Device for lateral spraying of a washing liquid for a wiper arm for a system for wiping a pane of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (11) for lateral spraying of a washing liquid designed to be attached to a windscreen wiper arm (3) of a system for wiping a pane of a motor vehicle, characterized in that it comprises a supply cannula (35), a duct for distributing the liquid (39) and at least two nozzles (28) for spraying the liquid, the nozzles (28) and the supply cannula (35) being fluidically connected via the intermediary of the distribution duct (39), characterized in that the nozzles (28) are arranged on either side of an axis (A) defined by the supply cannula (35). The invention also relates to a wiper arm (3) for a system for wiping a pane of a motor vehicle, comprising a lateral spraying device (11) such that it is possible to spray on each lateral side of the arm.

Claims

1. A wiper arm for a wiping system of a motor vehicle, the wiper arm comprising: a first lateral wall having at least one first positioning opening formed therethrough a second lateral wall having at least one second positioning opening formed therethrough; and a device that fits into one of the at least one first or second positioning openings, and laterally sprays a washing liquid, the device comprising: a washing liquid supply cover that includes a supply cannula, a spraying base, a duct that distributes the washing liquid and is formed at a junction between the spraying base and the washing liquid supply cover and, at least two nozzles that spray the washing liquid, wherein the nozzles and the supply cannula are fluidically connected via an intermediary of the duct, wherein the nozzles are arranged on two sides of an axis defined by the supply cannula, wherein the device sprays the washing liquid on two lateral sides of the wiper arm, and wherein the duct extends through the first positioning opening and through the second positioning opening, such that the nozzles are located external to the lateral walls.

2. The wiper arm according to claim 1, wherein the nozzles are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis defined by the supply cannula.

3. The wiper arm according to claim 1, wherein spraying directions of the nozzles are parallel.

4. The wiper arm according to claim 1, wherein each of the nozzles has an inclined spraying direction that is inclined with respect to the axis defined by the supply cannula.

5. The wiper arm according to claim 1, wherein the duct is formed at the junction between the spraying base and the washing liquid supply cover by matching imprint shapes in a form of open grooves of which one is borne by the spraying base and the other by the washing liquid supply cover, and the spraying base, at each end, has at least one of the nozzles.

6. The wiper arm according to claim 5, wherein a first imprint of the matching imprint shapes is surrounded by an attachment rib and a second imprint of the matching imprint shapes is surrounded by an attachment channel matching the attachment rib.

7. The wiper arm according to claim 5, wherein the spraying base and the washing liquid supply cover are attached to one another by ultrasound welding.

8. The wiper arm according to claim 1, the device has a parallelepipedal shape.

9. The wiper arm according to claim 1, further comprising through openings that receive welding projections borne by the wiper arm.

10. The wiper arm according to claim 1, further comprising snap-fitting arms that engage with associated ribs borne by the wiper arm.

11. The wiper arm according to claim 1, wherein the wiper arm comprises welding projections that engage with through openings of the device.

12. The wiper arm according to claim 1, wherein the wiper arm comprises ribs that engage with snap-fitting arms of the device.

13. The wiper arm according to claim 1, wherein the device is located at a middle of the wiper arm in a longitudinal direction of the wiper arm.

14. The wiping system comprising the wiper arm according to claim 1.

Description

(1) Other advantages and features will emerge upon reading the description of the invention and of the appended drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a top view of a wiping system comprising an arm equipped with a device for lateral spraying of a washing liquid,

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective side view of the device for lateral spraying of a washing liquid in the assembled state,

(4) FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the spraying base,

(5) FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the spraying base rotated through 180 with respect to FIG. 3,

(6) FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the supply cover,

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the supply cover rotated through 180 with respect to FIG. 5,

(8) FIG. 7 is a schematic section view along a line VII-VII of FIG. 1,

(9) FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view from below of the wiper arm,

(10) FIG. 9 is a partial perspective view from below of the wiper arm with a device for lateral spraying of a washing liquid in the assembled state,

(11) FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the device for lateral spraying of a washing liquid in the assembled state,

(12) FIG. 11 is a perspective view of yet another embodiment of the device for lateral spraying of a washing liquid in the assembled state, and

(13) FIG. 12 is a partial perspective view from below of the wiper arm with a device for lateral spraying of a washing liquid of FIG. 11 in the assembled state.

(14) There now follows a description of an exemplary embodiment with reference to the figures.

(15) In all the figures, the same elements bear the same references.

(16) The following embodiments are examples. Although the description refers to one or more embodiments, that does not necessarily mean that each reference relates to the same embodiment, or that the features apply only to one single embodiment. Individual features of various embodiments may also be combined to provide other embodiments.

(17) FIG. 1 shows a wiping system 1 comprising a wiper arm 3, in particular a wiper arm for a rear pane of a motor vehicle.

(18) This arm 3 comprises a shell 5, for example made of plastic, and a wiper 7 with a wiping blade 9 for wiping a pane.

(19) The arm 3 is moreover equipped with a device 11 for lateral spraying of a washing liquid, having a parallelepipedal general shape. In FIG. 1, sprayed jets of a washing liquid are referenced 13.

