Wiper system
First Claim
1. A wiper system, comprising:
- a wiper motor means including an output end for actuating a wiper arm;
the wiper arm being elongated and having a base end pivotally supported by a vehicle body and a free end carrying a wiper blade;
linkage means, including a first pivot lever pivotally driven by said wiper motor means, for transmitting movement of the output end of said wiper motor means to said wiper arm so as to achieve a desired wiping movement of said wiper blade over a range of angle; and
a wiper angle varying assembly included within said linkage means for varying the range of angle of said wiping movement of said wiper blade;
said wiping angle varying assembly comprising actuator means including an actuator motor for moving an eccentric cam means pivotally attached to said first pivot lever for transmitting said movement of said output end of said wiper motor means to said wiper arm, and control means for activating said actuator motor upon a change in operational mode of the wiping system so as to move said eccentric cam means and thereby vary said range of angle of said wiping movement;
said control means activating said actuator means only when a first force resultant from pivotal movement of said first pivot lever to move said wiper arm does not substantially oppose a second force produced by said actuator means to pivotally move said eccentric cam means and vary said range of angle.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
To allow compact design of a wiper system equipped with a wiping angle varying assembly which comprises an actuating motor, an eccentric cam member provided in a path of transmitting the movement of the output end of a wiper motor to a wiper arm, and a control unit for activating the actuating motor so as to move the eccentric cam member and thereby change the range of angle of the wiping movement by altering a configuration of a linkage structure provided between the wiper motor and the wiper arm, the control unit is adapted to activate the eccentric cam member with such a timing that the force transmitted through the linkage structure from the wiper motor to the wiper arm tends to assist the force produced by the actuating motor to move the eccentric cam member in the required direction. Thus, the requirement of the power output of the actuating motor can be reduced, and the actuating motor can be substantially reduced in size. As a result, the design of the wiping angle varying assembly is simplified, and the assembly may be conveniently incorporated in a linkage structure similar in structure to the conventional linkage structure for wiper systems not equipped with any wiping angle varying assembly.
93 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A wiper system, comprising:
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a wiper motor means including an output end for actuating a wiper arm; the wiper arm being elongated and having a base end pivotally supported by a vehicle body and a free end carrying a wiper blade; linkage means, including a first pivot lever pivotally driven by said wiper motor means, for transmitting movement of the output end of said wiper motor means to said wiper arm so as to achieve a desired wiping movement of said wiper blade over a range of angle; and a wiper angle varying assembly included within said linkage means for varying the range of angle of said wiping movement of said wiper blade; said wiping angle varying assembly comprising actuator means including an actuator motor for moving an eccentric cam means pivotally attached to said first pivot lever for transmitting said movement of said output end of said wiper motor means to said wiper arm, and control means for activating said actuator motor upon a change in operational mode of the wiping system so as to move said eccentric cam means and thereby vary said range of angle of said wiping movement; said control means activating said actuator means only when a first force resultant from pivotal movement of said first pivot lever to move said wiper arm does not substantially oppose a second force produced by said actuator means to pivotally move said eccentric cam means and vary said range of angle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification