Assembly for producing a motor vehicle windscreen wiping system and connection device including such an assembly

Abstract

The invention concerns an assembly (1) for producing a motor vehicle windscreen wiping system (3), including an end fitting (5) of a wiper arm (7) adapted to move a wiper (9), a hydraulic and/or electrical connector (11) for feeding a liquid to the wiper and/or for heating the liquid, said end fitting (5) being configured to accept an adapter (13) allowing rotation between said arm (7) and the wiper (9), said end fitting (5) internally accepting said connector (11), said end fitting (5) being configured to engage said hydraulic and/or electrical connector (11), in an oriented manner relative to the end fitting (5), in a so-called service position, allowing the disconnection and/or the connection of the connector (11) on the arm (7).

Claims

1. An assembly for producing a motor vehicle windscreen wiping system, comprising: an end fitting of a wiper arm adapted to move a wiper; and a connection interface, said end fitting being configured to accept an adapter allowing rotation between said arm and the wiper, said end fitting internally accommodating said connection interface and being configured to engage said connection interface in an oriented manner, relative to the end fitting, via at least one folded tab from the end fitting in a service position, wherein, in the service position, the vehicle windscreen wiping system is in an at least partially disassembled state, to enable separation of the wiper from the wiper arm, wherein, in a working position, the vehicle windscreen wiping system is in a fully assembled state, configured for windshield wiping, wherein the at least one folded tab is provided with an orifice configured to: engage a pin of the connection interface when the windscreen wiping system is in the service position; and not engage the pin when the windscreen wiping system is in the working position.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said connection interface is rotationally mobile relative to the end fitting from the working position of the wiping system, out of said engagement, to said service position.

3. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein, in the service position, the connection interface is rigidly locked to the end fitting.

4. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said end fitting comprises a body configured to securely attach said connection interface to said body, at the time of said engagement, by assembly with shapes derived from the material of said body.

5. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein a body is configured to accept said adapter by a translational movement.

6. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said tab is arranged inside the end fitting, being formed in a top part of the end fitting.

7. The assembly according to claim 1, shaped so that said position of engagement corresponds to an apeak angle of zero or dose to zero, even a negative angle, of the wiper relative to the arm.

8. A connection device of a vehicle windscreen wiping system comprising: an assembly according to claim 1; and a mechanical connector adapted to be fixed to said wiper to attach the wiper to the wiper arm, said adapter adapted to be articulated on said mechanical connector to allow rotation between the wiper and the arm, said adapter being configured to be inserted in said end fitting.

9. The connection device according to claim 8, wherein said mechanical connector is configured to allow a hydraulic and/or electrical connection of the wiper to said connection interface.

10. The connection device according to claim 8, wherein said adapter comprises a locking button cooperating in an opening of the end fitting.

11. The connection device according to claim 8, wherein said mechanical connector is adapted to support said connection interface.

12. A vehicle windscreen wiping system comprising: a wiper; a wiper arm and a connection device according to claim 8 for attaching said wiper to said wiper arm.

Description

(1) It must be noted that the figures disclose the invention in detail and that they may of course serve to define the invention better, if necessary.

(2) In the remainder of the description, the terms longitudinal and lateral refer to the orientation of the wiper arm on which the windscreen wiper is mounted. The longitudinal direction corresponds to the main axis of the wiper arm along which it extends while the lateral orientations correspond to concurrent straight line segments, i.e. segments that cross the longitudinal direction, notably perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the wiper arm. For the longitudinal directions, the term front designates the direction going from a proximal end to a distal end of the wiper arm and the term rear to the opposite direction. Furthermore, the directions referred to as upper and lower correspond to orientations perpendicular to the rotation plane of the wiper arm, the term lower including the plane of the windscreen.

(3) Finally, identical reference numbers are used to designate identical or similar elements.

(4) As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the invention concerns a wiping system 3 including a wiper 9 and a wiper arm 7. The wipers 9 are flat wipers as mentioned above, known per se. Said system further includes a device 12 for connecting the wiper 9 to the arm 7.

