GB2404574A

GB2404574A - Emergency windscreen wiper assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2404574A
Application number: GB0416269A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Peter Bristow
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-25
Filing date: 2004-07-21
Publication date: 2005-02-09
Anticipated expiration: 2024-07-21
Also published as: GB2404574B; WO2005012053A1; GB0416269D0

Abstract

An emergency windscreen wiper assembly for a vehicle windscreen, the assembly comprising a housing (101), at least one windscreen wiper arm (103) carrying a windscreen wiper blade, and a motor and drive mechanism for generating movement of the at least one wiper arm over a prescribed area of the windscreen (124), means for controlling operation of the wiper assembly, and characterised by means for temporarily locating the assembly releasably on the exterior of the vehicle in a position for wiping said windscreen, said temporary locating means comprising at least one of a mechanical clamp (112, 116, 118) engagable releasably with a body part of the vehicle and an anchor element (239) adapted to be trapped between a fixed and a movable part of the vehicle body.

Description

2404574

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Title : Windscreen Wiper Assembly

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a windscreen wiper assembly for a vehicle, especially a motor vehicle.

Motor vehicles are provided with windscreen wipers for clearing dirt and water from the outside of a vehicle windscreen ahead of the driver so that the driver's visibility is not impaired. The drive mechanism for the wiper blades and the drive motor therefor are positioned under the bodywork of the vehicle with only drive shafts for the wiper arms projecting through the bodywork. An electric motor is used to drive the wipers and it is powered from the vehicle battery and controlled by a conveniently located switch within the vehicle, usually on the steering column.

The failure of a wiper blade or wiper arm can be accommodated by carrying a spare item within the vehicle, but in the event that there is a failure in the system, that prevents movement of the wiper arm to and fro across the windscreen, the vehicle cannot be driven safely in wet conditions.

Various prior art proposals have been made to solve this problem utilising suction cups to secure a housing of the windscreen wiper assembly to the windscreen of the vehicle. I have found that suction cups provide inadequate location and give rise to the possibility of the device working loose in use. This is a potential safety hazard.

The present invention aims to provide a solution.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an emergency windscreen wiper assembly for a vehicle windscreen, the assembly comprising a housing, at least one

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windscreen wiper arm carrying a windscreen wiper blade, and a motor and drive mechanism for generating movement of the at least one wiper arm over a prescribed area of the windscreen, means for controlling operation of the wiper assembly, and characterised by means for temporarily locating the assembly releasably on the exterior of the vehicle in a position for wiping said windscreen, said temporary locating means comprising at least one of a mechanical clamp engagable releasably with a body part of the vehicle and an anchor element adapted to be trapped between a fixed and a movable part of the vehicle body.

Preferably the mechanical clamp comprises a pair of spaced apart feet, at least one of which is movable adjustably towards and away from the other to define a clamping jaw. The adjustable foot may be at the end of a threaded leg that cooperates with a fixed part of the housing or an associated part thereof. The fixed foot may comprise a part of the housing or a flange projecting therefrom. There may be more than one mechanical clamp. A preferred embodiment utilises two adjustable feet. Preferably the leg has a head that can be turned by hand. Alternatively it may be configured to be operated with a suitable tool. Preferably there is a swivel connection between the foot and its associated leg.

In many current production vehicles the bonnet of the vehicle has a rear edge that projects towards the windscreen of the vehicle. Preferably the mechanical clamp is configured to engage with such a rearwardly directed edge of the bonnet.

Some vehicle designs may allow the assembly to be clamped to a windscreen pillar.

Preferably the mechanical clamp is provided with cushioning means to engage with the body of the vehicle to prevent damage thereto.

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The anchor element may comprise a leg or legs that facilitate locating the assembly by trapping the legs between the vehicle body and a door frame, or between the vehicle body and the bonnet opening. A rubber seal therebetween may be compressed to accommodate said legs. The legs may incorporate resilient means to avoid damage to the body parts. The legs may comprise relatively thin straps, compared to their width, which are bendable to suit the application. They may be metal or plastics.

