FR2567087A3 - DEVICE FOR CLEANING THE WINDOW OF A MOTOR VEHICLE PROJECTOR USING A PRESSURE DETERGENT LIQUID - Google Patents

Abstract

DEVICE FOR CLEANING THE GLASS OF A HEADLIGHT FOR MOTOR VEHICLES BY MEANS OF A PRESSURIZED LIQUID, INCLUDING A TANK 13 FOR THE DETERGENT LIQUID 14 AND AN ELECTRIC PUMP 16 HYDRAULICALLY CONNECTED AUDITED TANK AND AT LEAST ONE NOZZLE FROM THE NOZZLE LIQUID, CHARACTERIZED BY THE FACT THAT IT INCLUDES A MOBILE ARM 34 WHICH INCORPORATES AT LEAST ONE NOZZLE 35, 36 AND WHICH IS HYDRAULICALLY CONNECTED AUDIT TANK, AS WELL AS AN ACTUATION MEANS CINEMATICALLY CONNECTED TO THE AUDIT ARM TO MOVE IT BETWEEN A POSITION OF REST OUTSIDE THE FRONT AREA OF THE PROJECTOR AND A WORKING POSITION IN WHICH AT LEAST ONE NOZZLE 35, 36 INCORPORATED IN THE ARM 34 IS IN FRONT OF THE PROJECTOR 11.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for cleaning ice

a headlamp for vehicles

  automobiles using pressurized fluid.

  It is known that when using a motor vehicle in bad weather, or on dirt roads, or even when driving in a column, the lighting headlights which equip the vehicle are liable to be soiled, or a reduction considerable of the lighting power of the headlamps and consequently a reduction of the visibility for the

driver of the vehicle.

  To eliminate this drawback, we have already proposed

  devices to clean the windows of the projections

  teurs by jets of liquid under pressure sprayed on these same windows. In some cases, the nozzles that form the

  jets are arranged on the bumper, in the area

  below the headlight to be cleaned respectively, while in other cases they are arranged above the headlight and fixed to the lower part of the front hood of the car. In both cases, the jets of liquid / against the

  projector glass are fixed and fail to cover

  fully screw in the front area of the ice to be cleaned,

  less using a large number of nozzles.

  The main object of the present invention is therefore to provide a device for cleaning the lens of a headlamp for motor vehicles by means of a detergent liquid under pressure which, unlike known devices of this type, is in able to completely clean the surface of the projector glass with a limited number of nozzles and obtain better cleaning of the

  this while using a lesser amount of liquid.

  Another aim, no less important, is to allow greater simplicity and ease of assembly of the device.

cleaning on the car.

  These objects are achieved, according to the present invention,

  by a device for cleaning the glass of a projection

  t d. L mrhicu! Es au-on-obi! Es by means of a! Iql1de under pressure $ nmprenant a reservoir for the Liquidc deté'rgent and at least one outlet nozzle of said detergent liquid, said device being characterized by the fact that it comprises a movable arm which incorporates at least one nozzle and which is hydraulically connected to said reservoir, as well as an actuation means kinematically connected to said arm to move it between a rest position outside the front zone of the projector and a working position in which at least one nozzle incorporated in the arm is in front of the projector. According to a preferred solution, said movable arm is

  directly supported by the projector.

  Advantageously, said cinematic actuation means

  tically connected to said arm is constituted by a hy-

  hydraulics operated by the same pressurized liquid which

  feeds at least one nozzle. The nozzle holder arm is pre-

  ference rotatably mounted so that it can be controlled by said actuating means in order to rotate

  from the rest position to the working position.

  The fact of having provided, according to the present invention, nozzles carried by a movable arm instead of the fixed nozzles offers the advantage, during operation of the device, of being able to cause the nozzles to directly touch the glass of the

  projector, thereby increasing their efficiency and allowing

  both perfect and optimal cleaning of the same glass even with a reduced number of nozzles and therefore with a

  less consumption of detergent liquid.

  Mounting the mobile nozzle holder arm directly

  on the projector also makes it easier to mount the device

  cleaning solution, making any other pointing and / or nozzle adjustment operation superfluous. Indeed, when mounting the projector on the car the nozzles are

  already positioned with accuracy.

  The following description, next to the drawings

  appended by way of nonlimiting example, will make it possible

  understand how the invention can be put into practice.

