SEALING PART FOR A VEHICLE WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM DRIVE SHAFT

Abstract

A sealing piece (PE) is fitted to a cowl grille (GA) installed along the lower edge of a vehicle's windshield. The grille includes a through hole (TP) through which a reciprocating drive shaft (AX) passes. The shaft has a free end (EL1) to which one end (EB) of a windshield wiper arm is fixedly attached. This sealing piece (PE) comprises a first part (P1) made of a first material, which is clipped securely into the through hole (TP) and includes a central hole (TC). A second part (P2) made of a second material is fixedly and securely attached to the first part (P1) at the central hole (TC) and defines a sleeve (MA) that closely surrounds a portion of the shaft (AX). Figure to be published with the abbreviation: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: SEALING PART FOR A DRIVE SHAFT OF A WIPER ARM OF A VEHICLE WINDSCREEN Technical field of the invention

[0001] The invention relates to sealing parts which are intended to equip vehicle awning grilles. State of the art

[0002] Certain vehicles, generally of the automobile type, comprise a cowl grille installed along a lower end of their windshield and comprising at least one passage hole which is crossed by a drive shaft rotating in alternating directions, provided with a free end to which one end of a windshield wiping arm is fixedly secured. This arm end comprises for this purpose a through hole allowing the passage of the free end of the drive shaft.

[0003] The awning has the function of separating the air from the water, particularly during rain, in order to prevent water from entering through the outside air inlet of the vehicle's heating and / or air conditioning system.

[0004] In order to limit the passage of water through the passage hole of the cowl grille, a sealing part comprising a central hole for the passage of the drive shaft is installed in the latter, possibly by clipping. However, the sealing provided by current sealing parts may be insufficient when the passage hole of the cowl grille is located close to the outside air inlet of the heating and / or air conditioning system. Indeed, in this situation the blower of the heating and / or air conditioning system can also suck in drops of water via the passage hole of the cowl grille and the passenger compartment air inlet, which can cause water to enter the passenger compartment of the vehicle and / or humidity, making it more difficult to demist the windscreen and / or accelerated corrosion of the blower and therefore an increase in the probability of failure.It should be noted that the more powerful the blower, the greater the quantity of water drops sucked in and therefore the greater the aforementioned disadvantages.

[0005] The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation. Presentation of the invention

[0006] It proposes in particular for this purpose a sealing part intended to equip a cowl grille, itself intended to be installed along a lower end of a windshield of a vehicle and comprising a passage hole intended to be crossed by a drive shaft rotating in alternating directions and provided with a free end to which one end of a windshield wiping arm is fixedly secured.

[0007] This sealing part is characterized by the fact that it comprises: - a first part made of a first material, intended to be clipped in a sealed manner into the passage hole of the awning grille, and comprising a central hole intended to be crossed by the drive shaft, and - a second part made of a second material, fixedly and sealed to the first part at its central hole, and defining a sleeve intended to tightly surround a part of the drive shaft.

[0008] Thus, it becomes almost impossible for drops of water to pass through the sealing part and therefore be sucked in by a blower of the vehicle's heating and / or air conditioning system.

[0009] The sealing part according to the invention may include other characteristics which may be taken separately or in combination, and in particular: - it can be made in one piece and produced by injection molding; - the first material can be a synthetic and flexible material, and the second material can be a hard plastic material. • the first material may be an elastomer; • the elastomer can be Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (or EPDM); • the second material can be polyoxymethylene (or POM); - the sleeve of the second part may include a free end intended to contact the end of the wiper arm.

[0010] The invention also provides a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type, and comprising a cowl grille installed along a lower end of a windshield and comprising at least one passage hole crossed by a drive shaft rotating in alternating directions and provided with a free end to which one end of a windshield wiping arm is fixedly secured. This vehicle is characterized by the fact that it comprises at least one sealing part of the type presented above, clipped in a sealed manner in the passage hole with its sleeve tightly surrounding a part of the drive shaft.

[0011] For example, the end of the wiping arm may comprise a wall which projects towards the passage hole by surrounding the sleeve at a distance from the latter in order to define with it a zone for collecting water drops passing between the end of the wiping arm and the axis.

