Patent Publication Number: US-2023137531-A1

Title: Wiper blade for vehicle

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2021-0149933, filed Nov. 3, 2021, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Field 
     The present disclosure relates to a wiper blade for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a wiper blade for a vehicle, in which a nozzle configured to spray a cleaning liquid is assembled to be accommodated in a wiper arm, such that performance of the nozzle is maintained constantly by minimizing influences of external environment and external forces, and costs are significantly reduced by a simple structure for assembling the blade and the nozzle. 
     Description of the Related Art 
     A wiper blade for a vehicle refers to a device installed on a vehicle to ensure a front visual field of a driver by wiping a windshield glass when the front visual field of the driver is limited by rainfall, snowfall, dust, or the like while the driver drives the vehicle. 
     It is not necessary to spray a cleaning liquid in case of rainfall or snowfall, but it is necessary to spray the cleaning liquid to remove soil, dust, fine dust, and the like attached to the windshield glass. In the related art, a nozzle configured to spray the cleaning liquid is provided on a hood or a cover of a cowl of the vehicle and disposed at a lower end of the windshield glass. 
     Since the nozzle is positioned at the lower end of the windshield glass, the cleaning liquid cannot be uniformly applied onto an uppermost end of the windshield glass, which causes a deterioration in cleaning performance. Further, the cleaning liquid is sprayed in a direction opposite to the gravity, and a part of the cleaning liquid scatters toward unnecessary positions such as the cowl of the vehicle other than the glass, which causes strains and degrades an external appearance. 
     To solve these problems, a configuration in which a nozzle is coupled to a wiper blade instead of being coupled to a lower end of a windshield glass is applied. When the nozzle is positioned adjacent to a middle portion of the wiper blade and sprays the cleaning liquid in two directions, the cleaning liquid is uniformly distributed to both an uppermost end and a lowermost end of the windshield glass, thereby improving cleaning performance. However, there is a problem in that the nozzle exposed to the outside of the wiper blade may be damaged by deposited snow in case of snowfall or damaged by being exposed directly to an artificial external force. 
     A separate component may be provided to protect the nozzle in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, but there is a problem with compatibility between the separate component and the wiper blade. This problem directly leads to an increase in development costs and acts as a direct cause of an increase in vehicle costs. 
     The above-mentioned matters described as the background art are provided merely to aid understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and should not be construed to admit that the matters correspond to the technologies already known to those skilled in the art. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure is proposed to solve these problems and aims to provide a wiper blade, in which a nozzle is provided on a wiper blade and accommodated inside a wiper arm, which may eliminate a separate cover for protecting the nozzle, and the nozzle and a blade are assembled directly to the wiper arm, which may simplify a structure of the wiper blade. 
     An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure provides a wiper blade for a vehicle, the wiper blade including a wiper arm having one end installed at a windshield glass side and configured to rotate, and the other end at which an installation bracket is provided, a blade mounted on the installation bracket of the wiper arm and configured to clean a windshield glass, and a nozzle installed on an assembling part extending outward from the installation bracket of the wiper arm, the nozzle being positioned between the assembling part and the blade and configured to spray a cleaning liquid in a longitudinal direction in which the blade extends. 
     The nozzle may be assembled by being fitted with the assembling part in a perpendicular direction. 
     The installation bracket may include an extension portion extending outward, and a bent portion bent downward from an end of the extension portion, and an installation space may be defined between the bent portion and the blade by the extension portion, and the nozzle is disposed in the installation space. 
     The nozzle may be disposed below the extension portion, and the extension portion may cover an upper portion of the nozzle. 
     A catching groove may be formed in the bent portion, a catching protrusion may be formed on the nozzle, and the nozzle may be assembled to the bent portion as the catching protrusion is fitted into the catching groove. 
     The nozzle may include a nozzle body, and an outer part spaced apart outward from the nozzle body, and the bent portion may be fitted between the nozzle body and the outer part. 
