Connecting device

• US 8,931,133 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Coart, Kris, Saevels, Peter, Aznag, Mohamed, Windmolders, Eric, Vertongen, Robert, Bonroy, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Monica
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENNINGS, MICHAEL DEANGILO
• Application Number:
  US13/496,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20120233801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,635 Days
• Field of Search: 152/500.01, 152/503.51, 152/504.4, 152/504.3, 152/503.2, 152/504.6, 295/250.1
• US Class Current: 15/250.44
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3856 Gripping the blade
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3868 pin formed on the exterior of side walls
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4038 for arms provided with a channel-shaped end
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/3898 method for manufacturing wiper blades
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to a connecting device which has a connecting element (18) of flat beam design fixed to a wiper blade (10) and an adapter (16) joined to said connecting element in an articulated manner, and also a joining element (14) that is joined to a wiper arm (12) and into the u-shaped cross-sectional profile of which the adapter (16) is inserted and, by means of a spring tongue (64) arranged on the top wall (42) thereof, is fixed to a pushbutton (66), the connecting element (18) having a central web (28) running in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade (10) and bearing a hinge shaft (30) projecting on the long sides thereof, which is mounted in laterally flexible hubs (46) in side walls (40) of the adapter (16). According to the invention, the outwardly facing walls of the adapter (16), namely the side walls (40), the top wall (42), and the end walls (36, 62), have a general wall thickness of at least two millimeters, and the hubs (46) are to be formed as blind holes, the cylindrical surfaces of which form radial sliding surfaces (48) and the end faces of which form axial sliding surfaces (50), which are highly polished with an arithmetic mean roughness of Ra<0.2μ, and that the sliding surfaces (48, 50) be the sole contact surfaces between the connecting element (18) and the adapter (16).

Claims

1. A connecting device which has a connecting element (18) of flat beam design fixed to a wiper blade (10) and an adapter (16) joined to said connecting element in an articulated manner and also a joining element (14) that is joined to a wiper arm (12), the adapter (16) being inserted into a u-shaped cross sectional profile of said joining element and being fixed by means of a spring tongue (64) arranged on a top wall (42) of the adapter to a pushbutton (66), wherein the connecting element (18) has a central web (28) running in a longitudinal direction of the wiper blade (10) and bearing a hinge shaft (30) projecting on long sides of the web, which hinge shaft is mounted in laterally flexible hubs (46) in side walls (40) of the adapter (16), characterized in that outwardly facing walls of said adapter (16), namely the side walls (40), the top wall (42) and end walls (36, 62), have a general wall thickness of at least two millimeters, and the hubs (46) are formed as blind holes, cylindrical surfaces of which form radial sliding surfaces (48) and end faces of which form axial sliding surfaces (50) and close the blind holes, which are highly polished with an arithmetic mean roughness of Ra<

0.2μ

, and in that the sliding surfaces (48, 50) are the sole contact surfaces between said connecting element (18) and said adapter (16).

2. The connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the hubs (46) are disposed in hub sockets (44), which protrude inwardly on insides of the side walls (40).

3. The connecting device according to claim 2, characterized in that recesses (41) are provided in a region of the hub sockets (44) on an outside of the side walls (40), stiffening ribs (52), which fit approximately flush with the outside of the side wall (40) adjacent to the recess (41), being disposed in said recesses.

4. The connecting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the joining element (14) has undercut reliefs (92) on insides of side walls (80) of the joining element in a region of the stiffening ribs (52) of the adapter (16).

5. The connecting device according to claim 3, characterized in that the adapter (16) has contact surfaces (76) on both sides of the recesses (41) on the outsides of the side walls (40), said contact surfaces fitting closely in an assembled state to insides of side walls (80) of the joining element (14).

6. The connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that a length of the hinge shaft (30) is slightly oversized with respect to a distance that the axial sliding surfaces (50) of the hubs (46) are spaced apart from one another;

thus enabling said axial sliding surfaces (50) in an assembled state to rest with a preload against end faces of said hinge shaft (30).

7. The connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the spring tongue (64) is connected to a rear end wall (62) and forms a gap (68) with the top wall (42) of the adapter (16), wherein the pushbutton (66) protrudes outwardly over said spring tongue (64) on a side of said spring tongue (64) facing away from said rear end wall (62) and in an assembled state latches into an opening (86) in a top wall (84) of the joining element (14).

8. The connecting device according to claim 7, characterized in that the spring tongue (64) has at least one projection (70) on an end thereof facing away from the rear end wall (62), said projection resting in the assembled state on an inside of the top wall (84) of the joining element (14).

9. The connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that a rear end wall (62) of the adapter (16) extends from the top wall (42) to a lower edge of the side walls (40) so that large-area cross sections (72) result.

10. The connecting device according to claim 1, characterized in that retaining blocks (60) are provided in recesses (78) on an end of outsides of the side walls (40) which faces a rear end wall (62), said retaining blocks with the recesses (78) forming mounting channels (110) for guide rails (82) on lower edges of side walls (80) of the joining element (14), wherein the mounting channels (110) enlarge towards the rear end wall (62).

11. A method for mounting a connecting device, the connecting device having a connecting element (18) of flat beam design fixed to a wiper blade (10) and an adapter (16) joined to said connecting element in an articulated manner and also a joining element (14) that is joined to a wiper arm (12), the adapter (16) being inserted into a u-shaped cross sectional profile of said joining element and being fixed by means of a spring tongue (64) arranged on a top wall (42) of the adapter to a pushbutton (66), wherein the connecting element (18) has a central web (28) running in a longitudinal direction of the wiper blade (10) and bearing a hinge shaft (30) projecting on long sides of the web, which hinge shaft is mounted in laterally flexible hubs (46) in side walls (40) of the adapter (16), characterized in that outwardly facing walls of said adapter (16), namely the side walls (40), the top wall (42) and end walls (36, 62), have a general wall thickness of at least two millimeters, and the hubs (46) are formed as blind holes, cylindrical surfaces of which form radial sliding surfaces (48) and end faces of which form axial sliding surfaces (50), which are highly polished with an arithmetic mean roughness of Ra<

0.2μ

, and in that the sliding surfaces (48, 50) are the sole contact surfaces between said connecting element (18) and said adapter (16), wherein the adapter (16) has a mounting opening (74) in the top wall (42) thereof, the method comprising inserting a gripper (108) of a mounting tool (100) of a mounting device (98) into the mounting opening in a mounting direction (106), expanding the gripper in an opening direction (102), and thereafter pushing said adapter (16) held in this manner over the hinge shaft (30) of the connecting element (18), whereupon said hinge shaft (30) interlocks with the hubs (46) of said adapter (16).