Connecting element for wiper

• US 7,971,312 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Criel, Paul, Thomar, Wolfgang, Crabbé, Rudi, Janssis, Yves, Van Baelen, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Gary K
• Application Number:
  US12/159,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20090188069A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 152/503.2, 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/502.01, 152/504.51, 152/503.61
• 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 1/3856 Gripping the blade
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/386 made in two halves
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra

Abstract

The invention relates to a connecting element (22) for hingedly connecting a wiper blade (10) to a wiper arm, said wiper blade (10) having a wiper strip (12) and at least one sprung blade (20) inserted into the wiper strip (12). Said sprung blade projects beyond the wiper strip (12) in the area of the connecting element (22) and is enclosed by guide rails (30) that are interlinked by at least one spring clip (34) and secured in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade (10) by at least one locking element (38) which laterally engages with a recess (28) of the sprung blade (20).

Claims

1. A connecting element (22) for hingedly connecting a wiper arm to a wiper blade (10) which has a wiper strip (12) and at least one spring blade (20) which is enclosed by guide rails (30) of the connecting element (22), which guide rails are interlinked by at least one spring clip (34), wherein the guide rails (30) and the spring clip (34) are produced from a plastic material, characterized in that the connecting element is composed of a plastic securing part (26) and a metal bearing part (24), the securing part (26), by means of its guide rails (30), being able to laterally enclose the spring blade (20), in that the spring clip (34) extends in a plane parallel to the spring blade (20), in that the bearing part (24) covers the securing part (26) and has lateral guide angle brackets (50) which are integrally formed on a bottom (48) of the bearing part (24) and have lugs (54) which can be bent inward about a neutral axis (56) extending parallel to a normal axis (64), with a respective bent leg (58) engaging from below with the guide rails (30) of the securing part (26).

2. The connecting element as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the spring blade (20) and the securing part (26) are secured with respect to each other via a locking element (38) which engages in a recess (28), in that the securing part (26) has, at its ends, end walls (40) which project over contours of the guide rails (30), and in that the bearing part is fitted between the end walls (40).

3. The connecting element (22) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the end walls (40) each form a gap (42) which is bridged by a respective spring clip (34).

4. The connecting element (22) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the bearing part (24) is formed from sheet metal, with side walls (60), which support at least one bearing element (62), being bent upward in the central region of its longitudinal sides.

5. The connecting element (22) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the bearing part (24) is formed from sheet metal, with side walls (60), which support at least one bearing element (62), being bent upward in the central region of its longitudinal sides.

6. The connecting element (22) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the bearing part (24) is formed from sheet metal, with side walls (60), which support at least one bearing element (62), being bent upward in the central region of its longitudinal sides.