Title of Invention

WINDSHIELD WIPER, ESPECIALLY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE

Abstract

The invention emanates from a windscreen wiper device (10), particularly for a motor vehicle, with at least one actuating drive (16) to be fixed at the car body (26), with an output shaft (28) and at least two fixing elements (22) that can engage with receiving ports (24) at the car body (26) and respectively have at least one attenuating element (36) with which to attenuate mechanical vibrations. It is proposed that the attenuating element (36) be fixed firmly to the fixing element (22) and be insertable into the receiving ports (24) in a first assembly direction (30) and through a movement in a second assembly direction (32) at right angles to the first, overlaps the edge (80) of the receiving port (24) with a slot (40), whereby the slot (40) is located in a component (38, 64), that has a hard surface relative to the attenuating element (36) and is firmly connected to the attenuating element (36). (Figure 3)

Full Text

WINDSCREEN WIPER DEVICE, PARTICULARLY FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE Prior Art The invention emanates from a windscreen wiper device, particularly for a motor vehicle, according to the preamble of Claim 1. Numerous windscreen wiper devices for motor vehicles that have an actuating drive that is fixed at the car body are already established. Typically, such types of actuating drives are affixed to the car body that are, however, very complex and require many parts such as screws, screw nuts and washers etc. This is logistically complex and, over and above this, complex during installation. A windscreen wiper device is, furthermore, established in DE 100 62 617 A1 that is pasted in the motor vehicle, whereby the adhesive exhibits attenuating properties. A windscreen wiper device for vehicles, particularly for motor vehicles, is established in DE 198 33 404 A1 that enables a screw-connection free and, therewith, a simple and quickly executable assembly. The windscreen wiper device exhibits a supporting structure for an actuating device for this purpose. A number of first fixing elements are provided at the supporting structure that project in a first direction from the supporting structure. A number of second fixing elements project in a second direction that runs at an angle of between 45 and 135 degrees to the first direction, preferably at an angle of 90 degrees. The fixing elements are designed as cylindrical plug-in pins that are connected to the supporting structure with one end and are pushed into a receiving port of a rubber-elastic attenuating element with its free end. The attenuating element is inserted into an assembly port of the car body. The assembly port can be located in an angled or deeply drawn mounting link that is welded to the car body. The free end of the plug-in pin can have a preferably conical thickening in order to be able to affix the same in the attenuating element by means of slots. Since the assembly directions of the first and second fixing elements run at an angle, it can not be ruled out that the supporting structure is exposed to tension after assembly, which is transmitted to adjacent parts of the car body. Advantages of the Invention According to the invention, the attenuating element is connected firmly to the fixing element. It can be inserted into the receiving port in a first assembly direction and overlaps the edge of the receiving port with a slot through a movement in a second assembly direction, at right angles to the first. The edge is located in a component that has a hard surface relative to the attenuating element and is firmly connected to the attenuating element. Low assembly forces arise in the second assembly direction due to the low adhesion factor between the hard surface of the slot and the car body so that the windscreen wiper device, in accordance with the invention, can be installed without any great assembly force. The slot has an expansion at its aperture in order to be able to easily guide the edge of the receiving port into the slot The windscreen wiper device must, as a rule, be fixed in its end position at the end of the second assembly path so that the fixing element with the attenuating element can not get lose again in the opposite direction. An arresting element e.g., in the form of a pin or a screw that is located in the first assembly direction, can be provided to this end, which connects the actuating drive to the car body. The arresting element appropriately also exhibits vibration-isolating features. This, however, entails a high manufacture and assembly complexity. In contrast to this, it is proposed, in accordance with a design of the invention, that the clamp have two handles that run essentially parallel to one another, that border the slot and from which a latching tappet is exhibited that engages with an aperture of the opposite handle. During assembly in the second assembly direction, the latching tappet at the edge of the receiving port is pressed back through the body sheet metal and latches with a corresponding latching port of the body sheet metal when it reaches its end position. In order to be able to press back the latching tappet easily, the same has a flatter flank in the second assembly direction, whereas a steeper flank of the latching tappet opposite the second assembly direction ensures that the end position is securely locked. The latching tappet can be pressed back from the flatter flank by means of a screw driver during disassembling. In accordance with another design of the invention, the clamp has a second latching tappet that lies behind the first latching tappet in the second assembly direction and engages with an aperture of the opposite handle with two steep flanks that run at right angles to the second assembly direction. During assembly, the second latching tappet likewise engages with a latching hole of the car body. Whereas both