GB2220842A

GB2220842A - Air deflector for windscreen wipers

Info

Publication number: GB2220842A
Application number: GB8916300A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Yuji Hirohama; Mineya Fukushi
Original assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo KK
Current assignee: Jidosha Denki Kogyo KK
Priority date: 1988-07-19
Filing date: 1989-07-17
Publication date: 1990-01-24
Anticipated expiration: 2009-07-17
Also published as: JPH0640046Y2; JPH0216348U; GB8916300D0; GB2220842B; DE3923623A1

Description

AIR DEFLECTING FIN FOR WIPER DEVICE F ield of The Invention 2220842 This

invention relates to a fin used for preventing a wiper blade from a lifting caused by receiving wind pressure and, more particularly but not exclusively, to an air deflecting fin for a wiper device used for preventing the wiper blade from the lifting off from a windshield surface when the wiper blade, which moves oscillatory on the windshield surface of an automobile or the like, receives wind pressure from the front while travelling in a position between lower and upper turning positions.

Description of The Prior Art

An example of a conventional air deflecting fin for a wiper device will be described below on basis of Figures 4 and 5, and another example of that will be described on basis of Figures 6 and 7.

The conventional air deflecting fin 101 examplified in Figure 4 comprises a fin portion 102 having a flat shaped wind-receiving face 102a. and a wiper arm-fitting porton 103 provided to an end of the reverse side of the wind-receiving face 102a of said fin portion 102 as one 1 body.

Said wiper arm-fitting portion 103 is set up with wiper arm-fitting holes 103a and 103b.

In a blade assembly 110 of the wiper device formed by connecting a wiper blade 111 and a wiper arm 112, as shown in Figure 5, the air deflectiog fin 101 having a construction as described above is attached to the wiper arm 112 along the wiper-blade Ill in the vicinity of a connecting part 113 of the wiper blade 111 and the wiper arm 112.

Said wiper blade 111 is connected to the wiper arm 112 driven by a wiper motor (not shown) and moves oscillatory on a windshield surface 114 so as to clean a wiper surface 115 and to ensure the driving view.

In case the air deflecting fin 101 disposed to wiper arm the blade in Figure windshield 101 in the the 112 locates at the lower turning position of assembly 110 as shown with two dot chain lines 5, and the air stream ascending along the surface 114 hits ont the air deflecting fin direction of the allow Y, the wind-receiving face 102a of the air deflecting fin 101 gives a sufficient pressing force to the wiper blade 111 through the wiper arm 112 by receiving wind pressure and presses the wiper blade 111 against the windshield surface 114 so as not to lift off from said windshield surface 114 2 because the wind direction meets at nearly right angle to the longitudial direction of said wind-receiving face 102a.

Nextly, another conventional air deflecting fin 121 examplified in Figure 6 comprises a fin portion 122 having a concaved face formed with a flat plate by CD bending as a wind-receiving face 122a and a wiper armfitting portion 123 provided to an end of the reverse side of said wind-receiving face 122a of the fin portion 122 as-one body.

Said wiper arm-fitting portion 123 is set up with wiper arm-fitting holes 123a and 123b inclined to said wind-receiving face 122a.

As shown in Figure 7, in a blade assembly 130 of the wiper device formed by connecting a wiper blade 131 and a wiper arm 132, the air deflecting fin 121 having a construction as described above is attached to the wiper arm 132 along the wiper blade 131 and the wiper arm 132 in the vicinity of a connecting part 133 of said wiper blade 131 and said wiper arm 132.

Said wiper blade 131 is connected to the wiper arm 132 driven by a wiper motor (not shown) and moves oscillatory on a windshield surface 134 so as to clean a wiped surface 135 and to eusure the driving view.

In case the air deflecting fin 121 disposed to the 3 wiper arm 132 locates at the lower turning position as shown with two dot chain lines in Figure 7, and the air stream ascending along the windshield surface 134 hits on the air deflecting fin 121 in the direction of the allow the wind-receiving face 122a of said air deflecting fin 121 gives a sufficient pressing force to the wiper blade 131 through the wiper arm 132 and presses the wiper blade 131 against the windshield surface 134, so prevents the wiper blade 131 from the lifting off from said windshield surface 134 because said wind-receiving face 122a receives wind pressure from the direction intersecting at nearly right angle with the longitudinal direction thereof.

