Wiper connector apparatus having enhanced assembly

A wiper connector apparatus includes a first connector member at a side of a vertebra; a second connector member that is disposed at an opposite side of the first connector member with the vertebra therebetween, wherein a first hooking unit is formed on an inner surface of the first connector member, to extend and slope against a direction of a length of the vertebra; a second hooking unit is formed on an inner surface of the second connector member in a parallel direction to the first hooking unit and not overlapping with the first hooking unit; and a coupling plate that slides into and is coupled to the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit to bind the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit so that the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit are not detached from each other.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2012-0119300, filed on Oct. 25, 2012, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.

BACKGROUND

One or more embodiments of the present invention relate to a vehicle wiper apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art

A blade assembly for cleaning a windshield of a vehicle is an active safety device, as well as a device that provides vehicle convenience, which is installed to ensure a driver's view by removing foreign substances or rain drops on a glass surface of the windshield.

Generally, the blade assembly for cleaning the windshield slides on and contacts the vehicle. The blade assembly for cleaning the windshield includes a wiper strip that slides on and contacts the windshield and has rubber elasticity, a vertebra that elastically supports the wiper strip, and a retainer and a coupling apparatus as a coupling assembly for firmly fixing the wiper strip to a wiper arm. Generally, the retainer has a tournament structure, so as to accommodate a deviation in contact between a wiper strip and the windshield, according to a difference in curvature of the windshield between the wiper strip and the retainer. The tournament structure may have a space between the wiper strip and the retainer. Recently, as roads have been improved for high-speed driving, and the performance of a vehicle has been enhanced, a problem of a conventional blade assembly to clean the windshield has been raised. That is, when a wiper apparatus operates while a vehicle is moving at a high speed of 160 km or more, a lift may be exerted on the blade assembly for cleaning the windshield, and the blade assembly for cleaning the windshield may not properly contact the windshield. Thus, the wiper apparatus may not properly wipe the windshield. In order to solve such a problem, there is a need to develop a new blade assembly for cleaning the windshield that does not include a retainer structure.

Recently, a wiper apparatus, referred to as a “flat-blade type wiper apparatus” has drawn attention for preventing floating of a wiper while a vehicle is moving at a high speed. In the case of the flat-blade type wiper apparatus, a vertebra that supports a wiper lip is formed of a spoiler-integrated lever, and a connector apparatus for connecting a wiper arm to the wiper apparatus is disposed at a center of the vertebra. Korean Patent Publication No. 2008-0086455 discloses an example of the flat-blade type wiper apparatus.

A conventional connector apparatus has a structure in which a pair of members, respectively on left and right sides, are coupled to each other, with a vertebra therebetween. As such, with regard to a connector apparatus that is formed by coupling the pair of members to each other, the pair of members are coupled by using an additional coupling pin or in the form of male and female coupling shapes according to a shape of the connector apparatus. In the case of the connector apparatus, since a pin is inserted into a hole in a process of coupling two members to each other, assembly process may not be efficient.

The present invention solves such a problem. One or more embodiments of the present invention include a connector apparatus having a remarkably-enhanced assembly, by improving an assembly structure of a connector apparatus that is formed by coupling two members to each other.

SUMMARY

According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a wiper connector apparatus, having enhanced assembly, which connects a wiper blade to a wiper arm includes a first connector member that is disposed at a center of the wiper blade, and at a side of a vertebra, which elastically supports a wiper hp that forms the wiper blade; a second connector member that is disposed at an opposite side of the first connector member having the vertebra therebetween, and that supports the vertebra, together with the second connector member in the form of a sandwich, wherein a first hooking unit is formed in the form of a rail on an inner surface of the first connector member, to extend and slope against a direction of a length of the vertebra; a second hooking unit is formed on an inner surface of the second connector member in a parallel direction to the first hooking unit, and not overlapping with the first hooking unit; and a coupling plate slides into and is coupled to the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit, to bind the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit so that the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit are not detached from each other.

