U.S. patent application number 09/190059 was filed with the patent office on 2001-05-24 for wiper device for vehicle.
This patent application is currently assigned to Toshio Kobayashi et al. Invention is credited to GOTO, MASAMI, KOBAYASHI, TOSHIO, KOJIMA, HIROSHI, OHSAKI, HIROSHI, SHIMIBA, MASAAKI.
Application Number | 20010001336 09/190059 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 17987244 |
Filed Date | 2001-05-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20010001336 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOBAYASHI, TOSHIO ; et
al. |
May 24, 2001 |
WIPER DEVICE FOR VEHICLE
Abstract
A wiper device for a vehicle disclosed is provided with a wiper
motor, a wiper pivot connected to the wiper motor, and a pivot
holder having a base portion attached to the vehicle body and a
bearing hole pivotally supporting the wiper pivot in a rotatable
manner. Here, the wiper pivot can rotate around the pivot axis
thereof by using a drive force from the wiper motor and has a
cutout portion, and the wiper pivot extends so as to project toward
an outer side of the vehicle body. In such a structure, it is
further structured such that a C ring engaged with the cutout
portion of the wiper pivot is released from the cutout portion when
a load equal to or more than a predetermined value acts on the
wiper pivot. In this case, as a result, the wiper pivot is moved to
an inner side of the vehicle body.
Inventors: |
KOBAYASHI, TOSHIO;
(KANAGAWA-KEN, JP) ; GOTO, MASAMI; (KANAGAWA-KEN,
JP) ; OHSAKI, HIROSHI; (KANAGAWA-KEN, JP) ;
KOJIMA, HIROSHI; (KANAGAWA-KEN, JP) ; SHIMIBA,
MASAAKI; (KANAGAWA-KEN, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
FOLEY & LARDNER
WASHINGTON HARBOUR
3000 K STREET N W SUITE 500
P O BOX 25696
WASHINGTON
DC
200078696
|
Assignee: |
Toshio Kobayashi et al
|
Family ID: |
17987244 |
Appl. No.: |
09/190059 |
Filed: |
November 12, 1998 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/250.3 ;
15/250.31 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60S 1/0402 20130101;
B60S 1/0488 20130101; B60S 1/3493 20130101; Y10S 403/03 20130101;
B60S 1/349 20130101; B60S 1/34 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/250.3 ;
15/250.31 |
International
Class: |
B60S 001/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 11, 1997 |
JP |
P9-308953 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A wiper device for a vehicle, comprising: a wiper motor; a wiper
pivot connected to said wiper motor, said wiper pivot capable of
rotating around a pivot axis thereof by using a drive force from
said wiper motor, extending so as to project toward an outer side
of said vehicle body, and having a cutout portion; and a pivot
holder having a base portion attached to said vehicle body and a
bearing hole pivotally supporting said wiper pivot in a rotatable
manner, wherein a C ring is attached to said cutout portion of said
wiper pivot, and, when a load equal to or more than a predetermined
value acts on said wiper pivot, said C ring is expanded so as to
move apart from said cutout portion, thereby moving said wiper
pivot to a inner side of said vehicle body.
2. A wiper device for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
C ring has a substantially circular cross section.
3. A wiper device for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
cutout portion is provided in a portion of said wiper pivot
projecting to an upper side corresponding to said outer side of
said vehicle body from said pivot holder, and at least a side wall
surface of said cutout portion positioned in said upper side is a
surface inclined to said upper side from a bottom portion of said
cutout portion, and, when said load equal to or more than said
predetermined value acts on said wiper pivot, said C ring expands
so as to moves apart from said cutout portion, thereby moving said
wiper pivot to a lower side corresponding to said inner side of
said vehicle body.
4. A wiper device for a vehicle as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
cutout portion has a substantially V-like cutout shape.
5. A wiper device for a vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said
wiper pivot is covered with a hood member of said vehicle body in
said outer side of said vehicle body, and said load acts on said
wiper pivot through said hood member.
Description
[0001] The contents of Application No. TOKUGANHEI 9-308953, with a
filling date of Nov. 11, 1997 in Japan, are hereby incorporated by
reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] 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.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] 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.
[0006] However, in such a structure, since the rear end portion of
the engine hood becomes close to the upper end portion 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 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 the collision energy.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] 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).
[0008] 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 pivot holder having a base
portion attached to the vehicle body and a bearing hole pivotally
supporting the wiper pivot in a rotatable manner.
[0009] In this case, the wiper pivot can rotate around the pivot
axis by use of a drive force from the wiper motor, and the wiper
pivot extends so as to project toward the outer side of the vehicle
body and has a cutout portion, that is, a groove portion. Further,
a C ring is attached so as to be engaged with the cutout portion of
the wiper pivot.
