JP7238731B2 - wiper device and wiper system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wiper device in which a motor is supported by a wiper arm, and a wiper system including the wiper device.

A window wiper direct drive device described in Patent Document 1 listed below has a drive motor that directly drives a wiper shaft to which a wiper arm is fixed without using a link mechanism.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-506169

Since the prior art described above does not have a link mechanism that requires a large mounting space, the mountability in the vehicle (for example, in the front cowl) is improved. However, since there is no torque amplification by the link mechanism, the drive torque required for the drive motor is increased, resulting in an increase in the size of the drive motor. Therefore, there may be restrictions when mounting the drive motor in the vehicle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a wiper device and a wiper system that can greatly reduce restrictions on mounting.

A wiper device according to a first aspect of the present invention has a wiper arm to which a wiper blade is connected, and a base end portion of the wiper arm is supported by a support portion provided on a vehicle so as to be rotatable around the support portion. and a pair of wheels arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the wiper member and supported by the wiper arm so as to be rotatable about a pair of wheel shafts whose axial direction is the rotational axis direction of the wiper member. a motor supported by the wiper arm for reciprocatingly rotating at least one of the pair of wheels; It is supported and curved when viewed from the rotation axis direction, and the curvature radius of the curve changes in the longitudinal direction, and is sandwiched between the pair of wheels, and the pair of wheels is longitudinally rotated by the reciprocating rotational drive. and a rotating rail that rolls in a direction.

According to the wiper device of the first aspect, the wiper member having the wiper arm to which the wiper blade is connected is rotatable about the support portion provided in the vehicle, with the base end portion of the wiper arm supported by the support portion. be done. A pair of wheels and a motor are supported by the wiper arm. The pair of wheels is rotatable around a pair of wheel shafts whose axial direction is the direction of the rotation axis of the wiper member, and at least one of the pair of wheels is reciprocally rotationally driven by the motor. A long rotating rail is sandwiched between the pair of wheels.

The rotation rail is supported by the vehicle at one end in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis direction of the wiper member. The rotation rail is curved when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the wiper member, and the radius of curvature of the curve varies in the longitudinal direction. When at least one of the pair of wheels sandwiching the rotating rail is reciprocatingly driven by the motor, the pair of wheels rolls on the rotating rail in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the wiper member is rotated relative to the vehicle around the support portion, and the rotary rail is rotated relative to the vehicle in accordance with the change in the radius of curvature of the curve.

In this wiper device, since the pair of wheels and the motor are supported by the wiper member, there is no need to mount the motor or the like inside the vehicle (for example, inside the front cowl). Therefore, restrictions on mounting can be greatly reduced. Moreover, since the rotating rail rotates with respect to the vehicle as the wiper member rotates with respect to the vehicle, the rotating rail can be retracted when the wiper member is not in use (when retracted). It becomes possible.

In the wiper device of the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the radius of curvature of the curve of the rotating rail is smaller at one longitudinal end of the rotating rail than at the other longitudinal end of the rotating rail. In the retracted state in which the pair of wheels sandwich one end of the rotating rail in the longitudinal direction, the rotating rail is arranged along the wiper member.

In the wiper device of the second aspect, the radius of curvature of the turning rail is smaller at one end in the longitudinal direction of the turning rail than at the other end in the longitudinal direction. In the retracted state in which the pair of wheels supported by the wiper member sandwich the one longitudinal end of the rotating rail, the rotating rail is arranged along the wiper member. As a result, the rotating rail can be compactly stored along the wiper member.

In the wiper device according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the wiper member wipes the windshield of the vehicle with the wiper blade, and in the retracted state, the wiper member wipes the lower edge of the windshield. placed along the part.

According to the wiper device of the third aspect, in the retracted state of the wiper member, the wiper member is arranged along the lower edge of the windshield of the vehicle, and the rotating rail is arranged along the wiper member. This allows the wiper member and pivot rail to be stored compactly along the lower edge of the windshield.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the wiper device of the second or third aspect, when the retracted state is viewed from the rotation axis direction, the rotation center of the wiper member and the pair of wheel shafts are respectively The imaginary straight line connecting the center and the rotation center of the rotation rail are displaced from each other.

