Abstract:
A secondary wiper to a windshield wiper is provided. The secondary wiper is detachably connected through connectors to an arched arm of the windshield wiper to locate in front of the latter relative to a sweeping direction of the windshield wiper. The secondary wiper includes a hair holder to which multiple lines of hair and a long wiping element are held. When the windshield wiper and the secondary wiper are brought to sweep across a windshield, the multiple lines of hairs on the secondary wiper first sweep granular and/or powdered dust off the windshield, so that such dust would not be brought by the windshield wiper to scrape across and damage the windshield. When the wipers are brought to reversely sweep across the windshield, the long wiping element on the secondary wiper effectively scrape watermarks off the windshield to enhance an overall function of the windshield wiper. A damaged secondary or windshield wiper may be independently replaced with a new one without the need to discard the other good wiper at the same time.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a secondary wiper to a windshield wiper, and more particularly to a wiper that is independently formed for detachably connecting to and locating in front of a windshield wiper. In a forward moving path of the windshield wiper over a windshield, hairs on the secondary wiper first sweeps granular and/or powdered dust off the windshield, so that hard dust would not be brought by the following windshield wiper to scrape and damage the windshield. And, in a reverse moving path of the windshield wiper, a long wiping element on the secondary wiper effectively removes watermarks on the windshield. 
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
     A conventional windshield wiper usually includes only one wiping element made of rubber material. When using such rubber-made wiping element to clean dirt attached to a windshield, such as granular and/or powdered dust, bodies of dead insects, and/or bird soils, the windshield tends to be smeared by such dirt wetted with water. Some of the dirt is considerably bard and tends to damage the windshield when it is brought by the rubber-made wiping element to move across the windshield and scrape both the windshield and the wiping element. 
     To solve these problems, a windshield wiper including one single piece of wiping element and two stripes of hairs separately located at two sides of the wiping element is developed The two stripes of hairs are designed to remove bird soils, bodies of dead insects and/or dust from the windshield before the wiping element sweeps across the windshield to scrape other remaining dust off the windshield Since the two stripes of hairs are so close to the wiping element that they have only limited effect in sweeping off hard dirt and protecting the windshield and the rubber-made wiping element from being scraped by the hard dirt. Moreover, the two stripes of hairs tend to be caught by and pressed below the wiping element when the windshield wiper sweeps across the windshield, resulting in even worse cleaning effect. And, since the hair stripes and the wiping element are integrated on the same windshield wiper, a damaged hair stripe or a damaged wiping element would necessitate replacement of a whole windshield wiper and that is, of course, not economical and practical. 
     Another conventional windshield wiper includes a rubber-made wiping element and a stripe of hairs located in front of the wiping element for removing dust from the windshield before the rubber-made wiping element sweeps across the windshield. The stripe of hairs, however, would result in watermarks on the windshield and bring some dust along with it to smear the windshield when the windshield wiper sweeps reversely. It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop a secondary wiper to the windshield wiper to eliminate drawbacks existing in the conventional windshield wipers. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A primary object of the present invention is to provide a secondary wiper that is detachably connected through connectors to an arched arm of a windshield wiper to locate in front of the latter relative to a sweeping direction of the windshield wiper The secondary wiper includes a hair holder to which multiple lines of hair and a long wiping element are held. When the windshield wiper and the secondary wiper are brought to sweep across a windshield, the multiple lines of hairs on the secondary wiper first sweep granular and/or powdered dust off the windshield, so that such dust would not be brought by the windshield wiper to scrape across and damage the windshield. When the wipers are brought to reversely sweep across the windshield, the long wiping element on the secondary wiper effectively scrape watermarks off the windshield to enhance an overall function of the windshield wiper. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a secondary wiper to a windshield wiper. The secondary wiper has multiple lines of hairs provided on a bottom surface of a hair holder. The lines of hairs have different hair lengths that gradually increase from inner lines closer to the windshield wiper to outer lines, so that the lines of hairs fitly contact with the windshield that has a certain curvature. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a secondary wiper detachably connected to a windshield wiper. A damaged secondary or windshield wiper may be independently replaced with a new one without the need to discard the other good wiper at the same time. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The structure and the technical means adopted by the present invention to achieve the above and other objects can be best understood by referring to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and the accompanying drawings, wherein 
     FIG. 1 is an assembled perspective of the present invention according to a first embodiment thereof; 
     FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the first embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is an assembled perspective of the present invention according to a second embodiment thereof; 
     FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view of the second embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a partially exploded perspective of a third embodiment of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the third embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Please refer to FIGS. 1 to  3  in which a secondary wiper  1  to a windshield wiper  3  according to a first embodiment of the present invention is shown. The secondary wiper  1  is connected to the windshield wiper  3  through preferably two connectors  2  that form a part of the present invention, so that the secondary wiper  1  is located in front of the windshield wiper  3  relative to a forward moving path of the windshield wiper  3  with a suitable distance existing between the secondary wiper  1  and the windshield wiper  3 . 
