Abstract:
The invention relates to a wiping device, in particular a wiping device for a motor vehicle pane, comprising a wiper blade adapter ( 12   a;    12   b ). According to the invention, the wiper blade adapter ( 12   a;    12   b ) comprises a pivot bearing ( 26   a;    26   b ) that is designed to pivotally mount a spring element ( 20   a;    20   b ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     A wiper device, particularly a motor vehicle windscreen wiper device, having a wiper blade adapter is already known in the art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention is based on a wiper device, particularly a motor vehicle windscreen wiper device, having a wiper blade adapter. 
     It is proposed that the wiper blade adapter comprises a pivot bearing which is provided to pivotably support a spring element, as a result of which the spring element can be particularly flexibly configured and a contact pressure on a surface to be wiped can be distributed particularly evenly. A “wiper blade adapter” in this context should be particularly understood to mean an adapter which exhibits a contact area to a wiper blade component and is connected to the wiper blade component in an undetachable manner and is provided to supply a connection area of the wiper blade component for a connection and/or contact with a wiper arm adapter. A “pivot bearing” in this context should be particularly understood to mean a bearing which is provided to connect two components to one another, so as to allow a pivoting movement about a pivot axis. A “spring element” in this context should be particularly understood to mean a resilient element which comprises at least one extension, said extension being elastically variable in a normal operating state by at least 10%, particularly by at least 20%, preferably by at least 30%, and particularly advantageously by at least 50%, and which particularly generates a counterforce which depends on a change in the extension and is preferably proportionate to the change, said counterforce acting against the change. “Pivotable” in this context should be particularly understood to mean deflectable within a large part of the wiper blade adapter. A “large part” in this context should be particularly understood to mean more than 50%. “Deflectable” in this context should be particularly understood to mean movable to one another. “Provided” should be particularly understood to mean specially designed and/or equipped. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention, it is proposed that the pivot bearing has at least one punctiform and/or linear bearing surface, which is provided to support the spring element in a mounted state. “Punctiform and/or linear” in this context should be particularly understood to mean less than 10%, preferably less than 5%, particularly preferably less than 1%, of a total longitudinal extension of the wiper blade adapter, at least viewed in a longitudinal direction of the wiper blade adapter. A “bearing surface” in this context should be particularly understood to mean a surface at which a spring element in a mounted state at a particular point in time bears against the wiper blade adapter. A “longitudinal direction” in this context should be particularly understood to mean a direction which extends substantially parallel to a longitudinal extension of the wiper blade adapter. A “longitudinal extension” in this context should be particularly understood to mean a largest possible extension. “Substantially” in this context should be particularly understood to mean a deviation of less than 10°, preferably less than 5°. An “extension” of an element in this context should be particularly understood to mean a maximum distance between two points on a perpendicular projection of the element on a plane. 
     It is further proposed that the wiper blade adapter comprises at least one free space which is provided to space the spring element at least over a large part of a longitudinal extension of the wiper blade adapter from said wiper blade adapter in a vertical direction, by virtue of which a deflection of the spring element can be achieved particularly simply. 
     Furthermore, it is proposed that the at least one bearing surface is arranged centrally in the wiper blade adapter, viewed in a longitudinal direction. “Centrally” in this context should be particularly understood to mean an area which is arranged in between 45% and 55% of the total longitudinal extension. 
     If the pivot bearing exhibits at least a first and a second punctiform and/or linear bearing surface, which is provided to support the spring element in a mounted state, a particularly rigid connection between the wiper blade adapter and the spring element can be achieved. 
     In a further embodiment of the invention it is proposed that the wiper device exhibits a retaining element, which is provided to connect the spring element to a wiper strip and to a wind deflector element in a mounted state. A “retaining element” in this context should be particularly understood to mean an element which is provided to connect a wind deflector element, a spring element and a wiper strip in an interlocking manner. A “wiper strip” in this context should be particularly understood to mean a strip which is provided to wipe a vehicle windscreen. A “wind deflector element” in this context should be particularly understood to mean an element which is provided to deflect a headwind acting on the wiper device and/or to use it to press a wiper strip against a vehicle windscreen. 
