Windshield wiper blade assembly

A windshield wiper blade assembly comprises: a middle housing having a middle frame segment that defines an accommodating recess; an elastic wiper blade; and a bridging member fitted in the accommodating recess. The bridging member has two end parts, a middle part and a pivot part. The pivot part protrudes upwardly from a top wall of the middle part. Each of the end parts has a top edge extending upwardly from the top wall so as to cooperate with the pivot part to define an extension recess. At least one of the end parts engages the middle frame segment in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner and at least one of the end, parts and the middle part engages the middle frame segment in a snap-fit engaging manner.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority of Chinese Application No. 201110007239.8, filed on Jan. 14, 2011.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a windshield wiper blade assembly, more particular to a windshield wiper blade assembly including a middle housing and a bridging member fitted in and engaging the middle housing.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional vehicle windshield wiper includes an elongate elastic blade, an elongate blade support for supporting the elastic blade thereon, a bridging member secured to the blade support, a wiper arm pivoted to the bridging member, and a motor for driving movement of the wiper arm together with the elastic blade.

There is a need to design an assembly of the blade support and the bridging member that has a height relative to the elastic blade as low as possible so as to reduce the wind resistance thereof and that is easy to assemble and disassemble the bridging member and the blade support.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a windshield wiper blade assembly that can meet the foresaid needs of reducing the height of the assembly of the blade support and the bridging member and of easy assembly and disassembly of the bridging member and the blade support.

According to the present invention, there is provided a windshield wiper blade assembly that is adapted to be connected to a wiper arm connector having a pivot shaft and that comprises: an elongate middle housing having a middle frame segment that defines an accommodating recess; an elastic wiper blade having a top end secured to a bottom side of the middle housing; and a bridging member fitted in the accommodating recess. The bridging member has two end parts, a middle part disposed between and interconnecting the end parts, and a pivot part. The middle part has a top wall and two opposite side walls extending downwardly and respectively from two opposite sides of the top wall into the accommodating recess. The pivot part protrudes upwardly from the top wall of the middle part and defines a shaft-receiving recess for extension of the pivot shaft of the wiper arm connector therein. Each of the end parts has a top edge extending upwardly and outwardly from an adjacent end of the top wall of the middle part so as to cooperate with the pivot part to define an extension recess therebetween for extension of an adjacent one of two ends of the wiper arm connector therein during swinging of the wiper arm connector about an axis of the pivot shaft. At least one of the end parts engages the middle frame segment of the middle housing in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner and at least one of the end parts and the middle part engages the middle frame segment of the middle housing in a snap-fit engaging manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Before the present invention is described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying preferred embodiments, it should be noted herein that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the disclosure.

FIGS. 1 to 5illustrate the first preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper blade assembly according to the present invention. The windshield wiper blade assembly is adapted to be connected to a wiper arm connector4, which is adapted to be connected to a wiper arm (not shown), and includes an elongate elastic wiper blade5, two elongate side housings6, an elongate middle housing2, and abridging member3. The wiper arm together with the wiper blade assembly is driven by a wiper motor (not shown) so as to permit the wiper blade2to wipe a windshield glass surface (not shown).

The side housings6and the middle housing2are made from plastics and are formed by molding techniques. The wiper blade5has a top end secured to bottom sides of the side housings6and the middle housing2through clamping means (not shown).

The middle housing2has a middle frame segment20(seeFIG. 2) that defines an accommodating recess22. The accommodating recess22is defined by a recess-defining wall that has two first wall portions26and two second wall portions23. The first wall portions26are spaced apart from and opposite to each other along a length of the middle housing2. The second wall portions23are connected between and the first wall portions26. Each of the second wall portions23has a bottom end230, and is formed with two slots231adjacent to the bottom end230, and two flexible bars233disposed immediately under the slots231, respectively. Each of the flexible bars233is formed with a button protrusion232for facilitating a pressing operation of each of the flexible bars233, and defines a bottom side of the corresponding slot231. Each of the slots231has a top side that is defined by a slot-defining wall2311. The middle frame segment20has two opposite first wings27extending respectively from top ends261of the first wall portions26along the length of the middle housing2in opposite directions. Each of the first wings27is formed with an engaging groove271.

The bridging member3is fitted in the accommodating recess22, and has two end parts32, a middle part31disposed between and interconnecting the end parts32, and a pivot part33. The middle part31has a top wall311and two opposite side walls312extending downwardly and respectively from two opposite sides of the top wall311into the accommodating recess22. The pivot part33protrudes upwardly from the top wall311of the middle part31and defines a shaft-receiving recess331for extension of a pivot shaft42of the wiper arm connector4therein. Each of the end parts32has a generally U-shaped top edge321having an uppermost edge portion3211, and a curved intermediate edge portion3212extending upwardly and outwardly from an adjacent end3112of the top wall311of the middle part31to the uppermost edge portion3211so as to cooperate with the pivot part33to define an extension recess326therebetween for extension of an adjacent one of two ends41of the wiper arm connector4therein during swinging of the wiper arm connector4about an axis of the pivot shaft42. The end parts32engage the middle frame segment20of the middle housing2in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner and the middle part31engages the middle frame segment20of the middle housing2in a snap-fit engaging manner.

