Wiper system for spraying a cleaning and/or deicing fluid from the region of a windscreen wiper

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper system (1) comprising: a driving arm (3) comprising a rod (30) extended by an end portion (31) that is able to be connected to a windscreen wiper (2); a windscreen wiper (2) fitted on said end portion (31) and comprising at least one ramp (10) that is able to channel a cleaning and/or deicing fluid;
characterized in that said wiper system (1) comprises: a transporting pipe (5) for said fluid, which passes at least in part along said rod (30), said pipe (5) helping to channel said fluid towards said ramp (10); a connecting means (8) that helps to provide a removable connection between said pipe (5) and said ramp (10) and helping to channel said fluid from said pipe (5) towards said ramp (10); a retaining means (9) that is able to ensure fastening of said connecting means (8) to said rod (30).

Claims

1. A wiper system comprising: a driving arm comprising a rod extended by an end portion that is able to be connected to a windscreen wiper; a windscreen wiper fitted on said end portion and comprising at least one ramp that is able to channel a cleaning and/or de-icing fluid; a transporting pipe for said fluid, which passes at least in part along said rod, said pipe helping to channel said fluid towards said ramp; a joint that helps to provide a removable connection between said pipe and said ramp and to channel said fluid from said pipe towards said ramp; a first fastener that is able to ensure fastening of said joint to said rod, wherein the first fastener comprises a clip that is able to engage with said rod in order to ensure fastening, known as first fastening, of said first fastener to said driving arm, wherein said first fastener is shaped so as to define an internal space comprising: a first housing that is able to receive a portion of the rod; and a second housing that forms a second fastener, and wherein said clip comprises walls that delimit a slot at which the first housing opens out, the slot being able to allow the introduction of the portion of the rod into said first fastener; and said second fastener that fastens the joint to said first fastener, wherein said second fastener comprises two projections that extend from a base into the internal space of the first fastener, and wherein said second fastener comprises a portion that extends, in a use position, substantially opposite the portion of the rod to which said clip is connected.

2. The wiper system according to claim 1, also comprising: a connection device for fitting the windscreen wiper in an articulated manner on said driving arm in a region of said end portion.

3. The wiper system according to claim 2, wherein said connection device comprises a connector fixed to said wiper, said wiper system comprising an inlet pipe for admitting said fluid into said connector, said inlet pipe being able to channel said fluid from said joint towards said connector.

4. The wiper system according to claim 1, wherein said fastening of said joint to said rod is removable.

5. The wiper system according to claim 1, wherein said second fastener is able to ensure removable fastening of said joint to said first fastener.

6. The wiper system according to claim 5, wherein said second fastener is able to ensure said second removable fastening by snap-fastening of said joint to said first fastener.

7. The wiper system according to claim 1, wherein said second fastener is able to block the joint in all directions.

8. The wiper system according to claim 1, wherein the first housing and the second housing are disposed with respect to one another such that when the first fastener is in a position connected to the rod, the portion of the rod helps to keep said joint in the second housing.

9. The wiper system according to claim 1, wherein said clip has the base which is successively extended at each of its ends by the walls of the first fastener comprising: a first part that extends transversely with respect to said base; and two second, turned-back, parts delimiting said slot, said clip being symmetrical with respect to a median transverse axis of said base.

10. The wiper system according to claim 9, wherein the joint is disposed in a gap between the two projections of the second fastener.

11. The wiper system according to claim 1, wherein said first fastener is produced from a material or group of materials that allow(s) the first fastener to deform elastically.

12. The wiper system according to claim 1, wherein said first fastener is produced by moulding.

13. The wiper system according to claim 1, wherein said first fastener is able to move in translation with respect to the portion of the rod when the first fastener is connected to the rod.

14. The wiper system according to claim 1, further comprising a cutout that blocks the first fastener in position on the rod in at least one longitudinal direction of extension of said rod.

15. A wiper system comprising: a driving arm comprising a rod extended by an end portion that is able to be connected to a windscreen wiper; a windscreen wiper fitted on said end portion and comprising at least one ramp that is able to channel a cleaning and/or de-icing fluid; a transporting pipe for said fluid, which passes at least in part along said rod, said pipe helping to channel said fluid towards said ramp; a joint that helps to provide a removable connection between said pipe and said ramp and to channel said fluid from said pipe towards said ramp; a first fastener that is able to ensure fastening of said joint to said rod, the first fastener comprising: a clip that is able to engage with said rod in order to ensure fastening, known as first fastening, of said first fastener to said driving arm; and a second fastener that fastens the joint to said first fastener, wherein said second fastener comprises: two projections that extend from a base into an internal space of the first fastener, and a portion which extends, in a use position, substantially opposite a portion of the rod to which said clip is connected, and wherein said first fastener is shaped so as to define the internal space comprising: a first housing that is able to receive the portion of the rod; and a second housing that forms said second fastener.

Description

(1) Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following examples and the appended figures, said examples and figures being given only by way of nonlimiting example.

