Wiping system for a vehicle and vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a wiping system for a vehicle and such a vehicle, wherein the wiping system comprises: at least one wiper arm with an attached wiper blade, a wiper motor and a control unit, wherein the wiping system is configured to be mounted in the area of ​​a windshield of a vehicle in order to effect cleaning of the windshield within a first predefined wiping area based on a movement of the wiper arm and the attached wiper blade, and wherein the control unit is configured to determine an activation requirement for activating a high-efficiency wiping mode of the wiping system and, in the event of a determined activation requirement, to adjust the control of the wiper motor.so that the wiper arm moves back and forth across the windshield with a wiping frequency of at least wiping cycles per minute and / or the wiper arm moves back and forth exclusively within a second wiping area of ​​the windshield, which is a sub-area of ​​the first wiping area.

Description

State of the art

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiping system for a vehicle and a vehicle with such a wiping system.

[0002] Wiping systems for vehicle windshields are known from the prior art, which use electronically controlled wiper drives (so-called reversing wipers) or standard wiper drives (so-called 360° wipers). 0 are equipped with rotary wiper arms to move one or more wiper arms of the wiper systems across a corresponding vehicle window, in particular a windshield.

[0003] It is also known that the control of the wiper drives for starting, stopping or adapting the wiping processes to current boundary conditions is carried out by a driver operating a steering column switch and / or by a rain sensor. Disclosure of the invention

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a wiping system for a vehicle is proposed, comprising at least one wiper arm with an attached wiper blade, a wiper motor and a control unit.

[0005] The wiping system is designed to be mounted in the area of ​​a vehicle's windshield in order to clean the windshield within a first predefined wiping area based on a movement of the wiper arm and the associated wiper blade.

[0006] Advantageously, the wiper blade has a rubber lip attached to it that makes contact with the windshield, so the wiping system is designed to clean the vehicle's windshield using this rubber lip. The term "cleaning" is generally understood to mean any removal of foreign matter from the windshield, which includes not only the removal of dirt but also the removal of precipitation, especially rain, snow, hail, etc.

[0007] The control unit can be designed, for example, as an ASIC, microcontroller, processor, or as a different type of computing unit. Furthermore, the control unit can be a separate component or a component integrated into an existing vehicle control unit.

[0008] The control unit is designed to determine an activation requirement for activating a high-efficiency wiping mode of the wiping system and, in the event of a determined activation requirement, to adjust the control of the wiper motor so that the wiper arm is moved back and forth across the windshield with a wiping frequency of at least 61 wiping operations per minute and / or so that the wiper arm is moved back and forth exclusively within a second wiping area of ​​the windshield, which is a sub-area of ​​the first wiping area.

[0009] A single wiper action is defined here as a complete wiping movement of the wiper arm, from its starting position to its end position and back to the starting position. In other words, with 61 wiper actions per minute, the wiper arm moves back and forth across the windshield 61 times.

[0010] In the case where the wiping area is restricted from the first wiping area to the smaller second wiping area, the start position and / or the end position for the wiper arm are adjusted so that they are closer together, thus increasing the cleaning performance of the wiping system due to the shorter distance the wiper arm has to travel within the second wiping area, without having to adjust the wiping frequency of the wiper motor, although the latter is of course also possible.

[0011] The wiping system according to the invention offers, among other things, the advantage that the windshield of the vehicle can be cleaned particularly quickly and / or effectively even in cases where the windshield is exposed to an above-average amount of water (for example, rainwater, splash water, etc.) and / or other precipitation and / or dirt, thereby improving the visibility of occupants, especially the driver of the vehicle, to the road ahead and minimizing the risk of an accident.

[0012] The dependent claims describe preferred embodiments of the invention.

[0013] It is particularly advantageous for the wiper motor to be designed as a brushless DC motor (also called an EC motor), which enables particularly fast wiping operations and particularly flexible control of the wiper motor. Alternatively or additionally, the wiper motor is advantageously configured to provide a wiping frequency of at least 61, preferably at least 63, and most preferably at least 65 wiping operations per minute. In this way, a particularly high cleaning performance can be achieved by the wiping system according to the invention.

