Wiper blade for cleaning motor vehicle windows

• US 7,523,519 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH
• Original Assignee: Valeo Auto-Electric Wischer und Motoren GmbH
• Inventors: Blumenstock, Oliver, Lenzen, Oliver, Grandel, Michael, Egner-Walter, Bruno
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Gary K
• Application Number:
  US10/203,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20030014828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,989 Days
• Field of Search: 152/502.01, 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/504.51, 152/504.52, 152/503.61
• US Class Current: 15/250.201
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3806 Means, or measures taken, for influencing the aerodynamic quality of the wiper blades
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/381 Spoilers mounted on the squeegee or on the vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3875 rectangular section
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3818 the backing strip being a channel-like element, e.g. not continuous
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra

Abstract

A wiper blade for a wiper system for wiping motor vehicle windows includes a wiper blade rubber squeegee, which has a wiping lip that faces the window, a rear part that faces away from the window, and a tilting connecting element that joins the wiping lip to the rear part. The wiper blade also includes a strip-like elastic supporting element, or at least one spring rail, which stabilizes the wiper blade rubber squeegee. The supporting element can be joined to a wiper arm which can be transversally driven with regard to the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade and which can be tensioned against the window. The wiper blade is additionally provided with a casing or covering which surrounds, at least in sections, the rear part and the supporting element or the at least one spring rail. The casing is provided with a streamlined form, surrounds the rear part, and when viewed in a direction parallel to the window and of the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade, covers the tilting connecting element. Alternately, the covering is held on the at least one spring rail.

Claims

1. In a flat, yokeless wiper blade for cleaning vehicle windows having an elongate wiper strip of a flexible material which is produced in a single piece in the area of its underside with at least one wiper lip which can be pressed against the vehicle window, as well as with at least one spline extending in the longitudinal direction of the wiper strip and retained against the wiper strip, the spline projecting with at least one outwardly lying longitudinal edge beyond one longitudinal side of the wiper strip, the improvement comprising:

the flat, yokeless wiper blade connectible directly to a wiper arm and having a cover and retained on the at least one spline disposed directly on the wiper strip on an upper side facing away from wiper lip, the cover having a forward portion extending below a trailing portion to define an aerodynamically shaped forward mounted spoiler, and in a view directed parallel to the window along the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade, the forward mounted spoiler extends along only one longitudinal side of the wiper blade toward the window a sufficient distance to cover a hinge connecting the at least one wiper lip to the wiper strip.

2. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the cover also covers the at least one spline.

3. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the cover is retained by engaging the at least one spline.

4. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the cover has recesses into which the at least one spline engages with its outwardly lying longitudinal edges.

5. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the cover is furnished on an underside facing the underside of the wiper strip with a concavity in which the wiper strip is at least partially accommodated.

6. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein two separate splines are provided, each of which engages a longitudinal groove in the wiper strip and projects from this groove beyond the specific side of the wiper strip.

7. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein a single spline is provided, which projects with each of two longitudinal edges beyond a longitudinal side of the wiper strip and wherein the cover is retained on both longitudinal edges of the spline.

8. The wiper blade of claim 7, wherein the spline forms spline sections on both sides of at least one slot.

9. The wiper blade of claim 8, wherein the spline sections are each accommodated in a longitudinal groove in the wiper strip and wherein the slot in the spline is at least partially occupied by the material of the wiper strip.

10. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the cover is configured like a cap, with a convexly curved top side.

11. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the cover has an external contour corresponding in cross section to at least part of a water drop.

12. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the cover is configured on its top side as a spoiler with at least one spoiler surface.

13. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the spoiler is formed as a strip-like section.

14. The wiper blade of claim 1, wherein the cover is produced from a flexible material.

15. A yokeless wiper blade for cleaning vehicle windows comprising:

an elongate wiper strip of a flexible material produced in a single piece in an underside area with at least one wiper lip to be pressed against a vehicle window;

at least one spline extending in a longitudinal direction of the wiper strip and retained against the wiper strip, the spline projecting with at least one outwardly lying longitudinal edge beyond our longitudinal side of the wiper strip; and

a casing connectible directly to a wiper arm without intervening yokes and retained on the at least one spline disposed directly on the wiper strip on an upper side facing away from wiper lip, the casing having a forward portion extending below a trailing portion to define an aerodynamically shaped forward mounted spoiler, and in a view directed parallel to the window along the longitudinal extension of the wiper blade, the forward mounted spoiler extends along one longitudinal side of the wiper blade toward the window a sufficient distance to cover a hinge connecting the at least one wiper lip to the wiper strip, wherein the combination of the casing and the at least one spline provide sufficient curvature, stiffness, and spring resistance to matingly match a contoured surface of a vehicle window to be wiped.

16. The wiper blade of claim 15, wherein the casing covers a part of the wiper lip facing away from the glass.

17. The wiper blade of claim 15, wherein the wiper lip has a hinge located to flex in a direction running orthogonally to the glass.

18. The wiper blade of claim 15, wherein the casing has intrinsic stability which stabilizes the wiper blade in its entirety and counteracts any plastic deformation of the at least one spline.

19. The wiper blade of claim 15, wherein the casing has end caps at open ends.

20. The wiper blade of claim 15, wherein the at least one spline is a spring metal element and the casing is a plastic element.

21. The wiper blade of claim 15, wherein the at least one spline is coated.