In the former air deflecting fin 101 of such conventuonal air deflecting fins, however, in case the wiper-blade 111 locates in the position between lower and upper turning positions and the air stream ascending along the windshield surface 114 hits on the air deflecting fin 101 in the direction of the allow as shown in Figure 5, the wind-receiving face 102a of the air deflecting fin 101 can not receive desired wind pressure because the air stream hits on the windreceiving face 102a at an angle to the longitudinal direction of said wind-receiving face 102a. Therefore, there is a fear that the wiper blade 111 may lift 6ff 4 4 from the windshield surface 114 due to the lack of the force for pressing the wiper blade 111 against the windshield surface 114 through the wiper arm 112.

Also in the latter air deflecting fin 121, in case the wiper blade 131 locates in the position between lower and upper turning positions and the air stream ascending along the windshield surface 114 his on the air deflecting fin 121 in the direction of the allow as shown in Fiugre 7, the wind-receiving face 122a of the air deflecting fin 121 can not receive desired wind pressure because the air stream hits on the wind receiving face 122a at an angle to the longitudial direction of said wind-receiving face 122a and said wind-receiving face 122a is warped upwardly. Therefore, similarly to the former air deflecting fin 101, there is a fear that the wiper blade 131 may lift off from the windshield surface 134 due to the lack of the force for pressing the wiper blade 131 against the windshield surface 134 through the wiper arm 132.

As described above, in the conventional air deflecting fins, the wiper blades 111, 131 sometimes lift off from the windshield surfaces 114, 134 because the force is not sufficient for pressing respective wiper blade 111, 131 against respective windshield surface 114, 134 when the air deflecting fins 101, 121 receive w i n1d pressure in the upward direction going along the windshield 'surfaces 114, 134, in the position between lower and upper turning position of the wiper arm, especially at the middle position of them. Accordingly, there is a problem in that it is not possible sometimes to keep the wiped surfaces 115, 135 clean.

The present invention is made in view of the above mentioned problems of the prior art. It is an object to provide an air deflecting fin for a wiper device which is improved lest a wiper blade should lift off from a windshield surface when the wiper blade of a wiper device mounted to an automobile or the like receives wind pressure from the front in the position between lower and upper turning positions, especially at the middle position of them at the time of traveling of the automobile or the like.

The construction of the air deflecting fin for the wiper device according to a preferred embodiment of this invention for attaining the above-mentioned object is characterized by comprising a main fin having a wind-receiving face which is approximately parallel to a wiper blade and presses a wiper arm in a lower turning position agaipst a windshield by an air stream ascending along the 6 1 windshield surface, and an auxiliary fin having a windreceiving face which is provided to an end of said main fin in the nearer side to a pivot of the wiper arm and presses the wiper arm in a position between lower and upper turning positions against the windshield by an air stream ascending along the windshield surface, and said fin is disposed in the vicinity of a co nnecting part of a wiper arm and a wiper blade.

In the air deflecting fin having the construction described above, in case the wiper blade moving oscillatory on the windshield surface from the lower turning position to the upper turning position and from the upper turning position to the lower turning position receives wind pressure of the air stream flowing from downward to upward along the windshield surface, the longitudinal direction of the wind-receiving face of the main fin provided to the air deflecting fin makes an angle of approximately 45' with the wind pressure direction when the wiper blade locates at the middle position between lower and upper turning positions. Thereby, the pressing force against the windshield which is induced by wind pressure the wind-receiving face of the main fin receives becomes powerless as compared with the pressing force induced at the time when the wiper arm locates at the lower turning position or in the vicinity 7 of it.

Hereupon, the direction of wind pressure received by the wind-receiving face of the auxiliary fin provided to the end of said main fin in the nearer side to a pivot of the wiper arm meets at nearly right angle to the longitudinal direction of said auxiliary fin. Therefore, the pressing force against the windshield which is induced by wind pressure the windreceiving face of the auxiliary fin receives becomes powerfull as compared with the pressing power induced at the time when the wiper arm locates at the lower turning position or in the vicinity of it.- Accordingly, when said wiper blade receives wind pressure by the air stream ascending along the windshield surface in the position between lower and upeer turning positions. Said wind-receiving face of the auxiliary fin makes up for the shortage of the pressi-ng force. In such a manner, the air deflecting fin according to this invention is so designed as to press the wiper blade against the windshield surface and to prevent said wiper blade from lifting off from said windshield surface.