The aforesaid locating means may be advantageously supplemented by the provision of one or more suction cups carried by the assembly and arranged to engage releasably with either the bodywork of the vehicle or more usually the windscreen thereof. They may engage with the scuttle panel immediately in front of the windscreen, or the bonnet of the vehicle.

To ensure a satisfactory grip, the suction cup or cups may be of a design that is provided with vacuum pump means for evaculating air therefrom, rather than relying purely on evacuation by fixing in a simple push fit manner, although such a construction is not excluded from the scope of protection.

The drive motor may be powered by compressed gas, but more usually it will be a dc-powered electric motor. The unit may be provided with its own battery power pack, but more usually it will be powered from the vehicle electrics. Conveniently a flying lead extends from the assembly and is provided with a fitting for connecting to a 12v power outlet socket of the vehicle - say its cigar lighter socket. The lead preferably includes an in line switch disposed at a position within the vehicle by which the driver can control operation of the wiper assembly. When the assembly has

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its own integral power source a control line is provided that extends from the assembly and into the vehicle for the driver to control operation of the wiper motor.

The present invention will now be described farther hereinafter, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic fragmentary perspective view of one embodiment of assembly according to the invention, in its position of use on a vehicle,

Figure 2 is a partial side view of the embodiment of figure 1,

Figure 3 is a detail of the side view of figure 2,

Figure 4 is a schematic perspective view of the assembly according to said one embodiment,

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic fragmentary perspective view of an assembly according to another embodiment, in its position of use on a vehicle, and

Figure 6 is a detail fragmentary side view of figure 5 in partial section. Referring firstly to figures 1 to 4, an assembly embodying the invention comprises a housing 101 accommodating an electric drive motor and a mechanism for converting rotary motor to reciprocating motor, and a mechanism for converting the reciprocating motor to oscillating motor of a wiper arm 103 carrying a wiper blade. The assembly further comprises a power lead 106 connected to the drive motor and has a plug ] 07 at its free end for connecting to a power outlet socket of the vehicle. The lead has an in line switch 109 for controlling supply of power to turn the motor on and off. Conveniently the switch body of the switch 109 has a suction cup 110 to facilitate locating it in a convenient place within the vehicle, for example to the vehicle dashboard.

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In the example of figures 1 to 4, the wiper blade is shown emerging towards the rear of the housing. Other configurations are possible.

The housing may be aerodynamically shaped to aid adhesion to the vehicle body or windscreen. The blade or blades may be provided with aerodynamic aids to increase their contact pressure with the windscreen.

The housing 101 is provided with means for attaching it to a vehicle. Said means comprises a mechanical clamp which in the illustrated embodiment comprises a first abutment surface (flange 112) and a pair of adjustable clamping feet 114. The feet connect with threaded legs 116 that pass through holes in a flange 120. Each leg has a knurled of sculptured knobll8 to turn it. A resilient cushioning element 122 comprising a U shaped channel in the illustration overlies the abutment surface 112 and the feet 114 and defines a mouth to receive, in use, an edge of a bonnet 121 of a vehicle 123. By this means the housing can be secured sufficiently firmly with respect to the vehicle to resist the forces applied to it on operation of the motor driving the wiper arm across the windscreen 124.

To further aid attachment the housing may be provided with suction cups 126 on the underside thereof and which in the illustrated embodiment engage with the vehicle windscreen.

In the event of the failure of the inbuilt windscreen wiper assembly, a driver simply removes the emergency unit from its storage location, clamps it on the edge of the vehicle bonnet with the housing overlying the windscreen of the vehicle, connects up its power lead by running the lead into the vehicle interior through the door aperture, and continues driving, operating the wiper as necessary using the in line switch 109.

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The construction of drive motor and its transfer drive mechanism can take any convenient form using principles well known in the art and consequently is not described herein.

The length of the wiper ami is designed to suit the application.

