Wiper blade and windshield wiper system

Abstract

Wiper blade (10) for a windshield wiper system (36) of a vehicle, comprising a carrier device (16) for holding a wiper lip (14) and a marking unit (26) which is configured to provide data and to transmit the provided data contactlessly into the surroundings of the wiper blade (10), characterized in that the marking unit (26) is concealed from the outside by at least one other part of the wiper blade (10), wherein a fastening element (12) is provided, via which the wiper blade (10) can be fastened to a wiper arm (40), wherein the marking unit (26) is arranged concealed in or on this fastening element (12).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiper blade for a windshield wiper system of a vehicle, comprising a carrier device for holding a wiper lip and a marking unit configured to provide data and to transmit the provided data contactlessly to the area surrounding the wiper blade. The invention further relates to a corresponding windshield wiper system. State of the art

[0002] Wiper blades for use in vehicles are well-known in the art. Wiper blades are typically attached to wiper arms, so that when the wiper arms are pivoted, a rubber lip of the wiper blade sweeps across the windshield of the vehicle, thereby removing moisture or dew from the surface of the windshield. Different types of wiper blades are used for different vehicle models, and these can differ in length, material, mechanism, and other features.

[0003] Wiper blades are consumables. They age due to environmental influences such as sunlight, dirt, and the like, or can be damaged or destroyed by obstacles on the surface of a vehicle's windshield. Therefore, wiper blades are usually replaced during regular maintenance at a workshop. When replaced at a workshop, the wiper blades are usually replaced without further inspection, as it is assumed that their wiping quality has deteriorated due to aging, without a thorough inspection of the wiper blades' condition being carried out. This can lead to perfectly good wiper blades being replaced, resulting in unnecessary increased wiper blade consumption.

[0004] Alternatively, the driver can replace the wiper blades themselves if they notice poor wiping quality indicating that the wiper blades are worn or damaged. However, if the driver inspects the wiper blades, they are usually only replaced when visibility through the windshield is severely impaired while driving in rain, so there is usually a longer period of time before the driver can replace the wiper blades. During this period, driving in rain poses an increased risk to the driver and passengers due to the reduced visibility through the windshield.

[0005] For example, document EP 2 243 671 A2 discloses a wiper blade for a windshield wiper system of a motor vehicle. The wiper blade comprises a support device for holding a wiper lip and a marking unit configured to provide data via a memory and to transmit the provided data contactlessly to the area surrounding the wiper blade via an antenna. For this purpose, the marking unit comprises, for example, an RFID element on an adhesive film, with the adhesive film being adhered to the outside of the support device. Such a marking unit is particularly easy to install. Retrofitting is also readily possible.

[0006] Furthermore, from the document DE 10 2011 057 094 A1 a wiper device for cleaning vehicle windows is known, comprising a wiper blade having a wiper rubber, which is replaceably fastened to a wiper arm by means of a wiper blade adapter, wherein a latching connection is formed between the wiper blade adapter and the wiper arm, which latching connection comprises a latching element arranged on the wiper blade adapter, which engages in a form-fitting manner in a corresponding opening or recess on the wiper arm. Disclosure of the invention

[0007] The wiper blade according to the invention with the features mentioned in claim 1 offers the advantage that the marking unit can also be used for other functions.

[0008] In the wiper blade for a windshield wiper system of a vehicle, comprising (i) the carrier element for holding the wiper lip and (ii) the marking unit, which is configured to provide data and to transmit the provided data contactlessly into the surroundings of the wiper blade, the invention provides that the marking unit is outwardly concealed by at least one other part of the wiper blade. This measure now also enables the use of the marking unit (the marker) for functions in which the marking function of the marking unit should not be readily recognizable by a person manipulating the wiper blade. Such a function is, for example, an anti-theft device or a safeguard against other undesired manipulation of the wiper blade in the windshield wiper system.

[0009] The marking unit has an information provision unit with a (data) memory for providing the data, so that the data of information provided in the memory can be transmitted to the environment or read out from there in a contactless or contactless manner.

[0010] According to an embodiment of the invention, the wiper blade further comprises a fastening element by means of which the wiper blade can be fastened to a wiper arm of the windshield wiper system. The marking unit is arranged concealed in or on this fastening element. The fastening element is designed, in particular, as an adapter element, which creates a connection between a fastening structure of the wiper arm and a fastening structure of the carrier element. The use of adapter elements for attaching wiper blades to wiper arms is known per se and quite widespread.

[0011] According to a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the marking unit is configured to provide a serial number and / or an identification number.

