Hydraulic cleaning system

Abstract

A cleaning system for a motor vehicle windshield comprises a hydraulic line for transporting a cleaning fluid, the hydraulic line having an inlet end and an outlet end, and a connecting element at the inlet end for connecting to a fluid source port. The hydraulic line is configured to pass through a recess in a cover together with a wiper shaft of a wiper system, such that the inlet end and the outlet end are located on opposite sides of the cover.

Description

The invention relates to a hydraulic cleaning system. In particular, the invention relates to the connection of components of a hydraulic cleaning system for cleaning a windshield on a motor vehicle.For cleaning a window on a motor vehicle, a wiper system can be used, which includes a wiper arm with a wiper arm that is guided in an oscillating manner over the window. The pane can comprise, for example, a front pane, a rear pane or a headlight pane. To assist the cleaning process, a hydraulic cleaning system can be provided which is configured to spray a cleaning liquid onto the disk. The hydraulic cleaning system usually comprises a liquid source which is connected to one or more spray nozzles by means of a hydraulic line. The spray nozzles can be mounted fixedly in the region of the pane or movably on the wiper arm. In one embodiment, the hydraulic line additionally comprises an electric heater for heating the cleaning liquid.Both the hydraulic line and a wiper shaft for driving the wiper arm are usually guided through a cover which separates the outer region of the motor vehicle from a protected inner region. The liquid source, which usually comprises an electrically drivable pump, and a wiper motor for driving the wiper shaft are located on the inside of the cover, while the wiper arm and the spray nozzles are located on the outside. Various proposals have been made for a passage of in particular the hydraulic line through the cover. In this case, a connection between the hydraulic line and a connection of the liquid source takes place on the outer side of the cover, where it is exposed to a large number of environmental influences which can damage the connection. These influences can include, for example, ultraviolet radiation from sunlight, mechanical stress from wind, moisture and ice.U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,206 discloses a window cleaning system.It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a cleaning system with an improved compound. A further object of the invention is to specify an advantageous assembly method. The invention achieves these objects by means of a cleaning system and a method having the features of the independent claims. Dependent claims represent preferred embodiments.Disclosure of the InventionA cleaning system according to the invention for a windshield of a motor vehicle comprises a hydraulic line for transporting a cleaning liquid, wherein the hydraulic line has an inlet end and an outlet end, and a connecting element at the inlet end for connection to a connection of a liquid source. The hydraulic line is configured to run a cover together with a wiper shaft of a wiper system through a cutout, such that the inlet end and the outlet end are situated on different sides of the cover. As a result, the connection can come to lie in a protected interior of the motor vehicle, where it is protected against environmental influences. Leakage or an undesired release of the connection can thereby be avoided. In addition, a risk of injury can be reduced if the motor vehicle collides with a pedestrian, for example.In a preferred embodiment, the cleaning system additionally comprises a guide element for fixing the hydraulic line with respect to the wiper shaft. Twisting, buckling or wiping of the hydraulic line by the wiper shaft can thereby be prevented. The hydraulic line can thereby have an extended service life or be dimensioned to be weaker without reducing the service life to be expected.In a particularly preferred embodiment, the guide element is attached to the wiper shaft. As a result, a particularly good decoupling of the mechanical movement of the wiper shaft from the hydraulic line can be achieved, regardless of whether the hydraulic line moves together with the wiper shaft or not. In one embodiment, the guide element is mounted on the wiper shaft so as to be axially displaceable. As a result, assembly capability of the hydraulic line can be improved.In another embodiment, the wiper system comprises a wiper arm which can be driven by the wiper shaft, wherein the guide element is attached to the wiper arm. This embodiment is particularly suitable when the hydraulic line is connected to the wiper arm. As a result, the hydraulic line can be guided in such a way that it is not mechanically overloaded despite its movement about the wiper shaft.In yet another embodiment, the wiper system comprises a wiper drive having a wiper bearing, wherein the guide element is attached to the wiper bearing. This makes it possible to achieve simple integration of the guide element with the wiper bearing. Production and assembly costs can thus be reduced.If the wiper system comprises a wiper arm, this may be equipped with a cover which is configured to cover the cutout through which the hydraulic line and the wiper shaft pass. Thereby, protection of the lower portion of the wiper shaft and the joint from influences such as dust and moisture can be improved. By integration with the wiper arm, the mounting of the cover can be simplified.In the latter embodiment, the above-mentioned guide element for fixing the hydraulic line with respect to the wiper shaft can advantageously be attached to the cover. This integration may result in further manufacturing and assembly advantages.If a guide element is provided, it is preferably configured to keep the hydraulic line kink-free while the wiper shaft is rotated in an oscillating manner.A method of mounting the hydraulic line of the above-described cleaning system on an automobile having a cover according to the present invention includes steps of extracting the port of the liquid source through the recess of the cover, connecting the connecting member of the hydraulic line to the port of the liquid source, passing the port of the liquid source and the connecting member through the recess, and inserting the wiper shaft into the recess.This allows an advantageous integration of the mounting of the wiper system or the wiper shaft with the mounting of the cleaning system or the hydraulic line.Brief Description of the FiguresThe invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: FIG. 1 shows a cleaning system on a motor vehicle; FIG. 2 shows the cleaning system of FIG. 1 in a partially assembled state; FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the wiper system of FIG. 1; FIGS. 4-6 are views of another embodiment of the cleaning system of FIG. 1 FIG. 7 is a flow diagram of a method for mounting the cleaning system of FIGS. 1-6 to a motor vehicleDETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSFIG. 1 shows a hydraulic cleaning system 100 on a motor vehicle. In the region of the cleaning system 100, a wiper system 105 is furthermore attached.The cleaning system 100 includes a hydraulic line 110 having an inlet end 115 and an outlet end 120. While one or more spray nozzles, which are not shown