GB2085290A

GB2085290A - Mirror wiper apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2085290A
Application number: GB8124862A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd; Ichikoh Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd; Ichikoh Industries Ltd
Priority date: 1980-08-14
Filing date: 1981-08-14
Publication date: 1982-04-28
Also published as: DE3132090A1; FR2488559B1; JPS5737653U; JPS6039314Y2; GB2085290B; FR2488559A1

Abstract

A mirror wiper apparatus comprises a mirror (2), a mirror holder (1), and wiper means (W) comprising a wiper blade (3) carried in a pair of blade holders (41,42) which are spaced apart to leave an intermediate blade portion (3a) and one end portion (3b) free to bend transversely and a pair of stays (51,52) pivotally connected to each other and to the blade holders to permit relative angular movement between the blade holders, the stays being driven to cause the blade (3) to wipe across the surface of the mirror (2). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Mirror apparatus The present invention relates to a mirror apparatus provided with a wiper means, and more particularly it pertains to a mirror apparatus having a wiper means supported on a mirror holder to wipe the surface of the mirror.

Various kinds of mirror apparatus with a wiper means have been proposed. Such conventional mirror apparatuses, in general, have a wiper means with a rubber blade adapted for wiping the surface of the mirror. However, the surface of a mirror of such apparatus has a relatively small area, and the mirror is surrounded at its peripheral edge by a frame.

Accordingly, during the wiping operation by the wiper means, the end edge of a rubber or like blade is brought into contact with certain parts of the frame defining the outermost peripheral edges of the mirror apparatus, and is hampered in its further movement thereby. Thus, such wiper means is unable to wipe substantially the entire surface of the mirror, leaving non-wiped regions. Such a problem has occured especially in cases where the rubber blade is made of a relatively hard material.

With such a wiping operation as stated above, the rubber or like blade becomes unable always to remain in close contact with the mirror surface and thus to maintain full wiping of the mirror surface.

This results in the disadvantage of an increase in the portions in the field of vision on the mirror surface blocked by the wiper blade, so that the visibility at the surface of the mirror is poor.

The present invention seeks to obviate or reduce some or all of the above-discussed problems and inconveniences of the prior art, and to provide a mirror apparatus having a wiper means, which greatly reduces the surface portions of the mirror which are left unwiped during the wiping operation and which thus has a good wiping efficiency.

According to the invention, there is provided a mirror apparatus comprising a mirror, a mirror holder for the mirror and wiper means carried by the mirror holder for wiping the surface of the mirror, wherein the wiper means comprises a rubber or like blade for wiping engagement with the mirror surface, a pair of blade holder for engaging the blade at longitudinal spaced positions and arranged to leave free an intermediate portion of the blade between them and a portion at least at one end so that the blade is bendable or curvable transversely at its free portions, a pair of stays pivotably connected to each other and to the respective holder to enable relative angular motion between the holders and driving means coupled with the stays for causing the blade to wipe across the surface of the mirror.

The pivotable connection of the stays to each other may be located adjacent the intermediate free portion of the blade. The holder located adjacent the end free portion of the blade. The holder located adjacent the end free portion may be coupled to its associated stay at a position located within a recess formed in the blade.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by way of example, with reference to the drawings in which: Figure l is a diagrammatic perspective view showing a conventional mirror apparatus.

Figures 2 to 7are diagrammatic illustrations showing an embodiment of the mirror apparatus having a wiper means according to the present invention, in which: Figure 2 is a front view of the mirror apparatus provided with a wiper means in accordance with this embodiment; Figure 3 is a side view of this mirror apparatus; Figure 4 is a side view of the wiper blade of the mirror apparatus; Figure 5 is a sectional view of the wiper blade; Figure 6 is a diagrammatic perspective view for explaining the attachment of the wiper blade to the apparatus; Figure 7 is a side view of the end portion of the apparatus to explain the operation of attachment of the wiper blade, and Figure 8 is a side view of a modified wiper means.

Figure 1 shows a conventional mirror arrangement in which a rubber blade c is provided in wiper means for wiping the surface a of the mirror.

However, this surface a of the mirror has a relatively small surface area and is surrounded at its edges by a frame b. Thus, during use of the wiper, the end edge of the blade c engages certain parts of the frame band further movement of the wiper is hampered as a result. In this way, wiping of substantally the entire surface of the mirror is prevented, leaving regions d, indicated by hatched lines, unwiped.

The mirror apparatus according to the present inention is provided, as shown in Figure 2, with a wiper means W adapted to wipe the surface of a mirror 2 which, in turn, is supported on a mirror holder 1. This wiper means W, can be seen particularly in Figure 3 in which substantially the entire side portions thereof are shown and in Figure 4, it comprises a rubber or like blade 3 intended to wipe the surface of the mirror 2, a pair of holders 41 and 42 for carrying the rubber or like blade 3, and a pair of stays 51 and 52 for supporting the holders 41 and 42 to cause them to perform wiping operations. The wiper blade may be made of rubber, synthetic rubber or suitable plastics materials, hereinafter referred to as rubber.

