Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-24
2001-11-20
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
C015S250300, C384S624000, C384S903000, C403S002000, C403SDIG003
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317918
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a windshield wiper device for automatically wiping off raindrops, snow, mud, dust and such adhering to the surface of the windshield of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a windshield wiper device has at least one windshield wiping unit comprising a pivot holder attached to a panel forming the body of a vehicle, a pivot shaft supported for turning on the pivot holder, a wiper arm having a base end part fixed to an outer end part of the pivot shaft projecting outside from the pivot holder, and a wiper blade assembly having a wiper blade and connected to the free end of the wiper arm. The wiper arm is oscillated to wipe the surface of the windshield of the vehicle with the wiper blade.
A windshield wiper device proposed in JP-U No. 60-261 has a pivot shaft retaining mechanism for preventing a pivot shaft supported for turning on a pivot holder from coming off the pivot holder. This pivot shaft retaining mechanism employs a washer. The pivot shaft is provided with an annular groove, a metal washer or a wave washer is put on the pivot shaft and a C ring is fitted in the annular groove of the pivot shaft with the metal washer or the wave washer in contact with an end surface of the pivot holder. The metal washer or the wave washer retains the pivot shaft in place and limits the axially downward movement of the pivot shaft relative to the pivot holder. Thus the pivot holder is fixed to the body of the vehicle, and the pivot shaft projects from the surface of the body, the wiper arm is attached to a free end part of pivot shaft, and a wiper blade assembly is connected to the free end of the wiper arm. The pivot shaft is restrained securely from axial movement relative to the pivot holder and from falling off the pivot holder.
The pivot shaft having a considerably long part projecting outside from the surface of the body of the vehicle is subject to various exposure to external impact forces, and it is possible that the pivot shaft maybe forced to project further from the body to cause damage when the body is deformed by a collision of the vehicle against an obstacle. For example, there is a possibility that the projected pivot shaft strikes against and damages a lower part of the windshield of the vehicle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a windshield wiper device having at least one windshield wiping unit provided with a pivot assembly capable of absorbing external shocks exerted thereon.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a windshield wiper device for a vehicle, for wiping the windshield of the vehicle, comprises at least one windshield wiping unit comprising: a pivot holder attached to a body of the vehicle and having a cylindrical bearing part; a pivot shaft extended through and supported for turning in the bearing part on the pivot holder; a wiper arm having a base end part fixed to an outer end part of the pivot shaft; and a wiper blade assembly having a wiper blade and connected to a free end of the wiper arm; wherein a retaining member is interposed between the bearing part and the pivot shaft to restrain the pivot shaft from axial movement relative to the bearing part, and the retaining member is fractured to permit the pivot shaft to move axially into the bearing part when an axial force exceeding a predetermined level is exerted on the pivot shaft.
Thus the retaining member interposed between the bearing part and the pivot shaft is fractured and the pivot shaft is moved into the body when an excessively large external force is exerted on the pivot shaft. Consequently, the impact force applied to the pivot shaft is absorbed to limit damage to the main part of the windshield wiping unit and to a part of the panel forming the body and holding the windshield wiping unit, to the least unavoidable extent.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a windshield wiper device for a vehicle, for wiping the windshield of the vehicle, comprises at least one windshield wiping unit comprising: a pivot holder attached to a body of the vehicle and provided with a cylindrical bearing part; a pivot shaft extended through and supported for turning in the bearing part on the pivot holder; a wiper arm having a base end part fixed to an outer end part of the pivot shaft; and a wiper blade assembly having a wiper blade and connected to a free end of the wiper arm; wherein a retaining member is interposed between the bearing part and the pivot shaft to restrain the pivot shaft from axial movement relative to the bearing part, and the retaining member is deformed to permit the pivot shaft to move axially into the bearing part when an axial force exceeding a predetermined level is exerted on the pivot shaft.
Thus the retaining member interposed between the bearing part and the pivot shaft is deformed and the pivot shaft is moved into the body when an excessively large external force is applied to the pivot shaft. Consequently, the impact force exerted on the pivot shaft is absorbed to limit damage to the main part of the windshield wiping unit and to the panel holding the pivot holder and forming the body to the least unavoidable extent.
In either of those windshield wiping devices according to the first and the second aspects of the present invention, the bearing part of the pivot holder may be provided on its outer surface with a flange attached to the body of the vehicle and with a thin annular part having a reduced fracture strength and contiguous with the bearing part.
When an excessively large external force is exerted obliquely on the pivot shaft holding the wiper arm, a stress is concentrated on the thin annular part of the flange, and the thin annular part of the flange is broken by stress concentration to permit the pivot holder to drop into the body of the vehicle and to absorb an impact force exerted on the pivot shaft.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a windshield wiper device for a vehicle, for wiping the windshield of the vehicle, comprises at least one windshield wiping unit comprising: a pivot holder attached to a body of the vehicle and provided with a cylindrical bearing part; a pivot shaft extended through and supported for turning in the bearing part on the pivot holder; a wiper arm having a base end part fixed to an outer end part of the pivot shaft; a wiper blade assembly having a wiper blade and connected to a free end of the wiper arm; and a fastening member fastened by a predetermined fastening force to the pivot shaft and engaged with the bearing part to restrain the pivot shaft from axial movement relative to the bearing part, and the fastening member permits the pivot shaft to move axially into the bearing part when an axial force exceeding a frictional force acting between the pivot shaft and the fastening member is exerted on the pivot shaft.
When an excessively large external axial force exceeding the frictional force acting between the pivot shaft and the fastening member is exerted on the pivot shaft holding the wiper arm, the pivot shaft is moved axially into the pivot holder to absorb an impact force applied to the pivot shaft, so that damage to a main part of the windshield wiping unit and to the panel holding the pivot holder and forming the body of the vehicle, can be limited to the least unavoidable extent.
When an axial force exceeding an upper limit force corresponding to the fracture strength of the retaining member is exerted on the pivot shaft, the retaining member is fractured or deformed to release the pivot shaft for axial movement relative to the pivot holder. Then, the pivot shaft is pushed axially into the pivot holder. The fastening member functions as part of an axial movement control means which permits the pivot shaft to move axially by a predetermined distance and reduces the acceleration of the pivot shaft as the pivot shaft is moved axially.
A conventional windshield wiper device having a windshield wiping unit comprising a piv
Kagawa Mamoru
Kamiya Jiroh
Kuno Kazuhide
Watanabe Yuji
Blackman William D.
Carrier Joseph P.
Carrier Blackman & Associates P.C.
Graham Gary K.
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
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