Wiper drive

• US 9,254,820 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Geubel, Paul, Sterns, Orlando, Seiert, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Monica
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORTON, ANDREW ALAN
• Application Number:
  US13/991,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20130247323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• Field of Search: 152/503.1, 152/503, 152/502.9, 220/326, 220/324, 220/315, 220784-788, 215/280, 215/273
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/349 Means for mounting the wiper bearing to the vehicle body
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3493 Means for mounting the wiper shaft in the wiper bearing
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/58 for rear windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/583 including wiping devices

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper drive for a rear window wiper of a motor vehicle, comprising a drive unit having a wiper shaft for the oscillating pivoting about a rotational axis, and having a protective cap surrounding the wiper shaft in an axial section, wherein the protective cap is connected to a housing of the drive unit by way of a radial press fit connection. The protective cap comprises a detent element engaging in a recess in the housing in order to absorb axial forces on the protective cap.

Claims

1. A wiper drive (100) for a rear window wiper of a motor vehicle (105), comprising:

a drive unit (110) having a wiper shaft (125) for pivoting in an oscillating manner about an axis of rotation (130);

a protective cap (135) which surrounds the wiper shaft (125) over an axial portion;

wherein the protective cap (135) is connected by means of a radial press connection to a housing (115) of the drive unit (110),

characterized in that

the protective cap (135) comprises a latching element (140) which engages in a cutout (145) in the housing (115) in order to absorb axial forces on the protective cap (135), wherein the latching element (140) has a hook portion (320) with an axial (345) and a radial (350) bearing surface in each case for bearing against a corresponding bearing surface (510, 505) in a region of the cutout (145) of the housing (115), and an angle between the axial (345) and the radial (350) bearing surface of the hook portion (320) is less than 90°

, wherein a plurality of latching elements (140) are provided at different radial angles on the protective cap (135), each of the latching elements (140) including a hook portion (320), wherein the housing (115) includes a plurality of cutouts (145) to receive segments of the hook portions (320), wherein each of the hook portions (320) includes an axial (345) and a radial (350) bearing surface in each case for bearing against a corresponding bearing surface (505, 510) in a region of one of the cutouts (145) of the housing (115), and an angle between the axial (345) and the radial (350) bearing surface of each of the hook portions (320) is less than 90°

, wherein the housing (115) includes an outer boundary surface (505) that is a portion of a cylinder, and wherein the radial bearing surfaces (350) are also each a portion of a cylinder and extend parallel to the axis of rotation.

2. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each latching element (140) is configured, after engaging in one of the cutouts (145), to exert an axial prestress on the protective cap (135).

3. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each latching element (140) comprises an elastically deformable spring portion (315), wherein the spring portion (315) comprises two webs (325, 330) which are separated from one another.

4. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each latching element (140) comprises an elastically deformable spring portion (315), wherein the spring portion (315) comprises a first, radial portion (335) and a second, axial portion (340).

5. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protective cap (135) comprises a torque support (305) with a bearing surface (310), which extends in a circumferential direction of the protective cap (135), for bearing against a corresponding bearing surface (410) of the housing (115).

6. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the latching elements (140) and the torque support (305) are distributed uniformly over the circumference of the protective cap (135).

7. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the protective cap (135) is formed in one piece with the latching elements (140).

8. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective cap (135) is configured to be coupled to the housing (115) by pressing the protective cap (135) axially along the axis of rotation (130) in a first direction, and wherein the axial bearing surfaces (345) extend from the radial bearing surfaces (350) in directions both radially inwardly toward the axis of rotation (115) and opposite the first direction.

9. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axial bearing surfaces (345) and the radial bearing surfaces (350) converge together to form hooks.

10. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radial bearing surfaces (350) of the hook portions (320) are pressed against radial bearing surfaces (505) that are adjacent the cutouts (145).

11. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the axial bearing surfaces (345) of the hook portions (320) are pressed against axial bearing surfaces (510) that form part of the cutouts (145).

