Abstract:
The invention concerns a motor vehicle windscreen wiper wherein a wiper blade is articulated at the longitudinal front end of a wiper arm about a horizontal transverse axis (A 1 ) via a connector which is articulated on the blade, wherein the connector comprises articulating means borne by two parallel longitudinal flanks between which the blade is houses, the connector articulation means co-operating with the blade matching means. The connector flanks are housed in two lateral flanges of the end of the arm, and the connector comprises a safety thruster, with a button received in the slot of the arm to block the connector longitudinally relative to the arm, extended by a safety latch co-operating with locking elastic means.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     The invention concerns a motor vehicle windshield wiper including advanced linking means of a wiper blade onto a wiper arm. 
     The invention concerns more specifically a motor vehicle wiper wherein a wiper blade is attached at the front longitudinal end of a wiper arm, around a horizontal transverse axis, by means of a connector that is mounted on the blade. 
     According to a known method of connection of the assembly articulated on a blade at the end of an arm, the connector is elastically encased in the radial direction on an articulation rod of the blade and the front end of the arm is longitudinally hooked in order to form a hook in which the connector, once mounted on the blade, must be engaged longitudinally from the back to the front. 
     For reasons of rigidity and compactness of the articulation, but also for aesthetic reasons, the connector is generally housed between two lateral flanges of the blade that are joined by the articulation rod. In this way, the front end of the arm must also be housed between the blade flanges, in front of the connector in relation to the blade in order to allow the engagement of the connector in the hook of the arm. 
     Such an assembly, if it presents guaranties of reliability, results in being especially delicate to carry out and imposes that the blade, in front of the articulation rod, presents an opening created in the upper back of the blade in order to allow the engagement of the front end of the arm. Such an opening remains at least partially apparent after the assembly of the blade on the arm and provokes the appearance of an airflow that interferes with the functioning. 
     SUMMARY 
     The goal of this invention is to propose a new conception of the articulation means of the blade onto the arm that allows easy assembly and disassembly of the blade, even by someone not trained. Actually, the owner of the vehicle is encouraged to regularly change his wiper blades and he can proceed in this operation in the simplest manner possible. 
     In addition, the wipers being visible parts of the vehicle&#39;s exterior, it is desirable to give them an aesthetic character, avoiding, as much as possible, the discontinuity of their form. Also, the airflow that results from these discontinuities should be avoided in order to block these annoying interferences. 
     In order to achieve these objectives, it is proposed to integrate elastic securing means onto the connector, which is removable by simple pressure. 
     More specifically, this invention involves a wiper of the type described above, in which the connector contains articulation means carried by two parallel longitudinal flanges between which the blade is housed, the articulation means of the connector cooperating with the complementary means of the blade, the flanges of the connector being housed between two lateral flanges at the end of the arm. In addition, the connector contains a securing thruster, presenting a button, housed in an slot of the arm in order to longitudinally block the connector in relation to the arm, extended by a safety latch cooperating with the elastic means of locking, and removable by pressure exerted on the button. 
     According to the specific methods of production of the invention: 
     the flanges of the connector are housed via longitudinal sliding each respectively into one of two holes created in the internal faces, in relation to the two lateral flanges, of the front end of the arm; 
     the elastic means for locking the longitudinal blocking of the connector in relation to the arm are made up of elastic legs formed in the sides of the connector; 
     The elastic locking means are formed from an elastic strip which extends horizontally toward the back from the front casing to which it is joined by its front end, forming a hinge on the horizontal axis, the strip supporting the thruster of which the rod is terminated by a locking overhang able to be inserted and removed from the blade via disappearing towards the arm, through a gap of such a size adapted to fit in the blade, and via pivoting of the elastic strip in order to lock or free the longitudinal blocking of the connector in relation to the arm; 
     variably, the locking means are formed by a helical screw extending the length of the safety latch and pushing on a folding of the blade coming opposite to the latch. 
