Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-12
2001-04-17
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
C015S250300, C296S096170, C296S182100, C248S900000, C403SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06216309
ABSTRACT:
The contents of Application No. TOKUGANHEI 9-308954, with a filling date of Nov. 11, 1997 in Japan, are hereby incorporated by reference.
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 provided with a structure of a so-called concealed wiper type in which an upper portion of a wiper unit is covered with a rear end portion of an engine hood and provided with the wiper which is a so-called frame type one.
2. Description of the Related Art
The so-called frame type wiper unit is structured such that right and left wiper frames each disposing the wiper pivot in a standing manner are integrally connected to each other by a connection pipe.
Then, it is also structured such that an end portion of each of the right and left wiper frames is fastened and fixed to a bracket fixed to a cowl box in a vehicle body side so as to be arranged within the cowl box.
Further, in a vehicle provided with the structure of the so-called concealed wiper type disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 5-270362, an end portion of an engine hood extends outwardly near a lower side portion of a front window panel, thereby covering an upper portion of a wiper unit.
However, in such a structure, since the rear end portion of the engine hood becomes close to the upper end of a wiper pivot of the wiper unit, the rear end portion of the engine hood is brought into contact with the wiper pivot when a collision load acts on the rear end portion of the engine hood from the upper side of the vehicle body downward 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 freely deforming downward. That is, such a restriction of the deformation corresponds to a restricting condition in the case of desiring to increase an absorption amount of a collision energy.
This situation is similarly applied to the case that the frame type wiper unit is employed to the vehicle provided with the structure of the concealed wiper type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a wiper device for a vehicle which can improve an absorption characteristic of a collision energy without substantially restricting a deformation of a rear end portion of an engine hood to a lower side of a vehicle body by means of a wiper pivot when a load due to a collision or the like acts on the rear end portion of the engine hood from an upper side of the vehicle body (corresponding to an outer side of the vehicle body) to the lower side of the vehicle body (corresponding to an inner side of the vehicle body).
That is, the wiper device for the vehicle in accordance with the present invention is provided with a wiper motor, a wiper pivot connected to the wiper motor, and a wiper frame in which the wiper pivot is arranged.
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 the outer side of the vehicle body. Further, the wiper frame has a bracket portion attaching the wiper frame to the vehicle body.
Then, in the structure mentioned above, it is further constructed such that the bracket portion of the wiper frame is released from the vehicle body when a load equal to or more than a predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot, thereby moving the wiper pivot to the inner portion of the vehicle body.
Accordingly, in the wiper device for the vehicle in accordance with the present invention, when the load due to a collision or the like acts on the rear end portion of the hood member typically corresponding to the engine hood from the outer side of the vehicle body 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 end portion of the hood member to the lower side of the vehicle body is substantially made free by means of the wiper pivot structured in the above manner, 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, and the load at a time of collision or the like acts on the wiper pivot through the hood member, typically.
Particularly, in the wiper device for the vehicle in accordance with the present invention, it is preferable to structure such that the bracket portion is provided with a mounting hole having a notch portion, a mount rubber attached to the vehicle body is fitted and attached to the mounting hole of the bracket portion, and the bracket portion is released from the mount rubber through the notch portion of the mounting hole so as to move the wiper pivot to the inner side of the vehicle body when the load equal to or more than the predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot.
In accordance with this structure mentioned above, when the notch portion of the mounting hole in the bracket portion, for example, the notch portion having a neck portion is released from a mounting cutout of the mounting rubber corresponding to the mounting hole, for example, an annular cutout so as to pass through the mounting cutout due to the load acting on the wiper pivot, the collision energy can be absorbed due to an elastic deformation of the mount rubber and a frictional resistance between the mounting cutout of the mount rubber and the mounting hole of the bracket portion, so that the absorption characteristic for the collision energy can be further securely improved.
Further, an amount of absorbing the collision energy by the mount rubber can be simply tuned by adjusting an amount of a compressive deformation of the mount rubber, for example, by changing a length of a collar of the mount rubber.
More particularly, it is preferable for more certainly and effectively releasing the bracket portion from the mount rubber that the bracket portion has an extending flat surface portion directed to the outer side of the vehicle body, particularly to the upper side of the vehicle body, the mounting hole is formed on the flat surface portion of the bracket portion, and the notch portion is formed by cutting out a part of the bracket portion, on which the mounting hole is formed, in the outer side of the vehicle body.
In the meanwhile, particularly, the structure can be preferably made in such a manner that the bracket portion has a mounting hole, the mount rubber attached to the vehicle body is fitted and attached to the mounting hole, whereby the bracket portion is supported to the vehicle body, and when the load equal to or more than the predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot, the bracket portion is released from the mount rubber while deforming the mount rubber, thereby moving the wiper pivot to the inner side of the vehicle body, particularly to the lower side of the vehicle body.
In accordance with this structure mentioned above, since the collision energy can be absorbed due to an elastic deformation of the mount rubber and a frictional resistance between a mounting cutout of the mount rubber and the mounting hole of the bracket portion when the mounting hole of the bracket portion is released from the mounting cutout of the mount rubber corresponding to the mounting hole, for example, an annular cutout so as to pass through the mounting cutout due to the load acting on the wiper pivot, the absorbing characteristic for the collision energy can be further certainly improved.
More particularly, it is preferable for more certainly and effectively releasing the bracket portion from the mount rubber that the bracket portion has a flat surface portion extending substantially in parallel to a surface crossing the pivot axis, the mounting hole is formed on the flat surface portion, the mount rubber is provided with a collar so that the mount rubber is attached to the vehicle body, and a flange having a non-symmetrical shape with respect to an axial direction of th
Goto Masami
Kobayashi Toshio
Kojima Hiroshi
Ohsaki Hiroshi
Shimuba Masaaki
Foley & Lardner
Graham Gary K.
Nissan Motor Co,. Ltd.
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