Lockable air duct to keep a vehicle side window clear in rain

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for a vehicle for drying water on a side window (1) of the vehicle, comprising an air duct (3), characterized in that the air duct (3) has a closing element (5) at its inlet opening, which is coupled to a water-sensitive material (7), wherein the water-sensitive material (7) increases its volume under the influence of water in order to move the closing element (5) to open the air duct (3) and reduces its volume in the absence of water in order to move the closing element (5) to close the air duct (3).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a device for a vehicle for removing water from a side window of the vehicle, as well as to a vehicle with such a device.

[0002] When driving a vehicle, especially a passenger car, it can happen during rain that water runs onto a side window next to the driver or passenger. This is particularly problematic if the water is in an area of ​​the side window that is within the field of view of an exterior mirror next to the side window. In this case, the driver's rearward view through the respective side mirror may be severely impaired.

[0003] Solutions are known in the prior art for drying such a side window using an air flow that is specifically adjusted using an air guide element.

[0004] In this context, DE 10 2010 017 373 B4 relates to a motor vehicle with at least one mirror surface provided on an exterior rear-view mirror and a side window, and with at least one air guiding device which directs the airflow during operation of the motor vehicle onto the mirror surface and / or the side window, wherein at least one air guiding element is arranged between the exterior rear-view mirror and the side window, and that the air guiding element is adjustable between the exterior rear-view mirror and the side window in such a way that it directs the airflow either onto the mirror surface or the side window.

[0005] DE 196 32 620 C1 also relates to an exterior rearview mirror for a motor vehicle, comprising a housing holding a mirror glass, which is traversed by air ducts connected to an air source and whose outlets are arranged along the edge of the mirror glass for air outlet opposite to the forward direction of travel of the vehicle, wherein a plurality of outlet openings of the air ducts are located in a profiled outer edge region of the mirror housing and wherein the profiling consists of elevations, depressions and circumferentially closed channels around which the airflow flows in the direction of travel, wherein the channels are located within the elevations, to which depressions through which air flow flows are connected at the sides, wherein the flows emerging from the channels and the depressions are directly adjacent horizontally at least over partial regions, whereby stable vortex-like air flows emerge from the channels.

[0006] DE 10 2016 008 699 A1 relates to a water collecting device for a windscreen of a motor vehicle, comprising a hygroscopic material, wherein the hygroscopic material is arranged as a layer on a base body and the geometric shape of the base body changes when this layer comes into contact with liquid compared to an initial state such that a receptacle is formed between the windscreen and the base body.

[0007] Air deflectors naturally interact with incoming air, which typically generates noise when it hits the deflector. However, the air duct would only be needed in rainy weather to dry water droplets on the vehicle's side window and thus prevent dirt from accumulating in that area. While using such an air duct in rainy weather would increase the noise level, driving a vehicle in rainy weather is typically characterized by higher noise levels anyway, so additional noise would hardly be a problem.

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a solution for maintaining the visibility of a field of vision of an exterior mirror through a side window even in rain, which is accompanied by an average reduction in noise.

[0009] The invention is based on the features of the independent claims. Advantageous developments and refinements are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0010] A first aspect of the invention relates to a device for a vehicle for removing water from a side window of the vehicle, comprising an air duct, characterized in that the air duct has a closing element at its inlet opening which is coupled to a water-sensitive material, wherein the water-sensitive material increases its volume under the influence of water in order to move the closing element to open the air duct and reduces its volume in the absence of water in order to move the closing element to close the air duct.

[0011] This creates an air duct integrated into the vehicle's exterior mirror cover. It collects the airflow at the front, accelerates it in the air duct, and expels it lengthwise along the side window. The air duct's outlet is directed toward the side window, so the air flows onto it. This blows any drops of rain backward along the side window, against the direction of travel, thus preventing them from obstructing the driver's view of the exterior mirror glass. Since the air duct can potentially generate loud air noise, this passive solution closes it when dry.

[0012] Materials are known in the art that swell when they come into contact with water and, in particular, absorb it. Such materials are water-sensitive and are also called hygroscopic materials. This swelling is used in the event of rain to open an inlet of the closing element. In the absence of rain, in dry conditions, the air duct remains closed, thus advantageously keeping the noise level as low as possible when the vehicle is moving. In dry conditions, the air duct is therefore not flowed through by incoming air, thus creating no additional noise from the air duct. By positioning the closing element at the duct inlet, no flow noise is generated, particularly at the beginning of the air duct.

[0013] Since the water-sensitive material expands when wetted with water, thus exposing the air channel, and contracts again when dry, closing the air channel, its functionality advantageously eliminates the need for an additional power supply for sensors, actuators, or electronic control. This allows for greater design freedom in the shape of the exterior mirror and A-pillar, as drying and keeping them free of dirt can be achieved with minimal construction effort.

[0014] If materials can be found that have the opposite behavior and contract under the influence of water and expand accordingly when dry, an analogous system can be developed by making minor mechanical changes, so that the effect is again created that the material opens the air channel when wet and closes it when dry.

[0015] According to an advantageous embodiment, the closing element is coupled to a mechanical spring. The mechanical spring advantageously supports the closing of the air duct in dry conditions, since a typical water-sensitive material exerts a certain force when expanded under the influence of water, but the force when contracted in dry conditions is typically lower than the former. This can result in the material being strong enough under the influence of water to compress the mechanical spring, but not sufficiently reliably contracting on its own with such force that the closing element reliably closes the duct. The expanding spring can provide support here, pushing the closing element in front of the opening of the duct when the counterforce caused by the material under the influence of water decreases or is completely eliminated due to the absence of water.