In the wiper device of the fourth aspect, when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the wiper member in the retracted state in which the pair of wheels supported by the wiper member sandwich one longitudinal end of the rotation rail, the wiper member is The imaginary straight line connecting the center of rotation and the centers of the pair of wheels is displaced from the center of rotation of the rotating rail. This makes it difficult for the rotating rail to rotate unintentionally in the retracted state described above.

A wiper device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is a wiper device according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein gear teeth are formed on an outer peripheral portion of the at least one wheel, and the rotary rail , rack teeth meshed with the gear teeth are formed in a line in the longitudinal direction.

In the wiper device of the fifth aspect, the gear teeth formed on the outer peripheral portion of at least one of the pair of wheels supported by the wiper member are meshed with the rack teeth formed on the rotary rail in the longitudinal direction thereof. ing. This can prevent the at least one wheel from slipping on the rotation rail when the pair of wheels roll on the rotation rail.

A wiper device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is a wiper device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein a tire portion made of a rubbery material is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the at least one wheel. there is

According to the wiper device of the sixth aspect, at least one of the pair of wheels supported by the wiper member is provided with a tire portion made of a rubbery material on the outer peripheral portion thereof. As a result, when the pair of wheels rolls on the rotating rail, the at least one wheel can roll smoothly, and the at least one wheel does not slip on the rotating rail. can be prevented or suppressed.

A wiper device according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the wiper device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the wiper arm includes an arm head supported by the support portion, and a wiper arm that rotates with respect to the arm head. and a retainer operably connected thereto, the pair of wheels and the motor being supported by the arm head.

According to the wiper device of the seventh aspect, in the wiper arm of the wiper member, the pair of wheels and the motor are supported by the arm head supported by the support provided on the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to use an existing configuration for the position of the wiper member away from the supporting portion.

A wiper device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is, in any one aspect of the first to seventh aspects, a positioning sensor for detecting a position of the wiper member with respect to the vehicle, and a wiper device based on a detection result of the positioning sensor. and a control unit that controls the operation of the motor by

According to the wiper device of the eighth aspect, the position of the wiper member relative to the vehicle is detected by the positioning sensor, and the control section controls the operation of the motor based on the detection result of the positioning sensor. Thereby, the wiper member can be reciprocally rotated with high accuracy with respect to the vehicle.

A wiper system according to a ninth aspect of the present invention comprises a driver's seat side wiper device for wiping a driver's seat side portion of a windshield of a vehicle and a passenger's seat side wiper device for wiping a passenger's seat side portion of the windshield. , wherein at least the passenger seat side wiper device of the driver seat side wiper device and the passenger seat side wiper device is the wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

In the wiper system of the ninth aspect, at least the passenger seat side wiper device of the driver seat side wiper device and the passenger seat side wiper device is the wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. there is Therefore, the effects described above can be obtained.

It is a front view which shows the wiper apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is a figure which shows the state in which the wiper member on either side is located in a downward reverse position. 2 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 1, showing a state in which left and right wiper members are rotated upward from the lower reversal position; FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 1 showing a state in which left and right wiper members are positioned at an upper reversing position; FIG. 10 is a front view showing a partial configuration of the wiper member, and is a diagram of a state in which the wiper member is positioned at a lower reversing position; 5 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the wiper member has been rotated slightly upward from the position shown in FIG. 4; FIG. FIG. 6 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the wiper member has been rotated slightly upward from the position shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the wiper member has been rotated slightly upward from the position shown in FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the wiper member has been rotated slightly upward from the position shown in FIG. 7; FIG. 5 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the wiper member is positioned at the upper reversing position; FIG. 5 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 4 showing a state in which the cover of the wiper arm is removed; FIG. 11 is a side view of the configuration shown in FIG. 10 as viewed from one side in the width direction of the wiper member; It is a front view corresponding to FIG. 4 which shows the modification of the wiper apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

A wiper system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. FIG.