     The secondary wiper  1  includes a hair holder  11 , two generally U-shaped walls  12  symmetrically and upward projected from suitable positions at a top surface of the hair holder  11  to define two receiving spaces therein, preferably two fastening elements  13 (bolts included) provided in each of the receiving spaces defined by the walls  12 , multiple parallel lines of hairs  14  provided at a bottom surface of the hair holder  11  to extend along a longitudinal direction of the hair holder  11 , and a long wiping element  15  provided at the bottom surface of the hair holder  11  to locate at outmost side of the hairs  14  relative to the windshield wiper  3 . A length of hairs  14  in the multiple lines gradually increases from inner lines to outer lines, so that a surface  121  defined by free ends of the lines of hairs  14  substantially meets a curvature of the windshield  6 , allowing all the hairs  14  to sufficiently fitly contact with the windshield  6 . The wiping element  15  extends from the bottom surface of the hair holder  11  by a length no less than that of the hairs  14  in the outmost line thereof 
     The connector  2  each includes at least an upper and a lower connecting plate  21  and  22 , respectively, that have a predetermined width. The upper connecting plate  21  has a downward and inward bent inner end  211  facing toward the windshield wiper  3  and is provided at middle area with preferably two long slots  212  and near an outer end opposite to the inner end  211  with preferably two locating holes  213  corresponding to the fastening elements  13  on the hair holder  11 . The lower connecting plate  22  has a downward and outward bent inner end  221  facing toward the windshield wiper  3  and is provided with preferably two fastening holes  222  corresponding to the long slots  212  on the upper connecting plate  21 . When the upper and the lower connecting plates  21 ,  22  are screwed together by fastening elements  13  down through the long slots  212  and the fastening holes  222 , a holding space is defined between the bent inner end  211  and the bent inner end  221  for holding an arched arm  31  of the windshield wiper  3  therein. The long slots  212  allow suitable adjustments of the lower connecting plate  22  relative to the upper connecting plate  21  to provide a holding space that meets and therefore firmly holds to it the arched arm  31  of windshield wiper  3  of different specification. 
     The outer end of the upper connecting plate  21  is connected to the hair holder  11  by engaging the locating holes  213  with the fastening elements  13  and screwing nuts or the like onto the fastening elements  13 . An elastic element  5  is disposed around each fastening element  13  between the upper connecting plate  21  and the hair holder  11 , so that the outer end of the upper connecting plate  21  could be height-adjustably fixed on the locating elements  13  to match with an overall height of the windshield wiper  3  relative to the windshield  6  and the hairs  14  and the wiping element  15  on the hair holder  11  could be fitly pressed against the windshield  6 . By this way, the secondary wiper  1  of the present invention could be used with windshield wipers  3  of different specifications and is therefore more economical and practical for use. 
     When the windshield wiper  3  and the secondary wiper  1  are brought to move forward from a beginning position to sweep across the windshield  6 , the multiple lines of hairs  14  of the secondary wiper  1 , that is located in front of the windshield wiper  3 , would first contact with and sweep granular or powdered dust  7  off the windshield  6  while a wiping element  32  on the windshield wiper  3  follows to scrape ink or other even finer dirt off the windshield  6 , producing excellent cleaning effect on the windshield  6  and protecting the windshield  6  and the wiping element  32  from being damaged by hard dust, either granular or powdered. The wiping element  15  at the most front of the secondary wiper  1  is useful in scraping watermarks off the windshield  6  when the windshield wiper  3  and the secondary wiper  1  are brought to sweep in a reverse direction toward the beginning position and therefore makes up the insufficient ability of the windshield wiper  3  to fully remove water from the windshield  6 . 
