Vibration damper device comprising a flange ring capable of coming to a stop against a damper unit

The invention relates to a damping device, in particular for mounting a support plate (10) comprising a cylindrical damper unit (12) with a main axis (A) that comprises a top radial flange (20s) and a bottom radial flange (20i) which are cylindrical and each of which is accommodated by one side in a horizontal plate (18) of the plate (10),

The invention provides a vibration damper device connecting the support plate of a windscreen-wiper mechanism to a body structure element of a motor vehicle.

The invention relates, more particularly, to a damping device, in particular for installing a support plate of a windscreen-wiper mechanism on a structure element,

which comprises a cylindrical damper unit with a vertical main axis pierced by a central bore for the passage of an element for mounting the damper unit on the structure element,

wherein the damper unit comprises a top radial flange and a bottom radial flange, both of which are cylindrical and accommodated on one side by a horizontal plate of the plate and which define between them an inner radial groove wherein the edge of an orifice that complements the plate is accommodated so as to ensure that the damper unit is supported with regard to the plate in the axial direction,

and wherein the plate comprises at least one cylindrical vertical flange ring supported by the horizontal plate, which extends opposite the outer cylindrical surface of an associated flange.

Such a damper device is used to reduce the vibration produced by the windscreen-wiper mechanism and transmitted between the body of the vehicle and the plate of the wiping system, which mainly supports a gear reducer unit powering the wiping system.

Conventional damping devices are particularly well adapted for damping vibrations where the amplitude of movement of the plate with regard to the body of the vehicle is relatively small.

However, these dampers are not suitable for damping vibrations with a larger amplitude of movement.

When the wiping mechanism is subjected to these vibrations with a larger amplitude, it moves in relation to the body of the vehicle and in relation to the glass panel to be wiped, and the wiping area is therefore offset in relation to the optimum wiping area.

The windscreen-wiper device is not therefore capable of correctly restoring visibility for the driver.

The invention aims to provide a damping device that reduces the low-amplitude vibrations in a conventional manner and that also reduces vibrations with a larger amplitude.

With this aim, the invention provides a damper device as previously described, characterised in that the flange ring comprises a concave inner cylindrical surface that is capable of resting radially against a convex outer cylindrical surface of the flange, in at least one overall horizontal direction.

According to further characteristics of the invention:the damping device comprises at least one stop element arranged between the concave inner cylindrical surface of the flange ring and the outer cylindrical surface of the flange, which is capable of coming into simultaneous contact with the concave inner cylindrical surface of the flange ring and the outer cylindrical surface of the flange;the stop element is supported by the concave inner cylindrical surface of the flange ring and extends at a distance from the outer cylindrical surface of the flange;the stop element is supported by the convex outer cylindrical surface of the flange and extends at a distance from the concave inner cylindrical surface of the flange ring;the convex outer cylindrical surface of the flange and/or of the concave inner cylindrical surface of the flange ring supports a plurality of stop elements angularly distributed around the main axis.at least a part of the concave inner cylindrical surface of the flange ring is at least partially resting against the outer cylindrical surface of the flange.

For the description of the invention, the orientations vertical, longitudinal and transversal will be adopted non-limitingly according to the reference frame V, L, T indicated inFIG. 1.

In the following description, identical, similar or analogous elements will be referred to using the same reference numbers.

The figures show a damping device for installing a plate10supporting a windscreen-wiper mechanism (not shown) on a body structure element of a motor vehicle (not shown) by means of a vibration damper unit12.

The vibration damper unit12, hereinafter referred to as “damper”, has an overall cylindrical shape with a vertical main axis A, it comprises a cylindrical central bore14, accommodating a complementary element16for mounting the damper12on the body structure element of the vehicle.

The plate10comprises a horizontal plate18with one free end18aon which the damper12is mounted so as to hold the plate18on the damper12.

For this purpose, the damper12comprises a cylindrical top radial flange20sand a cylindrical bottom radial flange20iwhich are accommodated vertically on either side of the end18aof the plate18, so as to define between them a groove21wherein the edge22of an orifice that complements the end18aof the plate18is accommodated.

The horizontal plate18also comprises a series of rigidifying ribs24,26s,26ithat make it possible to limit the vertical deformations of the plate18, among which a top rib or flange ring26sis associated with the top flange20sand a bottom flange ring26iis associated with the bottom flange20i.

The following description refers to a single flange ring26s,26i. It is understood that this reference to a single flange ring applies equally to the top flange ring26sand to the bottom flange ring26i.

The concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iextends vertically opposite the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20i.

In a first embodiment shown inFIGS. 2 and 3, the damper12is radially inserted in the orifice of the plate18, in relation to the main axis A.

For this reason, the orifice of the plate18opens onto the free end18eof the plate18, and the flange ring26s,26iforms a loop that is overall coaxial to the main axis A of the damper12which is open at the height of the opening of the orifice of the plate18.

In a second embodiment shown inFIGS. 4 and 5, the damper12is axially inserted in the orifice of the plate18, the flange ring26s,26ithen forming a closed loop peripheral to the associated flange20s,20i.