In the drawings:

Figure 1(a) is a front view illustating the air deflecting fin for the wiper device according to an 8 embodinent of this invention; Figure 1(b) is a plan view of the air deflecting fin for the wiper device shown in Figure 1(a); Figure 1(c) is a left side view of the air deflecting fin for the wiper device shown in Figure 1 (a):

Figure 1(d) is a partially abbreviated bottom plan view of the air deflecting fin for the wiper device shown in Figure 1(a); Figure 1(e) is a sectional view along section lines e-e shown in Figure 1(b); Figure 1(f) is a sectional view along section lines f-f shown in Figure 1(b); Figure 1(g) is a partially abbreviated sectional view along section lines g-g shown in Figure 1(d); Figire 1(h) is a partially abbreviated sectional view along section lines h-h shown in Figure 1(d) Figure 1(i) is a partially abbreviatted view from the direction of the allow i Figure 1(j) is a fin 3 shown in Figure 1(i) Figure 1(k) is a partially abbreviated sectional view along section lines k-k shown in Figure 1(i); Figure 1(1) is a partially abbreviated view from the direction of the allow 1 of Figure 1 (i) of Figure 1(c); right side view of the auxiliary 9 Figure 1(m) is a partially abbreviated view along section line m-m in Figure 1(i); Figure 2(a) and Figure 2(b) are partially abbreviated perspective view illustrating the air deflecting fin for wiper device shown in Figure 1 Figure 3 is a schematic view illustrating the relationship between the"air stream direction and the working position of the wiper arm disposed with the air deflecting.fin shown in Figure 1 Figure 4 is a partially abbreviated perspective and broken view illustrating a conventional air deflecting fin for the wiper device; Figure 5 is a schematic view illustrating the relationship between the air stream direction and the working position of the wiper arm disposed with the air deflecting fin shown in Figure 4 Figure 6 is a partially abbreviated perspective and broken view illustrating another conventional air deflecting fin for the wiper blade; and Figure 7 is a schematic view illustrating the relationship between the air stream direction and the working position of the wiper arm disposed with the air deflecting fin shown in Figure 6.

sectional An embodiment of the air deflecting fin for the wiper blade according to this invention will be described below on basis of Figure 1 to 3.

An air deflecting fin 1 shown in Figures l(a) to 1 (k) and Figures 2(a) and 2(b) comprises a main fin 2 to receive maximum wind pressure in the vincinity of the lower turning position I shown in Figure 3 and, a auxiliary fin 3 to receive maximum wind pressure in the vicinity of the middle position H between lower turning position I and upper turning position J shown Figure 3.

Said main fin 2 is formed with a wind-receiveing part 2c having a concave wind-receiving face 2a and provided with a ridge 2b in the reverse side of said wind-receiving face 2a and, with a wind-receiving part 2e having a wind-receiving face 2d which has a width less than that of said windreceiving part 2c, continues from said wind-receiving part 2a very smoothly and is concaved with curvature less than that of said windreceiving face 2a.

An auxiliary fin 3 has a plate like shape, and has a wind-receiving face 3a shaped in plane. And part of said wind-receiving face 3a near to a pivot of the wiper arm is bended downwardly so as to close on a windshield surface 14.

Said main fin 2 and the auxiliary fin 3 are formed 11 in one body through a bend 4 having a curved surface continued smoothly to said wind-receiving faces 2d 3a.

said wiper fitting In 4a and And, said wind-receiving part 2e is provided with a wiper arm-fitting part 5 in the reverse side of said wind-receiving face 2d as one body.

Said wiper arm fitting part 5 is consist of cylindrical parts 6a and 6b, and ribs 7a and 7b supporting said cylindrical parts 6a and 6b and fixing them to said wind-receiving part 2e as.one body, said cylindrical parts 6a and 6b are provided with wiper arm fitting holes 8a and 8a to the ax'es respectively, and arm-fitting part 5 is provided a wiper arm face Sa.

a blade assembly 10 of the wiper device connecting a wiper blade 11 and a wiper arm 12, as shown in Figure 3, the air deflecting fin 1 as described above is disposed to said wiper arm 12 in parallel approximately with the wiper blade 11 and in the vicinity of a connecting part 13 of the wiper blade 11 and the wiper arm 12.

Said wiper blade 11 is connected to the wiper arm 12 driven by a wiper motor (not shown) and moves oscillatory on the windshield surface 14 so as to clean a wiped surface 15.