     The provision of the secondary wiper  1  enables the windshield wiper  3  to locate above the windshield  6  with a suitable clearance between the wiping element  32  and the windshield  6 , protecting the wiping element  32  from easily cracking and shortened useable life due to constant contact with heated windshield under strong sunshine. Moreover, since the secondary wiper  1  is separable from the windshield wiper  3 , a damaged wiper  1  or wiper  3  could be independently replaced with a new one without the necessity of discarding both the secondary wiper  1  and the windshield wiper  3  and without the possibility of adversely affecting an overall cleaning effect of the other wiper  1  or  3 . 
     FIGS. 4 to  6  illustrate a secondary wiper  1  to a windshield wiper  3  according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, same reference numerals will be used to denote elements that are similar to that in the first embodiment. The secondary wiper  1  is connected to the windshield wiper  3  through preferably two connectors  2  that form a part of the present invention, so that the secondary wiper  1  is located in front of the windshield wiper  3  relative to a forward moving path of the windshield wiper  3  with a suitable distance existing between the secondary wiper  1  and the windshield wiper  3 . 
     The secondary wiper  1  includes a hair holder  11 , two locating blocks  16  symmetrically provided at suitable positions on a top surface of the hair holder  11  to raise therefrom by an adequate height and each having threaded holes  161  provided thereat, multiple parallel lines of hairs  14  provided at a bottom surface of the hair holder  11  to extend along a longitudinal direction of the hair holder  11 , and a long wiping element  15  provided at the bottom surface of the hair holder  11  to locate at outmost side of the hairs  14  relative to the windshield wiper  3 . A length of hairs  14  in the multiple lines gradually increases from inner lines to outer lines to substantially meet a curvature of the windshield  6 , so that all the hairs  14  could sufficiently fitly contact with the windshield  6 . The wiping element  15  extends from the bottom surface of the hair holder  11  by a length no less than that of the hairs  14  in the outmost line thereof 
     The connector  2  each includes at least an upper and a lower connecting plate  21  and  22 , respectively, that have a predetermined width. The upper connecting plate  21  has a downward and outward bent inner end  214  facing toward the windshield wiper  3  and being provided with fastening holes  215  and an outer end opposite to the inner end  214  and being provided with suitable number of locating holes  216  corresponding to the threaded holes  161  on the hair holder  11 . The lower connecting plate  22  has an upward and outward bent outer end  223  facing toward the secondary wiper  1  and is provided at an inner end opposite to the bent outer end  23  with fastening holes  224  corresponding to the fastening holes  215  on the upper connecting plate  21 . By extending the bent outer end  223  of the lower connecting plate  22  below a lower surface of an arched arm  31  of the windshield wiper  3 , covering the bent inner end  214  of the upper connecting plate  21  on an upper surface of the arched arm  31  corresponding to the lower connecting plate  22 , and connecting the upper and the lower connecting plates  21 ,  22  together by fastening elements  13  down through the fastening holes  215  and  224 , the arched arm  31  of the windshield wiper  3  is firmly held between the bent inner end  214  and the bent outer end  223  of the upper and the lower connecting plates  21 ,  22 , respectively. 
     The outer end of the upper connecting plate  21  is connected to the hair holder  11  by engaging the locating holes  216  with the threaded holes  161  on the locating block  16  and fastening elements  13  or the like through these holes  216 ,  161 . An elastic element  5  and a generally U-shaped elastic member  8  are disposed between the outer end of the upper connecting plate  21  and the locating block  16 , so that the outer end of the upper connecting plate  21  could be height-adjustably fixed on the locating block  16  to match with an overall height of the windshield wiper  3  relative to the windshield  6  and the hairs  14  and the wiping element  15  on the hair holder  11  could be fitly pressed against the windshield  6 . By this way, the secondary wiper  1  of the present invention could be used with windshield wipers  3  of different specifications and is therefore more economical and practical for use. 
