Windscreen wiper device

• US 8,800,099 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• 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:
  US13/909,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20130333143A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 152/503.2, 152/503.51, 152/502.01, 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/503.61, 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 groove on its longitudinal sides, in which grooves spaced-apart longitudinal strips of the carrier element are disposed, wherein neighbouring ends of said longitudinal strips are interconnected by a respective connection 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 form 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 comprising:

a longitudinally extending wiper element and support structure supporting said wiper element;

a joint part pivotally connected or connectable to said support structure for relative pivotal movement about a pivot axis transverse to said longitudinal direction of said wiper element;

said joint part being generally U-shaped and having a top wall and two side walls and an open bottom, and with the top wall including opposite longitudinal ends spaced from said pivot axis;

said top wall of said joint part including at least one resilient latching tongue having an integral hinge adjacent one of said ends to an opposite free end of said tongue; and

wherein said free end of said at least one resilient tongue is disposed longitudinally between said hinge axis and said pivot axis and closer to said hinge axis than to said pivot axis and wherein said resilient tongue includes a button which projects in a direction away from said open bottom.

2. The windscreen wiper of claim 1, wherein said at least one resilient latching tongue includes a relatively thin portion adjacent said hinge axis and a relatively thicker portion near said free end.

3. The windscreen wiper of claim 1, wherein said pivot axis is nearer to said opposite end than to said one end.

4. The windscreen wiper of claim 1, wherein said at least one latching tongue is centered laterally on said top wall.

5. The windscreen wiper of claim 1, wherein said support structure includes at least one band of spring steel.

6. The windscreen wiper of claim 5, including connecting pieces secured at ends of the at least one band of spring steel.

7. The windscreen wiper of claim 6, including a spoiler.

8. The windscreen wiper of claim 5, including a connecting device secured to said at least one strip of spring steel.

9. The windscreen wiper of claim 8, wherein said joint part is pivotally connected to said connecting device.

10. The windscreen wiper of claim 1, wherein said at least one latching tongue is bordered on three sides by a U-shaped slot in said top wall.

11. The windscreen wiper of claim 10, wherein said U-shaped slot is bordered by top wall material.

12. The windscreen wiper of claim 1, wherein said support structure includes a pair of strips disposed in side grooves of said wiper strip.

13. The windscreen wiper of claim 1, including a wiper arm releasably attachable to said joint part.

14. A windscreen wiper comprising:

a longitudinally extending wiper element and support structure supporting said wiper element;

a joint part pivotally connected or connectable to said support structure for relative pivotal movement about a pivot axis transverse to said longitudinal direction of said wiper element;

said joint part being generally U-shaped and having a top wall and two side walls and an open bottom, and with the top wall including opposite longitudinal ends spaced from said pivot axis;

said top wall of said joint part including at least one resilient latching tongue having an integral hinge which extends from a hinge axis adjacent one of said ends to an opposite free end of said tongue; and

wherein said free end of said at least one resilient tongue is disposed longitudinally between said hinge axis and said pivot axis and closer to said hinge axis than to said pivot axis; and

wherein said free end of said latching tongue projects above a top surface of said top wall.