     the lateral flanges of the arm are hooked by coining and arching in order to obtain a wedging in the sides of the connector, specifically during torsion pushes; 
     the sides of the connector includes two cylindrical lugs on the horizontal axis which extend away from each other from the faces opposite the two sides, and which are designed to be housed in the corresponding holes in the sides of the blade while the sides are in articulation position in order to assure the articulated assembly of the connector onto the blade; 
     the casing in front of the connector pushes longitudinally towards the back via a rear transversal face against a front transversal face of the end of the arm; and 
     the external faces of the front casing of the connector are constructed in the extension of the corresponding external faces of the front end of the arm. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     Other characteristics and advantages of this invention will appear in the reading of the detailed description which follows and for the comprehension of which one will refer to the attached drawings which respectively represent: 
     FIGS. 1,  2 , and  3  are partial perspective views of a wiper according to the invention illustrating three successive stages of the assembly of the blade onto the arm; 
     FIG. 4 is a transverse cross section view according to line  4 — 4  of FIG. 5, illustrating an example of production of the connector; 
     FIG. 5 is a partial view cut longitudinally according to line  5 — 5  of FIG. 4; 
     FIGS. 6 and 7 represent partial views of a transversal section respectively according to lines  6 — 6  and  7 — 7  on FIG. 5; 
     FIG. 8 is a view in a longitudinal direction illustrating another example of production of the connector; and 
     FIG. 9 is a perspective view of another method of production of the connector. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Represented in the drawing is a wiper  10  including a wiper blade  12  that is designed to be mounted in contact around a transversal axis A 1 , horizontal in the view of the figures, at the longitudinal front end  14  of a wiper arm  16 . 
     To this effect, it is planned that a connector  18  that is mounted articulatingly on a central part  20  of articlulation of a principal binding  22  of the blade  12  and which is designed to be fixed at the front end  14  of the arm  16 . 
     As one can see in the Figures, the central part  20  of the articulation of the blade  12  includes two lateral longitudinal sides  24  that are parallel and are each fitted with a circular orifice  26  on the axis A 1 . The two sides  24  are linked via an upper back  28  and a circular opening  30  arranged in the upper back  28  at the level of the central part  20  of the articulation portion. 
     The connector  18  includes a front casing  32  that presents in a transversal section a shape of an upside-down U shape including two lateral vertical branches  34  and an upper horizontal transversal branch  36 . The front casing  32  is designed to overlap the binding  22  of the wiper blade  12 . 
     From a rear transversal face  38  of the front casing  32 , two parallel sides  40  extend longitudinally towards the back in the extension of the vertical branches  34  of the front casing  32 . The sides  40  present themselves in the shape of plates that extend in a vertical plane and are joined via a back  56 . It is possible, by elastic deformation, to transversally spread the sides away from one another making them pivot around each other at their front end  42  of linking with the front casing  32  to form a vertical hinge axis. 
     The sides  40  each carry, on an internal face  44  turned in the direction of the opposite wing, a cylindrical lug  46  that extends transversally according to the axis A 1  in the direction of the opposite side  40 . In its free state, the internal faces  44  of the sides  40  are spread apart from each other at a distance equal to the transversal length of the central portion  20  of articulation of the blade  12 . 
     In this way, the cylindrical lugs  46  are capable of being housed in the circular holes  26  in the sides  24  of the blade  12 . 
     However, while the sides  40  are spread transversally apart, the lugs  46  are removed from their holes  26  in a way such that the connector  18  can be engaged or disengaged in the vertical direction in relation to the blade  12 . 
     It will be understood that it is planned that the lugs can be borne by the blade  12  and can be housed in the holes created in the sides  40  of the connector  18 . It is notable that it is planned that sufficient space between the upper back  28  of the binding  22  and the upper transverse branch  36  of the front casing  32  of the connector  18  is provided in order to allow a sufficient backlash in rotation to the connector  18  in relation to the blade  12 . 
     It is notable,that it is planned that sufficient space between the upper back  28  of the binding  22  and the upper transverse branch  36  of the front casing  32  of the connector  18  is provided in order to allow a sufficient backlash in rotation to the connector  18  in relation to the blade  12 . 
     The sides  40  of the connector  18  are designed to be housed in the interior of the front end  14  of the arm  18  in such a way that the end  14  blocks all spreading of the sides  40 , provoked, for example, by the torsion push during the functioning of the blade. In addition, while the connector  18  is mounted on the blade  12  and is engaged in the front end  14  of the arm  16 , the lugs  46  of the sides  40  cannot be disengaged from the holes  26 , which blocks all disassembly of the connector  18  in relation to the blade  12 . 
     In this way, the front end  14  of the arm  16  includes two longitudinal, vertical flanges  48  that are joined via a transverse upper back  50  and between which the sides  40  of the connector  18  are designed to be housed. 
     The transversal flanges  48  include, on the internal faces opposite each other, holes  52  of the same the shape as the sides  40  such that they can be introduced therein longitudinally from the front to the back. The lateral flanges of the arm  16  are hooked by coining and arching in order to obtain a wedging of the sides  40  of the connector. 
