Abstract:
The invention is based on a wiper blade unit, in particular for a joint-free wiper blade ( 10   a;    10   b ), having a liquid guiding body ( 12   a;    12   b ) which has at least one liquid guiding bridge ( 14   a;    14   b ) which, when in an operating state, is arranged on a side ( 18   a;    18   b ) facing away from a wiper blade main flow side ( 16   a;    16   b ).

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    U.S. 00D418,103 discloses a joint-free wiper blade which has a wiper blade adaptor. A spoiler element is arranged on one side of the wiper blade adaptor, said spoiler element, as viewed in an operating state, forming an approach flow surface running obliquely with respect to a windshield and therefore, in an operating state, advantageously guiding an airstream flow over the wiper blade and increasing the press-on pressure of the wiper blade against the windshield. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    A wiper blade unit is proposed, in particular for a joint-free wiper blade, with a liquid guiding body which has at least one liquid guiding bridge which, as viewed in an operating state, is arranged on a side facing away from a wiper blade main flow side. In this context, a “liquid guiding bridge” is to be understood in particular as meaning a part of the liquid guiding body which is provided, i.e. in particular especially designed and/or equipped in order to guide liquid past a component region, in particular a component which is separated from the liquid guiding body, preferably past a component region of a wiper blade adaptor of the wiper blade. For this purpose, the liquid guiding bridge has in particular in a wiper blade longitudinal direction, as viewed in an operating state, a length of greater than 1 cm and preferably greater than 2 cm and, transversely with respect to the wiper blade longitudinal direction, preferably has an extent which is greater than 2 mm and in particular is greater than a wall thickness of the liquid guiding bridge itself. A “wiper blade longitudinal direction” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning a direction in which a wiper strip of the wiper blade, which wiper strip is provided for direct contact with a windshield, has its greatest extent. A “wiper blade main flow side” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning a longitudinal side of a wiper blade, which longitudinal side faces an airstream flow at least in a majority of operating positions of the wiper blade. At least one spoiler element and in particular a flow surface of a spoiler element, which flow surface is provided for guiding the airstream flow over the wiper blade and for increasing a press-on force of the wiper strip against the windshield, is preferably also located on the wiper blade main flow side. Advantageous guidance of liquid can be achieved by means of a corresponding configuration. In particular, it is advantageously possible for liquid barriers, at which liquid, in particular cleaning liquid, is retained during operation and could flow in an nondesirable manner over the wiper blade, to be at least partially bridged. Undesirable splashes on the windshield can be at least reduced by this means. 
         [0003]    If the liquid guiding bridge forms at least one end, and particularly preferably two ends, of the liquid guiding body in a wiper blade longitudinal direction, barriers caused by the liquid guiding body itself can advantageously be bridged. In this case, an “end in the wiper blade longitudinal direction” is understood in particular as meaning an outermost part of the liquid guiding body in the wiper blade longitudinal direction. 
         [0004]    In a further refinement of the invention, it is proposed that the liquid guiding body has at least one spoiler element arranged on the wiper blade main flow side. In this case, a “spoiler element” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning an element which is specifically provided in order, when an airstream flow approaches, to guide the latter with a flow guiding surface over the wiper blade and therefore in particular to increase a press-on force of the wiper blade against the windshield. In this case, the spoiler element preferably has, transversely with respect to a wiper blade longitudinal direction, a rising flow guiding surface on the wiper blade main flow side, as viewed in the flow direction, and is particularly advantageously at least partially of concave design, preferably with a curved flow guiding surface. By means of a corresponding configuration, an advantageous flow and an advantageous press-on force of the wiper blade against the windshield can be achieved. 
         [0005]    The wiper blade unit and a wiper blade adaptor are preferably formed at least in the main part, in particular with respect to mass fractions, by separate components, as a result of which advantageous retrofittability is achievable and/or, particularly advantageously, the individual components can each be configured with regard to the function thereof. In this case, a “wiper blade adaptor” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning an adaptor via which the wiper blade is coupled to a wiper arm during operation. For this purpose, the wiper blade adaptor preferably has a receiving region for a wiper rod of the wiper arm. If the liquid guiding bridge extends in the wiper blade longitudinal extent beyond the wiper blade adaptor in at least one wiper blade longitudinal direction and preferably in both wiper blade longitudinal directions, an advantageous bridging of the wiper blade adaptor can be achieved. The liquid guiding bridge here preferably extends through on a side facing a wiper lip of the wiper strip under the wiper blade adaptor in the wiper blade longitudinal direction. 