[0012] According to yet another preferred embodiment of the invention, the marking unit comprises a cycle counter for counting wiping cycles of the wiper blade and / or a sensor for detecting an indication of an aging state of the wiper blade.

[0013] It is further advantageously provided that the marking unit is designed as an RFID element.

[0014] In the corresponding windshield wiper system for the vehicle, the invention provides that this system has (a) at least one arrangement comprising a wiper arm and a wiper blade of the aforementioned type attached to the wiper arm for sweeping across a windshield of the vehicle, and (b) at least one communication element arranged such that a communication connection can be established with the marking unit in one positional region of the wiper blade. In another positional region of the wiper blade when sweeping across the windshield, however, the communication connection between the wiper blade and the marking unit can also be interrupted. In this way, a change in position of the wiper blade can be detected particularly easily. Preferably, one communication element is provided per wiper arm. The at least one communication element is generally arranged fixedly to the vehicle.

[0015] According to a preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, this system has a control unit which is connected to the communication element for data transmission purposes and which is designed to increment the cycle counter of the marking unit or another cycle counter for counting wiping cycles of the wiper blade when a specific change in position is detected when the position of the wiper blade is detected.

[0016] According to a further preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, the control unit has the other cycle counter.

[0017] According to yet another preferred embodiment of the system according to the invention, the system has a data transmission connection between the control unit and at least one further control unit of the vehicle. This further control unit is preferably a control unit of an alarm system. An alarm system typically comprises such a control unit, various sensors (hood contact, door contacts, etc.), and an alarm siren. If the removal of a wiper blade is detected while the alarm system is armed, this also triggers an alarm.

[0018] Further advantages and advantageous embodiments of the inventive objects are illustrated by the drawings and explained in the following description, whereby the described features may be an object of the present invention individually or in any combination, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be noted that the drawings are merely descriptive and are not intended to limit the invention in any way. They show: Fig. 1 a part of a wiper blade having a marking unit for a windscreen wiper system, Fig. 2 a schematic representation of the marking unit in plan view and Fig. 3 a schematic representation of a windshield wiper system for a windshield of a motor vehicle.

[0019] The Fig. 1 shows part of a wiper blade 10. The wiper blade 10 has a fastening element 12 for fastening the wiper blade 10, a wiper lip 14 and a support device 16 on which the wiper lip 14 is arranged. The fastening element 12 is a fastening clip in the example shown, the wiper lip 14 is a rubber lip and the support device 16 has the conventional form of a wiper blade support device. This conventional support device 14 has a central bracket 18, joints 20, claw brackets 22 and a spring rail 24. The central bracket 18 is pivotally connected to the claw brackets 22 via the joints 20 and the claw brackets 22 in turn carry the spring rail 24. The wiper lip 14 extends longitudinally over the entire length of the spring rail 24, so that when the wiper blade 10 sweeps over a surface in the transverse direction, such asacross a windshield of a vehicle, the wiper lip 14 glides over the surface and wipes off moisture deposited there in the form of drops or dew. As an alternative to the type of wiper blade 10 shown with the conventional support device 16 with joints, the wiper blade 10 can also be designed as a so-called "aero wiper blade" with a joint-free support device.

[0020] The fastening element 12 is arranged on a side of the carrier device 2 opposite the wiper lip 14, so that a wiper arm (see Fig. 3), which is pivotally mounted on a vehicle (not shown), can be fastened to the fastening element 12 at its end opposite the pivot axis. As a result, the wiper blade 10 is moved in a pivoting movement across the windshield of the motor vehicle in order to perform a wiping movement in a known manner.

[0021] The wiper blade 10 further comprises a (in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3) which is suitable for providing information such that it can be read without contact. In the example shown, the marking unit (or, for short, the marker) 26 is arranged inside the fastening element 12. The unit 26 is outwardly concealed by at least one other part of the wiper blade 10, namely a base body of the fastening element 12, so that the marking unit 26 can also be referred to as a "covered" or even "invisible" marking unit 26.

[0022] Alternatively, the marking unit 26 can also be arranged in / on another part of the wiper blade 10. It is crucial that this unit 26 is outwardly concealed by at least one other part of the wiper blade 10 and is configured to provide at least one piece of information or corresponding data and to transmit the provided information or data contactlessly into the surroundings of the wiper blade 10.

[0023] In Fig. 2, the marking unit 26 is shown schematically in detail. The marking unit 26 comprises an antenna 28, which can preferably be designed in the form of a loop antenna with a few turns. The antenna 28 is electrically connected to an information provision unit 30. Alternatively, the antenna 28 can also be designed as a dipole antenna.

