Nozzle system and windscreen wiper arm for receiving said nozzle system

The invention relates to a nozzle arrangement (16) and to a windshield wiper arm (12) for receiving the nozzle arrangement (16). The nozzle arrangement has a delivery device (40) for a washer fluid that is connected to at least one first nozzle body (30) and can be disposed in the wiper arm (12) of the windshield wiper. It is proposed that the first nozzle body (30) is connected to a second nozzle body (32) in such a way that a first nozzle (32) of the first nozzle body (30) can be disposed in the vicinity of a hinge (22) for folding the wiper arm (12) out, and a second nozzle (36) of the second nozzle body (34) can be disposed in the vicinity of a connection means (28, 56) for connecting the wiper arm (12) to a wiper blade (14) in the wiper arm (12).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
 The invention relates to a nozzle arrangement and a windshield wiper arm
 for receiving the nozzle arrangement. It is already known for water spray
 nozzles to be secured as additional components on the wiper blade and thus
 to enable distributing the water directly in the region of the wiper
 blade. This has the advantage that the hindrance division presented by the
 sprayed water is of only brief duration and is limited to a region
 concentrated in the vicinity of the wiper blade, which is wiped off again
 extremely quickly by the wiping motion. A disadvantage of such systems is
 that whether factors, and especially hail and extreme sunlight action,
 greatly influence the necessarily flexible parts of this arrangement for
 bridging the articulated regions between the wiper arm and the wiper
 blade. This shortens the surface life and lessons the reliability.
 It is also known for these arrangements to be solidly go integrated with
 the windshield wiper arm, for instance with the connection piece to the
 wiper blade or in the fastening part secured to the wiper shaft. If such
 an arrangement fails, for instance because it becomes plugged up, broken,
 or the like, then the entire wiper arm has to be replaced.
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
 It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a nozzle
 arrangement which eliminates the disadvantages of the prior art.
 In keeping with these objects, one feature of present invention resides,
 briefly stated, in a nozzle arrangement which has a first nozzle body
 connected to a second nozzle body so that a nozzle of the first nozzle
 body is disposed in the vicinity of the hinge for folding out a wiper arm,
 and a nozzle of the second nozzle body is disposed in the vicinity of the
 connection means for connecting the wiper arm to a wiper blade in the
 wiper arm, and the first and second nozzle body are solidly connected to
 one another.
 The nozzle arrangement having the characteristics of the invention has the
 advantage that it enables optimal distribution of the sprayed water from
 two points far apart from one another on the wiper arm, and that it can be
 disposed replaceably inside the space enclosed by the wiper arm in a way
 that it is not visible from outside. The good replaceability of the known
 systems disposed on the wiper blade is thus combined with the properties
 of good protection and compactness of the permanently installed systems.
 Also the nozzles can be replaced easily if the first and second nozzles are
 solidly joined together. This creates an easily manipulated structure that
 stays together. If the nozzle bodies are integrally joined together,
 preadjustment of the direction of the water stream is also possible. An
 economical embodiment is obtained if the nozzles can be made as a plastic
 injection-molded part.
 The nozzle arrangement can be optimally supplemented with a heater, which
 extends both through the two nozzle bodies and through the device that
 connects the nozzle bodies. This is especially easily possible whenever
 the nozzle bodies are solidly joined together.
 Simple installation, which can be performed even by someone not skilled in
 the art, is obtained if the nozzle bodies have means for clipping and/or
 detent-locking them in a wiper arm.
 Advantageously, to receive the nozzle arrangement, a windshield wiper arm
 has a hinge for folding the windshield wiper out and a connection device
 for the wiper blade; a receptacle for the first nozzle body is provided in
 the vicinity of the foldout hinge, and a receptacle for the second nozzle
 is provided in the vicinity of the connection device for the wiper blade.
 Such a wiper arm also has the advantage that it can be disposed on motor
 vehicles even without a built-in nozzle arrangement, without being in the
 way of the driver's view. The nozzle arrangement can be installed by
 retrofitting, for instance by the vehicle owner, or can be mounted by the
 manufacturer before or after the windshield wiper arm is mounted on the
 vehicle.
 To that end, the wiper arm has merely a small opening through which the
 washer fluid dispensed by a nozzle can flow, so that there is no visual
 impairment to a given technical function. For receiving the nozzle body,
 the windshield wiper arm may be bellied, and it is advantageous if the
 opening is made in a region of the bulge whose wall points toward the
 receptacle for the wiper blade. This makes it possible to aim the stream
 of sprayed water directly in front of the wiper blade in a lower region.
 By disposing the second nozzle the vicinity of the receptacle for the
 wiper blade, which is advantageously embodied as a hook-like receptacle in
 this narrow region, the distribution of the washing water over the
 windshield can be further optimized. This makes short stream lengths
 feasible, so that even at relatively high vehicle speeds, the oncoming
 wind has only little influence on the distribution of the sprayed water.