     A particularly rigid connection can be achieved between the retaining element and the wiper blade adapter when the retaining element has at least one fastening recess, which is provided to receive the wiper blade adapter in an interlocking manner in a mounted state. A “fastening recess” in this context should be particularly understood to mean a recess which is provided to receive a corresponding fastening element. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further advantages emerge from the following drawing description. Two exemplary embodiments of the invention are depicted in the drawing. The drawings, description and claims contain a plurality of combined features. The person skilled in the art will advantageously observe the features individually too and bring them together to create further appropriate combinations. 
       In the figures: 
         FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a wiper device according to the invention with a wiper blade adapter and a retaining element, 
         FIG. 2  shows a sectional view of the retaining element according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  shows a top view of the retaining element according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 4  shows a further perspective view of the wiper blade adapter and the retaining element according to  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of a section through the wiper blade adapter according to  FIG. 1  and through a spring element, 
         FIG. 6  shows a top view of a retaining element of a further exemplary embodiment of a wiper device according to the invention, 
         FIG. 7  shows a bottom view of the retaining element according to  FIG. 6  with a wiper blade adapter and 
         FIG. 8  shows a sectional view of a spring element and the wiper blade adapter according to  FIG. 7 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of a wiper device according to the invention with a retaining element  10   a , a wiper blade adapter  12   a , a wind deflector element  14   a  and a wiper strip  16   a  in a mounted state. The wiper blade adapter  12   a , the wind deflector element  14   a  and the wiper strip  16   a  are fastened to the retaining element  10   a . The wiper blade adapter  12   a  is provided to be connected to a wiper arm (not shown). In an operating state, i.e. when the wiper arm executes a wiper movement, the wiper strip  16   a  is moved via the retaining element  10   a  over a surface to be wiped (not shown). When a headwind is encountered, the wind deflector element  14   a  deflects this and presses the wiper device onto the surface to be wiped. 
       FIG. 2  shows the retaining element  10   a , which comprises a longitudinal guide channel  18   a  to guide a spring element  20   a , as a sectional view. The sectional plane runs perpendicularly to a longitudinal direction  22   a  of the retaining element  10   a . The retaining element  10   a  has two wind deflector fastening elements  50   a ,  52   a . The wind deflector fastening elements  50   a ,  52   a  are formed integrally with the retaining element  10   a . The wind deflector fastening elements  50   a ,  52   a  point at their free ends  54   a ,  56   a  in directions facing away from one another. In addition, the wind deflector fastening elements  50   a ,  52   a  form two channel walls  58   a ,  60   a  which bear against the longitudinal guide channel  18   a  on a side facing away from the wiper strip. The wind deflector fastening elements  50   a ,  52   a  are barb-shaped in design in the region of their free ends  54   a ,  56   a . The ends  54   a ,  56   a  are enclosed by the wind deflector element  14   a  in a mounted state. 
     To guide the spring element  20   a , side walls  66   a ,  68   a  of the longitudinal guide channel  18   c  bear against the channel walls  58   a ,  60   a . The channel walls  58   a ,  60   a  thereby enclose a right angle with the side walls  66   a ,  68   a . In addition, a partition wall  70   a  is arranged at the side walls  66   a ,  68   a , which closes the longitudinal guide channel  18   a  in the direction of the wiper strip  16   a . The side walls  66   a ,  68   a  extend from the partition wall  70   a  in a direction facing away from the wiper strip  16   a . The retaining element  10   a  has a longitudinal opening  72   a , which opens the longitudinal guide channel  16   a  towards the wind deflector element  14   a.    
     Two L-shaped guide profiles  74   a ,  76   a  of the retaining element  10   a  are arranged on the partition wall  70   a . The guide profiles  74   a ,  76   a  are formed integrally with the retaining element  10   a . The guide profiles  74   a ,  76   a  each have a lateral guide  78   a ,  80   a  and a vertical guide  82   a ,  84   a . The vertical guides  82   a ,  84   a  each enclose an angle of 90° with the lateral guides  78   a ,  80   a . The lateral guides  78   a ,  80   a  each enclose an angle of 90° relative to the partition wall  70   a . The guide profiles  74   a ,  76   a  point at their ends free of the vertical guides  82   a ,  84   a  in directions facing one another. The guide profiles  74   a ,  76   a  and the partition wall  70   a  form a welt track  86   a , into which the wiper strip  16   a  is inserted in a mounted state. 
     The retaining element  10   a  is produced integrally from polyethylene by an extrusion process. A person skilled in the art will consider different plastics which seem appropriate in this context, such as polypropylene, polyamide, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate and/or polystyrene in particular. 
