Title of Invention

WINDSCREEN WIPER DEVICE

Abstract

The invention relates to a windscreen wiper device, especially for a motor vehicle, having at least one fastening element (10) for fastening a wiper arm to a wiper shaft (11). Windscreen wiper devices are mounted in areas that are frequently impacted by pedestrians during collision with a vehicle. As a result, components of the windscreen wiper device are responsible for a large number of injuries to pedestrians. The aim of the invention is to improve the windscreen wiper device in such a manner that the risk of injury to pedestrians during collision with a vehicle is reduced. According to the inventive windscreen wiper device, the at least one fastening element (10) is provided with a predetermined breaking point (12) and can therefore be detached from the wiper shaft (11) during impact on the at least one fastening element (10).

Full Text

Wind Shield Wiper Device Description The invention relates to a wind shield wiper device, particularly for an automobile with minimum one fastening component for fixing a wiper arm on a wiper shaft. Pedestrians are totally unprotected in the event of collusion with vehicles. Particularly, the un-elastic or unyielding, hard components beneath a motor hood lead to severe injury in the event of a pedestrian colliding with a vehicle. The wind shield wiper device is located in an area, which pedestrians often encounter in case of a head-on collusion with a vehicle. The general wind shield wiper devices known in accordance with the state of the art of technology have the disadvantage that they represent a serious danger of injury for the pedestrian in case of collusion with a vehicle. Therefore, the vehicle manufacturers demand a minimum interval of 65-85 mm between the motor hood and a wiper drive. For this purpose, the distance of the wiper shaft from the bottom edge of a wind screen is enlarged. During the wiping operation, however, the fastening part finds itself 10 mm above the windscreen outside of the part position. In the event of a collusion of a pedestrian on a wind shield wiper device, this cannot yield therefore more than 10 mm, because the fastening component sits on the wind screen. This method of shaping is however too small a measure to reduce the danger of injury to the pedestrian. The invention has the task to improve upon the windscreen wiper device of the type described above, with the objective that in the future, the danger of injury for a pedestrian, in the event of collusion with a vehicle will be minimized. The invention solves the set task through a wind screen wiper device of the type described earlier, in which as per the invention minimum one fastening component is determined with a pre-determined breaking point, and thereby, in the event of collusion, that fastening component, of the wiper shaft is at least partially detachable. Because of the fact that, in case of collusion, the fastening component of the wiper shaft is at least partially detachable, the fastening component jointed with the wiping arm can yield in the direction of the collusion force and thereby the danger of injury for the pedestrian colliding is reduced. Depending upon in which angle the pedestrian collides on the fastening component, the fastening component, after the break of the pre-determined breaking point, can be either pushed out through the wiper shaft or can deflect crosswords to the wiper shaft. In a simple design form the fastening component could have the shape of a hollow cylinder, placed on the wiper shaft. Thchollow cylinder can have on one of the face sides, facing the wiper shaft a circulating pre-determined breaking point. In case of a collusion of the pedestrian, minimum one portion of the face side is broken out of the hollow cylinder. With the objective that the hollow cylinder reliably breaks down at the predetermined breaking point independent of the collusion angle, it can be a surrounding groove. In order to ensure a breakage at the pre-determined breaking point already with minimum collusion force, the grooves could taper themselves towards their groove base. With the objective that at torque from the wiper shaft through the fastening component on the wiper arm can be transmitted, the fastening component can have a conical bore in which an over-formed end of the wiper shaft can be inserted. In order to ensure that the conical bore can be pressed firmly against the over-formed end of the wiper shaft, a screw fitting can be visualized. Furthermore, with regard to the invention, the windshield wiper device of the type mentioned at the beginning, in which in accordance with the invention, at least one fastening component has a pipe element placed on the wiper shaft and a jointing element, whereby the jointing element is connected on the one end with the wiper arm, and on the other, is connected with the pipe element in a detachable manner. In the event of collusion of the pedestrian on the windshield wiper device, the jointing element and the pipe element can detach from