Wiper blade for cleaning glass surfaces on vehicles, especially motor vehicles

• US 6,836,924 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2000
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH
• Original Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH
• Inventors: Egan-Walter, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham, Gary K.
• Application Number:
  US10/030,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20030019066A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,481 Days
• Field of Search: 152/502.01, 152/500.4, 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/504.51, 152/504.52, 152/504.53, 152/504.54, 152/504.8, 152/503.61
• US Class Current: 15/250.04
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/381 Spoilers mounted on the squeegee or on the vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3894 having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/524 arranged in wiper blades
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra

Abstract

In the case of a wiper blade for cleaning glass surfaces on vehicles, and having an elongated wiper blade body which consists of a flexible rubber material and can be placed against the glass and is furnished on both its longitudinal sides with longitudinal grooves situated opposite to each other, in which a support or spring spline extending in the longitudinal direction of the wiper strip engages with part of its width, a profiled cover is mounted on and attached to the part of at least one support spline projecting beyond the wiper blade body covering this support spline.

Claims

1. A wiper blade for cleaning glass surfaces on vehicles, specifically motor vehicles, having an elongated wiper blade body which consists of a flexible rubber material and can be laid against the particular glass surface, furnished on both longitudinal sides with longitudinal grooves situated opposite each other, in which a preferably springy support spline extending in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade body engages with part of its width, where each support spline protrudes beyond the longitudinal side in question with a further part of its width, characterized in that a profiled cover covering this support spline is mounted and attached to the protruding part of at least one of the support splines, wherein an upper side of the wiper blade body has at least one airfoil surface acting as an extension of at least one airfoil surface formed on an upper side of the profiled cover.

2. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one profiled cover is provided on a front side of the wiper blade with respect to the direction of travel of a vehicle.

3. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein a profiled cover is mounted on the projecting parts of both support splines.

4. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein the profiled cover covers projecting parts of each of the support splines along an entire length.

5. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one profiled cover fits closely against an adjacent longitudinal side of the wiper blade body.

6. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one profiled cover is retained on the appropriate support spline by catches.

7. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein the at least one profiled cover has a longitudinal groove with which it is mounted on the protruding part of at least one support spline.

8. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 7, wherein at least one projection is provided in the longitudinal groove of the cover which acts in conjunction with a mating notch on the specific support spline.

9. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one passage extending in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade is provided in at least one profiled cover for a cleaning or washing fluid, and wherein at least one nozzle orifice opens into the passage to discharge the cleaning or washing fluid onto a glass surface.

10. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 9, characterized by at least one connection to connect the passage to a source for cleaning or washing fluid.

11. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one profiled cover has one of a strip-like projection and a strip-like face which extends beyond an underside of the remaining part of the profiled cover.

12. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one profiled cover is configured as one of an airfoil on an outer surface extending in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade and with a primary airfoil surface.

13. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 12 wherein the at least one profiled cover includes a front profiled cover on the front side of the wiper blade with respect to the direction of travel of a vehicle.

14. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein a projection formed on at least one profiled cover is equipped with a primary airfoil surface.

15. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein the wiper blade body is configured on one upper side as at least first and second airfoil surfaces.

16. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 15, wherein at least one profiled cover has a surface which adjoins the second airfoil surface and effectively increases the width of the second airfoil surface.

17. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one profiled cover is manufactured from plastic.

18. The wiper blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one profiled cover is manufactured from a flexible material.

19. In a wiper blade for cleaning a glass surface on a motor vehicle having an elongated wiper blade body including a flexible rubber material to be laid against the glass surface, the flexible rubber material furnished on both longitudinal sides with longitudinal grooves situated opposite each other, a springy support spline extending in a longitudinal direction of the wiper blade body and engaging a portion of a width of the support spline with the flexible rubber material, where each support spline includes a protruding part extending beyond a corresponding longitudinal side of the flexible rubber material, the improvement comprising:

at least one profiled cover covering at least one of the support splines, the at least one profiled cover mounted and attached to the protruding part of the at least one support spline, wherein the at least one profiled cover fits closely against an adjacent longitudinal side of the wiper blade body, such that a combination of upper surfaces of the at least one profiled cover and the wiper blade body define at least one continuous airfoil surface contour.

20. The wiper blade of claim 19, the wiper blade body on one upper side includes at least one airfoil surface.