[0014] Preferably, the wiper system according to the invention is configured to determine the activation requirement of the high-efficiency wiper mode based on the reception of an activation signal provided from outside the wiper system. The activation signal is received, for example, from a control unit of the vehicle and / or via a wireless communication device of the vehicle from outside the vehicle. In the latter case, the activation signal can be provided, for example, by other road users and / or other stationary and / or mobile devices such as cloud servers, etc. Alternatively or additionally, the wiper system is configured to determine the activation requirement based on information about current boundary conditions, wherein the boundary conditions are, in particular, the current amount of precipitation (which, for example,(which can be detected by means of a rain sensor and / or a camera and / or other vehicle sensors) and / or represent the vehicle's current speed and / or a current traffic situation and / or an altitude and / or type of current traffic volume and / or the vehicle's current geoposition. It is understood that further boundary conditions, not explicitly mentioned here, may also be considered when determining the activation requirement.For example, by evaluating the current traffic volume and / or the current speed of the vehicle, it is possible to determine the criticality of a current driving situation at a given amount of precipitation, so that even with a medium amount of precipitation it can be advantageous to determine the activation requirement of the high-efficiency wiper mode in order to ensure a clear view for the driver of the vehicle under critical environmental conditions through the fast and efficient cleaning of the windshield according to the invention.

[0015] In an advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the wiper system is configured to determine the current temperature of the wiper motor and, if the current temperature of the wiper motor exceeds a predefined temperature threshold, to prevent activation of the high-efficiency wiper mode (e.g., to prevent damage to the motor due to a resulting excessive temperature) and / or to issue a warning signal (e.g., to a driver of the vehicle) and / or to issue a signal to reduce the vehicle's speed (e.g., to an automated driving system and / or a driver assistance system, etc.) and / or to issue a signal to prepare an emergency braking system and / or to reduce the temperature of the wiper motor before activating the high-efficiency wiper mode. This is achieved, for example, by...by reducing the wiping frequency before activating the high-efficiency wiping mode and / or by actively cooling the motor using a cooling system and / or by reducing the vehicle's speed, which requires a lower wiping frequency of the wiper arm, etc.

[0016] In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the wiper system is configured to predict the activation requirement of the high-efficiency wiper mode based on information about current boundary conditions and, in the event of a predicted activation requirement, to prepare the wiper system for activation of the high-efficiency wiper mode. This prediction can be based, for example, on weather information, which can be received, inter alia, via a weather service and which provides information about the type and / or amount of precipitation in an area that the vehicle will traverse in the future based on its current route. Alternatively or additionally, it is possible, for example, to receive weather information and / or differing information that could affect the vehicle along its route from other vehicles via car-to-car communication, etc.

[0017] The wiping system according to the invention is particularly advantageously configured to prepare the system for activation of the high-efficiency wiping mode by moving the wiper arm to a predefined cleaning position (e.g., a position from which a particularly rapid start to cleaning can be achieved) and / or by moving any additional wiper arm (e.g., a wiper arm on the passenger side of the windshield) to a predefined parking position. The latter can be advantageous to prevent potential restrictions on the movement of the wiper arm on the driver's side of the windshield, which might arise, for example, from the necessary coordination between the two wiper arms. In this way, particularly flexible control of the wiper arm on the driver's side can be achieved, which can result in particularly fast and / or efficient cleaning of the driver's side of the windshield.

[0018] In a further advantageous embodiment of the present invention, the second wiping area is a predefined second wiping area, which is determined, for example, based on a typical field of vision of a driver of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, the control unit is configured to determine the second wiping area in accordance with the current field of vision of the respective driver of the vehicle.

[0019] The control unit is particularly advantageously configured to determine the driver's field of vision based on information about the driver's eye position, gaze direction, and / or height. This information can be obtained, for example, using an interior camera, a driver identification number, a mobile device connected to the vehicle, and / or other means. Furthermore, the control unit could be configured to determine the driver's field of vision based on information about the driver's seat position. This information could be provided to the control unit via a seat module in the vehicle, allowing the control unit to estimate the driver's seating position and / or orientation.

[0020] Preferably, the wiper arm of the wiping system is a first wiper arm (in particular, a wiper arm located on the driver's side of the windshield), while the wiping system has a second wiper arm (in particular, a wiper arm located on the passenger side of the windshield). In this case, the control unit is configured to also adapt the control of the second wiper arm when the high-efficiency wiping mode is activated. This can be achieved, as described above, for example, by moving the second wiper arm into a predefined park position and / or by controlling the second wiper arm in such a way that liquids, etc., removed from the first and / or second wiping area by the first wiper arm are removed from the windshield as quickly and effectively as possible with the assistance of the second wiper arm.