     As one can see in FIGS. 3,  5 , and  8 , the transverse rear face  38  of the front casing  32  is designed to push longitudinally towards the back against a transverse front face  54  of the front end  14  of the arm  16 . Preferably, the front casing  32  and the front end  14  of the arm  16  are designed in the same way their respective external faces are created in the extension of one another in order to assure an aesthetic continuity between the arm  16  and the front casing  32  which stays visible on the exterior of the end  14  of the arm  16  while the sides  40  of the connector  18  are housed between the flanges  48 . 
     It has been planned that the safety means that allow the locking of the connector  18  to the interior of the front end  14  of the arm  16  is in the form of a thruster, formed from an extended button via a finger cooperating with the elastic means. Advantageously, these means allow an easy unlocking in order to allow the replacement of the blade  12  when it is worn out. 
     In the production example seen in FIGS. 1 to  7 , the thruster  64 , including the extended button  64   a  via the finger  64   b , cooperates with the elastic legs  64   c  supporting a portion  56   a . The portion  56   a , according to the back  56  of the connector  18 , is placed between the button  64   a  and the finger  64   b , and overhangs the rest of the back  56 . The connector unit is formed by casting in this example of production. 
     As is more specifically illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, while the connector  18  is engaged in the front end  14  of the arm  16 , a portion  56   a  adjusts into the extension of the back of the connector, opposite the upper face  60  of the back, in a way such that the legs  64   c  exert a force returning the back  50  to the arm. This force efficiently locks the connector  10  and the blade  12  under the guiding arm  14 . 
     The button  64   a  is housed in a slot  66  formed in the upper back  50  of the arm  16  in such a way as to longitudinally immobilize the connector  18 . 
     A push on the button  64   a , against the recall force exerted onto the legs  64   c , allows one to disengage the button of the slot  66  and to longitudinally unlock the connector  18  towards the front. 
     In addition, the opening  30 , placed in the upper back  28  of binding  22  is, in this production example, of a diameter adapted to the finger  64   b  to hold the thruster, in combination with the elastic legs, in order to maintain an efficient locking to the blade. 
     The assembly of the wiper  10  according to the invention includes the following steps. 
     The connector  18  is first mounted on the blade  12  spreading the sides  40  of the connector  18  transversally apart from each other (assembly position) in such a manner to engage to connector  18  vertically from the top to the bottom straddling the central articulation portion  20  of the blade  12 . While the lugs  46  of the wings  40  are opposite the holes  26  (FIG.  7 ), one relaxes the sides  40  (articulation position) in such a way that the lugs  46  are engaged in the holes  26  and create the articulated assembly of the connector  18  on the blade  12 . 
     Then, the blade  12  and the connector  18  unit are engaged longitudinally from the front to the back to the interior of the front end  14  of the arm  16  in a manner such that the sides  40  of the connector  18  are housed in the holes  52  created in the flanges  48  in the front end  14  (FIG.  6 ). During this operation, it is necessary to wipe towards the bottom of the thruster  64  by exercising a pressure against the recall force of the legs  64   c.    
     While the button  64   a  longitudinally arrives opposite from the slot  66  of the arm  16 , it elastically returns to an intermediate position in which the portion  56   a  arrives opposite from the back  56  of the connector  18  in order to form a quasi-continuity. 
     According to other production examples, as illustrated in FIGS. 8 and 9, the thruster  64 , formed from a button  64   a  and the finger  64   b , is mounted on the connector  18   a  via the intermediary of a tongue  56   b . The tongue  56   b  acts like an elastic element for unlocking the blade on the arm. The tongue  56   b , which is for example created in the shape of an horizontal plate element, which extends longitudinally towards the back, in the extension of the upper transverse branch  36  of the front casing  32  of the connector  18 . The front end  58   b  of the tongue  56   b  forms a hinge axis notably horizontal for the tongue  56   b.    
     In FIG. 8, the finger  64   b  cooperates with a helical spring  100  that pushes on a bent part  12   a  bent back from the blade coming opposite the finger. 
     In FIG. 9, the finger  64   b  is ended by a locking overhang capable of being introduced and removed from the blade via folding away towards the bottom, across a gap  30  of the size adapted formed in the blade (FIG.  1 ), and via pivoting of the elastic tongue in order to lock or free the longitudinal block of the connector in relation to the arm. 
     The invention is not limited to the realization examples described and represented. It is possible to foresee other elastic locking means, for example, transverse rods cooperating with hooks placed at the end of the finger of the thruster.