The bridging member3further has two opposite second wings341extending respectively from the uppermost edge portions3211of the U-shaped top edges321of the end parts32in opposite directions along the length of the middle housing2. Each of the second wings341is formed with a cylindrical engaging tongue342protruding downwardly therefrom and fitted into the engaging groove271in a respective one of the first wings27. Each of the side walls312of the middle part31of the bridging member3has a bottom end3121and is formed with two flexible legs315that extends downwardly from the bottom end3121of the side wall312of the middle part31and that has a hooked end3151which extends into the corresponding slot231to engage releasably the slot-defining wall2311of a respective one of the second wall portions23of the recess-defining wall defining the accommodating recess22in a snap-fit engaging manner. As illustrate inFIGS. 2 and 5, due to the formation of the slots231in each of the second wall portions23, the flexible bars233of each of the second wall portions23are pushable in a transverse direction (X), which is transverse to the second wall portions23, to flex so as to deflect the flexible legs315in the transverse direction (X), thereby disengaging the hooked ends3151from the slot-defining walls2311defining the slots231in the second wall portion23, respectively, and thereby permitting detachment of the bridging member3from the middle housing2.

The top end261of each of the first wall portions26is disposed above the top wall311of the middle part31of the bridging member3. The uppermost edge portion3213of the U-shaped top edge321of each of the end parts32is in contact with the top end261of a respective one of the first wall portions261. The pivot part33has a top end332that is substantially flush with the top ends261of the first wall portions26.

During assembly, when the bridging member3is inserted into the accommodating recess22in the middle housing2, the hooked ends3151come into contact with inner side surfaces of the second wall portions23so that the flexible legs315are flexed. Subsequently, when the hooked ends3151move past the slot-defining walls2311, the flexible legs315restore their original shapes to engage the slot-defining walls2311with the hooked ends3141, respectively. That is, the middle part31engages the middle frame segment20of the middle housing2in a snap-fit engaging manner.

FIGS. 6 to 9illustrate the second preferred embodiment of the windshield wiper blade assembly according to the present invention. The second preferred embodiment differs from the previous embodiment mainly in that in this embodiment, one of the end parts32engages the middle frame segment20in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner, and the other of the end parts32engages the middle frame segment20in both tongue-and-groove and snap-fit engaging manners.

In this preferred embodiment, each of the second wall portions23is formed with one slot231and one flexible bar233disposed immediately above the slot231. One of the first wall portions261is formed with a first engaging groove262disposed below the top end261of the first wall portion261. The middle frame segment20has one wing27extending from the top end261of the other of the first wall portions261along the length of the middle housing2. The wing27is formed with a second engaging groove272that is indented inwardly from a top surface of the wing27. Each of the end parts32further has two opposite lateral walls323and a transverse wall324disposed between and interconnecting the lateral walls323. The bridging member3further has a first engaging tongue343protruding from the transverse wall324of one of the end parts32into the first engaging groove262, and a second engaging tongue344protruding from the transverse wall324of the other of the end parts32into the second engaging groove272. Each of the lateral walls323has a bottom end3231, and is formed with one flexible leg325that extends downwardly from the bottom end3231of the lateral wall323and that has a hooked end3251which extends into the slot231to engage releasably the slot-defining wall2311of a respective one of the second wall portions23of the recess-defining wall in a snap-fit engaging manner. The slot231is U-shaped. The first engaging groove262is defined by a wall having a close-looped cross section. The second engaging tongue344and the second engaging groove272are L-shaped.

FIGS. 10 to 14illustrate the third preferred embodiment of the windshield wiper blade assembly according to the present invention. The third preferred embodiment differs from the previous embodiments mainly in that in this embodiment, the end parts32engage one of the second wall portions23of the middle frame segment20in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner, and the middle part31engages the other of the second wall portions23of the middle frame segment20in a snap-fit engaging manner.

In this preferred embodiment, the recess-defining wall defining the accommodating recess22further has a bottom wall portion28interconnecting and cooperating with the first and second wall portions26,23(seeFIG. 7) to define the accommodating recess22(seeFIG. 8). One of the second wall portions23has a top end237, and is formed with two slots231adjacent to the top end237, and two flexible bars233disposed immediately above the slots231, respectively. Said one of the second wall portions23is formed with two inner necks238disposed below the bottom wall portion28. The bottom wall portion28is formed with two through-holes281disposed below the slots231and above the inner necks238. The other of the second wall portions23is formed with two engaging grooves239, and has a top end that is disposed above the top end237of said one of the second wall portions23. One of the side walls312of the middle part31of the bridging member3is formed with two flexible legs315that extend downwardly from the bottom end3121of the side wall312of the middle part31through the through-holes281in the bottom wall portion28and that have hooked ends3151which engage bottom surfaces of the inner necks238in a snap-fit engaging manner, respectively. The bridging member3further has two engaging tongues35protruding from the end parts32of the bridging member3into the engaging grooves239in one of the second wall portions23, respectively.