     Catching protrusions may be respectively formed on the nozzle body and the outer part so as to face each other, and the nozzle may be assembled to the bent portion as the catching protrusions, which face each other, are fitted into a catching groove of the bent portion when the bent portion is fitted between the nozzle body and the outer part. 
     The nozzle may be assembled so that one surface of the nozzle and one surface of the blade adjoin each other. 
     A support body having elasticity may be provided on one surface of the nozzle, which adjoin the blade, and support one surface of the blade. 
     A hose configured to transmit the cleaning liquid to the nozzle may be provided and connected to an injection port of the nozzle. 
     A cover configured to cover the wiper arm may be provided at an upper end of the wiper arm, a hose clip configured to fix the hose may be provided at one side of the cover, and the hose may be fitted with the hose clip. 
     The installation bracket may include an extension portion extending outward, and a bent portion bent downward from an end of the extension portion, the nozzle may include: a nozzle body, and an outer part spaced apart outward from the nozzle body, the cover may be provided to cover the wiper arm to the extension portion of the wiper arm without covering the bent portion, and the outer part of the nozzle may be exposed to the outside of the wiper arm. 
     The cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle to the windshield glass may reach first and second water reaching points positioned in opposite directions, and the time it takes for the cleaning liquid to reach the first and second water reaching points may be 80 ms to 90 ms. 
     Assuming that a length of one half of the blade is L, a distance from a lower end of the blade to a center of the nozzle is D, and a center of the lower end of the blade is (0, 0), the first and second water reaching points may be spaced apart from (0, 0) by L/3 to L/1.7 or −L/3 to −L/1.7 in an x-axis direction and by 2.3D to 3.3D in a y-axis direction. 
     The time it takes for the cleaning liquid, which has reached the first and second water reaching points, to come into contact with the windshield glass and reach two opposite ends of the blade may be 160 ms to 180 ms. 
     According to the wiper blade according to the present disclosure, the nozzle is installed on the wiper blade, and particularly, the nozzle is assembled to be accommodated in the wiper arm, thereby minimizing the influence applied to the nozzle by the external environment or external forces. The optimum design of the water reaching points makes it possible to obtain sufficient cleaning performance even by using only the single nozzle. Even though the outer portion of the wiper arm is damaged by an external force, the assembled state of the internal assembling structure may be maintained, thereby preventing the withdrawal of the nozzle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG.  1    is a view illustrating a wiper blade for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure 
         FIG.  2    is a view illustrating an installation bracket of a wiper arm, a nozzle, and a blade. 
         FIGS.  3  and  4    are views schematically illustrating a process of assembling the nozzle to a bent portion of the installation bracket of the wiper arm. 
         FIG.  5 A  is a rear view illustrating the wiper blade in which the nozzle and the blade are assembled, and  FIG.  5 B  is a left perspective view of the nozzle blade. 
         FIG.  6    is a right perspective view of the wiper blade. 
         FIG.  7    is a view illustrating a state in which a cover is assembled to an upper end of the wiper arm. 
         FIG.  8    is a rear enlarged view of the nozzle of the wiper blade. 
         FIG.  9    is a view for explaining a first water reaching point and a second water reaching point. 
         FIGS.  10 A,  10 B,  11 ,  12 , and  13    are views illustrating results of testing the wiper blade for a vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Hereinafter, specific contents for solving the above-mentioned problems and achieving the above-mentioned object will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Meanwhile, the detailed description of publicly known related technologies in the same field will be omitted when it is determined that the detailed description is not helpful in understanding the subject matter of the present disclosure. The technical spirit of the present disclosure is not limited thereto and may be variously modified and carried out by those skilled in the art. 
       FIG.  1    is a view illustrating a wiper blade for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and  FIG.  2    is a view illustrating an installation bracket of a wiper arm, a nozzle, and a blade. Referring to  FIGS.  1  and  2   , a wiper blade for a vehicle according to the present disclosure includes a wiper arm  100  having one end installed at a windshield glass side and configured to rotate, and an installation bracket  110  positioned at the other end. A blade  300  is mounted on the installation bracket  110  of the wiper arm  100  and is configured to wipe a windshield glass. A nozzle  500  is positioned on an assembling part  113  extending outward from the installation bracket  110  of the wiper arm  100 . The nozzle  500  is positioned between the assembling part  113  and the blade  300 , and is configured to spray a cleaning liquid in a longitudinal direction in which the blade  300  extends. 
