Wiper device including cover

• US 6,119,301 A
• Filed: 12/08/1998
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Original Assignee: ASMO Company Limited (DENSO Corporation)
• Inventors: Shibata, Toshiyuki, Kinoshita, Nobuaki, Nakatsukasa, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US09/206,950
• Time in Patent Office: 651 Days
• Field of Search: 15/250.21, 15/250.23, 15/250.351, 15/250.352, 15/250.201, 15/250.16, 15/250.19, 296/96.15, 296/96.17
• US Class Current: 15/250.21
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0402 completely or partially concealed in a cavity
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0477 Arrangement for deicing or for removing debris from wiper blades heated wiper blade B60S1/3805
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/34 Wiper arms; Mountings therefor wiper arms provided with liquid spreading means B60S1/522; with gas spreading means B60S1/544
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3409 the wiper arms consisting of two or more articulated elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3481 for mounting head

Abstract

An object of this invention is to provide a wiper device of a vehicle capable of preventing foreign matter from being caught in a link mechanism of a four-articulation link system type wiper arm, capable of maintaining its function under severe conditions and of being realized through a simple structure at low cost. This wiper device of the vehicle is of the four-articulation link system in which a main lever and a sub lever are each connected to an arm head. A cover member is mounted on the arm head with engaging pieces and engaging concave portions. The cover member covers a link mechanism portion. A mesh-like rib is formed at a back side of the cover member so as to improve rigidity. As a result, it is possible to block penetration of snow or the like and remove (wipe off) accumulated snow and formed ice by force, thereby preventing an increase in the accumulated snow.

Claims

1. A wiper device of a vehicle comprising:

a first lever which is linked with a rotation shaft provided on a vehicle body and which rotates with the rotation shaft, a second lever axially supported, such that rotation is possible, by a supporting shaft provided on the vehicle body at a position set apart from the rotation shaft by a predetermined distance, a third lever linked with a distal end of the first lever and with a distal end of the second lever such that rotation is possible with respect to each and the levers form a four-articulation link system, and a wiper arm linked with the third lever and having a wiper blade connected to its distal end,

the wiper device further comprising a cover member to be mounted on the third lever, and

the cover member including a mounting portion to be mounted on the third lever and a covering portion which extends from the mounting portion toward just above the first lever and the second lever and at which a rib is formed at a back side thereof.

2. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said rib is formed in the form of a mesh.

3. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein said cover member covers a traveling range of the first lever and the second lever and comprises a first cover portion that overlaps with a lower portion of a hood of the vehicle in a state in which the device is stopped and a second cover portion extending beyond the hood of the vehicle to cover the third lever and the traveling range of the first lever and the second lever,

the first cover portion and the second cover portion being formed continuously with each other with a step portion provided therebetween, such that in a state in which the device is stopped, a gap between the first cover portion and the hood of the vehicle is set by said step portion.

4. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein the second cover portion is formed with the step portion relative to the first cover portion such that in a state in which the device is stopped, the second cover portion is flush with the hood of the vehicle at substantially the same height.

5. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cover member covers at least an uncovered range not covered by the hood of the vehicle, of the traveling range of the first lever and the second lever.

6. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the mounting portion contains a plurality of engaging pieces that elastically engage with the third lever.

7. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of the engaging pieces are disposed such that they do not oppose each other.

8. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of the engaging pieces are disposed in a staggered arrangement in a longitudinal direction of the third lever such that they do not oppose each other.

9. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the engaging pieces are provided so as to be upright and separate from ordinary peripheral walls of the mounting portion at positions that are inward with respect to the ordinary peripheral walls.

10. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 9 further comprising a stopper member for preventing the engaging pieces from becoming warped in such a direction that they become disengaged from the third lever.

