WIPER DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper device comprising at least one wiper drive (10) which is provided for driving a wiper arm (12) over a wiping region (14) of a vehicle window (16) in a direction-changing manner and comprising at least one control and/or regulating unit (18) which is provided for actuating the at least one wiper drive (10) in order to move the wiper arm (12) between a first wiping region boundary (20) and a second wiping region boundary (22). The wiper device comprises at least one interface (24) which is provided for establishing communication between the control and/or regulating unit (18) and an external end user unit (26), wherein the external end user unit (26) is provided at least for adjusting the first wiping region boundary (20).

Claims

1. A wiper device comprising at least one wiper drive (10) that is provided to drive a wiper arm (12) in a direction-changing manner over a wiping region (14) of a vehicle windscreen (16), at least one control and/or regulating unit (18) that is provided to actuate the at least one wiper drive (10) to move the wiper arm (12) between a first wiping region boundary (20) and a second wiping region boundary (22), and at least one interface (24) that is provided for communications between the control and/or regulating unit (18) and an external end user unit (26), wherein the external end user unit (26) is provided at least for adjusting the first wiping region boundary (20).

2. The wiper device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control and/or regulating unit (18) is provided to adjust at least the first wiping region boundary (20) exclusively within a fixed parameter framework as a function of an input to the external end user unit (26) via the interface (24).

3. The wiper device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the external end user unit (26) comprises a detecting unit (40) that is provided for the automatic detection of a wiper arm position and/or a wiper blade position and for the at least partly automatic adjustment of at least the first wiping region boundary (20) as a function of the wiper arm position and/or a wiper blade position.

4. The wiper device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the interface (24) is provided for wireless communications with the external end user unit (26).

5. The wiper device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the external end user unit (26) is provided at least for adjusting the second wiping region boundary (20).

6. The wiper device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one wiper drive (10) is a reversing drive.

7. The wiper device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the external end user unit (26) is provided for the at least partly automatic adjustment of the wiping region boundary (20) as a function of at least one environmental parameter.

8. The wiper device as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the external end user unit (26) is provided for the automatic detection of the at least one environmental parameter.

9. A system with a wiper device as claimed in claim 1 and with an external end user unit (26).

10. A method for adjusting a wiping region boundary (20) of a wiping region (14) that is wiped over by a wiper blade (28) of a wiper device, characterized in that the adjustment is carried out by means of an external end user unit (26) that communicates via an interface (24) with a -control and/or regulating unit (18) of the wiper device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0020] Further advantages result from the following description of the drawing. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is represented in the drawing. The drawing, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. The person skilled in the art will advantageously also consider the features individually and combine them into meaningful further combinations.

[0021] In the FIGURE:

[0022] FIG. 1 shows a schematic design of a wiper device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] In FIG. 1, a possible design of a wiper device according to the invention is shown schematically. The wiper device comprises a wiper drive. The wiper device comprises a wiper arm. Furthermore, the wiper device comprises a wiper blade. The wiper blade is reversibly coupled to the wiper arm. The wiper blade is embodied as a flat wiper blade. The wiper blade comprises a wiper lip that is not shown and that wipes over a vehicle windscreen. The vehicle windscreen forms a front screen of a motor vehicle that is not shown. It is also conceivable that the vehicle windscreen is embodied as a rear screen of a motor vehicle. The wiper device can comprise at least one further wiper drive, a further wiper arm and/or a further wiper blade (not shown here).

[0024] The wiper drive 10 is provided to drive the wiper arm 12 over a wiping region 14 of the vehicle windscreen 16 in a direction-changing manner. The wiper drive 10 comprises an electric motor 30. The wiper drive 10 comprises a wiper transmission 32. The wiper drive 10 is embodied as a reversing drive. The electric motor 30 is embodied as a stepper motor. A direction of rotation of the electric motor 30 changes regularly during a wiping process. The wiper device comprises a control and/or regulating unit 18. The control and/or regulating unit 18 is provided to actuate the wiper drive 10 to move the wiper arm 12 between a first wiping region boundary 20 and a second wiping region boundary 22. The wiping region boundaries 20, 22 form boundary lines at which the wiping region 14 ends in a respective wiping direction.

