SCOOTER OR THE LIKE

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DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a wiper device for scooters and the like and, more specifically, to a wiper device associated to a windshield for scooters which has an improved efficacy compared to wipers of the state of the art. The present invention also provides a windshield which incorporates such a device.

State of the art

Up to date, there are several known types of windshield wiper devices for scooters or the like, which are mounted such as the windshield accessory for the scooter. Such types of windshield wiper device all provide a brush mounted in an oscillating manner and connected kinematically to an electric motor, wherein the brush describes a circular segment motion on the surface of the windshield and in a manner per se already known, being analogous to that of the windshield wipers for automobiles.

An example of such types of wiper for scooters and the like are described in JPS59140148 (A) (published August 11, 1984 in the name ICHIKOH INDUSTRIES LTD) , and in JPH02200584 (A) (published August 8, 1990 in the name SUZUKI MOTOR CO.) .

Nevertheless, these types of wiper devices for scooters have some drawbacks .

A first drawback consists in the fact that they cannot be fitted on all types of windshield for scooters. So, some scooters are excluded from such use.

Moreover, a second drawback is the fact that the brush performing a sector-shaped motion, has a useful surface (i.e., the surface to be wiped) which is very limited with respect to the geometry of the windshield, and with respect to the transparent surface actually useful for the driver.

From this it follows that the driver does not make use of a wide clean surface even if a wider area of the windshield it is provided.

Furthermore, from US 2007/0234500 and US 6,530,110 Bl are known cleansing systems for truck's rear view mirrors, and which provide a longitudinal brush that is moved on the surface of the mirror according to a reciprocating movement of the mirror and in the longitudinal direction. With this aim there is provided a system of belts and pulleys arranged inside the casing of the rear view mirror, and where such belts drag the wiping brush with reciprocating motion onto the mirror surface. The brush slides inside guides which are arranged at the two opposite sides of the mirror. For the movement it is provided an electric motor housed in the mirror housing and coupled to the pulleys by means of transmission shaft and a speed reducer.

These cleansing systems although effective, have the drawback of being complicated and bulky structure, and must necessarily be accommodated in a single dedicated carter and which contains the mirror and the cleansing system.

Brief description of the invention

The object of the present invention is to solve the aforesaid drawbacks by providing a windshield wiper device for a scooter or similar, which device shows the possibility of being easily fitted to any shape of windshield and which provides a cleaning brush which runs a linear motion onto the surface of the windshield.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a windshield wiper device for a scooter or similar, which device is an integral part of the windshield, making in this way remarkably versatile and adaptable to any type of windshield for a motorcycle.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a windshield for a scooter or the like, which integrally incorporates a wiper device.

Therefore, the present invention provides a windshield wiper device for a scooter or the like substantially according to the appended claims.

Detailed description of the invention

A detailed description of two preferred embodiments of the windshield wiper device for a scooter or the like of the present invention it will now be given, by way of not limiting example and making reference to the appended figures, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a windshield that incorporates the wiper device for a scooter or similar, of the present invention and according to a first preferred embodiment thereof;

Figure 2 is a front view which schematically illustrates the windshield of Figure 1 and incorporating the first embodiment of the windshield wiper device of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a front view which schematically illustrates a windshield which incorporates a second embodiment of the wiper device of the present invention; and

Figure 4 is a schematic front view partially illustrating in detail and in longitudinal section of the windshield wiper device of the present invention and according to its first embodiment.

With reference now to Figure 1, it is illustrated therein a windshield 100 of a scooter, the windshield 100 incorporating the wiper device of the present invention.

According to the present invention, the device comprises a frame 1 which is substantially constituted by a rectangular quadrilateral. The frame 1 is fixedly mounted onto the outer surface 101 (i.e., the surface facing the front of the scooter) . Inside the frame 1 there is arranged a longitudinal cleaning brush 2 to clean the surface 101 of the windshield, the wiper 2 is arranged to slide in a linear manner onto the surface 101 and between two opposite sides of the rectangular frame 1.

For the movement of the brush 2 and according to this embodiment there is provided an electric motor 3 which is also mounted onto the windshield 100 at a corner region of the frame 1 (better illustrated hereinafter) . It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the electric motor 3 can be replaced also by a manual handle with appropriate transmission multiplier, and thus realizing an alternative manual embodiment and efficient as much as the motorized one here illustrated.