     The nozzle  500  is provided on the wiper blade. In particular, the nozzle  500  may be assembled to be positioned inside the wiper arm  100 . The nozzle  500  is positioned on the wiper blade and sprays the cleaning liquid in two directions (the longitudinal direction of the blade). Therefore, it is possible to clean the entire surface of the windshield glass under the optimized condition without contamination of a cowl which is caused by a configuration in the related art in which a nozzle is positioned at a lower end of a windshield glass of a vehicle body and sprays a cleaning liquid unnecessarily to a cowl or the like of a vehicle. 
     In addition, because the nozzle  500  does not protrude to the outside of the wiper arm  100 , it is not necessary to separately install a component for protecting the nozzle  500 . Further, the nozzle  500  is positioned on the blade  300  and the assembling part  113  of the installation bracket  110  of the wiper arm  100 , such that the influences of external environment and external forces may be minimized, and the nozzle  500  may be protected from the outside. 
     Meanwhile, the blade  300  may be assembled to a blade coupling portion  117  protruding outward from the installation bracket  110 . The blade coupling portion  117  may be a hook having a ‘U’ shape and fitted with a blade assembling part  317  positioned at a middle portion of the blade, such that the blade may be installed on the installation bracket  110 . 
     Meanwhile, the nozzle  500  may be assembled and fitted with the assembling part  113  of the installation bracket  110  in a perpendicular direction. Specifically, referring to  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the assembling part  113  has an extension portion  113 - 1  extending outward from the installation bracket  110 , and a bent portion  113 - 2  bent downward from an end of the extension portion  113 - 1 . An installation space  200  may be defined between the bent portion  113 - 2  and the blade  300  by the extension portion  113 - 1 , and the nozzle  500  may be disposed in the installation space  200 . 
     The nozzle  500  is coupled to the assembling part  113  from below to above the assembling part  113 . A catching groove  113 - 21  is formed in the bent portion  113 - 2 , and catching protrusions  521  are formed on the nozzle  500 , such that the nozzle  500  may be assembled to the bent portion  113 - 2  as the catching protrusions  521  are fitted into the catching groove  113 - 21 . 
     More specifically, the nozzle  500  includes a nozzle body  510  and an outer part  520  spaced apart outward from the nozzle body  510 , and the nozzle  500  and the bent portion  113 - 2  are assembled as the bent portion  113 - 2  is fitted between the nozzle body  510  and the outer part  520 . In this case, the catching protrusions  521  are respectively formed on the nozzle body  510  and the outer part  520  so as to face each other. When the bent portion  113 - 2  is fitted between the nozzle body  510  and the outer part  520 , and the catching protrusions  521 , which face each other, are fitted into the catching groove  113 - 21  of the bent portion  113 - 2 , such that the nozzle  500  may be assembled to the bent portion  113 - 2 . 
     The nozzle  500  is assembled such that the outer part  520  of the nozzle  500  is directed outward and the nozzle body  510  is directed toward the blade  300 . The nozzle  500  is disposed below the extension portion  113 - 1  of the installation bracket  110 , such that the extension portion  113 - 1  covers an upper portion of the nozzle  500  to protect the nozzle  500 , and the bent portion  113 - 2  covers a lateral portion of the nozzle  500  to protect the nozzle  500 . 
     Meanwhile, referring to  FIG.  4   , a leg portion  113 - 22  is formed at a lower side of the bent portion  113 - 2 . When the nozzle  500  and the bent portion  113 - 2  are assembled, a leg coupling portion  522  of the nozzle  500  corresponds to and adjoins the leg portion  113 - 22  of the bent portion  113 - 2  to prevent the nozzle  500  coupled to the bent portion  113 - 2  from moving in a leftward/rightward direction. The catching protrusions  521  fitted into the catching groove  113 - 21  may fix the nozzle  500  to prevent the nozzle coupled to the bent portion  113 - 2  from moving in an upward/downward direction. 