12. A wiper drive (100) for a rear window wiper of a motor vehicle (105), comprising:

a drive unit (110) having a wiper shaft (125) for pivoting in an oscillating manner about an axis of rotation (130);

a protective cap (135) which surrounds the wiper shaft (125) over an axial portion;

wherein the protective cap (135) is connected by means of a radial press connection to a housing (115) of the drive unit (110),

characterized in that

the protective cap (135) comprises a latching element (140) which engages in a cutout (145) in the housing (115) in order to absorb axial forces on the protective cap (135), wherein the latching element (140) has a hook portion (320) with an axial (345) and a radial (350) bearing surface in each case for bearing against a corresponding bearing surface (510, 505) in a region of the cutout (145) of the housing (115), and an angle between the axial (345) and the radial (350) bearing surface of the hook portion (320) is less than 90°

, wherein the housing (115) includes an outer boundary surface (505) that is a portion of a cylinder, and wherein the radial bearing surface (350) is also a portion of a cylinder and extends parallel to the axis of rotation.

13. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the protective cap (135) is configured to be coupled to the housing (115) by pressing the protective cap (135) axially along the axis of rotation (130) in a first direction, and wherein the axial bearing surface (345) extends from the radial bearing surface (350) in a direction both radially inwardly toward the axis of rotation (115) and in a direction that is opposite the first direction.

14. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the axial bearing surface (345) and the radial bearing surface (350) converge together to form a hook.

15. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the radial bearing surface (350) of the hook portion (320) is pressed against a radial bearing surface (505) that is adjacent the cutout (145).

16. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein the axial bearing surface (345) of the hook portion (320) is pressed against an axial bearing surface (510) that forms part of the cutout (145).

17. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the latching element (140) is configured, after engaging in the cutout (145), to exert an axial prestress on the protective cap (135).

18. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the latching element (140) comprises an elastically deformable spring portion (315), wherein the spring portion (315) comprises two webs (325, 330) which are separated from one another.

19. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the latching element (140) comprises an elastically deformable spring portion (315), wherein the spring portion (315) comprises a first, radial portion (335) and a second, axial portion (340).

20. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the protective cap (135) comprises a torque support (305) with a bearing surface (310), which extends in a circumferential direction of the protective cap (135), for bearing against a corresponding bearing surface (410) of the housing (115).

21. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the protective cap (135) is formed in one piece with the latching element (140).

22. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 12, wherein a plurality of latching elements (140) are provided at different radial angles on the protective cap (135), each of the latching elements (140) including a hook portion (320), and wherein the housing (115) includes a plurality of cutouts (145) to receive segments of the hook portions (320).

23. A wiper drive (100) for a rear window wiper of a motor vehicle (105), comprising:

a drive unit (110) having a wiper shaft (125) for pivoting in an oscillating manner about an axis of rotation (130);

a protective cap (135) which surrounds the wiper shaft (125) over an axial portion;

wherein the protective cap (135) is connected by means of a radial press connection to a housing (115) of the drive unit (110),

characterized in that

the protective cap (135) comprises a latching element (140) which engages in a cutout (145) in the housing (115) in order to absorb axial forces on the protective cap (135), wherein the latching element (140) has a hook portion (320) with an axial (345) and a radial (350) bearing surface in each case for bearing against a corresponding bearing surface (510, 505) in a region of the cutout (145) of the housing (115), and an angle between the axial (345) and the radial (350) bearing surface of the hook portion (320) is less than 90°

, wherein the housing (115) includes an outer boundary surface (505) and the cutout (145) is in the outer boundary surface (350), wherein the cutout (145) is defined in part by an upper boundary surface (510), a first portion of the upper boundary surface (510) extending at a non-zero angle relative to a plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation, and wherein the axial bearing surface (345) is configured to engage the first portion of the upper boundary surface (510).

24. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 23, wherein the axial bearing surface (345) extends at the same non-zero angle as the first portion of the upper boundary surface (510).

25. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 23, wherein the upper boundary surface (510) is further defined in part by a second portion that extends along the plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation.

26. The wiper drive (100) as claimed in claim 23, wherein the cutout (145) includes a lower boundary surface opposite that of the upper boundary surface (510), wherein the lower boundary surface extends along the plane that is perpendicular to the axis of rotation.