(2) FIG. 1A is a schematic illustration of a wiper system according to the invention which has a windscreen wiper articulated on an actuating arm, showing the retaining means in particular for connecting the fluid transporting pipe to said arm.

(3) FIG. 1B is a schematic illustration of the wiper system according to the invention shown in FIG. 1A, in which the arm and the wiper are in a removed position.

(4) FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the retaining means and of the connecting means that are shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, in the fitted position and in the removed position.

(5) FIG. 3A is a schematic illustration, in cross section, of the connecting means and of the retaining means that are shown in FIG. 2, showing the movements which need to be carried out for fitting to the arm.

(6) FIG. 3B is a schematic illustration, in cross section, of the connecting means and of the linking means that are shown in FIG. 2, in the position fitted on the arm.

(7) For reasons of clarity, only the elements that are essential for understanding the invention have been shown schematically, without respecting scale.

(8) As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the wiper system 1 according to the invention has:

(9) a windscreen wiper 2 having at least one ramp 10 for feeding and dispensing a cleaning and/or deicing fluid;

(10) a driving arm 3 that is able to drive the windscreen wiper 2 over a glazed surface, the driving arm 3 comprising a rod 30 that is extended by an end portion 31 that is able to be connected to the wiper 2;

(11) an adapter 4 for fitting the windscreen wiper 2 in an articulated manner on said driving arm 3 in the region of said end portion 31;

(12) a transporting pipe 5 for the flow of a fluid, able to be connected to a source (not shown) of cleaning and/or deicing fluid, this pipe 5 being in this case in the form of an intake pipe.

(13) Said ramp 10 comprises at least one pressurized spray orifice (not shown) which makes it possible to dispense said fluid onto the glazed surface, preferably by spraying. Preferably, said spray orifices open onto at least one of the longitudinal and lateral edges of the windscreen wiper 2.

(14) In this example, said ramp 10 is connected at one of its ends, directly or indirectly, to an inlet pipe 6 which in this case has an approximately tubular shape so as to form a cannula. This inlet pipe 6 extends on the side opposite the side where the wiper blade of the wiper 2 is located, in the space between the driving arm 3 and the windscreen wiper 2, when the driving arm 3 and the wiper 2 are fitted together.

(15) The inlet pipe 6 is preferably produced from a material which gives it flexibility properties, such as a plastics material, so as to make manipulations on the part of the user easier when the latter changes the windscreen wiper 2, for example.

(16) The feeding and dispensing ramp 10 is generally connected indirectly to said inlet pipe 6 by way of a connector 7 which comprises at least one outlet coupling and an inlet coupling (these not being shown) that are able to allow the connection to the ramp 10 and to the inlet pipe 6, respectively.

(17) Advantageously, said end portion 31 has an upper face the length Y of which is less than the distance X between, on one side, a wall of the adapter 4 which is approximately perpendicular to said upper face and against which wall of the adapter said end portion 31 is in contact when the latter is fitted on the windscreen wiper 2, and, on the other side, a free end of the inlet pipe 6 to which the connecting means 8 is connected. In this way, the connection point between the transporting pipe 5 and the fluid inlet pipe 6 is moved away from the connection device 4, 7, and the fitting and removal operations are thus made easier.

(18) The wiper system 1 according to the invention also comprises a connecting means 8 that is able to directly or indirectly connect said transporting pipe 5 to said ramp 10.

(19) In the example shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, this connection is produced indirectly, the connecting means 8 being connected to the ramp 10 by way of the inlet pipe 6 and the connector 7.

(20) As shown in particular in FIG. 2, said connecting means 8 has an approximately tubular shape, and has two ends 82 that are shaped so as to be able to cooperate respectively with the ends of the inlet pipe 6 and the intake pipe 5 which, in this example, forms the transporting pipe 5. The ends 82 of the connecting means 8 and the free ends of the inlet pipe 6 and of the intake pipe 5 are thus able to allow removable fastening between these components 5, 6, 8. By way of example, as shown in particular in FIG. 2, the ends of the connecting means 8 may comprise a thread 83 that is able to engage with tapped orifices 60 located at the ends of the intake pipe 5 and inlet pipe 6.

(21) According to one variant embodiment of the invention, each of the ends 82 of this connecting means 8 may be approximately in the form of a conical frustum, oriented such that the small bases are directly opposite the ends of the intake pipe 5 and inlet pipe 6 during connection. The ends 82 of the connecting means 8 have dimensions which allow them to be partially introduced into said ends of the intake pipe 5 and inlet pipe 6.

(22) Preferably, said connecting means 8 is rigid and has a nonreturn valve (not shown) for avoiding the reflow of cleaning and/or deicing fluid back towards said source of the fluid.

(23) A retaining means 9 is able to ensure removable fastening of the connecting means 8 to a portion of the rod 30, away from said end portion 31.

(24) According to one variant embodiment of the invention, the retaining means 9 has a connecting means 90 that is able to engage with said portion of rod 30 so as to ensure removable fastening, known as first fastening, of said retaining means 9 to said driving arm 3, and also a fastening means 91 that is able to ensure removable fastening, known as second fastening, of the connecting means 8 to the retaining means 9.

