Finray wiper with modular design

Abstract

Windscreen wiper device suitable for wiping a windscreen (4) of a vehicle, comprising a wiper arm (1) with a wiper blade head (70) and a wiper blade (2) which includes: - an elongated upper part (10) that is designed to be at least partially flexible, - an elongated lower part (12) which is designed to be at least partially flexible, and - several connecting elements (18) for connecting the upper part (10) and the lower part (12), wherein the connecting elements (18) are spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal extension (8) of the wiper blade (2) and are attached to the upper part (10) and / or to the lower part (12) by means of a pivot joint (20), wherein the connecting elements (18) are designed to allow movement of the upper part (10) and the lower part (12) relative to each other with a movement component along the longitudinal extension (8) of the wiper blade (2), wherein the wiper blade (2) comprises at least two wiper blade modules (40) which can be connected to each other by a connecting device (41).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a windscreen wiper device for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle. State of the art

[0002] Windshield wiper systems typically have a wiper arm or wiper lever, with a wiper blade moving across the windshield of a motor vehicle. The wiper blade is moved between a first and a second pivoting position. For this purpose, the wiper arm is connected to a wiper motor via a drive shaft. Especially on windshields with sharp changes in curvature, the wiper blade easily loses contact with the windshield. This can lead to unwiped areas or the formation of fog, especially on sharply curved windshields.

[0003] Since a wiping process must be optimized for a variety of parameters, such as the amount of rain on the windshield, any snow load on the windshield, the vehicle's speed, and the associated wind pressure on the wiper arm, fogging cannot be reliably prevented simply by adjusting the wiper arm's pressure on the windshield. Therefore, there is a need to further improve windshield wiper systems.

[0004] When making improvements, there are a number of additional constraints that must be considered. One of these is the need to adapt the wiper blade's dimensions to the windshield area to be wiped. Disclosure of the invention

[0005] It is the object of the present invention to ensure reliable, largely streak-free wiping of a window of a vehicle, whereby the wiping of windows of different surface areas is made possible.

[0006] This object is achieved by a windscreen wiper device having the features according to claim 1.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a windshield wiper device for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is proposed. The windshield wiper device comprises a wiper arm with a wiper blade having an elongated upper part and an elongated lower part, which are designed to be at least partially bendable. Furthermore, a plurality of connecting elements are provided for connecting the upper part and the lower part, wherein the connecting elements are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal extent of the wiper blade and are attached to the upper part and / or the lower part by means of a pivot joint. In particular, the connecting elements are designed to enable movement of the upper part and the lower part relative to one another with a movement component along the longitudinal extent of the wiper blade.Furthermore, the wiper blade has a modular design, wherein the modular design can include two or more wiper blade modules, which are arranged in particular along the longitudinal extension. The at least two wiper blade modules of the wiper blade can be connected to one another by respective connecting devices.

[0008] Preferred embodiments and particular aspects of the invention emerge from the dependent claims, the drawings and the present description. Advantages of the invention

[0009] According to the embodiments of the invention described here, windshield wiper devices for vehicles can be manufactured in a particularly advantageous manner and for a variety of different applications. Furthermore, the embodiments of the invention make it possible to provide reliable, largely streak-free wiping of windshields of varying surface areas.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a windshield wiper device for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, is proposed. The windshield wiper device comprises a wiper arm with a wiper blade having an elongated upper part and an elongated lower part, which are designed to be at least partially bendable. Furthermore, a plurality of connecting elements are provided for connecting the upper part and the lower part, wherein the connecting elements are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal extent of the wiper blade and are attached to the upper part and / or the lower part by means of a pivot joint. In particular, the connecting elements are designed to enable movement of the upper part and the lower part relative to one another with a movement component along a longitudinal extent of the wiper blade.