     Therefore, even though an outer structure of the installation bracket  110  is partially damaged by an external force, the nozzle  500  may be stably fixed and prevented from being withdrawn from the wiper blade. 
     Meanwhile, the nozzle  500  and the blade  300  may be assembled so that one surface of the nozzle  500  and one surface of the blade  300  adjoin each other. As described above, the nozzle  500  may be assembled to the bent portion  113 - 2  of the installation bracket  110 , and the blade  300  may be assembled to the blade coupling portion  117  protruding outward from the installation bracket  110 . 
     In this case, one side surface of the nozzle  500  may adjoin one side surface of the blade  300 . If the nozzle  500  is not in close contact with the blade  300 , the cleaning liquid cannot reach a designed water reaching point on the windshield glass because of vibration occurring while the vehicle travels. Therefore, the nozzle  500  may be in close contact with the blade  300 . 
     In one embodiment, a support body  530  having elasticity is disposed on one surface of the nozzle  500  that adjoins the blade  300 , and the support body  530  supports one surface of the blade  300 . Referring to  FIGS.  5 A and  5 B , the support body  530  having elasticity supports one surface of the blade  300 , such that the influence of vibration, which may occur while the vehicle travels, may be minimized, and the cleaning performance may be maintained. In addition, the influence of vibration, which occurs because of a difference in velocity between front and rear ends of the blade  300  during a wiping operation of the wiper blade, may be minimized, and the cleaning performance may be maintained. 
     In addition, the blade  300  and the nozzle  500  are continuously in contact with each other, and the bent portion  113 - 2  and the nozzle  500  are continuously in contact with each other. Therefore, the nozzle  500  is fixed so that the nozzle  500  is not withdrawn from the installation space  200 , and the nozzle  500  may continue to perform the function thereof even though the outer structure of the installation bracket  110  is partially damaged by an external force. 
     Meanwhile, referring to  FIGS.  6  and  7   , the nozzle  500  has an injection port  540  through which the cleaning liquid is injected into the nozzle  500 . Further, a hose  600  may be provided to transmit the cleaning liquid to the nozzle  500  and connected to the injection port  540  of the nozzle  500 . 
     A cover  700  may be disposed at an upper end of the wiper arm  100  and cover the wiper arm  100 . The hose  600  is fixed to the cover  700  by being fitted with a hose clip  710  disposed at one side of the cover  700 . The hose clip  710  may be provided in plural. The hose  600  may be fitted with the hose clip  710 , and an upper end of the hose  600  is covered by the cover  700 , such that the hose  600  may be protected from the external environment, as illustrated in  FIG.  7   . 
     The cover  700  covers the wiper arm  100  to the extension portion  113 - 1  of the wiper arm  100  but does not cover the bent portion  113 - 2 , such that the outer part  520  of the nozzle  500  is exposed to the outside of the wiper arm  100 . 
     Meanwhile, referring to  FIGS.  8  and  9   , spray ports  550 , through which the cleaning liquid is sprayed toward a windshield glass  900 , are provided on two opposite surfaces of the nozzle  500 . Four spray ports  550  may be provided on the nozzle, and the two spray ports  550  may be provided on each of the two opposite surfaces of the nozzle  500 . 
     When the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the spray ports  550 , the cleaning liquid reaches a first water reaching point  910  and a second water reaching point  920  at which the cleaning liquid comes into contact with the windshield glass  900  first. The first and second water reaching points  910  and  920  are designed in opposite directions with the nozzle interposed therebetween. The time it takes for the cleaning liquid to the first and second water reaching points  910  and  920  may be 80 ms to 90 ms. In this case, a pressure of the cleaning liquid sprayed from the spray port  550  may be equal to or higher than 1 bar. 
     The cleaning liquid, which has reached the first and second water reaching points  910  and  920 , is widely diffused on the windshield glass  900  as kinetic energy thereof is converted into surface tension energy on the surface of the windshield glass  900  surface, and then the cleaning liquid flows in the longitudinal direction of the blade  300 , i.e., toward the front and rear ends of the blade  300 . 
