Windscreen wiper device

• US 9,045,111 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Zimmer, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Leykin, Rita
• Application Number:
  US13/808,277
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,484 Days
• Field of Search: 318/443, 318/119, 318/231, 318/431, 318/DIG.2, 318/280, 318/281, 318/127, 318/445, 318/283, 318/120, 318/400.15, 318/430, 318/432
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

Abstract

A windscreen wiper device (I) for a motor vehicle. The device includes at least one wiper motor (2) on which a motor crank (4) is provided connected to at least one gearing (3) which is downstream of said wiper motor (2), so as to drive a wiper arm that is coupled thereto such that said arm performs an oscillating wiper movement on a windscreen of said motor vehicle, said wiper motor (2) being coupled to a control unit. Motor power generated by the wiper motor (2) is adjusted by the control unit depending on a transmission ratio which results from the position of said gearing (3). The control unit delays a reduction in the motor power until after the motor crank (4) has accelerated out of the respective wiper arm turning points to produce as uniform a wiper arm movement as possible on the windscreen.

Claims

1. A windscreen wiper device (1) for a motor vehicle with at least one wiper motor (2) having a motor crank (4) connected with at least one gearing (3) downstream of the wiper motor in order to drive a wiper arm coupled therewith such that said arm executes an oscillating wiping movement on a windscreen of the motor vehicle, wherein the wiper motor is coupled with a control unit which adjusts a motor power generated by the wiper motor (2) as a function of a translation ratio resulting from the position of the gearing (3), characterized in that to generate as uniform a wiper arm movement as possible on the windscreen during a dynamic reversing process of the wiper arm out of a turning point, the control unit maintains a level of motor power until after the motor crank (4) has accelerated out of the respective wiper arm turning point.

2. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that to reduce the motor power or torque of the wiper motor (2), a torque/power curve is stored in the control unit which constitutes an approximation of the motor moment demand curve.

3. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the motor power of the wiper motor (2) is reduced by limiting the current.

4. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the wiper motor (2) is controlled electronically and has a position and rotation direction detection.

5. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor arrangement to determine the position and rotation direction of the gearing (3) or of the wiper arm on the windscreen.

6. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is ready for operation in all operating states of the windscreen wiper device (2) and is activated on detection of even low rotation speeds of the wiper motor (2).

10. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one wiper motor (2) is a reversing motor.

11. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the motor power of the wiper motor (2) is reduced by limiting the voltage.

12. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the wiper motor (2) is controlled electronically and has a position detection.

13. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the wiper motor (2) is controlled electronically and has a rotation direction detection.

14. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor arrangement to determine the position and rotation direction of the gearing (3) on the windscreen.

15. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor arrangement to determine the position and rotation direction of the wiper arm on the windscreen.

16. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor arrangement to determine the position of the gearing (3) or of the wiper arm on the windscreen.

17. The windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that it comprises at least one sensor arrangement to determine the rotation direction of the gearing (3) or of the wiper arm on the windscreen.

18. A windscreen wiper device (1) for a motor vehicle, as claimed in claim 1, with at least one wiper motor (2) on which is provided a motor crank (4) which is connected with at least one gearing (3) downstream of the wiper motor (2) to drive a wiper arm coupled therewith such that it executes an oscillating wiping movement on a windscreen of the motor vehicle, wherein the motor wiper (2) is coupled with a control unit which adjusts a motor power generated by the wiper motor (2) as a function of a translation ratio resulting from the position of the gearing (3) to adapt the motor power and a torque acting on the gearing (3) to the power required to execute the wiping movement of the wiper arm, characterized in that to generate as uniform a wiper arm movement as possible on the windscreen, during dynamic reversing processes of the wiper arm out of its turning points a reduction in motor power is delayed until after the motor crank (4) or wiper arm has accelerated out of at least one of its turning points of the wiper arm.

19. A windscreen wiper device (1) for a motor vehicle, as claimed in claim 1, with at least one wiper motor (2) on which is provided a motor crank (4) which is connected with at least one gearing (3) downstream of the wiper motor (2) to drive a wiper arm coupled therewith such that it executes an oscillating wiping movement on a windscreen of the motor vehicle, wherein the motor wiper (2) is coupled with a control unit which adjusts a motor power generated by the wiper motor (2) as a function of a translation ratio resulting from the position of the gearing (3) to adapt the motor power and a torque acting on the wiper arm to the power required to execute the wiping movement of the wiper arm, characterized in that to generate as uniform a wiper arm movement as possible on the windscreen, during dynamic reversing processes of the wiper arm out of its turning points a reduction in motor power is delayed until after the motor crank (4) or wiper arm has accelerated out of at least one of its turning points of the wiper arm.

7. A method for controlling a windscreen wiper device (1) for a motor vehicle, with at least one wiper motor (2) on which is provided a motor crank (4) which is connected with at least one gearing (3) downstream of the wiper motor (2) to drive a wiper arm coupled therewith such that it executes an oscillating wiping movement on a windscreen of the motor vehicle, wherein the motor wiper (2) is coupled with a control unit which adjusts a motor power generated by the wiper motor (2) as a function of a translation ratio resulting from the position of the gearing (3) to adapt the motor power and a torque acting on the gearing (3) or wiper arm to the power required to execute the wiping movement of the wiper arm, characterized in that to generate as uniform a wiper arm movement as possible on the windscreen, during a dynamic reversing process of the wiper arm out of its turning point a level of motor power is maintained until after the motor crank (4) or wiper arm has accelerated out of its turning point.

8. The method for controlling a windscreen wiper device (1) for a motor vehicle as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the control unit takes into account the inertia of the wiper motor (2) in determining the torque to be applied by the wiper motor (2) to the motor crank (4).

9. The method for controlling a windscreen wiper device (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the elasticity of individual components of the windscreen wiper device (1) is taken into account.