Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-19
2001-05-29
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
C015S250300, C296S096170, C403SDIG003, C074S042000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237185
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wiper device for a vehicle, and particularly to a wiper device for a vehicle preferably usable for a vehicle of a so-called concealed wiper type in which an upper portion of its wiper unit is covered with a rear distal portion of an engine hood of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the vehicle of the concealed wiper type, the rear distal portion of the engine hood extends near a lower side portion of a front window panel, thereby covering the upper portion of the wiper unit.
However, in such a structure, since the rear distal portion of the engine hood becomes close to the upper end portion of a wiper pivot of the wiper unit, the rear distal portion of the engine hood is brought into contact with the wiper pivot when the force such a impact acts on the rear distal portion of the engine hood along the direction from the upper side to the lower side of the vehicle body at a time of a collision of the vehicle or the like, so that the engine hood tends to be prevented from deforming downward. That is, this restriction of the deformation corresponds to a restricting condition in the case of desiring to increase an absorption amount of a collision energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a wiper device for a vehicle which be able to improve an absorption characteristic of a collision energy without substantially restricting a deformation of a rear distal portion of a engine hood to a lower side of a vehicle body by a wiper pivot when a load due to a collision or the like acts on the rear distal portion of the engine hood from an upper side of the vehicle body (corresponding to an outer side of the vehicle body) to a lower side of the vehicle body (corresponding to an inner side of the vehicle body).
Accordingly, the wiper device for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention is provided with a wiper motor, a wiper pivot connected to the wiper motor, and a load absorption portion for absorbing a load by moving the wiper pivot to an inner side of the vehicle body when a load having a value equal to or more than a predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot.
In this case, the wiper pivot can rotate around the pivot axis thereof by using a drive force from the wiper motor, and the wiper pivot extends so as to project toward an outer side of the vehicle body.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, particularly speaking, when the load due to a collision or the like acts on the rear distal portion of the hood member typically corresponding to the engine hood from the outer side of the vehicle to the inner side thereof, and more particularly, from the upper side of the vehicle body to the lower side thereof, a deformation of the rear distal portion of the hood member toward the lower side of the vehicle body is substantially made free by use of the wiper pivot movable to the inner side of the vehicle body, thereby improving the absorption characteristic for the collision energy.
In this case, the wiper pivot is covered with the hood member in the outer side of the vehicle, particularly in the upper side thereof, and the load due to the collision or the like acts on the wiper pivot through the hood member.
Particularly speaking, in the wiper device for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention, the wiper pivot is provided on a wiper frame fixed to the vehicle body in each of a right side and a left side of the vehicle body, and a portion between the wiper frame corresponding to the wiper pivot disposed in the left side of the vehicle body and the wiper frame corresponding to the wiper pivot disposed in the right side of the vehicle body is preferably connected by a connection pipe.
Then, in the case mentioned above, the load absorption portion includes a wiper frame corresponding to the wiper pivot disposed in the left side of the vehicle body, a wiper frame corresponding to the wiper pivot disposed in the right side of the vehicle body and the connection pipe, and is structured such as to deform a joining portion between the wiper frame corresponding to the wiper pivot on which the load due to a collision or the like having a value equal to or more than a predetermined value acts and the connection pipe so as to move the wiper pivot to the inner side of the vehicle body, particularly to the lower side thereof, thereby absorbing the load, when the load acts on the wiper pivot.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, the wiper pivot can make a deformation of the rear distal portion of the engine hood toward the lower side free by entering downward to the lower side of the vehicle body together with the wiper frame and increases the collapsing deformation stroke of the rear distal portion of the engine hood, thereby improving the absorption characteristic for the collision energy.
Further, in the wiper device for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention, the structure can be made such that the wiper pivot is fixed to the vehicle body through a bracket, and the load absorption portion includes a bracket and deforms the bracket when a load having a value equal to or more than a predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot, so as to move the wiper pivot to the inner side of the vehicle body, particularly to the lower side thereof, thereby absorbing the load.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, when the load having a value equal to or more than the predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot in a direction of the pivot axis, the bracket fastening and fixing the distal portion of the wiper frame is collapsed, for example, from an easily bending portion, so that the wiper pivot enters downward to the lower side together with the wiper frame so as to make a deformation of the rear distal portion of the engine hood to the lower side free, thereby increasing the collapsing deformation stroke of the rear distal portion of the engine hood. Further, since an absorption of the collision energy can be performed by the collapsing deformation of the bracket, the absorption characteristic of the collision energy can be improved.
Further, in the wiper device for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention, the structure can be made such that the wiper pivot is fixed to the vehicle body through the bracket and a washer provided in the bracket, and the load absorption portion includes the washer and deforms the washer when a load having a value equal to or more than a predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot, so as to move the wiper pivot to the inner side of the vehicle body, particularly to the lower side thereof, thereby absorbing the load.
In accordance with the structure mentioned above, when the load having a value equal to or more than the predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot in a direction of the pivot axis, the washer interposed in the fastening portion between the distal portion of the wiper frame and the bracket is deformed in a collapsing manner, for example, from an easily bending portion of the washer, so that the wiper pivot enters downward to the lower side together with the wiper frame so as to make a deformation of the rear distal portion of the engine hood to the lower side free, thereby increasing the collapsing deformation stroke of the rear distal portion of the engine hood. Further, since an absorption of the collision energy can be performed by the collapsing deformation of the washer, the absorption characteristic of the collision energy can be improved.
Still further, in the wiper device for a vehicle in accordance with the present invention, the wiper pivot is mounted to a pivot holder fixed to the vehicle body, and the load absorption portion is preferably structured such as to relatively move the wiper pivot and the pivot holder when a load having a value equal to or more than a predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot, so as to move the wiper pivot to the inner side of the vehicle body, particularly to the lower side thereof, thereby absorbing the load.
Also in
Goto Masami
Kobayashi Toshio
Oosaki Hiroshi
Foley & Lardner
Graham Gary K.
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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