WINDSHIELD WIPER

• US 20120030894A1
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Published: 02/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rally Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rally Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Garrastacho, Eddie, HUSSAINI, Saied
• Granted Patent: US 8,495,787 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 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3881 in additional element, e.g. spoiler
• 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

Abstract

A windshield wiper comprises a wiper blade including a squeegee portion for contacting a surface and a body supporting the squeegee portion. A primary spline is engaged with the body and has a first closed end and a second open end. A support structure is provided to attach the wiper to a wiper arm on a vehicle. At least one spoiler is slidingly disposed on the primary spline above the secondary spline. A secondary spline is slidingly disposed between the body and the support structure, whereby the secondary spline is retained in place by caps disposed at the first and second ends of the primary spline. The secondary spline is removably disposed between said wiper blade and said support structure and retained in place by end caps.

Claims

1. A windshield wiper comprising:

a wiper blade including a squeegee portion for contacting a surface and a body supporting said squeegee portion;

a primary spline engaged with said body, said primary spline having first and second ends;

a support structure capable of attaching to a wiper arm,

a secondary spline slidingly disposed between said body and said support structure,

wherein said secondary spline is retained in place by caps disposed at said first and second ends of said primary spline.

2. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said secondary spline is removably disposed between said wiper blade and said support structure.

3. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, further comprising at least one spoiler slidingly disposed on said primary spline and above said secondary spline.

4. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said primary and secondary splines are formed with a predefined radius of curvature.

5. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said primary spline comprises a pair of spring bars connected at a first end and open at a second end to facilitate ease of assembly of said wiper blade into said primary spline.

6. A windshield wiper according to claim 5, further comprising a closure clip connected at said second end of said primary spline to close said open end.

7. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said support structure is connected to said primary spline.

8. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said squeegee portion connects to said body via a web and said squeegee portion further comprises a base and a tip.

9. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, further comprising at least one end cap.

10. A windshield wiper comprising:

an elongated wiper blade having a squeegee portion for contacting a surface and a body portion connected to said squeegee portion;

a first spline contacting said body portion, said spline comprising a pair of spring bars connected at a first end and separated at a second end to facilitate ease of assembly of said first spline and said body portion;

a support structure capable of connecting wiper blade to a wiper arm, said support structure connected to said first spline;

an elongated second spline disposed between said wiper blade and said support structure.

11. The windshield wiper according to claim 10, wherein said second spline is slidingly disposed between said wiper blade and said support structure.

12. The windshield wiper according to claims 11, wherein said second spline is fixed in place relative to said first spline by a pair of caps fixedly disposed at each end of said first spline.

13. A wiper refill, comprising:

an elongated wiper blade having a squeegee for contacting a surface and a body supporting said squeegee, the body having two grooves running along the length thereof; and

an elongated spline having a longitudinal radius of curvature and a stiffness greater than said wiper blade,

wherein said elongated spline comprises a pair of spring bars connected at a first end and separated at a second end to facilitate ease of assembly of said elongated spline and said body portion.

14. A wiper refill according to claim 13, wherein said body comprises a top portion having a first width along a first end, a second width greater than said first width along a majority of said wiper blade body, and a third width less than said second width along a second end, wherein said second width at least as wide as said elongated spline.

15. A wiper refill according to claim 13, wherein said squeegee portion is pivotally connected to said wiper body via a web.