Support element for a wiper drive

• US 9,227,596 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: van de Rovaart, Robert-Jan, Bencsik, Barnabas
• Primary Examiner(s): McKinnon, Terrell
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCDUFFIE, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US14/369,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20150014513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• Field of Search: 152/503.1, 152/500.01, 152/503, 248/544, 248/548, 248/592, 248/637, 248/672, 248/674, 248/200, 296/96.15, 296/96.16, 296/96.17
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0438 Attachement of separate wiper motor assembly to the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0441 characterised by the attachment means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0444 comprising vibration or noise absorbing means
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/0488 Wiper arrangement for crash protection or impact absorption

Abstract

The invention relates to a support element (105) for a wiper drive (100), comprising a receiving portion (130) for attaching the wiper drive (100), a bearing point (135) for fixing the support element (105) to a surrounding structure (110), and a predetermined breaking point (140). A specified gap (150) lies between the support element (105) and the surrounding structure (110) at a contact portion (142) of the support element (105), the width of said gap being dependent on a force that acts on the support element (105) such that the contact portion (142) comes into contact with the surrounding structure (110) only when a specified force acting on the support element (105) is exceeded.

Claims

1. A support element (105) for a wiper drive (100), comprising:

a receiving portion (130) for attaching the wiper drive (100); and

a bearing point (135) for fixing the support element (105) to a surrounding structure (110), wherein the support element (105) comprises a predetermined breaking point (140), characterized by a contact portion (142), wherein a specified gap (150) lies between the contact portion (142) and the surrounding structure (110), a width of said gap being dependent on a force that acts on the support element (105), such that the contact portion (142) comes into contact with the surrounding structure (110) only when a specified force acting on the support element (105) is exceeded, and wherein a projection (145) is formed on the contact portion (142), said projection extending in a direction of the surrounding structure (110), and wherein the support element (105) is configured to break at the predetermined breaking point (140) after a predetermined amount of deformation.

2. The support element (105) according to claim 1, wherein a projection (145) is formed on the surrounding structure (110), said projection extending in a direction of the support element (105).

3. The support element (105) according to claim 1, wherein the projection (145) lies off-center in a region of the contact portion (142) in order to exert a torsional force on the support element (105) when there is contact between the support element (105) and the surrounding structure.

4. The support element (105) according to claim 3, wherein an off-center recess that lies opposite the projection (145) is provided in the region of the contact portion (142) in order to allow a torsion of the support element (105).

5. The support element (105) according to claim 1, wherein the projection (145) extends transversely across the entire support element (105).

6. The support element (105) according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion (142) lies between the predetermined breaking point (140) and the bearing point (135).

7. The support element (105) according to claim 1, wherein the support element (105) has a specified elastic deformability.

8. The support element (105) according to claim 1, further comprising an elastic element (155) for engagement between the bearing point (135) and the surrounding structure (110).

9. The support element (105) according to claim 1, wherein the support element (105) is integral with the wiper drive (100).

10. The support element (105) according to claim 9, wherein the projection (145) is formed on the surrounding structure (110), said projection extending in a direction of the support element (105).

11. The support element (105) according to claim 10, wherein the projection (145) lies off-center in a region of the contact portion (142) in order to exert a torsional force on the support element (105) when there is contact between the support element (105) and the surrounding structure.

12. The support element (105) according to claim 11, wherein an off-center recess that lies opposite the projection (145) is provided in the region of the contact portion (142) in order to allow a torsion of the support element (105).

13. The support element (105) according to claim 12, wherein the projection (145) extends transversely across the entire support element (105).

14. The support element (105) according to claim 13, wherein the contact portion (142) lies between the predetermined breaking point (140) and the bearing point (135).

15. The support element (105) according to claim 14, wherein the support element (105) has a specified elastic deformability.

16. The support element (105) according to claim 15, further comprising an elastic element (155) for engagement between the bearing point (135) and the surrounding structure (110).

17. The support element (105) according to claim 16, wherein the support element (105) is integral with the wiper drive (100).

18. A support element (105) for a wiper drive (100), comprising:

a receiving portion (130) for attaching the wiper drive (100); and

a bearing point (135) for fixing the support element (105) to a surrounding structure (110), wherein the support element (105) comprises a predetermined breaking point (140), characterized by a contact portion (142), wherein a specified gap (150) lies between the contact portion (142) and the surrounding structure (110), a width of said gap being dependent on a force that acts on the support element (105), such that the contact portion (142) comes into contact with the surrounding structure (110) only when a specified force acting on the support element (105) is exceeded, and wherein a projection (145) is formed on the surrounding structure (110), said projection extending in a direction of the support element (105), and wherein the support element (105) is configured to break at the predetermined breaking point (140) after a predetermined amount of deformation.