Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-14
2002-12-17
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
C015S250310, C296S096170, C296S096210
Reexamination Certificate
active
06493900
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vehicle wiper device, and more particularly to a wiper device for wiping an openable rear window.
A typical station wagon or a hatchback has a rear door for opening a trunk. There are openable glass type rear doors. The glass of an openable glass type rear door can be opened independently from the rear door. A typical wiper device for wiping the window glass of an openable glass type rear door is directly attached to the window glass.
The wiper device has a relatively heavy actuator. When the window is shut, the glass may collide with the rear door. The collision applies a relatively great force to the glass where the actuator is fixed. This can damage the glass. Manually opening and closing the window requires relatively great physical force. Also, if the actuator is attached to the glass, wiring for supplying electricity to the motor in the actuator becomes complicated.
To solve the above drawbacks, a wiper device having an actuator attached to the rear door has been proposed. In this device, a wiper arm is pivotally supported by the rear window. When the rear window is closed, the wiper arm is coupled to the actuator.
FIGS. 25 and 26
illustrate such a wiper device. The device includes an actuator
101
, a transmission unit
102
and a wiper arm
103
.
The actuator
101
is fixed to a rear door
104
. A pivot disk
106
is fixed to an output shaft
105
of the actuator
101
. The pivot disk
106
is rotated within a predetermined angle range, and the direction of rotation alternates. The disk
106
has a coupler hole
106
a
, which is radially spaced from the axis of the output shaft
105
.
The transmission unit
102
includes a shaft holder
107
, which is fixed to a rear window
108
, which is glass. A pivot shaft
109
is rotatably supported by the shaft holder
107
. When the rear window
108
is closed as illustrated in
FIG. 25
, the axis of the pivot shaft
109
is aligned with the axis of the output shaft
105
. The distal end of the pivot shaft
109
extends to the exterior of the rear window
108
. The wiper arm
103
is fixed to the distal end of the pivot shaft
109
. The distal end of the wiper arm
103
is coupled to a wiper blade (not shown). The wiper blade wipes the surface of the rear window
108
.
The distal end of the pivot shaft
109
(the end extending to the actuator
101
) is coupled to the crank lever
110
. As shown in
FIGS. 25
to
28
, the distal end of the crank lever
110
is coupled to a cylindrical pin holder
112
. A substantially cylindrical coupler pin
111
is supported by the pin holder
112
. The coupler pin
111
is axially movable in a direction parallel to the axis of the pivot shaft
109
. The pin
111
is urged toward the disk
106
by a spring
115
accommodated in the pin holder
112
. One end of the pin
111
is coupled to a limit ring
116
.
When the rear window
108
is closed as shown in
FIG. 25
, the coupler pin
111
enters the coupler hole
106
a
in the disk
106
, which operably couples the crank lever
110
to the disk
106
. When the actuator
101
pivots the disk
106
, the crank lever
110
pivots integrally with the disk
106
. The alternating rotation of the crank level
110
is transmitted to the wiper arm
103
by the pivot shaft
109
. Accordingly, the wiper arm
103
pivots in an angle range that corresponds to the angle range of the disk
106
, which causes the wiper blade to wipe the surface of the rear window
108
.
When the rear window
108
is opened, the coupler pin
111
is separated from the coupler hole
106
a
, which disengages the crank lever
110
from the pivot disk
106
.
When the rear window
108
is opened, the wiper arm
103
, the pivot shaft
109
and the crank lever
110
are free to pivot. Thus, if the rear window
108
is closed, the coupler pin
111
on the crank lever
110
may be misaligned with the coupler hole
106
a
. In this case, the coupler pin
111
contacts the surface of the pivot disk
106
and retracts against the force of the spring
115
. However, the pin
111
is located in the path of the hole
106
a
,and the hole
106
a
eventually becomes aligned with the pin
111
when the pivot disk
106
is pivoted by the actuator
101
. When aligned with the hole
106
a
, the pin
111
enters the hole
106
a.
To cause the pin
111
to positively enter the hole
106
a
, the wiper device of
FIGS. 25
to
28
has pair of limit plates
113
. The limit plates
113
are fixed to the holder
107
and are spaced apart by a predetermined angular interval to limit the pivot angle range of the crank lever
110
or the range of the pin
111
. As shown in
FIG. 27
, a rubber cushion
114
is fitted about the pin holder
112
to reduce noise that is produced when the pin
111
hits the limit plates
113
. The rubber cushion
114
contacts the limit plates
113
, which limits the pivot angle range of the crank lever
110
within the pivot angle range X of the hole
106
a
. Therefore, when the rear window
108
is closed, the pin
111
is always located within the angle range X, or the path, of the hole
106
a.
When the rubber cushion
114
contacts one of the limit plates
113
as shown in
FIG. 27
, the pin
111
is located within the range X of the hole
106
a
by a distance B. This is done to prevent the pin
111
from moving outside the range X of the hole
106
a
. However, the range X of the hole
106
a
is needed to permit the wiper blade to wipe a sufficient area on the window
108
. Therefore, the wiper arm
103
must pivot in the range X of the hole
106
a.
In
FIG. 28
, the pin
111
is engaged with the hole
106
a
. The rubber cushion
114
contacts one of the plates
113
and is deformed to permit the hole
106
a
to move to the end of the range X. Therefore, when the rear window
108
is closed, the crank lever
110
and the wiper arm
103
can be pivoted in a range that corresponds to the range X of the hole
106
a.
However, in the wiper device of
FIGS. 25
to
27
, the rubber cushion
114
collides with one of the limit plate
113
every time the hole
106
a
is moved to one of the ends of the range X. This generates noise and can damage the rubber cushion
114
or the limit plates
113
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to provide a simple and durable vehicle wiper device that securely engages a pivot shaft of a wiper arm with an actuator.
To achieve the foregoing and other objectives and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, a wiper device for wiping a window supported by a support is provided. The wiper device is located between the window and the support. The window opens and closes an opening in the support. The device includes an actuator, a first coupler, a pivot shaft, a second coupler, a wiper arm and a guidance structure. The actuator is supported by the support and has an output shaft. The first coupler is attached to the output shaft. The actuator pivots the first coupler in a first angle range. The pivot shaft is rotatably supported by the window. When the window is closed, the axis of the pivot shaft is aligned with the axis of the output shaft. The second coupler is attached to the pivot shaft. When the window is closed and the second coupler is at a predetermined rotational phase relative to the first coupler, the second coupler is coupled to the first coupler to transmit rotation of the output shaft to the pivot shaft. The wiper arm is attached to the pivot shaft. When the actuator is activated with the second coupler coupled to the first coupler, the wiper arm pivots in an angle range corresponding to the first angle range. When the second coupler is outside the first angle range, the guidance structure guides the second coupler to the first angle range by mechanical engagement.
Other aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2046108 (1936-0
Koumo Yoshiyuki
Nakatsukasa Tetsuya
Sato Yoshimasa
Graham Gary K.
Lumen Intellectual Property Services Inc.
LandOfFree
Vehicle wiper device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Vehicle wiper device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Vehicle wiper device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2970095