Windshield wiper

• US 8,495,787 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2010
• Issued: 07/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rally Manufacturing Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Rally Manufacturing Incorporated
• Inventors: Garrastacho, Eddie, Hussaini, Saied
• Primary Examiner(s): Hail, Joseph J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carlson, Marc
• Application Number:
  US12/849,120
• Publication Number:
  US 20120030894A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,092 Days
• Field of Search: 152/502.01, 152/500.01, 15250451-250454, 152/503, 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/504.8, 152/503.61
• US Class Current: 15/250.201
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/381 Spoilers mounted on the squeegee or on the vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3881 in additional element, e.g. spoiler
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3889 cooperating with holes in the vertebra
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra

Abstract

A windshield wiper comprises a wiper blade including a squeegee portion for contacting a surface and a body supporting the squeegee portion. A primary spline is engaged with the body and has a first closed end and a second open end. A support structure is provided to attach the wiper to a wiper arm on a vehicle. At least one spoiler is slidingly disposed on the primary spline above the secondary spline. A secondary spline is slidingly disposed between the body and the support structure, whereby the secondary spline is retained in place by caps disposed at the first and second ends of the primary spline. The secondary spline is removably disposed between said wiper blade and said support structure and retained in place by end caps.

Claims

1. A windshield wiper comprising:

a wiper blade including a squeegee portion for contacting a surface and a body supporting said squeegee portion, said squeegee portion being connected to said body by a web, said body having a body width greater than a web width of said web;

a primary spline engaged with said body on opposite sides of said web, said primary spline having first and second ends, said primary spline being planar in shape defining outermost free edges lying below an uppermost surface of said body;

a support structure capable of attaching to a wiper arm, wherein said support structure wraps around and engages said outermost free edges;

a secondary spline slidingly disposed between said body and said support structure, said secondary spline contacting an uppermost surface of said body and being above said web,

wherein said secondary spline is retained in place by caps disposed at said first and second ends of said primary spline, and

wherein said secondary spline is above a center of an entirety of said wiper blade to evenly distribute a pressure of said wiper arm along its length during use.

2. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said secondary spline is removably disposed between said wiper blade and said support structure.

3. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, further comprising at least one spoiler slidingly disposed on said primary spline and above said secondary spline.

4. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said primary and secondary splines are formed with a predefined radius of curvature.

5. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said primary spline comprises a pair of spring bars connected at a first end and open at a second end to facilitate ease of assembly of said wiper blade into said primary spline.

6. A windshield wiper according to claim 5, further comprising a closure clip connected at said second end of said primary spline to close said open end.

7. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said support structure is connected to said primary spline.

8. A windshield wiper according to claim 1, wherein said squeegee portion further comprises a base and a tip.

9. A windshield wiper comprising:

an elongated wiper blade having a squeegee portion for contacting a surface and a body portion connected to said squeegee portion via a web, wherein a centerline passes through said squeegee and said web of said elongated wiper blade, said centerline defining a plane that extends a length of said wiper blade;

a first spline contacting said body portion, said first spline comprising a pair of spring bars disposed on opposite sides of said web with said centerline being disposed between said spring bars, said spring bars being connected at a first end and separated at a second end to facilitate ease of assembly of said first spline and said body portion, said first spline being planar in shape defining outermost free edges lying below an uppermost surface of said body portion;

a support structure directly connecting said wiper blade to a wiper arm through a pin-type connector passing through an aperture in said support structure, said support structure directly connected to and in contact with said first spline, wherein said support structure wraps around and engages said outermost free edges;

an elongated second spline disposed between and contacting said wiper blade and said support structure, wherein said second spline is a single metallic bar in contact with said support structure and said body portion,

wherein said centerline passes through a midsection of said second spline whereby said second spline is above a center of an entirety of said wiper blade to evenly distribute a pressure of said wiper arm along its length during use.

10. The windshield wiper according to claim 9, wherein said second spline is sandwiched between and in contact with said wiper blade and said support structure.

11. The windshield wiper according to claim 10, wherein said second spline is fixed in place relative to said first spline by a pair of caps fixedly disposed at each end of said first spline.

12. A wiper refill, comprising:

an elongated wiper blade having a squeegee for contacting a surface and a body supporting said squeegee via a web, the body having two grooves running along the length thereof, said wiper blade defining a plane extending through a center of said squeegee and said web, said plane extending along a length of said wiper blade; and

an elongated first spline having a longitudinal radius of curvature and a stiffness greater than said wiper blade, said elongated first spline being planar in shape defining outermost free edges lying below an uppermost surface of said body;

an elongated second spline slidingly disposed between said body of said wiper blade and a support structure adapted for direct attachment to a wiper arm, wherein said second spline is a single metallic bar in contact with said support structure and said body portion, and wherein said plane passes through a central portion of said second spline, wherein said support structure wraps around and engages said outermost free edges;

wherein said elongated first spline comprises a pair of spring bars connected at a first end and separated at a second end to facilitate ease of assembly of said elongated spline and said body portion.

13. A wiper refill according to claim 12, wherein said body comprises a top portion having a first width along a first end, a second width greater than said first width along a majority of said wiper blade body, and a third width less than said second width along a second end, wherein said second width is at least as wide as said elongated first spline except at the center portion of said first spline.

14. A windshield wiper comprising:

an elongated wiper blade having a squeegee portion for contacting a surface and a body portion connected to said squeegee portion by a web, said squeegee and said web defining a centerline of said wiper blade;

a first spline contacting said body portion, said spline comprising a pair of spring bars extending along longitudinal sides of said web of said wiper blade, said first spline being planar in shape defining outermost free edges lying below an uppermost surface of said body portion;

a support structure capable of connecting wiper blade to a wiper arm, said support structure directly connected to and in contact with said first spline, wherein said support structure wraps around and engages said outermost free edges;

an elongated second spline disposed between said first spline and said support structure, wherein said second spline is a single metallic bar in contact with said support structure and said body portion, said centerline passing through a center of said second spline,

wherein said second spline is above a center of an entirety of said wiper blade to evenly distribute a pressure of said wiper arm along its length during use” and

wherein said second spline is slidingly disposed with respect to said first spline and said support structure.