         [0006]    Furthermore, it is proposed that the liquid guiding body has at least one receiving region for a wiper blade adaptor. A “receiving region for a wiper blade adaptor” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning a region which is specifically provided for plugging the wiper blade adaptor onto said region and/or, particularly preferably, for introducing said wiper blade adaptor into said region. The receiving region here is particularly preferably at least partially formed by a recess within which, as viewed in an operating position, the wiper blade adaptor is at least partially arranged. By means of a corresponding configuration, a particularly compact construction which is favorable in terms of flow can be achieved. 
         [0007]    If the wiper blade unit comprises at least one fastening unit which is provided for fastening to a wiper blade adaptor and/or to a wiper blade spring element, a flexible use and simple installation can be achieved. In this case, a “wiper blade spring element” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning a strip which is directly coupled to a wiper strip of the wiper blade and is provided in particular for ensuring adaptation of the wiper blade over a wiper blade length to a curved windshield with, at the same time, as uniform as possible a press-on pressure of the wiper strip against the windshield. The wiper blade spring element is preferably formed from a spring steel sheet. 
         [0008]    If the fastening unit, as viewed in a wiper blade longitudinal direction, has at least one fastening element which is at least partially arranged upstream of the receiving region for the wiper blade adaptor, and at least one fastening element which is at least partially arranged downstream of the receiving region for the wiper blade adaptor, a particularly stable construction can be achieved. 
         [0009]    The fastening unit may have different fastening elements appearing expedient to a person skilled in the art, such as rivets, screws, etc. However, the fastening unit particularly preferably has at least one clamping and/or latching element, thus enabling particularly simple and rapid installation to be achieved. In this case, a “clamping element” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning an element which brings about fastening by means of a clamping force, wherein, in particular, the clamping element is elastically deformed during installation in order to produce the clamping force. Furthermore, a “latching element” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning an element of a latching connection, in which, in order to produce the latching connection, at least one first element is moved counter to an elastic force in order, subsequently, moved by the elastic force, to engage in a form-fitting manner behind a second element of the latching connection. The fastening unit preferably comprises the element which is moved counter to an elastic force, preferably an internal elastic force of the element itself, in order to produce the latching connection. At least one fastening element is particularly preferably at least partially formed integrally with the liquid guiding body. 
         [0010]    In a further refinement of the invention, it is proposed that the liquid guiding body comprises at least one clip which has a receiving region for a spoiler element. In this case, a “clip” is intended to be understood in particular as meaning an element which has an angled portion of more than 90°, wherein the receiving region is arranged in the concave region. By means of a corresponding configuration, a particularly advantageous connection to a spoiler element of the wiper blade, which connection is gap-free, as viewed in an operating state, can be achieved in particular in the airstream direction. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    Further advantages emerge from the description below of the drawings. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. The drawings, the description and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the art will expediently also consider the features individually and put them together to form meaningful further combinations. 
