 3a.

[0091] Preferably, the hatch 10 is hinged at a first edge 16 about an axis H relative to the rest of the hood 2 (or more precisely, relative to structure 11), the axis H being transverse to (or more specifically, orthogonal to) axis X or the longitudinal plane, and more precisely, the axis H being horizontal or parallel to axis Y.

[0092] By changing from a stationary position to an open position, the hatch 10 more generally rotates about its leading edge 16, thereby sweeping upwards and towards the rear of the vehicle 1 at an angle 20; preferably, this angle 20 is an acute angle. Angle 20 defines the opening 23c.

[0093] In the open position, the hatch 10 and the outer surface 18 of the panel 13 form an obtuse angle 21 toward the outside of the vehicle 1 or toward the front of the vehicle 1.

[0094] Specifically, in the open position (i.e., the second configuration of the hood 2), the hatch 10 separates angle 20 from angle 21; Figure 4 In the illustrated embodiment, angles 20 and 21 are specifically complementary angles.

[0095] Preferably, the motor vehicle 1 or the hood 2 includes a mechanism 22 that is controllable to move the hatch 10 between a closed position and an open position.

[0096] Mechanism 22 may be motorized and controlled by the control unit ECU of the motor vehicle 1. For example, the control itself may be independent of the instructions of the driver or user of the motor vehicle 1 (especially those that can be issued by appropriate control devices of the motor vehicle 1, such as buttons, controls on the screen, joysticks, knobs, etc.).

[0097] According to one example, the motor vehicle 1 includes a rain detector (of a known type, not shown herein) configured to detect water falling on the windshield 3. Hereinafter, the control unit ECU is configured to control the mechanism 22 such that when (or in response to) the rain detector (which is coupled to the control unit ECU) detects water falling on the windshield 3, the mechanism 22 moves the hatch 10 to an open position.

[0098] The motor vehicle 1 also includes at least one windshield wiper 25 (particularly two windshield wipers 25) comprising wiper blades 26 that are movable in a sliding manner on the windshield 3. Without loss of generality, according to embodiments not shown herein, the wiper blades 26 may also be movable in a sliding manner on the hood 2, particularly in these embodiments where the second edge 17 of the hatch 10 does not coincide with or is not part of the edge 6 of the hood 2.

[0099] For the purposes of this invention, windshield wiper 25 may be generally known, and therefore specific embodiments of windshield wiper 25 will be briefly described.

[0100] Specifically, the windshield wiper 25 includes an arm 27 that pivots about a pivot axis R, which in particular has at least one vertical component.

[0101] Therefore, arm 27 can rotate at least between a first angular position and a second angular position, which are defined by corresponding values ​​of the rotation angle of arm 27 about the pivot axis R. In particular, the first angular position and the second angular position of arm 27 define the corresponding endpoints or limit stops of the entire angular swing of arm 27.

[0102] Wiper blade 26 is coupled to arm 27, particularly at the end of arm 27 opposite to the end that pivots about the pivot axis R of arm 27. Specifically, wiper blade 26 is secured to arm 27 in a known manner, for example, particularly by snap-fit ​​coupling.

[0103] The wiper blade 26 is driven by the arm 27 to form (sliding) contact with the windshield 3. In other words, the arm 27 is configured to push the wiper blade 26 against the windshield 3, thereby keeping the wiper blade 26 in (sliding) contact with the windshield 3.

[0104] The wiper blade 26 can slide on the windshield 3 in a first position. Figure 2 and Figure 5 ) and the second position ( Figure 4 The wiper blade 26 moves between the first and second positions, respectively, and in particular, these two positions correspond to the first and second corner positions mentioned above. Specifically, the wiper blade 26 remains in contact with the windshield 3 between the first and second positions by means of a thrust applied to the wiper blade 26 by the arm 27 toward the windshield 3.

[0105] Therefore, the wiper blade 26 has a travel distance defined between a first position and a second position, which correspond to the endpoints of the travel distance.

