Adapter device for coupling a wiper arm with a wiper blade

Abstract

The invention relates to an adapter device for coupling a wiper arm (10) with a wiper blade (12), with a wiper arm adapter (14) and with a wiper blade adapter (16), each of which has a coupling area (18, 20) for coupling to one another. It is proposed that at least one of the coupling areas (18, 20) has a surface finish (22, 24) designed to reduce friction between the wiper blade adapter (16) and the wiper arm adapter (14) and / or wiper arm wear.

Description

Prior ArtUS 2002 / 01745505 A1 has already proposed an adapter device for coupling a wiper arm to a wiper blade, to a wiper arm adapter and to a wiper blade adapter, which each have a coupling region for coupling to one another.Disclosure of the InventionThe invention is based on an adapter device for coupling a wiper arm to a wiper blade, to a wiper arm adapter and to a wiper blade adapter, which each have a coupling region for coupling to one another.It is proposed that at least one of the coupling regions has a surface finish which is provided to reduce friction between the wiper blade adapter and the wiper arm adapter and / or wiper arm wear. This allows a particularly long operating time of the adapter device to be achieved. Furthermore, abrasion of the wiper arm adapter and / or of the wiper blade adapter can be advantageously reduced. In this context, a "wiper arm adapter" is to be understood in particular as an adapter which has a contact region with a wiper arm component and is connected to the wiper arm component in a captive manner and is provided for the purpose of providing a coupling region of the wiper arm component for coupling and / or contacting with a wiper blade adapter. In this context, a "wiper blade adapter" is to be understood in particular as an adapter which has a contact region with a wiper blade component and is connected to the wiper blade component in a captive manner and is provided for the purpose of providing a coupling region of the wiper blade component for coupling and / or contacting with a wiper arm adapter. In this context, a "surface finish" is to be understood to mean, in particular, a change in a surface for reducing a coefficient of friction and / or for increasing a surface hardness. "Provided" is to be understood in particular as specially designed and / or equipped. The fact that an object is provided for a specific function is to be understood in particular to mean that the object fulfills and / or executes this specific function in at least one application state and / or operating state.For surface refinement, the wiper arm adapter according to the invention comprises at least one wiper arm hardening element which is provided to increase a hardness of the wiper arm adapter at least in the coupling region. This advantageously reduces abrasion of the wiper arm adapter during wiping operation. The wiper arm hardening element can advantageously be designed as a coating and / or as a coating additive. The wiper arm hardening element preferably has at least one plastic portion, one graphite portion and / or one mineral portion. Furthermore advantageously, a Shore hardness of the wiper arm hardening element is at least D40, preferably at least D60, particularly preferably at least D80.Furthermore, it is proposed that the at least one wiper arm hardening element has at least one polytetrafluoroethylene fraction. As a result, the at least one wiper arm hardening element can advantageously be designed to be particularly resistant.The coupling region according to the invention of the wiper blade adapter for surface finishing has a reduced hardness. Wear on the wiper arm adapter can thereby be advantageously reduced. The coupling region of the wiper blade adapter preferably has at least one oil fraction and / or one wax fraction. In particular, the coupling region of the wiper blade adapter has a lower hardness than the coupling region of the wiper arm adapter.It is furthermore proposed that the wiper blade adapter is produced in a multicomponent injection molding process from at least two components of different hardness. As a result, both a surface with reduced hardness and a hard base body firmly connected thereto can be formed. The surface can thereby advantageously also have a reduced coefficient of friction.The at least one coupling region according to the invention for surface finishing has at least one friction reduction element which is provided to reduce friction between the wiper arm adapter and the wiper blade adapter. As a result, a particularly force-efficient wiping operation can be achieved with little wear.It is furthermore proposed that the friction reduction element has at least one polytetrafluoroethylene fraction. As a result, a particularly low coefficient of friction of at least one of the coupling regions can be achieved.Furthermore, it is proposed that the friction reduction element has at least one polypropylene carbonate fraction. As a result, a particularly low coefficient of friction of at least one of the coupling regions can be achieved.It is furthermore proposed that the friction reduction element forms a coating agent. As a result, the friction reduction element can be applied to one of the coupling regions in a particularly simple and cost-effective manner. Preferably, the coating agent forms an aerosol, an adhesive and / or a shrink tube at least before application to one of the coupling regions. The coating agent is advantageously arranged fixedly on the wiper blade adapter and / or on the wiper arm adapter.The adapter device according to the invention is not intended to be limited to the application and embodiment described above. In particular, in order to fulfil a mode of operation described herein, the adapter device according to the invention can have a number which differs from a number of individual elements, components and units mentioned herein.DRAWINGFurther advantages are evident from the following description of the drawings. The drawing shows an embodiment of the invention. The drawings, specification and claims contain numerous features in combination. The skilled person will expediently also consider the features individually and summarize them to form meaningful further combinations.The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a wiper arm, a wiper blade and an adapter device in a side view, FIG. 2 shows the adapter device in a detailed view, and FIG. 3 shows a wiper arm adapter of the adapter device in a plan view.