Wiper lever with a driven wiper arm and a wiper blade

• US 7,523,520 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch LLC (Robert Bosch GmbH)
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Breesch, Frans
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Gary K
• Application Number:
  US11/873,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20080034530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 152/502.01, 152/503.2, 152/504.3, 152/504.8, 152/504.51, 152/504.52, 152/504.53, 152/504.54, 152/504.4
• 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 1/3856 Gripping the blade
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3863 Connectors having a spoiler
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3868 pin formed on the exterior of side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3843 equipped with removable cover or protective elements
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4061 covered by a removable cover mounted on the blade

Abstract

Wiper lever (10) with a driven wiper arm (12) and a wiper blade (16) linked to it for cleaning windows, particularly those of motor vehicles, which is provided with a band-like, long-stretched-out, elastic supporting element (30), which features, on its lower band surface facing the window, a long-stretched-out, rubber elastic wiper strip (24) that can be applied to it, on whose upper band surface (29), particularly in the longitudinal middle area of the supporting element (30), a coupling part (32) is situated and wind deflector strip partial sections (52) extending to the ends of the supporting element are arranged on both sides of the coupling part (32). An especially harmonic transition between the wiper blade (16) and the wiper arm (12) is achieved in the area of the joint (46, 47) connecting these two wiper lever parts if the wiper lever (10) is provided with a cap (60) to cover the connection area between the wiper blade (16) and the wiper arm (12).

Claims

1. A windshield wiper apparatus comprising a wiper blade (16) for cleaning a motor vehicle window (28), the wiper blade including a band-like, elongated, elastic supporting element (30) having a longitudinal middle area, a coupling part on the longitudinal middle area, the coupling part connecting the wiper blade to a wiper arm (12), the wiper blade also including a lower band surface (31) having thereon a elongated, rubber elastic wiper strip (24), and the wiper blade including wind deflector strip partial sections (52) extending to the ends of the supporting element and arranged on both sides of the coupling part, and the apparatus comprising a cap (60 or 160) to cover the connection between the wiper blade (16) and the wiper arm (12), the cap having cap sections that cover adjacent areas of the wind deflector strip partial sections (52), the cap sections having a shape complementary to the shape of the wind deflector strip.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap (60) is supported by the wiper blade (16).

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the cap (60) can be locked to the wiper blade (16).

4. An apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the cap (60) is approximately U-shaped in cross-section and is fabricated of an elastic plastic and provided with elastically deflectable locking means (74), which are assigned to counter-locking means (40) of the wiper blade.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the wiper Blade'"'"'s (16) counter-locking means are embodied on the outer longitudinal edges (40) of the band-like supporting element (30).

6. An apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the cap (60) is provided with at least one support (82) cooperating with the upper band surface (29) of the supporting element and that elastically deflectable locking noses (74) that grip under the supporting element (30) and serve as locking means are formed on the cap (60).

7. An apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the wiper blade'"'"'s (16) counter-locking means are embodied on holding claws (38) of the coupling part (32), which with the coupling part is fixed to the supporting element (30).

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, in the area of the holding claws (38) of the coupling part (32), the cap (100) is provided, on its elastically deflectable inside wall, with clamp-like safety claws (102) that grip over the holding claws (38).

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap (60) is provided with a passage opening (64) for the wiper arm (12).

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, on its longitudinal ends, the cap (60) covers the end areas of the wind deflector strip partial sections (52) that face it with extensions (70).

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap (60) is provided with a flute (94) on its one longitudinal wall (72) in continuation of flow fluting (58) on the wind deflector strip (50).

12. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the cap (160) is supported by the wiper arm (122).

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that the cap (160) is pivoted on the wiper arm (122).

14. An apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that the wiper arm (122) is provided with rest receptacles (136) that align with one another on opposite longitudinal walls (126), which are assigned pivot pins (166) arranged on the cap walls (162, 163) adjacent to the longitudinal walls.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that the cap (160) is manufactured of an elastic plastic and that the pivot pins (166) are arranged on elastically extendible wall areas (163) of the cap.

16. An apparatus according to claim 14, characterized in that locking means (170) are formed on the elastically deflectable wall areas (163) of the cap (160), which cooperate in the cap'"'"'s operating position with counter-locking means (180) on the wiper arm (122).

17. An apparatus according to claim 12 in which the connection between the wiper arm (122) and the wiper blade (124) is accomplished via a sliding movement (arrow 176), whereby a stop shoulder (156) of the wiper arm fixes an operating position with a counter-shoulder (157) of the wiper blade, characterized in that a safety nose (172) assigned to the wiper blade (124) is arranged on the cap (160), which nose engages in this operating position and in the cap'"'"'s operating position so that it fits in a safety recess (158) on the wiper blade.

18. A windshield wiper apparatus comprising a wiper arm (12) connected to a wiper blade (16) for cleaning a motor vehicle window (28), the wiper blade including a band-like, elongated, elastic supporting element (30) having a longitudinal middle area adapted to be coupled to the wiper arm, and the wiper blade including wind deflector strip partial sections (52) extending to the ends of the supporting element and arranged on both sides of the middle area, and the apparatus further comprising a connector connecting the wiper arm (12) to the wiper blade (16), and a cap (60 or 160) to cover the connector, the cap having cap sections configured to cover adjacent areas of the wind deflector strip partial sections (52), the cap sections being adapted to the shape of the wind deflector strip, and the cap having opposite ends with respective openings each having a shape complementary to the shape of the wind deflector strip, wherein the cap (60) is supported by the wiper blade (16), wherein the cap (60) can be locked to the wiper blade (16), and wherein the cap (60) is provided with a passage opening (64) for the wiper arm (12).

19. An apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the cap (60) is provided with elastically deflectable locking means (74), which are assigned to counter-locking means (40) of the wiper blade.

20. An apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the (16) counter-locking means of the wiper blade (16) are embodied at least one of on the outer longitudinal edges (40) of the supporting element (30) and on holding claws (38) of a coupling part (32), which with the coupling part is fixed to the supporting element (30).