With reference now to Figure 2, there is illustrated therein a first preferred embodiment of the wiper device 1 mounted on the windshield 100.

As it is apparent from the figure, the wiper device comprises a rectangular frame 1 consisting of two opposite side members 11 having greater length than the other two opposite side members 12. The two opposite side members 11 of greater length are mounted according to the vertical direction of the windshield 100, while the side members 12 of shorter length are mounted according to the horizontal direction of the windshield 100.

According to the present invention, the cleansing brush 2 has a substantially elongated shape and it is slidably mounted at its ends inside of the opposite frame members 11 onto respective guides formed on each inner side of the frame members 11 (the guides not being shown in the figure but illustrated in more detail in the following) .

The electric motor 3 it is also mounted onto the windshield 100 via a fixing flange 30, integral with the frame 1 at a corner region of the frame (in the figure it corresponds to the lower region of the frame 1) .

As it is apparent from the figure, the arrangement is such that functioning of the electric motor 3 does perform a longitudinal excursion of the brush 2 from top to bottom of the windshield 100 and vice versa (i.e., vertically and as indicated by the arrows F in the figure) .

With reference now to Figure 3, there is illustrated therein a second preferred embodiment of the wiper device 1 mounted on the windshield 100.

For sake of clarity, like parts have the same numbers, and their detailed description will be omitted here because it already provided previously.

According to this second embodiment, there is provided that the brush 2 it is mounted in a longitudinally sliding manner on two opposite frame members 12, the arrangement is such that function of the motor 3 does perform a longitudinal excursion of the brush 2 from one side to the other side of the windshield 100, and vice versa (that is, horizontally and as indicated by the arrows F in the figure) .

With reference now to Figure 4, there is illustrated therein and in detail and partially the first embodiment of the windshield wiper device of the present invention.

As it is apparent from the figure, the frame members 11 each enclose inside a kinematic mechanism, which comprises a pair of pulleys 13 and a continuous flexible tie or belt 14. On the tie or belt 14 it is mounted in a fixed manner a bush 20, the bush 20 supporting the ends of the brush 2.

At a frame member 12 (in the figure, there is illustrated at upper frame 12) there is arranged inside a kinematic transmission 15 consisting of a pair of conical gears 16 which engage with the respective pulleys 13, and a shaft 17 connecting the conical gear 16, the shaft 17 being rotatably mounted on respective supports 18 arranged within the frame members 11.

At the electric motor 3 (i.e., at the lower left side of the frame 1 in the figure) there is provided the flange 30 for supporting the motor 3 onto the frame 1. The arrangement is such that the motor 3 kinematically engages the pinion 31 with a respective pulley 13, transmitting to the latter the motion.

As can be appreciated in the figure, following to the rotation of the pinion 31 of the motor 3, the rotation is transmitted to the engaged pulley 13. The rotation of the pulley 13 transmits the motion of the tie or belt 14, and therefore the rotation is transmitted to the pulleys 13 arranged at the opposite side of the frame 1 by means of the kinematic mechanism 15.

The motion of the tie or belt 14 moves the bush 20 inside the frames 11. The motion of the bush 20 it is equivalent to a longitudinal motion of the brush 2 (from the top down and / or vice versa, and according to the arrows F shown in the figure) . The wiper device of the present invention has several advantages .

A first advantage is given by the fact that the arrangement of the wiper device is such that it is suitable to be mounted on many shapes of windshield indifferently by the size of the latter.

Another advantage is given by the fact that the provision of the brush 2 of the wiper device is such that it is possible to make use of a cleaned area having a size larger than the wiper devices of the prior art and for the same dimensions of the windshield on which it is mounted.

A further advantage is given by the reliability and the effectiveness of cleansing that the device has with respect to wiper devices of the prior art. In fact, the motion of the brush 2 along a longitudinal trajectory shows a greater effectiveness of cleansing compared with the brushes moving in a circular sector and according to the state of the art devices .

Another advantage is given by the fact that the wiper device of the present invention can be operated either by electric motor or manually depending on the construction version .