[0016] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the closing element is designed as a cover.

[0017] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the water-sensitive material is at least partially enclosed by a water-permeable structure. This structure must at least have the function of allowing water to pass through, so that, particularly during rain, raindrops can pass through the permeable structure and influence the water-sensitive material. The structure also preferably has the function of enclosing or guiding the water-sensitive material and, particularly preferably, providing mechanical protection for the water-sensitive material against external influences.

[0018] A further aspect of the invention relates to a vehicle with a device as described above and below. The vehicle is particularly preferably a passenger car or a truck.

[0019] According to a further advantageous embodiment, the air duct is integrated into an exterior mirror cover of the vehicle. The exterior mirror cover is preferably a plastic part or a fiber-reinforced plastic part, alternatively possibly also made of sheet steel or aluminum, and serves in particular to support an exterior mirror in the area of ​​an A-pillar of a vehicle.

[0020] Advantages and preferred developments of the proposed vehicle result from an analogous and analogous transfer of the statements made above in connection with the proposed device.

[0021] Further advantages, features, and details will become apparent from the following description, which – where appropriate with reference to the drawings – describes at least one embodiment in detail. Identical, similar, and / or functionally equivalent parts are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0022] They show: Fig. 1: An exterior mirror on a vehicle with a device for removing water from a side window according to an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2: The device of Fig. 1 in more detail in different states according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0023] The representations in the figures are schematic and not to scale.

[0024] Fig. 1 shows a perspective view of an exterior mirror of a vehicle and a device for blowing water off a side window 1 of the vehicle. The right-hand half of the image shows the string instrument from its front side, which adjoins an exterior mirror cover 13. An air duct 3 is integrated into the exterior mirror cover 13, which is aligned such that it directs a mass flow of airflow onto an area of ​​the side window 1 on the driver's side of the vehicle, where, if moisture collects there, the field of vision to the exterior mirror can be restricted. For this purpose, the air duct 3 advantageously has a correspondingly large inlet to capture a sufficiently high mass flow and direct it to this area of ​​the side window 1 at high speed.

[0025] Fig. 2 shows in cross section such an air duct 3 as under Fig.1. The partial images (A) and (B) show two different states, namely in partial image (A) a dry state of a water-sensitive material 7 and in partial image (B) a wet state of the water-sensitive material 7. Whether the water-sensitive material 7 is wet or dry depends in particular on its wetting, which in turn depends, with a slight time delay, on whether moisture, in particular rain, also hits the vehicle. The water-sensitive material 7 has the property of expanding under the influence of water. The water-sensitive material 7 is protected by a permeable structure 11 that allows splash water and raindrops to pass through, but protects against harmful mechanical effects. A closing element 5 is coupled to the water-sensitive material 7 and is movable in a guide transverse to the flow direction of the air duct 3.By adjusting the position of the closing element 5, the opening of the air duct 3 can be closed or optionally opened. This depends on the volume state of the water-sensitive material 7. As can be seen in partial image (A), when the water-sensitive material 7 is dry, its volume is small; the spring 9 relaxes and pushes the closing element 5 in front of an inlet opening of the air duct 3. If the water-sensitive material 7 is exposed to moisture for a certain period of time, it increases in volume and, by coupling against the resistance force of the spring 9, pushes the closing element 5 away from the opening of the air duct 3. The air duct 3 is thus open and incoming ambient air flows through it. At its air outlet, an air flow is blown at excess speed onto the side window 1 in an area of ​​the field of vision onto the exterior mirror in order to blow away or dry any water there.

[0026] Although the invention has been illustrated and explained in detail by preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and other variations may be derived therefrom by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. It is therefore clear that a multitude of variations exist. It is also clear that exemplary embodiments are truly only examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope, possible applications, or configuration of the invention in any way.Rather, the preceding description and the description of the figures enable the person skilled in the art to implement the exemplary embodiments in concrete terms, whereby the person skilled in the art, with knowledge of the disclosed inventive concept, can make various changes, for example with regard to the function or the arrangement of individual elements mentioned in an exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of protection defined by the claims and their legal equivalents, such as further explanations in the description. List of reference symbols 1 side window 3 air duct 5 locking element 7 water-sensitive material 9 spring 11 Structure 13 Exterior mirror cover

Claims

[1] Device for a vehicle for removing water from a side window (1) of the vehicle, comprising an air duct (3) in an exterior mirror cover (13) of the vehicle, characterized by that the air duct (3) has a closing element (5) at its inlet opening, which is coupled to a water-sensitive material (7), wherein the water-sensitive material (7) increases its volume under the influence of water in order to move the closing element (5) to open the air duct (3) and reduces its volume in the absence of water in order to move the closing element (5) to close the air duct (3), wherein the outlet opening of the air duct (3) is directed towards the side window (1). [2] Device according to claim 1, wherein the closing element (5) is coupled to a mechanical spring (9). [3] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the closing element (5) is designed as a diaphragm. [4] Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the water-sensitive material (7) is at least partially enclosed by a water-permeable structure (11). [5] Vehicle with a device according to one of the preceding claims.

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