     In this case, when the pressure of the cleaning liquid sprayed from the spray port  550  is equal to or higher than 1 bar, the time it takes for the cleaning liquid, which has reached the first and second water reaching points  910  and  920 , to come into contact with the windshield glass  900  and reach the front and rear ends of the blade  300  may be 160 ms to 180 ms. 
     That is, the time it takes for the cleaning liquid to be diffused to the front end of the blade from the first water reaching point  910  and the time it takes for the cleaning liquid to be diffused to the rear end of the blade from the second water reaching point  920  may also be 80 ms to 90 ms. 
     To design the configuration in which the time it takes for the cleaning liquid to be diffused to the two opposite ends of the blade  300  is 160 ms to 180 ms, the positions of the first and second water reaching points  910  and  920  need to be designed as follows. 
     Referring to  FIG.  9   , assuming that a length of one half of the blade  300  is L, a distance from a lower end of the blade  300  to a center (spray port) of the nozzle  500  is D, and a center of the lower end of the blade  300  is (0, 0), I, which is an x-axis coordinate of the first water reaching point  910 , may be positioned at −L/3 to −L/1.7, I′, which is an x-axis coordinate of the second water reaching point, may be positioned at L/3 to L/1.7, and d and d′, which are y-axis coordinates of the first and second water reaching points, may be positioned at positions spaced apart from the center of the nozzle by 2.3D to 3.3D. 
     After the sprayed cleaning liquid is diffused within 180 ms to the two opposite ends of the blade  300 , the blade  300  operates within a range of 200 ms to 300 ms to clean the windshield glass  900 . Therefore, the cleaning liquid is uniformly distributed in the longitudinal direction of the blade  300  before the wiper blade operates. 
       FIG.  10 A  is a view illustrating a state in which the wiper blade according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is mounted, and  FIG.  10 B  is a photograph illustrating a result of testing the spraying of the cleaning liquid. Referring to  FIG.  10 B , it was ascertained that the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle was uniformly distributed within the designed time to the two opposite ends of the blade. 
       FIG.  11    is a photograph illustrating durability test results under conditions in which snow is deposited on the wiper blade according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It was ascertained that the wiper blade was excellent in durability because the respective components of the wiper blade were not damaged or withdrawn even under the condition in which snow was deposited 60,000 times (after the wiper blade was left unattended for 10 hours or more at a test temperature of −30° C., artificial snow was sprayed to the wiper blade, and then the wiper blade was operated at the lowest rotation velocity until the wiper blade was stopped). 
       FIG.  12    is a photograph illustrating results of testing performance in cleaning the windshield glass under dry dust conditions for the wiper blade according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. It was ascertained that the wiper blade was excellent in cleaning performance in all the conditions of 2, 23, and 50 degrees. 
       FIG.  13    is a view illustrating a result of testing whether the cleaning liquid sprayed from the nozzle can accurately reach the first and second water reaching points after the wiper blade according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is left unattended for 8 hours in a state of −20° C. It was ascertained that the cleaning liquid hit the first and second water reaching points at a temperature of −20° C. and thus the performance of the wiper blade was constantly maintained even under the severe external environment. 
     According to the wiper blade according to the present disclosure, the nozzle is installed on the wiper blade, and particularly, the nozzle is assembled to be accommodated in the wiper arm, thereby minimizing the influence applied to the nozzle by the external environment or external forces. 
     In addition, only the single nozzle may be used by optimally designing the water reaching points. Therefore, it is possible to reduce unnecessary waste of the cleaning liquid and obtain the sufficient cleaning performance by optimizing the cleaning liquid. In addition, since the simple assembling structure is applied, the costs required to manufacture and replace the wiper blade are reduced, such that the increase in costs of the vehicle is minimized, and the costs required to replace the wiper blade is reasonable in comparison with products of other companies. 
     While the specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be variously modified and changed without departing from the technical spirit of the present disclosure defined in the appended claims.