Wiper blade and wiper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099657-B2
Application number	US-201414893468-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2014
Priority date	Sep 5, 2013
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A wiper blade includes blade rubber, a holder body, and a clip. The clip is pivotally connected to the holder body. The clip has an elastic piece and an engagement protrusion. The engagement protrusion engages with an engagement hole provided in a wiper arm. The elastic piece section has a long piece section, a turned-back section, a first bending axis, and a second bending axis. The long piece section extends through a position to a side of the engagement protrusion. The turned-back section extends so as to change the direction of the long piece section in order to connect the front end of the long piece section to the engagement protrusion. The first bending axis and the second bending axis extend so that the engagement protrusion is located between the first bending axis and the second bending axis.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A wiper blade coupled to a wiper arm, the wiper blade comprising:
a rubber blade that wipes a wiping surface;
a holder body that holds the rubber blade; and
a coupling member coupled to the holder body pivotally about an axis, wherein the axis extends in a widthwise direction of the rubber blade, and the coupling member includes an elastic piece, a locking projection, which is arranged in the coupling member and supported by the elastic piece, an upper wall, and first and second side walls, which extend downward from two end portions in the widthwise direction of the upper wall, wherein:
the locking projection is fitted into and engaged with a locking hole arranged in the wiper arm to couple the wiper blade to the wiper arm;
the elastic piece includes a long piece, a reversed portion, a first flexing portion, and a second flexing portion;
the long piece includes a basal end portion, which is connected to the first side wall, and a distal end, which is located at the opposite side of the basal end portion and serves as a free end, wherein the long piece extends at a location beside the locking projection from the first side wall toward the second wall as viewed in a projecting direction of the locking projection;
the reversed portion extends from the distal end of the long piece and turns back toward the basal end portion of the long piece so that a distal end of the reversed portion is connected to the locking projection;
the first flexing portion includes a first flexing axis that extends through the basal end portion of the long piece along a longitudinal direction of the rubber blade;
the second flexing portion includes a second flexing axis that extends through a distal portion including the distal end of the long piece along the longitudinal direction of the rubber blade; and
the locking projection is located between the first flexing axis and the second flexing axis.

2. The wiper blade according to claim 1 , wherein:
the elastic piece is one of two elastic pieces; and
the two elastic pieces extend in the widthwise direction so that the locking projection is located between the two elastic pieces in the longitudinal direction of the rubber blade as viewed in the projecting direction of the locking projection.

3. The wiper blade according to claim 1 , wherein the long piece extends in a direction that differs from an attachment-removal direction of the wiper arm.

4. The wiper blade according to claim 3 , wherein:
the coupling member further includes a restriction portion; and
the restriction portion restricts movement of at least one of the locking projection and the elastic piece in a removal direction of the wiper arm.

5. The wiper blade according to claim 4 , wherein:
the locking projection and the elastic piece are formed on the same surface as at least one of the upper wall, the first side wall, and the second side wall;
a slit separates the locking projection from the elastic piece; and
the restriction portion is a projection that projects into part of the slit.

6. The wiper blade according to claim 4 , wherein:
the restriction portion is formed at a first location and a second location;
the first location is a location in the coupling member corresponding to the distal portion of the long piece; and
the second location is a location in the coupling member corresponding to a distal portion of the locking projection, wherein the distal portion of the locking projection is located at a side opposite to a basal end portion of the locking projection, and the basal portion of the locking projection is a portion of the locking projection where the reversed portion is connected.

7. The wiper blade according to claim 4 , wherein:
the coupling member further includes an opposing portion that opposes the restriction portion;
at least one of the restriction portion and the opposing portion includes an inclined surface; and
the inclined surface is inclined to generate a component force in the projecting direction of the locking projection when at least one of the locking projection and the elastic piece receives force in the removal direction of the wiper arm.

8. The wiper blade according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first flexing axis is a flexing axis of the long piece; and
the second flexing axis is a flexing axis of the reversed portion, which is paired with the first flexing axis.

9. The wiper blade according to claim 1 , wherein:
the elastic piece includes a flexing portion, which is flexed at a border between the upper wall and the side wall of the coupling member.

10. A wiper comprising:
the wiper blade according to claim 1 ; and
the wiper arm.

11. The wiper blade according to claim 1 , wherein:
when the locking projection is pushed down, the elastic piece is flexed and pivoted about the first flexing axis and the second flexing axis so that the locking projection moves downward without being inclined.

Assignees

• Asmo Co Ltd
• Nippon Wiper Blade Co Ltd
• Denso Corp
• Nippon Wiper Blades Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ohta Isao
• Yoshimoto Takao
• Ohta Masahiro

Classifications

• B60S1/4041

  the channel-shaped end comprising a pivot pin mounted between the side walls · CPC title

• B60S2001/4054

  the intermediate element engaging the back part of the arm · CPC title

• B60S1/4048 Primary

  the element being provided with retention means co-operating with the channel-shaped end of the arm · CPC title

• B60S1/4045

  comprising a detachable intermediate element mounted on the channel-shaped end · CPC title

• B60S1/34

  Wiper arms; Mountings therefor {(wiper arms provided with liquid spreading means B60S1/522; with gas spreading means B60S1/544)} · CPC title