(composition)
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a wiper system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention is for wiping raindrops and the like adhering to a wiping surface 14, which is the outer surface of a windshield 12 of a vehicle such as an automobile. wiper system for This wiper system 10 includes a driver's seat side wiper device 30DR for wiping mainly the driver's seat side portion (the left side portion in FIG. 1) of the wiping surface 14 of the windshield 12, and The driver's seat side wiper device 30DR and the passenger's seat side wiper device 30PA are synchronously reciprocating in the same direction, so-called tandem type wipers. applied to the system.

The driver's seat side wiper device 30DR and the passenger's seat side wiper device 30PA are arranged on the 12U side of the windshield 12 . The driver's seat side wiper device 30DR and the passenger's seat side wiper device 30PA both correspond to the "wiper device" in the present invention, and both have basically the same configuration. Hereinafter, the driver's seat side wiper device 30DR and the passenger's seat side wiper device 30PA may be simply referred to as "the wiper device 30".

The wiper device 30 is a self-propelled wiper that includes a wiper member 32 , a drive unit 50 supported (mounted) on the wiper member 32 , and a rotating rail 70 . The wiper member 32 is connected to a wiper arm 34 that reciprocally rotates (reciprocally swings) around a support shaft 20 (see FIGS. 4 to 11) serving as a support portion provided in the vehicle, and to the distal end portion of the wiper arm 34. and a wiper blade 46 for wiping the wiping surface 14 . The drive unit 50 includes a motor 52 that is an electric motor as a drive source, a self-propelled wheel (drive wheel) 58 and a guide wheel 64 . The self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 correspond to "a pair of wheels" in the present invention.

It should be noted that the wiper member 32 in the present embodiment may have at least the wiper arm 34 out of the wiper blade 46 and the wiper arm 34 . That is, the wiper member 32 and the wiper blade 46 may be regarded as separate components. In other words, this embodiment can also be regarded as an embodiment of the invention of the wiper arm 34 on which the drive unit 50 is mounted. Moreover, although the windshield 12 described above is a front windshield, it is not limited to this.

The wiper blade 46 is of a so-called flat type, and is accommodated in a blade rubber (not shown) formed of rubber in an elongated shape, a rubber holder 48 to which the blade rubber is attached, and the rubber holder 48. A backing (not shown) that biases both longitudinal ends of the blade rubber toward the windshield 12 is provided. The rubber holder 48 is made of, for example, a soft resin material in a long shape, and the backing is made of, for example, a metal material such as spring steel in the shape of a long plate. The wiper blade in the present invention may have a tournament structure in which a plurality of levers are connected like a tournament.

The wiper arm 34 is supported by a support shaft 20 (see FIGS. 4 to 11) provided in the front cowl portion 16 of the vehicle (reference numerals are omitted except in FIGS. 1 to 3), and rotates about the support shaft 20 with respect to the vehicle. It has a movable arm head 36 and a retainer 44 rotatably connected to the arm head 36 about a hinge shaft 42 (see FIG. 11). ing. 4 to 11 indicates the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 34, and the arrow Y indicated in FIGS. 4 to 10 indicates the width direction of the wiper arm 34, as shown in FIG. Arrow Z indicates the direction of the rotation axis of the wiper arm 34 . The longitudinal direction X, width direction Y, and rotation axis direction Z are orthogonal to each other.

The arm head 36 constitutes a portion on the base end side of the wiper arm 34, and includes a head body portion 38 (see FIGS. 10 and 11) elongated in the longitudinal direction X of the wiper arm 34, and a head body portion 38 covering the head body portion 38. A cover 40 is provided. The head body portion 38 is made of, for example, a metal material, a resin material, or a resin material in which a metal material is embedded, and the cover 40 is made of, for example, a metal material or a resin material. The cover 40 has a long box shape (trough shape) whose longitudinal direction is the longitudinal direction X of the wiper arm 34 and which is open to the vehicle body side (the windshield 12 side), and the head body portion 38 is housed inside. is attached to the head main body portion 38 with the .

