Drive arm of a windshield wiper system for an automobile

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive arm (1) of a windshield wiper system for a motor vehicle, the drive arm (1) having retaining claws (12) for a wiper blade, the retaining claws (12) forming a hoop in which the wiper blade is intended to be housed. At least one of the retaining claws (12), referred to as the pilot claw (12A), has a roller (15) capable of rotating about an axis of rotation (14) oriented perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a direction of wiper blade movement on the windshield, such that the roller (15) is in contact with the windshield only if the wiper blade is torn or damaged. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Drive arm for a windshield wiper system for a motor vehicle

[0001] The technical context of the present invention is that of windshield wipers and wiping systems for motor vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to a drive arm for a windshield wiper on a motor vehicle windshield.

[0002] Wiping systems for motor vehicles are designed to remove, by sweeping, liquids and dirt present on a glass surface, such as for example a windshield, and likely to disturb a driver of such motor vehicles in his perception of a road scene or his environment.

[0003] Such known wiping systems generally comprise a drive arm that performs an angular reciprocating motion, and a wiper blade equipped with a scraper blade made of an elastic material, the scraper blade being integral with the wiper blade and attached to it by means of a connector. By rubbing against the glass surface, the scraper blade sweeps away water and dirt, and removes them from the driver's field of vision.

[0004] In a known manner, the wiper blade is attached to the drive arm by a connection module that generally comprises the connector and an adapter. The connector is integral with the wiper blade and holds the squeegee blade in place, while the adapter is a component configured, on the one hand, to cooperate with the connector and, on the other hand, to be coupled to an end end of the drive arm. Thus, in a known manner, the connector and the adapter cooperate with the drive arm to achieve, on the one hand, the attachment of the wiper blade to said drive arm and, on the other hand, the articulated connection between them.

[0005] Drive arms are also known which have retaining claws that allow the wiper blade to be detachably attached to the drive arm. Such retaining claws provide a housing for the upper part of the wiper blade, so that the scraper blade extends below onto the windshield.

[0006] As is known, windshield wiper blades are interchangeable parts that must be replaced when they become too worn. This wear is caused by the friction of the wiper blade against the windshield, sometimes leading to a tear in the wiper blade and / or the wiper blade itself. This tear then introduces a loss of rigidity in the wiper blade, and the clamping force imposed by The drive arm on the wiper blade means that parts of the wiper blade and / or drive arm that were not intended to be in contact with the windshield end up in contact with it. These parts of the wiper blade or drive arm are made of hard plastic materials that can scratch the windshield.

[0007] Thus, premature wear of the windshield wiper blade and failure to replace it can cause more significant damage to the windshield, leading to even higher repair costs.

[0008] Of course, this situation is not desirable.

[0009] The present invention aims to provide a new training arm, in order to address at least largely the previous problems and to lead to other advantages.

[0010] Another object of the invention is to reduce the impact on the windshield of using a damaged windshield wiper blade.

[0011] Another object of the invention is to prevent the torn scraper blade of a windshield wiper from scratching the windshield.

[0012] Another object of the invention is to reduce the repair and maintenance costs of a motor vehicle.

[0013] According to a first aspect of the invention, at least one of the aforementioned objectives is achieved with a drive arm for a windshield wiper system for a motor vehicle, the drive arm comprising retaining claws for a wiper blade, the retaining claws forming a hoop in which the wiper blade is intended to be housed. According to the invention, at least one of the retaining claws, referred to as the pilot claw, comprises a wheel capable of rotating about an axis of rotation oriented perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to a direction of wiper blade movement on the windshield.

[0014] In the context of the present invention, a longitudinal axis, a lateral axis, and a vertical axis are defined with respect to the motor vehicle on which the drive arm according to the first aspect of the invention is intended to be mounted. More particularly, the transverse axis is understood as a direction taken between one lateral side of the motor vehicle and an opposite lateral side of said motor vehicle. In other words, the transverse axis is understood as a direction extending from a passenger side of the motor vehicle to a driver's side of said motor vehicle, or vice versa. The adjectives lateral, inside, and outside refer to such a transverse axis. Furthermore, the longitudinal axis is understood as being taken along a direction extending from front to back or from back to front of the motor vehicle. The longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the transverse axis.The adjectives frontal, front and rear refer to this longitudinal axis. Finally, the vertical axis. The term "vertical axis" refers to the distance taken along an axis extending from the wheels of the motor vehicle to the roof of said motor vehicle, or vice versa, with the vertical axis being simultaneously perpendicular to the transverse and longitudinal axes. The adjectives "above" and "below," or "lower" and "upper," refer to this vertical axis.