[0011] Furthermore, the wiper blade can have a modular structure consisting of two or more wiper blade modules. The at least two wiper blade modules of the wiper blade can be connected to one another by respective connecting devices. The at least two wiper blade modules are arranged in particular along the longitudinal extent. According to yet further embodiments, the wiper blade modules can be designed such that they can be connected adjacent to one another in the longitudinal extent of the wiper blade by the connecting device. This achieves the advantage that the extent of the wiper blade can be adapted to the windshield surface to be wiped. This ensures reliable, largely streak-free wiping of vehicle windshields, wherein the windshields can have different wiping surfaces.

[0012] According to yet further embodiments, at least one wiper blade module can have an upper module part and a lower module part, which are designed to be at least partially bendable, wherein a plurality of connecting elements are also provided for connecting the upper module part and the lower module part, wherein the connecting elements are spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal extent of the wiper blade and are attached to the upper module part and / or to the lower module part by means of a pivot joint. The connecting elements are further designed such that they enable movement of the upper module part and the lower module part relative to one another with a movement component along the longitudinal extent of the wiper blade. By designing the wiper blade module in this way, a wiper blade can be provided overall that functions according to the "finray" principle.In this way, the largest possible wiping area is achieved for streak-free wiping of the vehicle's windscreen.

[0013] According to yet further embodiments, the connecting device that connects the at least two wiper blade modules to one another can further comprise first connecting means designed to connect two adjacent module upper parts and second connecting means designed to connect two adjacent module lower parts. This ensures a reliable connection between the individual wiper blade modules while maintaining the "fin-ray" effect.

[0014] According to yet further embodiments, the connecting means can be selected from the group consisting of a plug connection, a snap-in connection, a pressure lock, a screw connection, a rivet connection, a clinch connection, a welded connection, and any combination thereof. Thus, such connecting means expediently provide a stable wiper blade that is also suitable for wiping windshields with a larger surface area.

[0015] According to yet further embodiments, the upper part and / or the lower part and / or one or more connecting elements can contain a material selected from the group consisting of a polymethyl methacrylate, a polymer, a fiber composite material, carbon, FE, Al, PVC, PC, POM, PA, TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), in particular TPE-S, TPE-O, TPE-U, TPE-A, TPE-V, TPE-E, and any combination thereof. In this way, the advantage is achieved that, through a suitable selection of materials, physical, such as mechanical, properties of the wiper arm or components of the wiper blade can be adapted. Furthermore, it is possible to design components of the wiper arm, such as the wiper blade head and / or individual wiper blade modules, as integral components by injection molding, thereby achieving manufacturing advantages that allow cost-effective production of the windshield wiper device.In this case, a wiper blade module adjacent to the wiper blade head in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade can be firmly connected to the wiper blade head, so that the wiper blade head and the adjacent wiper blade module can be conveniently provided as an integral injection-molded component. This can advantageously simplify the production of the windshield wiper device and lead to further cost reductions.

[0016] According to yet further embodiments, at least one wiper blade module can have at least one connecting element for connecting the module upper part and the module lower part, wherein the at least one connecting element is spaced apart from another connecting element along a longitudinal extent of the wiper blade and is rigidly connected to the module upper part and / or to the module lower part. In this way, movement of the module upper part and the module lower part relative to one another can be prevented or at least restricted. Thus, for certain applications, the "fin-ray" effect explained below can be deactivated module by module without blocking the "fin-ray" effect for the entire wiper blade.

[0017] According to yet further embodiments, the wiper blade modules can be designed such that the distance between the upper module part and the lower module part changes at least partially along the longitudinal extent of the wiper blade, in particular such that the distance between the upper module part and the lower module part increases at least partially along the longitudinal extent of the wiper blade toward the wiper blade head. This expediently results in a flexible design of individual wiper blade modules or the entire wiper arm of the windshield wiper device. Short description of the drawings