The holder 41 and 42 are arranged to support the rubber blade 3, excluding an intermediate portion 3a and an end portion 3b of the rubber blade 3, whereby a bendable or curvable intermediate portion 61 and a bendable or curvable end portion 62 are provided in the rubber blade 3.

The holders 41 and 42 are coupled to their mating stays 51 and 52 by respective pins 71 and 72. The rubber blade 3 has a sectional configuration as illustrated in Figure 5. This configuration comprises a tapered wiping portion 31, a connecting portion 32 provided with a reinforcing fin portion 33, and an upper portion 34 which is held by the holders 41 and 42.

The stays 51 and 52 are constructed so as to be able to pivot relative to each other at a site located just above the intermediate portion 3a of the rubber blade 3. As shown, this arrangement of the stays 51 and 52 is attained by pivotably coupling them by a pin 73 which rotates, about its axis, in a plane parallel with the surface of the mirror 2. Furthermore, the stays 52 is rotatably coupled by a pin 74 to an arm 8. As a result, the stays 51 and 52 are caused to move by reciprocating movements of this arm 8. Accordingly, owing to the movement of these stays 51 and 52, the rubber ribbon 3 is caused to move via the holders 41 and 42.

The holder 41, which is located on the bendable end 62 side of the rubber blade 3, is such that its pin 71, by which this holder 41 is coupled to its mating stay 51, is positioned within a groove 3e formed at a corresponding portion in the rubber blade 3.

Because the groove 3c is formed as stated above, it is possible to make the vertical dimension or height of the bendable end portion 62 of the rubber blade 3 greater than the same dimension of the other portions of the rubber blade 3. In this embodiment, this dimension which is indicated at H' is given so as to be equal to the height of the intermediate portion 3a and also equal to those portions which are held by the holders 41 and 42. Moreover, the curvable end portion 62 of the rubber blade 3 is provided with a reinforcing projection 9 to enhance the rigidity of the rubber blade in its vertical direction as viewed in the drawing.As a result, it will be noted that, in spite of the fact that this end portion 62 is not supported by the holder 41, the vertical rigidity of the rubber blade will not decrease, and it is possible to effec tivelytransmitthe pressure force given by the holder 41 to the surface of the mirror 2 and thereby to accomplish an unfailing wiping action. The reinforcing projection 9 is formed at a site of the rubber blade 3 located near the end 41 a of the holder 41 whereby, the projection 9 can concurrently serve as a stopforthe holder 41.

Also, the groove 3c, as shown in Figure 4, has a inner end face 3dfor positioning the pin 71. The lower portion of this groove 3c is so formed as to provide a narrow vertical groove 3e. This vertical groove 3e has an inner wall surface 3f and an outer wall surface 3g, both of which wall surfaces are obliquely inclined respectively.

On the other hand, that end portion 3j of the rubber blade 3 which is located remotely from the bendable end portion 62 thereof has a shoulder portion 3h for the positioning of the pin 72, and the remainder portion of the end portion 3j has a smaller heightforthe entire length of this remainder portion.

This end portion 3j is also provided with a stop 3i at its extreme end. This stop 3i serves to anchor the end of the holder 42.

The rubber blade 3 as described above is attached to the holders 41 and 42 as will now be described in relation to Figures 6 and 7.

As a first step, the holders 41 and 42 are displaced from their positions about the coupling point (pin 73) of the stays 51 and 52 so that natural extensions thereof cross each other at an angle of about 90 degrees. Then, the rubber blade 3 which is bent in two is inserted at its free ends through inner inlets 41a and 42a of the respective holders 41 and 42. The particular end 3j of the rubber blade 3 which is located remote from the bendable end 62 is inserted, as it is ,through the inlet 42a as illustrated. On the other hand, the insertion of the bendable end portion 62 side is carried out in such way that the insertion starts at the inner wall face 3f of the vertical groove 3e which is located below the groove 3e of the curvable end portion 62.The insertion of these portions of the rubber blade 3 is continued until the projection 9 and the stop 3iwhich are formed on the rubber blade 3, are brought into contact with the pins 71 and 72, respectively, so that the positions of these portions of the rubber blade 3 are restrained.