(5) Reference will be able to be made to FIG. 8 for a more detailed description of the elements of an embodiment of said connection device 12. It comprises an adapter 13 and a mechanical connector 15, the adapter 13 and the mechanical connector 15 represented in this figure being suitable not only for the second embodiment of the invention in question in these figures but also for the first embodiment and, more generally, for other embodiments that are not illustrated.

(6) Said adapter 13 allows rotation between the wiper 9 and the wiper arm 7. In fact, the wiper must have at least one degree of freedom in rotation relative to the wiper arm and more specifically relative to an end fitting 5 of said arm 7, to allow the wiper to follow the curvature of the window to be wiped. Said adapter 13 is articulated on the mechanical connector 15, which to this end here includes pins 17 on its lateral flanks, said pins cooperating with orifices 19 in lateral flanks of said adapter. The mechanical connector 15 is inserted in a yoke 21 of the adapter, for example.

(7) The adapter 13 is configured to be inserted in the end fitting 5 by movement in translation along a longitudinal axis d along which the end fitting 5 extends so as to come into a position of use in which it is abutted against the end fitting 5 into which it is reversibly fixed by means of a retractable locking button 23 that cooperates with a recess 25 provided for this purpose in the end fitting 5. In this position, said end fitting 5 covers the adapter 13. The retractable button 23 and/or the recess 25 are here in upper portions of said adapter 13 and said end fitting 5, respectively, said button 23 being located at the rear end of a flexible lug 27 of the adapter. Numerous locking variants are possible.

(8) Here the end fitting 5 has an inverted “U” shape with the opening of this “U” shape facing the windscreen. The yoke shape 21 of the adapter 13 is complementary to the internal volume of the end fitting 5, for example, so as to be accommodated in the latter. When the wiper 9 is placed in the wiper arm 7, the adapter is inserted in said end fitting via an opening 29 at the distal end of the latter and guided in translation in the latter by rims 31 of its lateral flanks (FIG. 7).

(9) The mechanical connector 15 fastened to the wiper 9 or preferably the adapter 13 may have an external wall 33, referred to as the cap, closing the front portion of the end fitting 5.

(10) This being so, according to the invention, the invention also concerns an assembly 1 for producing the wiping system 3. Said assembly includes the end fitting 5 of the arm 7 and a connection interface 11 accommodated in this end fitting 5. Here said connection interface 11 includes a hydraulic connector 37 and/or an electrical connector 39, possibly fastened to each other, also referred to hereinafter as a hydraulic and/or electrical connector. Said connection interface 11 is used to feed a liquid to the wiper 9 and/or to heat the liquid and/or the wiper.

(11) The face opposite the cap 33, referred to as the inner face, faces toward said hydraulic and/or electrical connector 11.

(12) Here the mechanical connector 15 includes orifices 40 for connecting it to corresponding spigots 51 of the hydraulic connector 37 leading to internal passages 53 for distributing the windscreen washing liquid to the wiper and orifices 42 for connecting terminals 44 of the electrical connector 39. There will in particular be able to be one or two connection orifices 40, respectively corresponding to one or two spigots 51 of the hydraulic connector and/or to one or two internal channels 53 of the wiper.

(13) Said end fitting 5 is configured to engage said hydraulic and/or electrical connector 11, in an oriented manner relative to the end fitting 5, in a position allowing the disconnection and/or the connection of the connector 11 on the arm 7, that is to say in the service position.

(14) More specifically, said end fitting 5 comprises a body 41 configured to securely attach said hydraulic and/or electrical connector 11 to itself, upon said engagement, by the assembly of different parts of said body 41 with the connector 11 and/or by assembly with shapes derived from the material of said body 41 with the hydraulic and/or electrical connector 11.

(15) The end fitting 5 and said hydraulic and/or electrical connector 11 may even be provided with complementary shapes allowing them to be securely assembled together, upon said engagement, for example by clipping, pinching or similar. Common to the different embodiments way, the end fitting 5 of the arm 7 has at least one folded tab 43, 43′ folded from the end fitting 5 arranged to hold the hydraulic and/or electrical connector .ie connection interface 11.

(16) According to the first embodiment represented in FIGS. 3 to 6, the end fitting 5 comprises a folded tab 43 provided with an orifice 45 to allow for the engagement of a pin 47 of the hydraulic and/or electrical connector and thus said engagement of the hydraulic and/or electrical connector with the end fitting 5. More specifically, the pin 47 is formed on the hydraulic connector 37 and/or is mounted on the electrical connector 39 to securely attach the latter to the hydraulic connector.

