WINDSCREEN WIPER DEVICE

• US 20090064440A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trico Belgium SA
• Original Assignee: Federal-Mogul SA (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boland, Xavier
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/250.480
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/381 Spoilers mounted on the squeegee or on the vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3889 cooperating with holes in the vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3822 characterised by additional means to prevent longitudinal sliding of squeegee in support, e.g. clips

Abstract

A windscreen wiper device comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade (2) of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes opposing longitudinal grooves on its longitudinal sides, in which grooves spaced-apart longitudinal strips (4) of the carrier element are disposed, wherein neighboring ends of said longitudinal strips are interconnected by a respective connecting piece (G), which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device (7) for an oscillating wiper arm (8), with the special feature that said wiper blade is detachably connected to said longitudinal strips, wherein said wiper blade can freely slide along said longitudinal strips between a first position, wherein said wiper blade is retained onto said longitudinal strips, and a second position, wherein said wiper blade is disconnected from said longitudinal strips in order to be replaced or repaired.

Claims

1. A windscreen wiper device (1) comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade (2) of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade (2) includes opposing longitudinal grooves (3) on its longitudinal sides, in which grooves (3) spaced-apart longitudinal strips (4) of the carrier element are disposed, wherein neighboring ends (5) of said longitudinal strips (4) are interconnected by a respective connecting piece (6), which windscreen wiper device (1) comprises a connecting device (7) for an oscillating wiper arm (8), characterized in that said wiper blade (2) is detachably connected to said longitudinal strips (4), wherein said wiper blade (2) can freely slide along said longitudinal strips (4) between a first position, wherein said wiper blade (2) is retained onto said longitudinal strips (4), and a second position, wherein said wiper blade (2) is disconnected from said longitudinal strips (4) in order to be replaced or repaired, and wherein said connecting pieces (6) are provided with a stop surface (10) in order to block a relative movement of the wiper bade (2) along the strips (4) inside said connecting pieces (6) during use.

2. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said longitudinal strips (4) comprises a recess (17) at the location of its interior longitudinal edge (12), and wherein said wiper blade (2) can be slidably connected to or disconnected from said longitudinal strips (4) through said recess (17).

3. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 2, wherein each longitudinal strip (4) comprises a recess (17) at the location of its interior longitudinal edge (12) so that opposing recesses (17) form an aperture (18), and wherein said wiper blade (2) can be slidably connected to or disconnected from said longitudinal strips (4) through said aperture (18).

4. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein at least one connecting piece (6) comprises engaging members (15) engaging around said longitudinal strips (4) so that said longitudinal strips (4) are mounted in grooves (16) formed by said engaging members (15), wherein said longitudinal strips (4) and said connecting piece (6) are slidably connected by means of a snap connection, and wherein in the first position of said wiper blade (2) a free end (19) of said wiper blade (2) is adjacent to a stop surface (10) of said connecting piece (6).

5. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 4, wherein the snap connection comprises laterally extending means on said longitudinal strips (4).

6. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 5, wherein said laterally extending means comprise at least one protrusion (11) extending laterally from a longitudinal edge (12) of each longitudinal strip (4), said protrusion (11) being located between stops (13) on said connecting piece (6).

7. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said laterally extending means comprise at least two stops extending laterally from a longitudinal edge (12) of each longitudinal strip (4), said stops being located on opposite sides of a protrusion on said connecting piece (6).

8. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein said laterally extending means extend laterally from the interior longitudinal edge (12) of each longitudinal strip (4).

9. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein said laterally extending means extend laterally from the exterior longitudinal edge of each longitudinal strip (4).

10. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 4 through 9, wherein the engaging members (15) are integral with said connecting piece (6).

11. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1 through 10, wherein a spoiler (9) is provided, and wherein said spoiler (9) is retained onto said longitudinal strips (4).

12. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 11, wherein said spoiler (9) comprises engaging members engaging around the longitudinal strips (4) so that said strips (4) are mounted in grooves formed by said engaging members.

13. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 12, wherein the engaging members of said spoiler (9) are integral with said spoiler (9).

14. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to any of the preceding claims 1 through 13, wherein said connecting device (7) comprises engaging members engaging around the longitudinal strips (4) so that said strips (4) are mounted in grooves formed by said engaging members.

15. A windscreen wiper device (1) according to claim 14, wherein the engaging members of said connecting device (7) are integral with said connecting device (7).