Patent Publication Number: US-2021162955-A1

Title: Adapter and wiper device having the same

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) 
     This application claims the benefit under 35 USC § 119(a) of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0157444 filed on Nov. 29, 2019 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. 
     BACKGROUND 
     1. Field 
     The present invention relates to a wiper device. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     When a windshield of a vehicle in driving is contaminated by various substances, including debris in the atmosphere or rain or snow, it becomes difficult to secure a clear view and can affect the safety of driving. Thus, a wiper for clearing snow, rain, or debris is equipped on the windshield in order to secure the clear view for the safety of a driver. The wiper device is connected to a wiper arm installed in the vehicle and is operated by the wiper arm. 
     The wiper device is connected to a wiper arm installed in the vehicle by an adapter and is operated by the wiper arm. 
     SUMMARY 
     This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter. 
     The present invention provides a wiper device that can be firmly coupled to a wiper arm and be attached to and detached from the wiper arm. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a wiper device that removes a foreign substance attached to a windshield and is connected to a wiper arm, including: a contact member configured to wipe off the foreign substance; a support member configured to elastically support the contact member to be in close contact with the windshield; an adapter coupled to the wiper arm; and an adapter coupling member including a first coupling member coupled to the support member and a second coupling member coupled to the adapter and rotated to be fastened or released after being fitted into the first coupling member. 
     With the wiper device according to the present invention, the adapter can be easily mounted since the adapter coupling member includes two members which are fastened to or released from each other and is able to be easily fastened or released from one member while the adapter is connected to the other member. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWNIGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view illustrating a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  are diagrams illustrating an adapter and an adapter coupling member in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a first coupling member of an adapter coupling member in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a second coupling member of an adapter coupling member in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 7  to  FIG. 9  are diagrams illustrating fastening of an adapter coupling member in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
         FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating an alignment part in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art. The sequences of operations described herein are merely examples, and are not limited to those set forth herein, but may be changed as will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, with the exception of operations necessarily occurring in a certain order. Also, descriptions of functions and constructions that are well known to one of ordinary skill in the art may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness. 
     The terms used in the description are intended to describe certain embodiments only, and shall by no means restrict the present disclosure. Unless clearly used otherwise, expressions in the singular number include a plural meaning. In the present description, an expression such as “comprising” is intended to designate a characteristic, a number, a step, an operation, an element, a part or combinations thereof, and shall not be construed to preclude any presence or possibility of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof. 
     Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention and  FIG. 2  is an exploded view illustrating a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     A wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured for removing a foreign substance attached to a windshield and may include a contact member  10 , a support member  20 , an adapter  30 , and an adapter coupling member  100 . 
     The contact member  10  of this embodiment may be a part that is in close contact with the windshield to wipe off a foreign substance, and the contact member  10  may include any of various known contact members such as a wiper blade made of a rubber material. 
     The support member  20  may be a part that elastically supports the contact member  10  so that the contact member  10  is in close contact with the windshield. The support member  20  may be a tournament structure in which a plurality of levers are connected by hinges. The support member  20  may be also a flat structure made of a leaf spring. The support member  20  may be also a hybrid structure in which the tournament structure and the flat structure are combined. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, a leaf spring having a predetermined curvature and elasticity in accordance with the shape of the windshield may be used for the support member  20  to allow the contact member  10 , i.e., the wiper blade, to be tightly in contact with the curved surface of the windshield. 
     The cover member  25  may be also coupled to the support member  20 . 
     The adapter  30  may be a part for connecting a wiper arm (not shown) to the wiper device. For example, the adapter  30  may be coupled to the adapter coupling member  100  and the wiper arm may be detachably connected to the adapter  30 . 
       FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4  are diagrams illustrating an adapter and an adapter coupling member in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Regarding to  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the adapter coupling member  100  may include an adapter connection part  180 , and the adapter  30  may be pivotally coupled to the adapter connection part  180 . 
     For example, a pair of walls  182  facing each other may be formed on the second coupling member  150  of the adapter coupling member  100 , and a rotation shaft  184  may be formed on the pair of walls  182 . Here, the adapter  30  may be fitted to the rotation shaft  184  to enable pivoting. 
     The adapter coupling member  100  may be a part for coupling the adapter  30  to the support member  20 . The adapter coupling member  100  may have a structure in which the first coupling member  110  and the second coupling member  150  are fastened or released. Particularly, the first coupling member  110  may be coupled to the support member  20 , and the second coupling member  150  coupled to the adapter  30  may be inserted into the first coupling member  110  and then rotated to be fastened or released. 
     In this embodiment, a coupling hole  130  may be formed in the first coupling member  110 , and a coupling protrusion  160  to be inserted into the coupling hole  130  may be formed in the second coupling member  150 . After inserting the coupling protrusion  160  into the coupling hole  130 , the coupling protrusion  160  may be fastened to the first coupling member  110 . In particular, fastening of the coupling protrusion  160  in this embodiment may be performed simultaneously with the alignment of the first coupling member  110  and the second coupling member  150 . 
       FIG. 5  is a diagram illustrating a first coupling member of an adapter coupling member in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 6  is a diagram illustrating a second coupling member of an adapter coupling member in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  to  FIG. 9  are diagrams illustrating fastening of an adapter coupling member in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Regarding to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 7 , the first coupling member  110  may include an upper wall  120  having an upper surface  122  on which the second coupling member  150  is seated. Here, the coupling hole  130  may be formed to penetrate the upper wall  120 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the second coupling member  150  may include a lower surface  152  facing the upper surface  122  of the first coupling member  110 . The coupling protrusion  160  may be formed to protrude from the lower surface  152 , and a fastening groove  166  may be formed on a side surface of the coupling protrusion  160 . 
