Abstract:
An adapter for a windshield wiper assembly is provided. The adapter includes a hooking portion adapted to selectively receive a left hand drive hook or a right hand drive hook of a wiper arm, the hooking portion including a body formed of side plates that are parallel to each other and a connector extending between the side plates such that the side plates extend above and below the connector, the connector extending parallel to the side plates, an attaching portion adapted to be connected to a wiper and a connection portion attached to the hooking portion and the attaching portion at opposite ends. The hooking portion and the attaching portion are positioned in a side-by-side configuration and are parallel to each other. The hooking portion is symmetrical about a central portion so to be capable of selectively receiving the left hand drive hook or the right hand drive hook of the wiper arm.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application is a Continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/734,384, filed Jan. 4, 2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/583,933 filed on Jan. 6, 2012, the disclosures of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    Embodiments of the invention are directed generally to adapters for a windshield wiper arm. More particularly, the embodiments of the invention are directed to adapters configured to cooperate with one or more windshield wiper arm having a side hook design. 
         [0004]    2. Discussion of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Various types of windshield wiper arms are available which utilize respective adapters for connection of windshield wiper assemblies to the windshield wiper arms, respectively. Thus, a particular adapter may be usable with a particular type of windshield wiper arm. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide adapters usable with different windshield wiper arms of windshield wiper assemblies. 
         [0007]    According to an embodiment of the present invention, an adapter for a windshield wiper assembly includes a hooking portion adapted to receive a hook of a wiper arm, an attaching portion adapted to be connected to a wiper, and a connection portion attached to the hooking portion and the attaching portion at opposite ends. The hooking portion and the attaching portion are positioned in a side-by-side configuration and are parallel to each other. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention. The embodiments of the adapter of the invention are shown in the attached drawings, and an adapter and windshield wiper arm are configured to cooperate as shown in some of the drawings. In the drawings: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an adapter according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows another perspective view of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention from a different angle. 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view from a bottom angle of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention cooperating with a 9×4 hook. 
           [0013]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention cooperating with a 9×3 hook. 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention cooperating with a hook of a windshield wiper arm. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0015]    Hereinafter, example embodiments of this invention will be described in detail with reference to  FIGS. 1-6 . Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification. The drawings show several views of an adapter, and also show several views of the adapter and a windshield wiper arm in an attached configuration. The adapter has a first portion that receives or cooperates with a windshield wiper arm and a second portion that extend from the first portion. The first portion has one or more locks that are arranged, and/or has one or more lock releases that are also arranged. The windshield wiper arm may be a side hook design, and may be a 9×3 hook or a 9×4 hook. The adapter is usable with either a right or left hand drive seat automobile. 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of the adapter.  FIG. 2  shows another perspective view of the adapter from a different angle, and shows locks and/or lock releases.  FIG. 3  shows a perspective view from a bottom angle.  FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the adapter cooperating with a 9×4 hook.  FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of the adapter cooperating with a 9×3 hook.  FIG. 6  shows a perspective view of the adapter cooperating with a hook of a windshield wiper arm, and having the locks and/or lock releases. 
         [0017]    In  FIG. 1 , shown is an adapter according to an embodiment of the invention. In  FIG. 1 , the adapter  100  includes a hooking portion  200 , an attaching portion  300 , and a connecting portion  400 . The attaching portion  300  is connected to the hooking portion  200  via the connecting portion  400 , and is a portion that is configured to be attached to a bracket of a windshield wiper blade. The attaching portion  300  and the hooking portion  200  are separated by a gap  402 . The attaching portion  300  includes a main body  310  formed of a pair of main walls  311 , a pair of lateral walls  312 , a top surface  313 , and corners  314 . The main walls  311  are formed perpendicular to the top surface  313 , and in turn, the side walls  312  are formed perpendicular to both the main walls  311  and the top surface  313 . Accordingly, the main walls  311 , the side walls  312  and the top surface  313  form a shell. 
         [0018]    In the embodiments of the invention, the corners  314  are shown as being rounded, but in other embodiments of the invention, the corners  314  may be sharp or with edges. The main body also includes a pair of recess flanges  320  that define a recess  321  having a receiving slot  322 . The receiving slot  322  may be rounded, and the recess  321  may have a flared opening. Disposed between the respective recess flanges  320  and the main wall  311  are slits  323  that allow for the recess flanges  320  to bend outward. The recess flanges  320 , the recess  321 , and the slits  323  extend perpendicularly from the top surface  313 . Accordingly, the recess flanges  320 , the recess  321 , and the slits  323  are generally parallel. The main body  310  is generally symmetrical about a middle portion of the main body  310  where the recess  321  is located. 
         [0019]      FIG. 2  shows another perspective view of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention from a different angle. The hooking portion  200  includes a body  210  formed of side plates  211 , and a connector  220  formed in between the side plates  211  and connecting the side plates  211 . The hooking portion  200  further includes lower locks  230  and upper locks  260 . The body  210  has a first portion  212  and a second portion  213  that are generally symmetrical about a middle portion of the body  210  where the lower locks  230  and the upper locks  260  are located. The pair of side plates  211  extend parallel to each other. 
         [0020]    The connector  220  has rounded portions  221 , a surface  222 , and apertures  223 . The apertures  223  are disposed between the rounded portions  221  and the surface  222 . 