A support shaft 20 is fixed to one longitudinal end of a head main body 38 forming a base end of the wiper arm 34 . The support shaft 20 is arranged with the rotation axis direction Z of the wiper arm 34, that is, the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and width direction Y of the wiper arm 34 as its axial direction. The support shaft 20 protrudes upward from the front cowl portion 16 of the vehicle and is rotatably supported by a bearing (not shown) provided inside the front cowl portion 16 . Thereby, the wiper member 32 including the wiper arm 34 is rotatable about the support shaft 20 between the lower reversing position shown in FIG. 1 and the upper reversing position shown in FIG. A bearing may be attached to the base end of the arm head 36 so that the support shaft 20 is fixed to the vehicle so as not to rotate.

A retainer 44 is connected to the other longitudinal end of the head main body 38 via the hinge shaft 42 described above. The retainer 44 constitutes the distal end side and intermediate side portions of the wiper arm 34 and has an elongated shape whose longitudinal direction is the longitudinal direction X of the wiper arm 34 . One longitudinal end of the retainer 44 is connected to the other longitudinal end of the head main body 38 via a hinge shaft 42 . The hinge shaft 42 has the width direction Y of the wiper arm 34 as its axial direction, and the retainer 44 is rotatable around the hinge shaft 42 .

A tension spring (not shown) is bridged between the arm head 36 and the retainer 44 . This tension spring is, for example, a tension coil spring, and urges the retainer 44 in a direction in which one side of the hinge shaft 42 , that is, the other longitudinal end of the retainer 44 rotates toward the windshield 12 .

The other longitudinal end of the retainer 44 (the end opposite to the arm head 36 ) constitutes the tip of the wiper arm 34 . A longitudinal intermediate portion of a wiper blade 46 is connected to the other longitudinal end portion of the retainer 44 . As a result, the blade rubber of the wiper blade 46 is pressed against the windshield 12 by the biasing force of the tension spring.

A motor 52 of a drive unit 50 is attached to the longitudinally intermediate portion of the head body portion 38 . The motor 52 is arranged with the longitudinal direction X of the wiper arm 34 as the axial direction of the armature. I have. A worm gear 54 (not shown except in FIGS. 10 and 11) is coaxially fixed to the output shaft. The worm gear 54 corresponds to a self-propelled wheel 58 (see FIGS. 4-11).

The self-propelled wheel 58 has a disc shape (columnar shape with a short axial dimension) and is arranged on the vehicle body side (windshield 12 side) with respect to the arm head 36 with the rotation axis direction Z as the axial direction. . The self-propelled wheel 58 is fixed to one axial end of a self-propelled wheel shaft 62 (see FIGS. 4 to 10) whose axial direction is the rotation axis direction Z. As shown in FIG. An axially intermediate portion of the self-propelled wheel shaft 62 is rotatably supported by the head body portion 38 while passing through the head body portion 38 . It is rotatably supported around.

A worm wheel 56 is coaxially fixed to the other end of the free-running wheel shaft 62 in the axial direction. The worm wheel 56 is meshed with the worm gear 54 described above. Thereby, the rotational force of the motor 52 is transmitted to the self-propelled wheel 58 via the worm gear 54, the worm wheel 56 and the self-propelled wheel shaft 62, and the self-propelled wheel 58 is rotated. The self-propelled wheel 58 is configured to be reciprocally rotationally driven by the motor 52 . The self-propelled wheel 58 has an outer periphery formed with spur gear teeth 60 arranged in the circumferential direction.

A guide wheel 64 (see FIGS. 4 to 9) is arranged between the self-propelled wheel 58 and the support shaft 20 described above. The guide wheel 64 has a disc shape with a slightly smaller diameter than the self-propelled wheel 58, and is arranged on the vehicle body side (windshield 12 side) with respect to the arm head 36 with the rotation axis direction Z as the axial direction. The guide wheel 64 is fixed to one end in the axial direction of a guide wheel shaft 66 (see FIGS. 4 to 9) whose axial direction is the rotation axis direction Z. As shown in FIG.

The other axial end of the guide wheel shaft 66 is supported by the head main body 38 , and the guide wheel 64 is rotatably supported on the head main body 38 about the guide wheel shaft 66 . The outer peripheral portion of the guide wheel 64 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The self-propelled wheel shaft 62 and the guide wheel shaft 66 described above correspond to "a pair of wheel shafts" in the present invention.

