Metal working – Means to assemble or disassemble – Means comprising hand manipulatable tool
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-07
2003-10-28
Hail, III, Joseph J. (Department: 3723)
Metal working
Means to assemble or disassemble
Means comprising hand manipulatable tool
C029S240000, C015S250230, C015S250320
Reexamination Certificate
active
06637090
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of product assembly.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Product manufacturers continually seek to streamline the assembly process by reducing assembly time, labor costs, and material costs. Particularly in light of industry concerns over fuel economy, vehicle manufacturers strive to reduce vehicle weight. One way to reduce weight is to modify vehicle systems so that fewer components are required. Certain vehicle components do not play a significant role in the actual operation of a vehicle making them candidates for modification. However, components such as a connecting member in a windshield wiper assembly
16
, as shown in
FIG. 1
are implemented in a vehicle structure to ease the assembly process.
It is strongly preferable to install an entire automobile windshield wiper system into a vehicle as a single unit. Single units are preferred because they reduce assembly time and simplify the assembly process.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, a windshield wiper system
10
generally includes two pivot joints
12
,
14
, a connecting member
16
between the two pivot joints
12
,
14
, a motor
18
mounted on the connecting member
16
, and linkages
20
,
22
,
24
which synchronize the movement between the first pivot joint
12
and the second pivot joint
14
. The windshield wiper arms are mounted on the pivot shaft
9
,
11
of each pivot joint
12
,
14
whereby the pivot shaft
9
,
11
driven by the motor
18
reciprocates the windshield wiper arms across the windshield.
The connecting member
16
may, but not necessarily, be made of die-cast steel or aluminum. As shown in
FIG. 1
, the connecting member
16
may also be a tubular structure. The connecting member
16
includes a first end
26
and a second end
28
where the first pivot joint
12
is mounted to the first end
26
of the connecting member
16
and the second pivot joint
14
is mounted to the second end
28
of the connecting member
16
. By having the pivot joints
12
,
14
mounted to each end of the connecting member, the connecting member
16
fixes the positions of the pivot joints
12
,
14
relative to each other thereby easing the installation and placement of the wiper systems onto the cowl of the vehicle. The motor
18
of a windshield wiper system is also typically mounted on the connecting member
16
. Accordingly, the connecting member
16
further serves to connect the various components of the windshield wiper system
10
so that the entire windshield wiper system
10
may be installed onto a vehicle as one unit.
In the assembly process, the single unit, made up of the connecting member
16
and the accompanying windshield wiper system
10
, is lowered onto the cowl of the automobile. Once the pivot joints are properly positioned, the unit is affixed to the vehicle through the connecting member with bolts, welds or other fastening devices or methods. Accordingly, the connecting member remains in the vehicle after the assembly process.
The above-described system creates several design issues. First, the prior art system unnecessarily complicates the packaging under the hood of a vehicle by incorporating the connecting member
16
into the vehicle. The manufacturer must unnecessarily maneuver other vehicle components around the connecting member
16
of the windshield wiper system
10
as shown in FIG.
2
. This also increases the manufacture time for the other vehicle components, as the other vehicle components must be configured or bent so that all of the components fit under the hood.
Second, the prior art systems add additional weight to a vehicle by including the connecting member as part of the modular windshield wiper system. Third, there is increased cost to manufacture a vehicle with the prior art designs given that the connecting member incorporates more material into the vehicle. Fourth, corrosion may form on each end of the connecting member thereby creating an unpleasant appearance.
Despite these concerns, vehicle manufacturers have continued to include the connecting member
16
as part of the windshield wiper system. This component has been included in order to shorten the time required to install the windshield wiper system onto a vehicle, and to keep the windshield wiper system as a single component in order to ease the installation process.
Consequently, a need has developed for a cost-effective system and method for easily installing a lightweight and compact windshield wiper system which does not require a connecting member.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a re-useable mounting device which easily installs a lightweight and compact windshield wiper system onto an assembly line vehicle.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a lightweight windshield wiper system which does not require a connecting member.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cost-effective windshield wiper system.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an aesthetically pleasing windshield wiper system which resists corrosion.
In carrying out the above objects and other objects and features, a re-usable mounting apparatus in combination with a lightweight windshield wiper system is provided. The lightweight windshield wiper of the present invention does not require a connecting member between the pivot joints thereby reducing the total weight and cost of the wiper assembly. In lieu of the connecting member, a re-usable mounting apparatus is implemented where the apparatus serves to connect the various components of the windshield wiper system so that the wiper system may be installed as a single unit. The re-usable mounting apparatus also serves to spacedly distance the pivot joints during the assembly process so that the windshield wiper system may be properly positioned onto the cowl of the vehicle.
The mounting device includes a mounting arm, a first retaining means, and a second retaining means. The mounting device further includes a first end and a second end wherein the first retaining means is disposed at the first end of the mounting arm and a second retaining means is disposed at the second end of the mounting arm. The lightweight wiper system is releasably attached to the mounting arm at the first retaining means and the second retaining means whereby the first and second retaining means hold and release the first pivot shaft and the second pivot shaft of the lightweight windshield wiper system.
As noted, the lightweight windshield wiper system of the present invention does not require a connecting member thereby reducing the total weight and cost of the windshield wiper system. Accordingly, the lightweight windshield wiper system includes a motor, first and second wiper arms, first and second pivot shafts, and a linkage between the first and second pivot shafts. Via the linkage, the motor drives the first and second pivot shafts to reciprocate back and forth. The first and second wiper arms are mounted on the first and second pivot shafts such that the wiper arms also reciprocate across the windshield as the pivot shafts rotate back and forth.
As those skilled in the art will recognize, the embodiments of this invention may vary depending upon the specific requirements of a vehicle. Accordingly, the particular size and shape of the windshield wiper system, mounting arm, pivot shafts, connecting members, linkages and other components may vary, depending on the particular application.
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are more readily understood from a review of the attached drawings and accompanying specification and claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3757377 (1973-09-01), Hayhurst
patent: 4229853 (1980-10-01), Gmeiner et al.
patent: 4290164 (1981-09-01), van den Berg
patent: 4445249 (1984-05-01), Harbison et al.
patent: 4535500 (1985-08-01), Verton et al.
Glickman David Brian
Nagaitis Paul James
Bejin Gigette M.
Ford Global Technologies LLC
Hail III Joseph J.
Shanley Daniel
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