[0010] In the structure mentioned above, it is further constructed
such that the C ring engaged with the cutout portion is expanded so
as to move apart from the cutout portion when a load equal to or
more than a predetermined value acts on the wiper pivot due to a
collision or the like, thereby moving the wiper pivot to the inner
portion of the vehicle body.
[0011] 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 an 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 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 the case of a collision or the like. Here, with respect
to the absorption of the energy applied at a time of a collision or
the like, the energy absorption is caused not only by a slide
resistance when the wiper pivot is released from the pivot holder
but also at a time of the expanding motion of the C ring.
[0012] In this case, more specifically, the wiper pivot is covered
with the hood member typically corresponding to the engine hood in
the outer side of the vehicle, and the load at a time of a
collision or the like acts on the wiper pivot through the hood
member.
[0013] Here, in the wiper device for the vehicle in accordance with
the present invention, particularly, it is preferable that the C
ring has a substantially circular cross sectional shape for a
simplicity of the structure and a reliability of the expansion
motion thereof. And the substantially circular cross sectional
shape includes an oval cross sectional shape capable of performing
substantially the same expansion motion as well as the circular
shape.
[0014] Further, in the wiper device for the vehicle in accordance
with the present invention, particularly, it is preferable to
structure such that the cutout portion is provided in a portion of
the wiper pivot projecting to the upper side of the vehicle body
from the pivot holder, at least a wall surface of the cutout
portion positioned in the upper side of the vehicle body is a
surface inclined to the upper side of the vehicle body from a
bottom portion of the cutout portion, and the C ring is deformed to
be expanded in such a manner that it moves apart from the cutout
portion so as to move the wiper pivot to the lower side of the
vehicle body when the load equal to or more than the predetermined
value acts on the wiper pivot, because the inclined wall surface
surely generates a guide effect when the C ring is expanded. Of
course, also in this case, generally, the outer side of the vehicle
body corresponds to the upper side of the vehicle body, and the
inner side of the vehicle body corresponds to the lower side of the
vehicle body.
[0015] Further, as the cutout portion, the structure having a
substantially V-shaped cutout shape is preferable for a simplicity
on manufacturing and a reliability of the expansion motion.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0016] FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view which shows a state of
attaching a pivot holder of a wiper unit of a wiper device for a
vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
to a vehicle body; and
[0017] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a C ring of the pivot holder of the
wiper unit in accordance with this embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
[0018] An embodiment in accordance with the present invention will
be described in detail with respect to the drawings.
[0019] In FIG. 1, a pivot holder 1 of a wiper unit of a wiper
device for a vehicle in accordance with this embodiment is provided
with a base portion 2 and a bearing hole 3 corresponding to a hole
provided in the base portion 2, and the base portion 2 is
overlapped with a back surface of a vehicle body panel, for
example, a cowl top panel 9 and fastened and fixed to the cowl top
panel 9 by a bolt and a nut 10.
[0020] Then, a wiper pivot 4 is pivotally supported to the bearing
hole 3 in a rotatable manner. That is, the wiper pivot 4 is
rotatable around its pivot axis corresponding to a central axis of
the wiper pivot 4, extending along a vertical direction in FIG. 1,
of the wiper pivot 4.
[0021] And, the wiper pivot 4 is inserted to the bearing hole 3
from its lower side, a come-out prevention of the wiper pivot 4 is
performed at an upper end portion of the bearing hole 3 through a C
ring 7 and a washer 8, and a wiper arm WA is connected to an upward
projecting end portion of the wiper pivot 4.
[0022] Further, a pivot arm 5 connected to a wiper motor WM through
a drive transmission link (not shown) is caulked and fixed to a
lower end portion of the wiper pivot 4, and reference 13 denotes a
spring washer elastically provided between the pivot holder 1 and
the pivot arm 5 and reference symbol B denotes a sealing boot
attached so as to cover an arrangement portion such as the C ring
and the like.
[0023] Here, a structure of preventing the wiper pivot 4 from
coming out will be described in detail.
[0024] At first, an annular cutout (an annular groove) 6 is formed
in a portion of the wiper pivot 4 adjacent to an upper hole edge
portion of the bearing hole 3, so that the wiper pivot 4 is
prevented from coming out by attaching the C ring 7 to the annular
cutout 6 so as to engage with the annular cutout 6 and also
engaging the C ring 7 with the a washer 8 seated on the upper hole
edge portion of the bearing hole 3.