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTFIG. 1 shows a wiper arm 10, a wiper blade 12 and an adapter device. The wiper blade 12 forms a flat wiper blade. The wiper arm 10 can be driven in a pendulum manner by a drive unit, not shown, in a rotational movement via a vehicle window 30. The adapter device has a wiper arm adapter 14 and a wiper blade adapter 16. The wiper arm adapter 14 is arranged on the wiper arm 10. The wiper blade adapter 16 is arranged on the wiper blade 12. The wiper arm adapter 14 and the wiper blade adapter 16 each have a coupling region 18, 20 for coupling to one another. The wiper arm adapter 14 is coupled to the wiper blade adapter 16 via a respective coupling region 18, 20.As shown in more detail in FIG. 2, the wiper arm adapter 14 has a fastening pin 32 running parallel to a wiping direction. The fastening pin 32 is formed cylindrically. The wiper blade adapter 16 has a fastening recess 34 for receiving the fastening pin 32. The fastening pin 32 is releasably locked within the fastening recess 34 via a locking connection, not shown in more detail. In this context, it is also conceivable for the wiper arm adapter 14 to be connected to the wiper blade adapter 16 by a different manner that appears expedient to the person skilled in the art.During a wiping operation, the wiper blade 12 is guided over the vehicle window 30. In order to avoid lifting of the wiper blade 12 from the vehicle window 30, in particular at high travel speeds, the wiper blade 12 has a wind deflector unit 36. For cleaning the vehicle window 30, the wiper blade 12 furthermore has a wiper strip 38. In a wiping operation, the wiper strip 38 rests on the vehicle window 30.The coupling region 20 of the wiper blade adapter 16 has a surface finish 24. The surface finish 24 is provided to reduce friction between the wiper blade adapter 16 and the wiper arm adapter 14. Furthermore, the surface finish 24 is provided to reduce wiper arm wear. The coupling region 20 of the wiper blade adapter 16 has a reduced hardness for surface finishing 24. The wiper blade adapter 16 is formed for this purpose from a plastic. The plastic has an oil content and / or a wax content. A hardness of the coupling region 20 of the wiper blade adapter 16 is a Shore hardness of less than D40, preferably of less than D30. The coupling region 20 of the wiper blade adapter 16 has a lower hardness than a coupling region 18 of the wiper arm adapter 14, and the wiper blade adapter 16 is produced from two components of different hardness in a multi-component injection molding process. One component in the coupling region 20, which in an assembled state abuts the wiper arm adapter 14, has a lower hardness than the other component. In a wiping operation, the wiper blade adapter 16 in particular wears as a result, which can be replaced after wear. The wiper arm adapter 14 is not provided for replacement. Due to the higher hardness, the wiper arm adapter 14 wears less than the wiper blade adapter 16.In addition, the coupling region 20 of the wiper blade adapter 16 for surface finishing 24 has a friction reduction element 28. The friction reduction element 28 is provided to reduce friction between the wiper arm adapter 14 and the wiper blade adapter 16. The friction reduction element 28 has a polytetrafluoroethylene fraction for this purpose. Additionally or alternatively, the friction reduction member 28 includes a polypropylene carbonate portion. The friction reduction member 28 constitutes a coating agent. The coating agent is applied to the wiper blade adapter 16 in a spraying method. In this context, it is also conceivable for the coating agent to be designed as an adhesive and / or as a shrink tube. The coating agent is arranged fixedly on the wiper blade adapter 16.The coupling region 18 of the wiper arm adapter 14 has a surface finish 22, as illustrated in more detail in FIG. 3. The surface finish 22 is provided to reduce friction between the wiper blade adapter 16 and the wiper arm adapter 14. Furthermore, the surface finish 22 is provided to reduce wiper arm wear.The coupling region 18 of the wiper arm adapter 14 has an increased hardness for surface refinement 22. For this purpose, the wiper arm adapter 14 comprises a wiper arm hardening element 26. The wiper arm hardening element 26 is provided to increase a hardness of the wiper arm adapter 14 in the coupling region 18. The wiper arm hardening element 26 is designed as a coating. In this context, it is also conceivable in principle for the wiper arm hardening element 26 to be introduced as an additive in a paint system. The wiper arm hardening element 26 has a mineral component. It is likewise conceivable for the wiper arm hardening element 26 to have a plastic portion and / or a graphite portion. The wiper arm hardening element 26 has a Shore hardness of at least D 60.The wiper arm hardening element 26 also has a polytetrafluoroethylene fraction. The polytetrafluoroethylene forms a surface which, in an assembled state, bears against the wiper blade adapter 16. The coupling region 18 of the wiper arm adapter 14 thereby has a friction reduction element 40 at the same time as the surface finish 22. The friction reduction element 40 is provided to reduce friction between the wiper arm adapter 14 and the wiper blade adapter 16. In this case, the wiper arm hardening element 26 and the friction reduction element 40 correspond to one another, but it is also conceivable in this connection for the wiper arm hardening element 26 and the friction reduction element 40 to be formed separately from one another.Additionally or alternatively, the friction reduction member 40 includes a polypropylene carbonate moiety. The friction reduction member 40 constitutes a coating agent. The coating agent is applied to the wiper arm adapter 14 in a spraying method. In this context, it is also conceivable for the coating agent to be designed as an adhesive and / or as a shrink tube. The coating agent is arranged fixedly on the wiper arm adapter 14.

