Windshield wiper device

Abstract

The invention relates to a windshield wiper device (10) for cleaning a windshield (12) of a vehicle, comprising a wiper blade (16a, 16b), a nozzle device (30a, 30b) comprising at least one nozzle element (31a, 31b) for applying a fluid (24), in particular a cleaning fluid, to the windshield (12), and an electric heating device (100). It is proposed that the electric heating device (100) be designed as a wireless heating device for directly heating the at least one nozzle element (31a, 31b).

Description

Prior ArtThe invention relates to a windshield wiper device, in particular for a motor vehicle, and to a wiper blade according to the species of the independent claims.Numerous windshield wiper devices, in particular for motor vehicles, are already known, which comprise a wiper blade and an electrical heating device. In this case, a heating means, for example a heating wire, is arranged in the wiper blade, which heating means is supplied with current from the outside and thus heats the wiper blade. For this purpose, the wiper device comprises a power source and a connecting line which conducts the electrical energy from the power source via the wiper arm to the wiper blade.Disclosure of the InventionThe invention is based on a windshield wiper device for cleaning a windshield of a vehicle, having a wiper blade, a nozzle device having at least one nozzle element for applying a fluid, in particular a cleaning fluid, to the windshield, and an electric heating device. According to the invention, it is proposed that the electric heating device is designed as a wireless heating device for directly heating the at least one nozzle element.The electric heater includes a wireless heater that directly heats the nozzle member. The direct heating of the nozzle element significantly improves the efficiency of the windshield wiper device.Nozzle devices for cleaning fluid can ice under certain conditions, in particular in cold weather conditions. Low temperatures can lead to the fluid freezing, in particular in the region of the nozzle opening. In particular in the region of the nozzle outlet, a corresponding icing can take place in particular as a result of the evaporation. By directly heating the nozzle element, the risk of icing is thus advantageously reduced directly and locally limited in the area of ice formation. Furthermore, the direct, wireless heating of the nozzle body itself makes it possible to clearly facilitate an initial installation and replacement of the windshield wiper device, and of individual components of the windshield wiper device.The measures listed in the dependent claims result in advantageous refinements and improvements of the features specified in the main claim.According to an advantageous development of the invention, the wireless heating device is designed as an inductive heating device, in particular a magnetically resonant heating device.According to an advantageous development of the invention, a magnetically resonant heating device can be understood to mean, in particular, a heating device in which a high-frequency oscillating magnetic field transfers energy between two coil elements which operate at the same resonant frequency. A plurality of receiver elements can be coupled to one transmitter element. The magnetically resonant heating device thus does not require a close coupling of the two coil elements to one another, so that the coupling partners can be aligned with one another with a greater deviation, which has a particularly advantageous effect on the flexibility of the arrangement of the components with respect to one another.According to an advantageous development of the invention, the wireless heating device has at least one transmitter element and at least one receiver element, wherein preferably the transmitter element is arranged in the region of the pane and the receiver element is arranged in the region of the nozzle element. The transmitter element can be designed, for example, as a coil element and generate a magnetic field, which can be absorbed by the receiver element and used for heating the nozzle element of the nozzle device.According to an advantageous development of the invention, the transmitter element and / or the receiver element is designed as a coil element, in particular as a metallic coil element. By using metal as material for the coil elements, a high efficiency in the transmission of the energy between transmitter and receiver elements can be achieved.The nozzle element is preferably configured to be connected to at least one fluid line element. In particular, the wiper arm comprises at least one wiper rod, along which the fluid line element runs. Preferably, the fluid line element is at least partially, in particular at least largely, surrounded by the wiper rod and / or a cover element of the wiper arm, as viewed along a main extension axis of the wiper arm, in particular in a plane extending at least substantially perpendicular to the main extension axis of the wiper arm.The wiper arm preferably comprises a wiper blade adapter for fastening the wiper blade to the wiper arm. The wiper blade adapter preferably comprises at least one bearing element, in particular designed as a bearing bolt, for a pivotable mounting of the wiper blade, in particular of the wiper blade adapter, on the wiper arm, in particular the wiper blade adapter. The wiper blade adapter comprises at least one fixing element which is provided for fixing the wiper blade in at least one position relative to the wiper arm, in particular the wiper blade adapter.In addition, a wiper blade and a wiper arm for a previously mentioned windshield wiper device according to the invention are proposed. The windshield