Device for detachably linking a wiper blade with a wiper arm

• US 20040211021A1
• Filed: 06/01/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Beelen, Hans, Vertongen, Robert, Roodt, Inigo Opt, Herinckx, Dirk, Kraemer, Godelieve, Wilms, Christian, Baseotto, Michel, Breesch, Frans, Geling, Johnny, Holsbeekx, Philippe, Rapp, Harald, Verelst, Hubert, Weber, Matthias, De Block, Peter, Mayer, Juergen, Windmolders, Eric, Leutsch, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 7,607,194 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/250.32
• 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 1/3879 placed in side grooves in the squeegee
• 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 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

A device is proposed which is used to detachably connect a wiper blade (12) to clean windows, particularly of motor vehicles, to a driven wiper arm (10) featuring a wiper blade holder (50 or 150), whereby the wiper blade (12) that can be placed on the window (20) with a long-stretched-out, rubber elastic wiper strip (18) features a band-like, long-stretched-out elastic supporting element (16) that is curved in the longitudinal direction over its band surfaces (15, 17) on whose lower, concave band surface (17) the wiper strip (18) is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis. On the outer convex band surface (15) of the supporting element (16) sits a connecting element (26), which features two parallel wall surfaces (36) that are aligned in a vertical plane on the band surface and extend in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade and that a pivot pin (42) projects from each wall surface, whereby the longitudinal axes of the two pivot pins are aligned with one another. An especially simple embodiment of the articulated connection with an integrated connecting device is achieved if an adapter (66 or 166) that can move in a pendulum fashion is positioned on the two pivot pins of the connecting element (26), and said adapter features means to connect to the wiper blade holder (50 or 150) of the wiper arm (10).

Claims

1. Device to detachably connect a wiper blade (12) to clean windows, particularly of motor vehicles, to a driven wiper arm (10) featuring a wiper blade holder (50 or 150) and the wiper blade that can be placed on the window (20) with a long-stretched-out, rubber elastic wiper strip (18) features a band-like, long-stretched-out elastic supporting element (16) that is curved in the longitudinal direction over its band surfaces (15, 17) on whose lower, concave band surface (17) the wiper strip (18) is arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis and on whose outer convex band surface a connecting element (26) sits, which features two parallel wall surfaces (36) that are aligned in a vertical plane on the band surface and extend in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, whereby a pivot pin (42) projects from each wall surface and whereby the longitudinal axes of the two pivot pins are aligned with one another, characterized in that an adapter (66 or 166) that can move in a pendulum fashion is positioned on the two pivot pins (42) of the connecting element (26), and said adapter features means to connect to the wiper blade holder (50 or 150) of the wiper arm (10).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the distance (38) between the two wall surfaces (34) is smaller than the width (46) of the supporting element (16).

3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the two wall surfaces (36) are formed by the outside surfaces on the T-foot (28) of a component (26) whose cross-section is T-shaped at least in sections, and whose T-head (30) facing the supporting element (16) is connected to it.

4. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting element (26) is provided with claw-like extensions (32) on the longitudinal edges of the T-head (30) facing away from each other, which grip around the outer longitudinal edges of the supporting element (16).

5. Device according to one of claims 3 or 4, characterized in that the connecting element (26), when seen in cross-section, has two essentially rectangular halves, which form the T-foot with an adjacent angle leg and whose other angle legs together form the T-head (30).

6. Device according to claim 5, characterized in that the two metal halves on the T-foot (28) are connected with one another as a single piece.

7. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that the connecting element (26) is fabricated of a plastic.

8. Device according to one of claims 3 through 7, characterized in that the adapter (66 or 166) essentially has a U-shaped cross-section, whose U-legs (70 or 170) grip over the T-foot (28) of the connecting element (26) laterally so they fit, whose U-base (72) covers the T-foot (28) of the connecting element (26) and in each of the two U-legs (70) an open-edge, slot-like recess is arranged towards their free ends, whose slot ends form rest receptacles (76 or 176) for the articulated bolts (42).

9. Device according to claim 8, characterized in that the adapter (66 or 166) is fabricated of an elastic plastic and that the slot-like recesses (74) have elastically expandable narrowings (78) limiting the rest receptacle.

