Windshield wiper frame

• US 5,311,636 A
• Filed: 07/21/1992
• Issued: 05/17/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Albert Lee
• Original Assignee: Albert Lee
• Inventors: Lee, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Gerrity, Stephen F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US07/915,750
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 15/250.42, 15/250.35, 15/250.41, 15/250.36, 15/250.20
• US Class Current: 15/250.201
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3806 Means, or measures taken, for influencing the aerodynamic quality of the wiper blades

Abstract

A windshield wiper frame for use in a windshield wiper assembly for motor vehicles includes a pair of primary yokes, and a bridge member pivotally connected to the pair of primary yokes and having at least one elongated vane which extends downwardly and at a slant from the front wall of the bridge member. This windshield wiper assembly can efficiently wipe the convex surface of the windshield glass and extend the operational life thereof.

Claims

1. A windshield wiper assembly for a motor vehicle, which comprises:

a wiper arm attached to a body of said motor vehicle;

a windshield wiper frame comprising a bridge member attached to said wiper arm, said bridge member having a top surface, a front surface and a rear surface, said bridge member supporting a bendable lip which contacts a windshield glass of said motor vehicle, said bendable lip having two sides;

means for directing air flow to press said bridge member downwardly, said means for directing comprises at least one horizontally elongated vane extending downwardly and at a slant from said front surface of the bridge member; and

at least one horizontally elongated vane extending upwardly and at a slant from said top surface of the bridge member, the at least one upwardly extending vane being smoothly joined to the top surface of the bridge member, a plurality of holes being provided on the top of the bridge member, whereby the air flow over said bridge member is directed by said vane through said holes such that a balanced pressure is maintained on the two sides of said bendable lip and a downward force is exerted on the bridge member, a constant upward slant is provided from the top surface of the bridge member to the at least one upwardly extending vane such that an area between the plurality of holes on the top surface of the bridge member and the at least one upwardly extending vane is without any depressions, the area between the plurality of holes on the top surface of the bridge member and the at least one upwardly extending vane extending horizontally for a predetermined distance such that a gradual slope to the at least one upwardly extending vane is provided.

2. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one horizontally elongated vane extending upwardly comprises two horizontally elongated vanes which both extend upwardly.

3. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 1, wherein said horizontally elongated vane extending downwardly extends along substantially an entire length of said front surface of the bridge.

4. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 1, wherein said bridge has one of said downwardly extending horizontally elongated vanes and one of said upwardly extending horizontally elongated vanes.

5. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 1, wherein said bridge has two of said upwardly extending horizontally elongated vanes.

6. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one horizontally elongated vane extending downwardly extends from the top of the bridge member and the plurality of holes are spaced from the downwardly extending vane such that a portion of the top of the bridge member is positioned between the holes ad the downwardly extending vane.

7. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 6, wherein the bridge member has a shaft in a central portion thereof and an aperture defined in the central portion thereof, the central portion of the bridge member with the shaft and aperture being positioned between the plurality of holes in the top surface of the bridge member, an equal number of holes being provided on each side of the central portion of the bridge member and holes on each side of the central portion of the bridge member being uniformly spaced from the central portion of the bridge member.

8. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 7, wherein the holes are generally rectangular in shape and wherein three holes are provided on each side of the central portion of the bridge member.

9. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 1, wherein said horizontally elongated vane extending downwardly extends along substantially an entire length of said front surface of the bridge member.

10. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 1, wherein the bridge member has one of said downwardly extending horizontally elongated vanes and one of said upwardly extending horizontally elongated vanes.

11. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 1, wherein the bridge member has two of said upwardly extending horizontally elongated vanes.

12. A windshield wiper assembly for a motor vehicle, which comprises:

a wiper arm attached to a body of said motor vehicle;

a windshield wiper frame comprising an elongated bridge member attached to said wiper arm, said bridge member having a flat front surface and a flat rear surface which are generally parallel to one another, and a top surface connecting said front and rear surfaces, said bridge member supporting a bendable lip which contacts a windshield glass of said motor vehicle, said bendable lip having two sides; and

means for directing air flow to press said bridge member downwardly, said means for directing comprises two horizontally elongated vanes extending downwardly and at a slant from said front surface of the bridge member, a gap being provided between the two vanes, a portion of the air flow passing through the gap, the two vanes direct another portion of the air flow over said bridge member such that a downward force is exerted on the bridge member.

13. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 12, wherein the gap is positioned at the front surface of the bridge member generally at a center thereof.

14. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 12, wherein the two vanes are generally a same size and are generally longitudinally spaced an equal distance from a center of the bridge member with the gap being at the center of the bridge member.

15. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 12, further comprising at least one horizontally elongated vane extending upwardly and at a slant from the top surface of the bridge member, the at least one upwardly extending vane being smoothly joined to the top surface of the bridge member, a constant upward slant being provided from the top surface of the bridge member to the at least one upwardly extending vane such that the top surface of the bridge member and the at least one upwardly extending vane is without depressions, a gradual slope being provided between the top surface of the bridge member and the at least one upwardly extending vane.

16. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 12, wherein a plurality of holes are defined on the top surface of the bridge member, the two vanes extending downwardly from the top of the front surface of the bridge member, the plurality of holes being spaced from the two vanes such that a portion of the top surface of the bridge member is positioned between the holes and the two vanes.

17. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 16, wherein the bridge member has a shaft in a central portion thereof and an aperture defined in the central portion thereof, the central portion of the bridge member with the shaft and aperture being positioned between the plurality of holes in the top surface of the bridge member, an equal number of holes being provided on each side of the central portion of the bridge member and holes on each side of the central portion of the bridge member being uniformly spaced from the central portion of the bridge member.

18. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 17, wherein the holes are generally rectangular in shape and wherein three holes are provided on each side of the central portion of the bridge member.

19. The windshield wiper assembly of claim 12, further comprising at least one horizontally elongated vane extending upwardly and at a slant from said top surface of the bridge member.