Brushing – scrubbing – and general cleaning – Attachments – Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-09
2001-09-11
Graham, Gary K. (Department: 1744)
Brushing, scrubbing, and general cleaning
Attachments
Optical-member-attachable cleaner
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286176
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a windshield wiper.
Windshield wipers of a generic type are known. They are typically used for wiping motor vehicle windows, to assure a clear view for a vehicle driver. To that end, the windshield wipers have a wiper arm, which can be set into a pivoting or swinging motion by a wiper drive mechanism. The wiper arm is connected by one end to a wiper shaft that is solidly fixed to the vehicle body, while the other, free end of the wiper arm carries a wiper blade. To connect the wiper blade to the wiper arm, a retaining bracket is provided, which is detachably and pivotably connected to the free end of the wiper arm. The detachable arrangement makes it possible to replace worn wiper blades, while the pivotable arrangement allows the wiping motion to be adapted to curved windows. It is known to connect the wiper arm to the retaining bracket via an adapter element, which makes it possible to adapt the wiper arm to the retaining bracket. It is disadvantageous that this adapter element is tailor-made for a particular wiper arm or retaining bracket, so that a corresponding number of different adapter elements have to be on hand that are typically shipped along with the wiper blades, and the adapter element that fits must then be selected from them.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a windshield wiper which avoids the disadvantages of the prior art.
In keeping with these objects, one feature of present invention, resides, briefly stated, in a windshield wiper which has a drivably supported wiper arm; a wiper blade carried on a free end of said wiper arm; a retaining bracket detachably and pivotably connecting said wiper blade with said wiper arm; an adapter element connecting said wiper arm and said retaining bracket, said adapter element having a shape which permits a form-and force-locking connection with said wiper arm and said retaining bracket, said adapter element is detachably arrangeable on said wiper arm and said retaining bracket in individual positions in which said adapter element is pivoted by 180° with respect to said wiper arm and having a different shape characteristic permitting adaptation to differently shaped wiper arms.
The windshield wiper of the invention offers the advantage over the prior art that it is possible to adapt the detachable and pivotable connection between the wiper arm and the retaining bracket by means of a single adapter element. Because the adapter element, by means of mounting rotated about 180°, allows different wiper arms to be connected detachably and pivotably to the retaining bracket, and a detent connection exists between each adapter element and the wiper arm and the retaining bracket, it is possible in a simple way, by mounting the adapter element in a suitably rotated position, to permit simple, fast mounting of wiper blades on different wiper arms.
In a preferred feature of the invention, it is provided that the adapter element has shape characteristics that make a form lock with a wiper arm to be mounted an absolute prerequisite, so that incorrect mounting, for instance with an adapter element oriented wrong, is impossible.
Further advantageous features of the invention will become apparent from the other characteristics recited in the dependent claims.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3757377 (1973-09-01), Hayburst
patent: 3919735 (1975-11-01), Arman
patent: 4142268 (1979-03-01), Brown et al.
patent: 5606765 (1997-03-01), Ding
patent: 2078254 (1971-11-01), None
patent: 2358296 (1978-02-01), None
patent: 2418608 (1979-09-01), None
patent: 2501135 (1982-09-01), None
patent: 2533517 (1984-03-01), None
Pollaris Eric
Westermann Klaus-Juergen
Graham Gary K.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Striker Michael J.
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