(20) As shown in FIG. 1, the jets 13 are oriented essentially parallel to the longitudinal extent of the arm 3 and of the wiper 7, such that, during back-and-forth wiping movements, indicated by the arrow 15, the pane is sprayed both ahead of and behind the moving wiping blade 9. For a cleaning cycle, washing liquid is sprayed onto the pane during the first or first few back-and-forth movements, followed by one or more back-and-forth movements without spraying liquid in order to dry the pane. The spraying device is located essentially at the middle of the arm 3 in the longitudinal direction. Particularly advantageously, and as shown in FIG. 1, the spraying device is located in line with a lower end of the wiping blade in order to spray the liquid over the entire length of the wiping blade.

(21) The device 11 for lateral spraying of a washing liquid is shown in perspective in its entirety in FIG. 2 and is formed of a spraying base 17 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) and of a washing liquid supply cover 19 (see FIGS. 5 and 6), which are attached to one another. The base 17 and the cover 19 are for example made of plastic and produced by injection.

(22) FIG. 3 shows the face 21 of the base 17 designed to be in contact with/attached to a corresponding face 23 of the cover 19 shown in FIG. 5.

(23) On this face 21 there is created an imprint 25 in the form of an open groove. At the ends of this imprint 25, there are created two holes 27 which open onto the opposite face 29 of the base 17 from the face 21 (see FIG. 4). These holes 27 form nozzles 28 for spraying the washing liquid.

(24) As shown in FIG. 5, there is also created, on the face 23 of the cover 19, an imprint 31 in the form of an open groove.

(25) At its centre, this imprint 31 has a supply duct 33 formed by a supply cannula 35 created in one piece with the cover 19 and arranged on the opposite face 37 of the cover from the face 23 (see FIG. 6). The supply cannula 35 is designed to be connected to a flexible washing liquid supply tube (not shown).

(26) Thus, when the base 17 and the cover 19 are assembled, the imprints 25 and 31 form, by virtue of matching shapes, a duct for distributing the washing liquid 39.

(27) This distribution duct 39 is clearly visible in FIG. 7, showing a cross section through the thickness of the device 11 for lateral spraying of a washing liquid. It shows clearly how the washing liquid entering via the cannula 35 is then divided into two flows and distributed as far as the spraying nozzles 28. It will therefore be understood that the base 17 has at each end at least one, in the present case two, spraying nozzle(s) 28 which are fluidically connected to the distribution duct 39, and that the supply cannula 35 is also fluidically connected to the distribution duct 39.

(28) The nozzles 28 and the supply cannula 35 are thus fluidically connected via the intermediary of the distribution duct 39, and the nozzles 28 are arranged on either side of an axis A defined by the supply cannula 35.

(29) More specifically, the nozzles 28 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis A defined by the supply cannula 35.

(30) As shown in the figures, the general spraying directions of the nozzles 28 are parallel with one another and also parallel to the axis of the supply cannula 35.

(31) According to one variant which is not shown, the nozzles 28 each have an inclined general spraying direction, away from the axis A defined by the supply cannula 35, in the direction of the wiping blade 9. In this variant, the general spraying directions of the nozzles 28 may be parallel or convergent in the direction of the wiping blade 9.

(32) In order to facilitate assembly and at the same time ensure a seal, one of the imprints, in this case the imprint 31 of the cover 19, is surrounded by an attachment rib 41 (FIG. 5) and the other imprint, in this case the imprint 25, by an attachment channel 43 matching the attachment rib 41.

(33) Thus, all that is necessary for assembly is to place the cover 19 onto the base 17 and then attach them to one another, for example by welding, in particular by ultrasound.

(34) With reference to FIG. 8, for the lateral spraying of the washing liquid, the wiper arm 3 comprises positioning openings 45 in the lateral wall 47 of its shell 5, and the longitudinal extent of the device 11 is such that, in the installed state, the spraying device 11 projects laterally, with its spraying nozzles 28, from the wiper arm 3 (FIGS. 1 and 9).

(35) In order to attach the device 11 to the wiper arm 3, the shell 5 has, on its underside, that is to say that face designed to be oriented towards a pane, welding projections 51.

(36) These welding projections 51 engage in a first instance by slotting into through openings 53 created in the base 17 parallel to the junction plane between the base 17 and the cover 19 (see in particular FIGS. 2, 3, 4, 7 and 9).

(37) Once slotted in as shown in FIG. 9, it is for example possible to weld by ultrasound the spraying device 11 to the projections 51.

(38) It will therefore be understood that the spraying device 11 is simple to manufacture and is cost-effective and, by simple assembly of a base 17 with a cover 19, the assembly may easily be mounted on the wiper arm 3.

(39) FIG. 10 shows a variant of a spraying device 11 which differs from that of FIGS. 1 to 9 by virtue of the fact that it has four spraying nozzles 28 instead of two, two at each end and arranged one above the other.

(40) FIGS. 11 and 12 show yet another variant of the spraying device 11 which differs in that the through openings 53 are replaced with snap-fitting arms 55 designed to engage with associated ribs 57 borne by the wiper arm 3 (see FIG. 12).