[0012] Also for example, the wall of the end of the wiping arm may cover the sleeve. Brief description of the figures

[0013] Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings, in which:

[0014] [Fig-1] schematically illustrates, in a sectional view, a part of an example of a awning grille equipped with an exemplary embodiment of a sealing part according to the invention crossed by a drive shaft of a windscreen wiping arm of a vehicle, and

[0015] [Fig.2] schematically illustrates, in a sectional view, the sub-part of the grid awning of [Fig.l] located in the area including the sealing part. Detailed description of the invention

[0016] The invention aims in particular to propose a PE sealing part intended to equip a awning grille GA of a vehicle in order to prevent as much as possible the passage of water drops along the drive axis AX of a windscreen wiping arm.

[0017] In the following, it is considered, by way of non-limiting example, that the vehicle is of the automobile type. For example, it is a car comprising a passenger compartment. But the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle. It relates in fact to any type of vehicle comprising at least one passenger compartment supplied with air treated by a heating and / or air conditioning installation having at least one outside air inlet located near a lower part of the windshield. Consequently, the invention relates at least to land vehicles (and in particular motor vehicles, utility vehicles, road machinery, trucks, coaches (or buses), agricultural machinery, and construction machinery).

[0018] [Fig.l] schematically shows a part of an example of a awning grille GA equipped with an example of an embodiment of a PE sealing part according to the invention crossed by an axis AX for driving a windscreen wiping arm of a vehicle. This drive axis AX is itself driven in rotation by an electric motor fitted to the vehicle (and not shown).

[0019] Although this does not appear in [Fig.l], this awning grille GA is installed near a lower end of the windshield. It is recalled that the awning is responsible for separating the air from the water (particularly rain) in order to prevent water from entering the heating and / or air conditioning system of the vehicle through its outside air inlet EA.

[0020] The awning grille GA comprises at least one passage hole TP in which the sealing part PE is installed, which is intended to be crossed by the drive axis AX responsible for driving in rotation, in an alternating direction, one end EB of a windscreen wiping arm. For this purpose, and as illustrated no limitingly in figures 1 and 2, the end EB of the windscreen wiping arm comprises a through hole TT which is crossed by a free end ELI of the drive shaft AX and allows its fixed attachment to this free end ELI, for example by screwing.

[0021] It will be noted that the awning grille GA may comprise two passage holes TP crossed respectively by two rotational drive axes, in an alternating direction, of the ends of two windshield wiping arms.

[0022] As illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, a PE sealing part, according to the invention, comprises first PI and second P2 parts.

[0023] The first part PI is made of a first material and clipped in a sealed manner into the (one) passage hole TP of the awning grille GA. This first part PI comprises a central hole TC crossed by the drive axis AX.

[0024] The second part P2 is made of a second material and fixedly and tightly secured to the first part PI at the central hole TC. This second part P2 defines a sleeve MA which is intended to tightly surround a part of the drive shaft AX.

[0025] Thanks to this sleeve MA which tightly surrounds the drive shaft AX, it becomes almost impossible for drops of water to pass through the sealing part PE and therefore be sucked in by the blower of the heating and / or air conditioning installation.

[0026] Preferably, the PE sealing part is a single piece and produced by injection molding. But this is not obligatory. Indeed, its first PI and second P2 parts could be produced separately and fixedly secured to each other by gluing or welding.

[0027] It will be noted that the first material of the first part PI may be a synthetic and flexible material and the second material of the second part P2 may be a hard plastic material. The flexibility of the first material facilitates the sealed clipping of the first part PI in the corresponding passage hole TP. Furthermore, this flexibility also makes it possible to compensate for concentricity defects between the drive axis AX of the wiping arm and the center of the hole in the outside air intake grille. The hardness of the second material makes it possible to limit the wear of the second part P2 during rotations of the drive axis AX.

[0028] For example, the first flexible material may be an elastomer. Thus, it may, for example, be Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer (or EPDM) or TPV (vulcanized olefinic thermoplastic elastomer). But other first flexible materials may be used, and in particular polyurethane or polypropylene.

[0029] Also for example, the second hard material can be polyoxymethylene (or PGM).

[0030] Generally speaking, the first material is flexible, the second material is friction resistant, and the first and second materials are resistant to aging and have good resistance under the conditions of use of the vehicle.

