Vehicle windscreen wiper comprising an arm and an articulating connector

• US 20060248675A1
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Published: 11/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Valeo Systemes D'Essuyage (Valeo SE)
• Original Assignee: Valeo Systemes D'Essuyage (Valeo SE)
• Inventors: Rollet, Sébastien, Fely, Christophe, Vacher, Pascal
• Application Number:
  US10/535,534
• Publication Number:
  US 20060248675A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/250.320
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3849 Connectors therefor; Connection to wiper arm; Attached to blade
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3868 pin formed on the exterior of side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4038 for arms provided with a channel-shaped end
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4041 the channel-shaped end comprising a pivot pin mounted between the side walls

Abstract

A vehicle windscreen wiper comprising an arm and an articulation connector

The invention proposes a motor vehicle windscreen wiper which comprises a wiper blade (20) mounted so as to be articulated at the front longitudinal end (22a)

• • of a wiper arm (22) about a horizontal transverse axis (A) by means of a connector (24),
  • of the type in which the means of articulation of the connector (46a, 46b) with the end (22a) of the arm (22) comprise at least one pivot (56) with a transverse axis which extends transversely from a first associated support element (58) and which is able to be received in a complementary housing (62) in an associated second support element (60),
  • characterised in that the end (22a) of the arm (22) comprises means (52, 84) of longitudinal positioning of the connector distinct from the articulation means.

Claims

1. A motor vehicle wiper which comprises a wiper blade mounted so as to be articulated at a front longitudinal end of a wiper arm about a transverse articulation axis by means of a connector,

wherein the connector comprises a connector body that is roughly horizontal and whose bottom face carries hooks for fixing to a structural element of the wiper blade which carries a wiper rubber of the wiper blade,

wherein a top face of the connector body carries means of articulation with an end of the wiper arm about the transverse articulation axis,

wherein the end of the wiper arm comprises a web which extends substantially horizontally above the connector and which carries the means of articulation of the connector about the transverse articulation axis,

wherein the means of articulation of the connector with the end of the wiper arm comprise at least one pivot with a transverse axis coaxial with the transverse articulation axis, which extends transversely from a lateral face of a first associated support element belonging to one of the end of the wiper arm and the connector, and which is able to be received in a complementary housing produced in a second associated support element belonging to the other of the connector and the end of the wiper arm,

wherein at least one of the first support element and the second support element comprises elastically deformable elements to allow the introduction of the pivot into the complimentary housing and cause the automatic radial locking of the pivot in the complimentary housing,

wherein the first support element is produced in one piece by moulding from plastics material with one of the wiper arm and the connector and the second support element is produced in one piece by moulding from plastics material with the other of the wiper arm and the connector, and

wherein the end of the wiper arm comprises means for the longitudinal positioning of the connector distinct from the articulation means.

2. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal positioning means extend substantially transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm.

3. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the longitudinal positioning means comprise two vertical transverse ribs which connect two lateral cheeks of the end of the wiper arm and which are distributed longitudinally with respect to the web of the wiper arm so that the connector extends longitudinally between the transverse ribs when the connector is in position mounted between the cheeks of the end of the wiper arm.

4. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 3, wherein the connector comprises a ramp portion which is able to cooperate with a bottom edge of a rib in order to position the connector longitudinally before the introduction of the pivot into the complimentary housing.

5. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the connector and wiper arm comprise means of limiting the magnitude of the pivoting of the wiper blade, and of the connector, with respect to the wiper arm, about the transverse articulation axis.

6. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 5, wherein the connector comprises at least one rib, the top surface of which comes into abutment against a bottom face of the web of the end of the wiper arm for an extreme angular position of the wiper blade with respect to the wiper arm.

7. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 5, wherein at least one transverse rib of the wiper arm extends vertically downwards so that a top face of the wiper rubber comes into abutment against a bottom edge of the rib, for an extreme angular position of the wiper blade with respect to the wiper arm.

8. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the second support element comprises an elastic clamp whose internal faces opposite branches of the elastic clamp each comprises a concave portion which partly delimits the complimentary housing and the branches of which are overall articulated about a transverse axis so as to separate to allow the introduction of the pivot into the complimentary housing.

9. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 8, wherein the branches of the elastic clamp extend roughly vertically so that the pivot is able to be introduced vertically into the complimentary associated housing.

10. The motor vehicle wiper according to any one of claim 1, wherein the second support element consists of a vertical longitudinal cheek which comprises a transverse orifice with a circular cross section delimiting the complimentary housing.

11. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 10, wherein the cheek comprises a ramp portion which extends from a free longitudinal edge of the cheek as far as the transverse orifice, on which the pivot rests when introduced into the complimentary housing, to deform the elastically deformable elements.

12. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 11, wherein the cheek is elastically deformable.

13. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 11, wherein a free end of the pivot is bevelled and is able to cooperate with the ramp portion of the cheek when the pivot is introduced into the complimentary housing.

14. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the second support element comprises a vertical longitudinal lateral face with which there cooperates a facing vertical longitudinal face belonging to the first support element for the rotational guidance of the connector with respect to the front end of the wiper arm.

15. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the second support element comprises a vertical longitudinal lateral face that cooperates with a facing vertical longitudinal guide face belonging to a rib for the rotational guidance of the connector with respect to a front end of the wiper arm.

16. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 14, wherein the second support element comprises an elastic clamp whose internal faces opposite branches of the elastic clamp each comprises a concave portion which partly delimits the complimentary housing and the branches of which are overall articulated about a transverse axis so as to separate to allow the introduction of the pivot into the complimentary housing, and wherein the second support element comprises at least one vertical longitudinal cheek, a lateral face of which opposite the first support element projects transversely with respect to the elastic clamp in order to form a surface for guiding in rotation.

17. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 16, wherein the connector comprises two vertical longitudinal cheeks distributed longitudinally on each side of the elastic clamp, and wherein the lateral faces of the cheeks form guide surfaces that extend longitudinally on each side of the connector body.

18. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 16, wherein the first support element and the rib are distributed transversely on each side of the second support element.

19. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the first support element is an element of the connector, and in that the second support element is a part of the end of the wiper arm.

20. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 19, wherein the second support element comprises a vertical longitudinal lateral face that cooperates with a facing vertical longitudinal guide face of a rib for the rotational guidance of the connector with respect to a front end of the wiper arm, and wherein the rib is a part of the connector.

21. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the first support element is an element of the end of the wiper arm, and the second support element is a part of the connector.

22. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 21, wherein the second support element comprises a vertical longitudinal lateral face that cooperates with a facing vertical longitudinal guide face of a rib for the rotational guidance of the connector with respect to a front end of the wiper arm, and wherein the rib is a part of the end of the wiper arm.

23. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 1, wherein the connector and the end of the wiper arm are each symmetrical with respect to the same vertical longitudinal mid-plane, so that the connector comprises one of two first support elements and two second support elements, and the end of the wiper arm comprises the other of the two second support elements and the two first support elements.

24. The motor vehicle wiper according to claim 23, wherein the second support element comprises a vertical longitudinal lateral face that cooperates with a facing vertical longitudinal guide face of a rib for the rotational guidance of the connector with respect to a front end of the wiper arm, wherein the rib is a part of the connector, and wherein the rib is arranged transversely between two second support elements.