Fairing wiper blade

Abstract

A shrouded windshield wiper (100) comprising a longitudinal wiper blade (125), shrouded comprising a central mount (105) and at least one end cap (110), at least one adapter member (200) attached to the central mount (105) which comprises a central core (205) and two legs (210), one of said at least one end cap (110) being hinged to said adapter member (200), and retaining means (245) comprising a first portion formed in said adapter member (200) and engaging a second complementary portion extending from a lower surface (215) of the central mount (105), the first portion of the retaining means (245) comprising a tab (250) extending from the central core (205) of the adapter member (200) to a longitudinal end thereof. Figure for abstract: Figure 2

Description

Description Title of the invention: CARENE WIPER BLADE technical field

[0001] = The invention relates to a faired windshield wiper for motor vehicles, and more specifically to- particularly a means of articulation for said faired windshield wiper blade. Previous technique

[0002] — In vehicle windshield wipers, it has become increasingly desirable to integrate an aerodynamic aspect into the windshield wiper, insofar as the elements Aerodynamics form an important part of the wiper blade's structure. Such wipers are commonly called “hybrid” wiper blades.

[0003] An aerodynamic design offers a number of advantages, including that to reduce the drag force of the airflow acting on the windshield wiper. The aero- shape dynamic can also be configured to generate a normal force on the windshield wiper when air passes through it, pressing the wiper against the windshield breaks and improves wiping performance. The streamlined shape also a more aesthetically pleasing appearance than a windshield wiper configured in the more traditional style custom multi-level spreader bars.

[0004] — In general, the aerodynamic aspect is implemented in the form of a fairing rigid part that forms part of the wiper blade structure. The fairing includes usually several individual parts, which are articulated to each other by in order to allow the wiper blade to flex and follow the curvature of the windshield breaks when the wiper passes over it; furthermore, and depending on the length of the wiper blade, The windshield wiper may include a single level of levers (also called "stirrups") hinged to the fairing that hold the rubber wiper blade, in order to distribute the force of the wiper arm more evenly along the length of the blade.

[0005] In this way, the fairing forms an important part of the structure of the windshield wiper, which simplifies its construction.