wiper device preferably further comprises at least one fluid container which is connected in particular via the fluid line element to the wiper blade adapter and to a nozzle device arranged on the wiper blade adapter.The windshield wiping device preferably comprises at least one pump unit which is provided for conveying the fluid from the fluid container via the fluid line element to the nozzle device. In particular, the windshield wiper device comprises an actuating element which is provided to activate at least the pump unit, in particular when actuated by a user. The windshield wiper device preferably comprises an open-loop and / or closed-loop control unit which is configured for open-loop and / or closed-loop control of at least the pump unit.DRAWINGSExemplary embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description. The following are shown: FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a 10 windshield wiper device according to the invention in the mounted position, FIG. 2 shows a schematic illustration of a windshield wiper device, FIG. 3 shows a schematic illustration of a nozzle device.DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTSIn the various embodiments, like parts are given the same reference numerals.FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment of a windshield wiper device 10. The windshield wiper device 10 is shown in the mounted position. The windshield wiper device 10 is arranged on a pane 12 which does not form part of the invention and is designed, for example, as a windshield of a motor vehicle. The windshield wiper device 10 comprises a drive unit 14, which is provided to move a wiper blade 16 aover the windshield 12. The wiping movement is here indicated by way of example by the double arrow 18 in the drawing.According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the wiper blade 16 oscillates back and forth between a first position P 1 and a second position P 2 in operation in order to strip moisture from the windshield 12. As shown here, a further wiper blade 16 bmay also be provided. The further wiper blade 16 balso oscillates back and forth between two positions during operation. According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, the first position P 1 of the wiper blade 16 a, 16 bis arranged in the region of a lower edge of the windshield 12 and corresponds approximately to the position which the wiper blade 16 a, 16 btakes when the windshield wiper device 10 is not in operation. This position is also called a parking position.According to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1, the windshield wiping device 10 has a nozzle device 30, which has at least one nozzle element 31 in order to apply a fluid 24, in particular a cleaning fluid, to the windshield 12. According to a preferred development of the invention, the nozzle device 30 is arranged directly on the wiper blade 16 a, 16 bor alternatively on a wiper blade adapter 34 a, 34 band / or on a wiper arm 22 a, 22 b, in particular on a wiper blade inner circle 40 a, 40 bof the wiper arm 32 a, 32 b. This direct application of the cleaning fluid 24 via the wiper blade 16 a, 16 b, the wiper blade adapter 34 a, 34 bor the wiper arm 22 a, 22 bhas the advantage that the washing liquid is applied directly by the wiper blade 16 a, 16 band therefore the field of view is less impaired during the cleaning with a washing liquid, which leads to a higher driving safety.According to an advantageous development of the invention, the nozzle device 30a is formed. 30b is supplied with washing liquid by means of a pump via a supply line from the container. This reaches the nozzle elements 31 via integrated hoses 50, from which the wiper blade 16 is sprayed in a targeted manner.According to an advantageous further development of the invention, a plurality of nozzle elements 31 are arranged in the wiper blade 16 distributed over the wiper blade length. The optimized distribution of the nozzle elements 31 over the entire wiper blade length directly provides wash liquid, which rapidly ensures clear vision and thus higher driving safety. According to an advantageous further development of the invention, the nozzle elements 31, which are preferably designed as outlets in the wiper blade 16, are introduced into the wiper blade 16 with a laser in order to ensure an optimum spray pattern.Within the hoses 50, the antifreeze agent generally contained in a cleaning fluid ensures that the fluid does not freeze within the lines. However, due to the rapid evaporation at the end of the hose 50, a plug of ice may form on the nozzle element 31. In order to prevent this problem, it is proposed to directly heat the nozzle member 31 with a wireless heater 100. By heating the nozzle member 31, an ice plug can be prevented from being formed and thus uniform cleaning can be ensured.According to an advantageous development of the invention, the wireless heating device 100 is designed as an inductive heating device, in particular as a magnetically resonant heating device, and preferably has at least one transmitter element 101 and one receiver element 102, wherein preferably the transmitter element 101 is arranged in the region of the pane 12 and the receiver element 102 is arranged in the region of the nozzle element 31.According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of transmitter elements 101 are arranged in the region of the parking position P 1, that is to say in the region of the parking position or the lower edge of the pane 12, said transmitter elements serving for generating a high-frequency induction field 24 (FIG. 2 ) for heating the nozzle elements 31. According to an advantageous development of the invention, the transmitter