[0021] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is proposed which includes a wiper system according to the first aspect of the invention, a windshield, and an electrical system. The vehicle can be, for example, a passenger car, truck, van, bus, rail vehicle, etc. The wiper system is located in the area of ​​the vehicle's windshield for cleaning the windshield. Furthermore, the electrical system is configured to provide the control unit with the information required to activate the high-efficiency wiper mode of the wiper system. For this purpose, the control unit is connected to the electrical system via an information technology connection, enabling it to receive the necessary information from other control units of the vehicle.The features, combinations of features and the advantages arising from them correspond so clearly to those described in connection with the first-mentioned aspect of the invention that reference is made to the above statements to avoid repetition. Brief description of the drawing

[0022] An embodiment of the invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawing. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle according to the invention in conjunction with a wiping system according to the invention. embodiment of the invention

[0023] Fig. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle 10 according to the invention in conjunction with a wiping system 5 according to the invention.

[0024] The vehicle 10 is shown here as an example of a passenger car which has a windscreen 15 in the vicinity of which the wiping system 5 according to the invention is mounted.

[0025] The wiping system 5 has a first wiper arm 20 with an attached wiper blade 30 and a second wiper arm 25 with an attached second wiper blade 35, wherein the first wiper arm 20 is here intended for cleaning an area on the driver's side and the second wiper arm 25 for cleaning an area on the passenger side of the windscreen 15.

[0026] The wiping system 5 further comprises a first wiper motor 40 designed as a brushless DC motor, which is configured to move the first wiper arm 20 over the windshield 15, and a second wiper motor 45 designed as a brushless DC motor, which is configured to move the second wiper arm 25 over the windshield 15.

[0027] The first wiper motor 40 and the second wiper motor 45 are each electrically connected to a control unit 50 designed as an ASIC.

[0028] Based on the configuration described above, the wiping system 5 is set up to clean the windscreen 15 by means of a movement of the wiper arms 20, 25 and the respective connected wiper blades 30, 35, wherein the first wiper arm 20 is intended for cleaning within a first predefined wiping area 60 and the second wiper arm 25 for cleaning within a third predefined wiping area 75.

[0029] The control unit 50 is configured to determine an activation requirement for activating a high-efficiency wiping mode of the wiping system 5 based on an activation signal S1, which is provided by a (not shown) control unit of the vehicle 10 via a vehicle network 90 of the vehicle 10, if a precipitation amount acting on the windscreen 15 exceeds a predefined threshold.

[0030] In a case where the control unit 50 determines a need for activation, it is configured to adjust the control of the first wiper motor 40 so that the wiper arm 20 is moved back and forth across the windshield 15 at a wiping frequency of 65 wiping operations per minute and / or the wiper arm 20 is moved back and forth exclusively within a second wiping area 70 of the windshield 15, which is a sub-area of ​​the first wiping area 60.

[0031] For this purpose, the control unit 50 is configured to determine the second wiper area 25 in accordance with the driver's field of vision in the vehicle 10. This is achieved by connecting the control unit 50 via the vehicle's electrical system 90 to an interior camera (not shown). Based on this camera's image, the control unit 50 is configured to determine the position and direction of the driver's eyes in relation to the windshield 15. This further enables the control unit 50 to define the second wiper area 70 in such a way that it is set as small as possible, while essentially not restricting the driver's required view of the vehicle's surroundings.

[0032] Furthermore, the control unit 50 is configured to control the second wiper motor 45 in order to move the second wiper arm 25 into a predefined parking position 80 during activation of the high-efficiency wiping mode. This advantageously ensures that no collision can occur between the two wiper arms 20 and 25 during activation of the high-efficiency wiping mode.

[0033] The wiping system 5 is further configured to determine the current temperature of the first wiper motor 40 based on a (not shown) temperature sensor and, if the current temperature of the first wiper motor 40 exceeds a predefined temperature threshold, to prevent activation of the high-efficiency wiping mode in order to prevent damage to the first wiper motor 40 due to excessive temperature development.

[0034] In the event that the high-efficiency wiping mode cannot be activated due to an excessively high temperature of the first wiper motor 40, the control unit 50 is configured to output a warning signal S2 to the vehicle electrical system 90, which indicates the inability to activate the high-efficiency wiping mode despite a need for activation.

[0035] A (not shown) on-board computer system of vehicle 10 is configured to receive the warning signal S1 and, in response to the receipt of the warning signal S1, to issue a warning message in a (not shown) display of vehicle 10 and a warning tone via an (not shown) audio system of vehicle 10 in order to inform a driver of vehicle 10 about the inability to activate.

