Wiper blade for cleaning panes, in particular of a motor vehicle

• US 20040098821A1
• Filed: 07/29/2003
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kraemer, Godelieve, Mayer, Juergen
• Granted Patent: US 7,228,588 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/250.201
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/381 Spoilers mounted on the squeegee or on the vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3877 embedded in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3836 characterised by cross-sectional shape

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper blade that cleans panes, in particular of motor vehicles. The wiper blade (10) comprises a strip-shaped, elongated, elastically resilient support element (12), the lower strip surface of which faces the pane (14) and is provided with an elongated, elastic wiper strip (24) running parallel to the longitudinal axis. The upper strip surface (16) of the element is provided with a wind deflector strip (42), which consists of an elastic material, extends in the longitudinal direction of the support element and has an oncoming stream surface (54) that faces the principal flow direction, (arrow 52), of the air stream. A particularly advantageous wiper blade, which is cost-effective to produce, can be achieved if the wind deflector strip, (when viewed in cross-section), comprises two limbs (48, 50), diverging from a common base (46) but mutually attached thereto, the free ends of said limbs facing the pane (14) and being supported on the wiper blade and if in addition, the oncoming stream surface (54) is configured on the external face of one limb (50) and the cross-sectional profile of the wind deflector strip is the same over its entire length.

Claims

1. A wiper blade (10) to clean windshields (14), in particular of automobiles, with an elongated belt-shaped, flexible spring support element (12), on the lower belt surface (22) of which that faces the windshield is located an elastic rubber wiper strip 24 sitting against the windshield that extends parallel to the longitudinal axis and on the upper belt surface (16) of which a wind deflection strip (24 or 112) is located that has an incident surface (54 or 140) facing the main flow direction of the driving wind (arrow 52), said deflection strip extending in the longitudinal direction of the support element, characterized in that the wind deflection strip has two sides (48, 50 or 136, 138) that diverge from a common base point (46 or 134) as seen in a cross section, that the incident surface (54 or 140) is located at the exterior of one side (50 or 138) and that the profile of the cross section of the wind deflection strip is the same along its entire length.

2. A wiper blade according to claim 1, characterized in that between the two sides (48, 50 or 136, 138) of the wind deflection strip (24 or 112) there is ate least one support means (58 or 144) located at a distance from their common base point (46 or 134) that stabilizes the sides.

3. A wiper blade according to claim 2, characterized in that the support means is made up of a wall (58 or 144) connected to both sides (48, 50 or 136, 138) that extends in the longitudinal direction of the wind deflection strip (42 or 112).

4. A wiper blade according to claim 3, characterized in that the wall (58 or 144) extends along the entire length of the wind deflection strip (42 or 112).

5. A wiper blade according to one of claims 2 through 4, characterized in that the support element (12) includes two flexible rails (36) each of which sits in a longitudinal notch (34) associated with it, respectively, said longitudinal notches being open toward the opposite lateral sides of the wiper strip (24), that the outer strip edges (38) of each of said flexible rails extend out of these notches, and that the support means (58 or 144) are positioned at a distance from the support element (12).

6. A wiper blade according to claim 5, characterized in that the free ends of the sides (48, 50) of the wind deflection strip (42) are each provided with claw-like extensions (56) that tightly grip around these exterior strip edges (38) of the support element (12) at least in sections.

7. A wiper blade according to one of claims 1 through 6, characterized in that the wind deflection strip (42) is designed as a binary component whose longitudinal area provided with the claw-like extensions (56) is made of a harder material than the longitudinal area lying closer to the base point (46).

8. A wiper blade according to claim 7, characterized in that the transition from the harder longitudinal area to the softer longitudinal area occurs near the wall (58).

9. A wiper blade according to one of claims 2 through 4, characterized in that the wind deflection strip (112) and the wiper strip (114) constitute a one-piece component (116) that is penetrated by a longitudinal channel (118) in which the support element (120) sits that is preferably designed as a one-piece flexible belt, and that the channel wall facing the upper belt surface (122) of the support element constitutes the support means located between the two sides (136, 138) of the wind deflection strip (144).

10. A wiper blade according to claim 9, characterized in that the wall surfaces of the longitudinal channel (118) facing the two belt surfaces (122) of the support element (120) are provided with longitudinal ribs (126) that sit against the belt surfaces (122).

11. A wiper blade according to one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that the component (116) has three longitudinal strip areas that are permanently connected to one another as seen in cross section, of which the wiper strip (114) can be pressed against the windshield (14) and is connected to a base strip (130) that contains the longitudinal channel (118), and that the wind deflection strip (112) is located at the side of the base strip that is opposite the wiper strip.

12. A wiper blade according to claim 11, characterized in that at least one of the strip areas (112, 114, 130) of the component (116) is made of a material whose hardness differs from the hardness of the material of the other strip areas.

13. A wiper blade according to claim 12, characterized in that the base strip (130) is made of a harder material than the wind deflection strip (112).

14. A wiper blade according to claim 13, characterized in that the transition from harder material to softer material occurs near the wall (144) of the longitudinal channel (118) facing the upper belt surface (122) of the support element (120).

15. A wiper blade according to on of claims 12 through 14, characterized in that the wiper strip (114) is made of a softer material than the base strip (130).

16. A wiper blade according to claim 15, characterized in that the transition from softer material to harder material occurs in the root (146) of the wiper strip (114).

17. A wiper blade according to one of claims 11 through 16, characterized in that the base strip (130) gets narrower in the direction of the wiper strip (114) as seen in a cross section.

18. A wiper blade according to one of claims 1 through 17, characterized in that a recess (65) is located in the center section, longitudinally, of the wind deflection strip (42 or 112) at which to place a device (18) to connect a drive wiper arm (20).

19. A wiper blade according to one of claims 1 through 18, characterized in that the wind deflection strip (42 or 112) is made of a flexible plastic.

20. A wiper blade according to one of claims 11 through 19, characterized in that the base strip (130) is made of a flexible plastic.