When the free-running wheel shaft 62, the guide wheel shaft 66, and the support shaft 20 are viewed from the rotation axis direction of the wiper member 32, as shown in FIG. 66 and the center of the support shaft 20 are arranged on the imaginary straight line VL.

The self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 are arranged close to each other, and a rotating rail 70 is sandwiched between the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 . The rotation rail 70 is made of, for example, a metal material or a resin material in an elongated shape, and is arranged with its longitudinal direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction Z. As shown in FIG. One end in the longitudinal direction of the rotating rail 70 is supported by the vehicle via a rail shaft 78 whose axial direction is the rotation axis direction Z of the wiper member 32 . It is rotatable around the shaft 78 . In addition, in this embodiment, the support shaft 20 and the rail shaft 78 are fixed to the bracket 18 fixed to the vehicle body. The bracket 18 is formed in a substantially elongated plate shape, and is arranged with the rotation axis direction Z as the thickness direction.

The rotation rail 70 includes a long plate-like lower wall portion 72 having a thickness direction perpendicular to the rotation axis direction Z, and one side of the rotation axis direction Z from the lower wall portion 72 (the vehicle body). and a vertical wall portion 74 erected on the opposite side). The rail shaft 78 is provided at one longitudinal end of the lower wall portion 72 . The lower wall portion 72 is formed so that the width becomes narrower toward the other end portion in the longitudinal direction when viewed from the rotation axis direction Z. As shown in FIG.

The vertical wall portion 74 of the rotation rail 70 is curved when viewed from the rotation axis direction Z, and the radius of curvature of the curve varies in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the vertical wall portion 74 is curved so as to project outward in the radial direction of the support shaft 20, and the lengthwise one end portion 74A and the other lengthwise end portion 74C are more curved than the longitudinal intermediate portion 74B. The radius of curvature of the curve is set small. Further, the vertical wall portion 74 is set to have a smaller radius of curvature on the longitudinal end portion 74A side where the rail shaft 78 is located than on the longitudinal direction other end portion 74C side. The other longitudinal end portion of the lower wall portion 72 is also curved in the same manner as the other longitudinal end portion of the vertical wall portion 74 .

The vertical wall portion 74 is sandwiched between the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 . Rack teeth 76 meshed with the gear teeth 60 of the self-propelled wheel 58 are formed along the longitudinal direction on the outer peripheral portion of the vertical wall portion 74 in contact with the self-propelled wheel 58 . The gear teeth 60 are meshed with the rack teeth 76 . When the self-propelled wheel 58 is reciprocatingly driven by the motor 52, the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 roll longitudinally on the vertical wall portion 74 (rotating rail 70). As a result, the wiper member 32 rotates about the support shaft 20 with respect to the vehicle, and the rotation rail 70 rotates about the rail axis 78 with respect to the vehicle according to the change in the radius of curvature of the vertical wall portion 74 . It is designed to rotate.

Specifically, the wiper member 32 is reciprocally rotated between the lower reversing position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and the upper reversing position shown in FIGS. The motion rail 70 is pivoted back and forth between a retracted position shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and a deployed position shown in FIGS. That is, in this embodiment, the wiper member 32 supporting the drive unit 50 including the motor 52 is self-propelled by the driving force of the motor 52, and the rotation rail 70 is moved along with the self-promotion (rotation) of the wiper member 32. It is designed to rotate automatically.

The state in which the wiper member 32 is positioned at the lower inverted position corresponds to the "stored state" in the present invention. In this retracted state, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 clamp one longitudinal end portion 74A of the vertical wall portion 74 of the rotary rail 70. As shown in FIG. In this retracted state, the wiper member 32 is arranged along the lower edge portion 12U of the windshield 12 and the rotating rail 70 is arranged along the wiper member 32 .

In the retracted state described above, the rotating rail 70 and the rail shaft 78 are arranged slightly above the vehicle with respect to the arm head 36, and the longitudinal direction of the rotating rail 70 and the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 34 substantially coincide. When this stored state is viewed from the rotation axis direction Z, with respect to an imaginary straight line VL connecting the center of the support shaft 20 (the rotation center of the wiper member 32) and the respective centers of the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64, The center C of the rail shaft 78 (the reference numeral is omitted except in FIG. 4) is arranged slightly shifted toward the upper side of the vehicle.