           [0012]    In the drawings: 
           [0013]      FIG. 1  shows a view of a wiper blade obliquely from above onto a wiper blade longitudinal side facing away from a wiper blade main flow side, 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  shows an enlarged detail from  FIG. 1 , 
           [0015]      FIG. 3  shows a view of the wiper blade obliquely from above onto the wiper blade main flow side of the wiper blade, 
           [0016]      FIG. 4  shows a component illustration of a wiper blade unit of the wiper blade from  FIG. 1  obliquely from above, 
           [0017]      FIG. 5  shows the wiper blade unit from above, 
           [0018]      FIG. 6  shows the wiper blade unit in a first side view, 
           [0019]      FIG. 7  shows the wiper blade unit in a front view, 
           [0020]      FIG. 8  shows the wiper blade unit in a second side view, 
           [0021]      FIG. 9  shows the wiper blade unit in a view from below, 
           [0022]      FIG. 10  shows a detail of a view of an alternative wiper blade obliquely from above onto a longitudinal side facing away from a wiper blade main flow side, 
           [0023]      FIG. 11  shows a detail of a view of the alternative wiper blade obliquely from above onto the wiper blade main flow side of the wiper blade, 
           [0024]      FIG. 12  shows a component illustration of a wiper blade unit of the wiper blade from  FIG. 10  obliquely from above onto the longitudinal side facing away from the wiper blade main flow side, 
           [0025]      FIG. 13  shows a view of the wiper blade unit of the wiper blade from  FIG. 10  obliquely from above onto the wiper blade main flow side, 
           [0026]      FIG. 14  shows the wiper blade unit from  FIG. 12  from above, 
           [0027]      FIG. 15  shows the wiper blade unit from  FIG. 12  in a first side view, 
           [0028]      FIG. 16  shows the wiper blade unit from  FIG. 12  in a front view, 
           [0029]      FIG. 17  shows the wiper blade unit from  FIG. 12  in a second side view, and 
           [0030]      FIG. 18  shows the wiper blade unit from  FIG. 12  in a view from below. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0031]      FIG. 1  shows a joint-free wiper blade  10   a  with a wiper strip  54   a  which is coupled to two strip-like wiper blade spring elements  42   a,  wherein only one of the wiper blade spring elements  42   a  is partially visible ( FIG. 3 ). The wiper strip  54   a  has a wiper lip for coupling to a motor vehicle windshield (not illustrated specifically). The wiper blade  10   a  has a spoiler element  52   a  which, on a wiper blade main flow side  16   a,  comprises a flow surface  56   a  which is provided to guide an airstream flow over the wiper blade  10   a  during operation and, in the process, to increase a press-on force of the wiper blade  10   a  against the windshield ( FIGS. 1 to 3 ). The flow surface  56   a  is of multi-curved design and is substantially in the shape of an S, as viewed in a wiper blade longitudinal direction  22   a.  In addition, the wiper blade  10   a  has a wiper blade adaptor  38   a  which is provided for direct coupling to a wiper arm of a windshield wiper (not illustrated specifically). 
         [0032]    Furthermore, the wiper blade  10   a  comprises a wiper blade unit with a liquid guiding body  12   a  which is produced from plastic and has an integrally formed liquid guiding bridge  14   a  which, as viewed in an operating state, is arranged on a side  18   a  of the wiper blade  10   a  that faces away from the wiper blade main flow side  16   a  ( FIGS. 1 to 9 ). The liquid guiding body  12   a  is formed by a separate component which is separate from the wiper blade adaptor  38   a.  The liquid guiding bridge  14   a  forms one end  24   a,    26   a  of the liquid guiding body  12   a  in each wiper blade longitudinal direction  20   a,    22   a  and, in both wiper blade longitudinal directions  20   a,    22   a,  extends beyond the wiper blade adaptor  38   a.  On a side facing the wiper lip of the wiper strip  54   a,  the liquid guiding bridge  14   a  extends through under the wiper blade adaptor  38   a  in the wiper blade longitudinal direction  20   a  or  22   a  ( FIGS. 1 and 2 ). In order to receive a latching element of the wiper blade adaptor  38   a,  a recess  62   a  is integrally formed on the liquid guiding bridge  14   a  ( FIGS. 2 ,  4 ,  5  and  9 ). During the operation, liquid, in particular also cleaning liquid, can be guided past the wiper blade adaptor  38   a  by means of the liquid guiding bridge  14   a  below the latter, and liquid barriers caused by the wiper blade adaptor  38   a  can be avoided. 
         [0033]    The liquid guiding body  12   a  has two spoiler elements  28   a,    30   a  arranged on the wiper blade main flow side  16   a  ( FIGS. 3 ,  4  to  9 ). The first spoiler element  28   a  is formed by a clip which has an angled portion of approx. 180° and which forms a receiving region  48   a  for the spoiler element  52   a  of the wiper blade  10   a  and which, in a fitted state, extends over the spoiler element  52   a  ( FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 ). The second spoiler element  30   a  adjoins the first spoiler element  28   a  without a gap and is arranged in a region of a cutout in the spoiler element  52   a  of the wiper blade  10   a.  The spoiler elements  28   a,    30   a  are matched by the shape thereof to the spoiler element  52   a  and each have an S-shaped flow surface, as viewed in the wiper blade longitudinal direction  22   a.    