latching tappets are caused to disengage by the flat flank of the first latching tappet and the first latching tappet approximately positions the windscreen wiper device in the end position, the second latching tappet enables a more precise positioning of the windscreen wiper device relative to the corresponding latching hole in the car body. The second latching tappet, hereby, advantageously exhibits an m-shaped or w-shaped form in the longitudinal section of the clamp. The clamp that is appropriately manufactured from a synthetic material or sheet metal can be held in a recess of the attenuating element by pressing the same in, sticking in, moulding or vulcanising or through a form-fit. In an advantageous manner, the slot of the clamp is adjusted to the thickness of the body sheet metal or a retainer in such a manner that the body sheet metal lies adjacent to the inner side of the clamp under initial tension, when in the assembled state. In another design, a retaining element made from a synthetic material is inserted in a recess of the attenuating element. This retaining element has a slot with which to receive the body sheet metal, whereby one side of the slot has a latching tappet that protrudes into a recess at the opposite side of the slot. The retaining element can be divided in the region of the siot in the second assembly direction and be fastened with its external side at the attenuation element. If the slot is pushed over the edge of the receiving port, then the two parts are pressed apart from one another, whereby the attenuating element yields elastically. On reaching the final position, the latching tappet latches with a corresponding latching port of the car body. Here too, it is of advantage, if the slot expands at its outer end in the second assembly direction. Diagrams Other advantages emanate from the following descriptions of the drawings. Embodiments of the invention are presented in the drawings. The drawings, description and claims contain numerous features in combination. The expert can also appropriately consider the features individually and combine the same in other expedient combinations. Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of a chive device of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the fixing element corresponding to line II - II in Figure 3; Figure 3 presents a section corresponding to line III - III in Figure 1; Figures 4 & 5 are variants of Figure 3, while Figures 6 & 7 are variants of Figures 2 and 3. Description of the Exemplary Embodiments A schematic illustration of windscreen wiper device 10 of a rear window windscreen wiper of a motor vehicle is presented in Figure 1. The invention is, of course, in no way restricted to a rear window windscreen wiper. It can, without any problem, be applied to the front window windscreen wiper. The windscreen wiper device 10 is comprised of an electro motor 12 with a transmission 14 that together form an actuating drive 16. The actuating drive 16 has a casing 18 that exhibits brackets 20 and can be positioned using a synthetic material in the injection moulding procedure or using metal in a die cast procedure. Fixing elements 22 with a u-shaped profile are placed at the ends of the brackets 20. An attenuating element 36 is inserted in recess 34 of the u-shaped profile of the fixing element 22 and is firmly connected to the fixing element 22. The attenuating element 36, according to Figure 1, has a clamp 38 approximately in the centre with a slot 40 between two handles 44 and 46 that run approximately parallel to one another. The fixing element 22 is inserted into the receiving port 24 in a first assembly direction 30 that runs approximately perpendicular to the level of the drawing in Figure 1 and axially parallel to the output shaft 28 so that the aperture of the slot 40 lies opposite an edge of the assembly port 24. The fixing element 22 is then moved in a second assembly direction 32, which corresponds to a rotary motion around the output shaft 28 in a design according to Figure 1, whereby the slot 40 overlaps the edge of the receiving port so that the windscreen wiper device 10 is held at the car body by slot 40 and is simultaneously de-coupled from the car body 26 by an attenuating element 26 using vibration engineering. The clamp 38, which has a harder surface than the attenuating element 36, glides easily over the body sheet metal of the car body 26 during assembly. Assembly is, furthermore, simplified in that the slot 40 exhibits a cotter-shaped expansion 42 at its aperture in the second assembly direction 32, through which the edge of the receiving port definitely reaches the slot 40 ever, in the case of an imprecise setting up of the fixing element 22 and is held there by initial tension. The windscreen wiper device 10 can be fixed in any manner in the final position in the second assembly direction 32 e.g., through a latching screw or a rivet. This, however, takes place appropriately through a latching tappet 50 that is placed at a handle 44 of the clamp 38 and grasps through an aperture 48 in the opposite handle 46 (Figure 4). If the edge 80 of the receiving port 24 is pushed into the slot 40 through the expansion 42, the same presses the latching tappet back over a flat, running flank 52, whereby the attenuating element 36 yields correspondingly. When the edge of the receiving port 24 reaches its final position the latching tappet 50 locks in a latching port that is located displaced to the receiving port 24 in the second assembly direction 32. A steeper flank 54 at that side of the latching tappet 50 that lies opposite the second assembly direction 32 ensures secure fastening of the windscreen wiper device 10. In the design according to Figure 5, the clamp 38 has a second latching tappet 56 that lies behind the first latching tappet 50 in the second assembly direction 32. It is bordered by two steep flanks 60, 62 in the second assembly direction 32, which engage with an