Claims

Adapter device for coupling a wiper arm (10) to a wiper blade (12), to a wiper arm adapter (14) and to a wiper blade adapter (16), which each have a coupling region (18, 20) for coupling to one another, wherein at least one of the coupling regions (18, 20) has a surface finish (22, 24), which is provided to reduce friction between the wiper blade adapter (16) and the wiper arm adapter (14) and / or wiper arm wear, characterized in that the wiper arm adapter (14) for surface finish (24) comprises at least one wiper arm hardening element (26), which is provided to increase a hardness of the wiper arm adapter (14) at least in the coupling region (20), or in that the coupling region (20) of the wiper blade adapter (16) for surface finish (24) has a reduced hardness, or in that at least one of the coupling regions (18, 20) for surface finish (22, 20), 24) has at least one friction reduction element (28, 40) which is provided to reduce friction between the wiper arm adapter (14) and the wiper blade adapter (16).Adapter device according to Claim 1, characterized in that the at least one wiper arm curing element (26) has at least one polytetrafluoroethylene fraction.Adapter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wiper blade adapter (16) is produced from at least two components of different hardness in a multicomponent injection-molding process.Adapter device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the friction reduction element (28, 40) has at least one polytetrafluoroethylene fraction.Adapter device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the friction reduction element (28, 40) has at least one polypropylene carbonate fraction.Adapter device according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the friction reduction element (28, 40) forms a coating agent.Wiper arm (10) having an adapter device according to one of the preceding claims.Wiper blade (12) having an adapter device according to one of Claims 1 to 6.

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