[0036] In this case, the control unit 50 is also configured to output a signal S3 to the vehicle network 90 for a speed reduction of the vehicle 10 and a signal S4 to prepare an emergency braking system.

[0037] It should be noted that signals S2, S2, S3 may each be separate signals or at least partially the same signal.

[0038] Upon receiving signals S3 and S4, the respective (not shown) driver assistance systems of the vehicle 10 are configured to automatically reduce the current speed of the vehicle 10 and to prepare for potential emergency braking by the vehicle 10 in the event that the driver of the vehicle does not react or does not react in time to the visual output of the warning message and / or the acoustic output of the warning tone, in order to reduce the risk of an accident due to restricted visibility through the windshield 15 during a driving situation with particularly high exposure of the windshield 15 to precipitation, etc.

Claims

[1] Wiping system (5) for a vehicle (10) comprising: - at least one wiper arm (20) with a connected wiper blade (30), - a wiper motor (40), and - a control unit (50), wherein - the wiping system (5) is designed to be mounted in the area of ​​a windshield (15) of a vehicle (10) in order to effect cleaning of the windshield (15) within a first predefined wiping area (60) on the basis of a movement of the wiper arm (20) and the associated wiper blade (30), and - the control unit (50) is set up, - to determine an activation requirement to activate a high-efficiency wiping mode of the wiping system (5), and - in the event of a determined need for activation, to adjust the control of the wiper motor (40) so that the wiper arm (20) is moved back and forth across the windshield (15) at a wiping frequency of at least 61 wiping operations per minute and / or the wiper arm (20) is moved back and forth exclusively within a second wiping area (70) of the windshield (15), which is a sub-area of ​​the first wiping area (60). [2] Wiping system (5) according to claim 1, wherein the wiper motor (40) - is designed as a brushless DC motor, and / or - is set up to provide a wiping frequency of at least 61, preferably at least 63 and particularly preferably at least 65 wiping operations per minute. [3] Wiping system (5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wiping system (5) is configured to determine the activation requirement of the high-efficiency wiping mode based on a reception - to determine an activation signal (S1) which is provided from outside the wiping system (5), and / or - to determine information about current boundary conditions, which in particular - a current amount of precipitation, and / or - a current speed of the vehicle (10), and / or - a current traffic situation, and / or - a level and / or type of current traffic volume, and / or - represent a current geoposition of the vehicle (10). [4] Wiping system (5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wiping system (5) is configured, - to determine the current temperature of the wiper motor (40), and - if the current temperature of the wiper motor (40) exceeds a predefined temperature threshold, - to prevent the activation of the high-efficiency mopping mode, and / or - to issue a warning signal (S2), and / or - to issue a signal (S3) for a speed reduction of the vehicle (10), and / or - to issue a signal (S4) to prepare an emergency braking system, and / or - to reduce the temperature of the wiper motor (40) before activating the high-efficiency wiper mode. [5] Wiping system (5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the wiping system (5) is configured, - to predict the activation requirement of the high-efficiency wiper mode based on information about current boundary conditions, and - in the event of a predicted activation requirement, to prepare the wiping system (5) for activation of the high-efficiency wiping mode. [6] Wiping system (5) according to claim 5, wherein the wiping system (5) is configured to prepare the wiping system (5) for activation of the high-efficiency wiping mode by - the wiper arm (20) is moved into a predefined cleaning position, and / or - a potentially additional existing wiper arm (25) is moved into a predefined parking position (80). [7] Wiping system (5) according to one of the preceding claims, wherein - the second wipe area (25) is a predefined second wipe area (25), and / or - the control unit (50) is set up to determine the second wiping area (25) in accordance with a driver's field of vision of the vehicle (10). [8] Wiping system (5) according to claim 7, wherein the control unit (50) is configured to determine the driver's field of vision based on information about an eye position and / or a direction of gaze of the driver and / or a size of the driver and / or a setting of a driver's seat. [9] Wiping system (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein - the wiper arm is a first wiper arm (20), - the wiping system (5) has a second wiper arm (25), and - the control unit (50) is set up to adapt the control of the second wiper arm (25) in the event of activation of the high efficiency wiping mode. [10] Vehicle (10) comprising: - a wiping system (5) according to any one of the preceding claims, - a windshield (15), and - an on-board electrical system (90), wherein - the wiping system (5) is arranged in the area of ​​the windshield (15) for cleaning the windshield (15), and - the vehicle electrical system (90) is set up to provide the information required for activating the high-efficiency wiping mode of the wiper system (5).

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