Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-01
2001-07-03
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253410
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention pertains to a wiper arm assembly for a vehicle windshield wiper device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wiper arm assembly is already known from DE 3,744,237 A1. The wiper arm is equipped with an additional support element, which is rigidly mounted on the wiper bar of the wiper arm and engages on the inner leg of the wiper blade carrier frame facing the wiper shaft. This support element serves to support the wiper blade in and counter to the wiping direction of the wiper arm in order to avoid undesirable clatterings of the wiper strip on the windshield to be wiped when the windshield wiper device is in operation. On the one hand, these clatterings lead to a disturbing noise buildup, and on the other hand, the so-called clatter marks on the windshield can obstruct vision to a serious extent. However, since the wiper blade frame consists of a hard material, the muffling of the clattering noise achievable with such a wiper arm is still unsatisfactory. On the other hand, the achievable abatement of the clattering itself is not satisfactory, since the wiper strip lying against the windshield is comparably deformable due to its elasticity and is also held and guided on the carrier frame with a certain amount of play related to its function.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the invention is to achieve, by way of simple and cost-favorable measures, effective suppression of the undesirable clattering of the wiper blade on the windshield to be wiped.
According to the invention, this objective is realized with a wiper arm according to the present invention. Since the additional support element rigidly joined to the wiper arm engages directly with the wiper strip of the wiper blade, its lateral oscillation on an axis essentially perpendicular to the windshield to be wiped, which gives rise to the undesirable clattering, is effectively suppressed. An additional advantage derives from the fact that the support element directly engages with the wiper strip of a rubbery elastic material. This material pairing of the support element and the wiper strip suppresses the development of disturbing noise, which in the known state of the art comes from the contact between the support element and the carrier frame of the wiper blade.
Advantageous refinements of the invention are described below.
One embodiment of the invention provides that the wiper strips, at least in those sections on their opposite longitudinal sides, have one or more outward projecting support ribs or support plates, which rest on the inner sides of the leg belonging to the support element. With this measure, a secure lateral support and tracking of the wiper strip on the support element is ensured, especially when the wiper strip is guided without play on the inner side of the leg of the support element. With regard to the suppression of noise, this refinement is also advantageous, since oscillations can be transmitted to an essentially less extent via thin or flat support ribs or support plates than via a massive body. When this wiper strip is fabricated by molding in a form, the variant with the support ribs or support plates only on those sections where the wiper strip makes contact with the support element can be advantageous in the sense of a material pairing. However, if a cost-favorable wiper strip produced by extrusion is provided for the wiper blade, an alternative variant is recommended in which the lateral support ribs or support plates extend over the full length of the wiper strip.
At the present time, an embodiment of the invention is considered to be especially advantageous where provision is made for the support element to engage the inner end section of the wiper strip. The inner end section of the wiper strip is understood to encompass the end of the wiper strip, which faces toward the wiper shaft and projects out of the carrier frame. When the windshield wiper device is in operation, the wiper strip executes a semicircular movement on the windshield to be wiped. Here the circumferential speed is slowest at the inner end of the wiper strip. With increasing distance from the wiper shaft the circumferential speed increases and is naturally fastest at the outer end of the wiper strip. It has meanwhile been shown that the influence of the inner end of the wiper strip on the development of clattering is the greatest, since the circumferential speed of this end is the slowest. For this reason, the development of clattering can be best countered when the support element engages this inner end section of the wiper strip directly and indeed directly on the end of the wiper strip.
Also advantageous is an embodiment of the invention which provides that the support element is connected to the hinged part of the wiper arm, especially when the support element is made in one piece with the hinged part of the wiper arm. The one-piece fabrication of the support element with the hinged part ensures especially high stability of the additional support element. On the other hand, this feature can be cost-favorably marketed, regardless whether the hinged part is made of plastic and is therefore principally made as an injection-molded part or stamped and shaped from sheet metal.
An embodiment of the invention can also be advantageous, according to which the additional support element is a separate component, which is rigidly connected to the wiper arm or to the hinged part of the wiper arm. In addition to the other advantages, this refinement specifically offers the possibility of equipping existing wiper arms with the separate support element.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2250331 (1941-07-01), Horton
patent: 3832751 (1974-09-01), Ursel et al.
patent: 5729861 (1998-03-01), Journee
patent: 2352 536 (1975-04-01), None
patent: 37 44 237 (1987-12-01), None
patent: 43 14 414 (1993-05-01), None
patent: 44 06 131 (1994-02-01), None
patent: 196 05 428 (1996-02-01), None
patent: 2 526 382 (1983-11-01), None
Graham Gary K.
ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
Lewis J. Gordon
LandOfFree
Wiper arm assembly for a vehicle windshield wiper device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Wiper arm assembly for a vehicle windshield wiper device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Wiper arm assembly for a vehicle windshield wiper device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2560852