APPARATUS AND PROCESS FOR CONNECTING A WIPER BLADE TO A WIPER ARM

• US 20110113583A1
• Filed: 06/15/2009
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Original Assignee: Shell Oil Company (Shell Plc)
• Inventors: Vegesna, Rajam Raju, Shanmugham, Subramaniam, Venkata, Panduranga Rao Chirala
• Application Number:
  US12/999,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20110113583A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/250.32
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3867 pin formed on the interior of side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/387 the connector being suitable for receiving different types of adapter
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4038 for arms provided with a channel-shaped end
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4054 the intermediate element engaging the back part of the arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4058 comprising a separate locking element, e.g. in addition to an intermediate element
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

Abstract

An apparatus for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm (202), comprising a wiper blade adapter (2) and a locking tab (102) wherein the locking tab is releasably engageable with the wiper blade adapter such that when the locking tab releasably engages the wiper blade adapter at least a portion of the wiper arm is retained between the wiper blade adapter and the locking tab. A process for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, comprising releasably engaging a locking tab with a wiper blade adapter such that when the locking tab releasably engages the wiper blade adapter at least a portion of the wiper arm is retained between the wiper blade adapter and the locking tab.

Claims

1. An apparatus for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, comprising a wiper blade adapter and a locking tab wherein the locking tab is releasably engageable with the wiper blade adapter such that when the locking tab releasably engages the wiper blade adapter at least a portion of the wiper arm is retained between the wiper blade adapter and the locking tab.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wiper blade adapter comprises a first wall and a second wall and further wherein the adapter comprises a connector connecting the first wall and the second wall.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the wiper blade adapter further comprises a lock post.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the wiper blade adapter further comprises a lock post support.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a means for releasably engaging the locking tab with the wiper blade adapter.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the means for releasably engaging the locking tab with the wiper blade adapter are selected from the group consisting of groove-ring snap connections, ball-and-socket snap connections, and combinations thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the wiper blade adapter further comprises a first guiding slot and a second guiding slot.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the first guiding slot is located at the inner surface of the first wall and further wherein the second guiding slot is located at the inner surface of the second wall.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the locking tab comprises a base and a first wall extending up from the base.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the base comprises a first end and a second end.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein a first edge of the first wall of the locking tab is positioned at a distance from the first end of the base wherein the distance is nearly equal to the depth of a first guiding slot located at an inner surface of a first wall of the wiper blade adapter and further wherein a second edge of the first wall of the locking tab is positioned at a distance from the second end of the base wherein the distance is nearly equal to the depth of a second guiding slot located at an inner surface of a second wall of the wiper blade adapter.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the first wall of the locking tab comprises three sections.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wiper arm is an insert-and-lock wiper arm.

14. A process for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, comprising releasably engaging a locking tab with a wiper blade adapter such that when the locking tab releasably engages the wiper blade adapter at least a portion of the wiper arm is retained between the wiper blade adapter and the locking tab.

15. The process of claim 14 further comprising aligning a first end of a base of the locking tab with a first guiding slot located at an inner surface of a first wall of the wiper blade adapter and aligning a second end of the base of the locking tab with a second guiding slot located at an inner surface of a second wall of the wiper blade adapter.

16. The process of claim 15 further comprising inserting the first end of the base of the locking tab into the first guiding slot and inserting the second end of the base of the locking tab into the second guiding slot.

17. The process of claim 16 further comprising rotating the locking tab and releasably engaging a means for releasably engaging the locking tab with the wiper blade adapter.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein the means for releasably engaging the locking tab with the wiper blade adapter are selected from the group consisting of groove-ring snap connections, ball-and-socket snap connections, and combinations thereof.

19. The process of claim 14 wherein the wiper arm is an insert-and-lock wiper arm.

20. The process of claim 14 further comprising releasably engaging the wiper blade adapter with a wiper blade connector.