Windscreen wiper device

• US 7,979,950 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trico Belgium SA
• Original Assignee: Federal-Mogul SA (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boland, Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Gary K
• Application Number:
  US11/573,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20070214593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,192 Days
• Field of Search: 152/503.2, 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/503.51, 152/502.01, 403/326, 403/329
• US Class Current: 15/250.32
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3848 Flat-type wiper blade, i.e. without harness
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/40 Connections between blades and arms
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4038 for arms provided with a channel-shaped end
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4045 comprising a detachable intermediate element mounted on the channel-shaped end
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4048 the element being provided with retention means co-operating with the channel-shaped end of the arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/42 resilient
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4051 the intermediate element engaging the side walls of the arm
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4054 the intermediate element engaging the back part of the arm
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 7/22 Arrangements for sorting or merging computer data on continuous record carriers, e.g. tape, drum, disc
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 403/606 Leaf spring

Abstract

A windscreen wiper device comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes opposing longitudinal grooves on its longitudinal sides, in which grooves spaced-apart longitudinal strips of the carrier element are disposed, wherein neighboring ends of said longitudinal strips are interconnected by a respective connecting piece, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for an oscillating arm, wherein said oscillating arm is pivotally connected to said connecting device about a pivot axis near one end, with the interposition of a joint part, wherein said joint part comprises at least one resilient tongue engaging in a correspondingly shaped hole provided in said oscillating arm, and wherein said resilient tongue is rotatable along an hinge axis between an outward position retaining the wiper blade onto the oscillating arm and an inward position releasing the wiper blade from the oscillating arm, characterized in that said resilient tongue is forced in the outward position under the influence of a moment in case a force is exerted on the wiper blade in a direction away from the oscillating arm.

Claims

1. A windscreen wiper device comprising:

an elongated flexible carrier element having spaced-apart longitudinal strips, each of said strips including ends neighboring one another and interconnected by respective connecting pieces;

an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material for placement in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, said wiper blade including opposing longitudinal sides and a longitudinal groove in each of said longitudinal sides for receiving said spaced-apart longitudinal strips of said carrier element;

an oscillating arm having an outer swinging end, and at least one shaped hole provided in said oscillating arm adjacent said end;

a connecting device for pivotally connecting to said oscillating arm about a pivot axis near said end;

a joint part interposed between said connecting device and said oscillating arm, said joint part including at least one resilient tongue shaped for engaging in said hole provided in said oscillating arm, said resilient tongue being rotatable about a hinge axis between an outward position retaining said wiper blade onto said oscillating arm and an inward position releasing said wiper blade from said oscillating arm;

and characterized by said resilient tongue having a free end spaced between said hinge axis and said pivot axis and being closer to said hinge axis than to said pivot axis, said resilient tongue being configured to automatically move toward said outward position under influence of a moment resulting from a separation force exerted on said wiper blade in a longitudinal direction of said oscillating arm away from said end of said oscillating arm, whereby said resilient tongue actively resists disconnection from said oscillating arm in response to a separation force tending to pull said wiper blade away from said oscillating arm.

2. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said tongue and said hole in said oscillating arm abut at a contact point when the separation force urges said wiper blade away from said oscillating arm, and wherein said contact point is located spatially between said hinge axis and said end of said oscillating arm.

3. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said joint part includes an outer edge spaced remote from said pivot axis, and wherein said hinge axis is located adjacent said outer edge of said joint part.

4. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said oscillating arm has a generally U-shaped cross-section at the location of its connection to said joint part, said U-shaped cross-section defined by a base interconnecting a pair of legs, and wherein said hole is provided in said base of said U-shaped cross-section.

5. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said joint part comprises at least two lateral resilient tongues extending outwardly, wherein said oscillating arm has a generally U-shaped cross-section at the location of its connection to said joint part, said U-shaped cross-section defined by a base interconnecting a pair of legs, and wherein each said tongue engages in a correspondingly shaped hole provided in said leg of said U-shaped cross-section.

6. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said hole has a closed circumference.

7. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said joint part is made of plastic.

8. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said connecting device includes a pair of aligned protrusions at the location of said pivot axis, and wherein said joint part includes a pair of recesses for pivotally coupling to said protrusions.

9. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 8, wherein said joint part has a generally U-shaped cross-section at the location of its attachment to said connecting device, said U-shaped cross-section including a pair of spaced-apart legs, and wherein said joint part in each leg of said U-shaped cross-section is provided with one of said recesses coaxially aligned with said pivot axis.

10. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 8, wherein said protrusions extend outwards on either side of said connecting device, and wherein said protrusions are at least substantially cylindrical.