As a result, the curvable end portion 62 will be positioned displaced somewhat from the holder 51 as illustrated. Thereafter, the holders 51 and 52 are returned from their crossed state into their straight position. In this part of the assembling procedure, the projection 9 and the stop 3i abut the respective pins 71 and 72 to prevent the rubber blade 3 from unintentionally escaping out of the respective holders 41 and 42. Then, the bendable end portion 62 is pulled outwards (in the direction indicated by an arrow A) as shown in Figure 7 to displace the outer wall face 3g of the vertical groove 3e to a position at which this outer wall face 3g crosses over the end face 41 a of the holder 41. The resulting state is shown by imaginary lines in Figure 7.Then, the bendable end portion 62 is inserted into the holder 41 in a direction opposite to the direction of this pull, i.e. in the direction indicated by an arrow B, in such manner that the projection 9 which acts as a stop will be brought into contact with the end face of the holder 41 to complete the attachment procedure.

The attachment of the rubber blade to the holders is as stated above. Accordingly, the dimensions of the bendable end portion, especially its dimension in the direction of its height H', need not be small.

Thus, the dimensions can be set substantially freely so that sufficient rigidity of the rubber blade can be maintained. As such, the bendable end portion, though not being held by the holder 41, is capable of performing a successful wiping operation. Also, the provision of the projection 9 enhances the rigidity of the rubber blade in the vertical direction, i.e. in the direction in which it presses against the surface of the mirror 2, as stated in the earlier part of this specification.

Owing to the arrangement stated above, it will be noted that, if the rubber blade 3 hits the mirror holder 1 during the wiping operation, not only the bendable intermediate portion 61, but also the bendable end portion 62 of the rubber blade 3 are bent and they deform in a manner as shown in Figure 2. Thus, with the above described wiper means, it is possible to increase the wiping area to above than that given by a conventional wiper means W' indicated by imaginary lines in Figure 2, and to thereby reduce the area of the mirror surface which is left unwipened during the wiping operation.

Furthermore, the above described rubber blade 3 has a portion which is not supported by the holder 51. Thus, the rubber blade is able to freely deform elastically in the direction indicated by an arrow C.

However, because the rubber blade is given a sufficiently great dimension H' at a particular portion, there is retained a sufficient rigidity of the rubber blade in the direction in which is presses against the surface of the mirror 2. Thus, the wiping ability of the wiper means can be maintained in a sufficient degree. It should be understood also that, in the present embodiment, the end portion 3j of the rubber blade 3, which is located at a state remote from the bendable end portion 62, partly protrudes beyond the holder 42. Therefore, this portion can also curve, and contributes to the broadening of the wiping zone of the mirror surface. To ensure this effect the opposite end portions 62 are bendable as shown in Figure 8. For the sake of simplicity, in Figure 8, like parts are indicated by like reference used in the previously described embodiment.Also, during the period in which the wiper means is not in use, it can be placed at a position on the mirror surface in which it is shifted closely adjacent the side of the mirror holder 1, to provide a wide range of view of the mirror. Moreover, the arrangement is not provided such that only the intermediate portion of the rubber blade can be bent or curved. Therefore, permanent distortions of the rubber blade will not readily take place, and thus it is possible to maintain the wiping ability for an exended period of time.

The mirror apparatus provided with the wiping means as above described is such that the rubber wiper blade has a high curvability, so that the wipable area of the mirror surface can be increased as compared with the conventional wiper means and that, accordingly, the wiper ability is good. Furthermore, the wiper means is able to take up a position extremely close to the mirror holder, and accordingly, when the wiper means is not in use, the blocking of the visual field on the mirror surface by the wiper means can be minimized. Moreover, the rubber blade can maintain its height dimension at its end portions, so that the rigidity of the rubber blade in the direction in which it presses against the mirror surface is not reduced at the end portions, and in spite of this rigidity, the attachment of the rubber blade can be accomplished easily, and the manufacture of the mirror assembly is enhanced.

Claims

1. A mirror apparatus comprising a mirror, a mirror holder for the mirror and wiper means carried by the mirror holder for wiping the surface of the mirror wherein the wiper means comprises a rubber or like blade for wiping engagement with the mirror surface a pair of blade holders for engaging the blade at longitudinal spaced positions and arranged to leave free an intermediate portion of the blade between them and a portion at least at one end so that the blade is bendable or curvable transversely at its free portions, a pair of stays pivotably connected to each other and to the respective holder to enable relative angular motion between the holders and driving means coupled with the stays for causing the blade to wipe across the surface of the mirror.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pivotal connection of the stays to each other is located adjacent the intermediate free portion of the blade.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the holder located adjacent the end free portion of the blade is coupled to its associated stay at a position located within a recess formed in the blade.

4. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bendable end portion of the blade has a dimension at right angles to the mirror surface which is substantially equal to or greater than the same dimension of the remaining part of the blade.

5. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the bendable end portion of the blade has a reinforcing projection.

6. A mirror apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to any one of Figures 2 to 8 of the drawings.