     For example, a rod-shaped member  162  protruding in a longitudinal direction may be formed on the lower surface  152  of the second coupling member  150 , and a plate-shaped member  164  may be formed on a side surface of the rod-shaped member  162  in a wing shape. That is, the coupling protrusion  160  may include the rod-shaped member  162  and the plate-shaped member  164  protruding from the rod-shaped member  162  to the side. Here, an empty space may be formed between the lower surface  152  of the second coupling member  150  and the plate-shaped member  164  to form a fastening groove  166 . A width of the space between the lower surface  152  of the second coupling member  150  and the plate-shaped member  164  may be determined in accordance with a thickness of the upper wall  120  of the first coupling member  110  to be inserted. 
     An overall appearance of the coupling protrusion  160  may be formed in accordance with the shape of the coupling hole  130  in order to insert the coupling protrusion  160  into the coupling hole  130 . Similar to the relationship between a key groove and a key, the outlines of the coupling hole  130  and the coupling protrusion  160  may be formed similarly to each other so that insertion may become possible at a certain position. 
     Regarding to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 8 , when the second coupling member  150  is disposed at a certain angle with respect to the first coupling member  110  based on the longitudinal direction of the wiper device, the coupling protrusion  160  may be fitted and inserted into the coupling hole  130 . 
     After inserting the coupling protrusion  160  into the coupling hole  130 , the second coupling member  150  may be fastened to the first coupling member  110  by rotating the second coupling member  150  with respect to the first coupling member  110 . Here, while the second coupling member  150  rotates, the upper wall  120  of the first coupling member  110  may be fitted into the fastening groove  166  of the second coupling member  150 . 
     In this embodiment, the second coupling member  150  may be rotated in a direction opposite to the angle shifted from the first coupling member  110 , so that the first coupling member  110  and the second coupling member  150  may be aligned in the longitudinal direction of the wiper, and the first coupling member  110  and the second coupling member  150  may be fastened at the same time. The first coupling member  110  and the second coupling member  150  may be also released from the coupling by rotating the second coupling member  150  in the opposite direction to the fastened direction. 
     In particular, referring to  FIG. 9 , in a state in which the adapter  30  is coupled to the second coupling member  150 , the second coupling member  150  may be easily fastened to or released from the first coupling member  110 , so that the adapter may be easily mounted. 
     On the other hand, referring to  FIG. 5 , a stepped portion  126  thicker than the width of the fastening groove  166  may be formed on the rear surface (the opposite surface of the upper surface) of the upper wall  120  in the first coupling member  110 . The stepped portion  126  may block the plate-shaped member  164  of the coupling protrusion  160  when the second coupling member  150  rotates, thereby stopping the rotation of the second coupling member  150  at a specific position. Accordingly, a stopper structure for stopping further rotation of the second coupling member  150  may be formed when the second coupling member  150  is aligned with the first coupling member  110 . 
     In addition, the wiper device may further include an alignment part configured for fixing the position of the second coupling member  150  to the first coupling member  110  at an alignment position of the second coupling member  150  with respect to the first coupling member  110 . 
       FIG. 10  is a diagram illustrating an alignment part in a wiper device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     Regarding to  FIG. 7  and  FIG. 10 , the alignment part of the present embodiment may include an alignment protrusion  140  protruding from the upper surface  122  of the first coupling member  110  and elastically supported, and an alignment groove  172  formed in the second coupling member  150  and into which the alignment protrusion  140  is inserted. 
     When the first coupling member  110  and the second coupling member  150  are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the wiper, the alignment protrusion  140  may be inserted into the alignment groove  172  to be fixed in the position where the second coupling member  150  is aligned. 
     Here, the alignment protrusion  140  may be formed on a cantilever  142  made of an elastic material to be elastically supported. In addition, a button  144  having a protruding structure may be formed at an end of the cantilever  142 . When the button  144  is pressed, the alignment protrusion  140  may be removed from the alignment groove  172 . Therefore, when the second coupling member  150  is released from the first coupling member  110 , the alignment part may be released by pressing the button  144  and the second coupling member  150  may be rotated to separate it. 
     On the other hand, when the first coupling member  110  and the second coupling member  150  are aligned in the longitudinal direction of the wiper, a part of the end of the second coupling member  150  may be inserted and fixed into the first coupling member  110 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 7 , an insertion part  174  may be formed at a longitudinal end of the second coupling member  150 , and a concave receiving part  146  into which the insertion part  174  is inserted may be formed at a longitudinal end of the first coupling member  110 . The receiving part  146  may have a side surface-opened structure, so that when the second coupling member  150  is rotated and aligned, the insertion part  174  may be inserted into the side surface of the receiving part  146  to be fitted. Accordingly, a problem in which the end of the second coupling member  150  is lifted from the first coupling member  110  may be prevented. 
     Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described, it shall be appreciated that various permutations and modifications are possible by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the technical ideas and scopes of the present invention that are defined by the claims appended below. 
     It shall be also appreciated that there can be many other embodiments than the embodiment described above in the claims of the present invention. 
     DESCRIPTION OF ELEMENTS 
       10 : Contact member 
       20 : Support member 
       25 : Cover member 
       30 : Adapter 
       100 : Adapter coupling member 
       110 : First coupling member 
       120 : Upper wall 
       130 : Coupling hole 
       140 : Alignment protrusion 
       150 : Second coupling member 
       160 : Coupling protrusion 
       166 : Fastening groove 
       172 : Alignment groove