Windshield wiper blade

Abstract

TITLE: Windshield Wiper Blade A windshield wiper blade, with a flat blade, comprising a wiping blade (12) held by a carrier element (24) and articulated to a wiper arm by a connecting element, and a spray system (48) that applies a cleaning agent in the region of the wiping blade onto a surface to be cleaned (50). The spray system (48) includes a cleaning blade (60) mounted on the wiper blade (10) in contact with the outer surface (50) and which applies the cleaning medium (46) to the outer surface (50). Figure 2

Description

Description Title of the invention: Windshield wiper blade FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to a windshield wiper, in particular a flat blade wiper comprising a wiping blade held by a carrier element and connected in an articulated manner to a wiper arm by a connecting element and a spray installation which applies a cleaning agent in the region of the wiping blade on a surface to be cleaned. STATE OF THE ART According to document DE 103 43 938 A1, a windshield wiper is known, comprising a flat-bladed wiper arm whose wiping blade has two laterally integrated elastic rails forming a load-bearing element. These rails are connected to a connecting element to create an articulated link with the wiper arm, as well as to a deflector. On the downstream side of the deflector, depending on the wind direction, fan-shaped nozzles offset longitudinally on an articulation part of the wiper arm are supplied with wash water via a water channel. Document DE 693 03 106 T2 describes a windshield wiper blade held by a bracket system articulated to the wiper arm. The bracket system carries a deflector whose leading edge, in the direction of wind flow, has a flexible edge. In one embodiment, the flexible edge is provided with an internal longitudinal channel having openings facing the surface to be wiped to spray water. The channel can be connected to the washer fluid supply line. Document EP 1 307 366 B1 describes a windshield wiper equipped with a wiping blade whose wiping lip applies against the vehicle window; during a wiping phase, the lip is activated by vibrations at a frequency in the ultrasonic range by piezoelectric elements transverse to its longitudinal direction. Furthermore, according to document DE 201 14 692 U1, a wiper blade is known having a second wiping lip formed, among other things, of a fibrous material; according to document DE 10 2013 226 928 A1, a wiper blade is known whose wiping lip is formed of a fiber-based material; according to document DE 10 2013 226 928 A1, a wiper blade is known whose wiping lip includes, among other things, a fiber-based material in contact with the device that receives the liquid. DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a windshield wiper, in particular a flat blade wiper comprising a wiping blade held by a carrier element and connected in an articulated manner to a wiper arm by a connecting element and a spray installation which applies a cleaning medium in the region of the wiping blade on a surface to be cleaned, this windshield wiper being characterized in that the spray installation comprises a cleaning blade installed on the windshield wiper in a position in contact with the external surface to be cleaned and which applies the cleaning agent of the spray installation to the external surface to be cleaned. According to the invention, the wiper blade is made, for example, in the form of a flat-bladed wiper blade. The wiper blade is held by a supporting element that mechanically stabilizes it. The wiper blade is connected to the wiper arm in an articulated manner by a connecting element. The wiper blade includes a spray or projection system that applies a cleaning agent to the area of ​​the wiper blade on the external surface to be cleaned. The spray system thus comprises a cleaning blade carried by the wiper blade and brought into contact with the external surface to be cleaned in order to apply the cleaning agent from the spray system to the external surface to be cleaned. The advantage of the invention is that the wiper blade is able to remove even stubborn dirt from the exterior surface to be cleaned, for example, a vehicle's windshield. To achieve this, the wiper blade includes, in addition to its wiping blade which serves, for example, to remove the liquid arriving on the exterior surface to be cleaned, a cleaning blade for removing solid or very stubborn dirt from the exterior surface to be cleaned. Because the cleaning blade is in contact with the wiper blade's spray system, and thus receives the cleaning agent from the spray system, this liquid reaches the precise areas of the exterior surface to be cleaned. At a specific moment, the wiper blade then acts on these areas, providing an additional cleaning effect. This allows for precise and effective localized cleaning of an exterior surface, even removing tough, encrusted, or pasty dirt. According to another advantageous feature, the wiper blade is oriented parallel to the wiper arm. The advantage of this arrangement is that the cleaning operation is indeed offset locally relative to the cleaning blade on the exterior surface to be cleaned, but It is simultaneously parallel to the actual clearing of the outer surface of liquid residue by the wiping blade. Thus, a separate drive for the cleaning blade is not necessary. Another advantageous feature is that the cleaning blade is made of a fiber-based material, specifically a microfiber-based material. This material allows for the mechanical cleaning of the exterior surface, such as a window, without the risk of scratching it. To achieve a complete cleaning of the exterior surface, the cleaning blade is practically comparable, depending on its longitudinal extension, to the wiping blade of the windshield wiper. In other words, the cleaning blade has a length substantially equal to that of the wiping blade. According to a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the lip of the cleaning blade, which is, for example, in contact with the external surface to be cleaned during cleaning operations, is closer to the wiper arm's support element than the wiping lip of the wiping blade used to remove liquid from the external surface to be cleaned. In other