Wiper blade

• US 7,996,953 B2
• Filed: 04/14/2005
• Issued: 08/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Herinckx, Dirk, Van Baelen, David, Braun, Hans, Saevels, Peter, Op't Roodt, Inigo, Beelen, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Graham; Gary K
• Application Number:
  US11/597,723
• Publication Number:
  US 20080016643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,315 Days
• Field of Search: 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/504.51, 152/504.52, 152/504.53, 152/504.54, 152/503.61
• US Class Current: 15/250.43
• 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 1/3891 with locking device
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3893 cooperating with holes in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3822 characterised by additional means to prevent longitudinal sliding of squeegee in support, e.g. clips

Abstract

A wiper blade (10) comprising a rubber elastic wiper strip (12) in which a resilient rail (18, 20) is inserted into a lateral longitudinal groove on each side of side of said wiper blade as a support element and laterally protrudes from the longitudinal groove, wherein the resilient rails (18, 20) support terminal caps (26, 60, 81) while being held together at their ends and being fixed relative to the wiper strip (12) in the longitudinal direction by a bridge (22), which is joined in a fixed manner to the resilient rails (18, 20) at the lateral parts of said bridge and forms a free space for a top strip (16) of the wiper strip (12) in the central area of the bridge. It is proposed that the terminal caps (26, 60, 81) have detachable fixing means (52) that engage in the top strip (16) of the wiper strip (12), wherein the axial movability of the resilient rails (18, 20) relative to the wiper strip (12) is limited by the terminal caps (26, 60, 81).

Claims

1. Wiper blade (10) comprising an elastomeric wiper strip (12) having lateral longitudinal grooves into which resilient rails (18, 20) are inserted as support elements, wherein the resilient rails (18, 20) have ends held together and fixed relative to the wiper strip (12) in the longitudinal direction and supporting a terminal cap (26, 60, 81), characterized in that the terminal cap (26, 60, 81) has mounted thereon fixing means that detachably engage in a top strip (16) of the wiper strip (12), wherein the axial movability of the resilient rails (18, 20) relative to the wiper strip (12) is limited by the terminal cap, wherein the terminal cap has a base part and a member movably coupled to the base part, and wherein the member is moveable with respect to the base part between a first position engaging the fixing means in the top strip and a second position disengaging the fixing means in the top strip of the wiper strip.

2. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the member is a cover or a stopper and characterized in that the base part (28, 62, 82) of the terminal cap (26, 60, 81) has an opening (32, 64) towards the end of the wiper blade (10), which is closed by the cover (30, 84) or the stopper (66), when the cover (30, 84) or the stopper (66) is in the first position, and is open when the cover (30, 84) or the stopper (66) is in the second position, wherein when moving the cover (30, 84) or the stopper (66) into the first position by closing the cover (30, 84) or inserting the stopper (66), a locking mandrel (52), which defines the fixing means, is pressed into the top strip (16).

3. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that when the member is a cover the locking mandrel (52) is arranged on an under side of a flexible tongue (50), which when closing the cover (30) is pressed against the top strip (16).

4. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the cover (30) is pivoted on an axis (36) and has at least one cam (40) on its inner side, which during the closing motion of the cover (30) presses on the flexible tongue (50).

5. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that two cams (40) are arranged at an axial distance from one another on the cover, between which a joining ridge (48) is guided, which ridge is tightly connected to the flexible tongue (50) on the side of said tongue that faces the cam (40).

6. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the cover (30, 84) has an open hub (34, 86), which cooperates with a flattened axle (36) or with a flattened bearing pin (88) such that the hub (34, 86) can be mounted in the second position and is locked in the first position.

7. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the stopper (66) has a quick thread (70) on its circumference, in which a counter part (102) provided on a wall of the opening (64) engages.

8. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the stopper (66) has a core (78), on which the locking mandrel (52) is arranged and which is surrounded at a distance by a jacket (74), which has a longitudinal slot (76) and in which the quick thread (70) is provided.

9. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the quick thread (70) is formed by a groove-shaped recess in which the counter part, defined as a pin (102) engages.

10. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the opening (64) is arranged such that the locking mandrel (52) of the stopper (66) in an assembly position of the terminal cap (81) is adjacent to a side of a bridge (22), which faces away from an end of the wiper blade (10) and the bridge (22) is tightly connected to the resilient rails (18, 20) at lateral parts of said bridge.

11. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that the flexible tongue (50) has a disassembly wedge (58) on a side facing the top strip (16), which wedge diminishes in terms of its height towards the end of the wiper blade (10).

12. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the base part (28, 82) has at least one locking hook (44, 90), which locks with a locking nose (46, 92) on a side of a bridge (22) that faces away from an end of the wiper blade (10).

13. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that the locking hook (44, 90) is locked in the first, locked position by the member cover (30, 84).

14. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that a locking mandrel (52) is arranged on an under side of the member cover (84).

15. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that the member cover (30, 84) can be locked with the base part (28, 82) on an end facing away from an open hub (34, 86).

16. Wiper blade according to claim 1, wherein the resilient rails are held together by a bridge, the bridge being separate from the terminal cap.

17. Wiper blade according to claim 16, wherein the terminal cap is connected to the wiper strip by a locking hook that engages the bridge when the terminal cap slides onto the wiper strip.

18. Wiper blade according to claim 1, wherein the member is a cover movably coupled to the base part.

19. Wiper blade according to claim 18, wherein the fixing means comprise a locking mandrel mounted on the cover for movement therewith, the locking mandrel engaging the top strip when the cover is closed in the first position.

20. Wiper blade according to claim 19, wherein the resilient rails are held together by a bridge separate from the terminal cap, wherein the terminal cap is connected to the wiper strip by a locking hook that engages the bridge when the terminal cap slides onto the wiper strip, and wherein the cover presses on the locking hook and locks the locking hook when the cover is in the closed position.

21. Wiper blade according to claim 1, wherein the member is a stopper moveably coupled to the base part.