The first hooking unit may extend in a direction that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the vertebra.

A plurality of the first hooking units and the seconds hooking units may be included and alternately disposed along a direction of a length of the vertebra.

The coupling plate may include a dislocation-preventing hook that is elastically caught in a groove which is formed in an inner wall of the first connector member or the second connector member, to thus prevent the coupling plate from being dislocated from the groove in a direction of a length of the first hooking unit or the second hooking unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1is a plan view of a wiper that employs a wiper connector apparatus10according to an embodiment of the present invention.FIG. 2is a magnified view of the wiper connector apparatus10ofFIG. 1.FIG. 3is a front view of the wiper shown inFIG. 1.FIG. 4is a schematic perspective view of the wiper connector apparatus10ofFIG. 1.FIG. 5is a diagram illustrating a structure of a first connector member20included in the wiper connector apparatus10ofFIG. 4.FIG. 6is a diagram illustrating a structure of a second connector member30included in the wiper connector apparatus10ofFIG. 4.FIG. 7is a diagram illustrating a structure of a coupling plate40included in the wiper connector apparatus10ofFIG. 4.FIG. 8is a partial cross-sectional view of the wiper ofFIG. 3, taken along line VIII-VIII.

Referring toFIGS. 1 through 8, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the wiper connector apparatus10(hereinafter, referred to as “connector apparatus”) having an improved assembly is an apparatus that connects a wiper blade100to a wiper arm (not illustrated).

The connector apparatus10includes the first connector member20, the second connector member30, and the coupling plate40.

The first connector member20is disposed at a center of the wiper blade100. The first connector member20is disposed at a side of a vertebra150, which elastically supports a wiper lip110that forms the wiper blade100.

The second connector member30is disposed at an opposite side of the first connector member20with the vertebra150therebetween. More specifically, the second connector member30is disposed to face the first connector member20in a direction of a width of the vertebra150, with the vertebra150therebetween. As a result, the first connector member20supports the vertebra150, together with the second connector member30in the form of a sandwich.

The coupling plate40is employed as an intervening element for coupling the first connector member20to the second connector member30. The coupling plate40structurally cooperates with a first hooking unit22and a second hooking unit32, so as to firmly fix the first connector member20and the second connector member30to each other.

The first hooking unit22is formed on an inner surface of the first connector member20. The second hooking unit32is formed to extend and slope against a direction of a length of the vertebra150. More desirably, the first hooking unit22may extend in a direction that is perpendicular to an upper surface of the vertebra150. The first hooking unit22is formed in the form of a rail. A plurality of the first hooking units22are included. The first hooking units22are disposed separate from each other along a direction of a length of the vertebra150.

The second hooking unit32is formed on an inner surface of the second connector member30. The second hooking unit32is formed in a parallel direction to the first hooking unit22. The second hooking unit32is disposed not to overlap with the first hooking unit22. The second hooking unit32is formed in the form of a rail. Desirably, in correspondence with the first hooking unit22, the second hooking unit32may extend in a direction that is perpendicular to the upper surface of the vertebra150. A plurality of the second hooking units32are included. The second hooking units32are disposed separate from each other along a direction of a length of the vertebra150. As a result, the first hooking units22and the second hooking units32are alternately disposed along a direction of a length of the vertebra150.

The coupling plate40slides into and is coupled to the first hooking units22and the second hooking units32. The coupling plate40functions to bind the first hooking units22and the second hooking units32so that the first hooking units22and the second hooking units32are not detached from each other. That is, as the coupling plate40is coupled to the first hooking units22and the second hooking units32, the coupling plate40performs a key function of preventing the first connector member20and the second connector member30from separating from each other.

