Abstract
A windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, and an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped. The wiper blade includes at least one groove, in which a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed. The windscreen wiper device also comprises a connecting device for an oscillating arm. The oscillating arm can be pivotally connected to the connecting device about a pivot axis near a free end thereof. A joint part is interposed between the oscillating arm and the connecting device. The windscreen wiper device further comprises a cover arranged to enclose the free end of the oscillating arm. The cover is slidable relative to the joint part between a first position, where the free end is retained onto the cover, and a second position, where the joint part is released from the cover. The joint part and the cover comprise mutually cooperating locking means arranged for locking the joint part relative to the cover in the first position and for unlocking the joint part relative to the cover in the second position.
Claims
1. A windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type including an elastic, elongated carrier element and an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material, adapted to be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, wherein the wiper blade includes at least one groove in which a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, wherein the windscreen wiper device comprises: a connecting device; a joint part detachably and pivotally connected to said connecting device about a pivot axis; an oscillating arm; and a cover arranged to enclose a free end of said oscillating arm, wherein said cover is slidable relative to said free end between a first position, wherein said joint part is retained onto said cover, and a second position, wherein said joint part is released from said cover, wherein said joint part and said cover comprise mutually cooperating locking means arranged for locking said joint part relative to said cover in said first position and for unlocking said joint part relative to said cover in said second position.
2. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said cover is slidable in opposite directions along a length of the wiper blade.
3. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said mutually cooperating locking means comprise a part of said joint part being elastically deformable.
4. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 3, wherein said part of said joint part is elastically deformed upon locking and unlocking said joint part relative to said cover.
5. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 3, wherein said joint part comprises opposite sidewalls each comprising a laterally outwardly extending protrusion being elastically deformable.
6. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 5, wherein said cover has an at least substantially U-shaped cross-section with a base and legs, wherein each leg along at least a part of its length comprises an inwardly bend edge, and wherein each protrusion is allowed to elastically deform inside or outside a recess in said bend edge in a corresponding leg of said U-shaped cross-section upon locking and unlocking said joint part relative to said cover.
7. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said joint part comprises one piece of plastic.
8. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said cover comprises one piece of plastic.
9. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said joint part comprises an upwardly and outwardly extending protrusion arranged to engage into a correspondingly shaped hole of said oscillating arm to lock said joint part relative to said cover in a longitudinal direction towards said free end of said oscillating arm.
10. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 9, wherein said oscillating arm near said free end thereof has an at least substantially U-shaped cross-section with a base and legs, and wherein said hole is provided inside said base of said U-shaped cross-section.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0014] The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrated in a drawing, wherein:
[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic, perspective view of a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type according to the invention;
[0016] FIG. 2 is a schematic, perspective view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 1 without an oscillating arm;
[0017] FIG. 3 is a schematic, perspective view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 1 before the oscillating arm is mounted onto the connecting device and joint part;
[0018] FIG. 4 is an enlarged schematic, perspective view of portion A of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 3;
[0019] FIG. 5 is a schematic, perspective view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 3 after the oscillating arm is placed on the connecting device and joint part;
[0020] FIG. 6 is a schematic, perspective view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 4 after the oscillating arm is locked onto the connecting device and joint part;
[0021] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional end view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 5;
[0022] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional bottom view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 5;
[0023] FIG. 9 is a bottom view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 5;
[0024] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional end view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 6;
[0025] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional bottom view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 6; and
[0026] FIG. 12 is a bottom view of the windscreen wiper device of FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0027] FIGS. 1-2 show a windscreen wiper device 1 of the flat blade type according to the invention. The windscreen wiper device 1 includes an elastomeric wiper blade 2 having a central longitudinal groove 3 formed therein. The windscreen wiper device 1 also includes a central longitudinal strip 4 made of spring band steel disposed within the longitudinal groove 3. The strip 4 forms a flexible carrier element for the rubber wiper blade 2, which is thus biased in a curved position (the curvature in operative position being that of a windscreen to be wiped). Neighbouring ends of the strip 4 are left free. In the alternative, these neighbouring ends are connected on either side of the windscreen wiper device 1 to connecting pieces or end caps (not shown) functioning as clamping members. These connecting pieces may be separate constructional elements, which may be form-locked (positive locking or having positive fit), as well as force-locked to the ends of the strip 4. In another preferred variant, the connecting pieces are in one piece with the strip 4 made of spring band steel. Possibly, a spoiler 5 is furthermore provided.
