Wiper blade

• US 8,661,602 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2007
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Op't Roodt, Inigo, Van Baelen, David
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAHAM, GARY K
• Application Number:
  US12/516,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20100083454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,338 Days
• Field of Search: 152/504.6, 152/504.4, 152/503.1, 152/503.61, 15250451-250454, 152/504.7
• US Class Current: 15/250.46
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3801 characterised by a blade support harness consisting of several articulated elements B60S1/3803, B60S1/3806 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3815 chacterised by the joint between elements

Abstract

The invention is based on a wiper blade (10) with a supporting bracket system which can be connected to a wiper arm in an articulated manner and has at least one main bracket (12, 24) and a plurality of secondary brackets (24, 28) which are connected pivotably to one another by means of joints (20, 26), wherein, in the region of at least one joint (20, 26), the main bracket (12, 24) has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile, the side walls (18, 44) of which laterally enclose the secondary brackets (24, 28), and, on the insides of the side walls (44), has pivots (50) which, together with lateral clip cutouts (54) on the secondary bracket (28), form a clip connection and a bearing point, while the secondary bracket (28) is supported via a rolling bearing (34, 66) on a top wall (58) of the main bracket (24). It is proposed that the pair of brackets (12, 24 or 24, 28), which in this way are connected to each other in an articulated manner, is manufactured from plastic in an injection-moulding process, with the pivots (50) being integrally cast on the insides of the side walls (18, 44) of the main bracket (18, 24).

Claims

1. A wiper blade (10) with a supporting bracket system which is connectable to a wiper arm in an articulated manner, the wiper blade (10) comprising:

at least one superordinate bracket (12, 24) and a plurality of subordinate brackets (24, 28) which are connected pivotably to one another by joints (20, 26), wherein, in a region of at least one joint (20, 26), the superordinate bracket (12, 24) has a U-shaped cross sectional profile, side walls (18, 44) of which laterally enclose the subordinate bracket (24, 28), and, on insides of the side walls (44), has pivots (50) which, together with lateral clip cutouts (54) on the subordinate bracket (28), form a clip connection and a bearing point while the subordinate bracket (28) is supported via a rolling bearing (34, 66) on a top wall (58) of the superordinate bracket (24),

characterized in that at least one of the superordinate bracket and the subordinate bracket pairs (12, 24 or 24, 28) is manufactured from plastic by injection molding, with the pivots (50) being integrally cast on the insides of the side walls (18, 44) of the superordinate bracket (18, 24),

characterized in that the superordinate bracket (12, 24) has an additional bearing (60) which is integrally formed on the inside of its top wall (58) and engages in a depression (62) in the subordinate bracket (24, 28), and

characterized in that the superordinate bracket (12, 24) has demolding holes (48) in the region of its pivots (50) in its top wall (58).

2. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the subordinate bracket (24, 28) has a demolding cutout (56) joining the clip cutout (54) toward the open side of the U-shaped cross sectional profile of the superordinate bracket (12, 24).

3. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the clip cutout (54) and the demolding cutout (56) are bordered by guide surfaces (46).

4. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the superordinate bracket (12, 24) has an additional bearing (60) which is integrally formed on the inside of its top wall (58) and engages in a depression (62) in the subordinate bracket (24, 28).

5. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the superordinate bracket (12, 24) has demolding holes (48) in the region of its pivots (50) in its top wall (58).

6. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the lateral edges of the subordinate bracket (24, 28), which edges face the top wall (58) of the superordinate bracket (12, 24), have installation slopes (40).

7. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that the pivots (50) of the superordinate brackets (12, 24) have installation slopes (40) toward the open side of the U-shaped cross sectional profile.

8. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 7, wherein the least one superordinate bracket and plurality of subordinate brackets define a main bracket (12), two intermediate brackets (24) and two claw brackets (28), characterized in that the main bracket (12) is manufactured from sheet metal while the intermediate brackets (24) and the claw brackets (28) are plastic parts.

9. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the wiper blade (10) has a cross sectional profile of a subordinate bracket (24, 28) in a region of a mounting box (14), and, at an end of an associated wiper arm has a matching cross sectional profile of a superordinate bracket (18, 24).

10. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the clip cutout (54) and the demolding cutout (56) are bordered by guide surfaces (46).

11. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lateral edges of the subordinate bracket (24, 28), which edges face the top wall (58) of the superordinate bracket (12, 24), have installation slopes (40).

12. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the pivots (50) of the superordinate brackets (12, 24) have installation slopes (40) toward the open side of the U-shaped cross sectional profile.

13. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the least one superordinate bracket and plurality of subordinate brackets define a main bracket (12), two intermediate brackets (24) and two claw brackets (28), characterized in that the main bracket (12) is manufactured from sheet metal while the intermediate brackets (24) and the claw brackets (28) are plastic parts.

14. The wiper blade (10) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the wiper blade (10) has a cross sectional profile of a subordinate bracket (24, 28) in a region of a mounting box (14), and, an end of an associated wiper arm has a matching cross sectional profile of a superordinate bracket (18, 24).