Rubber material of a wiper blade for windshield wipers and process for production thereof

• US 8,552,113 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2008
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Pieters, Eric, Lay, Reiner, Parton, Hilde
• Primary Examiner(s): MULLIS, JEFFREY C
• Application Number:
  US12/677,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20100205764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 525/215, 525/74, 525/86, 525/197, 525/210, 525/213, 525/232, 525/233, 152/500.01
• US Class Current: 525/74
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3829 characterised by the material of the squeegee or coating thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3898 method for manufacturing wiper blades
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 11/00 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of chloroprene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 15/00 Compositions of rubber derivatives C08L11/00, C08L13/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0853 Vinylacetate
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/16 Elastomeric ethene-propene or ethene-propene-diene copolymers, e.g. EPR and EPDM rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/286 Chlorinated polyethylene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/08 Homopolymers or copolymers according to C08L7/00 - C08L21/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 7/00 Compositions of natural rubber
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 9/00 Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons

Abstract

A rubber material of a wiper blade for windshield wipers is described, which comprises a first rubber component of a first polarity and a second rubber component of a second greater polarity. To equalize the first and second polarities, the first rubber component is at least partially replaced by a chemically functionalized derivative.

Claims

1. A windshield wiper blade comprising a first rubber component of a first polarity, a second rubber component of a second, greater polarity, and a chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component with a polarity greater than the first rubber component,

wherein the first rubber component is natural rubber (NR) and the chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component is epoxidized natural rubber (ENR);

the first rubber component is isoprene rubber (IR) and the chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component is epoxidized IR;

or the first rubber component is butadiene rubber (BR), styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) or isobutyl-isoprene rubber (IIR) and the chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component is a halogenated or alkoxylated derivative of BR, SBR or IIR or a derivative of BR, SBR or IIR provided with tertiary amine functionality.

2. The windshield wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the second rubber component is chloroprene (CR) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

3. The windshield wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component is partially chemically functionalized.

4. The windshield wiper blade of claim 1 further comprising a stock connected by way of a tiltable web to a wedge-shaped section, characterized in that the stock, the tiltable web, and/or the wedge-shaped section comprise the first rubber component, the second rubber component, and the chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component.

5. A process for the production of a windshield wiper blade, comprising:

mixing a first rubber component of a first polarity and a chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component to provide a first rubber mixture with a third polarity;

mixing the first rubber mixture and a second rubber component of a second polarity greater than the first polarity to provide a second rubber mixture; and

forming the second rubber mixture into a windshield wiper-rubber profile,

wherein the third polarity is closer to the second polarity than the first polarity is to the second polarity.

6. A windshield wiper blade comprising a first rubber component of a first polarity, a second rubber component of a second, greater polarity, and a chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component with a polarity greater than the first rubber component,

wherein the chemically functionalized derivative of the first rubber component is an epoxidized derivative, a halogenated derivative, an alkoxylated derivative, an aryloxylated derivative, a derivative provided with tertiary amine function, or a derivative provided with nitrile groups.

7. A windshield wiper blade comprising butadiene rubber (BR), a second rubber component of a polarity greater tha BR, and

a third component selected from the group consisting of 1) a copolymer of butadiene with acrylonitrile, 2) a polynorbornene rubber (PNR), and 3) a mixture thereof.