FIGS. 15 to 17illustrate the fourth preferred embodiment of the windshield wiper blade assembly according to the present invention. The fourth preferred embodiment differs from the previous embodiments mainly in that in this embodiment, the end parts32engage respectively the first wall portions26of the middle frame segment20in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner, and the middle part31engages one of the second wall portions23of the middle frame segment20in a snap-fit engaging manner.

In this preferred embodiment, the recess-defining wall defining the accommodating recess22of the middle frame segment20has one second wall portion23disposed between and interconnecting the first wall portions26and a bottom wall portion28interconnecting and cooperating with the first wall portions26and the second wall portion23to define the accommodating recess22. The bottom wall portion28is formed with two notches282. One of the side walls312of the middle part31of the bridging member3has a bottom end3121, and is formed with two slots3122adjacent to the bottom end3121of the side wall312of the middle part31and two flexible bars3123disposed below the slots3122. The bridging member3further has two tapered studs36protruding downwardly from the flexible bars3123into the notches282in a snap-fit engaging manner, respectively. The flexible bars3123are pushable to flex so as to permit the tapered studs36to deflect to engage or disengage the notches282. Each of the first wall portions26and the bottom wall portion28has a front side265,283opposite to the second wall portion23. The front sides265,283of the first wall portions26and the bottom, wall portion28cooperatively define a U-shaped front side opening221for insertion of the bridging member3therethrough and into the middle frame segment20and for removal of bridging member3therethrough from the middle frame segment20. The bottom wall portion28of the recess-defining wall is further formed with two first engaging grooves284disposed above the notches282and extending in the transverse direction (X) transverse to the second wall portion23. Each of the first wall portions26is formed with a second engaging groove266extending rearwardly from the front side265of the first wall portion26in the transverse direction (X) and disposed above the first engaging groove284. Each of the first and second engaging grooves284,266is defined by a wall having a C-shaped cross section. The bridging member3further has two first engaging tongues37protruding from bottom ends of the end parts32of the bridging member and fitted into the first engaging grooves284, respectively, and two second engaging tongues38protruding from the transverse walls324of the end parts32and fitted into the second engaging grooves266, respectively.

FIGS. 18 to 21illustrate the fifth preferred embodiment of the windshield wiper blade assembly according to the present invention. The fifth preferred embodiment differs from the previous embodiments mainly in that in this embodiment, one of the end parts32engages one of the first wall portions26of the middle frame segment20in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner, and the other of the end parts32engages the other of the first wall portions26in a tongue-and-groove engaging manner and further engages the middle frame segment20in a snap-fit engaging manner.

In this preferred embodiment, the recess-defining wall defining the accommodating recess22has one second wall portion23disposed between and interconnecting the first wall portions26, and a bottom wall portion28interconnecting and cooperating with the first wall portions26and the second wall portion23to define the accommodating recess22. The bottom wall portion28has a front side283opposite to the second wall portion23, and is formed with a slot285adjacent to the front side283and a flexible bar286disposed in front of the slot285. One of the end parts32of the bridging member3has a bottom end328and is formed with a bottom recess329extending upwardly from the bottom end328of the end part32. The bottom wall portion28of the recess-defining wall defining the accommodating recess22is further formed with a tapered stud287protruding upwardly from the flexible bar286and fitted into the bottom recess329in a snap-fit engaging manner. The flexible bar286is pushable to flex so as to permit the tapered stud287to deflect to thereby engage or disengage the bottom recess329. Each of the first wall portions26has a front side265opposite to the second wall portion23. The front sides265,283of the first wall portions26and the bottom wall portion28cooperatively define a O-shaped front side opening221. One of the first wall portions26is formed with a first engaging groove262. The other of the first wall portions26is formed with a second engaging groove266extending rearwardly from the front side265of the first wall portion26in the transverse direction (X) transverse to the second wall portion23. The first engaging groove262is defined by a wall having a close-looped cross section. The second engaging groove266is defined by a wall having a C-shaped cross section. The bridging member3further has a first engaging tongue343protruding from one of the end parts32of the bridging member3and fitted into the first engaging groove262, and a second engaging tongue38protruding from the other of the end parts32and fitted into the second engaging groove266.

By forming the accommodating recess22in the middle frame segment20for receiving the bridging member3and the structures of the middle frame segment20and the bridging member3of the windshield wiper blade assembly of this invention, the purposes of meeting the foresaid needs of reducing the height of the assembly of the blade support and the bridging member and of easy assembly and disassembly of the bridging member and the blade support can be achieved.

With the invention thus explained, it is apparent that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.