[0024] The marking unit 26 can, for example, be designed as a so-called RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) unit, as can be used conventionally for marking goods. According to the illustrated embodiment, the marking unit 26 comprises an information provision unit 30 with a memory 32, so that information provided in the memory 32 can be read out via the antenna 28 in a contactless or non-contact manner. This makes it possible to store information stored in the memory 32 about a type of wiper blade 10 and / or a serial number of the wiper blade 10 and / or a manufacturing date of the wiper blade 10. The information is provided by providing corresponding data that yields this information.

[0025] This information or data can be read from the wiper blade 10 in the assembled and / or disassembled state using a suitable reading device known from the prior art. This allows a user to easily read the information about the type of wiper blade 10 and / or the serial number when replacing the wiper blade 10, identify an identical or compatible wiper blade by comparing it with the read information, and replace the wiper blade 10 to be replaced with a new wiper blade of the same or comparable type.Furthermore, the memory 32 of the information provision unit 30 can be designed to be writable, so that, for example, when the wiper blade 10 is purchased, an indication of the current date is transmitted to the information provision unit 30 with the aid of the reading device and is accordingly written into the memory, so that by later reading the marking unit 26, for example with the aid of a portable handheld reader for RFID elements, the duration during which the wiper blade 10 is in use can be determined.

[0026] The marking unit 26 is in the example of Fig. 2 is further equipped with one (or optionally with several) sensors 34 that are capable of detecting environmental conditions that contribute to faster or slower aging of the wiper blade 10. For example, a UV light sensor can be provided that measures the time during which the wiper blade 10 is exposed to sunlight and thus ages faster than a wiper blade not exposed to UV light. The UV light sensor can, for example, be a chemical sensor that represents a resistance layer whose resistance changes over time depending on a cumulative UV light input. The resistance of the resistance layer then represents a measure of the UV light-induced aging of the wiper blade 10. In general, other electrical properties of the UV light sensor can also change depending on the UV light input.

[0027] In Fig. 3 shows a windshield wiper system 36 for a vehicle in which a windshield 38 can be cleaned with the aid of two wiper blades 10. The two wiper blades 10 are pivotably mounted on respective wiper arms 40, such that by pivoting the wiper arms 40 about a pivot axis 42, the wiper blades 10 can be moved across the windshield 38 in a pivoting direction (dashed arrows). A communication element 44 is arranged at each position on the windshield 38, with a communication element 44 being arranged for each wiper blade 10 or for at least one of the wiper blades 10 such that, at a specific position of the wiper blade 10 on the windshield 38, the marking unit 26 and the communication element 44 lie one above the other in the direction of a surface normal of the windshield 38.This allows the respective marking unit 26 and the associated communication element 44 to communicate with each other. Each of the marking units 26 is concealed from the outside by a covering part of the fastening element 12, thus a concealed marking unit 26, which is shown in . Fig. 3 is therefore only shown in dashed lines.

[0028] Preferably, the communication element 44 is arranged on the windshield 38 such that the marking unit 26 of the respective wiper blade 10 lies above the communication element 44 with respect to the surface normal of the windshield 38 when the wiper blades 10 or the at least one wiper blade 10 is in a parked position. Of course, it is also possible to arrange the communication elements 44 such that the marking units 26 of the respective wiper blade 10 lie above the communication element 44 in a different position.

[0029] Since each of the marking units 26 configured as an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification Device) unit is a unit designed for short-range communication, optimal communication between the communication element 44 and the marking unit 26 occurs when they are arranged one above the other with respect to the windshield 38. To ensure optimal communication, the antenna 28 is preferably arranged such that the winding plane of the loop antenna's turns extends substantially parallel to the windshield 38.

[0030] During installation or replacement of the wiper blades 10 by dismantling the used wiper blades 10 and reassembling new wiper blades 10 by fastening the fastening element 12 to the ends of the wiper arms 40 opposite the pivot axes 42, communication takes place between the communication element 44 and the marking unit 26. During this communication, the communication element 44, controlled by a control unit 46, can transmit the current date or another time information for the installation time to the marking unit 26 of the respective wiper blade 10, so that the information provision unit 30 of the marking unit 26 stores information about the current date in the memory 32 located in the marking unit 26.

[0031] Alternatively or additionally, a cycle counter can also be provided in the marking unit 26, which counts the number of wiping operations, i.e., pivoting movements, across the windshield 38 by incrementing the cycle counter whenever the marking unit 26 passes over the communication element 44 or leaves this position again due to a wiping movement. Such a cycle counter can also be provided in the control unit 46, so that an incrementation always occurs when a certain state change has been detected during a recognition of the position of the wiper blade 10. Fig. 3, the cycle counter is provided in the control unit 46 with the reference numeral 48. The control unit 46 is connected to other components, in particular control components, of the vehicle via a data line 50.

