Wiper blade for motor vehicle windows

• US 6,581,237 B1
• Filed: 05/31/2000
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Kotlarski, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US09/509,394
• Time in Patent Office: 1,119 Days
• Field of Search: 152/504.3, 152/503.2, 152/504.4, 152/503.3, 152/503.61, 152/504.8, 152/504.51
• US Class Current: 15/250.32
• 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 1/3858 with protrusions cooperating with holes
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/386 made in two halves
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3868 pin formed on the exterior of side walls
• 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 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra

Abstract

A wiper blade (10) is proposed that serves to clean windows (30) of motor vehicles. The wiper blade has a bandlike, elongated, spring-elastic support element (12) for an elongated rubber-elastic wiper element (32) that can be pressed against the window and is disposed on the lower band face oriented toward the window and is oriented longitudinally parallel to the support element, and having a coupling part (16) toward the wiper blade, positioned on the upper band face of the support element remote from the window, for pivotably connecting the wiper blade (10) to a counterpart coupling part (18) belonging to a reciprocatingly driven wiper arm (20), in which the pivot axis (40) located in the longitudinal center portion of the support element is disposed substantially transversely to the longitudinal extent of the wiper blade (10), and the coupling part (16) with its flat underside is oriented toward the upper band face of the support element. This particularly effective wiping is achieved even with problematic window curvatures, if support element (12) is curved over its entire length such that the center portion of the support element (12), resting unstressed on the window (30), is farther away from the window than its two end portions, and if furthermore that the contact face (80) between the support element (12) and the underside of the coupling part (16), measured in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, is less than 1.5 times the maximum width (68) of the support element (12).

Claims

1. A wiper blade for windows of motor vehicles, comprising a spring-elastic support element which has a longitudinal extension and along the longitudinal extension has a lower and an upper band surface;

a wiper element arranged on the lower band surface of the support element;

a first coupling part arranged on the upper band surface of the support element and having an underside arranged on the upper band surface on and over a contact face and also having claw-shaped attachments which engage the support element, said first coupling part being cooperatable with a second coupling part belonging to a wiper arm, the support element along its longitudinal extension being curved so that in unstressed condition of the wiper blade the contact face of the underside of the first coupling part on the upper band surface of the support element in direction of the longitudinal extension is smaller than 1.5 times of the maximal width of the support element, and the support element in addition to the contact face is also supported on the claw-shaped attachments with prestress so that the support element is movable under the first coupling part relative to said underside of said first coupling part.

2. A wiper blade as defined in claim 1, wherein the first coupling part has a U-shaped cross-section with a base and legs, and an inner side of the base forms the underside of the first coupling part, while a distance between the legs is selected in accordance with a width of the support element so that the support element is unobjectionably guided and is freely movable.

3. A wiper blade as defined in claim 1, wherein the first coupling part is provided with pivot pins which belong to a pivot connection between the wiper arm and the wiper blade, the pivot pins being arranged on an end portion of the first coupling part which faces away from a power take off of the wiper arm.

4. A wiper blade as defined in claim 1, wherein the support element is subdivided in a longitudinal direction and has longitudinal edges which face toward one another, the first coupling part being split in the longitudinal direction of the support element and each of two coupling part halves being provided with a longitudinal groove facing a longitudinal groove of another coupling part half for receiving a longitudinal strip with longitudinal edges of both support element parts facing away from one another, and both coupling part halves being connectable with one another.

5. A wiper blade as defined in claim 4, wherein at least one of the coupling part halves composed of an elastic plastic is introduced, by a finger-shaped protrusion which overlaps a longitudinal central axis of the support element, in an associated recess of another coupling part half.

6. A wiper blade as defined in claim 5, wherein the protrusion near its free end is provided with an arresting shoulder which faces its coupling part half, and the arresting shoulder cooperates with an associated longitudinal side of a top strip in an arresting manner.

7. A wiper blade as defined in claim 5, wherein the protrusion at a free end has a lug which is introduced into a recess of the upper coupling part half.

8. A wiper blade as defined in claim 5, wherein the protrusions of one of the coupling part halves are formed as protrusions selected from the group consisting of tongue-shaped protrusions and finger-shaped protrusions and are provided with lateral splines associated with guide grooves of another coupling part half.

9. A wiper blade as defined in claim 1, wherein the support element in a region of the first coupling part is provided with a lateral protrusion which is associated with a recess provided on an inner side of the coupling part facing this side.

10. A wiper blade as defined in claim 1;

and further comprising pivot pins forming a pivot axis, the pivot pins being guidable in bearing recesses of the wiper arm, each bearing recess being provided with a mounting passage which opens toward a window and is associated with a respective pivot pin.

11. A wiper blade for windows of motor vehicles, comprising a spring-elastic support element which has a longitudinal extension and along the longitudinal extension has a lower and an upper band surface;

a wiper element arranged on the lower band surface of the support element;

a first coupling part arranged on the upper band surface of the support element and having an underside arranged on the upper band surface on and over a contact face and also having claw-shaped attachments which engage the support element, said first coupling part being cooperatable with a second coupling part belonging to a wiper arm, the support element along its longitudinal extension being curved so that in unstressed condition of the wiper blade the contact face of the underside of the first coupling part on the upper band surface of the support element in direction of the longitudinal extension is smaller than 1.5-times of the maximal width of the support element, and the support element in addition to the contact face is also supported on the claw-shaped attachments with prestress, wherein the first coupling part has at least one pivot pin, and the contact face in the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade is smaller than the diameter of the at least one pivot pin.

