Connecting device for the articulated connection of a wiper blade to a wiper arm, and an adaptor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9387830-B2
Application number	US-201214235164-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 6, 2012
Priority date	Jul 26, 2011
Publication date	Jul 12, 2016
Grant date	Jul 12, 2016

Abstract

The invention is based on a connecting device ( 10 ) for the articulated connection of a wiper blade ( 11 ) to a wiper arm ( 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 ), said connecting device having a connecting element ( 16 ) which is connected to a supporting element ( 22 ) of the wiper blade ( 11 ) for conjoint rotation and on which an adaptor ( 18 ) is mounted pivotably transversely with respect to the longitudinal direction thereof, said adaptor being able to be fastened releasably and for conjoint rotation to the free end of the wiper arm ( 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 ) or to a joining element ( 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 ) connected fixedly to the latter, wherein the adaptor ( 18 ) has a plurality of means ( 80, 96, 100, 102, 122, 126, 130, 134, 144 ) in order to be able to receive different joining elements ( 36, 38, 40, 42, 44, 46 ) of different wiper arms ( 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34 ), wherein the means include stop edges ( 86 ), spring latches ( 88 ), locking cams ( 100 ), spring clips ( 122 ) and spring tongues ( 128, 132 ) with latching cams ( 130, 134 ). It is proposed that the outsides of the side walls ( 90 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ) have locking cams ( 100 ) in the region of the driving end, wherein, in the fitted state, play-compensating ribs ( 64, 68 ) of a first or second joining element ( 36, 38 ) or of a covering cap ( 20 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ) engage under the locking cams ( 100 ) and bear on the end side against the steps ( 101 ) thereof while securing cams ( 66 ) which are arranged on the insides of the side walls ( 48, 108 ) of the first joining element ( 36 ), of the second joining element ( 38 ) or of the covering cap ( 20 ) in a manner offset in the longitudinal direction relative to the play-compensating ribs ( 64, 68 ) with respect to the driven end engage in installation gaps ( 96 ) in the side walls ( 90 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ), said installation gaps running transversely with respect to the play-compensating ribs ( 64, 68 ), and wherein, in the fitted state, the first joining element ( 36 ), the second joining element ( 38 ) or the covering cap ( 20 ) are clamped between the installation gaps ( 96 ) and a stop edge ( 86 ) by the front part ( 80 ) which is elastically flexible in the longitudinal direction, wherein the stop edge ( 86 ) is arranged at the transition of the front part ( 80 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ) to the driving part of the adaptor ( 18 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A connecting device ( 10 ) for the articulated connection of a wiper blade ( 11 ) to a wiper arm ( 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 ), said connecting device having a connecting element ( 16 ) which is connected to a supporting element ( 22 ) of the wiper blade ( 11 ) for conjoint rotation and on which an adaptor ( 18 ) is mounted pivotably transversely with respect to a longitudinal direction thereof, said adaptor being configured to be fastened releasably and for conjoint rotation to a free end of the wiper arm ( 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 ) or to a joining element ( 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 ) connected fixedly to the free end of the wiper arm, wherein the adaptor ( 18 ) has a plurality of means ( 80 , 96 , 100 , 102 , 122 , 126 , 130 , 134 , 144 ) in order to be able to receive different joining elements ( 36 , 38 , 40 , 42 , 44 , 46 ) of different wiper arms ( 24 , 26 , 28 , 30 , 32 , 34 ), wherein the means include stop edges ( 86 ), spring latches ( 88 ), locking cams ( 100 ), spring clips ( 122 ) and spring tongues ( 128 , 132 ) with latching cams ( 130 , 134 ), characterized in that outsides of side walls ( 90 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ) have locking cams ( 100 ) in a region of a driving end, wherein, in a fitted state, play-compensating ribs ( 64 , 68 ) of a first or second joining element ( 36 , 38 ) or of a covering cap ( 20 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ) engage under the locking cams ( 100 ) and bear on an end side against steps ( 101 ) thereof while securing cams ( 66 ) which are arranged on insides of side walls ( 48 , 108 ) of the first joining element ( 36 ), of the second joining element ( 38 ) or of the covering cap ( 20 ) in a manner offset in the longitudinal direction relative to the play-compensating ribs ( 64 , 68 ) with respect to the driven end engage in installation gaps ( 96 ) in the side walls ( 90 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ), said installation gaps running transversely with respect to the play-compensating ribs ( 64 , 68 ) and in that, in the fitted state, the first joining element ( 36 ), the second joining element ( 38 ) or the covering cap ( 20 ) are clamped between the installation gaps ( 96 ) and a stop edge ( 86 ) by a front part ( 80 ) which is elastically flexible in the longitudinal direction, wherein the stop edge ( 86 ) is arranged at a transition of the front part ( 80 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ) to a driving part of the adaptor ( 18 ).

2. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the stop edge ( 86 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ) runs concavely in a region of the side walls ( 82 ) and has a spring latch ( 88 ) in a region of a top wall ( 84 ) of the front part ( 80 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ), said spring latch, in the fitted state, overlapping a top wall ( 50 ) of the first or second joining element ( 26 , 28 ) or of the covering cap ( 20 ) and engaging in a latching recess ( 112 ) of the joining element ( 26 , 28 ) or of the covering cap ( 20 ).

3. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 2 , characterized in that the top wall ( 84 ) of the front part ( 80 ) has a wall structure ( 156 ) which increases flexibility of the spring latch ( 88 ).

4. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the side walls ( 90 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ) have respectively a gap ( 98 ) starting at an upper edge on a drive input side of the stop edge ( 86 ) and a gap ( 98 ) starting at a lower edge on a drive output side of the locking cams ( 100 ), wherein the gap ( 98 ) extends up into a central region of the side walls ( 90 ).

5. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 1 , characterized in that the adaptor ( 18 ) is open on the drive input side and has a trough-shaped guide channel ( 102 ) which runs longitudinally and is provided with a latching cam ( 130 ) on a driving end thereof, said latching cam being fastened to a transverse wall ( 136 ) by means of a spring tongue ( 128 ), wherein the latching cam ( 130 ) is connected via a web ( 138 ) to a spring clip ( 122 ) which is V-shaped in cross section and spring arms ( 124 ) of which run together in a direction towards the wiper blade ( 10 ) and have stop bars ( 126 ) on side edges, which stop bars project laterally over the side walls ( 90 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ).

6. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 5 , characterized in that a second latching cam ( 134 ) is fastened via a further spring tongue ( 132 ) to the adaptor ( 18 ) towards a driven end of said adaptor ( 18 ) in a manner offset with respect to the first latching cam ( 130 ).

7. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 5 comprising a covering cap ( 20 ), characterized in that the side walls ( 108 ) of the covering cap ( 20 ), starting at driving ends thereof, have in each case a gap ( 116 ) running in the longitudinal direction, by means of which a lateral wing ( 114 ) is respectively formed in a lower region of an associated side wall ( 108 ), via which lateral wing lateral pressure can be exerted on the stop bars ( 126 ) of the spring clip ( 122 ) in order to release the latching cam ( 130 ).

8. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , characterized in that locking cams ( 120 ) are provided on an inside of a top wall ( 106 ) of the covering cap ( 20 ), said locking cams releasing when pressure is applied to the side walls ( 108 ) at the driving end above the lateral wings ( 114 ).

9. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , characterized in that the side walls ( 108 ), the lateral wings ( 114 ) and the top wall ( 106 ) of the covering cap have a wall structure at the driving end, which improves flexibility and the handling.

10. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 7 , characterized in that the side walls ( 108 ) of the covering cap ( 20 ) have two through-holes ( 110 ) which are aligned with one another and are arranged coaxially with respect to widened portions ( 144 ) in the installation gaps ( 96 ) of the side walls ( 90 ) of the adaptor ( 18 ).

11. The connecting device ( 10 ) according to claim 5 , characterized in that longitudinal ribs ( 104 ), which can serve to guide a fifth joining element ( 44 ) and as a stop for the same, are arranged at a driven end of the guide channel ( 102 ).

Assignees

• Depondt Helmut
• Bosch Gmbh Robert

Inventors

• Depondt Helmut

Classifications

• B60S1/4087

  the end being provided with protrusions or holes · CPC title

• B60S1/407

  with means provided on the arm for locking the side pin · CPC title

• B60S1/4048

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

• B60S1/4077

  characterised by the connecting part of, or an intermediate element mounted on, the wiper blade (means for locking the side pin B60S1/4074) · CPC title

• B60S2001/4054

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