Drive device

• US 8,156,605 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Dietrich, Jan, Hawighorst, Achim
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAHAM, GARY K
• Application Number:
  US12/158,804
• Publication Number:
  US 20090025172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,987 Days
• Field of Search: 152/502.5, 152/503, 152/503.1, 152/501.5, 152/501.6, 152/501.7, 188/77.W, 188/77.R
• US Class Current: 15/250.31
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/16 Means for transmitting drive
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/185 with means for stopping or setting the wipers at their limit of movement
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/20 by cable drives; by flexible shafts

Abstract

The invention relates to a drive device (10), especially for a window wiping device, comprising at least one shaft (13). Until now, only stop mechanisms which are very complicated in terms of production are known, with which a wiper arm can be blocked in the idle position thereof. In order to reduce this complexity, the inventive drive device comprises a strip and/or a cord which can be wound around the at least one shaft (13) with a defined tension.

Claims

1. A drive device (10, 20, 30) of a windshield wiping device, the drive device comprising a housing and at least one shaft (13, 21, 32) supported for pivoting movement relative to the housing, characterized in that one of a strip and a cord is wound about the at least one shaft (13, 21, 32) with a defined tension, the one of the strip and the cord having one end fixed relative to the housing and an opposite end, and in that an actuator engages the opposite end of the one of the strip and the cord, the actuator causing the one of the strip and the cord to move between a release condition, in which a force applied to the shaft by the one of the strip and the cord is reduced and the shaft is pivotable relative to the one of the strip and the cord, and a blocking condition, in which the force applied to the shaft by the one of the strip and the cord is increased to block pivoting movement of the shaft relative to the housing.

2. The drive device (10, 20, 30) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the tension acting in the one of the strip and the cord may be altered.

3. The drive device (10, 20, 30) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the one of the strip and the cord is a coiled spring (14, 23, 34).

4. The drive device (10, 20, 30) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the spring (14, 23, 34) is selectively compressed in the blocking condition and forced apart in the release condition.

5. The drive device (10) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the actuator includes an electrical magnetic field, the spring (14) being selectively compressed and forced apart by means of the electrical magnetic field.

6. The drive device (10, 30) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the actuator includes a movable release element (15), the release element being movable between a first position corresponding to the release condition of the spring and a second position corresponding to the blocking position of the spring.

7. The drive device (10) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the release element (15) is of plate-shaped configuration.

8. The drive device (10) as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the plate-shaped release element (15) is made from a magnetic material and is moved by means of an electrical magnetic field.

9. The drive device (30) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the release element is a projection (33) arranged on a gear wheel, the projection engaging an end of the spring in the blocking condition, the projection being disengaged from the spring in the release condition.

10. The drive device (10, 20, 30) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the at least one shaft (13, 21, 32) is one of an armature shaft and a shaft of a gear wheel (12, 22).

11. The drive device (10, 20, 30) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the drive device (10, 20, 30) has one of at least one wiper motor and at least one gear.

12. The drive device (10, 20, 30) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the drive device is directly connected to at least one wiper arm.

13. A windshield wiping device, comprising a drive device (10, 20, 30) including a housing and at least one shaft (13, 21, 32) supported for pivoting movement relative to the housing, characterized in that one of a strip and a cord is wound about the at least one shaft (13, 21, 32) with a defined tension, the one of the strip and the cord having one end fixed relative to the housing and an opposite end, and in that an actuator engages the opposite end of the one of the strip and the cord, the actuator causing the one of the strip and the cord to move between a release condition, in which a force applied to the shaft by the one of the strip and the cord is reduced and the shaft is pivotable relative to the one of the strip and the cord, and a blocking condition, in which the force applied to the shaft by the one of the strip and the cord is increased to block pivoting movement of the shaft.

14. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the drive device (10, 20, 30) has one of at least one wiper motor and at least one gear.

15. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the drive device is directly connected to at least one wiper arm.

16. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the tension acting in the one of the strip and the cord may be altered.

17. The device as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the one of the strip and the cord is a coiled spring (14, 23, 34).

18. The device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the spring (14, 23, 34) is selectively compressed in the blocking condition and forced apart in the release condition.

19. The device as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the spring (14) is selectively compressed and forced apart by means of an electrical magnetic field.

20. The device as claimed in claim 17, characterized in that the spring (14, 34) is connected to a movable release element (15) with one of its ends, the release element being movable between a first position corresponding to the release condition of the spring and a second position corresponding to the blocking position of the spring.