[0018] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the figures and described in more detail below. They show: Fig. 1 a side view of a wiper blade of a windscreen wiper device according to embodiments of the invention, wherein the wiper blade has two wiper blade modules, , Fig. 2 a perspective view of a wiper arm of a windscreen wiper device according to embodiments of the invention, wherein the wiper arm has a wiper blade head and three wiper blade modules connected by respective connecting devices, , Fig. 3 the in Fig. 2 illustrated wiper arm according to embodiments of the invention, wherein the three wiper blade modules are shown in separate positions, , Fig. 4 a side view of a wiper blade of a windscreen wiper device according to embodiments of the invention, wherein the wiper blade has two wiper blade modules with different designs, , Fig. 5A is a schematic representation of a further embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention in the form of a wiper arm with integrated wiper blade in a basic position, Fig. 5B a schematic representation of the wiper arm with integrated wiper blade according to Fig. 5A in a position applied to a disc, Fig. 6 a schematic representation of a wiper blade according to embodiments of the present invention in a basic position, and Fig. 7 is a schematic representation of a wiper blade according to embodiments of the present invention in a position applied to a window. Embodiments of the invention

[0019] In the following, unless otherwise stated, the same reference symbols are used for identical and equivalent elements.

[0020] Fig. 1 shows a side view of a wiper blade 2 of a windshield wiper device, wherein the wiper blade 2 has two wiper blade modules 40, according to embodiments of the invention.

[0021] According to embodiments, the wiper blade 2 has an elongated upper part 10 and an elongated lower part 12, which are designed to be at least partially bendable, wherein the lower part 12 faces a windshield 4 during operation of the windshield wiper device. Furthermore, a plurality of connecting elements 18 are provided for connecting the upper part 10 and the lower part 12, wherein the connecting elements 18 are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade and are attached to the upper part 10 and / or the lower part 12 by means of a pivot joint 20. The connecting elements 18 are designed to enable movement of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 relative to one another with a movement component along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2. Here, the connecting elements are connected to the upper part 10 at a respective upper connection position and to the lower part 12 at a respective lower connection position.For example, a pivot joint 20 is provided at each of the connection positions. Upon movement of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 relative to each other, the distance between an upper connection position and a lower connection position on the same connecting element essentially does not change, i.e., the distance is constant with deviations of, for example, ±1 mm, in particular ±0.3 mm.

[0022] Along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2, the distance between the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 becomes smaller starting from the wiper blade head, at least in areas of the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2 or in a predominant part of the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2, see Fig. 5A, Fig. 5B, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. Starting from the head end, the height of the wiper blade 2 tapers in a wedge-shaped manner in regions or becomes smaller in regions of the longitudinal extension 8. For example, according to embodiments, for a plurality of the connecting elements 18, the length of the connecting elements 18 can be provided such that the connecting elements 18 provided near the wiper blade head are longer than those on the opposite side of the wiper blade 2 along the longitudinal extension 8. The wiper blade head can be attached to a drive shaft in such a way that rotation of the wiper arm 1 about a drive axis is enabled. Furthermore, the wiper blade 2 has a modular structure, wherein the modular structure can include two or more wiper blade modules 40. The at least two wiper blade modules 40 of the wiper blade 2 can be connected to one another by respective connecting devices 41.

[0023] These properties make it possible to provide a wiper blade 2 that operates according to the "finray" principle. The "finray" effect is described below, particularly with reference to the Fig. 5A, Fig. 5B, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 explained.

[0024] As further stated in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the wiper blade modules 40 can be designed such that they can be connected adjacent to one another along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2 by the associated connecting device 41. This provides the advantage that the extension of the wiper blade 2 can be adapted to the surface of a vehicle window 4 to be wiped. This ensures reliable, largely streak-free wiping of the windows 4, even if the windows 4 may have different surface areas.

[0025] According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with embodiments described herein, at least one wiper blade module 40 can have a module upper part 11 and a module lower part 13, which are designed to be at least partially bendable. Furthermore, a plurality of connecting elements 18 can be provided for connecting the module upper part 11 and the module lower part 13, wherein the connecting elements 18 can be spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2 and can be attached to the module upper part 11 and / or to the module lower part 13 by means of a rotary joint 20. In this case, the connecting elements 18 can be designed to enable movement of the module upper part 11 and the module lower part 13 relative to one another with a movement component along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2.By such a design of a wiper blade module 40, a wiper blade 2 can be provided which functions according to the “finray” principle and allows adaptation to a desired wiping surface size for streak-free wiping of the windscreen 4 of the motor vehicle.