elements 101 are each designed as winding elements 122. Depending on the desired heating power, one or a plurality of coil elements 122 may be provided. The coil elements 122 are preferably formed from a high-frequency stranded wire, which generates a particularly strong electromagnetic induction field 23 (FIG. 2 ).In a variation of the invention, alternatively or additionally, the transmitter elements 101 can also be arranged in another region of the pane, such as, for example, in the region of the second position P 2. In one movement cycle, i.e. in an up and down movement, the wiper blade 16 is heated twice in the supplementary embodiment, since it passes twice through the high-frequency induction field 23 (FIG. 2 ). The alternative embodiment, in which transmitter elements 101 are thus arranged only in the second position P 2, is considered above all, but not exclusively, when the parking position is provided in the second position P 2. This second position P2 is located close to the so-called A-pillar of the motor vehicle, which serves to laterally delimit the window 12.Furthermore, a control device 26 can advantageously be provided, which is provided for supplying energy to the transmitter elements 101, in particular to the coil elements 122. According to an advantageous further development of the invention, the control device 26 generates an alternating current with a frequency between 20 and 100 kHz, which is fed to the transmitter elements 101.FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a windshield wiper device 10. According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, two transmitter elements 101 a, 101 bare arranged on the inner side of the pane 12. According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the transmitter elements 101 a, 101 bhave in each case at least one coil element 122 a, 122 b.According to an advantageous development of the invention, coil elements 122 a, 122 bare designed as tightly wound disk-shaped copper coils, so that a magnetic field is generated around the respective coil element 122 a, 122 b. The direction of the magnetic field changes in this case at the same clock rate as the alternating current which is communicated from the control device 26 to the coil element 122 a, 122 b.This produces an induction field 23 a, 23 b, respectively. The induction field 23 in turn induces an alternating magnetic field in an active region 124 a, 124 bof the transmitter element 101 a, 101 b.If a receiver element 102 a, 10 bis now introduced into this active region 124 a, 124 b, so-called eddy currents flow in the receiver element 102 a, 102 b, as a result of which the latter is heated.According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, the windshield wiper device 10 has a wiper arm 32 a, which is connected to the wiper blade 16 avia a wiper blade adapter 34 a. According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2, at least one first nozzle element 31 aof a nozzle device 30 is arranged on the wiper blade adapter 34 a. Preferably, the nozzle member 31a is disposed in a first nozzle device adapter 60. The nozzle device 60 preferably comprises at least one further nozzle element 31 b, which is preferably formed in a second nozzle device adapter 61. Preferably, the first nozzle device adapter 60 is arranged on the wiper blade adapter 32 a. Preferably, the second nozzle device adapter 61 is arranged on the wiper arm 22 a, in particular in a wiper blade inner circle 40 aof the wiper arm 32 a. Preferably, both the first nozzle device adapter 60 and the second nozzle device adapter 61 have at least one nozzle element 31 a, 31 b, preferably a plurality of nozzle elements 31 a, 31 bin each case.According to a preferred development of the invention, a receiver element 102 a, 102 bis arranged on each of the nozzle elements 31 a, 31 b. Preferably, the receiver element 102 a, 102 bis also designed as a spiral element. If the nozzle element 30 is now introduced into the active region 124 a, 124 b, the above-mentioned effects occur, so that the receiver element 102 a, 102 band thus the nozzle element 31 a, 31 barranged in the immediate vicinity are heated to a locally limited extent. Preferably, only the nozzle element 31 a, 31 bis heated, in particular in the region of the nozzle outlet.The control device 26 is preferably designed such that the 122 a, 122 bare energized only when the corresponding nozzle elements 31 a, 31 bengages into the active region 124 a, 124 b. For this purpose, the control device 26 is connected to the drive unit 14, so that the energization of the 122 a, 122 bis started when the windshield wiper device 10 is in a corresponding angular position.In FIG. 3, an embodiment of a nozzle device 30 is depicted. According to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle device 30 is arranged in a first nozzle device adapter 60. This can be arranged in particular on a wiper blade adapter 34 a. A hose 50 provides the fluid supply of the cleaning fluid to the nozzle device 30. according to the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle device adapter 60 has two nozzle elements 31 a, 31 b, which are arranged on an end side of the nozzle device adapter 60. The cleaning liquid is sprayed onto the disk 12 via the nozzle elements 31 a, 31 b. The receiver element 102 ais arranged directly in the region of the nozzle elements 31 a, 31 b. Preferably, each of the nozzle members 31 a, 31 bhas a coil member 123 a 123 b. Preferably, the coil elements are integrated into the nozzle elements 31 a, 31 b, respectively. Preferably, the nozzle elements 31 a, 31 bare designed as nozzle outlet openings. It is also conceivable for the nozzle elements 31 a, 31 bto be heated via a common coil 123.

