Wiper blade adapter device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11318913-B2
Application number	US-201716313238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2017
Priority date	Jun 22, 2016
Publication date	May 3, 2022
Grant date	May 3, 2022

Abstract

The invention is based on a wiper blade adapter device with an adapter basic body (10) which is provided to be fixedly connected to a wiper blade component (12), and with an adapter unit (14) which is provided for releasable coupling to a wiper arm adapter (16), and wherein the adapter unit (14) is provided to be connected to the adapter basic body (10) via a latching connection. It is proposed that the adapter unit (14) comprises at least one latching means (18) for latching to the adapter basic body (10), said latching means being provided to be at least partially deflected in the direction of a longitudinal centre plane (22) of the adapter unit (14) during assembly with the adapter basic body (10).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wiper blade adapter device comprising:
an adapter base member ( 10 ) which is configured to be securely connected to a wiper blade component ( 12 ), the adapter base member ( 10 ) having a connection element ( 66 , 68 ) with a deflection face ( 74 , 76 ); and
an adapter unit ( 14 ) which is configured for releasable coupling to a wiper arm adapter ( 16 ), and wherein the adapter unit ( 14 ) is configured to be connected to the adapter base member ( 10 ) by means of a locking connection,
wherein the adapter unit ( 14 ) comprises a locking means ( 18 , 20 ) for engagement with the connection element ( 66 , 68 ) of the adapter base member ( 10 ), wherein the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) is configured, during assembly with the adapter base member ( 10 ), to be deflected at least partially along a wiping direction ( 64 ) toward a longitudinal center plane ( 22 ) of the adapter unit ( 14 ) by the deflection face ( 74 , 76 ), wherein the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ) extends through a center of gravity ( 90 ) of the adapter base member ( 10 ), wherein the wiping direction ( 64 ) extends perpendicular to the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ), wherein the connection element ( 66 , 68 ) includes a laterally outer surface spaced from the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ) along the wiping direction, and wherein the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) is disposed entirely between the laterally outer surface and the longitudinal center plane ( 22 );
wherein the adapter unit ( 14 ) includes a side wall ( 80 , 82 ), wherein in the assembled state, the connection element ( 66 , 68 ) is configured to be disposed between the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) and the side wall ( 80 , 82 ) along the wiping direction ( 64 ).

2. The wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) is a first locking means ( 18 ), wherein the wiper blade adapter device further comprises a second locking means ( 20 ), wherein the second locking means ( 20 ) is configured, during assembly with the adapter base member ( 10 ), to be deflected at least partially in the direction of the first locking means ( 18 ).

3. The wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 2 , characterized in that the first locking means ( 18 ) has an abutment face ( 24 ) and the second locking means ( 20 ) has an abutment face ( 26 ), wherein the abutment faces ( 24 , 26 ) are configured for abutment against the wiper arm adapter ( 16 ) and, in a non-deflected state, have a spacing ( 28 ) with respect to each other which is configured to at least substantially correspond to a width ( 30 ) of the wiper arm adapter ( 16 ).

4. The wiper blade adapter device at least as claimed in claim 3 , characterized in that the abutment faces ( 24 , 26 ) define relative to the wiping direction ( 64 ) an angle of at least substantially 45°.

5. A system having the wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 3 and having the wiper arm adapter ( 16 ), wherein the spacing ( 28 ) at least substantially corresponds to the width ( 30 ) of the wiper arm adapter ( 16 ).

6. The wiper blade adapter device at least as claimed in claim 2 , characterized in that the first locking means ( 18 ) and the second locking means ( 20 ) define a receiving space ( 78 ) for positive-locking receiving of the wiper arm adapter ( 16 ).

7. A wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) is configured to move into lateral abutment with the wiper arm adapter ( 16 ) during assembly.

8. The wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that the adapter unit ( 14 ) comprises a side wall ( 80 , 82 ) which is configured to cover the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) in the wiping direction ( 64 ).

9. A wiper blade ( 32 ) having a wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 .

10. A system having a wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 and having a wiper arm adapter ( 16 ) which is configured to block a deflection of the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) in an assembled state.

11. A method for assembling a wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 , with a wiper arm adapter ( 16 ), characterized in that the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) of the adapter unit ( 14 ) of the wiper blade adapter device is deflected during the assembly in the direction of the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ) of the adapter unit ( 14 ).

12. The wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the locking means ( 18 ) includes an elongate arm having an enlarged distal end, wherein the connection element ( 66 , 68 ) includes an elongate protrusion having a blind recessed region along one side of the protrusion that is open toward the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ) and is sized and shaped to receive the enlarged distal end of the elongate arm.

13. The wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the side wall is a first wide wall ( 80 ), wherein the wiper blade adapter device includes a second side wall ( 82 ), wherein the connection element ( 66 , 68 ) is a first connection element ( 66 ), wherein the wiper blade adapter device includes a second connection element ( 68 ), wherein the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) is a first locking means ( 18 ), wherein the wiper blade adapter device includes a second locking means ( 20 ), wherein the first connection element ( 66 ) is disposed between the first locking means ( 18 ) and the first side wall ( 80 ) along the wiping direction ( 64 ), and wherein the second connection element ( 68 ) is disposed between the second locking means ( 20 ) and the second side wall ( 82 ) along the wiping direction ( 64 ).

14. The wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the first locking means ( 18 ) includes an elongate arm having an enlarged distal end, wherein the first connection element ( 66 ) includes an elongate protrusion having a blind recessed region along one side of the protrusion that is open toward the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ) and is sized and shaped to receive the enlarged distal end of the elongate arm.

15. The wiper blade adapter device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the deflection face ( 74 , 76 ) is orientated at an oblique angle relative to the center plane ( 22 ).

16. A wiper blade adapter device comprising:
an adapter base member ( 10 ) which is configured to be securely connected to a wiper blade component ( 12 ), the adapter base member ( 10 ) having a connection element ( 66 , 68 ) having a deflection face ( 74 , 76 ); and
an adapter unit ( 14 ) which is configured for releasable coupling to a wiper arm adapter ( 16 ), and wherein the adapter unit ( 14 ) is configured to be connected to the adapter base member ( 10 ) by means of a locking connection,
wherein the adapter unit ( 14 ) comprises a locking means ( 18 , 20 ) for engagement with the connection element ( 66 , 68 ) of the adapter base member ( 10 ), wherein the locking means ( 18 , 20 ) is configured, during assembly with the adapter base member ( 10 ), to be deflected at least partially along a wiping direction ( 64 ) toward a longitudinal center plane ( 22 ) of the adapter unit ( 14 ) by the deflection face ( 74 , 76 ), wherein the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ) extends through a center of gravity ( 90 ) of the adapter base member ( 10 ), wherein the wiping direction ( 64 ) extends perpendicular to the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ), and wherein the deflection face ( 74 , 76 ) is orientated at an oblique angle relative to the longitudinal center plane ( 22 ).

17. The wiper blade adapter device of claim

Assignees

• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Bencsik Barnabas
• Kraemer Godelieve
• Lammens Koen
• Truyens Stijn
• Verelst Hubert
• Bubba Marcello

Classifications

• B60S1/3863

  Connectors having a spoiler · CPC title

• B60S1/4087

  the end being provided with protrusions or holes · CPC title

• B60S1/3849 Primary

  Connectors therefor; Connection to wiper arm; Attached to blade · CPC title

• B60S1/3867

  pin formed on the interior of side walls · CPC title

• B60S1/3848

  Flat-type wiper blade, i.e. without harness · CPC title