Windshield Cleaning System

The invention relates to a windshield cleaning system and more particularly to such a system useful in motor vehicles.

Normally a windshield cleaning system of a modern motor vehicle comprises a wiper system as well as a windshield washing system comprising a washing liquid reservoir as well as a pump by which washing liquid is sprayed onto the windshield to be cleaned via a spraying device. There are motor vehicles in which this spraying device is stationarily arranged in the engine compartment hood. In other windshield cleaning systems the spraying device is fixed to the wiper arm. The advantage of this latter system is that the washing liquid is sprayed immediately in front of the wiper blade.

Normally the spraying device of such a windshield washing system consists of a jet housing with a receiver into which a jet body, that is usually a ball-like body, is adjustably fixed. Due to the jet body's adjustability spraying devices of this kind can universally be used in motor vehicles of all sorts.

As to these windshield washing systems one problem is that operation is not always possible in low temperatures. This is because the washing liquid line from the reservoir to the jet body is not emptied so that the system's operation can be repeated quickly. Thus washing liquid remains in the bore of the jet body and ca become frozen because at this extreme point the antifreeze easily evaporates.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a windshield cleaning system arranged in such a way that by use of simple means all requirements noted above are obtained.

In accordance with this invention washing liquid can effectively be prevented from freezing, if the mouth, that is the aperture through which the washing liquid jet emerges, is closed after the washing process. This is preferably achieved by use of a jet element consisting of an elastic material fixed to the adjustable jet body so that a spraying device can still be used universally for different motor vehicles.

Jet elements made of elastic material have been known for years, but up to now they have been arranged stationarily and have not been fixed onto an adjustable jet body. With the combination of such a jet element and an adjustable jet body, an excellent washing effect is achieved at low costs because the adjustability of the jet body allows the spraying device to be used universally.

In a preferred embodiment this jet element has a pipe-like portion from which two lips project and form a slit-like mouth. This pipe-like portion is in the bore of the jet body and the movable lips close the mouth and extend from the jet body. As to such an embodiment comprising a jet element put into the usual bore of the jet body no additional elements are necessary for assembling this jet element. The lips prevent the whole spraying device from freezing and from being unable to function to a large extent because when the lips are opened any ice surrounding the lips is broken away by the pressure of the water. In contrast, the ice surrounding the lips could be prevented from breaking away, if the lips of the jet element are arranged within the bore of the jet body.

Other embodiments are possible, e.g., the jet element could be arranged totally outside the adjustable jet body and fixed especially onto its free front face. Such embodiments are useful as original equipment for a motor vehicle, but an essential advantage of this embodiment is that the spraying devices can be retrofitted into existing vehicles.

The invention and its advantageous developments are explained by means of the embodiments illustrated in the drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a jet housing;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the jet housing shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section taken along the line 111--III of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view, partly in section of another embodiment of a jet housing;

FIG. 5 is a section of the jet housing according to FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the jet housing of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of another embodiment of a jet body with a jet element;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a further embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a sectional view of a still further embodiment;

FIG. 10 is a front view of a two-part jet body;

FIG. 11 is a partial longitudinal section of FIG. 10 with a jet element inserted in the jet body; and,

FIG. 12 is an enlarged detail of circled section Z of FIG. 10.

In FIG. 1 the numeral 10 designates a spraying device comprising a jet housing 11 normally made of a plastic material. This jet housing, is formed with several ball-like receivers 12, each receiving one jet body 13. Each jet body 13 comprises a ball-like basic body 14 with a continuous bore 15 as well as a cylindrical projection 16. The jet housing 11 is provided with internal washing liquid channels 17a, 17b, via which washing liquid is fed from the hose connecting fitting 18a, 18b to the jet bodies 13 or the bores 15. The construction of such spraying devices described up to now is known so that no further explanations are needed. As to the known embodiments the washing liquid is sprayed immediately through the bore 15 of the jet body to the windshield to be cleaned.

A jet element 20 made of an elastic material cooperates with the adjustable jet body 13. This jet element 20 has a pipe-like portion 21 and two lips 22 23 extending therefrom and forming a slit-like mouth or aperture 24. On the end of the pipe-like portion 20 opposite these lips 22, 23 there is formed a radially extending bead or collar 25. The collar 25 supports the jet element 20 on the jet body 13. In the embodiment FIGS. 1 to 3 the pipe-like portion 21 is totally seated within the bore 15 in the jet body 13. To assemble, the jet element 20 is inserted into the bore 15 in feed or fluid flow direction, i.e. in the direction of Arrow F in FIG. 1, until the collar 25 bears against a ring flange 30 of the jet body 13. If, with respect to the diameter of the bore 15 in the jet body the pipe-like portion 21 of the jet element 20 is s dimensioned, this jet element can be held in the jet body 13 by a force fit only. Additionally or alternatively an adhesive connection is possible. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, the collar 25 of the jet element 20 is buttoned or snapped into a ring-groove 31. This can be done without any difficulties because of the elastic material of the jet element 20. Forming this ring-groove 31 can be done easily especially if, instead of a surrounding strip 32 (as shown), only a few sections are punched out of the inner wall of the bore 15 in a metallic jet body 13.

