Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-02-26
2001-01-30
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
C015S250430
Reexamination Certificate
active
06178588
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a device for connecting a wiper blade for windows of motor vehicles to a driven wiper arm guided on a motor vehicle.
In wiper blades the support element for the entire field swept by the wiper blade is intended to assure the most uniform possible distribution of the wiper blade contact pressure against the window that originates at the wiper arm. By a suitable curvature of the unstressed support element—that is, when the wiper blade is not contacting the window—the ends of the wiper strip, pressed completely onto the window during wiper blade operation, are stressed by the then-stressed support element toward the window, even if the radii of curvature of spherically curved vehicle windows change for every wiper blade position. The curvature of the wiper blade must accordingly be somewhat greater than the greatest curvature measured in the field to be wiped in the window in question. Thus the support element replaces the complicated support bracket construction with two spring rails, disposed in the wiper strip, of the kind used in the conventional wiper blades discussed above. A wiper blade of this kind should be capable of being connected in captive fashion to the wiper arm in a simple way and equally simply removed from it again.
The invention takes this connecting device as its point of departure. In a known connecting device of this type (German Published, Non-Examined Patent Application DE-OS 23 44 876), the support element is made from a plastic. The two lateral connection projections are formed directly onto the support element and therefore comprise the same material as the support element. In wiper blade operation, especially high demands for elasticity are made of the support element, because it is intended to distribute the contact force, acting on the wiper blade via the wiper arm and oriented toward the window, as uniformly as possible over the entire length of the wiper blade, specifically even if the radii of curvature of the windows, which as a rule are spherically curved, change constantly in the region of the window to be swept by the wiper blade. Conversely, stringent demands for wear resistance together with good sliding properties are made of the projections. As a result, in designing the known wiper blade, or the support element belonging to it, compromises have to be made that stand in the way of an optimal way of meeting both demands.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention in a device for connecting a wiper blade to a driven wiper arm the projections are disposed on a separate component that is firmly joined to the support element so that the separate component surrounds and engages over the support element.
In the connecting device of invention having the, it is possible to make the separately prefabricated component from a wear-resistant material with good sliding properties. The support element, conversely, can be made without disadvantages from a material especially suitable from the standpoint of the elasticity needed. Once the component has been joined to the support element, a support element provided with the lateral projection is obtained that meets all the demands made of it in an optimal way. The support element can also be made in multiple parts and can for instance have two or more parallel sheet-metal strips.
An especially simple connection of the wiper blade to the wiper arm with at the same time an operationally reliable and safe, durable connection that can also be released again in a simple way is achieved if in a refinement of the invention the two projections are each provided with two facing flattened faces, oriented toward the window and located within an imaginary annular jacket face, and if furthermore the recesses assigned to the projections are formed by bores open at the edges, and the edge openings are located at least approximately parallel to the window surface and have a size which is adapted to the spacing between the two flattened faces of a respective projection. In this embodiment of the connection means, assembly steps that are logical to a layperson, and that require a pushing and twisting motion for connection, and a twisting and pulling motion for disassembly, are also obtained.
An especially economical embodiment and production of the component are obtained if the component comprises a plastic, and the two projections are formed onto a base body of the component.
Good lateral guidance of the support element and thus of the wiper blade on the wiper arm is assured if in a further feature of the invention the bores open at the edges are disposed in the legs of a component that is at least partially U-shaped in cross section and that is firmly joined to the wiper arm if furthermore the base of the U is opposite the strip face remote from the window to be wiped; and if, finally, the two legs of the U fit over the facing long sides of the support element. A further advantage in this embodiment is an especially low structural height of the connecting device and thus of the entire wiper blade and wiper arm assembly, which presents only a tiny surface area to engagement by the air flows that prevail on the window surface to be wiped.
If furthermore the component is made from a metal, then especially advantageous sliding partners for the projection and recess bearing can be selected, because during the operating motion of the wiper blade, a constant relative motion between the wiper blade and the wiper arm takes place, dictated for instance by the window, which has many radii of curvature. In a simple way, this choice of materials assures that wear to this bearing point will occur only on the wiper blade, which has to be replaced relatively often in any case, while the wiper arm is protected.
Further advantageous refinements and features of the invention are disclosed in the ensuing description of an exemplary embodiment shown in the associated drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2056777 (1936-10-01), Evans
patent: 3838475 (1974-10-01), Quinlan et al.
patent: 3872537 (1975-03-01), Bianchi
patent: 4028770 (1977-06-01), Appel
patent: 4120069 (1978-10-01), Sharp et al.
patent: 5065474 (1991-11-01), Charng
patent: 5485650 (1996-01-01), Swanepoel
patent: 44399 (1956-07-01), None
patent: 2 344 876 (1974-03-01), None
Graham Gary K.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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