GB2219932A

GB2219932A - Support for windscreen wiper mechanism

Info

Publication number: GB2219932A
Application number: GB8914094A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Palu Attilio Dal
Original assignee: Fister SpA
Current assignee: Fister SpA
Priority date: 1988-06-21
Filing date: 1989-06-20
Publication date: 1989-12-28
Anticipated expiration: 2009-06-20
Also published as: GB8914094D0; GB2219932B; DE3919837A1; FR2632911A1; FR2632911B1

Description

2 2 WINDSCREEN WIPER ASSEMBLY FOR A VEHICLE The present innovation

concerns a windscreenwiper assembly for a vehicle and in particular a bracket to bear a windscreen wiper assembly with two swinging arms to the body.

As is well known, a windscreen wiper assembly of the mentioned model usually comprises a bearing bracket which is apt to be fixed to the body of the vehicle, an electric motor anchored to the said bracket, and a couple of swinging arms pivoted on the opposite ends of the bracket and moved by the electric motor using a conventional form of straight-line motion apt to convert the rotatory motion of the motor shaft into an swingtng motion of the arms themselves. The above 13 mentioned bearing bracket generally comprises several metal parts joined together by welding and/or riveting.

Well-known assemblies of the type briefly described present various drawbacks. In particular, the constructlon of the bearing bracket in several metal parts results in considerable overall weight, in some difficulty in achieving acceptable size tolerances, and presents the need to resort to heat and/or surface treatments in order to protect the said parts from water damage, which increase the global cost of the assembly.

2 The object of the present innovation is to provide a windscreen wiper assembly for a vehicle which does not have the same drawbacks as those associated with the known assemblies, and above specified.

The heretofore defined object is attained by the present innovation in that it relates to a windscreen wiper assembly for a vehicle of the type comprising a bearing bracket apt to be fixed to the body of the said vehicle, at least one swinging arm pivoted on the said bearing bracket apt to bear a windscreen wiper, an electric motor and a straight-line motion apt to convert the rotatory motion of the output shaft of the said electric motor into an swinging motion of the said arm, 4 characterised by fact that the said bearing bracket is manufactured in a single piece for moulding in plastic material.

In order to obtain a better understanding of the present innovation the preferred form of construction is described hereinafter as a non-restrictive example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a front and partial view of a windscreen wiper assembly constructed in accordance with the present innovation; Figures 2 and 3 are respectively partial front and elevational plan views of a bearing bracket for the assembly in Figure 1, on an enlarged scale; Figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are sections an an even larger scale respectively along the lines IV-IV, V-V, VI-VI, VII-VII, VIII-VIII in Figure 2.

in Figure 1 the reference number 1 indicates overall a front windscreen wiper assembly for a motor vehicle. The assembly 1 comprises a bearing bracket 2 apt to be attached to the body of the vehicle, a couple of swinging arms 3 hinged to the said bracket 2 to its lower end using respective integral pivots 4, an electric motor 5 anchored to bracket 2 itself and a straight-line motion 6 linking the output shaft 7 of the electric motor 5 to the pivots 4 and apt to transform the continuous rotatory motion of the shaft 5 into the alternative rotatory motion, of limited width, of the pivots 4.

In particular (Figs. 2 and 3), the bracket 2 comprises an elongatedshaped element 8 and a substantially vertical plate 9 placed opposite an intermediate portion 1-0 of the element 8 and integrally joined to it by a couple of crosspieces 11,12. Element 8 comprises two arms 14,15 extending from the intermediate portion 10, in horizontal and slightly slanting directions respectively; the said arms 14,15, which are of respectively longer and shorter lengths, hollow cylindrical bushes 16 at their respective end in which the pivots 4 are slotted, and from which respective oblong and flat-shaped bearing portions 17 extend towards the outside provided with respective holes IS for bearing to the body.

Plate 9 displays a hole 19 to house the electric motor 5 and a plurality of holes 20 of smaller diameter for bearing the latter, head on, to the plate 9 itself. Two small shaped wings 24 integrally extrude downwards from plate 9 respectively provided with further holes 25 for bearing the bracket to the body.

The straight-line motion 6 moving the swinging arms 3 is substantially a dual articulated quadrilateral comprising a crank 26 angularly coupled at its own end to the shaft 7, two rocker arms 27 angularly coupled to the respective pivots 4, and two connecting rods 28 of different lengths which are articulated to the free end of the crank 26 and to the respective rocker arms 27.

In accordance with the present innovation, the bearing bracket 2 is constructed in a single piece for moulding in a plastic material, preferibly in polyester filled with glass fibre, which presents good mechanical characteristics (rigidity, dimensional stability) and does not absorb humidity.

1 The arms 14,15 (Figs.4 and 5) display open C sections on the side facing the plate 9 and are provided internally with a plurality of stiffening ribs 30 which form a honeycomb structure; in particular, this structure comprises a plurality of rhomboidal cells which are elongated in a longitudinal direction with respect to the arms 14,15, and connected through reduced vertical walls 31, in correspondence with the lower and upper corners, to the corresponding lower 32,33 and upper 34,35 walls of the arms 14,15 themselves.

The central portion 10 of the element 8 presents a hallow elongated polygonal section sloping downwards in the opposite direction to plate 9; this central portion 10 is.open downwards and longitudinally divided into two compartments by a median sloping rib 36.

The end portions 17 present respective peripheral ribs 37, whose width is reduced in the area around the hole 18 and linearly increases towards the bushes 16, to which they are connected. In addition, these portions present a longitudinal median rib 38.