The coupling plate40includes a dislocation-preventing hook42. The dislocation-preventing hook42is formed in the form of a cantilever and protrudes from a side of the coupling plate40. The dislocation-preventing hook42is elastically caught in a groove34that is formed in an inner wall of the first connector member20or the second connector member30. Thus, the dislocation-preventing hook42may prevent the coupling plate40from being dislocated from the groove34in a direction of a length of the first hooking unit22or the second hooking unit32. That is, the dislocation-preventing hook42functions as a stopper so that the coupling plate40is not easily separated from the first connector member20or the second connector member30in a direction in which the coupling plate40is assembled. Since the dislocation-preventing hook42is formed in the shape of a cantilever, in order to separate the coupling plate40from the first connector member20or the second connector member30, an external force of a certain magnitude is exerted on the dislocation-preventing hook42so as to elastically deform the coupling plate40. Thus, the dislocation-preventing hook42may be separated from the groove34. In the current embodiment, as shown inFIG. 7, the dislocation-preventing hook42is provided at a center of an upper part of the coupling plate40.

Hereinafter, a working effect of the connector apparatus10which includes such a configuration as described above, will be described in detail.

First, a process of coupling the connector apparatus10to a wiper is described.

Referring toFIGS. 5 and 6, a structure of the first hooking unit22and the second hooking unit32, which are provided on the first connector member20and the second connector member30, respectively, may be easily understood. The first connector member20is disposed to contact a corner of one end of the vertebra150. The second connector member30is disposed to face the first connector member20with the vertebra150therebetween. In this process, a location-setting protruding pin36, formed on the second connector member30, is coupled into a location-setting hole26that is formed in the first connector member20. Thus, a relative location between the first connector member20and the second connector member30is determined. In this state, the first hooking unit22and the second hooking unit32are alternately disposed. Then, the coupling plate40slides into and is coupled to the first hooking unit22in a direction of a length of the first hooking unit22. As the coupling plate40is coupled to the first hooking unit22and the second hooking unit32, the coupling plate40fixes the first connector member20and the second connector member30to each other. Accordingly, the dislocation-preventing hook42, formed on the coupling plate40, is accommodated in the groove34. Thus, the coupling plate40may be prevented from being dislocated from the first connector member20or the second connector member30.

A process of detaching the connector apparatus10from a wiper is as follows:

In order to detach the coupling plate40from the first connector member20or the second connector member30, an external force is exerted on the dislocation-preventing hook42by using a tool such as a screwdriver. By exerting an external force on the dislocation-preventing hook42, the dislocation-preventing hook42is elastically deformed, and thus, detached from the groove34. Then, the coupling plate40is slid out of and detached from the first connector member20or the second connector member30along a direction of a length of the first hooking unit22and the second hooking unit23, in an opposite direction in which the coupling plate40is coupled to the first hooking unit22and the second hooking unit32as described above. When the coupling plate40is detached from the first connector member20or the second connector member30, since there is no element that binds the first connector member20with the second connector member30, the first connector member20and the second connector member30are detached from each other.

As such, with regard to a connector apparatus in the present invention, a coupling plate may be assembled or disassembled, as the coupling plate is slid into and coupled to, or detached from the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit. Accordingly, compared to a conventional pin-type structure or a coupling structure based on a shape of the connector apparatus, assembly in the present invention may be greatly enhanced. That is, since the coupling plate is assembled or disassembled in a direction that is perpendicular to a direction in which the first connector member and the second connector member are coupled to each other, assembly may be easily performed.

As described above, according to the one or more of the above embodiments of the present invention, a connector apparatus is bound by a coupling plate that is slid into and coupled to the first connector member and the second connector member. Thus, the assembly thereof may be remarkably enhanced and the quality of a coupling state may be excellent. Additionally, as described with regard to the current embodiment, if a plurality of first hooking units and second hooking units are alternately disposed, the first connector member and the second connector member are fixed by the coupling plate at several locations. Thus, the fixability of the connector apparatus may be enhanced. Additionally, as described with regard to the current embodiment, if the dislocation-preventing hook is included, unexpected detachment of the coupling plate may be prevented.