Wiper with a wind guide device

• US 5,647,088 A
• Filed: 11/01/1995
• Issued: 07/15/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ITT Automotive Europe GmbH (Xylem, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ITT Automotive Europe GmbH (Xylem, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bommer, Juergen, Waible, Siegfried, Schill, Eduard
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US08/551,682
• Time in Patent Office: 622 Days
• Field of Search: 15/250.201, 15/250.46, 15/250.31, 15/250.44, 15/250.43, 15/250.361, 15/250.351
• US Class Current: 15/250.201
• 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 1/3806 Means, or measures taken, for influencing the aerodynamic quality of the wiper blades
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3815 chacterised by the joint between elements

Abstract

A wiper which may be enhanced with a wind guide device in which the wiper has a support bracket system to accommodate and guide a wiper strip. Two subordinated brackets are positioned in a swivel bearing via a joint pin or joint bolt, resp., such that they may be rotated. The ends of the joint pin or the joint bolt, resp., project from the outside of the side walls of the primary bracket and form stop bars. The wind guide device is equipped with two mounting brackets which overreach the primary bracket in the range of the swivel bearing and may be attached reversibly on the stop bars while correspondingly designed recesses in the side walls of the mounting brackets accommodate the stop bars.

Claims

1. A windshield wiper assembly, said assembly comprising:

an elongated primary bracket for supporting a wiper strip, said primary bracket has opposed ends and is generally U-shaped in transverse cross-section to define a pair of side walls connected by a back wall, said sides walls define inner and outer surfaces, said primary bracket includes a pair of openings at each end;

a subordinate bracket pivotally attached to each end of the primary bracket wherein the primary bracket extends over at least a portion of each subordinate bracket, each subordinate bracket has a pair of openings therein;

a pair of joint pins pivotally couple, respectively, the subordinate brackets to the ends of the primary bracket by extending through the openings in the subordinate and primary brackets, each said pin is axially secured with respect to the brackets and has opposite ends which project outwardly from said outer surface of the primary bracket to define stop bars;

a wind guide device for imparting a wind force to the primary bracket, said wind guide device having support means for engaging the primary bracket, said support means includes at least one mounting bracket, said at least one mounting bracket is flexible and U-shaped in cross-section to define a pair of side walls connected by a back wall, said side walls and back wall of said at least one mounting bracket include inner and outer surfaces, each said inner surface of said side walls of said at least one mounting bracket includes a blind hole therein which defines a recess;

said at least one mounting bracket of said wind guide device is mounted on said primary bracket such that said blind holes receive opposite ends of one of said pins to thereby releasably hold the wind guide device to the primary bracket, the depth of the blind holes is such that the inside surface of the side walls of the mounting bracket abut the outside surface of the side walls of the primary bracket.

2. A windshield wiper assembly according to claim 1, wherein the recesses in the side walls of the at least one mounting bracket are aligned openings.

3. A windshield wiper assembly according to claim 1, wherein the recesses in the side walls of the at least one mounting bracket are which are complimentary to the stop bars.

4. A windshield wiper assembly according to claim 1, wherein the inner surfaces of the side walls of the at least one mounting bracket include insert grooves, said insert grooves extend from a lower edge of the side walls of the at least one mounting bracket to the recesses, the insert grooves define run-up bevels leading to the recesses.

5. A windshield wiper assembly according to claim 1, wherein further including mounting hooks on the wind guide device, said hooks may be slipped from over one of the sidewalls of the primary bracket facing the wind guide device in an area of an opening, that the mounting hooks are formed by two side walls, which are connected on their upper side by a narrow back while a distance between the insides of these side walls are adjusted to a thickness of the corresponding side wall of the primary bracket.

6. A windshield wiper assembly according to claim 5, wherein the side walls of one of the at least mounting bracket and the mounting hooks extend at least to a lower edge of one of the side walls of the primary bracket.

7. A windshield wiper assembly according to claim 5, wherein the wind guide device including mounting brackets and mounting hooks is produced as a single piece plastic part.

8. A windshield wiper assembly, said assembly comprising:

an elongated primary bracket for supporting a wiper strip, said primary bracket has opposed ends and is generally U-shaped in transverse cross-section to define a pair of side walls connected by a back wall, said sides walls define inner and outer surfaces, said primary bracket includes a pair of openings at each end;

a subordinate bracket pivotally attached to each end of the primary bracket wherein the primary bracket extends over at least a portion of each subordinate bracket, each subordinate bracket has a pair of openings therein;

a pair of joint pins pivotally couple, respectively, the subordinate brackets to the ends of the primary bracket by extending through the openings in the subordinate and primary brackets, each said pin is axially secured with respect to the brackets and has opposite ends which project outwardly from said outer surface of the primary bracket to define stop bars;

a wind guide device for imparting a wind force to the primary bracket, the wind guide device having support means for engaging the primary bracket, said support means includes at least one mounting bracket, said at least one mounting bracket is flexible and U-shaped in cross-section to define a pair of side walls connected by a back wall, said side walls and back wall of

said at least one mounting bracket include inner and outer surfaces, each said inner surface of said side walls of said at least one mounting bracket includes a recess therein, said inner surface of said back wall of said at least one mounting bracket is provided with a raised support surface;

said at least one mounting bracket of said wind guide device is mounted on said primary bracket such that said recesses receive opposite ends of one of said pins to thereby releasably hold the wind guide device to the primary bracket, said raised support surface engages a middle portion of the outer surface of the back wall of the primary bracket so that a remaining part of the outer surface of the back wall of the primary bracket is spaced from the inner surface of the back wall of the at least one mounting bracket.