Spacer for windshield wiper

Details Spacer for windshield wiper Spacer for windshield wiper

2002-12-23

2004-09-07

Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)

Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning

Attachments

Optical-member-attachable cleaner

C403S316000, C403S329000, C403S024000, C403S162000, C403S161000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06785931

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spacer for a windshield wiper, and more particularly to a spacer for a windshield wiper which is provided with retaining means for preventing the spacer from being separated from an associated element of the windshield wiper upon assembling the elements of the windshield, while increasing the clamping force of the spacer, thereby minimizing the clearance defined between the spacer and the associated element.
2. Description of the Related Art
As well known, a windshield wiper for a vehicle is adapted to wipe raindrops and snow attached to the front windshield of the vehicle, thereby ensuring a desired forward visibility during the running of the vehicle. Such a windshield wiper includes a metal yoke assembly, and a blade rubber assembly coupled to the metal yoke assembly.
In such a windshield wiper, spacers are used as connecting means for firmly connecting the constitutive elements of the metal yoke assembly in order to allow the windshield wiper to operate without generating vibrations.
Referring to
FIGS. 5
a
and
5
b
, a windshield wiper is illustrated in which conventional spacers are coupled among the constitutive elements of a metal yoke assembly included in the windshield wiper, respectively.
As shown in
FIGS. 5
a
and
5
b
, a primary yoke member
300
is pivotably coupled to a wiper arm
200
by a spacer
100
. A pair of secondary yoke members
400
are pivotably coupled to both ends of the primary yoke member
300
by other spacers
100
, respectively. A blade rubber assembly including a blade rubber element
500
is coupled to the secondary yoke members
400
.
The wiper arm
200
has an inverted-U-shaped coupling end defining a spacer receiving space
210
while having rivet holes
220
at both sides of the spacer receiving space
210
. A rivet
600
extends through the rivet holes
220
.
Each spacer
100
has an inverted-U-shaped structure including an upper panel
110
, and a pair of side panels
120
and
120
a
extending downwardly from opposite lateral ends of the upper panel
110
. A receiving space
130
is defined by the upper panel
110
and the side panels
120
and
120
a
. Through holes
121
corresponding to the rivet holes
220
are centrally formed at the side panels
120
and
120
a
. Annular protrusions
140
are inwardly protruded from respective through holes
121
such that they face each other.
The primary yoke member
300
has, at its central portion, an inverted-U-shaped structure having through holes
310
respectively corresponding to the through holes
121
of the spacer
100
in which the central portion of the primary yoke member
300
is to be received. Similarly, each secondary yoke member
400
has, at its central portion, an inverted-U-shaped structure having through holes respectively corresponding to the through holes of the spacer
100
in which the central portion of the secondary yoke member
400
is to be received.
In the process of assembling the above mentioned elements of the windshield wiper, the primary yoke member
300
is first fitted, at its central portion, in the receiving space
130
of the associated spacer
100
such that the protrusions
140
of the spacer
100
are received in the through holes
310
of the primary yoke member
300
. The spacer
100
assembled with the primary yoke member
300
is then fitted in the spacer receiving space
210
of the wiper arm
200
such that the rivet holes
220
are aligned with the through holes
121
and
310
of the spacer
100
. Thereafter, the rivet
600
is inserted through the aligned holes
220
,
121
, and
310
.
Thus, the primary yoke member
300
is pivotably coupled to the wiper arm
200
in a state in which the spacer
100
is interposed between the wiper arm
200
and the primary yoke member
300
. In the same manner, the secondary yoke members
400
can be pivotably coupled to the primary yoke member
300
.
The side panels
120
and
120
a
of the spacer
100
should be forcibly moved away from each other to widen the space defined therebetween when the primary yoke member
300
is fitted in the spacer
100
, in order to prevent the fitting operation of the primary yoke member
300
from being obstructed by the protrusions
140
. However, although the force applied to the side panels
120
and
120
a
is released, the side panels
120
and
120
a
are incompletely recovered to their original state, thereby forming a clearance between the spacer
100
and the primary yoke member
300
. For this reason, vibrations are generated during an operation of the windshield wiper, so that it is impossible to effectively remove the moisture attached to the front windshield of the vehicle.
In addition to the formation of the clearance, the conventional windshield wiper has another problem in that the clamping force of the side panels
120
and
120
a
in the primary yoke member
300
is small because the side panels
120
and
120
a
are thin. Furthermore, the protrusions
140
of the spacer
100
may be easily separated from the through holes
310
of the primary yoke member
300
. For this reason, the primary yoke member
300
may be downwardly separated from the spacer
120
when an external force is applied to the spacer
10
or primary yoke member
300
during the assembling process. Where an automatic riveting process is used, the spacer
120
assembled with the primary yoke member
300
may be separated from the primary yoke member
300
due to an impact or vibration generated during a procedure for moving the assembly to a stage for carrying out the riveting process. As a result, the efficiency of the assembling process is degraded, thereby reducing the productivity of the windshield wiper.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in view of the above mentioned problems, and an object of the invention is to provide a spacer for a windshield wiper which is provided with retaining means capable of preventing the spacer from being separated from a primary or secondary yoke member due to an external impact applied to the spacer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a spacer for a windshield wiper which is provided with retaining means capable of easily assembling the spacer to a desired element of the windshield wiper while firmly maintaining the assembled state of the spacer.
Another object of the invention is to provide a spacer for a windshield wiper which is provided with retaining means capable of increasing the clamping force of the spacer to be assembled with a primary or secondary yoke member, thereby minimizing the clearance formed between the spacer and the primary or secondary yoke member.
In accordance with the present invention, this object is accomplished by providing a spacer of a windshield wiper for a vehicle including an upper panel, a pair of side panels extending downwardly from opposite lateral ends of the upper panel while defining a receiving space therebetween, the side panels being centrally formed with through holes, respectively, and annular protrusions protruded, toward each other, from the side panels around the through holes, and adapted to be fitted in through holes formed at an element of the windshield wiper to be assembled with the spacer, respectively, wherein each of the protrusions has a tapered structure having a diameter gradually reduced toward a free end of the protrusion, while having retaining means adapted to retain the protrusions in a state of being fitted in the through holes of the windshield wiper element, the retaining means comprising an annular step formed at the free end of each of the protrusions, and a plurality of slits formed at the annular step.
Preferably, the step has a vertical surface at an end thereof spaced away from the free end of the protrusion associated therewith, and an inclined outer surface.
Preferably, each of the protrusions has an inclined inner surface having a diameter gradually reduced toward the free end of the protrusion.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5183352 (1993-02-01), Carpenter

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