(25) Preferably, the fastening means 91 is disposed so as to allow that portion of said connecting means 8 that engages with the fastening means 91 to extend, in the use position, approximately opposite the rod 30 to which the linking means 90 is connected.

(26) As shown in FIGS. 2 to 3B, in this example the retaining means 9 is shaped so as to define an internal space comprising:

(27) a first housing 92 that is able to receive a portion of the rod 30;

(28) a second housing 93 that forms said fastening means 91.

(29) Preferably, the first housing 92 and the second housing 93 are disposed with respect to one another such that, when the retaining means 9 is in a position connected to the portion of the rod 30, said portion of the rod 30 helps to keep the connecting means 8 in the second housing 93, preventing the expulsion of the connecting means 8 from this second housing 93 in at least one direction.

(30) As shown in particular in FIG. 3B, said linking means 90 is in this case approximately in the form of a clip. The linking means 90 comprises walls that delimit a slot 94 at which the first housing 93 opens out, said slot 94 being able to allow the introduction of a portion of the rod 30. The linking means 90 has a base 95 which is successively extended at each of its ends by a wall comprising: a first part 96 that extends transversely with respect to said base 95; a second, turned-back part 97;
the gap between the two second parts 97 delimiting said slot 94, the linking means 90 being symmetrical with respect to the median transverse axis () of said base 95. Said second parts 97 delimit the first housing 92.

(31) In addition, the retaining means 9 is preferably produced from a material or a group of materials that allow it to deform in a non-permanent manner. Thus, by way of example, the retaining means 9 may be produced from a polymer material having a yield strength that makes it possible to satisfy this constraint, the choice of this polymer material falling within the general skills of a person skilled in the art. In this way, the elastic deformation capability of the retaining means 9 advantageously allows it to be connected to and disconnected from driving arms 3 having different dimensions. The parts of the linking means 90 that are in contact with the driving arm 3 may thus be deformed and modify the dimensions in particular of the first housing 92 and of said slot 94, thereby making it easier to introduce the driving arm 3 into these spaces. Moreover, these elastic deformation properties can allow the linking means 90 to grip a substantial part of that portion of the rod 30 of the driving arm 3 with which the retaining means 9 is in contact after connection, thereby advantageously optimizing the hold of the retaining means 9.

(32) Preferably, said fastening means 91 is able to ensure the second removable fastening by snap-fastening of the connecting means 8 to the retaining means 9.

(33) Preferably, the fastening means 91 matches the shape of the connecting means 8 in order to allow this connection by snap-fastening.

(34) Thus, in this case, as shown in particular in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the fastening means 91 has two longitudinal-axis projections that extend from said base 95 into the internal space of the retaining means 9, the gap between the two projections 91 making it possible to dispose the connecting means 8 therein. These two projections 91 preferably extend on either side of said axis of symmetry ().

(35) Preferably, the projections 91 are made of a material or a group of materials that allow them to deform non-permanently, thereby making the connection by snap-fastening between the connecting means 8 and the projections 91 easier.

(36) Advantageously, as shown in particular in FIG. 3B, the projections 91 preferably have a height that allows the driving arm 3 to bear against one of the sides thereof after it has been introduced into the first housing 92, thereby advantageously making it possible to hold the connecting means 8 in said gap and to block it in all directions.

(37) According to one variant embodiment of the invention, and as shown in FIG. 2, the connecting means 8 may have a collar 80 which has two opposite faces from each of which a duct 81 terminated by an end 82 having a thread 83 extends. In this case, the gap between two projections 91 is approximately equal to the diameter of the connecting means 8 in the region of said collar 80 in order to allow the connection by snap-fastening.

(38) According to one variant embodiment of the invention, the retaining means 9 is able to move in translation with respect to the portion of the rod 30 when it is connected to the latter, this movement in translation being made possible by virtue of the dimensions of the first housing 92 and/or of the elastic properties of the retaining means 9.

(39) The transporting pipe 5 is connected to the driving arm 3 by: snap-fastening the connecting means 8 to the retaining means 9; positioning the retaining means 9 such that said slot 94 is aligned with that edge of the rod 30 of the driving arm 3 that has the smallest dimensions; moving the retaining means 9 in translation so as to introduce the portion of the rod 30 of the driving arm 3 into said first housing 92 by way of said slot 94; rotating the retaining means 9 such that all of the portion of the rod 30 of the driving arm 3 with which the retaining means 9 is directly in contact after connection is introduced into the first housing 92; in the example shown in FIGS. 1 to 3B, the retaining means 9 is rotated through an angle approximately equal to 90.

(40) The transporting pipe 5 is disconnected from the driving arm 3 by carrying out these steps in reverse order.

(41) It should be noted that variant forms of embodiment are of course possible and that the present invention is not limited to the example described in detail hereinabove. In particular, it is possible to extend the present invention to a wiper system in which said connecting means 8 is formed directly on said inlet pipe 6.