[0015] In addition, a proper elongation axis is also defined in the reference frame of the drive arm, the proper elongation axis being defined by the principal elongation direction of the drive arm, defined in particular by the elongation direction of the wiper blade associated with the drive arm, that is to say, the principal elongation direction of the body of the drive arm. In the context of integrating the drive arm into the motor vehicle, the proper elongation axis of the drive arm coincides or is substantially coincident with the transverse axis.

[0016] In the context of the present invention, the drive arm is a mechanical device that supports the wiper blade and presses it against the windshield. The drive arm comprises a main body with straight or substantially straight extension, to which the wiper blade is mechanically coupled via retaining claws.

[0017] In the context of the present invention, a drive device transforms the rotation of a drive shaft of a drive motor into a more complex movement of the drive arm and the wiper blade on the windshield. Specifically, the drive device produces a rotational and / or translational movement of the wiper blade on the windshield, in order to clean the entire area within the driver's field of vision.

[0018] In the context of the present invention, the retaining claws form means for coupling the wiper blade to the drive arm. The retaining claws extend vertically along the main body of the drive arm, and are open on their underside to accommodate the wiper blade and allow for its easy removal for replacement. Thus, the retaining claws define a connecting arch in which the wiper blade is intended to be housed.

[0019] In the context of the present invention, the pilot claw(s) are respectively the retaining claw(s) which are provided with the wheel according to the invention.

[0020] In the context of the present invention, the wheel is a movable body rotating about an axis of rotation, and relative to the associated pilot claw. The wheel is associated with each at least one pilot claw. In other words, each at least one pilot claw is associated with a wheel. The wheel is oriented in such a direction that it can roll on the windshield when said wheel is brought against the windshield, in the particular circumstances of the invention and as described below.

[0021] Thus, the drive arm according to the first aspect of the invention is configured so that the wheel comes into contact with the windshield in the event of a tear in the wiper blade or a failure of the wiper blade. In other words, the wheel is configured to prevent the main body of the drive arm from being pressed against the windshield if the wiper blade tears or if the wiper blade fails.

[0022] The drive arm according to the first aspect of the invention advantageously comprises at least one of the improvements below, the technical characteristics forming these improvements being able to be taken alone or in combination:

[0023] - as mentioned previously, the roulette is configured to be supported against the windshield when the wiper blade is damaged, for example torn. In other words, a rolling surface of the wheel is located at or slightly in front of an edge of the main body of the drive arm intended to be located directly opposite the windshield;

[0024] - the pilot claw has two flanges extending from a lateral face of the arch, the axis of rotation of the wheel extends between the two flanges. According to a first embodiment, the two flanges are located on a lateral face intended to be situated on the side of a hood of the motor vehicle. Alternatively, according to a second embodiment, the two flanges are located on a lateral face intended to be situated on the side of a roof panel of the motor vehicle. This advantageous configuration allows the support force of the drive arm against the windshield to be borne by the wheel rather than by the main body of said drive arm, thus avoiding causing scratches on the windshield;

[0025] - the two flanges are made of material with the pilot claw's arch. In the In the context of the present invention, by “made of material”, it is understood that the flanges and the arch of the pilot claw are made from the same manufacturing process and that they cannot be detached from one another without one and / or the other being totally or partially damaged or destroyed;

[0026] - in particular, the two flanges and the pilot claw are formed of a material plastic. Advantageously, the two flanges and the pilot claw are obtained by molding, for example;

[0027] - the roulette is configured so that a tread of the roulette is located set back from the wiper blade. This advantageous configuration allows the wheel to only make contact with the windshield when The wiper blade is torn or damaged. For normal use of the wiper, the wheel remains recessed from the windshield. In particular, the wheel is configured so that the tread is located a few millimeters recessed from the wiper blade, for example between 0.5 mm and 5 mm, preferably between 1 mm and 2 mm;

[0028] - the axis of rotation is located at the housing for the windshield wiper blade delimited by the arch, relative to a vertical axis. In other words, the axis of rotation of the wheel is located in an intermediate position between the main body of the drive arm and a lower part of the pilot claw located on the windshield side;

[0029] - the roulette wheel is made of a soft material, that is to say, having a modulus of low elasticity. This advantageous configuration allows for sliding against the windshield without risk of scratching or damaging the windshield. For example, the wheel is made of a material comprising plastic, and / or rubber, and / or an elastomer. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the wheel is made of a material comprising rubber.