[0006] Since the central mount and the end caps are elements rigid, and that the wiper blade must be able to flex to follow the curvature of the For the windshield, a type of hinge mechanism is needed to allow the hoods the end to pivot relative to the central mount. In particular, given that the wiper blade must follow the curvature of the windshield while maintaining a high degree of wiping performance throughout its entire trajectory, the articulation of the hoods The end piece on the central mount must allow free rotation around an axis transverse, but rigid and robust in all other directions and around all other axes. One way to achieve this is to provide an adapter element that attaches to one of the central mounts or end caps and provides a point at which the other central mount and end cap can be hinged. This solution is advantageous because it is economical and easy to implement, especially compared to a hinge that is formed as a single unit with the central support and the end cap. However, such a configuration can have drawbacks, as the additional component of the adapter element can introduce an extra degree of tolerance in the wiper assembly, and consequently reduce rigidity in the joint. Furthermore, the adapter element will inevitably be subjected to a variety of different forces during wiper operation, flexing and twisting under these forces. In extreme cases, this can lead to wiper blade disarticulation under heavy loads, such as in automatic car washes or under heavy ice or snow loads. These situations are not typical, in that they are not usually encountered when using wipers in most situations, but they are nonetheless not unpredictable under normal use. Therefore, there is a need for a windshield wiper that at least partially addresses the aforementioned difficulties. Description of the invention Therefore, according to a first aspect, a profiled wiper is provided, in particular for a vehicle, comprising a longitudinal wiper blade, a longitudinal profiled fairing comprising a central mount and at least one end cap disposed at a distal end of said central mount; at least one adapter element fixed to the central mount at a distal end thereof, the adapter element comprising a central core and two tabs extending substantially perpendicularly from opposite edges of said central core, one of said at least one end cap being articulated on said adapter element, and a retention means comprising a first part formed in said adapter and engaging in a second complementary part extending from a lower surface of the central mount. According to the invention, the first part of the retention means comprises a tab extending from the central core of the adapter element to a longitudinal end thereof. This is advantageous in that it provides a simple and economically manufactured way to strengthen the connection between the adapter element and the central support of the windshield wiper. In particular, the engagement of the retaining means increases the resistance of the windshield wiper to lateral and torsional forces, preventing the removal of the windshield wiper under particularly high load conditions. Other features and improvements of the invention, beyond the aspect described above, may also be considered, and freely combined with each other in any quantity or combination. In one possible embodiment, the tongue extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the central core of the adapter element. Preferably, the second part of the retention means comprises a pair of opposing lateral faces arranged on a lower surface of the central support, said opposing lateral faces being engaged by the first part of the retention means. In a particularly preferred manner, the retention means further comprises a transverse face disposed on a lower surface of the central support, said transverse face being engaged by the first part of the retention means. In another possible embodiment, the wiper further includes a positioning pin extending from said central mount and engaging in a complementary structure formed in the adapter element. Preferably, the positioning pin has a cross-section having a substantially circular and / or cruciform shape. More preferably, the positioning pin is tapered in a direction extending from said central mount to a distal end of said positioning pin. According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a windshield wiper system, comprising a wiper arm, a drive motor configured to drive the wiper arm in a back-and-forth motion, and a wiper as described above. According to a third aspect, the invention relates to a vehicle comprising a windshield wiper blade or a windshield wiper system as described above. Brief description of the drawings These aspects, features and advantages of the invention, as well as others, will be easily appreciated in light of the included figures, in which: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a windshield wiper according to the invention; Figure 2 is a detailed perspective view of the windshield wiper in Figure 1; and Fig. 3A and Fig. 3B are detailed perspective views of a central mount and an adapter element, respectively, according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION The invention will be better understood in the context of the figures and in light of the Next discussion. To facilitate understanding of the figures in relation to the following explanation, it should first be noted that, on each of the figures, a set of axes is described. It is evident that these axes follow the general direction of the windshield wiper: the L axis corresponds to the longitudinal direction of the windshield wiper, that is to say, the length of the wiper 100; the T axis corresponds to the transverse direction, that is to say, the width of the wiper 100; and the V axis corresponds to the vertical direction of the windshield wiper, that is to say, the height of the wiper 100. Furthermore, although the following discussion is oriented towards a single joint of the wiper 100, it will be readily understood that a wiper could include the invention on one or more of its joints. Furthermore, when relative terms such as 'superior' and 'inferior' are employed, it shall be understood that these terms are used in reference to the windshield wiper when it is placed with the rubber wiper blade on a horizontal plane, the terms 'superior' and 'inferior' being used in particular in reference to the force of gravity in an ordinary way. Figure 1 illustrates the windshield wiper 100 according to one possible embodiment of the invention. The windshield wiper 100 comprises a fairing consisting of a central mount 105 and two end caps 110. The end caps 110 are each provided with a plurality of hooks 115, which engage in a rubber wiper 125 to retain it in place. In addition, the central mount 105 is provided with a plurality of brackets 120 (sometimes also called "whippletrees" or "tournament arms" elsewhere in the art), the ends of which are visible in Figure 1. The brackets 120 are pivotally attached to the central mount and retain the wiper blade at their ends; the wiper blade 125 is thus held in the wiper 100 by the combined action of the hooks 115 and the brackets 120.A 130 arm connector is provided in the central mount, which allows the user to attach the 100 wiper to a wiper arm of a motor vehicle (not shown). Each of the end caps 110 is pivotally articulated on the central support 105. [Fig.2] illustrates one of these articulations in detail; [Fig.2] is a detail view of the articulation between the central mount 105 and one of the end caps 110, viewed from the underside of the wiper; for clarity, the rubber squeegee 125 is omitted, as well as any associated structure such as vertebrae that might be necessary for its attachment to the central support 105 and the end caps 110. The joint between the end cap 110 and the central mount 105 is formed by means of an adapter element 200. The adapter element 200 comprises a central core 205 and two legs 210 extending substantially perpendicularly from opposite lateral edges of the central core 205. The adapter element 200 thus takes the form of an inverted "U" when assembled in a wiper. The 200 adapter element can be made of metal, particularly sheet metal such as mild or spring steel, or aluminum. The properties of these materials are well known in the arts, and their manufacture is generally inexpensive. Alternatively, the 200 adapter element can be made of plastic and can be manufactured by injection molding or similar processes. These adapter elements are particularly advantageous because, being made of plastic, they are both lightweight and