A METHOD OF APPLYING STRIPS ON WINDSCREEN AND HEADLIGHTS GLASS

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of applying strips to windscreen glass and headlamp glass that are kept clean with the aid of a wiper blade that sweeps over the glass. The method is characterized by affixing adhesive tape to the glass such as to expose in the location of the strip a glass surface whose width and length corresponds to the width and length of the strip or strips to be provided. A glue having properties similar to the properties of the glass is applied to the exposed part or parts and a scraper-like device that slides over the adhesive tape is moved over the glue in the exposed part or parts and the glue is permitted to harden when the scraper-like device has passed over the aforesaid part or parts or as said device passes over said part or parts.

Description: A METHOD OF APPLYING STRIPS ON WINDSCREEN AND HEADLIGHTS GLASS The invention relates to a method according to the preamble of Claim 1. The windscreen wiper blades/headlamp wiper blades of motor vehicles pick up dirt and grease of different kinds when driving on wet and muddy roads, particularly when driving in the rain. The initially smooth drying surfaces of the blades thus become worn and uneven with time, therewith greatly impairing the drying capacity of such blades. Different devices for removing contaminants adhering to the blades and restoring the drying surfaces of said blades to their original, uniform state are comrnercially available. In addition to forming in the windscreen, immediately prior to the lower turning position of the blade, a sharp-edge recess over which the blade is intended to sweep as it moves, which has the drawback, however, of weakening the windscreen glass along a substantial part of the glass, it has also been proposed to attach to the windscreen a foil strip that is intended to provide the same function as the recess in the windscreen but which can be applied subsequently when the wiper blade has begun to wear. Such a foil strip is known from U.S. 4,685,168, among others. Although this smooth strip is simple, it does not provide the desired cleaning effect and because of its relative thickness generates noise and quickly wears down the wiper blade. U.S. 5,226,199 attempts to solve this cleaning problem by applying to the windscreen a strip that includes a zigzag pattern or wart-like pattern of raised parts, thereby to improve the cleaning effect. The warts or the ridges forming the zigzag pattern have a rounded shape. In addition to being relatively expensive to produce, the strip also fails to provide the desired cleaning effect. Other cleaning patterns are also known. For instance, DE 3 138 388 teaches a foil strip of arched profiled shape, in which sharp-edged longitudinally extending furrows are provided. Because the furrows are formed in the strip, the strip must be given a substantial thickness (seen in relation to the product concerned) , and consequently it is necessary to profile the strip with the arched shape. The strip is therefore expensive to produce and fails to provide a satisfactory cleaning effect. Swedish Patent Specification 9400092-4 teaches a cleaning device of the kind intended that includes mutually parallel, smooth strips of rectangular cross-section disposed on a strip of foil tape. This cleaning device is simple and effective by virtue of its shape and the positioning of the strips in relation to one another. All of these different cleaning variants have the common feature of requiring tape or strips to be stuck to the windscreen or to the headlamps, with the exception of the variant that includes said recess. In view of the fact that it must be possible to affix the tape to glass, it is not possible for the tape to be produced from any material whatsoever, meaning that the adhesive strips or the like become worn in time and must be replaced. The present invention relates to a method in which the strips are applied to the glass and form a practically homogenous unit therewith. The invention enables the use of a material which when cured becomes very hard and strong, for instance a material which is comparable with the windscreen on which the strip is applied. This is made possible by means of an inventive method having the characteristic features set forth in the following Claims. The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to an exemplifying embodiment and with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 illustrates schematically the windscreen of a vehicle with strips applied in accordance with the invention; and Fig. 2 illustrates the invention. In the drawings, the reference numeral 2 identifies the windscreen glass of the vehicle, and the reference numeral 3 identifies the windscreen wipers. The reference numeral 1 identifies the strips applied to the windscreen. Application of a strip 1 onto the glass 2 of a windscreen is shown to the left in Fig. 2. In accordance with the invention, a strip 1 is applied by first fastening two pieces of adhesive tape 4 to the glass 2. These pieces of adhesive tape 4 are spaced apart at a distance which coincides with the width of the ultimate strip 1 and the length of the adhesive tapes is chosen to correspond to the length of said strip 1. A piece of adhesive tape 5 is also applied across the ends of the pieces of adhesive tape 4, so as to restrict the length of the strip 1. It will be evident that Fig. 2 shows only one end. Said length and width are chosen on the basis of experience and will depend on the type and the size of the windscreen wiper blades concerned. The area of glass exposed between the adhesive tapes 4 and 5 is filled with a glue having a composition whose properties, e.g., coincide with the properties of the glass 2. An example of such glue is "special T Vindrutelim" which cures when exposed to ultraviolet radiation. After having filled the space between the two adhesive strips 4, a scraper device or doctor blade 6 is drawn along the adhesive strips 4 while resting thereagainst , as indicated in Fig. 2. The glue in the space between the adhesive strips 4 is smoothed-out and flattened by means of the scraper device 6 and the glue is cured by UV radiation immediately after the scraper device 6. The pieces of adhesive tape 4 and 5 are then removed. There is thus obtained a strip 1 (shown to the right in Fig. 2) which forms an homogenous part of the glass 2 in all essentials. The aforedescribed method can be carried out with the aid of a tool that has a built-in scraper means and a UV lamp and a glue applicator downstream of the scraper means. Naturally, such a tool can be constructed in many different ways and does not therefore form any part of the invention. It will also be understood that said strips can be applied in accordance with the invention subsequently to existing vehicle windscreens or can be provided in conjunction with replacing a windscreen and, of course, in the manufacture of windscreens . The strips provided in accordance with the invention have a very high wear resistance and a long useful life. The use of a scraper means, or doctor blade, will cause the glue to be pressed slightly over the edges of the adhesive strips as the scraper passes over said edges, and consequently when the glue has hardened and the pieces of adhesive tape have been removed, the strip will have a tendency to form "bristles" in the remaining free edge-corners . These bristles contribute significantly towards sharpening the windscreen wiper blades. The invention enables the strips to be positioned as shown in Fig. 1 on the one hand and, on the other hand, in the movement path of the blades 3 close to their turning positions, as indicated in broken lines 1' in Fig. 1. It will also be understood that the type of glue used is a question of appropriate selection.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A method of applying strips to windscreen glass and headlamp glass that are kept clean by means of a wiper blade that sweeps over the glass, characterized by affixing adhesive tape to the glass in a manner such as to expose a glass surface that has a width and a length corresponding to the location of the strip on said glass and corresponding to the width and the length of the strip or strips to be applied; applying to said exposed part or parts a glue that has properties similar to the properties of the glass; and by moving a scraper-like device sliding on the adhesive tape over said glue in said exposed part or parts and allowing the glue to harden as the scraper-like device passes over said part or parts or subsequent to said device having passed over said part or parts. 2. A method according to Claim 1, characterized by moving the scraper-like device in the longitudinal direction of said exposed part. 3. A method according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized by applying the strip or strips in the sweeping path of the wiper blade in the close proximity of its rest position. 4. A method according to Claim 1 or 2 , characterized by applying the strip or strips in the sweeping path of the wiper blade in the proximity of its turning position.

Inventors: PETTERSSON DICK, PETTERSSON, DICK
Applicants: PETTERSSON DICK, PETTERSSON, DICK
Application year: 1998
Main classification: B60S1
IPC codes: B60S1