[0106] The windshield wiper 25, more specifically, the arm 27, is generally elastic and preloaded to push or hold the wiper blade 26 in contact with the windshield 3. The elasticity of the windshield wiper 25 also makes it flexible to accommodate possible variable curvatures of the windshield 3 at all points along the stroke of the wiper blade 26, while maintaining contact between the wiper blade 26 and the windshield 3.

[0107] For example, arm 27 includes a rigid or less flexible portion 28 (which actually pivots about axis R) and a more flexible portion 29 (relative to portion 28) which is hinged to portion 28 about axis W, which is transverse to the longitudinal extension direction of portion 29.

[0108] Wiper blade 26 is fixed to the end of part 29 opposite to the end that is hinged to part 28.

[0109] The preload of arm 27 can be determined by one or more torsion springs (not shown) applied between parts 28 and 29 and configured to generate a resilient torque about axis W to resist lifting of part 29 (or more precisely, to resist rotational lifting of part 29 about axis W).

[0110] Without loss of generality, the hinge effect between parts 28 and 29 around axis W can be achieved either by a physical hinge (as shown in the figure) or by virtually achieving flexibility in part 29 at axis W.

[0111] The windshield wiper 25 also includes a motor (not shown) that can be controlled to drive the arm 27 to rotate about axis R, particularly by setting a rotation angle between a first angular position and a second angular position. Therefore, by controlling the motor of the windshield wiper 25, the wiper blade 26 can be driven to move or move along its travel, particularly by sliding on the windshield 3 between a first position and a second position (corresponding to the first angular position and the second angular position, respectively).

[0112] The control unit (ECU) is configured to control the windshield wiper 25, or more precisely, its motor, to drive the wiper blades along their travel and / or between a first position and a second position.

[0113] For example, the control unit ECU can control the windshield wipers 25 based on an activation command from the driver or user of the motor vehicle 1, which can be issued, in particular, by appropriate control devices of the motor vehicle 1 (such as buttons, on-screen controls, joysticks, knobs, etc.).

[0114] Arm 27 is preferably pivotally connected to structure 11 of hood 2, or more generally, pivotally connected to the frame of motor vehicle 1. The frame may also include structure 11 of hood 2 without loss of generality.

[0115] Conveniently, arm 27 pivots at or inside compartment 23. In particular, portion 28 is located inside compartment 23, and more particularly, this is true for arm 27 at any angular position between the first and second angular positions.

[0116] The wiper blade 26 in the first position is located inside the cabin 23; the wiper blade 26 in the second position is located outside the cabin 23.

[0117] In other words, the travel of the wiper blade 26 begins and ends inside and outside the compartment 23, respectively, or its two ends are located inside and outside the compartment 23, respectively.

[0118] More precisely, when the wiper blade 26 is in the first and second positions, the windshield wiper 25 (in particular, the entire wiper) is located inside and outside the compartment 23, respectively.

[0119] In the second configuration of the hood 2, the compartment 23 is opened by the hatch 10 to allow the wiper blades 26 to move from the first position to the second position or vice versa, particularly along the travel of the wiper blades 26.

[0120] In other words, the size of the opening 23c is sufficient to allow the wiper blade 26, or more precisely the entire windshield wiper 25, to leave or enter the compartment 23, and in particular to allow the wiper blade 26 to move along its travel.

[0121] Preferably, the control unit ECU is configured to control the movement of the wiper blade 26, particularly the movement from a first position to a second position, for example by controlling the windshield wiper 25 or its motor (particularly based on a user's start command) to pass through a third position at boundary line 3a. Figure 3 and Figure 6 ).

[0122] In the third position, specifically, the wiper blade 26 ideally intersects with the boundary line 3a.

[0123] In addition, the control unit ECU is configured to control mechanism 22 such that the door 10 is in the open position when the wiper blade 26 passes through the third position during its movement from the first position to the second position, or optionally in general (i.e., always, whenever the wiper blade 26 passes through the third position).

