WINDSHIELD WIPER ASSEMBLY

• US 3,751,754 A
• Filed: 06/05/1972
• Issued: 08/14/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1970
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lawrence L. Huver, William J. Quinlan
• Original Assignee: Lawrence L. Huver, William J. Quinlan
• Inventors: Huver, Lawrence L., Quinlan, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Feldman, Peter
• Application Number:
  US05/259,672
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 15/250.32,250.34,250.42,250.36,250.31
• US Class Current: 15/250.43
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/38 Wiper blades provided with liquid spreading means B60S1/524; provided with gas spreading means B60S1/546
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3851 Mounting of connector to blade assembly
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3877 embedded in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/40 Connections between blades and arms
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4064 the channel-shaped end being provided with protrusions on, or holes in, the side walls to create a pivot
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4067 for arms provided with a side pin
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3836 characterised by cross-sectional shape

Abstract

A wiper blade unit has fasteners extending through clearance apertures in an arm connector so that the blade unit may become laterally canted within limits relative to the arm connector in both wiping directions. The blade unit includes a resilient blade body having a crown portion with a cavity containing metallic leaf springs and a wiping portion beneath the crown portion including a narrow wiping lip and an intermediate body portion which is progressively narrower in cross section from the base of the crown portion in the direction of the wiping lip. A longitudinally extending hollow core which is capable of cross sectional deformation to correspondingly deform and vary the resiliency of the body portions surrounding the core as a function of changes in direction and pressure of wiping forces at the wiping lip is provided in the blade body spaced below the spring cavity and extending into the progressively narrower intermediate portion. Straps inserted into end portions of the cavity are provided with closure caps which abuttingly engage the leaf springs and prevent longitudinal movement of the springs relative to the blade body.

Claims

1. In a windshield wiper arm assembly, the combination of an elongated blade unit, an arm connector for said blade unit, an elongated support strip affixed to said arm connector and overlying said blade unit clearance apertures extending through said support strip, and fasteners provided on the blade unit and eXtending upwardly therefrom through said clearance apertures, said fasteners strip and having head means spaced above said support being sufficiently loose in said apertures whereby the blade unit may be laterally canted within limits relative to the connector.

2. In a windshield wiper assembly, the combination of an elongated blade unit, an arm connector for said blade unit, and fasteners provided on the blade unit and extending upwardly therefrom through clearance apertures in said arm connector, said fasteners being sufficiently loose in said apertures whereby the blade unit may be laterally canted within limits relative to the connector, said fasteners comprising shouldered rivets secured to said blade unit, the shoulders of said rivets being rockably disposed in said clearance apertures whereby to facilitate said canting of the blade unit relative to the connector.

3. In a windshield wiper assembly, the combination of an elongated blade unit, an arm connector for said blade unit, fasteners provided on the blade unit and extending upwardly therefrom through clearance apertures in said arm connector, said fasteners being sufficiently loose in said apertures whereby the blade unit may be laterally canted within limits relative to the connector, a mounting strip secured to said blade unit and having said fasteners mounted thereon, and a support strip carried by said connector, said support strip being provided with said clearance apertures in which said fasteners are rockably disposed to facilitate said canting of the blade unit relative to the connector.

4. The device as defined in claim 3 which is further characterized in that in each wiping direction of the assembly, said mounting strip and said support strip have corresponding leading and trailing edges, the trailing edges of the two strips being engageable with each other to limit the extent of canting of the blade unit relative to the connector.

5. The device as defined in claim 3 wherein said fasteners comprise shouldered rivets having their shoulders rockably disposed in said clearance apertures.

6. The device as defined in claim 3 which is further characterized in that said blade unit includes a blade body formed from resiliently flexible material, said body having a hollow crown portion and a lower wiping portion integral with the base of said crown portion, and metallic leaf spring means contained within said hollow crown portion, said mounting strip being superposed on the crown portion of the blade body and rigidly secured to said metallic leaf spring means.

7. The device set forth in claim 6 wherein said hollow crown portion defines a longitudinally extending cavity therein containing said leaf spring means, and said blade body includes a longitudinally extending, deformable hollow core spaced from and beneath said cavity and extending into said wiping portion.

8. The device set forth in claim 7 wherein said hollow core is normally of substantially T-shaped cross section.

9. The device set forth in claim 6 wherein said hollow crown portion defines a longitudinally extending cavity therein containing said leaf spring means, and said lower wiping portion includes a narrow wiping lip, an intermediate body portion connecting said wiping lip to the base of said crown portion, said intermediate body portion being progressively narrower in cross section from the base of said crown portion in the direction of said wiping lip, and a longitudinally extending, deformable hollow core provided in said blade body spaced from and beneath said cavity and extending into said intermediate body portion.

10. The device set forth in claim 9 wherein said hollow core is normally of substantially T-shaped section.

11. In a windshield wiper assembly, the combination of an elongated blade unit, an arm connector for said blade unit and fasteners provided on the blade unit and extending upwardly therefrom through clearance apertures in said arm connector said fasteners being sufficiently loose in said apErtures whereby the blade unit may be laterally canted within limits relative to the connector, said fasteners comprising rivets secured to said blade unit and rockably disposed in said clearance apertures whereby to facilitate said canting of the blade unit relative to the connector.