12. A wiper blade as defined in claim 11, wherein the contact face between the support element and the first coupling part corresponds to a line which extends in direction of a pivot axis located inside a projection surface of the pin.

13. A wiper blade for windows of motor vehicles, comprising a spring-elastic support element which has a longitudinal extension and a along the longitudinal extension has a lower and an upper band surface, a wiper element arranged on the lower band surface of the support element;

a first coupling part arranged on the upper band surface of the support element and having an underside arranged on the upper band surface on and over a contact face and also having claw-shaped attachments which engage the support element, said first coupling part being cooperatable with a second coupling part belonging to a wiper arm, the support element along its longitudinal extension being curved so that in unstressed condition of the wiper blade the contact face of the underside of the first coupling part abuts against the upper band surface of the support element in direction of the longitudinal extension, the support element in addition to the contact face is also supported on the claw-shaped extensions;

the first coupling part has a U-shaped support composed of metal and having outer walls;

a U-shaped envelope composed of plastic and covering the outer walls of the support; and

pivot pins arranged on the outer walls of legs of the envelope.

14. A wiper blade as defined in claim 13, wherein the metal support has bending parts connected to a base and engaging both longitudinal outer edges of the support element.

15. A wiper blade as defined in claim 13, wherein the envelope composed of plastic has legs extending outwardly beyond legs of the support;

and further comprising arresting hooks arranged on free ends of the legs of the envelope and prestressing them relative to one another.

16. A wiper blade as defined in claim 13, wherein the support element in a region of one of the coupling parts is provided with a lateral protrusion, and is associated with a recess provided on an inner side of the coupling part facing this side.

17. A wiper blade (10) for windows (30) of motor vehicles, having an elongated, spring-elastic support element (12) for an elongated rubber-elastic wiper element (32) that can be pressed against the window and is disposed on a lower face of the support element (12) oriented toward the window and longitudinally parallel to the support element, and having a first coupling part (16) with a flat underside positioned on an upper face of the support element remote from the window for pivotably connecting the wiper blade (10) to a second coupling part (18) belonging to a reciprocatingly driven wiper arm (20), in which a pivot axis (40) located in a longitudinal center portion of the support element is disposed substantially transversely to a longitudinal extension of the wiper blade (10), and the first coupling part (16) with its flat underside is oriented toward the upper face of the support element, characterized in that the support element (12) is curved over its entire length such that the longitudinal center portion of the support element (12), resting unstressed on the window (30), is farther away from the window than two end portions of the support element (12), and that a contact face (80) between the support element (12) and the underside of the coupling part (116), measured in a longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, is less than 1.5 times a maximum width (68) of the support element (12), that a joint (128) disposed between the first coupling part (16) and the second coupling part (18) has pivot pins (136) guided in bearing recesses, and that the contact face between the support element (12) and the first coupling part (16), measured in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, is less than a diameter of the pivot pins.

18. A wiper blade (10) for windows (30) of motor vehicles, having an elongated, spring-elastic support element (12) for an elongated rubber-elastic wiper element (32) that can be pressed against the window and is disposed on a lower face of the support element (12) oriented toward the window and longitudinally parallel to the support element, and having a first coupling part (116) with a flat underside positioned on an upper face of the support element remote from the window for pivotably connecting the wiper blade (10) to a second coupling part (18) belonging to a reciprocatingly driven wiper arm (20), in which a pivot axis (40) located in a longitudinal center portion of the support element is disposed substantially transversely to a longitudinal extension of the wiper blade (10), and the first coupling part (116) with its flat underside is oriented toward the upper face of the support element, characterized in that the support element (12) is curved over its entire length such that the longitudinal center portion of the support element (12), resting unstressed on the window (30), is farther away from the window than two end portions of the support element (12), and that a contact face (80) between the support element (12) and the underside of the first coupling part (116), measured in a longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, is less than 1.5 times a maximum width (68) of the support element (12), that a joint (128) disposed between the first coupling part (116) and the second coupling part (18) has pivot pins (136) guided in bearing recesses, and that the contact face (80) between the support element (12) and the first coupling part extends in a direction of the pivot axis (40).

19. A wiper blade (10) for windows (30) of motor vehicles, having an elongated, spring-elastic support element (12) for an elongated rubber-elastic wiper element (32) that can be pressed against the window and is disposed on a lower face of the support element (12) oriented toward the window and longitudinally parallel to the support element, and having a first coupling part (16) with a flat underside positioned on an upper face of the support element remote from the window for pivotably connecting the wiper blade (10) to a second coupling part (18) belonging to a reciprocatingly driven wiper arm (20), in which a pivot axis (40) located in a longitudinal center portion of the support element is disposed substantially transversely to a longitudinal extension of the wiper blade (10), and the first coupling part (16) with its flat underside is oriented toward the upper face of the support element, characterized in that the support element (12) is curved over its entire length such that the longitudinal center portion of the support element (12), resting unstressed on the window (30), is farther away from the window than two end portions of the support element (12), that a contact face (80) between the support element (12) and the underside of the first coupling part (16), measured in a longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, is less than 1.5 times a maximum width (68) of the support element (12), that the first coupling part (16) has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, said first coupling part (16) having a base (50) and two legs (52) to form the U-shaped cross-section, said support element (12) introduced between the legs (52) of the first coupling part (16), wherein attachments (54) are disposed on free ends of said legs (52) proximate to said pivot axis, and that the support element (12) has a curvature whereby a top side (14) of the support element (12) rests on an inside portion (56) of the base (50) while an underside (28) of the support element (12) is simultaneously braced in a prestressed fashion on end edges (70) of the attachments (54).