[0026] As also in Fig. As shown in Figure 1, the connecting device 41, which connects at least two adjacent wiper blade modules 40 to one another, can further comprise first connecting means 42, which are designed to connect two adjacent module upper parts 11, and second connecting means 43, which are designed to connect two adjacent module lower parts 13. In this way, a reliable connection between the individual wiper blade modules 40 is ensured while maintaining the "fin-ray" effect. Thus, such connecting means 42, 43 provide a stable wiper blade 2, which is also suitable for wiping windshields 4 with a larger surface area. Fig. Figure 2 is a perspective view of a wiper arm 1 of a windshield wiper device. The wiper arm 1 has a wiper blade head 70 and in the Fig. 2, the wiper blade module 40 comprises three wiper blade modules 40 connected by respective connecting devices 41. The three wiper blade modules 40 together form the wiper blade 2 of the windshield wiper device, which extends from the wiper blade head 70 to a connecting position 34 opposite the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2.

[0027] According to yet further embodiments that can be combined with the embodiments described herein, the connecting means 42, 43 can be selected from the group consisting of a plug connection, a snap-in connection, a pressure lock, a screw connection, a clinch connection, a welded connection, and any combination thereof. Thus, such connecting means 42, 43 expediently provide a stable wiper blade 2 that can be adapted to a windshield 4 to be wiped. In this way, the largest possible wiping surface is achieved for streak-free wiping of the windshield 4 of the motor vehicle.

[0028] Fig. 3 illustrates, in perspective, the Fig. 2, wherein the three wiper blade modules 40 are shown in separate positions, according to embodiments of the invention.

[0029] According to yet further embodiments that can be combined with embodiments described herein, the module upper part 11 and / or the module lower part 13 and / or one or more connecting elements 18 can contain a material selected from the group consisting of a polymethyl methacrylate, a polymer, a fiber composite material, carbon, FE, Al, PVC, PC, POM, PA, TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), in particular TPE-S, TPE-O, TPE-U, TPE-A, TPE-V, TPE-E, and any combination thereof. In this way, the advantage is achieved that, through a suitable selection of materials, physical properties, such as mechanical properties, of the wiper blade 2 or of components of the wiper blade 2 can be adapted.Furthermore, it is possible to design components of the wiper arm 1, such as the wiper blade head 70 and / or individual wiper blade modules 40, as integral injection-molded components, thereby achieving manufacturing advantages that allow cost-effective production of the windshield wiper device. In this case, a wiper blade module 40 adjacent to the wiper blade head 70 in the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2 can be firmly connected to the wiper blade head 70, so that the wiper blade head 70 and the adjacent wiper blade module 40 can be expediently provided as an integral injection-molded component. This can simplify the production of the windshield wiper device and lead to further cost reductions.

[0030] Fig. 4 shows a side view of a wiper blade 2 of a windshield wiper device, wherein the wiper blade 2 has two wiper blade modules 40, 50 with different designs, according to embodiments of the invention.

[0031] According to still further embodiments which can be combined with embodiments described herein, as in Fig. 4, at least one wiper blade module 50 may have at least one connecting element 18 for connecting the module upper part 11 and the module lower part 13, wherein the at least one connecting element 18 is spaced apart from another connecting element 18 along a longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2 and may further be connected to the module upper part 11 and / or to the module lower part 13 by a rigid connection 21. In this way, movement of the module upper part 11 and the module lower part 13 relative to one another can be prevented or at least restricted. Thus, for certain applications, the "fin ray" effect explained below can be deactivated module by module without blocking the "fin ray" effect for the entire wiper blade 2.

