Wiper blade, especially for a motor vehicle

Description

State of the art

[0001] The invention relates to a wiper blade, in particular for a motor vehicle, according to the class of the independent claim.

[0002] Numerous wiper blades for motor vehicles are already known, comprising a wiper strip, an elongated support element, and a heating element. The support element supports the wiper strip and has an inner rail covered by a plastic layer, thus at least partially encasing it. A heating element is glued to the support element to heat the support element and the wiper strip, particularly at low temperatures, to prevent the wiper blade from freezing. US 2011 / 016653 A1 discloses a wiper blade in which an inner rail is mounted in a plastic part, wherein the inner rail is adjacent to a heating device. Further prior art is known from DE 10 2009 032375 A1 and US 2017 / 072910 A1. Disclosure of the invention Advantages of the invention

[0003] The wiper blade according to the invention with the features of the main claim has the advantage that the heating element is arranged essentially inside the carrier element. This provides optimal protection from external influences.

[0004] The measures listed in the subclaims result in advantageous developments and improvements of the features specified in the main claim.

[0005] According to the invention, the heating element is essentially arranged between the inner rail and the plastic layer. This is relatively easy to manufacture.

[0006] According to the invention, the heating element is designed as a heating foil.

[0007] In an effective embodiment, the heating element has at least one heating means that is at least partially guided in a meandering manner in the heating element.

[0008] In a simple and cost-effective design, the heating medium is guided in a grid-like manner in the heating element.

[0009] It is considered particularly advantageous if the heating medium is arranged within an insulating foil.

[0010] It is particularly advantageous if the support element can be shortened to any length. This makes the support element particularly easy to manufacture.

[0011] It is particularly advantageous if the heating element can be contacted at any position along its length, as this significantly simplifies the production of the wiper blade.

[0012] Ideally, the heating element can be shortened as required without any loss of functionality, so that no attention needs to be paid to the heating element when manufacturing the support element. Description of the drawings

[0013] Various embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the drawings and explained in more detail in the following description. They show: Figure 1 shows a wiper blade according to the invention in a schematic representation, Figure 2 shows the carrier element of a wiper blade according to the invention, Figure 3 shows a longitudinal section through a wiper blade according to the invention in a schematic representation, Figure 4 shows a longitudinal section through a carrier element of a wiper blade according to the invention in a variation, Figure 5 shows a longitudinal section through a carrier element in the area of ​​the heating element and Figure 6 shows a longitudinal section through a carrier element in the area of ​​the heating element in a variation of Figure 5 . Description of the embodiments

[0014] In Figure 1A wiper blade 10 according to the invention is shown in a schematic representation. The wiper blade 10 comprises a carrier element 12 and a wiper strip 14. A fastening means 16 is arranged on the carrier element 12, which serves to attach the wiper blade 10 to a wiper arm 18.

[0015] The support element 12 is designed as an elongated rail encased in a plastic material. On the side of the support element 12 facing the windshield (not shown here for clarity), the wiper strip 14 is arranged, which is made of a rubber-like material. The fastening element 16 is arranged on the side of the support element 12 facing away from the wiper strip 14.

[0016] In Figure 2The carrier element 12 of a wiper blade 10 according to the invention is shown in perspective. The carrier element 12 is designed as an elongated metal rail encased in a plastic layer 20. The carrier element 12 is very long in relation to its width, i.e., at least 10 times longer than it is wide, so that it has a longitudinal extension. During production, the carrier element 12 is manufactured virtually endlessly and supplied to production on rolls. A roll then contains a plurality of carrier elements 12—the lengths of which are not yet determined—which are each cut to the required length during the production of the wiper blade 10.

[0017] In Figure 3 a longitudinal section through a carrier element 12 of a wiper blade 10 according to the invention is shown in a schematic representation.

[0018] The carrier element 12 has an inner rail 22 and is covered by the plastic layer 20. Between the inner rail 22 and the plastic layer 20, on the wiper strip 14 ( Figure 1 ) facing away from the housing, a heating element 24 is arranged, which is designed as a heating foil. Within the heating element 24, a heating means 26 ( Figure 5 ) are arranged.

[0019] The inner rail 22 is made of metal, in particular spring steel, and is pre-bent during production so that its curvature along the wiper blade 10 is greater than the maximum curvature of the windshield for which the wiper blade 10 is intended. According to the invention, the inner rail 22 is also manufactured, the heating element 24 is subsequently applied, and the entire assembly is then overmolded with the plastic layer 22.

[0020] In Figure 4 is the cut from Figure 3shown in a variation not claimed. The support element 12 also comprises an inner rail 22 made of steel. The inner rail is, with the exception of the front side, covered by the plastic layer 20. In the upper, the wiper strip 14 ( Figure 1 The heating element 24 is arranged within the plastic layer 20 on the side of the support element 12 facing away from the support element 12. Here, too, in a variation not claimed, the inner rail 22 can be manufactured first, then the plastic layer 22 can be partially applied, and in the next step, the heating element 24 can be applied. After the heating element 24 has been applied, the remainder of the plastic layer 22 is then applied.

[0021] In a further variation of the invention, the heating element 24 can also be arranged additionally or alternatively on the side facing the wiper strip 14. This applies both to the embodiment according to Figure 3, in which the heating element 24 is arranged between the inner rail 22 and the plastic layer 20, as well as in a design according to Figure 4 in which the heating element 24 is arranged within the plastic layer 20.

[0022] In Figure 5 The heating element 24 of a wiper blade 10 according to the invention is shown in a schematic plan view. The heating element 24 is designed as a heating foil and comprises a heating means 26 that is embedded in an insulating foil 28. The heating means 26 is designed as a heating wire that is arranged in a meandering shape in or on the insulating foil 28. Instead of a heating wire, another element can of course also be provided, for example a carbon layer or a ceramic layer that heats up when contact is made with an electrical voltage. Such heating elements 24 are known as such in the prior art.

[0023] In Figure 6is a variation of the heating element 24 from Figure 5 As shown in Figure 5 the heating element 24 is designed as a heating foil, in which heating means 26 are arranged in or on the insulating foil 28. In contrast to Figure 5 the heating means 26 is arranged in a grid-like manner.

[0024] The design of the heating element 24 is such that it can be cut to any desired length and still remain functional, i.e., continue to fulfill its heating function.

Claims

1. Wiper blade (10), in particular for a motor vehicle, at least comprising • a wiper strip (14), • an elongate carrier element (12), • a heating element (24), wherein • the carrier element (12) holds the wiper strip (14), • the carrier element (12) has an inner rail (22) composed of metal, characterized in that • the carrier element (12) furthermore has a plastic layer (20), • the plastic layer (20) encases the inner rail (22) of the carrier element (12), wherein • the heating element (24) is in the form of a heating sheet and is arranged substantially in the interior of the carrier element (12), between the inner rail (22) and the plastic layer (20), wherein firstly the inner rail (22) is manufactured, subsequently the heating element (24) is applied and then the whole arrangement is encapsulated with the plastic layer (22).

2. Wiper blade (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating element (24) has at least one heating means (26) which is routed at least partially in a meandering manner in the heating element (24).

3. Wiper blade (10) according to either of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating element (24) has at least one heating means (26) which is routed at least partially in a grid-like manner in the heating element (24).

4. Wiper blade (10) according to either of preceding Claims 5 and 6, characterized in that the heating means (26) is arranged within an insulator sheet (28).

5. Wiper blade (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the carrier element (12) is shortenable as desired.

6. Wiper blade (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating element (24) is contactable at any position of its longitudinal extent.

7. Wiper blade (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heating element (24) is shortenable as desired without any loss of function.