Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-17
2001-07-03
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253412
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a wiper for a windshield wiper device for the cleaning of a windshield on a vehicle. Additionally, the invention concerns a completely preassembled exchange kit for such a wiper.
2. Description of the Art
A wiper and an exchange kit are already known from EP 0 714 820 Al. On this wiper the exchangeable wiper blade is made out of elastic, rubber-like material and is retained with its head strip in the retaining claws of an extended segmented retaining structure, with the retaining claws gripping partially around the head trip and engaging into longitudinal grooves that are configured on the longitudinal sides of the head strip, opposite from each other. The wiper blade is locked into place longitudinally by means of a spring bracket that is made out of sheet metal and attached to one end of the head strip. Part of this spring bracket is a flat elastic bendable snap-arm that extends from a base part of the spring bracket on the back of the head strip in a longitudinal direction, traversing the correlated retaining claw of the retaining structure and engaging with a hook behind the retaining claw. The hook is formed by the end of the snap-arm that is bent backward and up in the shape of a V, forming a steep angle with the remainder of the snap hook. The front side of the hook interacts as a stop with the internal front side of the retaining claw of the retaining structure. In an advantageously simple manner, a wiper is completed as a preassembled exchange kit by attaching a spring rail and a spring bracket that is attached to the head strip which can be attached to the retaining structure by insertion in a longitudinal direction into the claws of the retaining structure. The arm of the spring bracket that bears a hook snaps automatically into the retaining claw of the retaining structure under the impact of the insertion force.
However, the inevitable later disassembly of the wiper blade that must be replaced becomes a problem when a new wiper blade or a new exchange kit must be installed. In a manual operation, the hook or the snap-arm of the spring bracket that is configured into a hook must be bent against its elastic reset force in order to disengage the locking therebetween. Simultaneously, the wiper blade must then be extracted from the retaining claws of the retaining structure. Because the snap-arm is located between the backside of the head strip and the lower side of the retaining structure, it is difficult to obtain access to the snap-arm to be disengaged. Also, the hook itself, because of the plastic molded shape of the V-shaped bend, is hard to compress any further against its elastic restoring force. A large amount of force is needed in order to disengage the longitudinal locking of the wiper blade or of the exchange kit from the retaining structure. This is why such manipulation, which can only be conducted with a tool, is of some difficulty for the person conducting it, and requires a degree of mechanical dexterity.
It is the task of the invention to improve a wiper of the initially described type in a manner that makes both its disassembly and assembly easier when exchanging the wiper blade or the exchange kit such that mechanical dexterity is not required on the part of the person conducting the work. In addition, a simple way to handle the exchange kit for a wiper blade is to be provided.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The basic idea underlying the invention is to locate the snap element that pertains to the end bracket in a location that permits easy access for the purpose of disengaging the locking mechanism, and to configure the snap element, or the end bracket, in such away that, on the one hand, a safely functioning locking of the wiper blade or of the exchange kit on the retaining structure of the wiper is guaranteed, and, on the other hand, the locking mechanism can be disengaged easily and with little force.
The fact that only one snap-arm with one snap element is located on the end bracket already makes handling simpler than would be the case with one end bracket with two snap-arms. Locating the single snap-arm on the longitudinal side of the head strip as part of the wiper blade guarantees direct and undisturbed access to the snap element. The configuration of the snap element in the shape of a tongue notched out of the snap-arm that is bent away from the head strip and up from the snap-arm at a steep angle, and, with its free front side, opposes the interior front side of the end claw of the retaining structure of the wiper as a stop, provides a functionally safe longitudinal lock, and also guarantees that the locking mechanism can be disengaged with relatively little force. Thus, a wiper and an exchange kit for a wiper have been developed that can be installed or exchanged by a technically inexperienced and unskilled person. When inserting the exchange kit in a longitudinal direction into the retaining claws of the retaining structure, the snap-arm of the end claw engages automatically with the corresponding end bracket. When disassembling, the tongue that is configured on the snap-arm of the end bracket must be pressed against its relatively low spring force and against the longitudinal side of the head strip that pertains to the wiper blade, and the exchange kit must be extracted longitudinally from the retaining structure. Depending on the geometrical structure and the material properties of the snap-arm, the tongue of the snap-arm can be moved into its disengaged position by means of a finger or fingernail without any danger.
A configuration of the invention makes it possible for the end bracket that is stamped out of sheet metal to lie flush against the external contour of the head strip due to its low material thickness. This makes the end bracket visually unobtrusive, requiring very little material. In addition, the airflow that is effective during driving will not have any noticeable negative influence on the air-drag characteristics of the wiper.
While one configuration of the invention guarantees a lasting secure attachment of the end bracket to the head strip of the wiper blade, another configuration of the invention concerning the production and assembly of the end bracket to the head strip is particularly cost-effective.
In one configuration of the invention, it is made certain that the spring force of the tongue or of the snap-arm of the end bracket is optimal with regard to safe engagement and easy disengagement.
An advantageous configuration provides that the longitudinal sides and the front side of the tongue that connects the longitudinal sides pointing toward the base part are notched out of the snap-arm, and the tongue with its edge facing the free-cut front side is connected to the snap-arm, preferably in the area of the free end of the snap-arm.
However, another configuration is preferred where the tongue is cut free out of the snap-arm on one longitudinal side, and wherein the other longitudinal side of the tongue is constituted by the respective original longitudinal side of the snap-arm, and wherein the narrow edge of the tongue that faces the front side is connected to the snap-arm, preferably in the area of the free end of the snap-arm. Even if the snap-arm is not very wide, the tongue can be designed wide enough to have the necessary stability.
Especially preferred is a configuration in which the guiding arm of the end bracket is provided on the opposite longitudinal side of the head strip in addition to the snap-arm, and also traverses the end claw of the retaining structure at its interior side, so as to support itself on the inside of the end claw during operation of the wiper or whenever a force acts upon it from the outside such as may develop through the brushes of car wash installations or during the operation of the wiper. This prevents a tilting of the end bracket that is attached to a head strip in relation to the longitudinal direction of the head strip and, thus, prevents an inadvertent disengagement of the locking of the end bracket with
Egner-Walter Bruno
Herrmann Volker
Graham Gary K.
ITT Manufacturing Enterprises Inc.
Lewis J. Gordon
LandOfFree
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