[0032] According to yet further embodiments, which can be combined with embodiments described herein, the wiper blade modules 40, 50 can be designed such that a distance between the module upper part 11 and the module lower part 13 changes at least partially along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2, in particular such that the distance between the module upper part 11 and the module lower part 13 increases at least partially along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2 toward the wiper blade head 70. This expediently results in a flexible design of individual wiper blade modules 40, 50 or of the entire wiper arm 1 of the windshield wiper device.

[0033] In the following, aspects of an exemplary windscreen wiper device are described for which the embodiments of the windscreen wiper device described herein, in particular the design of the wiper blade 2 in individual wiper blade modules 40, are particularly advantageous. To provide the Fig. 5A, Fig. 5B, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 In order to achieve the “finray” effect explained in more detail below, the connecting elements 18 are designed to be movable around an associated connection point 20 in order to enable a movement of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 or of the module upper part 11 and the module lower part 13 relative to one another with a movement component along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2.

[0034] Fig. 5A and Fig. 5B show schematic representations of a wiper blade 2 in a basic position and in a position applied to a windshield according to embodiments of the windshield wiper device of the disclosure. Fin-ray wipers are described here, for which a modular design of the wiper blade 2 according to the embodiments described here is particularly useful. The modular design of the wiper blade 2 is shown in the Fig. 5A, Fig. 5B, Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 and can also be provided in these embodiments as previously described. The wiper blade 2 serves to wipe the windshield 4 of a vehicle, which is, for example, a motor vehicle, in particular a car. The wiper blade 2 has a longitudinal extension 8 and comprises an elongated upper part 10 and a likewise elongated lower part 12. The longitudinal extensions 8 of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 essentially correspond to the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2.

[0035] Both the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 are flexible beams or can be designed as flexible beams. It is also possible to design only a part of the upper part 10 and / or the lower part 12 to be flexible. According to some embodiments, which can be combined with the other embodiments described here, a material is used for the upper part 10 and / or the lower part 12 that has a modulus of elasticity in a range between 0.005 kN / mm 2 and 0.5 kN / mm 2 , in particular 0.01 kN / mm 2 and 0.1 kN / mm 2 This enables suitable bending capability of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12. Together with a suitably designed cross-sectional area of ​​the upper part 10 and the lower part 12, this results in optimal bending stiffness.

[0036] The upper part 10 and the lower part 12 are attached to a wiper blade-side fastening part 30. The windshield wiper device can be connected to the vehicle or to the drive shaft 33 of a windshield wiper drive unit 32 (wiper motor) of the vehicle by means of the wiper blade-side fastening part 30, for example, with a quick-fix fastening. Such a quick-fix fastening can quickly and detachably connect the drive shaft 33 of the windshield wiper device to the wiper arm 1.

[0037] On the side opposite the fastening part 30 along the longitudinal extension 8 of the windshield wiper device, the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 are connected at the connection position 34. The upper part 10 and the lower part 12 are connected to one another by connecting elements 18. The connecting elements 18 are designed such that the distance of the connection position to the upper part 10 and the distance of the connection position to the lower part 12 changes by a maximum of + / - 1 mm, in particular by a maximum of + / - 0.3 mm (for example due to thermal expansion and / or tensile and compressive stress). The connecting elements 18 can therefore be designed to be essentially non-elastic, or the effect of the connecting elements 18 is based on their force transmission between the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 and not on their elasticity.

[0038] The connecting elements 18 are attached to mutually facing inner longitudinal sides of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 by means of pivot joints 20. Typically, the pivot joints 20 are hinges. In particular, the pivot joints 20 can be designed as film hinges. This is particularly advantageous when the upper part 10, the lower part 12, and / or the connecting elements 18 are made of a plastic material or are coated with a suitable plastic material.