one another, so that the pipe element, together with the rest of the windshield wiper device, can deflect the collusion force, as a result of which the danger of injury for the pedestrian is significantly reduced. The pipe element and the jointing element can be caulked. In the event of collusion, the caulk detaches itself so that the pipe element and the rest of windshield wiper device can deflect the collusion force. The caulking guarantees furthermore a reliable caulk transmission from the pipe element to the jointing element. In a further development of the invention, the pipe element can be placed slanted on the wiper shaft. As a result of this, during the wiping operation, a wiping rubber presses better against the windshield as a result of which the wiping quality in the event of a high wiping speed and/or in the event of a high speed of the vehicle is optimized. The pipe element can preferably be a cost-effective casting piece and/or the jointing element can be fabricated using sheet metal in a price competitive manner. Consequently the fastening component can be fabricated in large numbers at minimum piece price. Especially in case of counter run units, in which the wiping arms during operation move in opposite direction to each other, the fastening component provided with a gradient /slant on the pipe element placed on the wiper shaft can be fabricated competitively. Hitherto, in case of counter run units, two separate tools were necessary for the left and right fastening components. If however, the fastening component has the pipe element and jointing element, then the left and the right fastening component can be fabricated only with one tool. For this purpose, the pipe element should be placed in the caulking tool, respectively twisted only by 180 degrees. In the following paragraph different design examples are explained on the basis of the enclosed drawings: They show: Figure 1: a longitudinal section through a first design form of the fastening component. Figure 2: a perspective view of a second design form of the fastening component Figure 3: a sectional view through two fastening components of a counter run unit. Figure 1 shows a fastening component 10 of a wind shield wiper device not displayed in detail here. The fastening component 10 connects a wiper arm, not illustrated in detail here, with a wiper shaft 11. It is designed as a hollow cylinder. The fastening component 10 on one of the sides facing the wiper shaft 11 predetermined breaking points 12, designed as circulating grooves. On the predetermined breaking point 12, the fastening component 10 fails in the event of collusion with a pedestrian. To ensure that a break of the fastening component 10 is activated already under minimal collusion forces, the groove 12 tapers itself towards their base. Serpentine lines 13 represent a possible fissure / break. The fastening component 10 of the wiper shaft 11 is at least partially detached through the break. Depending upon in which angle the pedestrian collides on the fastening component 10, the fastening component 10 is either pushed over the wiper shaft 11 or it deflects crosswords to the wiper shaft 11, so that, for example, it is bent sideward. In order to be able to transmit a torque from the wiper shaft 11 through the fastening component 10 to the wiper arm, the fastening component 10 is provided with a conical bore 14. In the conical bore 14 an over formed end 15 of the wiper shaft 11 is inserted. With the use of a threaded joint 16, the over-formed end 15 is pressed firmly in tKe conical bore 14, thereby a desirable torque transmission is ensured. Figure 2 shows a fastening component 20, which has a piping element 21 and jointing element 22. The pipe element 21 can be placed on a wiper shaft, not illustrated in detail here. Similarly, a wiper arm, not illustrated here, can be mounted on the jointing element 22. The wiping element 21 and the jointing element 22 are connected through a caulking 22 in a detachable manner. In case of a pollution of a pedestrian on a wind shield wiper device, the pipe element 21 and the jointing element 22 can detach themselves. In this manner, the pipe element 21, together with the rest of the wind shield wiper device can deflect the collusion force, as a result of which the danger of injury for the pedestrian is reduced. Further, the caulking 23 guarantees a reliable torque transmission from the pipe element 21 to the jointing element 22. For the purpose of caulking between the pipe element 21 and the jointing element 22 all though caulking types to specialists in the field can be made use of. The pipe element 21 can preferably be a cost effective casting and /or the jointing element 22 a price competitive sheet metal part. The pipe element 21 has advantageously a conical bore for seating the conical end of the wiper shaft. Figure 3 shows two fastening components 30 and 31 of a counter run unit, in which the wiper arms move during operation counter to each other. In respect of the fastening components. 