[0025] The C ring 7 mentioned above is formed in a circular cross
sectional shape as shown in FIG. 1, and each of a diameter d and an
inner radius r thereof as shown in FIG. 2 is set to be a
predetermined value taking a width and a depth of the annular
cutout 6 into consideration.
[0026] In the mean time, the annular cutout 6 is structured such
that a cutout shape (groove shape) thereof is formed in a
substantially V shape and an upper cutout wall of the annular
cutout 6 in the wiper pivot 4 becomes an upward inclined surface,
that is, a surface having an angle of elevation in the case of
seeing in a horizontal direction from a bottom portion of the
V-shaped annular cutout 6 as shown FIG. 1. In this embodiment, a
lower cutout wall of the annular cutout 6 is formed in such a
manner that it is symmetrical to the upper cutout wall as shown
FIG. 1, however, of course, this symmetrization is not always
required.
[0027] Then, as a result, a come-out prevention is performed in
such a manner that the C ring 7 is expanded so as to be released
from the annular cutout 6 with respect to a load equal to or more
than a predetermined value acting on the wiper pivot 4 from an
upper side to a lower side along a direction of the pivot axis
corresponding to a direction directing from the above to the below
in FIG. 1, so that the wiper pivot 4 can be released from the
bearing hole 3 of the pivot holder 1.
[0028] In the case of applying the wiper device for the vehicle
having the wiper unit structure in the above manner to the vehicle
provided with the structure of the concealed wiper type, since a
rear end portion of an engine hood 12 extends so as to come near a
lower portion of a front window panel (not shown), the upper
portion of the wiper unit is covered with the rear end portion of
the engine hood 12, and the upper end portion of the wiper pivot 4
is going to come near a lower surface of the rear end portion of
the engine hood 12.
[0029] Here, when a collision load acts the rear end portion of the
engine hood 12 downward from the upper side at a time of collision
of the vehicle, the rear end portion of the engine hood 12 deforms
downward and interferes with the upper end of the wiper pivot
4.
[0030] Then, the load equal to or more than the predetermined value
due to the collision of the vehicle acts on the wiper pivot 4 along
the direction of the pivot axis thereof, that is, in a direction
from the upper side corresponding to the outer side of the vehicle
body to the lower side corresponding to the inner side of the
vehicle body (a direction directing downward from the above in FIG.
1), so that an inner peripheral portion of the C ring 7 preventing
the wiper pivot 4 from coming out is pressed to the upper hole edge
of the bearing hole 3, namely, to an inner peripheral edge portion
of the washer 8 and the upper cutout wall of the annular cutout
6.
[0031] Then, the C ring 7 slides so as to be expanded in an outer
direction of its radius with respect to the inner peripheral edge
portion of the washer 8 and the upper cutout wall of the annular
cutout 6, and next, the C ring 7 is released from the annular
cutout 6.
[0032] As a result, the wiper pivot 4 slides downward substantially
along the direction of the pivot axis thereof so as to move
downward for being released from the pivot holder 1.
[0033] Accordingly, a downward deformation of the rear end portion
of the engine hood 12 is made free, a collapsing deformation stroke
of the rear end portion of the engine hood 12 is surely increased,
and an absorption characteristic for a collision energy can be
efficiently improved.
[0034] Further, in this embodiment, since the collision energy can
be absorbed by the expansion and deformation effect of the C ring 7
when the C ring 7 is expanded for being released from the annular
cutout 6, the absorption characteristic for the collision energy
can be more improved.
[0035] Still further, in this embodiment, since the releasing load
of the C ring 7 can be easily adjusted by setting each of its
diameter, its inner radius, a width of the annular cutout 6, a
depth of the annular cutout 6 and the like, or a combination
thereof, the absorption characteristic for the collision energy can
be simply tuned.
[0036] Then, still further, in this embodiment, since the cutout
shape of the annular cutout 6 is formed in the substantially V
shape and the upper cutout wall of the annular cutout 6 is formed
as the upward inclined surface, the inner peripheral portion of the
C ring 7 can slide on the inclined surface so as to be easily
released from the annular cutout 6, as well as the expansion guide
effect of the C ring 7 can be obtained by the inclined surface, so
that the downward moving operation of the wiper pivot 4 can be
smoothly performed.
[0037] In addition, in this embodiment, the C ring 7 has the
substantially circular cross sectional shape, however, of course,
the structure is not limited to this, and may be shaped so as to
realize the expansion motion in the same manner, for example, the C
ring 7 has an oval cross sectional shape. Of course, also in this
case, the releasing load will be set by suitably setting a major
diameter of the C ring, a minor diameter of the C ring, an inner
radius of the C ring, the width of the annular cutout 6, the depth
of the annular cutout 6 and the like, or a combination thereof.
* * * * *