Wiper blade for a windshield wiper

• US 9,015,896 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: De Block, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Spisich, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HORTON, ANDREW ALAN
• Application Number:
  US13/639,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20130036571A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 152/503.2, 152/504.3, 152/504.4, 152/502.01, 152/503.61, 15250451-25048, 264/248, 264442-445
• US Class Current: 15/250.361
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3855 by welding, gluing or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 2001/382 the backing strip being an essentially planar reinforcing strip, e.g. vertebra

Abstract

In a wiper blade (100) for a windshield wiper, having a wiping strip (112) on which there is arranged at least one supporting rail (214) which has a spring element (215) provided with a plastic sheath (217), wherein the plastic sheath (217) is welded, at least in a predefined connecting region (180), to a base connecting device (160) which comprises thermoplastic material having a predefined melting point, the plastic sheath (217) comprises at least a first and a second thermoplastic material.

Claims

1. A wiper blade (100) for a windshield wiper, having a wiping strip (112) defining a longitudinal axis on which there is arranged at least one supporting rail (214) which has a spring element (215), the spring element (215) having sides extending generally along the longitudinal axis and being provided with a plastic sheath (217) extending around the sides, wherein the plastic sheath (217) is welded, at least in a predefined connecting region (180), to a base connecting device (160) which comprises a thermoplastic material with a predefined melting point, characterized in that the plastic sheath (217) comprises at least one first and one second thermoplastic material, each having different melting points, wherein the thermoplastic material having a lower melting point is located in the predefined connecting region (180), and wherein the remaining portion of the plastic sheath (217) comprises the thermoplastic material having a higher melting point, wherein the base connecting device (160) comprises a claw, the claw terminating at a free end and wrapping around the at least one supporting rail (214), and the predefined connecting region (180) of the plastic sheath (217) extends between the free end and the spring element (215).

2. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that a first melting point is allocated to the first thermoplastic material and a second melting point which is lower than the first melting point is allocated to the second thermoplastic material.

3. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the second melting point and the predefined melting point lie within a predefined temperature range which lies below the first melting point.

4. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the second melting point and the predefined melting point are approximately the same.

5. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the first melting point is determined such that on melting of the thermoplastic material with the predefined melting point and of the second thermoplastic material, a melting of the first thermoplastic material can be avoided.

6. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the thermoplastic material with the predefined melting point and the second thermoplastic material have a substantially corresponding composition.

7. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the supporting rail (214) is welded to the base connecting device (160) by ultrasound welding in the predefined connecting region (180).

8. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that on the base connecting device (160) is attached an adapter unit (150) for hinging of the wiping strip (112) on a wiper arm (118), which unit is formed to connect with a connecting element (190) allocated to the wiper arm (118).

9. A wiper blade (100) for a windshield wiper, having a wiping strip (112) defining a longitudinal axis on which there is arranged at least one supporting rail (214) which has a spring element (215), the spring element (215) having sides extending generally along the longitudinal axis and being provided with a plastic sheath (217) extending around the sides, wherein the plastic sheath (217) comprises a thermoplastic material with a predefined melting point and at least in a predefined connecting region (180) is welded to a base connecting device (160), characterized in that the base connecting device (160) comprises at least one first and one second thermoplastic material, each having different melting points, wherein the thermoplastic material having a lower melting point is provided on a segment of the base connecting device (160) contacting the predefined connecting region (180), and wherein the remaining portion of the base connecting device (160) comprises the thermoplastic material having a higher melting point, wherein the base connecting device (160) comprises a claw, the claw terminating at a free end and wrapping around the at least one supporting rail (214), and the predefined connecting region (180) of the plastic sheath (217) extends between the free end and the spring element (215).

10. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that a first melting point is allocated to the first thermoplastic material and a second melting point which is lower than the first melting point is allocated to the second thermoplastic material.

11. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the second melting point and the predefined melting point lie within a predefined temperature range which lies below the first melting point.

12. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the second melting point and the predefined melting point are approximately the same.

13. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the first melting point is determined such that on melting of the thermoplastic material with the predefined melting point and of the second thermoplastic material, a melting of the first thermoplastic material can be avoided.

14. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the thermoplastic material with the predefined melting point and the second thermoplastic material have a substantially corresponding composition.

15. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that the supporting rail (214) is welded to the base connecting device (160) by ultrasound welding in the predefined connecting region (180).

16. The wiper blade as claimed in claim 9, characterized in that on the base connecting device (160) is attached an adapter unit (150) for hinging of the wiping strip (112) on a wiper arm (118), which unit is formed to connect with a connecting element (190) allocated to the wiper arm (118).