WINDSCREEN WIPER DEVICE

• US 20080060161A1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Federal-Mogul SA (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Federal-Mogul SA (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boland, Xavier, Henin, Pierre, Coos, Eric
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 15/250.351
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/38 Wiper blades provided with liquid spreading means B60S1/524; provided with gas spreading means B60S1/546
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/3849 Connectors therefor; Connection to wiper arm; Attached to blade
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/4038 for arms provided with a 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49826 Assembling or joining

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 widescreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes opposing longitudinal grooves 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 connecting 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, with the special feature that said connecting device is positioned at least substantially within said joint part.

Claims

1. A windscreen wiper device comprising:

a wiper blade element of flexible material adapted for placement against a windscreen to be wiped;

an elongated carrier supporting said wiper blade,

a connecting device mounted on said carrier;

a pair of generally cylindrical protrusions extending outwards on opposite sides of said connecting device along a pivot axis;

a joint part having a pair of through holes in which said cylindrical protrusions are received to establish a pivot connection between the joint part and the connecting device, said cylindrical protrusions being visible within said holes when joined so as to enable the assembler to see that a correct connection has been made;

said joint part including at least one resilient locking tongue;

a wiper arm having an end portion with a generally U-shaped cross section including a pair of legs and a base, said joint part being slideably received in said end portion through an open free end of said end portion, at least one of said legs or base having an opening;

said legs of said wiper arm including inwardly bent clamping members which extend beneath said joint part when fully received in said end portion; and

wherein said legs of said wiper arm cover said exposed through holes and protrusions of said pivot connection, and said tongue is received in said opening of said wiper arm when said joint part is fully received in said end portion.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said inwardly bent clamping members of said wiper arm are spaced longitudinally from ends of said legs.

3. A windscreen wiper arm, including:

a longitudinally extending end portion connectable with a windscreen wiper blade device, said end portion having a generally U-shaped cross section including a pair of laterally spaced legs and a base, said legs and said base extending to an open free end of said end portion for receiving the insertion of a joint part of the wiper blade into the end portion to establish a connection between said wiper arm and the wiper blade device;

at least one of said legs or said base having an opening spaced from said open end for receiving a resilient tongue of the joint part when the joint part is fully received in the end portion;

clamping members formed as one piece with and bent inwardly of said legs so as to extend toward one another for underlying the joint part of the wiper arm device when the joint part is fully received in the end portion; and

wherein said clamping members are spaced longitudinally from the free ends of said legs.

4. A method of attaching a wiper device to a wiper arm, comprising:

obtaining a wiper element having an 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;

a connecting device disposed on the carrier element;

a joint part made of plastic;

wherein the connecting device has a pair of protrusions extending on opposite sides of the connecting device along a pivot axis; and

where the joint part has a pair of associated openings in which the protrusions are received to establish a pivot connection between the joint part and the connecting device, and where the joint part has a substantially U-shaped cross section at the location of its attachment to the connecting device and includes at least one resilient tongue;

aligning the joint part of the wiper element with a generally U-shaped mounting end of a wiper arm having a base and a pair of legs extending from an open insertion end of the arm and including a pair of clamping members which are formed as inwardly bent edges of the legs and which are further spaced longitudinally from ends of the legs; and

inserting the joint part, tongue-first, axially into the open end of the wiper arm such that the tongue is received past the ends of the legs first and thereafter the inwardly bent edges of the wiper arm are caused to extend beneath the joint part and depress the tongue, and finally causing the tongue to align with and be received within the opening of the wiper arm.

5. The method of claim 4, including forming the opening in the base of the wiper arm.