in FIG. 1, can be attached to the outlet end 120, the inlet end 115 is connected to a connecting element 125 for establishing a preferably separable hydraulic connection. In the illustration of FIG. 1, the connecting element 125 is connected to a connection 130 of a liquid source 135, which in one embodiment comprises a storage container 140 for receiving cleaning liquid 145 and a pump 155, which can preferably be electrically actuated.In an optional embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a heater 155 is integrally formed with the hydraulic line 110. The heater 155 usually comprises a resistance wire running inside the hydraulic line 110, the connections of which are led out on an electrical connection element 160. The electrical connecting element 160 is usually arranged in the region of the hydraulic connecting element 125 and can be connected thereto or even embodied in one piece. The electrical connecting element 160 is configured to contact the heater 155 with an electrical connection 165 of a control device 170. In the present context, the electrical connection element 160 is treated analogously to the hydraulic connection element 125.The hydraulic line 110, optionally including the heater 155, passes through a recess 175 of a cover 180. The cover 180 has an upper side and a lower side, wherein, in normal operation of the cleaning system 100, the connecting element 125 and optionally also the electrical connecting element 160 lie on the lower side of the cover 180 in FIG. 1, where they are protected by the cover 180 from environmental inclusions to which an outer side of the motor vehicle is exposed. Specifically, the cover 180 is configured to keep wind, dust, and moisture away from the connectors 125 and 160.The wiper system 105 comprises a wiper shaft 205, which likewise runs through the cutout 175 of the cover 180, and a wiper drive 210 having a wiper bearing 215, the wiper drive 210 being configured to rotate the wiper shaft 205 in an oscillating manner. For this purpose, the wiper drive 210 can comprise a preferably electric wiper motor 220. In another embodiment, the wiper motor 220 is mounted remotely and is connected to the wiper shaft 205 by a linkage.While the wiper drive 210 is located on the lower side of the cover 180 in FIG. 1, where the connectors 125 and 160 also come to rest during normal operation, an upper end of the wiper shaft 205 is located on the opposite side of the cover 180. A wiper arm 225 is configured for rotationally fixed connection to the upper end of the wiper shaft 205. A wiper blade is usually attached to the wiper arm 225, which wiper blade is guided over a disk when the wiper shaft 205 is rotated in an oscillating manner.In order to prevent the hydraulic line 110 and the wiper shaft 205, which both pass through the same recess 175 of the cover 180, from interfering with or wearing away from each other, in a preferred embodiment a guide element 185 may be provided to fix the hydraulic line 110 with respect to the wiper shaft 205. Although other embodiments are possible, FIG. 1 illustrates the guide element 185 in an embodiment in which it is attached to the wiper shaft 205. In the embodiment shown, the guide element 185 comprises a sleeve section which can be pushed onto the wiper shaft 205, and a fixing section into which the hydraulic line 110 can be inserted. In this case, the fixing section in the embodiment shown runs, by way of example, along a left-handed helix. In one embodiment, the guide member 185 is rotatable relative to the wiper shaft 205. It is furthermore preferred that the connecting element 185 is axially displaceable with respect to the wiper shaft 205. In all embodiments, the guide element is preferably configured to keep the hydraulic line 110 kink-free while the wiper shaft 205 is oscillatingly rotated.FIG. 2 shows the cleaning system 100 of FIG. 1 in a partially assembled state. Not all elements shown in FIG. 1 are shown. The connection between the connecting element 125 of the hydraulic line 110 and the connection 130 of the liquid source 135, and optionally also the connection between the electrical connecting element 160 and the electrical connection 165 of the control device 170, are configured to be produced on the upper side of the cover 180 in FIG. 2. The closed connections are then guided through the cutout 175 to the underside and, if appropriate, the hydraulic line 110 is fastened to the guide element 185. Only after the connections have been guided through the recess 175 is the wiper shaft 205 inserted into the recess 175 from bottom to top in FIG. 2.FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of the wiper system 105 of FIG. 1 In the illustrated embodiment, a cover 230 is provided to cover the recess 175 as the hydraulic line 110 and wiper shaft 205 pass therethrough. In the preferred embodiment shown, the cover 230 is designed to be integrated with the wiper arm 225 of the wiper system 105.FIGS. 4 to 6 show views of a further embodiment of the cleaning system 100 from FIG. 1, wherein FIGS. 4 and 5 show a view from the underside of the cover 180 and FIG. 6 shows a view from the upper side of the cover 180, each with reference to the illustration of FIG. 1. In this embodiment, the cover 230 is designed as a separate element that is connected to the wiper arm 225 in a rotationally stable manner. A lateral recess is provided through which the hydraulic line 110 leads. The cover 230 simultaneously serves as a guide element 185, in that it provides a fastening possibility for one or both connecting elements 125, 160. Also in this embodiment, the connectors 125, 160 are located on the inner side of the cover 180 after assembly.FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram of a method 700 for mounting the cleaning system 105 of FIGS. 1 to 6 on a motor vehicle. In a first step 705, the hydraulic connection 130 of the liquid source 135 is pulled through the recess 175 of the cover 180 to the outside. If an electrical connection 165 is also provided, then in a subsequent step 710, said electrical connection can likewise be drawn through the cutout 175 of the cover 180.Subsequently, in a step 715, the hydraulic connection 130 is connected to the hydraulic connecting element 125 of the hydraulic line 110. If necessary, in a step 720, the electrical connection 165 can also be connected to the electrical connection element.Thereafter, all the terminals 125, 130, 160, 165 connected to each other are passed through the recess 175 to be located on a side of the cover 180 shielded from the outside of the automobile by the cover 180.In a subsequent step 730, the wiper shaft 205 of the wiper system 105 is inserted into the cutout 175 of the cover 180, such that different portions of the wiper shaft 205 come to lie on different sides of the cover 180. By inserting the wiper shaft 205, the cutout 175 can already be blocked to such an extent that the connecting element or elements 125, 160 can no longer be guided through the cutout 175.In a step 735, the hydraulic line 110 may be attached to the guide member 185. For this purpose, the guide element 185 can be connected to the wiper shaft 205, the wiper bearing 215, the cover 180 or another element of the cleaning system 100, the wiper system 105 or the motor vehicle. Further, in step 735, the cover 230 may be mounted to further close the recess 175.

