WINDSHIELD WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLY

• US 20120180245A1
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dongguan Hongyi Wiper Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Dongguan Hongyi Wiper Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: KU, Yuan-Chin
• Granted Patent: US 8,510,898 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/250.32
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3801 characterised by a blade support harness consisting of several articulated elements B60S1/3803, B60S1/3806 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3815 chacterised by the joint between elements

Abstract

A windshield wiper blade assembly comprises: an elastic wiper blade; first and second housings secured to and covering a top end of the wiper blade and made from a plastic material; and a middle housing disposed between the first and second housings and having two end segments and a middle segment extending between the end segments. The end segments of the middle housing cover and are secured to the top end of the wiper blade at the end sections of the middle portion, respectively, and have ends in contact with ends of the first and second housings, respectively. The middle segment defines a frame space for extension of a connecting piece therein and includes a skeleton and a plastic molding layer molded over the skeleton.

Claims

1. A windshield wiper blade assembly adapted to be connected to a wiper arm through a connecting piece, said windshield wiper blade assembly comprising:

an elastic wiper blade having first and second end portions and a middle portion extending between said first and second end portions, said middle portion having two end sections and a middle section extending between said end sections;

elongate first and second housings secured to and covering a top end of said wiper blade at said first and second end portions of said wiper blade, respectively, and made from a plastic material; and

an elongate middle housing disposed between said first and second housings and having two end segments and a middle segment extending between said end segments, said end segments of said middle housing covering and being secured to said top end of said wiper blade at said end sections of said middle portion of said wiper blade, respectively, and having ends in contact with ends of said first and second housings, respectively, said middle segment defining a frame space for extension of the connecting piece therein and including a skeleton and a plastic molding layer molded over said skeleton.

2. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 1, wherein said skeleton includes elongate first and second beam-forming plates spaced apart from each other by said frame space, said plastic molding layer being molded over said first and second beam-forming plates.

3. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 2, wherein said skeleton further includes two interconnecting plates spaced apart from each other and interconnecting said first and second beam-forming plates, said plastic molding layer being molded over said interconnecting plates.

4. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 1, wherein said plastic molding layer is made of said plastic material.

5. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second housings and said end segments of said middle housing has a generally inverted U-shaped cross section.

6. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 5, wherein each of said first and second housings defines an inner chamber therein and is formed with first and second clamping means that cooperatively define a clamping gap therebetween, said first clamping means being disposed outwardly of said inner chamber, said second clamping means extending into said inner chamber, said top end of said wiper blade at each of said first and second end portions of said wiper blade extending through said clamping gap in a respective one of said first and second housings and being clamped between said first and second clamping means.

7. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 1, wherein said skeleton is made from a metal.

8. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 2, wherein each of said first and second beam-forming plates is formed with a plurality of through-holes, said plastic molding layer extending into said through-holes.

9. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 3, wherein said interconnecting plates interconnect top ends of said first and second beam-forming plates, said skeleton further including two L-shaped plates extending upwardly from said interconnecting plates, respectively, and disposed outwardly of said frame space, each of said L-shaped plates being formed with an aperture disposed above and aligned with a respective one of said interconnecting plates, said plastic molding layer being molded over said L-shaped plates and extending through said aperture.

10. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 1, wherein said skeleton includes an elongate beam-forming plate and a pair of L-shaped plates extending from said beam-forming plate and opposite to each other along the length of said skeleton, said plastic molding layer being molded over said beam-forming plate and said L-shaped plates, and having a base wall, and a side wall formed on said beam-forming plate and extending upwardly from one side of said base wall.

11. The windshield wiper blade assembly of claim 2, wherein said first and second beam-forming plates have top and bottom ends, said bottom ends of said first and second beam-forming plates being disposed at the same level, said top end of said first beam-forming plate having a height greater than that of said top end of said second beam-forming plate, said plastic molding layer having a base wall, and first and second side walls formed on said first and second beam-forming plates and extending upwardly from two opposite sides of said base wall, each of said first and second side walls of said plastic molding layer having a top end and a middle section, said top end of said middle section of said first wall having a height relative to said base wall that is greater than that of said top end of said middle section of said second wall.