words, the overall height of the cleaning blade is less than the height of the wiping blade. Consequently, the cleaning lip of the cleaning blade only comes into contact with the surface to be cleaned when the wiper arm sweeps across the external surface to be cleaned and if the wiping blade is in a tilted position to pass over the external surface to be cleaned by means of this wiping lip. In this case, the cleaning lip of the wiper blade comes into contact with the exterior surface to be cleaned, viewed locally in the direction of the wiper blade's movement; thus, it precedes the wiping lip of the wiper blade. Consequently, this means that a point on the exterior surface to be cleaned will first be swept by the cleaning lip of the wiper blade to remove coarse dirt and then by the wiping lip of the wiper blade to remove liquid residue. This ensures thorough cleaning of the exterior surface. During the return movement of the wiper blade to its resting position, the tilting direction of the wiper blade prevents the cleaning lip of the wiper blade from coming back into contact with the external surface to be cleaned, downstream of the wiper blade; otherwise, this would result in an unsatisfactory cleaning result and defects in the transparency of the external surface to be cleaned. According to another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the wiper blade is mounted to pivot about its longitudinal axis. The advantage of this feature is that, by pivoting the wiper blade about its longitudinal axis, it allows for cleaning contact with the The cleaning lip of the wiper blade makes contact with the external surface to be cleaned; this contact is also prevented depending on the angle of inclination of the wiper blade. This allows the action of the wiping lip to be activated or deactivated in a possible cleaning mode, which can be done, for example, with a suitable actuator in the area of ​​the wiper blade or including this wiper blade, by adjusting the angle of inclination of the wiper blade. The windshield wiper blade according to the invention is advantageously used for cleaning vehicle windshields, sensor surfaces, or building windows. Brief description of the drawings The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to an embodiment of a windshield wiper blade shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: [Fig.1] Schematic view of a windshield wiper blade according to one embodiment of the invention, and [Fig.2] Schematic cross-sectional view of the wiper blade of [Fig.1] in operating position. DESCRIPTION OF A METHOD OF IMPLEMENTATION According to Figures 1 and 2, a flat-blade wiper 10 comprises a wiping blade 12 held by a carrier element 24. The wiping blade 12 includes a wiping lip 14 that slides, for example, on a vehicle window. The wiping lip 14 is connected to a blade head 18 by a tilting spacer. In its central region, the wiper blade 10 has a connecting element 28 linked to the carrier element 24. This connecting element allows the wiper blade 10 to be connected in an articulated manner to a wiper arm not shown. A deflector 26 is attached to the carrier element 24 on both sides of the connecting element 28. The deflector has front ends fitted with end caps 38. The deflector 26 can be clipped onto the carrier element 24 or be made in one piece with the wiper blade 12. Simple versions of the wiper blade 10 omit the deflector 26 and the end caps 38. The wiper blade 10 further includes a cleaning blade 60. The cleaning blade 60, in particular with its cleaning lip 62, is used to clean an exterior surface. For this purpose, the cleaning lip 62 comes into physical contact with the exterior surface to be cleaned. The cleaning blade 60 comprises, for example, a fiber-based material, in particular a microfiber-based material. In one possible embodiment, the cleaning blade is made entirely of this fiber-based material. A spray system 46 supplies the cleaning blade 60. with a suitable cleaning agent solution. This passes through the cleaning blade 60 and exits through the orifices 48 of the cleaning blade to wet the outer surface. The spraying installation 46 has several orifices 48 distributed along the length of the wiper blade 10 and which are in the form of nozzles generating fan-shaped jets 44 in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 10. Figure 2 shows a wiper blade as shown in Figure 1 in its operating position. The references used in Figure 2 are the same as those in Figure 1 to designate the same components. Figure 2 shows the wiper blade 10 during its wiping motion, in the direction of movement 54 passing over the external surface to be cleaned 50; this surface is, for example, that of a vehicle window. Due to the angle of inclination of the wiper blade 10, the cleaning blade 16 makes physical contact via its cleaning lip 62 with the external surface to be cleaned. At the same time, the spray device 46 or the cleaning blade 60 applies a cleaning solution to the external surface 50 to be cleaned. The fiber content of the wiping blade 60 allows for better cleaning contact with the outer surface 50. The wiping operation which takes place downstream by the wiping lip 14 removes the cleaning solution applied to the outer surface 50 and the dirt particles from the outer surface 50 by means of the wiping lip 14. In this way, any further deterioration of visibility through the outer surface 50 is avoided, for example, as would be the case with the application of a cleaning solution. The wiping motion of the wiper blade 10 is in the opposite direction to the direction of movement 54; the cleaning blade 60 preferably does not come into physical contact with the outer surface 50 so that there is no reduction in visibility during the cleaning operation with the cleaning blade 60. Thus, without creating any additional obstruction, effective cleaning of the outer surface, i.e., the vehicle's window 50, is achieved. NOMENCLATURE OF MAIN ELEMENTS 10 Windshield wiper blade 12 Wiping blade 14 Wiping lip 18 Blade Head 24 Load-bearing element 26 Deflector 28 Connection element 38 End cap 44 Fan jet 46 Spraying Installation 48 Spray installation / spray nozzle 50 Exterior surface to be cleaned 54 Direction of movement 60 Cleaning Blade 62 Cleaning lip

