CONNECTING UNIT FOR WIPER ARM AND FLAT WIPER BLADE WITH THE SAME

• US 20130152330A1
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Published: 06/20/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Development Bank (Government of South Korea)
• Original Assignee: ADM 21 Company Limited (ADM21), In Kyu Kim
• Inventors: Kim, In Kyu, Nam, Kyung Jong
• Granted Patent: US 8,689,389 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 1/3867 pin formed on the interior of side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/40 Connections between blades and arms
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4003 Multi-purpose connections for two or more kinds of arm ends
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4048 the element being provided with retention means co-operating with the channel-shaped end of the arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/407 with means provided on the arm for locking the side pin

Abstract

A connecting unit for a flat wiper blade is provided. The connecting unit separably connects the flat wiper blade to a wiper arm having one of the following: a first coupling element including a top plate and a pair of side plates having a concave portion at a rear end; a second coupling element including a top plate and a pair of side plates; and a third coupling element including a side pin and a clip arm. The connecting unit has a bracket fixed to a frame of the flat wiper blade and an adaptor. The adaptor is pivotally mounted on the bracket via a pivot shaft of the bracket. The adaptor has first to third fixing devices separably fixing the adaptor to the first to third coupling elements respectively. The flat wiper blade is connected to the wiper arms via the adaptor.

Claims

1. A connecting unit (200) for separably connecting a flat wiper blade (100) to a wiper arm (1, 1′

, 2, 3) having one of the following at a distal end;

a first coupling element (10, 10′

) including a top plate (11, 11′

) and a pair of side plates (12a, 12b, 12a′

, 12b′

) having concave portions (14a, 14b, 14a′

, 14b′

) at a rear end;

a second coupling element (20) including a top plate (21) and a pair of side plates (22a, 22b); and

a third coupling element (30) including a side pin (31) and a clip arm (32), the connecting unit comprising;

a bracket (210) fixed to a frame (120) of a flat wiper blade, the bracket having a pivot shaft (213); and

an adaptor (220) with a pair of sidewall portions (221) each having a pivot hole (224a), the adaptor being pivotally mounted on the bracket as both ends of the pivot shaft are fitted to the pivot holes,

wherein the adaptor includes;

a first fixing device (225, 226a, 226b, 230, 234) configured to fix the side plate of the first coupling element to an outer surface (221a) of the sidewall portion and fix at least a portion of the top plate of the first coupling element relative to an upper end (221b) of the sidewall portion;

a second fixing device (227, 228, 229) configured to permit fitting between the side plates of the second coupling element and the sidewall portions and lock a lower end of the side plate of the second coupling element to the sidewall portion; and

a third fixing device (221a, 221b, 224b) configured to pivotally bear the side pin of the third coupling element parallel to an axis extending through the pivot holes and fix the clip arm of the third coupling element relative to the sidewall portion,

wherein the first fixing device comprises;

a pivot pin (226a) formed at a rear end of the sidewall portion and configured to be fitted to the concave portion of the first coupling element;

a lug (226b) formed in the sidewall portion opposite to the pivot pin, a front end of the side plate of the first coupling element being contactable to the lug;

a cover (230) pivotally attached to a front end of the sidewall portion and configured to cover at least a portion of the first coupling element; and

a cover fixing device (225, 234) configured to separably fix the cover to the adaptor to lock at least the portion of the top plate of the first coupling element relative to the upper end of the sidewall portion,

wherein the cover fixing device comprises;

a locking notch (234) located at a lower edge of the cover and having a first engagement surface (234b); and

a latch (225) extending from the sidewall portion and being flexible, the latch having a second engagement surface (225c) engageable to the first engagement surface at a front end, and

wherein when the cover is pivoted to the adaptor and the first and second engagement surfaces engage each other, the cover fixes the top plate of the first coupling element relative to the upper edge of the sidewall portion.

4. The connecting unit of claim 1, wherein the locking notch includes a pressure surface (234c) adjoining the first engagement surface and the latch includes a contact surface (225d) adjoining the second engagement surface, and

wherein when the cover is pivoted to the adaptor, the pressure surface and the contact surface contact each other to allow the latch to flex relative to the sidewall portion.

5. The connecting unit of claim 1, wherein the latch includes a second stopper surface (225b) adjoining the second engagement surface at a top surface and the locking notch includes a first stopper surface (234a) adjoining the first engagement surface and contacting the second stopper surface.

6. The connecting unit of claim 1, wherein the sidewall portion has a stopper (228) configured to abut the lower end of the side plate of the second coupling element, and

wherein the latch extends from the stopper.

7. The connecting unit of claim 1, wherein the adaptor includes a seat surface (222a) connecting the upper ends of the sidewall portions, the top plate of the first coupling element being placed on the seat surface, and

wherein when the cover is pivoted to the adaptor and the first and second engagement surfaces engage each other, the cover fixes the top plate of the first coupling element fixes relative to the seat surface.

8. The connecting unit of claim 1, wherein the second fixing device comprises a slide rail (227) formed on the outer surface of each sidewall portion and being fitted to an inner surface of the side plate of the second coupling element.

9. The connecting unit of claim 8, wherein the second coupling element includes a stopper portion (23a, 23b) protruding from the lower end of each side plate, and

wherein the second fixing device further comprises:

a stopper (228) protruding from the slide rail and configured to abut a front end of the stopper portion; and

a latching lever (229) formed at a rear end of one of the sidewall portions and configured to elastically latch a rear end of the stopper portion.

10. The connecting unit of claim 1, wherein the third fixing device comprises:

a bearing aperture (224b) formed in each sidewall portion so as to be located in an axis parallel to the axis extending through the pivot holes, the side pin of the third coupling element being insertable to the bearing aperture, and

the outer surface of one of the sidewall portions, the clip arm snap-engaging the outer surface.

11. The connecting unit of claim 10, wherein the cover is pivotally attached to the front end of the sidewall portion in a direction perpendicular to the axis extending through the pivot holes, and

wherein the cover has a raised portion (233) which a portion of the third coupling element contacts.

12. The connecting unit of claim 1, wherein the frame has a pair of notches (123) at opposed edges,

wherein the bracket includes a pair of holding claws (211f) and an engaging protrusion (211e) at each of lower opposed edges, and

wherein the edges of the frame lie on the holding claws and the notch and the engaging protrusion engage each other.

13. A flat wiper blade comprising:

a wiper strip (110);

a frame (120) configured to hold and support the wiper strip;

first and second spoilers (130, 140) configured to be joined to the frame by fitting engagement; and

the connecting unit (200) according to claim 1, the connecting unit being coupled to the frame between the first and second spoilers.

14. The flat wiper blade of claim 13, wherein the first spoiler and the bracket (210) of the connecting unit engage each other and the second spoiler and the bracket engage each other.

2-3. -3. (canceled)