[0028] With reference to FIGS. 1-6, the windscreen wiper device 1 also includes a connecting device 6 preferably of plastic material for an oscillating wiper arm 7. The connecting device 6 comprises two cylindrical protrusions 8 extending outwards on either side thereof, i.e. on each vertical side wall thereof. These protrusions 8 pivotally engage in identically shaped cylindrical, co-axial holes 9 of a joint part or spacer 10 preferably of plastic material. The protrusions 8 act as bearing surfaces at the location of a pivot axis in order to pivot the joint part 10 (and the oscillating wiper arm 7 attached thereto) about the pivot axis near a free end of the oscillating wiper arm 7. The protrusions 8 are preferably in one piece with the connecting device 6. In the alternative, the protrusions 8 are part of a single pivot pin perpendicular to the connecting device 6. The connecting device 6 is connected to the elastomeric material of the wiper blade 2. This connecting device 6 has a more or less U-shaped cross-section with legs 11. Free ends of the legs 11 of the U-shaped cross-section extend inwardly so as to form grooves or slits 12 for receiving longitudinal sides of the wiper blade 2. The free ends and parallel walls 13 of the connecting device 6 are provided with holes 14 for receiving pins (not shown) exerting a controllable, predetermined pressure on the rubber material of the wiper blade 2. Thus, any lateral movement between the longitudinal strip 4 and the wiper blade 2 at the location of their interconnection and between the connecting device 6 and the wiper blade 2 at the location of their interconnection is blocked. In use, during each oscillatory movement of the oscillatory arm, the wiper blade 2 at the location outside the connection device 6 would normally suffer from a so-called fishtailing phenomenon, where the wiper blade 2 on opposite sides of the connecting device 6 vibrates in an uncontrollable manner parallel to a windscreen to be wiped. Obviously, this fishtailing phenomenon results in deteriorated wiping properties, with all negative consequences involved, particularly at high speeds. Hence, the longitudinal strip 4 is allowed to exhibit a curvature at the location of the interconnection of the connecting device 6 and the wiper blade 2. Experimental results have shown that the fishtailing phenomenon is avoided at least to a large extent.
[0029] Again referring to FIGS. 1-6, the joint part 10 comprises a protrusion 15 extending upwardly and outwardly, while the oscillating arm 7 has a U-shaped cross-section at the location of its connection to the joint part 10, so that the protrusion 15 engages in an identically shaped hole 16 provided in a base of the U-shaped cross-section. The connecting device 6 with the wiper blade 2 is mounted onto the oscillating arm as follows. Referring to FIG. 3, the free end (or arm extremity) of the oscillating arm 7 is lowered in the direction of the arrow onto the joint part 10 connected to the connecting device 6 until the protrusion 15 on the joint part 10 rests inside the hole 16 of the oscillating arm 7. A cover 17, as explained hereunder, is then slid in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 5 to lock the joint part 10 in place.
[0030] Referring to FIGS. 3, 5 and 6 showing subsequent steps 1, 2 and 3 for mounting a unit consisting of the wiper blade 2, the connecting device 6 and the joint part 10 to the oscillating arm 7, the windscreen wiper device 1 comprises the cover 17 arranged to enclose the free end of the oscillating arm 7. The cover 17 is preferably a separate constructional element (i.e. not in one piece with the oscillating arm 7) and is preferably made of plastic material. First, as shown in FIG. 3, the joint part 10 is placed inside the U-shaped oscillating arm 7 from below (step 1). Subsequently, during the same sliding movement in the direction of the arrow in step 2 of FIG. 5, as mentioned above, the cover 17 is slid to be locked onto the joint part 10 (step 2). Finally, referring to FIG. 6, the cover 17 is locked through a snapping operation (step 3).
[0031] FIGS. 7-12 show in detail how the cover 17 and the joint part 10 are interconnected through a snapping operation by a relative sliding movement in longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 2. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the cover 17 has a U-shaped cross-section with a base 18 and legs 19. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 12, each leg 19 along its length comprises an inwardly bend edge 20, and the bend edge 20 of each leg 19 is interrupted by a recess 21. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, the joint part 10 comprises opposite sidewalls 22,23 each comprising a laterally outwardly extending protrusion 24 (FIG. 4) being elastically deformable. Each protrusion 24 is allowed to elastically deform inside (FIGS. 7-9 in a locking position) or outside (FIGS. 10-12 in an unlocking position) the recess 21 in the bend edge 20 in a corresponding leg 19 of the U-shaped cross-section of the cover 17 upon locking (FIGS. 7-9) and unlocking (FIGS. 10-12) the joint part 10 relative to the cover 17, i.e. by a relative sliding movement in the direction of the arrow in step 2 of FIG. 5.
[0032] The invention is not restricted to the variants shown in the drawing, but it also extends to other preferred embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims.
