Engagement device of wiper and vehicle body

An engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body may include a motor for driving the wiper; a motor bracket fixed to the motor; a cowl bracket fixed to the vehicle body corresponding to the motor bracket, and a mounting portion forming a fixing structure between the motor bracket and the cowl bracket, wherein the mounting portion comprises a protrusion protruded from the motor bracket or the cowl bracket, and a socket, the protrusion being inserted into and fixed to.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2015-0095658 filed on Jul. 6, 2015, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body. More particularly, the present invention relates to an engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body that fixes a motor of the wiper to the vehicle body and applies electric power to the motor.

Description of Related Art

A wiper apparatus of a vehicle is a safety apparatus that secures a clear view for a driver when driver's vision is bad due to weather condition such as rain and snow or dust and stain on a windshield glass. The wiper apparatus is adapted to wipe raindrop, snow, dust and stain on the windshield glass using a wiper blade.

The wiper apparatus may be mounted at a rear window, a side mirror, a headlamp as well as the windshield of the vehicle. Particularly, a predetermined parking space for receiving a wiper blade is formed under a hood and the wiper blade is positioned in the parking space and is not able to be seen from the exterior in order to secure a beautiful exterior near a cowl according to recent vehicles.

One example of such wiper apparatus is disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2010-0023583. The wiper apparatus includes a motor, a frame and a linkage.

Generally, the wiper apparatus is made as a module and the module is fixed to the vehicle body. According to a method of fixing the wiper apparatus to the vehicle body, a mounting portion of bracket shape is formed on the frame and is fixed to the vehicle body through engagement means such as a bolt, a nut and so on.

According to a conventional mounting portion, however, electric power is hard to be applied to the wiper apparatus. Therefore, a structure for fixing the wiper module to the vehicle body and applying electric power to the wiper module simultaneously has been researched.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing an engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body having advantages of fixing a motor of a wiper to a vehicle body and applying electric power to the motor simultaneously.

An engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a motor for driving the wiper; a motor bracket fixed to the motor; a cowl bracket fixed to the vehicle body corresponding to the motor bracket; and a mounting portion forming a fixing structure between the motor bracket and the cowl bracket, wherein the mounting portion comprises a protrusion protruded from the motor bracket or the cowl bracket, and a socket, the protrusion being inserted into and fixed to.

A power connecting portion for supplying electric power to the motor may be formed at the protrusion or the socket. The power connecting portion may include: at least one terminal protruded from the protrusion or the socket; and at least one terminal insertion hole formed at the socket or the protrusion corresponding to the at least one terminal.

A plurality of terminals may be disposed apart from each other, and a plurality of terminal insertion holes may be formed corresponding to the plurality of terminals.

The protrusion may be press-fitted into and fixed to the socket.

An exterior circumferential groove may be formed on an exterior circumference of the protrusion, and an interior circumferential groove may be formed on an interior circumference of the socket corresponding to the exterior circumferential groove. The engagement device may further include a fixing ring disposed in an annular space formed by the interior circumferential groove and the exterior circumferential groove and preventing the protrusion and the socket form be disengaged from each other.

The cowl bracket may be fixed to a cowl panel defining a boundary between an engine compartment and a vehicle cabin.

The motor bracket may be fixed to a motor housing enclosing the motor.

The protrusion and the socket may be fixed to the motor bracket or the cowl bracket through fixing bolts.

The terminal and the terminal insertion hole may be made of electrically conductive material so as to be electrically connected to each other and may include an electric wire connected to the terminal or the terminal insertion hole.

The protrusion, the socket and the fixing ring may be made of metal material.

The mounting portion may include: a fixing loop fixed to the cowl bracket; a hook fixed to the motor bracket, rotatably disposed through a hinge, and hooked by the fixing loop; and a locking member rotatably disposed at the hook and prevent rotation of the hook such that the hook is disengaged from the fixing loop.

An engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a motor for driving a wiper on a window glass; a motor bracket fixed to the motor; a cowl bracket corresponding to the motor bracket and fixed to a vehicle body; a protrusion protruded from the motor bracket or the cowl bracket; and a socket formed at the cowl bracket or the motor bracket so as to be inserted in the protrusion, wherein an exterior circumferential groove is formed on an exterior circumference of the protrusion, an interior circumferential groove corresponding to the exterior circumferential groove is formed on an interior circumference of the socket, and a fixing ring is disposed in an annular space formed by the interior circumferential groove and the exterior circumferential groove and prevents disengagement of the protrusion and the socket.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a wiper unit is fixed to a vehicle body and electric power is applied to the wiper unit simultaneously in such a way that a protrusion is inserted into a socket.

