WINDSCREEN WIPER FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES

Abstract: The wiper comprises a wiping brush (2) of the traditional type whose support arm (3) is fastened to a movable slider (6) capable of sliding to and fro along a slide guide (7) disposed close to one of the perimeter sides, preferably the lower one, of the windscreen (8) or of the rearglass of the vehicle. The slider (6) is driven by a driving belt (12) mounted on pulleys (13) which is movable in one direction only. The changing of the sliding direction of the slider (6) is achieved by means of a member (15) connecting the slider (6) to the belt (12) and comprising a roller (16) that is free to slide within an elongated opening provided (17) on the slider (6), when the latter comes to a position close to the pulleys (13). The movement of the brush (2) on the glass (8) consists of a linear displacement and it concerns almost the whole extension of the glass (8).

Description: "Windscreen wiper for motor-vehicles" The present invention relates to a windscreen wiper for motor-vehicles adapted to be applied to cars, buses, commercial vehicles, etc. in place of the traditional windscreen wipers presently in use. It is known that hitherto used windscreen wipers consist of a wiping brush,provided with the appropriate characteristics and shape, which is fastened to the end of a support arm connected to a powered member adapted to cause the same to rotate about a pivot. The pivot about which the brush-carrying arm rotates is driven by an electric motor via a relatively complicated linkage. It is also known that the brush of traditional windscreen wipers only cleans a region of the glass which is substantially in the form of a part of circle ring and therefore it only acts on a portion of the whole glass surface and wide areas thereof are always left dirty. Furthermore, the circular movement of the brush results in an uneven wear of the rubber strip moving on the windscreen which involves a relatively frequent replacement of the same. In traditional windscreen wipers the brush at rest is horizontally disposed, which gives rise to a certain drag. In addition, at high speeds traditional windscreen wipers are subjected to aerodynamic stresses tending to partially lift them from the glass surface so that an imperfect wiping of the same is achieved. The fundamental object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks relative to the windscreen wipers of the known art, making available a windscreen wiper for motor-vehicles of easy construction and low price, and reliable as to its operation. The foregoing and still further objects are attained by the windscreen wiper of the invention of the type comprising a wiping brush disposed on the glass surface, provided with a support arm connected to a powered member, characterized in that said powered member consists of a movable slider capable of sliding to and fro along a slide guide located close to one of the perimeter edges of said glass. The linear displacement (instead of the rotating motion) of the wiping brush along the glass allows to achieve several advantages and among them: - an improved visibility from inside the vehicle due to the wider extension of the area concerned by the brush; - an improvement in the vehicle streamline, as the position of the brush in the vertical plane offers a weaker drag; - an extension of the lifetime of the brush (the total wiped area during the life of the brush being equal) with respect to the windscreen wipers of the known type; - a better adhesion of the brush to the windscreen even at high speeds, which involves a safer drive. Further features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment given hereinafter by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the windscreen wiper in question mounted on the windscreen of a motor-vehicle; - Fig. 2 is a front view of the windscreen wiper with some parts removed so that others may be rendered more prominent; - Fig. 3 is a part sectional view of the windscreen wiper taken along the line III-III in Fig. 2. Referring to the drawings, the windscreen wiper for motor-vehicles of the present invention has been generally identified at 1. It comprises a wiping brush 2 of the conventional type fastened to the end of a support arm 3 of known type too. The arm 3 is secured to a rod 4 screwed into a cylindrical bushing 5 located on top of a movable carriage 6 consisting of a quadrangular plate-like body slidably inserted within a slide guide 7. The guide 7 comprises a hollow box-shaped body in the form of a greatly elongated parallelepiped disposed along the lower side of the windscreen 8 of a motor-vehicle At its upper part the guide 7 is provided with a longitudinal slot allowing the bushing 5 to come out. It should be noted that the guide 7 is not necessarily rectilinear but can be slightly bent in order to fit the vehicle conformation. Inside said guide 7 two longitudinal projections 10 are provided; they act as rails along which four wheels 11 supporting the carriage 6 slide. The carriage 6 is capable of sliding to and fro inside the guide 7 between two extreme limit positions. It is driven by a driving belt 12 mounted on a pair of pulleys 13, one of which is powered by a shaft 14, located at the ends of the guide 7 respectively. For the purpose of an easier construction and operation, the belt 12 is movable in one direction only. The changing of the sliding direction of carriage 6 when it reaches the two limit positions close to pulleys 13 is achieved in the way to be described hereinbelow. The carriage is made integral to belt 12 by a connecting member consisting of a fastening pin 15 transversely inserted into the belt 12 itself in the vicinity of the outer edge 12' of the latter. A roller 16 is keyed on pin 15; it is free to slide within a substantially elliptical elongated opening 17 the longer axis of which is at right angles to the advancing direction of belt 12 and which is obtained in the body of carriage 6. The roller 16 carries out its stroke inside the elongated opening 17 when the carriage 6 comes close to one of the pulleys 13 which allows the carriage to change its sliding direction. The invention attains the intended purposes. Although one embodiment has been herein illustrat and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth. Furthermore all details may be replaced by technically equivalent elements and the sizes and materials used may be whatever according to the requirements.

Claims: C l a i m s 1. A windscreen wiper for motor-vehicles of the type comprising a wiping brush disposed on the glass surface, provided with a support arm connected to a powered member, characterized in that said powered member consists of a movable slider capable of sliding to and fro along a slide guide located close to one of the perimeter edges of said glass. 2. The windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said movable slider is driven by a driving belt mounted on a pair of pulleys, at least one of them being powered, located at the ends of said slide guide respectively. 3. The windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that said slider is made integral to said driving belt by a connecting member consisting of a fastening means located in the vicinity of the outer edge of said belt with which a roller is associated, which roller is free to slide within a substantially elliptical elongated opening obtained in said slider, whose longer axis is at right angles to the advancing direction of the belt, the said roller carrying out its stroke inside said elongated opening when the slider comes close to one of said pulleys, which allows the slider itself to change its sliding direction. 4. The windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said slide guide comprises a hollow box-shaped body in the form of a greatly elongated parallelepiped provided with a longitudinal slot adapted to allow said attachment means of the support arm to the movable slider to come out. 5. The windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said slide guide is disposed along the lower side of said windscreen. 6. The windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said slider consists of a carriage provided with wheels slidable along said guide. 7. A windscreen wiper for motor-vehicles accord¬ ing to the preceding claims and substantially as herein¬ before described with reference to the accompanying drawings .

Inventors: CUNICO GIANNI, CUNICO, GIANNI
Applicants: CUNICO GIANNI, CUNICO, GIANNI
Application year: 1985
Main classification: B60S1
IPC codes: B60S1