[0032] Since the marking unit 26 is not visible from the outside, the measures for contactless transmission of data to the area surrounding the wiper blade 10 cannot be readily detected from the outside. If the control unit 46 is connected via the data line, for example, to a control unit of a vehicle alarm system, the marking unit 26 can be used for theft protection or to protect against other unwanted manipulation of the wiper blade 10 in the windshield wiper system 36.

[0033] Alternatively, when installing a new wiper blade 10, which can be determined by changing a unique serial number read out after installation by changing it relative to a previously recognized serial number, the installation time can be stored in the control unit 46 as the time of first recognition of the serial number, so that an age indication can be calculated in the control unit 46 using an indication of the current time. The control unit 46 can signal to a driver (vehicle operator) via a suitable output unit when the wiper blades 10 have reached a predetermined age, so that the driver can decide whether to replace the wiper blades 10.

[0034] It can further be provided that communication between the marking unit 26 and the communication element 44 always takes place when the marking unit 26 and the communication element 44 are located one above the other. For this purpose, the communication unit 44 sends request signals to the marking unit 26 regularly or at predetermined times. Depending on the receipt of a response signal, the cycle counter 48 can then be incremented. The control unit 46 then makes the counter value of the cycle counter 48 available for reading as an indication of the aging state of the wiper blade 10.

[0035] The number of wiping cycles determined with the aid of the cycle counter 48 represents an indication of the aging of the wiper blade 10. The provision of the cycle counter 48 in the marking unit 26 of the wiper blade 10 instead of in the control unit 46 therefore has the advantage that when the wiper blades 10 are removed from the vehicle and the used wiper blades 10 are installed on another vehicle, the aging information in the form of an indication of the wiping cycles is not lost, but is properly available in the vehicle that has been equipped with the used wiper blades 10.

[0036] Furthermore, the ambient temperature can also be detected by sensor 34 of the marking unit 26 and taken into account when assessing the condition of the wiper blade in the control unit 46. When counting the wiping cycles in a cycle counter 48 located in the marking unit 26, the incrementation during a wiping operation can be performed using a weighted value, with the weighting depending on the ambient temperature. In this way, the increased wear of the wiper blade 10 when wiping at low ambient temperatures can be taken into account.

[0037] The temperature sensor 34 can, for example, contain a specific material that changes its electrical properties depending on the course of the ambient temperature, so that by evaluating the electrical properties of the material of the sensor 34, conclusions can be drawn about the aging of the wiper blade 10.

Claims

[1] Wiper blade (10) for a windscreen wiper system (36) of a vehicle, comprising a carrier device (16) for holding a wiper lip (14) and a marking unit (26) which is designed to provide data and to transmit the provided data contactlessly into the environment of the wiper blade (10), characterized by that the marking unit (26) is concealed from the outside by at least one other part of the wiper blade (10), wherein a fastening element (12) is provided by means of which the wiper blade (10) can be fastened to a wiper arm (40), wherein the marking unit (26) is arranged in a concealed manner in or on this fastening element (12). [2] Wiper blade according to claim 1, characterized by that the marking unit (26) is arranged to provide a serial number and / or an identification number. [3] Wiper blade according to claim 1 or 2, characterized bythat the marking unit (26) has a cycle counter (48) for counting wiping cycles of the wiper blade (10) and / or a sensor (34) for detecting an indication of an aging state of the wiper blade (10). [4] Wiper blade according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by that the marking unit (26) is designed as an RFID element. [5] Windscreen wiper system for a vehicle, comprising: - at least one arrangement comprising a wiper arm (40) and a wiper blade (10) attached to the wiper arm (40) according to one of the preceding claims for sweeping over a windscreen (38) of the vehicle and - at least one communication element (44) which is arranged such that a communication connection with the marking unit (26) can be established in a location area of ​​the wiper blade (10). [6] System according to claim 5, characterized bya control unit (46) which is connected to the communication element (44) for data transmission purposes and which is designed to increment the cycle counter of the marking unit (26) or another cycle counter (48) for counting wiping cycles of the wiper blade (10) when a specific change in position is detected upon detection of the position of the wiper blade (10). [7] System according to claim 6, characterized by that the control unit (46) has the other cycle counter (48). [8] System according to one of claims 5 to 7, characterized by a data transmission connection (50) between the control unit (46) and at least one further control unit of the vehicle. [9] System according to claim 8, characterized by that the additional control unit is a control unit of an alarm system.

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