Claims

Windscreen wiper device (10) for cleaning a window (12) of a vehicle, having a wiper blade (16a, 16b), a nozzle device (30a, 30b) having at least one nozzle element (31a, 31b) for applying a fluid (24), in particular a cleaning fluid, to the window (12) and an electric heating device (100), characterized in that the electric heating device (100) is designed as a wireless heating device for directly heating the at least one nozzle element (31a, 31b).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to Claim 1, characterized in that the wireless heating device (100) is designed as an inductive heating device, in particular as a magnetically resonant heating device.Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wireless heating device (100) has at least one transmitter element (101a, 101b) and at least one receiver element (102a, 102b), wherein preferably the transmitter element (101a, 101b) is arranged in the region of the window (12) and the receiver element (102a, 102b) is arranged in the region of the nozzle element (31a, 31b).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmitter element (101a, 101b) has an active region (124a, 124b), in particular a magnetic wave active region, wherein the receiver element (102a, 102b) is preferably configured such that it can be moved through the active region (124a, 124b) during operation of the windscreen wiper device (10).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmitter element (101a, 101b) and / or the receiver element (102a, 102b) is designed as a coil element (122a, 122b, 123a, 123b), in particular as a metallic coil element.Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wiper blade (16a, 16b) is designed to be movable during operation between at least a first position (P1) and a second position (P2), wherein the first position (P1) is designed as a parking position and wherein preferably the active region (124a, 124b) is arranged in the region of the first position (P1).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nozzle device (30) has a plurality of nozzle elements (31a, 31b), wherein at least one, preferably a plurality, in particular all, nozzle elements (31a, 31b) are designed such that they can be heated by means of the wireless heating device (100).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one nozzle element (31a, 31b) is arranged in the wiper blade (16a, 16b).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a wiper blade adapter (32a, 32b) is provided for connecting the wiper blade (16)a, 16b) to a wiper arm (22a, 22b), wherein preferably at least one nozzle element (31a, 31b) of the nozzle device (30) is arranged in the region of the wiper blade adapter (32a, 32b).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one nozzle element (31a, 31b) of the nozzle device (30) is arranged on the wiper arm (22a, 22b), in particular in a wiper blade inner circle (40a, 40b) of a wiper arm (22a, 22b).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one coil element (123a, 123b) is formed integrally in a nozzle element (31a, 31b).Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiver element (102a, 102b) is arranged on a side of the window (12) facing an interior space.

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