[0124] In other words, the control unit ECU controls the mechanism 22 to move the door 10 to the open position before the wiper blade 26 moves from the first position to the third position, or at the moment the wiper blade 26 reaches the third position.

[0125] Control of mechanism 22 can be open-loop control, i.e., based on prior knowledge of the movement of wiper blade 26 relative to windshield 3, or it can be achieved by determining the moment when wiper blade 26 reaches the third position, for example based on measurements (especially the rotation angle of arm 27 about axis R).

[0126] Preferably, the movement from the first position to the second position includes a first portion between the first position and the third position, and a second portion between the third position and the second position, wherein the control unit ECU is configured to control the first portion on the windshield 3 with a greater force (i.e., a greater torque, particularly the torque of the motor about the axis R) and a lower wiper blade speed than in the second portion (still by controlling the windshield wiper 25 or more precisely its motor).

[0127] Once the wiper blade 26 reaches the second position, the control unit ECU can continue to control the windshield wiper 25 to move the wiper blade 26 along a reduced travel distance between the second position and an intermediate position between the first and second positions (or more preferably, between the third and second positions) in a cyclical manner (i.e., continuously alternating between a return motion from the second position to the intermediate position and a forward motion from the intermediate position to the second position), particularly until the control unit ECU receives a shut-off command (e.g., from a user) (e.g., the command can be issued by a suitable control device of the motor vehicle 1, preferably the same control device that issued the start command).

[0128] In this article, in response to receiving a shutdown command, the control unit ECU controls the windshield wiper 25 to move the wiper blade 26 to a first position.

[0129] Before receiving a closing command, or more precisely, during the movement of the wiper blades 26 along a reduced stroke, the control unit ECU can control the mechanism 22 to keep the hatch 10 in the open position.

[0130] Conveniently, the control unit ECU can control the wiper blade 26 to move along a reduced stroke in a manner similar to the second part of the aforementioned movement, i.e., using a smaller force (or torque about axis R) and a higher speed of the wiper blade 26 on the windshield than the first part of the movement.

[0131] Preferably, the control unit ECU is configured as a control mechanism 22 such that when the wiper blade 26 reaches or is in the first position, or after the wiper blade 26 or the windshield wiper 25 has fully entered the compartment 23, the door 10 is moved to the closed position.

[0132] When the hatch 10 is in the closed position, i.e. in the first configuration of the hood 2, the hatch 10 closes the compartment 23 and the wiper blade 26 is in the first position inside it (i.e. the wiper blade 26 or more precisely the windshield wiper 25 is inside the compartment 23).

[0133] All of the above can of course be applied to all windshield wipers 25 of motor vehicle 1.

[0134] Based on the above, the advantages of the motor vehicle 1 according to the present invention are obvious.

[0135] When the windshield wiper 25 is closed (i.e., in the first position), it can be conveniently stored in the compartment 23, so that it can be covered by the door 10, and is therefore not visible from an aesthetic point of view, and has no impact from an aerodynamic point of view.

[0136] However, the windshield wiper 25 extends from the compartment 23 only when in actual use (and conveniently only when in actual use), i.e. when the wiper blade 26 moves cyclically between the second and intermediate positions along its reduced stroke, thus maintaining its function of wiping the windshield 3 (e.g., when it is raining).

[0137] Furthermore, it is advantageous that the hatch 10 in the open position can deflect the aerodynamic flow, so that even if it rains during the use of the motor vehicle 1, the aerodynamic flow will not draw water down to the lower part 3c.

[0138] Finally, the motor vehicle 1 according to the present invention can be modified and varied, but such modifications and variations do not exceed the scope of protection set forth in the appended claims.

[0139] In particular, the number and shape of each component described and shown in this article may differ, especially the shape of outline 5.