[0039] According to typical embodiments described herein, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, a pivot joint 20 is selected from the following group, which consists of: a hinge, a film hinge, a tapering of the material to produce lower stiffness along a torsion axis, a joint with a rotation axis, a means for connecting the upper part to the connecting element or for connecting the lower part to the connecting element, which allows the displacement of the lower part with respect to the upper part along the longitudinal extent, etc.

[0040] Embodiments in which the joints 20 are provided by film hinges thus provide a very simple way of providing the joints 20 for a fin-ray wiper. The wiper blade 2 can be provided in one piece, in particular without the need for tools. According to typical embodiments, the film hinges have a high degree of extensibility. This can be provided, for example, by a material selected from the group PP, PE, FE, Al, PVC, PC, POM, and PA. Alternatively, the film hinges can be made of one or more materials from a group consisting of: TPE (thermoplastic elastomer), for example TPE-S, TPE-O, TPE-U, TPE-A, TPE-V, and TPE-E.

[0041] The connecting elements 18 are spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2. The spacings are advantageously less than 50 mm, in particular less than 30 mm. This ensures particularly high flexibility of the windshield wiper device, in particular its lower part 12, and good adaptation to the curvature and changes in curvature of the windshield 4 to be wiped.

[0042] Fig. 5B shows a schematic representation of the wiper blade 2 according to Fig. 5A in a position resting against the windshield 4. Since the windshield 4 has a curvature, contact pressure forces act on the lower part 12 when the wiper blade 2 rests against the windshield 4. Since the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 are flexible beams and the connecting elements 12 are rotatably mounted on the upper part 10 and the lower part 12, the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 are displaceable relative to one another. Due to the pressure forces acting on the lower part 12 from below, the wiper blade 2 bends in the direction from which the pressure forces originate and adheres precisely to the curvature of the windshield 4.

[0043] Due to the design of the embodiments described here, when a force acts on the lower part 12 (through the windshield 4), the lower part 12 bends in the direction from which the force acts. This is achieved by the connection of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 at the connection position 34, the shape, and by swivel joints 20 at the connection between the connecting elements 18 and the upper or lower part. A windshield wiper device according to the embodiments described here utilizes the effect of the tail fins of certain fish, which, when subjected to lateral pressure, do not deflect in the direction of pressure but rather arch in the opposite direction, i.e., in the direction from which the pressure comes. This principle is also referred to as the fin ray principle or "fin ray" principle.

[0044] As a result, a windshield wiper device according to the embodiments described herein has the advantage of improved adaptation to a windshield 4 of a motor vehicle. In a conventional windshield wiper blade, its upper part is usually rigid, i.e., it is not designed to be flexible.

[0045] Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 show schematic representations of a wiper blade 2 of a windscreen wiper device for a vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle, in a basic position ( Fig. 6), ie in an unloaded state, and in a position applied to a disc 4 ( Fig. 7) according to the embodiments described herein. The wiper blade 2 comprises an elongated upper part 10 and an elongated lower part 12, which are designed to be at least partially bendable. Furthermore, a plurality of connecting elements 18 are provided for connecting the upper part 10 and the lower part 12, wherein the connecting elements 18 are spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2. The connecting elements 18 are designed to enable a movement of the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 relative to one another with a movement component along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2. Furthermore, the connecting elements 18 are arranged relative to the lower part 12 such that, in an unloaded state of the wiper blade 2, an angle α nthe respective longitudinal axes 24 of the connecting elements 18 relative to the lower part 12 are changed at least partially along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2, in particular continuously changed or monotonously or strictly monotonously changed.

[0046] In the Fig. 6 shown wiper blade 2 in the unloaded state, the angles α n the respective longitudinal axes 24 of the connecting elements 18 relative to the lower part 12, which change along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2, with α1, α2, α3, ... α n-1 , α n In a loaded state of the wiper blade 2, ie in a position applied to the windscreen 4, as shown for example in Fig. 7, the angles α n of the respective longitudinal axes 24 of the connecting elements 18 relative to the lower part 12 compared to the unloaded state. To express this, the angles α nthe respective longitudinal axes 24 of the connecting elements 18 relative to the lower part 12, which change along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2, in which Fig. 7, which is in a position applied to the windscreen, with α'1, α'2, α'3, ... α' n-1 , α' n designated.