11. A wiper device of a vehicle comprising:

a first lever which is linked with a rotation shaft provided on a vehicle body and which rotates with the rotation shaft, a second lever axially supported such that rotation is possible by a supporting shaft provided on the vehicle body at a position set apart from the rotation shaft by a predetermined distance, a third lever linked with a distal end of the first lever and with a distal end of the second lever such that each of them is rotatable and the levers form a four-articulation link system, and a wiper arm linked with the third lever and having a wiper blade connected to its distal end,

the wiper device further comprising a cover member to be mounted on the third lever,

the cover member comprising a first cover portion and a second cover portion, where the first cover portion covers a traveling range of the first lever and the second lever and overlaps with a lower portion of a hood of the vehicle in a state in which the device is stopped and the second cover portion extends beyond the hood of the vehicle to cover, together with the first cover portion, the third lever and the traveling range of the first lever and the second lever, and

the first cover portion and the second cover portion being formed continuously with each other with a step portion provided therebetween, such that in a state in which the device is stopped, a gap between the first cover portion and the hood of the vehicle is set by the step portion.

12. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein the second cover portion is formed with the step portion relative to the first cover portion such that in the state in which the device is stopped, the second cover portion is flush with the hood of the vehicle at substantially the same height.

13. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein said cover member has a plurality of engaging pieces, the engaging pieces elastically engaging with the third lever so as to mount the cover member onto the third lever.

14. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of the engaging pieces are disposed in a staggered arrangement in the longitudinal direction of the third lever such that they do not oppose each other.

15. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 13, wherein the engaging pieces are provided so as to be upright and separate from ordinary peripheral walls of the mounting portion at positions that are inward with respect to the ordinary peripheral walls.

16. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 15 further comprising a stopper member for preventing the engaging pieces from becoming warped in such a direction that they become disengaged from the third lever.

17. A wiper device of a vehicle comprising:

a first lever which is linked with a rotation shaft provided on a vehicle body and which rotates with the rotation shaft, a second lever axially supported such that rotation is possible by a supporting shaft provided on the vehicle body at a position set apart from the rotation shaft by a predetermined distance, a third lever linked with a distal end of the first lever and with a distal end of the second lever such that each of them is rotatable and the levers form a four-articulation link system, and a wiper arm linked with the third lever and having a wiper blade connected to its distal end,

the wiper device having a cover member including a mounting portion to be mounted on the third lever and a covering portion extending from the mounting portion toward just above the first lever and the second lever so as to cover the first lever and the second lever, and

the mounting portion including a plurality of engaging pieces elastically engaging with the third lever, the engaging pieces being disposed such that they do not oppose each other.

18. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the plurality of the engaging pieces are disposed in a staggered arrangement in the longitudinal direction of the third lever such that they do not oppose each other.

19. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the engaging pieces are provided so as to be erect and separate from ordinary peripheral walls of the mounting portion at positions that are inward with respect to the ordinary peripheral walls.

20. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 17 further comprising a stopper member for preventing the engaging pieces from becoming warped in such a direction that they become disengaged from the third lever.

21. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 20, wherein said stopper member comprises:

a pair of fitting portions, one thereof being fitted in a closely contacting state in between an ordinary peripheral wall of the mounting portion and the engaging pieces located at a side of the covering positions, the other thereof being fitted in a closely contacting state in between an ordinary peripheral wall of the mounting portion and the engaging pieces located at a side opposite to the covering portion;

and a connecting portion for linking the pair of fitting portions;

said stopper member acting as a pinching stopper formed so as to have a substantially U-shaped cross section, pinching said arm head integrally with the engaging pieces.

22. A wiper device of a vehicle according to claim 17, wherein the cover member has a mesh-like rib formed at a back side thereof.

23. A wiper device of a vehicle comprising:

a first wiper comprising a first lever which is linked with a rotation shaft provided on a vehicle body and which rotates with the rotation shaft, a second lever axially supported, such that rotation is possible by a supporting shaft provided on the vehicle body at a position set apart from the rotation shaft by a predetermined distance, a third lever linked with a distal end of the first lever and with a distal end of the second lever such that rotation is possible with respect to each and the levers form a four-articulation link system, and a wiper arm linked with the third lever and having a wiper blade connected to its distal end; and

a second wiper which is linked with a second rotation shaft provided on the vehicle body separately from said rotation shaft and which rotates synchronously with said rotation shaft;

the third lever of the first wiper being located in the direction in which the second wiper is closed, when the second wiper is located at a lower inverted position thereof, and

a cover member being mounted on the third lever of the first wiper so as to cover the four-articulation link system, the cover member comprising an extension portion formed by extending a side wall opposing the second wiper of the cover member further than other side walls in the lower inverted position.