[0030] - according to one embodiment, the drive arm comprises a plurality of pilot claws. For example, each retaining claw of the drive arm is a pilot claw;

[0031] - according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the drive arm comprises a single pilot claw. In this preferred embodiment of the invention, the pilot claw is advantageously located at one end of the drive arm. In other words, the pilot claw is preferably located at a first end of the drive arm intended to be situated on the side of a lateral edge of the windshield or at a second end of the drive arm intended to be situated on the side of a median axis of the windshield.

[0032] According to a second aspect of the invention, a wiping system for a motor vehicle windshield is proposed, the wiper blade comprising:

[0033] - a windshield wiper blade comprising a scraper blade

[0034] - a drive arm conforming to the first aspect of the invention or according to one of the any of its improvements, the wiper blade being held between the hoops of the drive arm.

[0035] According to a third aspect of the invention, a motor vehicle is proposed comprising a front windscreen equipped with a wiping system in accordance with the second aspect of the invention.

[0036] Various embodiments of the invention are provided, incorporating, according to all their possible combinations, the different optional features set out here.

[0037] Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description on the one hand, and from several illustrative and non-limiting examples of embodiments given by reference to the accompanying schematic drawings on the other hand, in which:

[0038] [Fig-1] illustrates a general three-dimensional view of a wiping system conforming to the second aspect of the invention and applied to a motor vehicle windscreen;

[0039] [Fig.2] illustrates a three-dimensional and detailed view of an example embodiment of a drive arm conforming to the first aspect of the invention and as equipping the wiping system illustrated in [Fig.1].

[0040] Of course, the features, variants, and different embodiments of the invention can be combined in various ways, provided they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. In particular, variants of the invention may be conceived comprising only a selection of features, described hereafter in isolation from the other described features, if this selection of features is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention from the prior art.

[0041] In particular, all the variants and embodiments described are combinable with each other if there is no technical obstacle to this combination.

[0042] In the figures, the elements common to several figures retain the same reference.

[0043] In the FIGURES described below, a longitudinal axis X, a lateral axis and a vertical axis Z are defined relative to the motor vehicle on which the drive arm 1 according to the invention is intended to be mounted.

[0044] More specifically, the transverse axis Y is understood as a direction between one side of the motor vehicle and the opposite side of the same motor vehicle. In other words, the transverse axis Y is understood as a direction extending from a passenger side of the motor vehicle to a driver's side of the same motor vehicle, or vice versa. The adjectives lateral, inside, and outside refer to such a transverse axis Y.

[0045] Furthermore, the longitudinal axis X extends as if taken along a direction extending from front to rear or rear to front of the motor vehicle. The longitudinal axis X is perpendicular to the transverse axis Y. The adjectives front, front, and rear refer to this longitudinal axis X.

[0046] Finally, the vertical axis Z is understood to be taken along an axis extending from the wheels of the motor vehicle towards the roof of said motor vehicle, or vice versa, the vertical axis Z being simultaneously perpendicular to the transverse axis Y and to the longitudinal axis X. The adjectives above and below, or lower and upper, refer to this vertical axis Z.

[0047] In addition, a proper elongation axis 01 is also defined in the reference frame of the drive arm 1, the proper elongation axis 01 being defined by the principal elongation direction of the drive arm 1, defined in particular by the elongation direction of the wiper blade associated with the drive arm 1, i.e. the elongation direction of the main body 10 of the drive arm 1. In the context of the integration of the drive arm 1 into the motor vehicle, the proper elongation axis 01 of the drive arm 1 is coincident or substantially coincident with the transverse axis Y.

[0048] With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, the invention relates to a drive arm 1 of a wiper system 2 for a windshield 3 of a motor vehicle, the drive arm 1 comprising retaining claws 12 for a wiper blade, the retaining claws 12 forming a hoop in which the wiper blade is intended to be housed. According to the invention, at least one of the retaining claws 12, referred to as the pilot claw 12A, comprises a wheel 15 capable of rotating about an axis of rotation 14 oriented perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to a wiping direction of the wiper blade on the windshield 3.

[0049] The purpose of the wheel 15, when associated with the pilot claw 12A, is to make contact with the windshield 3 only when the wiper blade is damaged, and in particular torn. Apart from these circumstances, that is, when the wiper blade is functional and in its normal condition, the wheel 15 is not in contact with the windshield 3; it is kept at a distance from the windshield 3.

[0050] Thus, the invention works by positioning the roller 15 in such a way that it fulfills the conditions mentioned above, since when the scraper blade tears, the wiper blade sags slightly. The roller 15 is therefore slightly recessed relative to the scraper blade.

[0051] At the level of the drive arm 1 and the pilot claw 12A, the wheel 15 is supported by its axis of rotation 14. The axis of rotation 14 is oriented in such a way that the wheel 15 can roll freely during the movement of the wiper blade on the windshield 3. Thus, with respect to the axis of natural elongation 01 of the wiper blade and the drive arm 1, the axis of rotation 14 of the wheel 15 is oriented perpendicular or substantially perpendicular with respect to the axis of natural elongation 01.

[0052] In addition, in order not to scratch the windscreen 3 during its movement on the surface of said windscreen 3, the wheel 15 is made of a soft material, such as for example a rubber.

[0053] The rotation axis 14 is supported by two flanges extending opposite each other. The flanges extend from a lateral edge of the pilot claw 12A. The flanges project beyond the lateral face 121 of the pilot claw 12A. The rotation axis 14 is located approximately at the height of the housing 120 defined by the pilot claw 12A.

[0054] In summary, the invention relates to a drive arm 1 of a wiper system 2 for a windshield 3 of a motor vehicle, the drive arm 1 comprising retaining claws 12 for a wiper blade, the retaining claws 12 forming a hoop in which the wiper blade is intended to be housed. At least one of the retaining claws 12, referred to as the pilot claw 12A, comprises a wheel 15 capable of rotating about an axis of rotation 14 oriented perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to a wiping direction of the wiper blade on the windshield 3, such that the wheel 15 is in contact with the windshield 3 only if the wiper blade is torn or damaged.

[0055] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples just described, and many modifications can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the various features, forms, variants, and embodiments of the invention can be combined with one another in various ways, provided they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive. Specifically, all the variants and embodiments described above are combinable.

Claims

Demands

1. Drive arm (1) of a wiping system (2) for a windscreen (3) of a motor vehicle, the drive arm (1) having retaining claws (12) for a wiper blade, the retaining claws (12) forming an arch in which the wiper blade is intended to be housed, characterized in that at least one of the retaining claws (12), referred to as the pilot claw (12A), has a wheel (15) capable of rotating about an axis of rotation (14) oriented perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly to a wiping direction of the wiper blade on the windscreen (3).

2. Drive arm (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the wheel (15) is configured to be placed against the windscreen (3) when the wiper blade is damaged, for example torn.

3. Drive arm (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the pilot claw (12A) has two flanges extending from a lateral face (121) of the hoop, the axis of rotation (14) of the wheel (15) extending between the two flanges.

4. Drive arm (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the two flanges are located on a side face (121) intended to be located on the side of a hood of the motor vehicle or on a side face (121) intended to be located on the side of a roof panel of the motor vehicle.

5. Drive arm (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the wheel (15) is configured so that a tread of the wheel (15) is located inset from a scraper blade of the wiper blade.

6. Drive arm (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the axis of rotation (14) is located at the housing (120) for the wiper blade delimited by the hoop, relative to a vertical axis (Z).

7. Drive arm (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the roller (15) is formed of a material comprising a rubber.

8. A drive arm (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the drive arm (1) comprises a single pilot claw (12A) located at one end (11) of the drive arm (1).

9. Wiping system (2) for a windscreen (3) of a motor vehicle, the wiper blade comprising: - a wiper blade having a scraper blade - a drive arm (1) according to any one of the preceding claims, the wiper blade being held between the hoops of the drive arm (1).

10. Motor vehicle comprising a front windscreen (3) equipped with a wiping system (2) according to the preceding claim.