Joints and connections – Articulated members – Pivoted
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-21
2002-01-22
Browne, Lynne H. (Department: 3629)
Joints and connections
Articulated members
Pivoted
C403S150000, C403S154000, C403S161000, C015S250300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06340263
ABSTRACT:
PRIOR ART
The invention relates to a fastening of a tube mounting.
Motor vehicle wiper systems are fastened to the body of a motor vehicle by a wiper carrier, also called a mounting or tube mounting—if the wiper carrier is also made up of tubes. The mounting as a rule includes a motor mounting, which carries a wiper drive with a wiper motor and a gear mounted on the motor. A power takeoff shaft of the gear is supported in a gear dome and, as a rule via a crank and link rods, it drives cranks that are solidly connected to a drive shaft for every wiper. The drive shafts of the wipers are supported in wiper bearings, whose bearing housings are secured or formed onto the ends of the mounting. The mounting is secured to the vehicle body via the bearing housings, or via fastening eyes that are formed onto the bearing housing, mounting, and/or motor mounting. To prevent vibration from being transmitted from the mounting to the body, coupling elements are disposed between the mounting and the body. As a rule, the mountings are assembled from many components. This means numerous interfaces, with attendant tolerances. Besides, there are the coupling elements, which are sometimes shipped loose.
From German Utility Model DE-GM 74 34 119, a tube mounting is known that is made from a square tube, to which a plate acting as a motor mounting is welded. One wiper bearing is affixed to each of the ends of the square tubes. Such tube mountings or tubular frame systems are quite stable, despite their lightweight mode of construction. For cost reasons, a straight carrier tube, which requires no prebending operation, is desirable.
From German Patent DE 29 20 899 C2, a tube mounting is known in which tube stubs with suitable attachments are inserted into the hollow profile of the mounting tube. The attachments rest at least in part on the walls of the mounting tube and have at least one recess, into which portions of the mounting tube are pressed in order to make a positive connection between the mounting tube and the tube stub. Wiper bearings are disposed in the tube stubs. Compared with screw connections, the number of parts is reduced, but the joining process still requires numerous prefabricated individual parts with many production steps. This makes stock keeping and logistics more expensive. Furthermore, despite the recesses, the bulky attachments have a considerable weight.
It has already been proposed in an earlier German Patent Application, DE 196 42 666.9, to form tube stubs for wiper bearings onto a tube mounting that is made by an internal high-pressure process, and into the tube stubs to insert one-piece or split two-piece bearing bushes of plastic or metal. In an extension of the mounting tube past the wiper bearings, the mounting tube has fastening eyes, which are formed onto the mounting tube by a pressing operation. The tube mounting is secured to the vehicle body using coupling elements.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the coupling element is adapted to the internal contour of the mounting tube in the region of the fastening bore. It protrudes through openings of the fastening bore with a projecting length and on the inside overlaps the opening axially to both sides. The fastening bore can be disposed in a transverse plane of the mounting tube at an arbitrary angular position. As a result, even fastening points that are not located in the direction of a wiper bearing can easily be detected on the vehicle body.
Only one coupling element, which has a large damping volume, is needed per fastening point. The damping volume is predominantly located in the mounting tube and is thus protected against environmental factors, aging and damage. The part protruding from the mounting tube can be limited to a minimum, resulting in a reduced external structural height. Because of the projecting length and the overlap, the coupling element is secured axially and radially by positive engagement. If an overlap in the axial direction of 1 mm to 2 mm is selected, the coupling element, given a suitable hardness of approximately 30 to 60 Shore A, can be installed through the openings of the fastening bore, and the installation can also be done automatically. If the end of the mounting tube is open, then installation in the axial direction of the mounting tube is also possible, if the projecting length of the coupling element and the hardness are suitably matched. However, the wall thickness of the coupling element should not be any less than 2 mm. As a result of the coupling element of the invention, the number of parts is also reduced, and both installation and stock keeping are made easier.
Since the coupling element conforms well to the mounting tube, forces are transmitted well and vibration from intensive friction is greatly damped. Nor is there any need to fear that the coupling element will be sheared off by the pressure of the fastening screws. To limit the tension forces of the fastening screws on the coupling element, it is expedient to insert a spacer bush with a screw hole into the coupling element. After a predetermined tension travel, the spacer bush comes into contact on its face end and transmits the screw forces that exceed the initial tension. Between both the screw bolt and the coupling element and the spacer bush, there is a shim, which overlaps the coupling element on the face end that protrudes out of the mounting tube and also overlaps the opening of the fastening bore. Thus the tube mounting itself is held securely even if the coupling element should become nonfunctional from becoming brittle, aging, or being damaged. The shim can also be formed onto the spacer bush integrally in the form of a collar.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3352195 (1967-11-01), Fisher
patent: 4240323 (1980-12-01), Kojima
patent: 4515496 (1985-05-01), McKay
patent: 4579492 (1986-04-01), Kazino et al.
patent: 4760495 (1988-07-01), Till
patent: 5222706 (1993-06-01), Hoshino
patent: 5441227 (1995-08-01), Hayashi
patent: 5609329 (1997-03-01), Scholl
patent: 5738476 (1998-04-01), Assimakopoulos
patent: 5960512 (1999-10-01), Schael et al.
patent: 74 34 119 (1975-02-01), None
patent: 29 20 899 (1988-01-01), None
patent: 196 42 666 (1997-10-01), None
Browne Lynne H.
Hutton Doug
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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