Wiper blade for cleaning motor vehicle windows

• US 20030014828A1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Grandel, Michael, Edner-Walter, Bruno, Blumenstock, Oliver, Lenzen, Oliver
• Granted Patent: US 7,523,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/250.201
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3806 Means, or measures taken, for influencing the aerodynamic quality of the wiper blades
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/381 Spoilers mounted on the squeegee or on the vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3875 rectangular section
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3818 the backing strip being a channel-like element, e.g. not continuous
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper blade for a wiper system for wiping motor vehicle windows. The inventive wiper blade comprises a wiper blade rubber squeegee, which has a wiping lip that faces the window, a rear part that faces away from the window, and a tilting connecting element that joins the wiping lip to the rear part. The wiper blade also comprises a strip-like elastic supporting element, or at least one spring rail, which stabilizes the wiper blade rubber squeegee. Said supporting element can be joined to a wiper arm which can be transversally driven with regard to the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade and which can be tensioned against the window. The wiper blade is additionally provided with a casing or covering which surrounds, at least in sections, the rear part and the supporting element or the at least one spring rail. The invention is characterized in that the casing is provided with a streamlined form, surrounds the rear part, and when viewed in a direction parallel to the window and of the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade, covers the tilting connecting element or in that the covering is held on the at least one spring rail.

Claims

1. Wiper blade (101) for a wiping device for wiping vehicle windows having a wiper rubber (102), which has a wiper lip (103) facing the glass, a back part (104) facing away from the glass and a hinge connecting the wiper lip (103) to the back part (104), having a stabilizing, strip-like, resiliently flexible supporting element (107) which can be connected to the wiper arm and having a casing (108) enclosing the back part (104) and the supporting element (107) at least in sections, characterized in that the casing (108) is aerodynamically shaped, encloses the supporting element (107) and the back part (104) in the longitudinal extension of the wiper and blade (101), and when seen in a view (109) directed parallel to the window along the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade (101) covers the hinge (105).

2. Wiper blade (101) from claim 1, wherein the casing (108) also covers the part (112) of the wiper lip (103) facing away from the glass.

3. Wiper blade (101) from claims 1 and 2, wherein the casing (108) has a largely elliptical cross section.

4. Wiper blade (101) from one of the preceding claims, wherein the casing (108) at least in sections has surface texturing to reduce aerodynamic drag.

5. Wiper blade (101) from claim 4, wherein the surface texturing has spherical segment-shaped dimples.

6. Wiper blade (101) from one of the preceding claims, wherein the casing (108) has a turbulence generator on the windward side.

7. Wiper blade (101) from one of the preceding claims, wherein the wiper lip (103) with hinge (105) is located to flex in a direction running orthogonally to the glass.

8. Wiper blade (101) from claim 7, wherein the back part (104) has a membrane area to locate the wiper lip (103) flexibly.

9. Wiper blade (101) from claim 8, wherein the membrane area is formed by at least one cavity (117) present in the back part (104).

10. Wiper blade (101) from claim 9, wherein the wall thickness (118) between the cavity (117) and the side of the back part (104) facing toward the wiper lip (103) corresponds roughly to the wall thickness of the hinge (105).

11. Wiper blade (101) from one of the preceding claims, wherein the casing (108) possesses intrinsic stability which stabilizes the wiper blade (1) in its entirety and counteracts any plastic deformation of the supporting element (107).

12. Wiper blade (101) from one of the preceding claims, wherein the casing (108) also encloses the open ends of the supporting element (107) and of the back part (104).

13. Wiper blade (101) from one of the claims 1-11, wherein the casing (108) has end caps at its open ends.

14. Wiper blade (101) from one of the preceding claims, wherein the side of the supporting element (107) facing the back part (104) is bonded to the side of the back part (104) facing the supporting element (107).

15. Wiper blade (101) from one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting element (104) is a spring metal element and the casing (108) is a plastic element.

16. Wiper blade (101) from one of the preceding claims, wherein the supporting element (104) is coated, specifically plastic coated.

18. Wiper blade from claim 17, wherein the cover (11, 11a, 11b, 11c) also covers the at least one spline.

19. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (11, 11a, 11b, 11c) is retained by engaging the at least one spline (3, 4;

21).

20. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (11, 11a, 11b, 11c) has recesses (14, 15) which the at least one spline (3, 4;

21) engages with its outwardly lying longitudinal edges (3″

, 4″

).

21. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover is furnished on its underside facing the underside of the wiper strip (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) with a concavity (13, 13a, 13b, 13c) in which the wiper strip (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) is at least partially accommodated.

22. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims, wherein two separate splines (3, 4) are provided, each of which engages a longitudinal groove (9) in the wiper strip (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) and projects from this groove beyond the specific side of the wiper strip.

24. Wiper blade from claim 23, wherein the spline (21) forms spline sections (21′

) on both sides of at least one slot (22).

25. Wiper blade from claim 24, wherein the spline sections (21′

) are each accommodated in a longitudinal groove (9) in the wiper strip (2, 2a, 2b, 2c,) and wherein the slot (22) in the spline (21) is at least partially occupied by the material of the wiper strip (2, 2a, 2b, 2c).

26. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (11) is configured like a cap, preferably with a concavely curved top side.

27. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (11b) has an external contour corresponding in cross section to a water drop or to part of a water drop.

29. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (11, 11b, 11c) has a strip-like section (16, 16a, 16b) on at least one longitudinal side of the wiper blade (1, 1b, 1c) projecting beyond the underside of the cover.

30. Wiper blade from claim 29, wherein the strip-like section (16) is configured as a spoiler on an outer surface facing away from the wiper strip or is furnished with a spoiler surface (16′

).

31. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims, wherein the cover (11, 11a, 11b, 11c) is produced from a flexible material, for example from flexible plastic.

17. Wiper blade (1) for cleaning vehicle windows, specifically motor vehicles, having an elongate wiper strip (2) of a flexible rubber material which is produced in a single piece in the area of its underside with at least one wiper lip (7) which can be pressed against the vehicle window, as well as with at least one spline (3, 4, 21) extending in the longitudinal direction (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) of the wiper lip and retained against said lip, said spline projecting with at least one outwardly lying longitudinal edge (3″

, 4″

) beyond one longitudinal side of the wiper strip, characterized in that a cover (11, 11a, 11b, 11c) is retained on the at least one spline (3, 4) covering the wiper strip (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) on its upper side facing away from wiper lip (7).

23. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims 17-21, wherein a single spline (21) is provided, which projects with each of two longitudinal edges beyond a longitudinal side of the wiper strip (2, 2a, 2b, 2c) and wherein the cover (11, 11a, 11b, 11c) is retained on both longitudinal edges of the spline (21).

28. Wiper blade from one of the preceding claims 17-28, wherein the cover (11c) is configured on its top side as a spoiler with at least one spoiler surface.