A control section 80 (not shown except in FIG. 4) is electrically connected to the motor 52 of the drive unit 50 . The control unit 80 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an input/output interface (I/O) for communicating with external devices. are connected to each other via a bus. Note that the control section may be composed of a plurality of electronic control units, and may be realized by either hardware or software.

A positioning sensor 82 (not shown except in FIG. 4) that detects the position of the wiper arm 34 with respect to the vehicle is electrically connected to the control unit 80 . The positioning sensor 82 is, for example, an angle sensor that detects the rotational position (rotational angle) of the support shaft 20 with respect to the vehicle. The control unit 80 detects the rotational position of the wiper arm 34 relative to the vehicle based on the output from the positioning sensor 82, and controls the operation of the motor 52 based on the detection result to rotate the output shaft of the motor 52 forward and reverse. It is configured to let As a result, the self-propelled wheel 58 is reciprocally rotated, and the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 roll on the rotary rail 70 . As a result, the wiper member 32 is reciprocatingly rotated between the lower reversing position, which is one end of the rotation range, and the upper reversing position, which is the other end of the rotation range. Further, the control unit 30 controls the motor 52 of each wiper device 30 so that the wiper member 32 of the driver's seat side wiper device 30DR and the wiper member 32 of the passenger's seat side wiper device 30PA synchronously reciprocate. It is configured to control the operation of

(Action and effect)
Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

In the wiper system 10 configured as described above, the driver's seat side wiper device 30DR and the passenger's seat side wiper device 30PA are self-propelled wiper devices 30 . In this wiper device 30, a wiper member 32 having a wiper arm 34 to which a wiper blade 46 is connected is rotatable around the support shaft 20 provided in the vehicle, with the base end portion of the wiper arm 34 supported by the support shaft 20. It is said that A self-propelled wheel 58 , a guide wheel 64 and a motor 52 are supported by the wiper arm 34 . The self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 are rotatable around a self-propelled wheel shaft 62 and a guide wheel shaft 66 whose axial direction is the rotation axis direction Z of the wiper member 32 . reciprocatingly driven by Between the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64, a vertical wall portion 74 of an elongated rotating rail 70 is sandwiched.

One longitudinal end of the rotary rail 70 is supported by the vehicle so as to be rotatable about a rail shaft 78 whose axial direction is the rotary axis direction Z of the wiper member 32 . The rotation rail 70 is curved when viewed from the rotation axis direction Z of the wiper member 32, and the radius of curvature of the curve varies in the longitudinal direction. When the self-propelled wheel 58 of the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 sandwiching the vertical wall portion 74 of the rotating rail 70 is reciprocatingly driven by the motor 52, the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 are moved to the rotating rail. 70 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, the wiper member 32 is rotated about the support shaft 20 with respect to the vehicle, and the rotary rail 70 is rotated with respect to the vehicle about the rail shaft 78 according to the change in the radius of curvature of the curve. .

In this wiper device 30, since the self-propelled wheel 58, the guide wheel 64 and the motor 52 are supported by the wiper member 32, there is no need to mount the motor 52 inside the vehicle (for example, inside the front cowl portion 16). Therefore, restrictions on mounting can be greatly reduced. Moreover, since the rotation rail 70 rotates with respect to the vehicle as the wiper member 32 rotates with respect to the vehicle, the rotation rail 70 can be retracted when the wiper member 32 is not in use (when retracted). can do.

Specifically, in the wiper device 30, the radius of curvature of the vertical wall portion 74 of the rotary rail 70 is smaller at one longitudinal end portion 74A of the vertical wall portion 74 than at the other longitudinal end portion 74C. there is When the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 supported by the wiper member 32 hold the longitudinal end portion 74A of the vertical wall portion 74 in the retracted state (the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 4), the wiper member 32 is arranged along the lower edge 12U of the windshield 12, and a rotating rail 70 is arranged along the wiper member 32. As shown in FIG. As a result, the wiper member 32 and the rotating rail 70 can be stored along the windshield 12 12U in a compact manner. In particular, in a tandem wiper system, the wiper blade 46 of the driver's side wiper device 30DR and the wiper arm 34 of the passenger's side wiper device 30PA can be arranged closer together in the stop position.

