Wiper blade rubber element

• US 6,216,311 B1
• Filed: 08/09/1999
• Issued: 04/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Van Damme, Marc, Verelst, Hubert
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US09/319,555
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 152/504.8, 152/502.02, 152/504.1, 152/45, 152/500.6, 152/503.61, 152/504.3
• US Class Current: 15/250.48
• 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 2001/3829 characterised by the material of the squeegee or coating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3836 characterised by cross-sectional shape

Abstract

A windshield wiper element for a windshield wiper system of motor vehicles and affixable to a wiper arm, the windshield wiper element having a head for holding the windshield wiper element, a lip adapted to be in pressing contact with a surface to be wiped, an elastic intermediate element through which the lip is connected to the head, the elastic intermediate element, depending on a wiping direction of the windshield wiper element is actable upon by a force acting only on the intermediate element, so that a deflection of the lip in an opposite direction from a wiping direction takes place, the intermediate element at least partly has a material having pietzo-electric properties, so that the force is effected by applying a voltage to the intermediate element.

Claims

1. A windshield wiper element for a windshield wiper system of motor vehicles and affixable to a wiper arm, said windshield wiper element having a head for holding the windshield wiper element;

a lip adapted to be in pressing contact with a surface to be wiped;

an elastic intermediate element through which said lip is connected to said head, said elastic intermediate element, depending on a wiping direction of the windshield wiper element is actable upon by a force acting only on said intermediate element, so that a deflection of said lip in an opposite direction from a wiping direction takes place, said intermediate element at least partly comprising a material having pietzo-electric properties, so that said force is effected by applying a voltage to said intermediate element.

2. A windshield wiper as defined in claim 1, wherein said intermediate element has a strut with two long sides and is provided with one electrode on each of said long sides;

and further comprising a voltage source with which said electrode are connected.

3. A windshield wiper as defined in claim 2, wherein said voltage source is an alternating voltage source, whose polarity is reversible in accordance with a wiping direction of the windshield wiper element.

4. A windshield wiper as defined in claim 3, wherein said alternating voltage source has a frequency which corresponds to a wiping frequency of the windshield wiper element.

5. A windshield wiper as defined in claim 3, wherein said strut has a degree of deflection which is adjustable via a magnitude of a voltage of said alternating voltage source.

6. A windshield wiper as defined in claim 1, wherein said intermediate element comprises polyvinyladende fluorides with incorporated copolymers that have pietzo-electric properties.

7. A windshield wiper as defined in claim 1, wherein said intermediate element forms a spring rail of the windshield wiper element.