corrosion-resistant. The adapter element 200 is securely fixed to the lower surface 215 of the central mount 105 and extends longitudinally from the central mount 105, terminating in a joint 220 which is arranged longitudinally outside the central mount 105, as illustrated. The joint 220 is formed by two bores 225 (one of which is illustrated) provided in each of the legs 210, outside the central mount 105. The two bores are engaged by complementary pivoting pins 230 (one of which is illustrated), formed as a single piece with the end cap 110 on an inner surface thereof. In this way, the end caps 110 are pivotally articulated on the central mount 105, which allows them to pivot around a transverse axis formed by the two pivoting posts 230. In addition, the adapter element 200 includes a caliper pivot pin 235, onto which the caliper (not shown) is pivotally mounted. This allows the wiper blade to flex to conform to the curvature of the windshield, ensuring effective wiping by the rubber blade. The adapter element 200 is fixed in place in the central mount 105 by a number of different structures. The adapter element 200 is mainly retained by the clips 240, which extend from the inner surface of the central mount 105 and engage on the two tabs 210 of the adapter element 200 so as to hold it in the vertical direction V, i.e. to prevent it from falling from the bottom of the wiper 100. However, the 240 clips are not necessarily effective for securing the 200 adapter element in the longitudinal or transverse directions, particularly when the wiper is subjected to high transverse or torsional loads (especially around the longitudinal axis). Such stresses can occur, for example, when the wiper system is operated while the wiper blade is covered in ice or snow, or when the vehicle is in contact with the brushes of an automatic car wash. For this purpose, the adapter element 200 is further provided with a retention means 245 in addition to the hooks 210. The retention means 245 consists of two parts: a first part formed in the adapter element 200 and extending from the central core 205, and a second part formed in the central mount 105. In this embodiment, the first part consists of the tongue 250, which extends from the central core 205 to one of its proximal ends (noting that the joint 220 is located at the opposite distal end). In the illustrated embodiment, the tongue 250 extends substantially perpendicularly from the central band 205; however, it will be understood that in other embodiments of the invention, the angle at which the tongue 250 extends may be acute or oblique. The second part of the retention means consists of the shoulders 255a, 255b. The shoulders 225a, 225b are formed in the lower surface of the central support 105, and are positioned such that when the adapter element 200 is placed in the central support 105 as illustrated in [Fig.2], the tab 250 will be placed between them. In this way, the lateral movement of the tongue 250, and consequently the lateral deformation (i.e. in the transverse direction T) and torsional deformation (i.e. around the longitudinal axis L) of the adapter element 200, are reliably limited. In this way, the adapter element is made more resistant to particularly heavy load situations, such as those encountered when the wiper 100 is covered with ice and / or snow, or when the vehicle is in an automatic car wash and is subjected to the action of automatic brushes and rollers. In particular, the positioning of the shoulders 225a, 225b on the laterally opposite sides of the tongue 250 will prevent it from being twisted around the longitudinal axis L, which can make the wiper 100 much less likely to break or come apart under such extreme conditions. Optionally and advantageously, the width of the 250 mm tongue and / or the spacing between the 225a and 225b shoulders can be controlled so that the 250 mm tongue is wedged between the 225a and 225b shoulders and held in place by friction. This configuration will provide additional rigidity to the wiper blade in situations where maximum strength is required. In addition, as an option, the central mount 105 can be provided with a third shoulder (not shown) arranged in the transverse direction 7 between the shoulders 225a, 225b, to provide additional strength to the adapter element 200 in the longitudinal direction L. Such a shoulder is formed in one piece with the central support 105 in the same way as the shoulders 225a, 225b. As an option, the wiper 100 can be fitted with a positioning pin 260, which extends from the central mount and engages in a positioning hole 265 arranged in the central core 205 of the adapter element 200. This will be discussed in detail with reference to figures 3A and 3B. Figures 3A and 3B illustrate the second part of the retention means 245 formed in a central mount 105, and an adapter element 200 comprising a first part of the retention means 245, respectively. Figure 3A illustrates the two faces 300a, 300b of the shoulders 255a, 255b respectively, which accommodate the tab of the adapter element between them as described above. For example, it may be advantageous to provide such texturing in a particular orientation, so as to promote the deformation of the adapter element in a certain direction that is unlikely to cause wiper malfunction, and thus reduce the wiper's susceptibility to harmful deformations. The specific shape and arrangement of this texturing will necessarily depend on the particular embodiment, and those skilled in the art will be able to determine them. A positioning pin 260 may also be provided, which engages in a complementary positioning hole 265 in the adapter element 200 (illustrated in [Fig. 3B]). The positioning pin 260 serves to position the adapter element 200 precisely relative to the central support 105; as such, its ability to support any type of load in the transverse and longitudinal directions is of secondary importance. The positioning pin 260 is substantially cylindrical in shape and extends from a lower surface of the central support 105 (shown here in reverse). The positioning pin 260 is here designed in a substantially cruciform shape; this reduces the overall weight of the positioning pin without compromising its ability to precisely position the adapter element 200 relative to the central support 105. Of course, other cross-sectional shapes (e.g., circular, elliptical, or polygonal) can be considered. Optionally, the positioning pin 260 can be tapered in the direction extending from the central mount to a distal end of the positioning pin 260. The positioning pin 260 specifically includes tapered faces 305 (two of which are illustrated for clarity). In this way, the positioning pin 260 automatically centers itself in a corresponding hole in the adapter element 200, further improving the repeatability and accuracy of the positioning. Figure [Fig. 3B] illustrates the adapter element 200, and in particular its structures which cooperate with the shoulders 255a, 255b and the positioning pin 260. In particular, the 250 tab is shown and, in [Fig. 3B], one can appreciate its extension from the central core 205 of the adapter element 200 both in the vertical direction V and in the longitudinal direction L. Furthermore, [Fig. 3B] illustrates the positioning hole 265, provided in the adapter element 200, into which the positioning pin described above with reference to Figures 2 and 3A engages. The positioning hole can simply be punched or cut into the central strip 205 of the adapter element 200, so that it is flush with the surface of the central strip 205. Alternatively, and as illustrated here, the positioning hole 265 is extended in the vertical direction V by a positioning hole collar 310. The presence of the positioning hole collar 310 further improves the precision and accuracy of the positioning effect provided by the positioning pin 265; in a particularly advantageous embodiment, the positioning hole collar 310 can be tapered in a complementary manner to the tapered faces 305 of the positioning pin 260. Of course, a person skilled in the art will recognize that other permutations or combinations of the aspects described above are possible, without departing from the scope of the invention as claimed. List of reference signs Windshield wiper 100 Central mount 105 End cap 110 Hook 115 Stirrup 120 125mm Wiper Blade 130 Arm Connector Adapter element 200 Central Soul 205 Legs 210 Lower surface 215 Joint 220 225mm bore Pivot block 230 Pivot axis 235 Clip 240 Means of retention 245 250mm tongue Shoulder 255a, 255b Positioning pin 260 Positioning hole 265 Face 300a, 300b tapered face 305 Positioning hole collar 310