Claims

Cleaning system (100) for a window of a motor vehicle, the cleaning system (100) comprising: - a hydraulic line (110) for transporting a cleaning liquid (145), - the hydraulic line (110) having an inlet end (115) and an outlet end (120); - a connecting element (125) at the inlet end (115) for connection to a connection (130) of a liquid source (135); - wherein the hydraulic line (110) is configured to run together with a wiper shaft (205) of a wiper system (105) through a cutout (175) of a cover (180), such that the inlet end (115) and the outlet end (120) lie on different sides of the cover (180), characterized by - a guide element (185) for fixing the hydraulic line (110) with respect to the wiper shaft (205), - wherein the guide element (185) is attached to the wiper shaft (205).The cleaning system (100) of claim 1, wherein the wiper system (105) comprises a wiper drive (210) having a wiper bearing (215) and the guide element (185) is attached to the wiper bearing (215).The cleaning system (100) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wiper system (105) comprises a wiper arm (225) with a cover (230) configured to cover the recess (175) through which the hydraulic line (110) and the wiper shaft (205) pass.The cleaning system (100) of claim 3, wherein the guide member (185) is attached to the cover (230).The cleaning system (100) according to any one of claims 1 or 2 or 4, wherein the guide member (185) is configured to keep the hydraulic line (110) kink-free while the wiper shaft (205) is oscillatingly rotated.Method (700) for mounting the hydraulic line of the cleaning system (100) according to one of the preceding claims on a motor vehicle having a cover (180), comprising the following steps: - extracting (705) the connection (130) of the liquid source (135) through the recess (175) of the cover (180); - connecting (715) the connecting element (125) of the hydraulic line (110) to the connection (130) of the liquid source (135); - passing (725) the connection (130) of the liquid source (135) and the connecting element (125) through the recess (175), and - inserting (730) the wiper shaft (205) into the recess (175).

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