Claims

Demands

1. Windshield wiper, in particular with a flat blade comprising a wiping blade (12) held by a carrier element (24) and articulated to a wiper arm by a connecting element (28) and a spraying system (48) which applies a cleaning agent in the region of the wiping blade on a surface to be cleaned (50), windshield wiper characterized in that the spraying system (48) comprises a cleaning blade (60) comprising a microfiber material and installed on the windshield wiper (10) in a position in contact with the external surface to be cleaned (50) and which applies the cleaning agent of the spraying system (46) to the external surface to be cleaned (50), and when wiping is done in the opposite direction to the direction of movement (54) the cleaning blade (60) does not come into contact with the external surface (50) of the vehicle window.

2. Wiper blade according to claim 1, characterized in that the cleaning blade (60) is installed parallel to the wiping blade (12).

3. Wiper blade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cleaning blade (60) has a length substantially equal to that of the wiping blade (12).

4. Wiper blade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a cleaning lip (62) of the cleaning blade (60) coming into contact with the external surface to be cleaned is located closer to the carrier element (24) than the wiping lip (14) of the wiping blade (12) coming into contact with the external surface to be cleaned.

5. A windshield wiper blade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the spraying installation (46) comprises several orifices (48) distributed along the length of the wiper blade (10) and which are under the shape of nozzles generating fan-shaped jets (44) in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade (10).

6. Wiper blade according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the wiper blade (10) can pivot about its longitudinal axis.

7. Application of a windshield wiper blade according to any one of the preceding claims, for cleaning vehicle windshields, sensor surfaces or building windows.

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