Wiper blade having an adapter unit for hinging to a wiper arm

• US 8,973,207 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Depondt, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Carter, Monica
• Assistant Examiner(s): JENNINGS, MICHAEL DEANGILO
• Application Number:
  US13/496,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20120227206A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,693 Days
• Field of Search: 152/500.01, 152/503.51, 152/504.4, 152/504.3, 152/503.2, 152/504.6, 152/502.01
• US Class Current: 15/250.001
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/387 the connector being suitable for receiving different types of adapter
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4003 Multi-purpose connections for two or more kinds of arm ends
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/407 with means provided on the arm for locking the side pin
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4087 the end being provided with protrusions or holes
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4022 the element being provided with a locking element movable thereon
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/4054 the intermediate element engaging the back part of the arm

Abstract

In a wiper blade (100) for a windscreen wiper, having a wiper strip (112) and an adapter unit (105) for hinging the wiper blade (112) to a wiper arm, wherein the adapter unit (150) is attached at a base connection device (160) provided on the wiper strip (112) and is configured for connection to a connection member associated with the wiper arm. The adapter unit (150) comprises a guide adapter (250) permanently connected to the base connection device (160) and having guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) that are spherically curved at least in sections. The guide adapter is detachably connected to a function adapter (280) configured for connection to the connection member and comprising slide elements (382, 386) that are slidably displaceable on the guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) such that the function adapter (280) is movable at least from a released position into a holding position by a combined translatory and rotary movement relative to the guide adapter (250).

Claims

1. A wiper blade (100) for a window wiper, with a wiper strip (112) and an adapter unit (150) for attachment of the wiper strip (112) to a wiper arm (118), wherein the adapter unit (150) is fastened to a base connecting device (160) provided on the wiper strip (112) and is configured to be connected to a connecting member (190) assigned to the wiper arm (118), characterized in that the adapter unit (150) has a guide adapter (250) which is fastened permanently to the base connecting device (160) and which has guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) which are at least partially three-dimensionally curved, which guide adapter is connected releasably to a function adapter (280) configured to be connected to the connecting member (190), which function adapter has sliding elements (382, 384, 386, 388) which are displaceable in a sliding fashion on the guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) in such a way that the function adapter (280) is configured to be moved by a combined translational and rotational movement relative to the guide adapter (250) to move the function adapter (280) from a release position into a retaining position

wherein the sliding elements (382, 384, 386, 388) include a first, forward set of sliding elements (382, 384) and a second, rearward set of sliding elements (386, 388), the first set of sliding elements (382, 284) being spaced from the second set of sliding elements (386, 388) along a longitudinal axis of the wiper blade;

and

wherein the guide adapter (250) includes vertical slots along sides of the guide adapter (250), wherein the vertical slots extend generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the wiper blade, and wherein the first, forward set of sliding elements (382, 384) is configured to pass through the slots to engage two of the guide elements (352, 354) and move into the retaining position.

2. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) are at least partially of elongated S-shaped design.

3. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) and the sliding elements (382, 384, 386, 388) are formed with a substantially identical shaping.

4. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the guide adapter (250) has at least one actuable latching element (252) which, in the retaining position, is latched releasably to the function adapter (280), wherein latching of the latching element to the function adapter can be released by actuation of the latching element (252).

5. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the guide adapter (250) is permanently latched to the base connecting device (160) by a snap-in connection, wherein retaining arms (322, 324, 326, 328) are provided on the guide adapter (250), which retaining arms are interlocked on associated retaining indentations (362, 364, 366, 368) of the base connecting device (160).

6. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the guide adapter (250) has pocket-like receiving elements (412, 414, 416, 418) into which associated projections (392, 394, 396, 398) of the base connecting device (160) engage.

7. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the connecting member (190) has a fastening member (730) configured to be mounted on the function adapter (280).

8. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the fastening member (730) is configured to be attached to a first multiplicity of different wiper arm types.

9. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the fastening member (730) is configured to be connected to an adapter element (750) which is configured to be attached to a second multiplicity of different wiper arm types which differ from the wiper arm types of the first multiplicity of wiper arm types.

10. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the adapter element (750) engages at least partially around the fastening member (730) in a claw-like manner.

11. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the connecting member (190) has a cover member (740) by means of which at least a plurality of different wiper arm types can be fixed to the connecting member (190).

12. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the cover member (740) is configured to be fastened to the fastening member (730) by means of a snap-in connection.

13. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the function adapter (280) has a bearing element (279) on which the connecting member (190) is configured to be mounted.

14. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the bearing element (279) has at least two wall elements (712, 714) aligned parallel to each other for at least partially laterally supporting the connecting member (190).

15. The wiper blade as in claim 1, wherein both the sliding elements (382, 384, 386, 388) and the guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) are of an elongated S-shaped design.

16. An adapter unit (150) for attachment of a wiper strip (112), which is assigned to a wiper blade (100) for a window wiper, to a wiper arm (118), wherein the adapter unit (150) is configured to be fastened to a base connecting device (160) provided on the wiper strip (112) and is configured to be connected to a connecting member (190) assigned to a wiper arm (118), characterized in that the adapter unit (150) has a guide adapter (250) which is fastened permanently to the base connecting device (160) and which has guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) which are at least partially three-dimensionally curved, which guide adapter is connected releasably to a function adapter (280) configured to be connected to the connecting member (190), which function adapter has sliding elements (382, 384, 386, 388) which are displaceable in a sliding fashion on the guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) in such a way that the function adapter (280) is configured to be moved by a combined translational and rotational movement relative to the guide adapter (250) to move the function adapter (280) from a release position into a retaining position

wherein the sliding elements (382, 384, 386, 388) include a first, forward set of sliding elements (382, 384) and a second, rearward set of sliding elements (386, 388), the first set of sliding elements (382, 284) being spaced from the second set of sliding elements (386, 388) along a longitudinal axis of the wiper blade;

and

wherein the guide adapter (250) includes vertical slots along sides of the guide adapter (250), wherein the vertical slots extend generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the wiper blade, and wherein the first, forward set of sliding elements (382, 384) is configured to pass through the slots to engage two of the guide elements (352, 354) and move into the retaining position.

17. The adapter unit (150) as in claim 16, wherein both the sliding elements (382, 384, 386, 388) and the guide elements (352, 354, 356, 358) are of an elongated S-shaped design.