[0025] The wiper device comprises an interface 24. The interface 24 is provided for communications between the control and/or regulating unit 18 and an external end user unit 26. The interface 24 comprises for this purpose a communications unit that is not shown in detail. The interface 24 is provided for wireless communications with the external end user unit 26. The interface 24 is provided for wireless communications according to an industry standard in accordance with IEEE 802.15.1 and/or in accordance with the IEEE-802.11 family.

[0026] The external end user unit 26 is provided for adjusting the first wiping region boundary 20. The external end user unit 26 is provided for adjusting and/or varying the first wiping region boundary 20 by an end user. The external end user unit 26 is embodied as a smart phone. However, it is also conceivable in this context that the external end user unit 26 is embodied as a PC, a laptop, a tablet computer, a remote controller and/or a smart watch. The wiper device and the external end user unit 26 together form a system.

[0027] The external end user unit 26 is embodied separately from the wiper device. The external end user unit 26 is provided for use by an end customer and/or a vehicle user. The external end user unit 26 is embodied to be portable. The external end user unit 26 comprises a mass of less than 500 g. The external end user unit 26 comprises an output unit 34. The output unit 34 is provided for the optical output of at least one parameter. In this case, the parameter can comprise in particular an angle value that describes a current wiping region boundary 20, 22 or a wiping region boundary that is to be set. It is also conceivable in this context that the output unit 34 is provided for an optical and/or haptic output of information and/or parameters. The external end user unit 26 comprises an input unit 36. The input unit 36 is provided for the input of information by an operator. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the output unit 34 and the input unit 36 form a contact-sensitive display screen 38.

[0028] The external end user unit 26 comprises a detecting unit 40. The detecting unit 40 is provided for the automatic detection of a wiper arm position. The detecting unit 40 is provided for the automatic detection of a wiper blade position. The external end user unit 26 comprises a camera 42 that is provided for the optical detection of the wiper arm position and/or the wiper blade position.

[0029] The detecting unit 40 is provided for the at least partly automatic adjustment of the first wiping region boundary 20 as a function of the wiper arm position and/or the wiper blade position. The detecting unit 40 is provided for the at least partly automatic adjustment of the second wiping region boundary 22 as a function of the wiper arm position and/or the wiper blade position.

[0030] The external end user unit 26 is provided for the automatic adjustment of the first wiping region boundary 20 as a function of an environmental parameter. The external end user unit 26 is provided for the automatic adjustment of the second wiping region boundary 22 as a function of an environmental parameter. The environmental parameter can in particular be a screen state, a date, a time of day, a brightness, a degree of wetness of the vehicle windscreen 16, a surface quality of the vehicle windscreen 16, a mechanism and/or a weather parameter. In this case, the external end user unit 26 is provided for the automatic detection of the environmental parameter.

[0031] The control and/or regulating unit 18 is provided to adjust the first wiping region boundary 20 exclusively within a fixed parameter framework as a function of an input to the external end user unit 26 via the interface 24. The control and/or regulating unit 18 is provided to adjust the second wiping region boundary 22 exclusively within a fixed parameter framework as a function of an input to the external end user unit 26 via the interface 24. In this case, the fixed parameter frameworks correspond to the legal and/or technical requirements that absolutely must be complied with by a wiper drive.

[0032] For the adjustment of the wiper region boundaries 20, 22, an end user inputs the desired wiper region boundaries 20, 22 into the external end user unit 26. The external end user unit 26 interprets the inputs and determines corresponding parameters. The parameters are transmitted wirelessly via the interface 24 to the control and/or regulating unit 18 of the wiper device.

[0033] In addition or alternatively, the wiping process can be recorded by the detecting unit 40, and a distance of the wiper blade 28 from an edge 44 of the vehicle windscreen 16 can be determined automatically. In this case, an individual optimal distance from an A-column that is not shown here can be determined. A parameter is then automatically determined by the external end user unit 26, with which the individual optimal distance from the edge 44 can be adjusted. The parameter is transmitted from the external end user unit 26 via the interface 24 to the control and/or regulating unit 18 and is stored there. The wiper blade 28 is then accurately moved to the individual optimal distance based on the stored parameter and changes the direction of motion thereof there.