Windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12344199-B2
Application number	US-202017905410-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2020
Priority date	Mar 30, 2020
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type 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 windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes at least one longitudinal slit, in which slit at least one longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for a rod-like extension of an oscillating arm, wherein said rod-like extension can be pivotally connected to said connecting device about a pivot axis near a free end thereof, wherein said connecting device comprises a first part and a second part, wherein said rod-like extension of said oscillating arm can be pivotally connected to said first part about said pivot axis, with the interposition of said second part, wherein said first part is connected to said wiper blade and said second part is pivotally (preferably also detachably) connected onto said first part, wherein said second part comprises a channel arranged to receive said free end of said rod-like extension, with the special feature that said windscreen wiper device comprises a housing for said rod-like extension, wherein said housing is arranged to be connected to said second part, and wherein said housing comprises a channel to receive said rod-like extension, said channel of said housing in mounted position being co-axial with said channel of said second part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. 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 windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes at least one longitudinal slit in which slit at least one longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for a rod-shaped extension of an oscillating arm, wherein:
said rod-shaped extension can be pivotally connected to said connecting device about a pivot axis near a free end thereof, wherein said connecting device comprises a first part and a second part, wherein said rod-shaped extension of said oscillating arm can be pivotally connected to said first part about said pivot axis, with the interposition of said second part, wherein said first part is connected to said wiper blade and said second part is pivotally connected onto said first part, wherein said second part comprises a channel arranged to receive said free end of said rod-shaped extension;
said windscreen wiper device comprises a housing for said rod-shaped extension, wherein said housing is arranged to be connected to said second part, and wherein said housing comprises a channel to receive said rod-shaped extension, said channel of said housing in mounted position being co-axial with said channel of said second part; and
said second part comprises a resilient tongue arranged to engage into a hole of said housing, and wherein said resilient tongue is hingeable along a hinge axis between an inward position retaining said wiper blade onto said rod-shaped extension and an outward position releasing said wiper blade from said housing and said rod-shaped extension.

2. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said housing and said second part are arranged to be interconnected by sliding said housing onto said second part in longitudinal direction of said rod-shaped extension.

3. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 2 , wherein said channel of said second part is arranged to receive said free end of said rod-shaped extension upon sliding said housing onto said second part.

4. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 2 , wherein said second part is located inside said housing after sliding said housing onto said second part.

5. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 2 , wherein said second part and said housing are configured to guide said housing onto said second part upon sliding said housing onto said second part.

6. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said channel of said second part and said channel of said housing each have a length and a width, and wherein a plane extending in a direction of the width of each channel and a plane extending through said longitudinal strip along a width thereof at the location of the connecting device enclose an angle a, wherein preferably 15°<a<60°.

7. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said resilient tongue is located near a free end of said second part facing away from said rod-shaped extension.

8. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said housing has an U-shaped cross-section at the location of its connection to said second part, and wherein a base of said U-shaped cross-section is provided with said hole.

9. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said hole has a closed circumference.

10. The windscreen wiper device claim 1 , wherein said windscreen wiper device comprises first and second retention means for retaining said wiper blade onto said rod-shaped extension, wherein said first retention means comprises said resilient tongue on said second part and said hole in said housing, wherein said second retention means comprises at least one first stop surface provided on said first part and at least one second stop surface provided on said housing, both stop surfaces being spaced apart during normal operation of said windscreen wiper device, and wherein in case of malfunctioning of said first retention means, said first part is allowed to move with respect to said housing causing the first stop surface to correspondingly move towards the second stop surface until the first and second stop surfaces are adjacent one another to block in mounted position any movement of said wiper blade relative to said housing in a longitudinal direction away from said rod-shaped extension.

11. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 10 , wherein said first part comprises a laterally outwardly extending protrusion comprising said first stop surface, wherein said housing comprises a downwardly extending protrusion comprising said second stop surface.

12. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 10 , wherein, by pivoting said first part relative to said housing, said first and second stop surfaces are prevented from abutting one another, so that the wiper blade can be released from said rod-shaped extension.

13. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said channel of said second part and said channel of said housing in mounted position abut each other to block any movement of said wiper blade relative to said housing in a longitudinal direction towards said rod-shaped extension.

14. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said channel of said housing comprises a tab pivotal between a closed position arranged to snappingly engage into a recess provided on a longitudinal exterior side of said rod-like rod-shaped extension, and an open position arranged to disengage from said recess.

15. The windscreen wiper device according claim 1 , wherein said first part and said second part are provided with mutually cooperating pivot means for pivotally connecting said second part to said first part.

16. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 15 , wherein the pivot means further comprises: one or more protuberances of said first part; and recesses provided in said second part, wherein the one or more protuberances engage the recesses at the location of said pivot axis.

17. The windscreen wiper device according claim 1 , wherein said second part is detachably connected to said first part through a snapping/clipping operation.

18. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein a nozzle is mounted onto said housing.

Assignees

• Trico Belgium S A
• Audi Ag
• A Raymond Et Cie Scs
• Dr Ing H C F Porsche A G
• Volkswagen Ag
• Dr Ing H C F Porche A G

Inventors

• Taillard Arthur
• Häfner Stephan
• Auch Sven
• Ackermann Frank
• Bode Karl

Classifications

• B60S2001/4054

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

• B60S1/3479

  Means to cover the wiper parts · CPC title

• B60S2001/4051

  the intermediate element engaging the side walls of the arm · CPC title

• B60S1/0408

  Means for influencing the aerodynamic quality of wipers, e.g. clip-on wind deflectors (B60S1/32 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60S1/3415

  with means for supplying cleaning fluid to windscreen cleaners, e.g. washers (arrangement of nozzles B60S1/52) · CPC title