aperture 58 of the opposite handle 46 and render possible a precise positioning of the windscreen wiper device 10 in a corresponding latching hole of the car body 26 that is not illustrated. The first latching tappet 50, thereby, effectuates a rough pre-positioning, while the second latching tappet 56 fixes the windscreen wiper device 10 with low clearance in the second assembly direction 32. The design according to Figures 6 and 7 illustrate an attenuating element 36 with a recess 76 into which a retaining element 64 made from a synthetic material is inserted. This can be comprised of two parts, whereby the two parts are located in such a manner to one another and are firmly connected to the attenuating element 36 that they form a slot 78 between themselves into which the sheet metal of the car body 26 can be pushed in from the edge 80 of the receiving port 24. The slot can, thereby, also expand in a funnel-shaped manner in the second assembly direction 32 up to its aperture. The component 64 has a latching tappet 66 at its surface that faces the slot 78, which in the assembled state, engages with a recess 74 on the opposite side of the slot 78 through a latching port 72 in the car body 26. The latching tappet 66 exhibits a front flank 68 that runs flat and a flank 70 that runs steep in the opposite side in the second assembly direction 32. The latching tappet 66 is pushed back if the edge 80 of the receiving port 24 is pushed into the slot 78, whereby the attenuating element 36 yields. In the final position, when the latching tappet 66 locks in the latching port 72, the tappet takes up its starting position again and blocks the fixing element in the latching port 72. Claims 1. Windscreen wiper device (10), particularly for a motor vehicle, with at 2. least one actuating drive (16) that is to be fixed at the car body (26), 3. with an output shaft (28) and at least two fixing elements (22) that can 4. engage with the receiving ports (24) at the car body (26) and 5. respectively exhibit at least one attenuating element (36) with which to 6. attenuate mechanical vibrations, characterised in that, the attenuating 7. element (36) is firmly connected to the fixing element (22) and can be 8. inserted into the receiving ports (24) in a first assembly direction (30) 9. and through a movement in the second assembly direction (32), at 10. right angles to the first, overlaps the edge (80) of the receiving port 11. (24) with a slot (40), whereby the slot (40) is located in a component 12. (38, 64) that has a hard surface relative to the attenuating element (36) 13. and is firmly connected to the attenuating element (36). 14. Windscreen wiper device according to Claim 1, characterised in that, 15. the slot (40) is formed from a clamp (38), is open in the second 16. assembly direction (32) and exhibits an expansion (42) at its aperture. 17. Windscreen wiper device (10) according to Claim 2, characterised in 18. that, the clamp (38) has two handles (44, 46) that run essentially 19. parallel to one another, that border the slot (40) and of which one (44) 20. exhibits a latching tappet (50), which engages with the aperture (48) of 21. the opposite handle (46). (Figure 4). 22. Windscreen wiper device (10) according to Claim 3, characterised in 23. that, the latching tappet (50) has a flatter flank (52) in the second 24. assembly direction (32) and a steeper flank (54) opposite the second 25. assembly direction (32). 5. Windscreen wiper device (10) according to Claim 4, characterised in that, the clamp (38) has a second latching tappet (56). that lies behind the first latching tappet (50) in the second assembly direction (32) and with two steep, flanks running at right angles to the second assembly direction (32) engages with an aperture (58) of the opposite handle (46). (Figure 5). 6. Windscreen wiper device (10) according to Claim 5, characterised in that, the second latching tappet (56) has an m-shaped or w-shaped form in the longitudinal section of the clamp (38). 7. Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterised in that, the clamp (38) is manufactured from a synthetic material or from sheet metal. 8. Windscreen wiper device (10) according to Claim 1, characterised in 9. that, a retaining element (64) from a synthetic material is inserted into 10. a recess (76) of the attenuating element (36) and has a slot (78) with 11. which to receive the car body, whereby one side of the slot (78) has a 12. latching tappet (66) that projects into a recess (74) at the opposite side 13. of the slot (78). 14. Windscreen wiper device (10) according to one of the preceding 15. claims, characterised in that the second assembly direction (32) is a 16. rotational direction around the drive shaft (28) or around an axis that is 17. parallel to the drive shaft (28) and the latching tappet (50, 56, 66) 18. extends radial to the drive shaft (28) and to the parallel axis 19. respectively.

Documents:

3694-abstract image.jpg

3694-CHENP-2006 AMENDED CLAIMS 19-02-2013.pdf

3694-CHENP-2006 EXAMINATION REPORT REPLY RECEIVED 19-02-2013.pdf

3694-CHENP-2006 FORM-18.pdf

3694-CHENP-2006 FORM-3 19-02-2013.pdf

3694-CHENP-2006 OTHER PATENT DOCUMENT 19-02-2013.pdf

3694-CHENP-2006 POWER OF ATTORNEY 19-02-2013.pdf

3694-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS 26-03-2012.pdf

3694-CHENP-2006 CORRESPONDENCE OTHERS.pdf

3694-CHENP-2006 FORM 18.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-abstract.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-claims.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-correspondnece-others.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-description(complete).pdf

3694-chenp-2006-drawings.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-form 1.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-form 26.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-form 3.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-form 5.pdf

3694-chenp-2006-pct.pdf