Wiper blade replacement kit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022097653-A1
Application number	US-201917418069-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 28, 2019
Priority date	Dec 26, 2018
Publication date	Mar 31, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

A replacement kit ( 100 ) for a wiper mounted at the end of a motor vehicle wiper arm ( 10 ), the kit comprising at least one wiper ( 102, 102 c, 102 p ) equipped with an inbuilt fluid spraying device comprising at least one circulation canal ( 126 ) and a fluid inlet cannula ( 104 ), and at least one fluid distribution tube ( 106 ) configured to be coupled at one end to said wiper ( 102, 102 c, 102 p ) and at its opposite end to a fluid supply circuit supplying fluid coming from a reservoir ( 11 ) of the vehicle, the replacement kit also comprising a coupling ( 108 ) configured to allow a fluidic connection between the supply circuit and the at least one fluid distribution tube ( 106 ), as well as at least one fixing means ( 110, 116 ) for holding the distribution tube in position along the wiper arm ( 10 ).

First claim

1 . A replacement kit for a wiper mounted at the end of a wiper arm of a motor vehicle, the kit comprising:
at least one wiper equipped with an inbuilt fluid spraying device comprising at least one circulation canal and a fluid inlet cannula; at least one fluid distribution tube configured to be coupled at one end to said wiper and at its opposite end to a fluid supply circuit supplying fluid coming from a reservoir of the vehicle; and a coupling configured to allow fluidic connection between the supply circuit and the at least one fluid distribution tube, and at least one fixing means for holding the distribution tube in position along the wiper arm.

2 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: a fluid supply tube configured to form the supply circuit able to be coupled at one end to the reservoir of cleaning fluid and at another end to said coupling.

3 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising two wipers respectively equipped with an inbuilt fluid spray device and two fluid distribution tubes respectively associated with each of the wipers, the coupling being configured to allow fluidic connection of each of the two fluid distribution tubes to the fluid supply circuit.

4 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the coupling comprises at least one nonreturn device configured to prevent fluid from circulating from one or other of the distribution tubes toward the supply circuit.

5 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 3 , wherein one of the two distribution tubes is equipped with a fluid pressure regulating device.

6 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the regulating device is pre-dimensioned to adopt a specific position according to the sizing of one or more wipers of the replacement kit.

7 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising: fixing members for fixing the supply tube to the structure of the vehicle.

8 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising: a hose clamp clamping the at least one distribution tube around an elastic return element secured to the wiper arm.

9 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least one wiper is configured in such a way that the fluid inlet cannula is positioned at the center of the wiper, in the region of a connector connecting the wiper to the wiper arm.

10 . A method for replacing a wiper fitted to a vehicle equipped with a cleaning system having fixed spray nozzles arranged in the vicinity of a glazed surface that is to be cleaned by the wiper, the method using a replacement kit comprising:
at least one wiper equipped with an inbuilt fluid spraying device comprising at least one circulation canal and a fluid inlet cannula, and at least one fluid distribution tube configured to be coupled at one end to said wiper and at its opposite end to a fluid supply circuit supplying fluid coming from a reservoir of the vehicle, the replacement kit further comprising a coupling configured to allow fluidic connection between the supply circuit and the at least one fluid distribution tube, and at least one fixing means for holding the distribution tube in position along the wiper arm, wherein the method comprises: removing the wiper that is to be replaced from the associated wiper arm; fitting the replacement wiper equipped with a fluid spray device, a step of connecting a distribution circuit of the replacement wiper; and modifying the supply of fluid coming from a fluid reservoir of the vehicle wherein fitting the replacement wiper comprises: assembling the replacement wiper with a fluid distribution tube, these two elements being taken from the replacement kit, installing the wiper on the wiper arm, and fixing the distribution tube along the arm using at least one of the fixing means from the replacement kit, wherein connecting a distribution circuit of the replacement wiper comprises connecting a distribution tube to a coupling taken from the replacement kit, modifying the supply comprises disconnecting a supply pipe connecting the fluid reservoir and the spray nozzles arranged in the vicinity of the surface that is to be cleaned, and reconnecting the previously-disconnected pipe, or a supply pipe from the replacement kit, to said coupling.

11 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 4 , wherein one of the two distribution tubes is equipped with a fluid pressure regulating device.

12 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 7 , wherein said fixing members being self-adhesive.

13 . A replacement kit for a pair of wipers mounted at the end of wiper arms of a motor vehicle, the kit comprising:
a pair of wipers, each wiper being equipped with an inbuilt fluid spraying device comprising at least one circulation canal and a fluid inlet cannula, a pair of fluid distribution tubes respectively associated with each of the wipers and configured to be coupled at one end to said wipers and at its opposite end to a fluid supply circuit supplying fluid coming from a reservoir of the vehicle, a coupling configured to allow fluidic connection between the supply circuit and each of the fluid distribution tubes, and fixing means for holding the distribution tubes in position along the wiper arms.

14 . The replacement kit as claimed in claim 13 , wherein one of the distribution tubes is equipped with a fluid pressure regulating device.

Assignees

• Valeo Systemes Dessuyage

Inventors

• HOUSSAT Stéphane
• Gaucher Vincent
• Mouleyre Guillaume
• Jomard Olivier
• Carrion Julien

Classifications

• B60S1/3415 Primary

  with means for supplying cleaning fluid to windscreen cleaners, e.g. washers (arrangement of nozzles B60S1/52) · CPC title

• B60S1/0497

  Wiper units as items separate from vehicle, e.g. for emergency use or retro-fittable · CPC title

• B60S1/524

  arranged in wiper blades · CPC title