Support for the joint hinge of wiper blade

• US 7,628,560 B2
• Filed: 10/08/1998
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Strauss, Andreas, Westermann, Klaus-Juergen, Pollaris, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Stodola; Daniel P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garcia; Ernesto
• Application Number:
  US09/319,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20020141814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,079 Days
• Field of Search: 403/4, 403/213, 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/503.2
• US Class Current: 403/4
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4009 comprising a detachable intermediate element mounted on the hook-shaped end
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4012 the element being provided with bearing surfaces on its side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4032 the element being able to receive arms with hooks of different radiuses

Abstract

A support (30) for the joint hinge of a wiper blade (10) at a hook-shaped end (20) of a bar (18) in a windshield wiper. Owing to an open hub on part of its periphery (28), the support can be slipped on a bearing shank of the wiper blade (10) and, so mounted, be maintained by the hook-shaped end (20) above hub surfaces (46, 62, 66) and ratchet elements (70, 76, 78). The two side walls (32, 34) which are connected by the hub (36) and a plurality of crossbars (60, 64, 70) extend in the longitudinal direction (38), on both sides, towards the hub (34) and the inside widths (40, 42) between the side walls (32, 34) are different at their opposite ends.

Claims

1. An elongated bearing element (30) for hinging a wiper blade (10) to a hook-shaped end (20) of a wiper rod (18) of a windshield wiper, comprising a hub (36) which is open over part of a circumference and formed for placing the bearing element (30) onto a supporting bolt (28) of the wiper blade (10), contacting faces (46, 62, 66) and detent means (76, 78) for holding the bearing element (30) by the hook-shaped end, two side walls (32, 34) that are connected by the hub (36), and a number of lateral struts (60, 64, 70) that are arranged a longitudinal direction (38) on both sides of the hub (36) and guidable laterally by legs (72, 74) of the hook-shaped end (20), wherein a clearance (40, 42) between the side walls (32, 34) corresponds to a width of the legs (72, 74), whereby a smaller wiper rod or a larger wiper rod each (18) with different widths is mountable by turning the element (30) substantially over 180°

around the hub (36);

the side walls (32, 34), in a region for legs (72, 74) of a hook-shaped end (20) of the smaller wiper rod (18) on one side of the hub (36), have a small clearance for lateral guidance of the smaller wiper rod (18), while the sidewalls (32, 34) in a region for the legs (72, 74) of the larger wiper rod (18) of a hook-shaped end (20) on another side of the hub (36) have a large clearance extending over more than a half of a length of the side walls (32, 34) for lateral guidance of the larger wiper rod (18).

2. The bearing element (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that one of the clearances of the side walls (32, 34) is reduced on one end by beads (44).

3. The bearing element (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that an outer contour of the hub (36) has the contact face (46) for the hook-shaped end (20) of the smaller wiper rod (18) with a small bending radius (48) and a small material thickness (52) and a first of the lateral struts (60) is disposed at a distance (56) from the hub (36) in the longitudinal direction (38).

4. The bearing element (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that the additional lateral strut (70) is disposed at ends of the side walls (32, 34) for limiting the pivoting motion of the wiper rod (18) so that legs (72, 74) of the hook-shaped end (20) extend virtually parallel to the longitudinal direction (38) in a mounted position.

5. The bearing element (30) according to claim 1, characterized in that on an outer contour remote from the hub (36), a first of the lateral struts (60) has the contact face (62) for the hook-shaped end (20) of a wiper rod (18) with a larger bending radius (50) and a larger material thickness (54), and a second of the lateral struts (64) is disposed at a distance (58) from the first lateral strut (60) in the longitudinal direction (38).

6. The bearing element (30) according to claim 5, characterized in that the second lateral strut (64) has a flattened contact face (66) that is oriented toward the hub (36) and is for a smaller wiper rod (18) with a hook-shaped end (20) that has a smaller bending radius (48) and a smaller material thickness (52).

7. An elongated bearing element (30) for hinging a wiper blade (10) to a hook-shaped end (20) of a wiper rod (18) of a windshield wiper, comprising a hub (36) which is open over part of a circumference and formed for placing the bearing element (30) onto a supporting bolt (28) of the wiper blade (10), contacting faces (46, 62, 66) and detent means (76, 78) for holding the bearing element (30) by the hook-shaped end, two side walls (32, 34) that are connected by the hub (36), and a number of lateral struts (60, 64, 70) that are arranged a longitudinal direction (38) on both sides of the hub (36) and guidable laterally by legs (72, 74) of the hook-shaped end (20), wherein a clearance (40, 42) between the side walls (32, 34) corresponds to a width of the legs (72, 74), whereby a smaller wiper rod or a larger wiper rod each (18) with different widths is mountable by turning the element (30) substantially over 1800 around the hub (36);

the side walls (32, 34), in a region for legs (72, 74) of a hook-shaped end (20) of the smaller wiper rod (18) on one side of the hub (36), have a small clearance for lateral guidance, while the sidewalls (32, 34) in a region for the legs (72, 74) of the larger wiper rod (18) of a hook-shaped end (20) on another side of the hub (36) have a large clearance for lateral guidance, wherein the additional lateral strut (70) is disposed at ends of the side walls (32, 34) for limiting the pivoting motion of the wiper rod (18) so that legs (72, 74) of the hook-shaped end (20) extend virtually parallel to the longitudinal direction (38) in a mounted position, and wherein on the side walls (32, 34), starting from the additional lateral strut (70), the detent means have at least one detent projection (76, 78), which in the mounted position, rests against an inner side of a long leg (72) of the hook-shaped end (20).

8. The bearing element (30) according to claim 7, characterized in that in relation to the additional lateral strut (70), the at least one detent projection (76, 78) is disposed offset toward the hub (36) in the longitudinal direction (38) so that the wiper rod (18) with a smaller material thickness (52) and a smaller bending radius (48) is held in a play-free manner with a slight inclination in relation to the longitudinal direction (38).