  T e ff ure 1 is a street in perspective of the device

  - '-; -. > - 1 'r! T crte-nozzles in p -; -

  nozzle holder device in the working position, in which the jets of liquid leaving the nozzles are directed onto the glass

of the projector.

  In FIGS. 1 and 2 the reference 11 designates as a whole a headlamp for motor vehicles and the reference 12 the lens of this same headlamp. A reservoir 13 containing the detergent liquid 14 is connected through a tube 15 with the inlet 17 of an electric pump 16, to the

  outlet from which is connected a tube 19 which comes to

  sleeving in a three-way connector 20 to which a tube 21 and a tube 22 are connected. The tube 22 is in turn connected to a hydraulic actuator 23 constituted by an external body 24 and by a movable piston 25 provided with a rod 26 The reference 27 designates a lug for fixing the hydraulic actuator 23 to a support 28 provided on the Ilo headlamp. Furthermore, at one of the ends of the rod 26 is connected, by means of an axis 31, one of the ends of a lever 29 rotatably mounted on a pivot 30 provided on the support 28, the other end of the lever 29 being provided with a calibrated hole 32 in which is inserted the connector 33 of an arm 34, which in the present case is endowed

which -

  of an L-shape and on / are arranged nozzles 35 and 36. On the other hand, a helical spring 37 can be seen, the ends of which are connected respectively to the tab 27 and to the end of the rod 26, as well as '' a non-return valve 38 inserted between the tubing 21 and a tubing 39 itself

connected to connection 33 of arm 311.

  The device shown in the figures operates as follows. When the electrical supply is switched on, the pump 16 draws the detergent liquid 14 from the reservoir 13 and ejects it with a certain pressure through the outlet 18 which is connected to the hydraulic actuator 23 through the tube 19, the connector 20 and the tubing 224 Upon entering the housing 24, the pressurized liquid pushes

  the piston 25 and the rod 26 in opposition to the antagonistic action

  niste of the spring 37. The displacement of the rod 26 causes rotation about a certain angle around the pivot 30 of the lever 29, which lever 29 in turn turns the arm 34 which is integral with it. While the arm 34 is brought into its working position, the detergent liquid under pressure reaches, through the pipes 21 and 39, also the nozzles 35 and 36, to then be projected onto the glass 12 of the projector 11 by jets of high intensity and direct according to a predetermined inclination. The no valve

  return 38 inserted between the pipes 21 and 39 opens at--

  above a given pressure, avoiding that the liquid 14 from the reservoir 13 cannot continue to exit through the nozzles

and 36.

Claims (8)

  1. Device for cleaning the glass of a headlamp for motor vehicles by means of a pressurized liquid, comprising a reservoir (13) for the detergent liquid (14) and an electric pump (16) hydraulically connected to said reservoir and at least one outlet nozzle for said liquid, characterized in that it comprises a movable arm (34) which incorporates at least one nozzle (35, 36) and which is hydraulically connected to said reservoir, as well as means actuator kinematically connected to said arm for the   move between a rest position outside the border area   tale of the projector and a working position in which at least one nozzle (35, 36) incorporated in the arm (34) located in front of the projector (11).   2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the actuating means (23) is of the hydraulic type, actuated by the detergent liquid (14) itself in opposition to the antagonistic action exerted by means elastic (37).   3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that it comprises a three-way connection (20)   inserted in the hydraulic circuit, connected at the inlet to the discharge   Lement of said pump and at output of said hydraulic actuator   lique and said nozzle holder arm, respectively.   4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a non-return valve (38) inserted between said three-way connector (20) and said arm nozzle holder (34).   5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said nozzle holder arm (34) is supported by the projector (11) itself.   6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that on the projector (11) there has been provided a   support (28) for the nozzle holder arm (34) and for the action hydraulic neur (23).   7. Device according to claim 6, characterized - - s --- p r-t- (,) 1a. Mr; a: ra.trI sre, d Loeur!; C! __ _r * _, __ uppc t _e Xd a ,,, fié1 lrcpr-t (') f-panr letar t aue JI-dit ac LI pull draw is constituted by a hydraulic cylinder (23) whose stem   (26) is connected to said arm by a lever (29).   8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that when in the rest position said mQbile arm (34) is disposed near the lower edge   glass (12) from the headlight (11).