(17) Said tab 43 is arranged inside the end fitting 5, thus being invisible. It is formed in the top part of the end fitting, in particular in the median part thereof. It will be able to be obtained by cutting and folding a wall of the body 41 of the end fitting forming said void 25.

(18) The end fitting 5 according to the second embodiment represented in FIGS. 7 and 8 here comprises at least one tab 43′ shaped to engage, for example by clipping, at least one snug 47′ of said hydraulic and/or electrical connector upon said engagement of the hydraulic and/or electrical connector with the end fitting.

(19) Said tab 43′ is formed, notably, on a side part of the end fitting 5, by being, for example, folded towards the interior thereof and therefore invisible.

(20) Said tab is here also obtained by cutting and folding a wall of the body 41, in particular a side edge of the end fitting 5.

(21) Said assembly 1 represented advantageously comprises two tabs 43′ each formed on a side part of the end fitting 5 and symmetrical to one another relative to a median longitudinal plane P of the end fitting. The tabs 43′ cooperate together upon the engagement with the snugs 47′ of the hydraulic and/or electrical connector, preferably each receiving two snugs 47′ in two opposing voids 49 in its top part. Said tabs 43′ will be able to have inclined slopes favouring said clipping.

(22) Said tabs 43, 43′ are situated at a distance from the axis of rotation of the adapter relative to the mechanical connector.

(23) Said engagement is advantageously obtained in a position of the hydraulic and/or electrical connector parallel to the direction of the axis of longitudinal extension d of the end fitting, that is to say when the end fitting 5 and the spigots 51 or plugs 44 of the hydraulic and/or electrical connector are arranged in said direction of longitudinal extension d of the end fitting.

(24) Said end fitting 5 is further configured to allow the separation of said engagement of the end fitting 5 and of said hydraulic and/or electrical connector. In other words, the position of engagement of the hydraulic and/or electrical connector can be left by rotation of the wiper 9 relative to the arm 7, by exerting a pressure on the wiper for this purpose, to restore the working position of the wiping system 3. Thus, said engagement is obtained by a movement of the wiper 9 relative to said arm 7, with slight forcing, and/or similarly the separation to switch the wiping system to the working position.

(25) It will be noted that, in the preceding embodiments, in the working position, there is no supporting part for the hydraulic and/or electrical connector in the end fitting. On the contrary, the hydraulic and/or electrical connector is borne by said mechanical connector 15, in particular by virtue of hooking of the hydraulic and/or electrical connector.

(26) The operation of the connection devices is now described.

(27) To change a wiper, it is sufficient to engage the hydraulic and/or electrical connector 11 relative to the end fitting 5, for example by rotating the wiper 9 relative to the arm 7, as represented in FIG. 3. This is done in a service position, outside of the engagement, until in the position of engagement of the connector and of the end fitting, namely said position of zero or negative apeak angle of the wiper relative to the arm. A pressure must be exerted on the wiper in the direction of rotation according to the arrow of FIG. 5 for the engagement. The pin 47 of the connector is then engaged in the orifice 45 of the tab 43 for the first embodiment (FIG. 4) and the snugs 47′ of the connector are engaged in the voids 49 of the tab 43′ for the second embodiment (FIG. 8). At this moment, with the engagement being secured, the locking button 23 of the adapter can be pressed in as represented in FIG. 6, and the adapter 13 and therefore the mechanical connector and the wiper 9 which is fixed thereto, can be extracted translationally from the end fitting 5.

(28) The connection with a view to replacement of the wiper 9 with another is performed by a movement that is the reverse of the preceding movement, the locking of the button 23 being performed in the position of engagement, at the end of the insertion of the adapter 13 into the end fitting and therefore of the wiper into the arm. At this moment, the wiper 9 can be rotated relative to the arm 7 to disengage the hydraulic and/or electrical connector and the end fitting and allow the wiping system to be enabled.

(29) The invention therefore provides the possibility of easy replacement of a wiper by another one in equipment for wiping the windows of motor vehicles including wipers, in particular produced in the so-called “flat blade” form.