Further, in the wiper device 30, the distance R from the center of the support shaft 20 to the center of the self-propelled wheel 58 (rotational radius of the self-propelled wheel 58) can be set large, so the driving force of the motor 52 can be reduced. can be set. As a result, the size of the motor 52 can be reduced, and the power consumption of the motor 52 can be reduced. Moreover, since the driving force for rotating the wiper arm 34 is used to rotate the rotating rail 70, a dedicated driving source for rotating the rotating rail 70 is not required. This simplifies the structure and makes it easier to prevent failures. Further, since the rotation of the wiper member 32 and the rotation of the rotation rail 70 are synchronized, complicated control such as synchronizing the operation of the dedicated drive source and the operation of the motor 52 is not required. Furthermore, since wiring to the drive source for exclusive use is not required, it is easy to mount the device on a vehicle.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, when the left and right wiper members 32 are positioned at the downwardly inverted position (see FIG. 1), the turning rail 70 of the front passenger seat wiper device 30PA is retracted along the wiper arm 34 . Therefore, even in the configuration in which the rotation radius R of the self-propelled wheel 58 is set large as described above, the rotation rail 70 of the front passenger seat wiper device 30PA does not move toward the wiper member 32 of the driver seat wiper device 30DR. can be prevented from interfering with In other words, in a structure in which the rail for rolling the self-propelled wheel 58 of the front passenger seat wiper device 30PA is fixed to the vehicle, if the turning radius R is set to be large, the rail will not be able to operate as the driver seat wiper. It will interfere with the wiper member 32 of the device 30DR. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to take measures such as arranging the wiper device 30DR for the driver's seat and the wiper device 30PA for the front passenger's seat apart from each other in the vehicle width direction. Embodiments eliminate such restrictions. In addition, the above-described fixed rails cause problems such as deterioration of the appearance of the vehicle and generation of wind noise, but such problems can be avoided in the present embodiment.

Further, in the wiper device 30, when the above stored state is viewed from the rotation axis direction Z of the wiper member 32, a virtual The straight line VL and the center C of the rail shaft 78 are displaced. This makes it difficult for the rotating rail 70 to rotate unintentionally in the retracted state described above.

Further, in the wiper device 30, gear teeth 60 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the self-propelled wheel 58 are meshed with rack teeth 76 formed on the rotation rail 70 in parallel in the longitudinal direction thereof. This prevents the self-propelled wheel 58 from slipping on the rotating rail 70 when the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 roll on the rotating rail 70 .

Furthermore, in this wiper device 30 , the wiper arm 34 includes an arm head 36 supported by the support shaft 20 and a retainer 44 rotatably connected to the arm head 36 . A self-propelled wheel 58 , a guide wheel 64 and a motor 52 are supported by the arm head 36 . As a result, it is possible to use an existing configuration for the position of the wiper member 32 away from the support shaft 20 .

Also, in the wiper device 30 , the position of the wiper member 32 relative to the vehicle is detected by the positioning sensor 82 , and the control section 80 controls the operation of the motor 52 based on the detection result of the positioning sensor 82 . As a result, the wiper member 32 can be reciprocally rotated with high accuracy with respect to the vehicle.

<Supplementary explanation of the embodiment>
In the above embodiment, the gear teeth 60 formed on the outer peripheral portion of the self-propelled wheel 58 are configured to mesh with the rack teeth 76 formed on the rotary rail 70, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as in a modified example shown in FIG. 12, a configuration in which a tire portion 61 made of a rubbery material is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the self-propelled wheel 58 may be employed. In that case, the configuration is such that the rack teeth 76 of the rotation rail 70 are omitted. The material of the tire portion 61 is not limited to rubber, and may be a resin having properties similar to rubber (elasticity, coefficient of friction, etc.).