In addition, assembling efficiency may be improved by means of simple assembling structure, assembling strength may be increased by means of insertion structure, and dispersion error of assembling may be reduced.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a front view of a wiper unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 1, a wiper unit includes a motor100, a mounting portion150, a gear box102, a rotating arm120, a delivery link130and a rotating shaft140.

The motor100generates torque by supplied electric power, the gear box102increases the torque of the motor100through gear ratio, and the rotating arm120transmits the increased torque. The motor100is enclosed by a motor housing.

The delivery link130is connected to an end portion of the rotating arm120and the rotating arm120rotates the rotating shaft140through the delivery link130. In addition, an end portion of a wiper is fixed to the rotating shaft140and the wiper wipes a surface of a window glass and removes moisture or dust from the window glass by rotation of the rotating shaft140.

The mounting portion150is fixed to and is disposed at a side of the motor100. The mounting portion150is fixed to a cowl panel of a vehicle body defining a boundary between an engine compartment of a vehicle and a vehicle cabin. In addition, the mounting portion150may be fixed to the gear box102or a motor bracket105(seeFIG. 2) fixed to the motor100(or the motor housing).

Since the cowl panel of the vehicle body and operation of the wiper according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention are well known to a person of an ordinary skill in the art, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 2is a partial cross-sectional view of an engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 2, an engagement device includes a first electric wire320, a cowl bracket200, a fixing bolt250, a motor bracket105, a second electric wire325and a mounting portion150, and the mounting portion150includes a protrusion305and a socket300.

The cowl bracket200is fixed to the cowl panel of the vehicle body and the motor bracket105is fixed to an exterior surface of the motor100corresponding to the cowl bracket200.

The protrusion305is fixed to the cowl bracket200by the fixing bolt250and the socket300is fixed to the motor bracket105by the fixing bolt250.

The protrusion305is press-fitted and fixed to the socket300, and the first electric wire320and the second electric wire325supplies electric power from a battery to the motor100through a connection structure of the protrusion305and the socket300.

FIG. 3is a partial perspective view of an engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 3, a terminal350of metal material is protruded from a front surface of the protrusion305and is disposed to receive current from the first electric wire320.

In addition, at least two terminals350may be disposed apart from each other on the front surface of the protrusion305.

FIG. 4is a partial perspective view of an engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 4, a protrusion recess400is formed at the socket300and a terminal insertion hole410into which the terminal350is inserted is formed on an interior surface of the protrusion recess400. The terminal insertion hole410is disposed to supply current to the second electric wire325.

In addition, at least two terminal insertion holes410corresponding to the terminals350may be disposed apart from each other.

FIG. 5is a partial cross-sectional view of an engagement device of a wiper and a vehicle body according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 5, a rear end portion of the protrusion305is inserted into and fixed to the cowl bracket200, and a rear end portion of the socket300is inserted into and fixed to the motor bracket105.

In addition, the protrusion recess400is formed at the socket300corresponding to the protrusion305, and the protrusion305is inserted into the protrusion recess400so as to be fixed thereto.

An exterior circumferential groove520is formed at an exterior circumference of the protrusion305, and an interior circumferential groove515corresponding to the exterior circumferential groove520is formed at an interior circumference of the socket300.

The interior circumferential groove515and the exterior circumferential groove520form an annular space, and a fixing ring510is disposed in the interior circumferential groove515and the exterior circumferential groove520.

The fixing ring510is disposed simultaneously in the interior circumferential groove515and the exterior circumferential groove520and prevents disengagement of the protrusion from the socket300.

In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the socket300, the protrusion305and the fixing ring510may be made of metal material, and the protrusion305is press-fitted and fixed to the socket300.

FIG. 6is a partial perspective view illustrating an engagement device related to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring toFIG. 6, a hook600, a fixing loop615and a locking member610are disposed between the motor bracket105and the cowl bracket200.

The fixing loop615is fixed to the cowl bracket200and the hook600is rotatably disposed at the motor bracket105through a hinge605.

If the hook600rotates about the hinge605, the hook600is hooked to the fixing loop615so as to be fixed thereto.

In addition, the locking member610is rotatably disposed at the hook600. In a state that the hook600is fixed to the fixing loop615, the locking member610is locked up so as to prevent disengagement of the hook600from the fixing loop615.

Operation of the hook600, the fixing loop615and the locking member610shown inFIG. 6is well known to a person of an ordinary skill in the art, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

It is exemplified inFIG. 1that one mounting portion150is disposed at the motor bracket105fixed to the motor100, but additional mounting portions150may be disposed at the motor bracket105.

In addition, it is exemplified inFIG. 2that the protrusion305is fixed to the cowl bracket200and the socket300is fixed to the motor bracket105, but the protrusion305may be fixed to the motor bracket105and the socket300may be fixed to the cowl bracket200.