[0047] According to embodiments of the windscreen wiper device, which can be combined with other embodiments, the wiper blade 2 has at least a first region in which the angle α n of the longitudinal axes 24 of the connecting elements 18 relative to the lower part 12 along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2 decreases towards a wiper blade end, in particular monotonously, in particular strictly monotonously. Furthermore, the wiper blade 2 can have at least a second region in which the angle α nof the longitudinal axes 24 of the connecting elements 18 relative to the lower part 12 along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2 increases towards a wiper blade end, in particular monotonously, in particular strictly monotonously. According to embodiments, as exemplified in the Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, is the second area of ​​the wiper blade 2, in which the angle α nthe longitudinal axes 24 of the connecting elements 18 relative to the lower part 12 along the longitudinal extension 8 of the wiper blade 2 increases towards a wiper blade end, arranged at an inner position of the wiper blade, which is located near the fastening part 30 of the wiper blade 2. This makes it possible to provide a windshield wiper device which enables particularly good adaptation to the curvature of a windshield 4. Furthermore, a largely uniform contact pressure of the windshield wiper device on the windshield 4 as well as a homogeneous force distribution of the windshield wiper device can be provided, so that a high wiping quality is provided.

[0048] According to embodiments of the wiper blade 2, which can be combined with other embodiments, the connecting elements 18, in particular in an unloaded state of the wiper blade 2, are fastened to the lower part 12 in such a way that the longitudinal axes 24 of the connecting elements 18 are at angles α n to the lower part 12, which are between a lower angle limit α nu and an upper limit α no According to embodiments, the lower angle limit α nu = 10°, especially α nu = 15°, especially α nu = 20° and the upper angle limit α no = 80°, especially α no = 90°, especially α no = 100°. This advantageously ensures a particularly good transmission of a force acting on the lower part 12 to the upper part 10.

[0049] According to embodiments of the windshield wiper device, which can be combined with other embodiments, the connecting elements 18 are configured such that the distance between the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 changes at least partially along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2, in particular continuously decreases in a first region and continuously increases in a second region. The distance between the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2 can also comprise a region in which the distance between the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 along the longitudinal extent 8 of the wiper blade 2 is essentially constant. The distance between the upper part 10 and the lower part 12 is greater at the fastening part 30 than at the opposite end, at which the connecting position 34 is located.

[0050] According to embodiments of the wiper blade 2, which can be combined with other embodiments, the inner distance value (facing the fastening part) is at least 15 mm, in particular at least 25 mm, in particular at least 35 mm. According to embodiments which can be combined with other embodiments, the outer distance value is at least 10 mm, in particular at least 12.5 mm, in particular at least 15 mm. According to embodiments which can be combined with other embodiments, the average distance value is at least 7.5 mm, in particular at least 9 mm, in particular at least 12.5 mm.

[0051] As in the Fig. 6 to 7, the connecting elements 18 are articulated to the lower part 12 and / or the upper part 10 according to embodiments that can be combined with other embodiments. In particular, the connecting elements 18 are connected to the lower part 12 and / or the upper part 10 by means of a first film hinge 20. The first film hinge 20 can be formed integrally with the connecting element 18 and the upper part 10 and / or the lower part 12. The one-piece design of the film hinges allows for simple and cost-effective production.

[0052] According to embodiments of the wiper blade, which can be combined with other embodiments described herein, the wiper blade comprises a first region with a first curvature ω<0 and a second region with a second curvature ω>0. Furthermore, according to embodiments, the wiper blade can have a third region with a third curvature ω<0, wherein the second region of the wiper blade with the second curvature ω>0 is arranged between the first region with the first curvature ω<0 and the third region with the third curvature ω<0, as is exemplary in Fig. 6. Thus, a windshield wiper device can be provided with which a largely uniform contact pressure on the windshield 4 can be realized. Furthermore, a windshield wiper device can be provided which has improved adaptation to the windshield 4 and a high wiping quality.