In the modified example described above, the tire portion 61 is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the self-propelled wheel 58 supported by the wiper member 32 , so that the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 rotate with respect to the rotary rail 70 . When moving, the self-propelled wheels 58 can be smoothly rolled, and slipping of the self-propelled wheels 58 on the rotation rails 70 can be prevented or suppressed. A tire portion similar to the tire portion 61 described above may be provided on the outer peripheral portion of the guide wheel 64 .

In the above-described embodiment, only the self-propelled wheel 58 of the self-propelled wheel 58 and the guide wheel 64 is reciprocatingly driven by the motor 52. may be reciprocatingly driven by the motor 52 . Alternatively, only the guide wheel 64 may be driven to reciprocate by the motor 52 .

In the above embodiment, the wiper system 10 is applied to a tandem wiper system, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be applied to a so-called opposing wiping wiper system in which both wiper devices synchronize and reciprocate in opposite directions.

In the above embodiment, the wiper device 30 is mounted on the front cowl portion 16. However, the wiper member 32 may be mounted on a vehicle ceiling portion near the windshield 12, a pillar, or the like. may be configured.

In addition, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, it goes without saying that the scope of rights of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Wiper system, 12... Windshield, 20... Support shaft (support part), 30DR... Driver's seat side wiper apparatus, 30PA... Passenger side wiper apparatus, 32... Wiper Members 34... Wiper arm 36... Arm head 44... Retainer 46... Wiper blade 52... Motor 58... Self-propelled wheel (wheel) 60... Gear Teeth 61...Tire portion 62...Self-propelled wheel shaft (wheel shaft) 64...Guide wheel (wheel) 66...Guide wheel shaft (wheel shaft) 70...Rotation Rail 76 Rack teeth 78 Rail axis 80 Control unit 82 Positioning sensor C Center of rail axis VL Virtual straight line Z Rotation axis direction

Claims (9)

a wiper member having a wiper arm to which a wiper blade is connected, the base end portion of the wiper arm being supported by a support portion provided in the vehicle, and being rotatable around the support portion;
a pair of wheels arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the wiper member and supported by the wiper arm so as to be rotatable about a pair of wheel shafts having a rotation axis direction of the wiper member as an axial direction;
a motor that is supported by the wiper arm and drives at least one of the pair of wheels to reciprocate;
It is formed in a long shape, is supported by the vehicle at one end in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable about the direction of the rotation axis, and is curved when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis, and the radius of curvature of the curve is a rotating rail that changes in the longitudinal direction and is sandwiched between the pair of wheels so that the pair of wheels rolls in the longitudinal direction by the reciprocating rotational drive;
A wiper device with The radius of curvature of the curve of the rotating rail is smaller at one end in the longitudinal direction of the rotating rail than at the other end in the longitudinal direction,
2. A wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said rotating rail is disposed along said wiper member in a retracted state in which said pair of wheels sandwich one longitudinal end of said rotating rail. The wiper member wipes the windshield of the vehicle with the wiper blade,
3. A wiper device according to claim 2, wherein in said retracted condition said wiper member is positioned along the lower edge of said windshield. When the retracted state is viewed from the direction of the rotation axis, an imaginary straight line connecting the center of rotation of the wiper member and the centers of the pair of wheel shafts is displaced from the center of rotation of the rotation rail. A wiper device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the wiper device is Gear teeth are formed on an outer peripheral portion of the at least one wheel,
The wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein rack teeth meshed with the gear teeth are formed on the rotating rail so as to be aligned in the longitudinal direction. The wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a tire portion made of a rubbery material is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the at least one wheel. The wiper arm includes an arm head supported by the support portion and a retainer rotatably connected to the arm head,
The wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the pair of wheels and the motor are supported by the arm head. a positioning sensor that detects the position of the wiper member with respect to the vehicle;
a control unit that controls the operation of the motor based on the detection result of the positioning sensor;
The wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising: a driver side wiper device for wiping a driver side portion of a vehicle windshield;
a passenger seat side wiper device for wiping a passenger seat side portion of the windshield;
with
A wiper system in which at least the passenger seat side wiper device of the driver seat side wiper device and the passenger seat side wiper device is the wiper device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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