Pipe for heating and transporting a washer fluid for a windscreen wiper blade with two spray lines, wiper device and method of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10507802-B2
Application number	US-201113876481-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 5, 2011
Priority date	Sep 29, 2010
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A pipe for heating and transporting a washer fluid for a windscreen wiper blade with a first spray line and a second spray line is disclosed. The pipe includes an extruded sleeve with at least two washer fluid circulation channels, in which sleeve at least two electric wires that are provided with heating elements of said pipe are embedded within the mass of the sleeve. In the pipe, the at least two electric wires are parallel to the at least two washer fluid circulation channels, the first washer fluid circulation channel is connected to said first spray line of the wiper blade, and the second circulation channel for the washer fluid is connected to said second spray line of the wiper blade.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pipe for heating and transporting a washer fluid of a windscreen wiper blade with a first spray line and a second spray line, comprising:
an extruded sleeve with at least two washer fluid circulation channels, in which sleeve at least two electric wires that are provided with heating elements of said pipe are embedded within the mass of the sleeve,
wherein the at least two electric wires are parallel to the at least two washer fluid circulation channels,
wherein the cross-sections of the embedded electric wires are aligned at the center of the sleeve in a median direction with respect to the circulation channels,
wherein the cross-section of the sleeve is in a general shape of an “8” and said pipe includes at least one of the electric wires fixed to the outside of the sleeve in at least one hollow of a concave flank of the “8” shape,
wherein the median direction passes between the circulation channels,
wherein the first washer fluid circulation channel is connected to said first spray line of the wiper blade, and
wherein the second circulation channel for the washer fluid is connected to said second spray line of the wiper blade.

2. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two electric wires comprises two first electric wires, the two first electric wires are provided with the heating elements and embedded in the sleeve between the two circulation channels of the washer fluid.

3. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 2 , further comprising two second electric wires embedded in the sleeve to power a heating device of a wiper blade.

4. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 1 , wherein said sleeve includes a flexible material.

5. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 1 , wherein a periphery of the cross-section of the sleeve has two substantially flat central opposite faces and two rounded end portions.

6. A pipe for heating and transporting a washer fluid of a windscreen wiper blade with a first spray line and a second spray line, comprising:
an extruded sleeve with at least two washer fluid circulation channels, in which sleeve at least two electrical wires that are provided with heating elements of said pipe are embedded within the mass of the sleeve,
wherein the at least two electric wires are located outside of the at least two washer fluid circulation channels,
wherein the at least two electric wires are parallel to the at least two washer fluid circulation channels,
wherein the cross-sections of the embedded electric wires and circulation channels are substantially aligned in a same linear plane that overlaps a center of each of the two washer fluid circulation channels,
wherein the first washer fluid circulation channel is connected to said first spray line of the wiper blade, and
wherein the second circulation channel for the washer fluid is connected to said second spray line of the wiper blade.

7. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 6 , wherein the electric wires embedded in the sleeve are positioned at ends of a cross-section of the sleeve.

8. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 6 , wherein the cross-section of the sleeve is in the general shape of an “8”.

9. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 6 , wherein the electric wires embedded in the sleeve are positioned on either side of a median plane with respect to the circulation channels.

10. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 6 , further comprising a weakening rim at least at one end of the sleeve to separate a first pipe end from the second pipe end, each pipe end comprising the washer fluid circulation channel and at least one electric wire.

11. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 10 , wherein two flat central opposite faces of a sleeve end have two beveled slots at a complementary incline to facilitate the separation of a first and second pipe end.

12. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 10 , wherein one sleeve end has a thinner central portion to facilitate the separation of a first and second pipe end.

13. A pipe for heating and transporting a washer fluid of a windscreen wiper blade with a first spray line and a second spray line, comprising:
an extruded sleeve with a first washer fluid channel and second washer fluid circulation channel, in which sleeve at least two electric wires of said pipe are embedded within the mass of the sleeve,
wherein the cross-sections of the embedded electric wires are aligned towards the center of the sleeve in a median direction with respect to the circulation channels,
wherein the median direction passes between the circulation channels,
wherein a periphery of the cross-section of the sleeve has two substantially flat central opposite faces and two rounded end portions,
wherein two flat central opposite faces of a sleeve end have two beveled slots at a complementary incline to facilitate the separation of a first and second pipe end,
wherein the first washer fluid circulation channel is connected to said first spray line of the wiper blade, and
wherein the second circulation channel for the washer fluid is connected to said second spray line of the wiper blade.

14. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 13 , wherein two electric wires of said pipe for heating and transporting have heating elements extending in the wiper blade.

15. The pipe for heating and transporting according to claim 13 , further comprising a weakening rim at least at one end of the sleeve to separate a first pipe end from the second pipe end, each pipe end comprising the washer fluid circulation channel and at least one electric wire.

16. A method for manufacturing a pipe for heating and transporting a washer fluid for a windscreen wiper blade with two spray lines that comprises an extruded sleeve with at least two washer fluid circulation channels, in which sleeve at least two electric wires of said pipe are embedded within the mass of the sleeve, the method comprising:
inserting the at least two electric wires in a material being extruded through a channel suitable for shaping said sleeve,
wherein the extruded sleeve has the at least two washer fluid circulation channels,
wherein the at least two electric wires are parallel to the at least two washer fluid circulation channels,
wherein the cross-sections of the embedded electric wires are aligned at the center of the sleeve in a median direction with respect to the circulation channels,
wherein the median direction passes between the circulation channels, and
wherein the first electric wire is inserted into a material during extrusion through a channel suitable for shaping a first sleeve portion having a first washer fluid circulation channel, and the second electric wire is inserted into a material during extrusion through a channel suitable for shaping a second sleeve portion having a second washer fluid circulation channel, wherein said first and second sleeve portions are assembled between two free pipe ends.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the first washer fluid circulation channel and the second circulation channel are configured for connection to one or more.

18. A pipe for heating and transporting a washer fluid of a windscreen wiper blade with two spray lines, comprising:
an extruded sleeve with at least two washer fluid circulation channels, in which sleeve at least two first electrical wires of said pipe are embedded wit

Assignees

• Calluiere Johan
• Thebault Denis
• Cointereau Jean Francois
• Jarasson Jean Michel
• Negre Pierre Emmanuel
• Valeo Systemes Dessuyage

Inventors

• Calluiere Johan
• Thebault Denis
• Cointereau Jean-François
• Jarasson Jean-Michel
• Negre Pierre-Emmanuel

Classifications

• B60S1/488 Primary

  electrically · CPC title

• B60S1/524 Primary

  arranged in wiper blades · CPC title

• B60S1/3805

  electrically · CPC title

• F16L53/38

  using elongate electric heating elements, e.g. wires or ribbons · CPC title

• F16L11/22

  Multi-channel hoses · CPC title