[0031] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 1 and 2, that the sleeve MA of the second part P2 may comprise a free end EL2 intended to contact the end EB of the wiping arm. This makes it even more unlikely that drops of water will pass through the sealing part PE, even when the blower is very powerful. In the presence of this option, the second material is chosen so as not to generate noise when the free end EL2 rubs against the end EB of the wiping arm (during rotations in alternating directions).

[0032] It will also be noted, as illustrated non-limitingly in Figures 1 and 2, that the end EB of the wiping arm may comprise a wall PC projecting towards the passage hole TP by surrounding the sleeve MA at a distance from the latter (MA). Thus, the wall PC and the sleeve MA together define a zone ZC for collecting the water drops which pass between the end EB of the wiping arm and the drive axis AX. It will be understood that this zone ZC constitutes a type of baffle which keeps the water drops away from the drive axis AX.

[0033] For example, the PC wall can cover the MA sleeve (similar to an umbrella).

[0034] The height hl over which the wall PC covers the sleeve MA, the average distance dl separating the wall PC from the sleeve MA, and the height h2 separating the free end of the wall PC from the first part PI of the sealing part PE are chosen so as to establish a clearance taking into account the dimensional variations of the end EB of the wiping arm (and in particular of its wall PC), of the drive axis AX and of the sealing part PE. This clearance must be minimal so that there is no friction but while limiting the entry of water as much as possible.

[0035] In summary, the first part PI of the sealing part PE makes it possible to compensate for concentricity defects between the awning grille GA and the drive axis AX of the wiping arm (limiting the forces and friction of the central part when deforming), allows easy fixing (by clipping) on ​​the awning grille GA, guarantees a good seal between the awning grille GA and the sealing part PE, and guarantees good cohesion with the second part P2 of the latter (PE). For its part, the second part P2 has a minimum of play to allow the rotation of the drive axis AX of the wiping arm without wear, and not to produce noise when the drive axis AX of the wiping arm is in movement.

[0036] The invention offers several advantages, including: highly efficient air / water separation, even when the drive shaft is located close to the outside air inlet, improved demisting and increased blower life, reduced cost, no additional time wasted when installing the sealing part, no impact on final quality.

Claims

Claims

1. Sealing part (PE) for a cowl grille (GA) intended to be installed along a lower end of a windshield of a vehicle and comprising a passage hole (TP) intended to be crossed by an axis (AX) for driving in alternating rotation and provided with a free end (ELI) to which is fixedly secured an end (EB) of a wiping arm of said windshield, characterized in that it comprises i) a first part (PI) made of a first material, intended to be clipped in a sealed manner in said passage hole (TP), and comprising a central hole (TC) intended to be crossed by said axis (AX), and ii) a second part (P2) made of a second material, fixedly and sealed to said first part (PI) at said central hole (TC), and defining a sleeve (MA) intended to tightly surround a part of said axis (AX).

2. Sealing part according to claim 1, characterized in that it is in one piece and produced by injection molding.

3. Sealing part according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said first material is a synthetic and flexible material and said second material is a hard plastic material.

4. Sealing part according to claim 3, characterized in that said first material is an elastomer.

5. Sealing part according to claim 4, characterized in that said elastomer is Ethylene-Propylene-Diene Monomer.

6. Sealing part according to one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said second material is polyoxymethylene.

7. Sealing part according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said sleeve (MA) of the second part (P2) comprises a free end (EL2) intended to contact said end (EB) of the wiping arm.

8. Vehicle comprising a cowl grille (GA) installed along a lower end of a windshield and comprising at least one passage hole (TP) crossed by an axis (AX) for driving in alternating rotation and provided with a free end (ELI) to which is fixedly secured an end (EB) of a wiping arm of said windshield, characterized in that it comprises at least one sealing part (PE) according to one of the preceding claims, clipped tightly in said through hole (TP) with its sleeve (MA) tightly surrounding a part of said axis (AX).

9. Vehicle according to claim 8, characterized in that said end (EB) of the wiping arm comprises a wall (PC) projecting towards said passage hole (TP) by surrounding said sleeve (MA) at a distance from the latter (MA) in order to define with it (MA) a zone for collecting water drops passing between said end (EB) of the wiping arm and said axis (AX).

10. Vehicle according to claim 9, characterized in that said wall (PC) covers said sleeve (MA).

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