Wiper mechanism

Abstract

A drive mechanism for a windshield wiper has wipe angle determined by the pivotable range of the pivot 16 which is driven by a motor 11 through gearbox 13 , crank 15 , connecting link 17 and a lever 18 . The connecting link 17 has more than one connection possibility as does the lever. The drivers 19 which connect the connecting link 17 to the crank 15 and lever 18 are eccentrically mounted so that changes in the wipe angle of the pivot 16 can be effected by changing the orientation of the drivers 19 and/or the attachment points between the connecting link 17 and the lever 18 and crank 15.

1 . A connecting link for use in a windshield wiper mechanism, the link having an elongate body with first and second ends, the first end having at least one socket for connection to a driver for pivotable connection to a first lever and the second end having at least two sockets for connecting to a driver for pivotable connection to a second lever wherein the effective length of the connecting link is changed by selecting various combinations of sockets at the first and second ends.  
     
     
         2 . The connecting link of  claim 1  wherein there is one socket at the first end and two sockets at the second end.  
     
     
         3 . The connecting link of  claim 2  wherein the effective lengths of the connecting link are 82 cm and 75 cm.  
     
     
         4 . The connecting link of  claim 1  wherein the sockets are holes in the body of the connecting link overmolded with plastic material to form a complementary bearing surface for the driver.  
     
     
         5 . The connecting link of  claim 1  wherein the body of the connecting link is aluminum alloy.  
     
     
         6 . A windshield wiper mechanism comprising: 
 a motor driving a crank through an output shaft;    a pivot having a pivot lever and a first end adapted to receive a wiper arm, the pivot being arranged to drive the wiper arm in a back and forth motion, and    a connecting link as defined in  claim 1  wherein the connecting link is connected to the pivot lever by a lever driver received in a socket at one end of the connecting link and is connected to the crank by a crank driver received in a socket at the other end of the connecting link,    whereby rotary motion of the crank causes oscillatory motion of the pivot through a predetermined wipe angle.    
     
     
         7 . The mechanism of  claim 6  wherein the lever has a plurality of mounting positions for the lever driver, each mounting position providing a different effective length of the lever thereby varying the wipe angle.  
     
     
         8 . The mechanism of  claim 7  wherein the lever driver is asymmetric with respect to means for connecting the lever driver to the lever whereby relative orientation of the lever driver with respect to the lever at any one of the lever driver mounting positions varies the effective length of the lever thereby varying the wipe angle.  
     
     
         9 . The mechanism of  claim 6  wherein the crank has a plurality of mounting positions for the crank driver, each mounting position providing a different effective length of the crank thereby varying the wipe angle.  
     
     
         10 . The mechanism of  claim 9  wherein the crank driver is asymmetric with respect to means for fixing the crank driver to the crank whereby relative orientation of the crank driver with respect to the crank at any one of the crank driver mounting positions varies the effective length of the crank thereby varying the wipe angle.  
     
     
         11 . The mechanism of  claim 6  wherein the drivers have offset mounts where by fixing the drivers to the lever and crank at different orientations relative to the lever or crank will produce different effective lengths of the lever or crank thereby varying the wipe angle.