10. Device according to one of claims 8 or 9, characterized in that the adapter (66 or 166) is provided with collar-like projections (80) surrounding the rest receptacles (76 or 176) on the outer sides of its U-legs (70 or 170) facing away from each other.

11. Device according to claim 10, characterized in that the wiper blade holder (50 or 150) of the wiper arm (10) grips over the adapter on its U-legs with side cheeks so that it fits and that open-edge recesses (56 or 156) are arranged in the side cheeks (54) for the collar-like projections (80) of the adapter.

12. Device according to claim 11, characterized in that the recesses in the side cheeks of the wiper blade holder (50 or 150) feature an L-shaped form, whereby the one L-leg has an open edge towards the supporting element of the wiper blade and the other L-leg (60) extends towards the free end of the wiper arm and the width (57) of the recesses (56) is coordinated with the outside diameter (82) of the collar-like projections (80) of the adapter.

13. Device according to claim 12, characterized in that in that the adapter (66 or 166) is provided with a tongue (88 or 204) that is elastically deflectable against a restoring force, on which a locking shoulder is embodied, which is aligned transverse to the wiper blade and in a vertical plane on the supporting element (16), that the locking shoulder is assigned a wiper-arm-mounted counter locking shoulder and the locking shoulder cooperates with the counter locking shoulder when the collar-shaped projections of the adapter are adjacent to the closed ends of the other L-legs of the recesses in the side cheeks of the wiper blade holder.

14. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the tongue (88) is connected with at least one U-leg (70) of the adapter (66) on its side facing the drive side of the wiper arm, that the locking shoulder projects on the side of the tongue facing away from the wiper blade, and said locking shoulder is assigned a wiper-arm-mounted counter locking shoulder (62).

15. Device according to claim 13, characterized in that the tongue (204) is arranged on the U-base (72) of the adapter (166) and extends towards the free end of the wiper arm, that the counter locking shoulder (162) is embodied on the front side of the wiper arm (10) and that the tongue (204) projects over the free end of the wiper arm with its locking shoulder.

16. Device according to one of claims 14 or 15, characterized in that the adapter is provided with a lateral overhang (206) at least on one U-leg at a distance from the collar-like projections (80), and said overhang is assigned a recess provided on the side cheeks of the wiper blade holder.

17. Device according to one of claims 10 through 16, characterized in that shield-like coverings (84) projecting laterally over the projections are arranged on the collar-like projections (80) at a distance from the U-legs of the adapter.

18. Wiper blade for use in a wiper device according to one of claims 1 through 18.

19. Wiper arm for use in a wiper device according to one of claims 1 through 18.

20. Connecting element for the articulated connection of a wiper blade to clean windows, particularly of motor vehicles, to a driven wiper arm, which features a cross-section that is essentially T-shaped at least in sections, whose T-head facing the supporting element is connected to it, whose T-foot extends in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade and that is provided with the one articulation half that is embodied as an articulated bolt, characterized in that the articulated bolt features two pins aligned coaxially with one another that project from the two wall surfaces (36) of the T-foot (28) facing away from one another in order to connect additional articulation means in an articulated manner.

21. Connecting element according to claim 20, characterized in that claw-like extensions (32) curved to the side of the T-head (30) facing away from the T-foot (28) are arranged on the two longitudinal edges of the T-head.

22. Connecting element according to one of claims 20 or 21, characterized in that the connecting element (26), when seen in cross-section, has two essentially rectangular halves, which form its T-foot (28) with adjacent angle legs (34) and whose other angle legs (35) form its T-head (30).

23. Connecting element according to claim 22, characterized in that the two metal halves of the connecting element (26) on the T-foot (28) are connected with one another as a single piece.

24. Connecting element according to claim 22, characterized in that the connecting element (26) is fabricated of a plastic.

25. Connecting element according to one of claims 22 through 24, characterized in that the two pins are formed by the end sections of a bolt (42), which penetrates the T-foot (28) of the connecting element (26) in a bore hole (27).

26. Connecting element according to claim 24, characterized in that the two pins on the T-foot of the connecting element (26) are formed as a single piece.