[0140] The door 10 may also not be directly adjacent to the windshield 3 along axis X; for example, a panel fixed to structure 11 may be longitudinally located between the door 10 and the windshield 3.

[0141] Finally, the various embodiments disclosed herein can be combined with each other without any limitation, and in particular, reference can be made to the various features described individually in different paragraphs of the specification. Each of these features can be independently applied to each of the disclosed embodiments.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle (1), comprising: - Longitudinal axis (X). - The window (3), which is arranged laterally relative to the longitudinal axis, and - A hood (2) that extends longitudinally as the upper part (3b) of the window (3) according to a first configuration, wherein the hood (2) and the upper part (3b) extend longitudinally in sequence and are flush with each other in accordance with a continuous profile (5) within at least one defined domain of the longitudinal axis (X) between a first midpoint of the hood (2) and a second midpoint of the upper part (3b). The hood (2) includes a hatch (10) movable relative to the rest of the hood (2) to define a second configuration of the hood (2) in which the hatch (10) opens a compartment (23) that is at least partially defined along the longitudinal axis (X) by the lower portion (3c) of the window (3) that extends below the hatch (10) in the first configuration of the hood (2); The motor vehicle also includes at least one windshield wiper (25) having a wiper blade (26) that is slidably movable on the window (3) between a first position inside the cabin (23) and a second position outside the cabin (23); the cabin (23) is opened by the hatch (10) in a second configuration of the hood (2) to allow the wiper blade (26) to move from the first position to the second position, or vice versa.

2. The motor vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the windshield wiper (25) includes an arm (27) that pivots about a pivot axis (R) between a first angular position and a second angular position corresponding to a first position and a second position of the wiper blade (26), the wiper blade (26) being coupled to the arm (27).

3. The motor vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the arm (27) pivots at the compartment (23).

4. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the lower portion (3c) extends longitudinally from the upper portion (3b) in a continuous manner and its curvature increases relative to the upper portion (3b), such that the window (3) has an ideal boundary line (3a) between the upper portion (3b) and the lower portion (3c).

5. The motor vehicle according to claim 4, further comprising: - Mechanism (22), which is controllable to move the hatch (10) between an open position corresponding to a second configuration of the hood (2) and a closed position corresponding to a first configuration of the hood (2), and - A control unit (ECU) configured to control the movement by driving the wiper blade (26) through a third position at the boundary line (3a) and to control the mechanism (22) such that during the movement, when the wiper blade (26) is driven through the third position, the door (10) is in the open position.

6. The motor vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the movement includes a first portion between the first position and the third position, and a second portion between the third position and the second position, wherein the control unit (ECU) is configured to control the first portion with a greater force and a smaller speed of the wiper blade (26) on the window (3) than the second portion.

7. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein in a first configuration of the hood (2), the hatch (10) closes the compartment (23), and the wiper blade is located in the first position inside the compartment.

8. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the profile (5) is differentiable or at least Lipschitz continuous in the domain of definition.

9. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the profile (5) has a constant slope or curvature in the defined domain.

10. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the contour (5) is entirely convex or concave in the defined domain, or has no inflection points.

11. The motor vehicle according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hatch (10) extends along a longitudinal axis (X), particularly in front of the window (3), between a first edge (16), for example, a front edge, and a second edge (17), for example, a rear edge, of the hatch (10), the second edge (17) being raised relative to the first edge (16) and relative to the first configuration of the hood (2) in a second configuration of the hood (2).

12. The motor vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the second edge (17) of the hatch (10) is part of the edge (6) of the hood (2), particularly part of the rear edge.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the hatch (10) is hinged at the front edge (16) to the structure (11) of the hood (2) about an axis (H) transverse to the longitudinal axis (X).

14. The motor vehicle according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein in the second configuration of the hood (2), the hatch (10) forms an obtuse angle with the longitudinally adjacent outer surface of the hood (2) toward the outside of the motor vehicle (1).

Images