In the embodiments according to the prior art, shown inFIGS. 2 and 4, the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iis radially separated from the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20iin relation to the main axis A.

s previously mentioned, such assemblies are particularly suited for damping vibration caused by a movement of the plate10in relation to the body structure element of the vehicle, which has relatively low amplitude.

According to the invention, and as shown inFIGS. 2 and 5, the top flange20sand/or the bottom flange20iare capable of coming to a stop against the associated flange ring26s,26iduring a horizontal movement of the plate10in relation to the body structure element, with a relatively high amplitude, which is to say that the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the flange20s,20iis capable of coming to a stop against the concave inner cylindrical surface26aopposite the flange ring26s,26i.

When the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iis resting against the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20i, the flange20s,20iis capable of deforming elastically in order to dampen the movement of the flange ring26s,26i, and therefore of the plate10in relation to the body structure element.

According to a first aspect of the invention shown inFIG. 3, the arrangement comprises a stop element28arranged between the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iand the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20i.

The stop element28thus reduces the radial play between the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iand the convex outer cylindrical surface20eopposite the associated flange20s,20icompared with the embodiment according to the prior art, which allows the flange ring26s,26ito come almost instantly to a stop against the associated flange20s,20i.

In this case, the stop element28is supported by the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26i, so that an inner cylindrical surface28aof the stop element is capable of coming into contact with the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the flange20s,20iopposite it, when the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iis resting against the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the flange20s,20i.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention (not shown), the stop element28is supported by the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20i, so that a convex outer cylindrical surface of the stop element28, which extends opposite the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26i, is capable of coming into contact with the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iwhen the flange ring26s,26iis resting against the flange20s,20i.

The stop element28is an added element mounted on the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26ior on the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the flange20s,20i, and which is fixed to the concave26aor convex20esurface by any known means, for example by gluing or overmoulding.

In addition, in the embodiment shown inFIG. 3, the stop element28forms an arc of circle centred on the main axis A of the damper12.

The length of this arc of circle and its angular position around the main axis A define the horizontal direction in which the flange ring26s,26iis capable of coming to a stop against the associated flange20s,20i.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26ior the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20isupports a plurality of stop elements28angularly distributed around the main axis A of the damper12, in which the length of the arc of circle formed by each stop element28is defined according to the horizontal directions in which the flange ring26s,26iis capable of coming to a stop against the associated flange20s,20i.

In another alternative embodiment of the invention, the stop element28is shaped so as to be simultaneously in contact with the opposing convex surface20eof the flange20s,21and concave surface26aof the flange ring26s,26i, respectively.

In another embodiment of the invention shown inFIG. 5, the flange ring26s,26iand the associated flange20s,20iare shaped so that the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iis at least partially resting against the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20i.

Thus, the damper12immediately dampens the movement of the plate10with regard to the body structure element.

In this case, the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iand the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20ihave an overall oblong shape, so that they each comprise two vertical longitudinal flat portions30,32, respectively, which are diametrically opposed in relation to the main axis A of the damper12.

According to this embodiment of the invention, each flat portion30of the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iis in contact with the opposite flat portion32of the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20i.

However, it is understood that the invention is not limited to this embodiment, and that the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iand the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20ican also be in contact with each other at the level of their other non-flat portions, or even be in full contact with one another.

In addition, in a first embodiment of this aspect of the invention, wherein the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iis in contact with the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20i, the flange20s,20iis identical to that defined in the embodiment according to the prior art, and only the flange ring26s,26iis different from that defined in the embodiment according to the prior art.

In a second embodiment of this aspect of the invention (not shown) wherein the concave inner cylindrical surface26aof the flange ring26s,26iis in contact with the convex outer cylindrical surface20eof the associated flange20s,20i, the flange ring26s,26iis identical to that defined in the embodiment according to the prior art, and only the flange20s,20iis different from that defined in the embodiment according to the prior art.

This therefore enables the use of standard elements for implementing the invention.

However, it is understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments of the invention, and the flange ring26s,26iand the associated flange20s,20ican have a shape and/or dimensions that are different to those defined in the prior art without departing from the scope of the invention.

The preceding description of the invention is made in relation to flanges20s,20iand flange rings26s,26iwith an overall circular (FIGS. 2 and 3) or oblong (FIGS. 4 and 5) shape. It is understood that the invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the flanges20s,20iand the flange rings26s,26ican have a different shape, for example oval or ovoid, without departing from the scope of the invention.

The same goes for the inner radial groove21and the edge22of the complementary orifice of the plate18, which are overall circular (FIGS. 2 and 3) or oblong (FIGS. 4 and 5) in shape, and can have a different shape, for example oval or ovoid, without departing from the scope of the invention.

In addition, the damping device according to the invention was described as comprising a top flange ring26sand a bottom flange ring26i. However, it is understood that the invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the damping device can comprise a single top or bottom flange ring,26sor26irespectively, without departing from the scope of the invention. ,