     When the windshield wiper  3  and the secondary wiper  1  are brought to move forward from a beginning position to sweep across the windshield  6  that has an outward curved surface, the multiple lines of hairs  14  of the secondary wiper  1 , that is located in front of the windshield wiper  3 , would first contact with and sweep granular or powdered dust  7  off the windshield  6  while a wiping element  32  on the windshield wiper  3  follows to scrape ink or other even finer dirt off the windshield  6 , producing excellent cleaning effect on the windshield  6  and protecting the windshield  6  and the wiping element  32  from being damaged by hard dust, either granular or powdered. The wiping element  15  at the most front of the secondary wiper  1  is useful in scraping watermarks off the windshield  6  when the windshield wiper  3  and the secondary wiper  1  are brought to sweep in a reverse direction toward the beginning position and therefore makes up the insufficient ability of the windshield wiper  3  to fully remove water from the windshield  6 . 
     The provision of the secondary wiper  1  enables the windshield wiper  3  to locate above the windshield  6  with a suitable clearance between the wiping element  32  and the windshield  6 , protecting the wiping element  32  from easily cracking and shortened useable life due to constant contact with heated windshield under strong sunshine. Moreover, since the secondary wiper  1  is separable from the windshield wiper  3 , a damaged wiper  1  or wiper  3  could be independently replaced with a new one without the necessity of discarding both the secondary wiper  1  and the windshield wiper  3  and without the possibility of adversely affecting an overall cleaning effect of the other wiper  1  or  3 . 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate a secondary wiper  1  to a windshield wiper  3  according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, same reference numerals will be used to denote elements that are similar to that in the first and the second embodiments. The secondary wiper  1  is connected to the windshield wiper  3  through preferably two connectors  2  that form a part of the present invention, so that the secondary wiper  1  is located in front of the windshield wiper  3  relative to a forward moving path of the windshield wiper  3  with a suitable distance existing between the secondary wiper  1  and the windshield wiper  3 . Since the secondary wiper  1  in this third embodiment has a hair holder  11  structurally similar to that of the first and the second embodiments with only a small change in the locating blocks  16 , only the locating blocks  16  and the connectors  2  will be described hereinafter. 
     In the third embodiment of the present invention, the locating block  16  each has an internally threaded locating bar  162  upward projected from the locating block  16 . The connector  2  each includes an upper connecting plate  21  and generally U-shaped first and second clips  91 ,  92 . The upper connecting plate  21  is provided at an outer end facing toward the secondary wiper  1  with a locating hole for the locating bar  162  to extend therethrough and at middle area with elongated connecting holes. A fastening element  13  is screwed into the internally threaded locating bar  162  to connect the upper connecting plate  21  to the locating block  16  of the hair holder  11 . An elastic element  5  is disposed around the locating bar  162  and the fastening element  13  between the outer end of the upper connecting plate  21  and the locating block  16 , so that the secondary wiper  1  could elastically resist a downward pressure against it. An inner end of the upper connecting plate  21  facing toward the windshield wiper  3  bends downward to provide an end plate  217  on which a retaining hole  218  is provided. The first clip  91  is formed at one side thereof with an inward retaining projection  910  corresponding to the retaining hole  218  on the end plate  217  of the upper connecting plate  21 . The second clip  92  has a top plate  921  horizontally and outward extended from a top of one side thereof and having connecting holes provided thereon. By covering the upper connecting plate  21  on an arched arm  31  of the windshield wiper  3  corresponding to the locating block  16 , the end plate  217  of the upper connecting plate  21  would abut on an inner wall of the arched arm  31  facing toward the windshield  6  and the outer end of the upper connecting plate  21  could be screwed to the locating bar  162  of the locating block  16  on the hair holder  11 . The end plate  217  and the inner wall of the arched arm  31  are firmly clamped together by the first clip  91  with the retaining projection  910  extending into the retaining hole  218  on the end plate  217 . Meanwhile, the second clip  92  is used to clip an outer wall of the arched arm  31  opposite to the inner wall thereof. Fastening elements  13  are screwed through the elongated connecting holes on the upper connecting plate  21  and the connecting holes on the top plate of the second clip  92  to firmly hold the second clip  92  and accordingly the arched arm  31  to the secondary wiper  1  via the upper connecting plate  21 . 
     It is to be noted the present invention is described in an illustrative and exemplified manner based on the preferred embodiments thereof Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, it is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.