Wiper blade for windshields of motor vehicles

• US 5,970,569 A
• Filed: 12/01/1997
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Merkel, Wilfried, Kotlarski, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US08/973,408
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• Field of Search: 15/250.451, 15/250.452, 15/250.453, 15/250.32, 15/250.43, 15/250.361
• 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 1/3856 Gripping the blade
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee

Abstract

A wiper blade is proposed which is used for cleaning windshields of motor vehicles. The wiper blade has an elastic, elongated support element for an elongated wiper strip, made of flexible material, placed against the windshield to be wiped, which has on its longitudinal sides longitudinal grooves facing each other, in which runners, which are arranged at a distance from each other, of the support element are positioned, whose center section has a connecting device for a powered wiper arm, and wherein the cross section of the two longitudinal runners diminishes from their center area toward the end of the runners, wherein the two adjoining ends of the longitudinal runners are each connected in a single piece by means of a cross brace. A particularly process-oriented and assembly-friendly wiper blade results, if the longitudinal runners of the support element have an even thickness over their entire longitudinal extension and the width of the support element from its center area is reduced toward its two ends.

Claims

1. A wiper blade for windshields of motor vehicles, driveable by a powered wiper arm, the wiper blade comprising:

an elongated wiper strip composed of a flexible material and including a body with an upper surface thereon and a lip tiltably connected to said body for placement against a windshield to be wiped, said body having on longitudinal sides thereof, longitudinal grooves facing each other;

an elastic elongated support element provided for said elongated wiper strip and having a pair of longitudinal runners which are spaced at a distance from each other and inserted in said longitudinal grooves, said support element being preloaded to define a continuous curve between opposing ends thereof, said support element having a center section with a connecting device attached thereto for coupling with said powered wiper arm, each said longitudinal runner having a transverse cross-section which beginning at its center diminishes in width toward each end of said runner, said longitudinal runners, at said ends, are each connected into one single piece by a cross brace, said longitudinal runners have an even thickness over their entire longitudinal length, said support element having an overall width which is reduced from its center in a direction of its two end, said connecting device for said powered wiper arm being directly connected with said longitudinal runners and comprising an elongated planar bottom wall having opposing ends, said connecting device being shorter in longitudinal length than said support element, each said end of the bottom wall includes a pair of claw attachments, each receiving a runner therein, said planar bottom wall lies against said wiper strip upper surface along the entire length of said bottom wall.

2. A wiper blade as defined in claim 1, and further comprising stabilizing devices which are connected with and act on said longitudinal runners and are located between said two cross-braces of said support element.

3. A wiper blade as defined in claim 2, wherein each stabilizing device is formed as a clip and is frictionally connected with said longitudinal runners of said support element.

4. A wiper blade as defined in claim 3, wherein each said clip extends around longitudinal edges of said longitudinal runners of said support element facing away from each other with claw attachments.

5. A wiper blade as defined in claim 2, wherein each stabilizing device is formed as a clip and is interlockingly connected with said longitudinal runners of said support element.

6. A wiper blade as defined in claim 5, wherein each said clip extends around longitudinal edges of said longitudinal runners of said support element facing away from each other with claw attachments.

7. A wiper blade as defined in claim 1, wherein said support element is composed of spring steel.