[0053] According to further embodiments, in addition to a quick-fix fastening closure usable for fin-ray wipers, in which the entire windshield wiper device is removed from the drive shaft 33 on the vehicle, a mechanism can be provided for lifting the wiper blade 2 of a windshield wiper device from the windshield 4 or placing it on it. This further simplifies use, for example, for manually cleaning the windshield 4.

Claims

[1] Windscreen wiper device suitable for wiping a windscreen (4) of a vehicle, comprising a wiper arm (1) with a wiper blade head (70) and a wiper blade (2), which comprises: - an elongated upper part (10) which is at least partially flexible, - an elongated lower part (12) which is at least partially flexible, and - a plurality of connecting elements (18) for connecting the upper part (10) and the lower part (12), wherein the connecting elements (18) are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal extent (8) of the wiper blade (2) and are attached to the upper part (10) and / or to the lower part (12) by means of a rotary joint (20), wherein the connecting elements (18) are designed to enable a movement of the upper part (10) and the lower part (12) relative to one another with a movement component along the longitudinal extent (8) of the wiper blade (2), wherein the wiper blade (2) comprises at least two wiper blade modules (40) which can be connected to one another by a connecting device (41). [2] Windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein the wiper blade modules (40) are designed such that they can be connected adjacent to one another in the longitudinal extension (8) of the wiper blade (2) by the connecting device (41). [3] Windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one wiper blade module (40) has a module upper part (11) and a module lower part (13), which are designed to be at least partially bendable, wherein a plurality of connecting elements (18) are further provided for connecting the module upper part (11) and the module lower part (13), wherein the connecting elements (18) are spaced apart from one another along the longitudinal extent (8) of the wiper blade (2) and are attached to the module upper part (11) and / or to the module lower part (13) by means of a rotary joint (20), wherein the connecting elements (18) are designed to enable movement of the module upper part (11) and the module lower part (13) relative to one another with a movement component along the longitudinal extent (8) of the wiper blade (2). [4] Windscreen wiper device according to claim 3, wherein the connecting device (41) further comprises: - first connecting means (42) which are designed to connect two adjacent module upper parts (11), and - second connecting means (43) which are designed to connect two adjacent module lower parts (13). [5] Windscreen wiper device according to claim 4, wherein the connecting means (42, 43) are selected from the group consisting of a plug connection, a snap-in connection, a pressure lock, a screw connection, a rivet connection, a clinch connection, a welded connection, and any combination thereof. [6] Windscreen wiper device according to one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upper part (10) and / or the lower part (12) and / or one or more connecting elements (18) contain a material selected from the group consisting of a polymethyl methacrylate, a polymer, a fiber composite material, carbon, FE, Al, PVC, PC, POM, PA, TPE, or any combination thereof. [7] Windscreen wiper device according to one of claims 3 to 6, wherein at least one wiper blade module (50) has at least one connecting element (18) for connecting the module upper part (51) and the module lower part (52), wherein the at least one connecting element (18) is spaced apart from a further connecting element (18) along a longitudinal extent (8) of the wiper blade (2) and is rigidly connected to the module upper part (51) and / or to the module lower part (52) in such a way that movement of the module upper part (51) and the module lower part (52) relative to one another is prevented. [8] Windscreen wiper device according to one of claims 3 to 7, wherein the wiper blade modules (40) are designed such that a distance between the module upper part (11) and the module lower part (13) changes at least partially along the longitudinal extent (8) of the wiper blade (2). [9] Windscreen wiper device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a wiper blade module (40) adjacent to the wiper blade head (70) in the longitudinal extension (8) of the wiper blade (2) is fixedly connected to the wiper blade head (70). [10] Windscreen wiper device according to one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the wiper blade head (70) and / or the wiper blade modules (40) are each formed as integral components by injection molding.

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