Seal for a joint or juncture – Seal between fixed parts or static contact against... – Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine – or...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-16
2001-11-20
Knight, Anthony (Department: 3626)
Seal for a joint or juncture
Seal between fixed parts or static contact against...
Contact seal for other than internal combustion engine, or...
C277S637000, C277S644000, C015S250310, C015S250340
Reexamination Certificate
active
06318735
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a seal for engagement between an air inlet grill and a pivotal shaft of a windshield wiper drive assembly to prevent debris from entering the plenum and HVAC system of the vehicle, and more particularly, to a seal incorporating a decorative cap for the pivot shaft housing.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The purpose of a wiper pivot shaft air inlet grill seal is to prevent debris from entering the plenum and the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle. The seal also prevents excessive water from falling on the windshield wiper motor, and provides a decorative cosmetic cap for the upper pivot housing. Typically, current vehicles are provided with a cosmetic cap for the pivot housing with no seal engaging the air inlet grill. An attempt is made to prevent infiltration of debris by making the aperture in the air inlet grill as small as tolerances will allow around the wiper pivot housing. Generally the aperture is 10 mm to 20 mm larger than the pivot housing diameter. Alternatively, an attempt is made to prevent infiltration of debris by adding a separate foam seal in addition to the decorative beauty cap placed on the pivot housing.
It would be desirable in the present invention to provide a decorative cap including an integral, one-piece, seal for engagement with the air inlet grill in order to prevent debris and fluid from entering the plenum and HVAC system of the vehicle. It should be desirable in the present invention to provide a snap-fit seal engagable with a windshield wiper pivot shaft and an air inlet grill to prevent excessive fluid from falling on the windshield wiper motor.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The wiper pivot shaft air inlet grill seal according to the present invention is snap-fit with respect to the wiper pivot housing assembly. The seal flange of the present invention closes the gap between the air inlet grill and the wiper pivot housing when the windshield wiper drive assembly is installed in the vehicle. The present invention provides a decorative cap portion integrally formed as a single unit with an outwardly extending seal portion constructed of a material of sufficient rigidity to maintain a generally conical form, and sufficiently soft to lay flat against the air inlet grill panel to seal water against infiltration after installation.
According to the present invention, a seal is provided for a wiper pivot joint and housing mountable through an aperture formed in a panel of a vehicle. The seal includes a one-piece body having a decorative cap with a longitudinally extending aperture engageable at one end with the housing and at another end with the shaft. An integrally formed seal portion of the body is provided to be engaged with the panel of the vehicle after installation. The cap has an enlarged portion for snap-fit with respect to the housing and a reduced portion for sealing engagement with the pivot shaft. The seal portion extends radially and longitudinally from an inner edge adjacent an outer longitudinal edge of the enlarged portion of the cap towards an outer edge adjacent an outer longitudinal edge of the reduced portion of the cap. The seal portion tapers from a larger wall thickness adjacent to the inner edge to a thinner wall thickness adjacent to the outer edge. The seal portion extends generally beyond the outer longitudinal edge of the reduced portion of the cap. The seal portion is composed of an elastomeric material of sufficient rigidity to maintain a conical shape until flattened against the panel of the vehicle during installation. The cap has at least one radially inwardly protruding projection adjacent the outer longitudinal edge of the enlarged portion of the cap for snap-fit engagement with the housing. Preferable, at least four equidistantly spaced projections are provided.
Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art when the following description of the best mode contemplated for practicing the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2965411 (1960-12-01), Makela
patent: 3962744 (1976-06-01), Bien et al.
patent: 4428533 (1984-01-01), Pietryk et al.
patent: 4509878 (1985-04-01), Bryson et al.
patent: 4893374 (1990-01-01), Bienert et al.
patent: 4922570 (1990-05-01), Hirohama et al.
patent: 5067198 (1991-11-01), Ishikawa et al.
patent: 5507585 (1996-04-01), Diederich et al.
patent: 5675862 (1997-10-01), Reinl
patent: 5771527 (1998-06-01), Blachetta et al.
Knight Anthony
Lewis J. Gordon
Pickard Alison K.
Valeo Electrical Systems, Inc.
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