Especially in FIG. 3 it can be seen that the length of this pipe-like portion 21 corresponds more or less to the axial extent of the jet body 13. Thus the transition from the pipe-like portion 21 to the lips 22, 23 of the jet element is in the plane E containing the front end face 33 of the cylindrical projection 16 of the jet body 13. Thus in contrast to the pipe-like portion 21, the lips 22, 23 are not within the bore 15, but extend beyond the front face 33 of the jet body 13.

FIG. 3 illustrates the jet element in the rest position, when the washing system is switched off. It can be seen that the mouth 24 is closed and so at this extreme point the danger of evaporation of the antifreeze is significantly reduced. This results from the fact that even in extremely low temperatures washing liquid is not likely to freeze within the pipe-like portion 21. On the other hand frozen washing liquid at the outside of the lips 22, 23 can be broken away upon initial operation of the washing system, when these lips 22, 23 are pressed towards the outside against their own elasticity by the pressure of the washing liquid and thus when the mouth 24 is opened. It is also noted that this jet element takes over the function of a valve because after the washing process the mouth or the aperture is immediately closed and thus the washing liquid cannot flow back into the reservoir. A short delay between the beginning of the washing process and the emergence of the washing liquid at the jet can be achieved without any additional valve.

As to the embodiment according to the FIGS. 1 to 3 it is also noted that locking means 40 are preferably integrally formed onto the jet housing 11, via which locking means 40 the jet body 13 can immediately be locked at the wiper arm of the windshield cleaning system. In FIG. 2 a stud 41 in the shape of a U can be seen, which stud 41 is to be supported on the known wiper arms by means of its end bent in the form of a hook.

In the FIGS. 1 to 3 embodiment, the jet housing 11 is provided with several adjustable jet bodies and jet elements which are additionally fed via two different washing liquid channels 17a, 17b. Thus it is to be ensured that each time washing liquid is only sprayed in wiping direction in front of the wiper blade.

As to the embodiment according to the FIGS. 4 to 6 four jet elements 20 arranged in form of a cross are adjustably fixed in a jet housing 11. The jet elements 20 are similarly inserted into the jet body 13 in feed direction F, until the collar 25 lies on the ring flange 30. However, the jet elements 20 are held by force-fit or adhesion. It is not necessary to button or snap them into a ring-groove because the receiver 12 is shaped and dimensioned to prevent the jet element from moving relative to the jet body 13. Locking means in the form of several locking hooks 40 penetrating a bore 42 of a wiper arm 43 are formed on the jet housing. A channel portion 50 integrally formed with the jet housing 11 also penetrates a bore 44 of the wiper arm 43. At the free end of this channel portion 50 there is a ball-like locking body 51 onto which an angularly formed hose connecting fitting 52 can be coupled as a separate part. When this hose connecting fitting 52 has been coupled onto the channel portion 50, the spraying device 10 is fixed onto the wiper arm 43 or onto another part of the car body in a stable way.

As to the embodiments according to the FIGS. 7 to 9 the jet element 20 is fixed onto the free front face of the jet body 13. Thus the pipe-like portion 21 is conically formed in these embodiments and is not seated within the bore 15 of the jet body 13. The embodiments according to the FIGS. 7 to 9 differ from each other with respect to the way the elastic jet element 20 is fixed in the jet body 13. In these embodiments the collar 25 is seated in an enlarged cylindrical opening referred to hereinafter as a pot-shaped receiver 60 of the cylindrical projection 16 of the jet body 13. The collar 25 bears on an annular surface or a ring flange 30 forming the bottom of this pot-shaped receiver 60. In radial direction the jet element 20 is fixed by means of the cylindrical side wall 61 of the receiver 60. In the embodiment according to FIG. 7 an elastic ring clamp 62 is provided as an additional holding element, which ring clamp 62 acts upon the collar 25 of the jet element 20 and grips the outside of the pot-shaped receiver 60. Thus the jet element on the ring flange of the jet body is axially tensioned so that an absolute sealing is ensured. An absolute sealing is also achieved with respect to the embodiment according to FIG. 8 in which a band 63 is put onto the collar 25. The band 63 is pressed against the collar 25 by locking projections 64 which are punched out of the side wall 61 of the pot-shaped receiver.

FIG. 9 principally differs from the embodiment according to FIG. 8 in that the locking projections 64 and the band 63 are replaced by a lock ring 66 which is locked at the inside of the side wall 61 of the pot-shaped receiver 60. For this purpose the lock ring 66 comprises radially projecting locking projections 67 engaging locking receivers 68 formed on the side wall 61 of the pot-shaped receiver 60.

As to all the embodiments described so far it is of importance that the surrounding collar is supported on a corresponding ring flange at the jet body. Thus an absolute sealing between the bore in the jet body and the jet element can be achieved.

As to the embodiment according to the FIGS. 10 to 12, the jet body 13 is formed of two parts 70, 71. Each of the parts 70, 71 includes a partial area of a ring-groove 72. The collar 25 of the jet element 20 is held in the ring groove 72 when the parts 70, 71 are assembled. Such an embodiment can easily be assembled because this collar 25 is not supported at an integral ring flange. The two parts 70 and 71 are locked together by locking receivers 74 formed on one part and locking projections 75 formed on the other part.

Finally it is pointed out that in order to obtain a low construction height, the cross-section of the hose connecting fitting, for instance, the hose connecting fitting 18a, 18b in FIG. 1 can be elliptically formed, whereby the larger main axis runs in a direction parallel to the wiper rod. Such an embodiment is an advantage also, when used with respect to the usual jet body having no elastic jet element.