Method for controlling a windscreen-wiping device, and windscreen-wiping device for a motor vehicle

• US 7,166,979 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2002
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Zimmer, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US10/416,695
• Publication Number:
  US 20040010879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,684 Days
• Field of Search: 152/501.2, 152/502.7, 152/503, 318/DIG.2, 318/443, 318/444, 318/483
• US Class Current: 318/443
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/08 electrically driven conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and liquid supply of windscreen washer B60S1/482; conjoint control of windscreen wiper motor and means for cleaning parts o parts other than windscreens or front windows B60S1/56, B60S1/58, B60S1/606
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 318/02 Windshield wiper controls

Abstract

A method for the open-loop control of a wiper system (10), and a wiper system (10), in particular for a motor vehicle includes at least one drive device (16), at least one gear (14), which switches the motion of the drive device (16) to at least one wiper shaft (34) and has a gear ratio that depends on the position of the gear (14), and at least one open-loop control unit (24), which controls the torque that can be output by the drive device (16) by means of a driven shaft (26). The control unit (24) determines the torque that can be output by the drive device (16) at every instant, taking the gear ratio into account.

Claims

1. A method for open-loop control of a wiper system for a motor vehicle, comprising the steps of providing at least one drive device (16), at least one gear (14), which switches the motion of the drive device (16) to at least one wiper shaft (34) and has a gear ratio that depends on the position of the gear (14), and at least one open-loop control unit (24), which controls the torque that can be output by the drive device (16) by means of a driven shaft (26), using the control unit (24) to determine the torque that can be output by the drive device (16) at every instant, taking the gear ratio into account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gear (14) is embodied as a crank gear with a motor crank (28), and the torque that can be output is determined and limited as a function of the position of the motor crank (28).

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive device (16) outputs a rotary motion, the gear (14) converts the rotary motion into a pendulum motion with two turning points (WL1, WL2), and the torque is reduced before the turning points (WL1, WL2) are reached.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive device (16) outputs a pendulum motion with two turning points (WL1, WL2), and the torque is reduced before at least one of the turning points (WL1, WL2) is reached.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the drive device is embodied as a reversing motor, and after at least one turning point (WL1) is reached, a higher torque is output by the drive device (16) than before the at least one turning point (WL1) is reached.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the drive device (16) is embodied as an electrical drive device (16) that consumes a current I, and the torque is limited by means of a limitation of the current I.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the limitation of the current I is effected in accordance with a characteristic curve that is stored in memory in the control unit.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the drive device (16) is controlled electronically and has a position and/or rotary motion detector.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the torque is reduced only whenever a rated rotational speed of the driven shaft (26) or of an armature shaft of a motor of the drive device (16) fails to be attained.

10. A wiper system (10) for a motor vehicle, wherein the wiper system is controlled by an open loop control method, said system having at least one drive device (16), at least one gear (14), which switches the motion of the drive device (16) to at least one wiper shaft (34) and has a gear ratio that depends on the position of the gear (14), and at least one open-loop control unit (24), which controls the torque that can be output by the drive device (16) by means of a driven shaft (26), characterized in that the control unit (24) determines the torque that can be output by the drive device (16) at every instant, taking the gear ratio into account.