         [0034]    The spoiler element  30   a  has fastening elements  58   a,    60   a  of a fastening unit  40   a,  which is provided for fastening to the wiper blade spring elements  42   a,  said fastening elements being formed by clamping and latching elements. The fastening elements  58   a,    60   a  are formed by U-shaped formations into which the strip-shaped wiper blade spring elements  42   a  are latched during installation. For this purpose, the liquid guiding body  12   a  is bent upwards elastically in order subsequently by means of an inner elastic force to latch with the U-shaped formations on the wiper blade spring elements  42   a.    
         [0035]    In order to achieve an advantageous transition to the wiper blade adaptor  38   a,  the liquid guiding body  12   a  or the spoiler element  30   a  has, on an end region facing in the wiper blade longitudinal direction  20   a,  a U-shaped formation with a receiving region  36   a  for the wiper blade adaptor  38   a  ( FIGS. 5 and 9 ). 
         [0036]    A further exemplary embodiment is shown in  FIGS. 10 to 18 . In order to differentiate between the exemplary embodiments, the letter a in the reference numbers of the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 1 to 9  is replaced by the letter b in the reference numbers of the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 10 to 18 . The descriptions below are substantially restricted to the differences between the exemplary embodiments, wherein reference may be made to the description of the exemplary embodiment in  FIGS. 1 to 9  with regard to components, features and functions which remain the same. 
         [0037]    A wiper blade  10   b,  part of which is illustrated in  FIGS. 10 and 11 , has a wiper blade unit with a liquid guiding body  12   b,  which wiper blade unit comprises a fastening unit  40   b  which, in a wiper blade longitudinal direction  20   b,  has fastening elements  44   b,    45   b  which are partially arranged upstream of a receiving region  36   b  for a wiper blade adaptor  38   b,  and fastening elements  46   b,    47   b  which are arranged downstream of the receiving region  36   b  for the wiper blade adaptor  38   b  ( FIGS. 10 to 18 ). The wiper blade unit furthermore has in each case two spoiler elements  28   b,    30   b,    32   b,    34   b  upstream and downstream of the receiving region  36   b  for the wiper blade adaptor  38   b,  wherein in each case the outer spoiler elements  28   b,    34   b  are formed by a clip, said clips each forming a receiving region  48   b,    50   b  for a spoiler element  52   b  of the wiper blade  10   b  and, in a fitted state, extending over the spoiler element  52   b  ( FIGS. 10 ,  11 ,  12  and  13 ). The second spoiler elements  30   b,    32   b  each adjoin the spoiler elements  28   b,    34   b  without a gap and are in each case arranged in a region of a cutout in the spoiler element  52   b  of the wiper blade  10   b.  The spoiler elements  28   b,    30   b,    32   b,    34   b  are matched by the shape thereof to the spoiler element  52   b  and each have an S-shaped flow surface, as viewed in the wiper blade longitudinal direction  22   b.    
         [0038]    The spoiler elements  30   b,    32   b  have fastening elements  44   b,    45   b,    46   b,    47   b  of the fastening unit  40   b,  provided for fastening to wiper blade spring elements  42   b  of the wiper blade  10   b,  said fastening elements being formed by clamping and latching elements. The fastening elements  44   b,    45   b,    46   b,    47   b  are formed by U-shaped formations into which the strip-shaped wiper blade spring elements  42   b  are latched during installation. In addition to the fastening elements  44   b,    45   b,    46   b,    47   b,  the liquid guiding body  12   b  has fastening elements  64   b  which extend transversely with respect to the longitudinal extent of a liquid guiding bridge  14   b  of the liquid guiding body  12   b  into the receiving region  36   b,  which is formed by a recess, and which are latched under the wiper blade spring elements  42   b  during installation. 
         [0039]    On a side of the receiving region  36   b  that is opposite the liquid guiding bridge  14   b,  the liquid guiding body  12   b  has a web  66   b  which connects the spoiler elements  30   b  and  32   b  to each other.