 The distribution of the sprayed water by the two streams of sprayed water
 preferably takes place along the length of the wiper arm or wiper blade,
 so that the view through the windshield is in fact impaired only minimally
 when the water is applied only upstream of the wiper blade in the wiping
 direction.
 The hook-like receptacle grasps the nozzle body in clip-like fashion and
 holds it in position. It may be advantageous if the wiper blade to be
 disposed on the wiper arm has a recess for receiving the
 downward-protruding nozzle body. The nozzle body can then be designed with
 corresponding freedom, so that optimal washer fluid distribution through
 one or more built-in, adjustable nozzles is made possible. This increases
 the protection of the nozzle body from environmental factors.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
 In FIG. 1, a windshield wiper arm system 10 is shown, comprising a wiper
 arm 12, a wiper blade 14, and a nozzle arrangement 16. The wiper arm 12
 comprises a fastening part 18, on which a receptacle 20 is molded for
 connection to a wiper shaft in a manner fixed against relative rotation,
 and on which fastening part, on the side opposite the receptacle 20, a
 hinge 22 is installed for receiving an elongated hinged element 24. The
 fastening part 18 and the hinged element 24 that is thus pivotably joined
 via the hinge 22 are urged toward one another by a spring 26, which on the
 one hand generates the requisite contact pressure for the wiping operation
 and on the other makes a stable foldout position (as shown) possible. For
 receiving the wiper blade 14, the hinged element 24 in the exemplary
 embodiment shown has a hook 28 (FIG. 2).
 The nozzle arrangement 16 has a first nozzle body 30 with a first nozzle 32
 and a second nozzle body 34 with a second nozzle 36, which are joined to
 one another via a device 38. For connecting the nozzle arrangement 16 to a
 supply container, not shown, that is equipped with a pump, the first
 nozzle body 30 is connected to a delivery hose 40.
 The nozzle body 32 and the nozzle body 34 are connected via the device 38
 in such a way that on the one hand they can be disposed in the vicinity of
 the hinge 22 and on the other in the vicinity of the connection means
 (hook 28) to the wiper blade in the wiper arm 12. To that end, the nozzle
 bodies are introduced from below into the space enclosed by the wiper arm.
 The wiper arm is of thin sheet steel and can be made economically as a
 bent and stamped part. The nozzle arrangement 16 is thus seated virtually
 invisibly inside the hinged element 24 of the wiper arm 12, and the
 delivery hose 40 extends in a known manner through the fastening part 18
 to the supply container.
 The device 38 that connects the two nozzle bodies 30 and 34 to one another
 can be hose-like, but in the exemplary embodiment it is embodied as a
 more-advantageous fixed connection. In this way, the two nozzle bodies 30,
 34 are integrally connected to one another and are made as an
 injection-molded part. This creates a rigid construction that can be built
 into the wiper arm very simply.
 A heater 42 (see FIG. 3) is integrated with the nozzle arrangement 16; it
 extends through the delivery hose 40 and the device 38 in the form of a
 wire, and is coiled through the nozzle bodies 30, 34.
 The nozzle arrangement 16, and in particular the nozzle bodies 30, 34, have
 means 44 (shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 for the nozzle body 34), which are
 suitable for snapping or clipping the nozzle arrangement 16 into the wiper
 arm.
 On its hinged element 24, the wiper arm 12 for that purpose have a
 hook-like receptacle 46, which in the working position of the windshield
 wiper system 10 extends toward the window to be washed and is open toward
 the bottom. Once the nozzle arrangement 16 has been built in, the
 receptacle 46 grasps the means 44 of the nozzle body 34. The means 44 is
 fluted and snaps into the receptacle 46. This assures a secure hold. Other
 detent means, not shown, are disposed in the region of the nozzle body 30.
 While the nozzle 36 of the nozzle body 30, because of the type of
 receptacle 46, is opened toward the window, for the nozzle 32 disposed
 below the sheet-metal jacket of the hinged element 24, an opening 48 is
 provided through which the sprayed stream can emerge. The nozzle body 30
 is surrounded by a bulge 50 of the hinged element 24. The opening 48 is
 made in the bulge 50 in the direction toward the wiper blade receptacle
 (hook 28).
 For installation of the nozzle arrangement 16, the first nozzle body 30 is
 connected to the delivery hose 40, which is preassembled in the fastening
 part 18, and the nozzle arrangement 16 is then pressed from below into the
 hinged element 24 of the wiper arm 12 and locks in place. This can be done
 either before or after the windshield wiper system 10 is installed in the
 motor vehicle, or can be done completely separately and later by the later
 owner of the motor vehicle.
 If as in the exemplary embodiment the hinged element 24 is embodied as
 quite narrow in the region of the second nozzle body 34 and the
 later-installed wiper blade 18 is guided closely along the hinged element,
 then a recess 52 should be provided in the main bracket 54 of the wiper
 blade 14, into which recess the receptacle 46 and the second nozzle body
 34--once installed--can dip. For the sake of stability, a certain spacing
 between the recess 52 and the receptacle 56 of the hook 28 is assured. In
 this way, a stabilizing strut 58 can remain in the main bracket 54.