       FIG. 3  shows a top view of the retaining element  10   a . The retaining element  10   a  has two fastening recesses  32   a ,  34   a , which are provided to receive the wiper blade adapter  12   a  in an interlocking manner. The fastening recesses  32   a ,  34   a  are arranged in side walls  66   a ,  68   a , which laterally delimit a longitudinal guide channel  18   a.    
     In one assembly, the wiper blade adapter  12   a  is initially positioned on the retaining element  10   a  in a vertical direction ( FIG. 4 ). The vertical direction  44   a  extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction  22   a  and perpendicularly to a wiping direction  24   a . The vertical direction  44   a  is therefore perpendicular to a wiping surface (not shown) in an operating state. 
     The wiper blade adapter  12   a  comprises a pivot bearing  26   a  which pivotably supports the spring element  20   a  ( FIG. 5 ). The pivot bearing  26   a  has a punctiform bearing surface  28   a , which supports the spring element  20   a  in a mounted state. The wiper blade adapter  12   a  further comprises a free space  40   a ,  42   a , which spaces the spring element  20   a  apart over a large part of a longitudinal extension of the wiper blade adapter  12   a  from said wiper blade adapter in the vertical direction  44   a . The bearing surface  28   a  is arranged centrally in the wiper blade adapter  12   a , viewed in a longitudinal direction  22   a . A further identical pivot bearing is arranged symmetrically to the sectional plane for the pivot bearing  26   a , but is not shown for the sake of clarity. 
     The fastening recesses  32   a ,  34   a  extend in a mounted state in the area of the free space  40   a ,  42   a  and of the pivot bearing  26   a.    
     The retaining element  10   a  can thereby be deflected within the wiper blade adapter  12   a  in a vertical direction  44   a . A movement of the wiper blade adapter  12   a  relative to the retaining element  10   a  in a longitudinal direction  22   a  and in the wiping direction  24   a  is, however, avoided. 
     A further exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIGS. 6 to 8 . The following descriptions are substantially limited to the differences between the exemplary embodiments, wherein reference can be made to the description of the first exemplary embodiment in relation to unchanging components, features and functions. To distinguish between the exemplary embodiments, letter a in the reference numbers in the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 1 to 5  is replaced with the letter b in the reference numbers in the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 6 to 8 . In relation to components with the same name, particularly in relation to components with the same reference number, reference can also be made in principle to the drawings and/or the description of the first exemplary embodiment. 
       FIG. 6  shows a retaining element  10   b  of a further exemplary embodiment of a wiper device. A configuration of the retaining element  10   b  corresponds in cross-section to the retaining element  10   a  shown in  FIG. 2 . The retaining element  10   b  has four fastening recesses  32   b ,  34   b ,  36   b ,  38   b  which are arranged in side walls  66   b ,  68   b . Two of the fastening recesses  32   b ,  36   b , or  34   b ,  38   b  are arranged in each side wall  66   b ,  68   b . The fastening recesses  32   b ,  34   b ,  36   b ,  38   b  have a trapezoidal outline. 
     A first assembly stage of the wiper device is shown in  FIG. 7 . A wiper blade adapter  12   b  is positioned on the retaining element  10   b  and engages with the fastening recesses  32   b ,  34   b ,  36   b ,  38   b  in an interlocking manner. A movement of the wiper blade adapter  12   b  relative to the retaining element  10   b  in the longitudinal direction  22   b  and in the wiping direction  24   b  is avoided. A spring element  20   b  is subsequently inserted into the retaining element  10   b . The wiper blade adapter  12   b  comprises a pivot bearing  26   b . The spring element  20   b  is supported in this case by a first and a second linear bearing surface  28   b ,  30   b  of the pivot bearing  26   b  of the wiper blade adapter  12   b  ( FIG. 8 ). For the sake of clarity, the retaining element  10   b  is not shown in  FIG. 8 . The wiper blade adapter  12   b  comprises a free space  40   b ,  42   b , which spaces the spring element  20   b  over a large part of a longitudinal extension of the wiper blade adapter  12   b  from said wiper blade adapter in a vertical direction  44   b . The spring element  20   b  can thereby be deflected within the wiper blade adapter  12   b  in a vertical direction  44   b . A further, identical pivot bearing is arranged symmetrically to the sectional plane for the pivot bearing  26   b , but is not shown for the sake of clarity.