12 formed bv i In case the air deflecting fin 1 disposed to the wiper arm 12 locates in the vicinity of the lower turning position I on the windshield surface 14 as shown with two dot chain lines in Figure 3, and said air deflecting fin 1 receives wind pressure of the air stream ascending along the windshield surface 14 in the direction of the allow a, the wind direction meets at nearly right angle to the longitudinal direction of the wind- receiving faces 2a, 2d of said air deflecting fin 1. Thereby, said windreceiving f aces 2a, 2d receive wind pressure more powerfully, give a pressing force to the wiper blade 11 through the wiper ar-in 12 and press said wiper blade 11 against the windshield surface 14 so as not to lift off from said windshield surface 14.

When the wiper blade 11 locates particularly in the vincinity of the middle position H between the lower turning position I and the upper turning position J, it is not possible to receive powerfull wind pressure by said wind-receiving faces 2a, 2d because the air slants to the receiving faces an angle of 45' stream longitudinal direction of the wind2a, 2d of said air deflecting fin 1 at or so.

At this time, the wind-receiving face 3a of said auxiliary fin 3 is formed into a crooked shape to seid wind-receiving faces 2a, 2d, and so, receives wind 13 pressure more powerfully in the direction met at a nearly right angle to the longitudinal direction of said auxiliary fin 3. Thereby, the wiper blade 11 is pressed more powerfully against the windshield surface 14 through the wiper arm 12, so that said wiper blade 11 is prevented from lifting off from said windshield surface 14.

Therefore, when the wiper blade 11 locates in the position between the lower turning position I and the upper turning position J, especially at the middle position H, though the pressing force caused by wind pressure which the wind-receiving faces 2a, 2d of said main fin 2 receive decreases, the pressing force caused by wind pressure which the windreceiving face 3a of the auxiliary fin 3 receives increases. Accordingly, the pressing force caused by wind pressure the air deflecting fin 1 receives on the whole is powerful enough to p ress said wiper blade 11 against the windshield surface 14, it is possible to prevent the wiper blade 11 from lifting off from said windshield surface 14 when said wiper blade 11 moves oscillatory on the windshield surface 14 and receives wind pressure.from the front at the time of traveling of the automobile or the like.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the air deflecting fin 1 is examplified, which is disposed to the wiper arm 14 12 through the wiper arm fitting part 5, but the air deflecting fin according to this invention may be formed in one body together with the wiper arm 12.

As described above, the air deflecting fin for the wiper device according to this invention is disposed in the vicinity of a connecting part of a wiper arm and a wiper blade, said fin comprises a main fin having a wind-;ng face which is approximately parallel to said receiv. wiper blade and presses the wiper arm in a lower turning position against a windshield by an air stream ascending along the windshield surface, and an auxiliary fin having a wind-receiving face which is provided to an end of said main fin in the nearer side to a pivot of the wiper arm and presses the wiper arm in a position between lower and upper turning positions against the windshield by an air stream ascending along the windshield surface. Therefore, an excellent effect is obtained that it is possible to prevent the wiper blade from lifting off from the windshield surface and possible to keep the wiped surface on the windshield clean even when the wiper blade receives wind pressure from the front in the position between lower and upper turning positions, especially at the middle position of them at the time of traveling of the automobile or the like.

is

Claims

1. An air deflecting fin for a wiper device disposed in the vicinity of a connecting part of a wiper arm and a wiper blade, said fin comprising:

a main fin having a wind-receiving face which is approximately parallel to said wiper blade and presses the wiper arm in a lower turning position against a windshield by an air stream ascending along the windshield surface, and an auxiliary fin having.a wind-receiving face which is provided to an end of said main fin in the nearer side to a pivot of the wiper arT and presses the wiper arm in a position between lower and upper turning positions against the windshield by an air stream ascending along the windshield surface.

2. An air deflecting fin for a wiper device as set forth in claim 1, said main fin and said auxiliary fin are formed into a united body.

3. An air deflecting fin-for a wiper device as set forth in claim 1, said auxiliary fin is bended partially toward the windshield surface.

4. An air deflecting fin for a wiper device as set forth in claim 3, said auxiliary fin is bended at the part near to the pivot of the wiper arm.

16

5. An air deflecting fin substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

17 Published 1990 at The Patent Office. State House, 66"71 High Holborn. London WClR4TP- Further copies inaybeobtainedfrom The Patent Office. Sales Branch. St Mary Cray. Orpington. Kent BR5 3RD. Printed by Multiplex techniques Itd, St Mary Cray, Kent, Con. 1187