Figures 5 and 6 show an alternative embodiment designed for use with a vehicle having a bonnet 235 that is received in a bonnet opening 237 of a vehicle 200 such that there is no rearwardly directed free edge on to which the above described embodiment could be fitted. However, with such a design, the afore described housing 101 is modified to provide it with a projecting leg or legs 239 that is/are shaped to enter the gap between the bonnet and the vehicle body as seen in figure 6. The leg 239 is long but thin in cross-section so that it can be readily bent to fit through the gap and extend to a location where it can be trapped between the bonnet and the vehicle body. Normally the bonnet is arranged to contact a body part, such as at 241 to provide a seal. The leg may be provided with a resilient covering. In an alternative the legs are preformed to suit a particular vehicle application. The motor and windscreen wiper are as previously discussed and hence not described in any detail.

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Claims

1. An emergency windscreen wiper assembly for a vehicle windscreen, the assembly comprising a housing, at least one windscreen wiper arm carrying a windscreen wiper blade, and a motor and drive mechanism for generating movement of the at least one wiper ami over a prescribed area of the windscreen, means for controlling operation of the wiper assembly, and characterised by means for temporarily locating the assembly releasably on the exterior of the vehicle in a position for wiping said windscreen, said temporary locating means comprising at least one of a mechanical clamp engagable releasably with a body part of the vehicle and an anchor element adapted to be trapped between a fixed and a movable part of the vehicle body.

2. An assembly as claims 1 claim 1 in which the mechanical clamp comprises a pair of spaced apart feet, at least one of which is movable adjustably towards and away from the other to define a clamping jaw.

3. An assembly as claim in claim 2 in which the adjustable foot is at the end of a threaded leg that cooperates with a fixed part of the housing or an associated part thereof.

4. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 in which the fixed foot comprises a part of the housing or a flange projecting therefrom.

5. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding preceeding claims in which there are a plurality of mechanical clamps.

6. An assembly as claimcd in any one of claims 2 to 5 in which there are two adjustable feet.

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7. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 in which the leg has a head that can be turned by hand.

8. An assembly as claimed in claim 3 in which there is a swivel connection between the foot and its associated leg.

9. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims when adapted to be secured releasably to the rear edge of a vehicle bonnet that projects towards the windscreen of the vehicle.

10. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8 when adapted to be secured releasably to a windscreen pillar.

11. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceeding claims and comprising cushioning means to engage with the body of the vehicle to prevent damage thereto.

12. An assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which the anchor element may comprise a leg or legs that facilitate locating the assembly by trapping the legs between the vehicle body and a door frame, or between the vehicle body and the bonnet opening.

13. An assembly as claimed in claim 12 in which the legs incorporate resilient means to avoid damage to the body parts.

14. An assembly as claimed in claim 12 or 13 in which the legs comprise relatively thin straps, compared to their width, which are bendable to suit the application.

15. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the locating means is supplemented by the provision of one or more suction cups

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carried by the assembly and arranged to engage releasably with either the bodywork of the vehicle or the windscreen thereof.

16. An assembly as claimed in claim 15 in which the suction cup or cups are provided with vacuum pump means for evaculating air therefrom.

17. An assembly as claimed in any one of the preceding claims in which the drive motor is powered by compressed gas.

18. An assembly as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 16 in which the drive motor is a dc-powered electric motor.

19. An assembly as claimed in claim 18 in which the unit is provided with its own battery power pack.

20. An assembly as claimed in claim 18 or 19 in which the assembly is powered from the vehicle electrics.

21. An assembly as claimed in 20 in which a flying lead extends from the assembly and is provided with a fitting for connecting to a 12v power outlet socket of the vehicle.

22. An assembly as claimed in claim 21 in the lead includes an in line switch disposed, in use, at a position within the vehicle by which the driver can control operation of the wiper assembly.

23. An assembly as claimed in claim 19 in which a control line is provided that extends from the assembly and into the vehicle for the driver to sclect on-off operation of the wiper motor.

24. An emergency windscreen wiper assembly for a vehicle constructed and arranged substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in any one of the accompanying drawings, or any combination thereof.