Claims

Demands

1. Faired wiper (100), particularly for a vehicle, comprising a longitudinal wiper blade (125); a longitudinal fairing comprising a mount central (105) and at least one end cap (110) arranged at a distal end of said central mount (105); at least one adapter element (200) attached to the mount central (105) at one distal end thereof, the element adapter (200) comprising a central core (205) and two Legs (210) extending substantially perpendicularly from opposite edges of said central soul (205), one of said at least one end cap (110) being hinged to said adapter element (200); and a means of retention (245) comprising a first part formed in said adapter element (200) and engaging in a second, complementary part extending from a lower surface (215) of the central mount (105); characterized in that the first part of the means of retention (245) includes a tab (250) extending from the central band (205) of the adapter element (200) at one longitudinal end thereof.

2. Windshield wiper (100) according to claim 1, wherein the tab (250) extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the soul central (205) of the adapter element (200).

3. Windscreen wiper (100) according to any one of the preceding claims preceding, in which the second part of the means of retention includes a pair of opposite lateral faces (300a, 300b) arranged on a lower surface (215) of the central mount (105), said faces opposite laterals (300a, 300b) being engaged by the first part of the means of restraint.

4. Windscreen wiper (100) according to claim 3, wherein the means of retention (245) further comprises a transverse face arranged on a lower surface (215) of the central mount (205), said face transverse being engaged by the tongue (250).

5. Windscreen wiper (100) according to any one of the preceding claims previous, in which it further includes a posi- pin operation (260) extending from said central mount (105) and engaging in a complementary structure (265) formed in the adapter element (200).

6. Windshield wiper (100) according to claim 6, wherein the pin of positioning (260) has a cross-section having a sen- shape possibly circular and / or cruciform.

7. Windscreen wiper (100) according to any one of claims 5 and 6, in which the positioning pin (260) is tapered into a direction extending from said central mount (105) towards a distal end of said positioning pin (260).

8. A windshield wiper system, comprising: a windshield wiper arm; a drive motor configured to drive the arm of windshield wipers in a back-and-forth motion; and a windshield wiper blade (100) according to any one of the re- previous demands.

9. Vehicle comprising a windshield wiper blade (100) according to one any of claims 1 to 6 or a windshield wiper system according to claim 7.