The crosspiece 11 is substantially flat and bends downwards at an angle of 900 at one end, where it is connected to the plate 9; the crosspiece 12 comprises an upper portion 39 substantially horizontal and a portion 40 substantially coplanar to plate 9; this - 6 - t.

portion describes a 900 curve and is connected at its side to an upper zone of plate 9. The crosspieces 11,12 present a plurality of longitudinal and strengthening ribs 41,42 which extend onto plate 9.

Plate 9 presents a rib structure along its edges and on its inside. In particular, it is provided with a couple of circular concentric ribs 44, 45 arranged around hole 19 and connected together of a plurality of radial ribs 46, of a plurality of horizontal ribs 47 which run from rib 45 to ribs 40, and of a plurality of vertical ribs 48 which run downwards from a conjunction zone between ribs 41 and rib 45.

The working of the windscreen wiper assembly 1 is well known and is therefore not described.

From an. examination of the characteristics of the windscreen wiper assembly 1, constructed in accordance with the present innovation, the advantages which it offers are evident.

In particular, the construction of the bearing bracket 2 in plastic material allows a reduction in weight without affecting the mechanical rigidity on account of the rib structure heretofore described; to eliminate of all forms of heat treatment"or surface protection and all assembly operations, thus reducing the global costs of production. Further advantages are the ease of moulding on account of the accurate design solutions of the different parts and the possibility of attaining high precision and dimensional stability.

Finally, it is clear that modifications and variations may be added to the description of assembly 1 which are not excluded from the protective ambit of the present innovation. For example, the assembly may comprise a single swinging arm and the shape of the support braket 2 may be varied accordingly.

-B-

Claims

1. Windscreen wiper assembly for a vehicle, of the type comprising a bearing bracket connectable to the body of the vehicle, at least one swinging arm pivotally connected to the bearing bracket and intended to carry a windscreen wiper, an electric motor, and straight-line motion converting means to convert rotary motion of the output shaft of the electric motor into swinging motion of the arm, wherein the bearing bracket is manufactured in a single piece for moulding in plastics material.

2. An assembly as claimed in claim 1, including two swinging arms; the bearing bracket comprising an element of elongated shape and a substantially upright plate placed opposite an intermediate portion of the said element and integrally connected to it by a pair of crosspieces; the plate being provided with bearing means for the electric motor and the first connection means of the bracket to the vehicle body; the said element comprising two arms which extend from the opposite parts to the intermediate portion and are provided with bearing means at lk their respective ends for respective articulation pivots of the said swinging arms and with further bearing means to the said body.

3. Assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that the said arms present C section and comprise a plurality of internal ribs forming a honeycomb structure.

4. Assembly as claimed in claim 2 or 3, characterised in that the said central portion of the element presents a hollow elongated polygonal section sloping downwards in the opposite direction to the said plate; said central portion being open downwards and longitudinally divided in two compartments by a median sloping rib

5. Assembly as claimed in one of the claims from 2 to 4, characterised in that the said bearing means of the said pivots comprise respective hollow cylindrical bushes and the said second connecting means comprising respective oblong "and flat shaped bearing portions which extend towards the outside of the said bushes and are provided with respective holes for bearing to the body and with respective peripheral and median longitudinal ribs.

6. Assembly as claimed in one of the claims from 2 to 5, characterised in that the said plate and the said crosspieces display a ribbed structure.

7. Assembly as claimedin any one of the preceding claims characterised in that the said bearing bracket is constructed in polyester filled with glass fibre.

8. Bearing bracket for a windscreen' wiper assembly with two swinging arms for a motor vehicle, characterised in that it comprises an element of elongated shape and a substantially vertical plate placed opposite an intermediate portion of the element and integrally connected to it by a couple of cross-pieces said plate being provided with bearing means of the said electric motor an,d with primary bearing means of the said is bracket to the body of the said motor vehicle; the said element comprising two arms which extend from opposite parts of the said intermediate portion through the respective articulation pivots of the said swinging arms and with further bearing means to the said body.

9. Bracket as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the said arms present C section and comprise a plurality of internal ribs forming a honeycomb structure.

10. Bracket as claimed in claim 8 or 9, characterised in that the said central portion of the element presents a hollow elongated polygonal section sloping downwards in the opposite direction to the said plate; this central portion is open downwards and longitudinally divided into two compartments by a median sloping rib

11. Bracket as claimed in any one of the claims from 8 to 10, characterised in that the said bearing means of the said pivots comprise respective hollow cylindrical bushes and the said second connecting means comprising respective oblong and flat shaped bearing portions which extend towards the outside of the said bushes and are provided with respective holes for bearing to the body and with respective peripheral and median longitudinal ribs.

12. Bracket as claimed in any one of the claims from 8 to 11, characterised in that the said plate and the said crosspieces display a ribbed structure.

13. Bracket as claimed in any one of the claims from 8 to 12, characterised in that it is constructed in polyester filled with glass fibre.

14. Windscreen wiper assembly for a motor vehicle substantially as described and illustrated in the enclosed drawings.

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15. Bearing bracket for a windscreen wiper assembly for a motor vehicle substantially as described and illustrated in the enclose4 drawings.

1 4 Published 1989 atThe Patent Office, State House,66/71 High Holborm. London WClR4TP.Further copiesmasybe obtalnedfromThe Patent Office. Sales Branch, St Mai7 Cray, Orpington, Rent BR5 3RD. Printed by 31ultiplex techniques ltd, St Mary Cray, Kent, Con. 1187