         [0021]    The connecting portion  400  is attached to one of the plates  211  of the hooking portion  200  and to one of the main walls  311  of the attaching portion  310 . A surface  401  of the connecting portion  400  extends between the one of the plates  211  and the one of the main walls  311 . 
         [0022]    In embodiments of the invention, the hooking portion  200  and the attaching portion  300  are positioned in a side-by-side configuration and are parallel to each other. 
         [0023]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view from a bottom angle of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , the hooking portion  200  includes lower locks  230  extending through holes in one of the plates  211 . The lower locks  230  are connected to pedals  232  through arms  231 . The pedals  232  are attached to wings  236 . The pedals  232  include first stoppers  235 . In turn, the wings  236  are also attached to vanes  233  that are attached to the plates  211 , whereby slits  234  separate the vanes  233  from the pedals  232 . 
         [0024]    The arms  231  are parallel to each other, and are also parallel to the wings  236 . The pedals  232  are parallel to each other, and are also parallel to the vanes  233  and the slits  234 . Accordingly, the arms  231  are perpendicular to the pedals  232 , the vanes  233 , and the slits  234 . The first stoppers  235  have ramp shapes, and have bases that are attached to the pedals  232 . The first stoppers  235  have inclined surfaces that extend away from the surfaces of the pedals  232 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the lower locks  230  are disposed below the connector  220 . Support bars  240  are formed on one of the side plates  211 . 
         [0025]    In embodiments of the invention, the upper locks  260  are connected to surfaces (or wings)  226  in a similar manner as the connection between the lower locks  230  to the wings  236 . 
         [0026]    As also shown in  FIG. 3 , the attaching portion  300  includes outer walls  315  and inner walls  316 . In  FIG. 3 , alignment of the recess flanges  320  are shown. For example, the recess flanges are parallel to each other, and a pair of recess flanges  320  that are aligned from one later side to an opposite later side of the attaching portion  300  are parallel to the inner walls  316 . In view of  FIG. 1 , the outer walls  315  include the main walls  311  and the side walls  312 . Accordingly, the inner walls are disposed between the recess flanges  320  and the side walls  312 . 
         [0027]    Also, as shown in  FIG. 3 , the hooking portion  200  and the attaching portion  300  are parallel to each other. Moreover, the hooking portion  200  and the attaching portion  300  are together symmetrical about an axis that extends from the lower locks to the recess  321 . 
         [0028]      FIG. 4  shows a perspective view of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention cooperating with a 9×4 hook. First,  FIG. 4  shows the hooking portion  200  with various hole and recess configurations in one of the side plates  211 . The side plate  211  includes a first hole  250 , a second hole  251 , a third hole  252 , and a fourth hole  253 . Also, the side plate  211  has a first recess  255 , a second recess  256 , a first extension  255  and a second extension  257 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , each of the first, second, third and fourth holes  250 ,  251 ,  252  and  253 , each of the first and second recesses  255 ,  256 , and each of the first and second extensions  255 ,  257  have a symmetrical counterpart about a beam  258 . 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , a hook  600  may be engaged to the hooking portion  200 , so that the hook  600  grabs the connector  220 . Also, the attaching portion  300  may be engaged to a bracket  500  of a windshield wiper blade. Accordingly, the hook  600  is attached to the bracket  500  through the adapter  100 . In  FIG. 4 , shown is a 9×4 hook. 
         [0030]    On the other hand, as shown in  FIG. 5 , a hook  700  may be engaged to the hooking portion  200 , so that the hook  700  grabs the connector  220 . Also, the attaching portion  300  may be engaged to a bracket  500  of a windshield wiper blade. Accordingly, the hook  700  is attached to the bracket  500  through the adapter  100 . In  FIG. 5 , shown is a 9×3 hook. 
         [0031]      FIG. 6  shows a view of the adapter according to an embodiment of the invention cooperating with a hook of a windshield wiper arm. In particular,  FIG. 6  shows a cross sectional view of the hooking portion  200  and the hook  600 . The cross sectional view of the hooking portion  200  reveals inner details of the connector  220 . For example, the connector  220  includes lower surfaces (or wings)  226  and second stoppers  225 . The second stoppers  225  have ramp shapes, and have bases that are attached to the lower surfaces  226 . The second stoppers  225  have inclined surfaces that extend away from the lower surfaces  226 . 
         [0032]    When the hooking portion  200  and the hook  600  are engaged, an end  601  of the hook  600  becomes wedged between two first stoppers  235 , and at least one of the first stoppers  235  rests within an aperture  602  of the hook  600 . To release the end  601  of the hook  600  from the two first stoppers  235 , the lower locks  230  may be urged upward so that the first stoppers  235  will move out of the way of the end  601  of the hook  600 . 
         [0033]    Alternatively, when the hooking portion  200  and the hook  700  are engaged, an end of the hook  700  may become wedged between the two second stoppers  225 . To release the end of the hook  700  from the two second stoppers  255 , the upper locks  260  may be urged upward so that the second stoppers  235  will move out of the way of the end of the hook  700 . 
         [0034]    The invention thus being described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. For example, an upper surface of each side wall of the bracket may have a notch formed therein if necessary to accommodate various adapters. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.