Pivoting gutter for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11518446-B2
Application number	US-202117215953-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 29, 2021
Priority date	Mar 29, 2021
Publication date	Dec 6, 2022
Grant date	Dec 6, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle wiper system includes a drive mechanism, a wiper and a gutter each connected to the drive mechanism, and a locking mechanism. The wiper has a stowed position and an extended position. The drive mechanism reciprocally moves the wiper about a pivot axis to sweep a defined area of a windshield. The drive mechanism moves the gutter together with the wiper about the pivot axis between a stowed position and a deployed position wherein the gutter extends along a lateral edge of the windshield. The locking mechanism is configured to lock the gutter in the deployed position allowing the gutter to be statically disposed at the deployed position while the wiper is reciprocally moved about the pivot axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wiper system for a vehicle comprising:
a drive mechanism;
a wiper operably connected to the drive mechanism, the wiper has a stowed position and an extended position, the drive mechanism configured to reciprocally rotate the wiper about a pivot axis to sweep a defined area of an exterior surface of a windshield;
a gutter operably connected to the drive mechanism, the drive mechanism configured to rotate the gutter together with the wiper about the pivot axis between a stowed position and a deployed position wherein the gutter extends along a lateral edge of the windshield, wherein the gutter is adapted to be statically disposed at the deployed position while the wiper is reciprocally rotated about the pivot axis; and
a locking mechanism, wherein with the wiper in the extended position and the putter statically disposed at the deployed position the locking mechanism is configured to lock the gutter to the wiper allowing for in tandem movement back to the respective stowed positions.

2. The wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the gutter in the deployed position.

3. The wiper system of claim 2 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured to lock the gutter to the wiper in the respective stowed positions.

4. The wiper system of claim 3 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured to unlock the gutter from the wiper as the wiper moves from the stowed position to the extended position and the gutter moves together with the wiper from the stowed position to the deployed position.

5. The wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism includes a pin and guide slot arrangement.

6. The wiper system of claim 5 , including first and second pins and first and second guide slots, the first pin received in the first guide slot and the second pin spaced from the second guide slot with the gutter locked to wiper, and the first pin spaced from the first guide slot and the second pin received in the second guide slot with the gutter locked in the deployed position.

7. The wiper system of claim 6 , wherein the locking mechanism includes an actuator to displace the gutter relative to the wiper to move the first and second pins into and out of the respective first and second slots.

8. The wiper system of claim 7 , including a biasing member for biasing the gutter toward the wiper.

9. The wiper system of claim 6 , wherein the first pin is provided on the wiper, the second pin is provided on a drive mechanism support, and the first and second slots are provided on the gutter.

10. The wiper system of claim 1 , wherein a seal is connected to the gutter for engaging the exterior surface of the windshield in the deployed position of the arm.

11. The wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the gutter includes an inboard side and an outboard side, the inboard side is curved inwardly toward the outboard side to define a water channel.

12. The wiper system of claim 1 , further comprising a controller configured to actuate the drive mechanism and the locking mechanism in response to input from at least one of a user and a sensor configured to detect water on the exterior surface of the associated windshield.

13. The wiper system of claim 1 , wherein the locking mechanism is configured to:
lock the gutter to the windshield wiper in the respective stowed positions, unlock the gutter from the windshield wiper as the windshield wiper moves from the stowed position to the extended position and the gutter moves in tandem with the windshield wiper from the stowed position to the deployed position, and
lock the gutter in the deployed position as the windshield wiper is reciprocally moved about the pivot axis.

14. A vehicle comprising:
a body including an A-pillar;
a windshield having an exterior surface and a lateral edge secured to the A-pillar, wherein the exterior surface of the windshield is substantially continuous with an exterior surface of the A-pillar;
a drive mechanism coupled to the body;
a windshield wiper operably connected to the drive mechanism, the windshield wiper has a stowed position and an extended position, the drive mechanism configured to reciprocally rotate the windshield wiper about a pivot axis to sweep a defined windshield area;
a gutter operably connected to the drive mechanism, the drive mechanism configured to rotate the gutter together with the windshield wiper about the pivot axis between a stowed position and a deployed position wherein the gutter extends along the lateral edge of the windshield, wherein the gutter is configured to be statically disposed in the deployed position while the windshield wiper is reciprocally moved about the pivot axis; and
a locking mechanism for selectively locking the gutter directly to the windshield wiper allowing for in tandem movement of the windshield wiper and the gutter.

15. The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the exterior surface of the windshield is substantially flush with the exterior surface of the A-pillar such that a contour of the exterior surface of the vehicle is substantially continuous from the exterior surface the windshield to the exterior surface of the A-pillar.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the exterior surface of the vehicle is devoid of a static incongruity between the exterior surface of the windshield and the exterior surface of the A-pillar.

17. A method of operating a wiper system of a vehicle, the wiper system including a wiper having a stowed position and an extended position, and a gutter having a stowed position and a deployed position, the method comprising:
coupling the wiper to the gutter at the respective stowed positions;
actuating a drive mechanism in response to one of a user command and a sensor input indicating water on an exterior surface of windshield to move the wiper together with the gutter about a common pivot axis over the exterior surface of the windshield to the respective extended position and the deployed position, where in the deployed position the gutter is located along a lateral edge of the windshield;
locking the gutter at the deployed position via a locking mechanism;
with the gutter locked at the deployed position reciprocally moving the wiper via the drive mechanism about the pivot axis;
with the wiper in the extended position, unlocking the gutter at the deployed position and coupling the gutter to the wiper via the locking mechanism; and
moving the wiper together with the gutter directly coupled thereto via the drive mechanism back to the respective stowed positions.

18. The method of claim 17 , including decoupling the gutter from the wiper prior to the in tandem movement via the drive mechanism to the respective deployed position and extended position.

Assignees

• Honda Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Metka Matthew L
• Moradnia Pirooz

Classifications

• B60R13/07 Primary

  Water drainage or guide means not integral with roof structure (B60R13/06, {B60J10/25} take precedence; {integral with roof structure B62D25/07; drainage openings having movable or removable closures B62D25/24}) · CPC title

• B62D25/081

  Cowls (ventilating openings situated directly in front of the vehicle front window B60H1/28) · CPC title

• B62D25/24 Primary

  Superstructure sub-units with access {or drainage} openings having movable or removable closures; {Sealing means therefor}(inlet covers for vehicle fuel tanks B60K15/05) · CPC title

• B60S1/0402

  completely or partially concealed in a cavity · CPC title

• B60S1/06

  characterised by the drive (producing other than swinging movement B60S1/44) · CPC title