30 and 31, pipe elements 32 are placed with a gradient on the wiper shaft 33 and 34. Because of this, during wiping operation, a wiping rubber presses better against the wind screen, with the result that the wiping quality under high wiping speed and/or a high vehicle speed is optimized. Through the simple design of the pipe element 32 and the jointing element 35, the fastening components 30 and 31 especially for counter run units, could be manufactured cost competitively. So far, in the case of counter run units, two separate tools were necessary for the left and the right fastening component. However, if the fastening components 30 and 31 should be used for a counter run unit, then both the left as well as the right fastening component can be produced with only one tool. For this purpose, during the fabrication, the pipe element must be placed in the caulking tool respectively twisted only by 180 degrees. Patent Claims 1. Wind shield wiper device, particularly for an automobile, with minimum one 2. fastening component 10 for fixing a wiper arm on a wiper shaft 11 is thereby 3. characterized that minimum one fastening component 10 is provided with a 4. predetermined breaking point 12, and thereby, in the event of a collusion, at least 5. one of the fastening components 10 can be detached from the wiper shaft 11. 6. Wind shield wiper device according to claim 1 above is thereby characterized that 7. the fastening component 10 after the breakage of the pre-determined breaking 8. point 12, can be slided through the wiper shaft 11. 9. Wind shield wiper device according to Claim 1 or 2, is thereby characterized that 10. the fastening component 10 has a hollow cylinder, which is placed on the wiper 11. shaft 11. 12. Wind shield wiper device as per Claim 3 is thereby characterized that the hollow 13. cylinder has, on one of the face sides facing the wiper shaft, a circumferential 14. predetermined breaking point 12. 15. Wind shield wiper device as per Claim 4 is thereby characterized that the 16. circumferential predetermined breaking point 12 is a circumferential groove. 6. Wind shield wiper device, particularly for an automobile, with minimum onto fastening component 20, 30, 31, for fixing a wiper arm on a wiper shaft 33, 34 is thereby characterized that at least one fastening component 20, 30, 31 has ofie pipe element 21, 32 placed on the wiper shaft 33, 34 and a jointing element 22, 35, whereby the jointing element 22, 35 is connected on the one hand with the wiper arm and on the other with the wiping element 21, 32 in a detachable manner. 7. Wind shield wiper device, according to Claim 6, is thereby characterized, that the wiping element 21, 32 and the jointing element 22, 35 are caulked with each other. 8. Wind shield wiper device according to Claim 6 or 7, is thereby characterized that the piping element 32 is placed with a gradience on the wiper shaft 33, 34. 9. Wind shield wiper device according to one of the Claims 6 to 8, is thereby * characterized that the pipe element 21, 32, is pressure die cast. 10. Wind shield wiper device according to one of the claims 6 to 9, is thereby characterized that the jointing element 22, 35 is fabricated from sheet metal. SUMMARY The invention relates to a wind shield wiper device particularly for an automobile, with minimum one fastening component 10 for fixing a wiper arm on a wiper shaft 11. The wind shield wiper device is located in an area which is often impacted by pedestrians during collusion with a vehicle. Therefore, the components used in the windscreen device represent often a very serious danger of injury to the pedestrians. The invention has the objective to improve the windscreen wiper device with a focus to reduce the danger of injury to pedestrians, in the event of collusion with a vehicle. The fastening component 10, according to the invention is provided with a predetermined breaking point 12 and thus, in case of collusion, at least one fastening component 10 can be detached from the wiper shaft 11.

Documents:

3692-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 04-12-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 FORM-3 04-12-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 AMENDED CLAIMS 06-09-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 06-09-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 FORM-3 06-09-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 06-09-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 POWER OF ATTORNEY 06-09-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 02-03-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 ENGLISH TRANSLATION 02-03-2012.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 FORM-18.pdf

3692-CHENP-2006 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 04-12-2012.pdf

3692-chenp-2006-claims.pdf

3692-chenp-2006-correspondnece-others.pdf

3692-chenp-2006-description(complete).pdf

3692-chenp-2006-drawings.pdf

3692-chenp-2006-form 1.pdf

3692-chenp-2006-form 26.pdf

3692-chenp-2006-form 3.pdf

3692-chenp-2006-form 5.pdf

3692-chenp-2006-pct.pdf