Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
2001-09-19
2003-09-30
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
C015S250440, C015S250351
Reexamination Certificate
active
06625841
ABSTRACT:
The invention relates to a spring for retaining spring for producing an articulated connection of a wiper blade to a wiper arm of a vehicle, in which the retaining spring has a first connecting means for making a first connection to a retaining element of the wiper blade and a second connecting means for making a second connection to a carrier element of the wiper arm.
The invention also relates to a wiper system comprising a wiper arm and a wiper blade, secured to it in articulated fashion, with the interposition of a retaining spring.
Retaining springs and wiper systems of these generic types are known. In particular, retaining springs are known that are received by an associated end, which is U-shaped in longitudinal section, of the wiper arm in the articulated connection region, thus producing a snap connection. Articulated connections embodied in this way are difficult to mount and relatively hard to manipulate with regard to securing a wiper blade to the corresponding wiper arm. Removing the wiper blade from the wiper arm also entails relatively major effort, possibly requiring the use of special aids in manipulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The retaining spring of the invention is characterized in that the articulated connection can be produced by means of the first and the second connecting means, in the operating position of the retaining spring, in a mounting direction that is essentially perpendicular to an operating plane of the wiper blade. As a result, the articulated connection can be produced in a way that is especially easy to mount and manipulate, since during the entire mounting process the retaining spring can remain in the operating position with respect to the wiper blade and the wiper arm and thus need not assume any additional, special mounting positions. The mounting can advantageously be done in a single direction, which is perpendicular to the operating plane of the wiper blade. This is accordingly a direction which in the operating position of the wiper blade leads essentially at a right angle to and away from a surface of a window of a vehicle. This mounting direction is especially favorable in terms of manipulation, since the person mounting a wiper blade on a wiper arm does not have to provide any special rotary motions of the retaining spring in the articulation region of the wiper blade; instead, rectilinear motions of the retaining spring, or of the wiper blade with the premounted retaining spring, and/or of the wiper arm, maintaining the operating position of the retaining spring, suffice to produce a complete and reliable articulated connection between the wiper blade and the wiper arm with the interposition of the retaining spring.
Advantageously, the first connecting means is embodied as a first seat accessible from outside, and the second connecting means is embodied as a second seat accessible from outside. Because the two connecting means of the retaining spring are each embodied as a seat accessible from outside, it is possible to achieve an easily mounted snap connection of the wiper blade and of the wiper arm with the retaining spring disposed between them; the mounting direction in each case is always essentially perpendicular to the operating plane of the wiper blade. Since the articulated connection region of the wiper blade and of the wiper arm is preferably of metal in each case, and the retaining spring is advantageously of a suitable plastic material, it is advantageous, in particular from a production standpoint, to embody the first and second connecting means each as a seat, to make designs of the wiper blade and the wiper arm possible that are structurally relatively simple; this allows the production of an easily mounted, reliable articulated connection.
Preferably, the second seat is embodied as a receptacle unit for the carrier element, and the retaining spring has a stop means that limits the reception of the carrier element. Embodying the second seat as a receptacle unit makes it possible to design the carrier element relatively simply, for instance as a rib that protrudes from the wiper arm and that can be introduced in an especially easily mounted way into the second seat in the mounting direction. Because a stop means is furnished on the retaining spring, it is possible in an easily mounted and reliable way to achieve a correct reception of the carrier element in the second seat.
Advantageously, the stop means is embodied as a structured surface outside the receptacle unit. Because the stop means is embodied outside the receptacle unit, it is not in direct operative connection with the carrier element but instead can be put into contact with a corresponding counterpart face of the wiper arm. The carrier element, embodied for instance as a rib, merely has a carrier function; the introduction length of the carrier element (rib) to be introduced into the second seat defines a separate stop means. This prevents damage to the second seat from the carrier element in the mounting direction, since the stop means always assures correct positioning of the carrier element in the receptacle unit. A collision between the carrier element and the receptacle unit in the mounting direction is thus avoided. By means of a geometric structuring of the surface of the retaining spring acting as a stop means, it is possible, for instance by means of beadlike protrusions, to embody a relatively large effective surface area as a stop face, with relatively slight frictional contact between the retaining spring and the wiper arm.
Advantageously, the first connection and the second connection are embodied as an elastic and releasable snap connection. An elastic and releasable snap connection is especially easy to mount and can be achieved especially fast.
It is especially advantageous that both the first and the second snap connection can be achieved in a single mounting direction.
In a preferred embodiment, the first seat is essentially U-shaped in longitudinal section, and the retaining element of the wiper blade is embodied as a rivet.
A first seat embodied as U-shaped in longitudinal section is simple to achieve from a production standpoint and at the same time has the requisite stability for a reliable snap connection to the retaining element of the wiper blade. Such a snap connection is advantageously effected with a retaining element embodied as a rivet. Such wiper blades, which have a middle bracket with a rivet (rolling rivet) as a retaining element, can be manufactured relatively inexpensively and are relatively easy to install.
Advantageously, the retaining spring is embodied in one piece. By means of a one-piece retaining spring, the number of parts to be mounted in order to produce the articulated connection is reduced to a minimum, that is, to three construction parts (the wiper blade, retaining spring, and wiper arm). From a production standpoint, a retaining spring that can be made from a suitable plastic material is relatively simple to achieve in the form of a one-piece construction element.
Preferably, the receptacle unit is embodied as two receptacles, which are essentially U-shaped in longitudinal section and between which the first seat is disposed. In this way, it is possible to create a force-symmetrical articulated connection, in which during the mounting, no or virtually no forces that generate torque and/or bending moment are introduced into the retaining spring.
Advantageously, the walls of the first and second seat in longitudinal section together describe essentially the shape of a W, and the access openings of the two receptacles forming the second seat are located in the opposite direction with respect to the opening of the first seat. Such a retaining spring, embodied essentially axially symmetrically, makes a self-securing disposition of the retaining element of the wiper blade and of the carrier element of the wiper arm in the retaining spring possible. This can be ascribed to the fact that an external pressure force, acting in the mounting direction and oriented inward relative to the retaining spring, pre
Graham Gary K.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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