Patent Abstract:
This invention relates to a wiper blade ( 20 ) having a connecting part ( 32 ) which is mounted on a carrying element ( 24 ) of the wiper blade ( 20 ) and has a pivot pin ( 42, 96, 106, 138, 146, 164, 178 ) of a joint ( 30 ) whose free end is connected to a wiper rod ( 28, 70, 80, 90, 118, 136, 150 ). It is proposed that the joint ( 30 ) includes a cap ( 54, 114, 128, 160, 190 ) which covers the connecting part ( 32 ) and is attached to it, and during operation the wiper blade ( 20 ) and the wiper rod ( 28, 70, 80, 90, 118, 136, 150 ) are secured in the installed position.

Full Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/519,728, filed on Dec. 28, 2004, which is a national stage filing under 35 U.S.C. 371 of International Application No. PCT/DE2003/001638, filed May 20, 2003, which claims foreign priority to German Patent Application No. 10229608.1, filed Jun. 28, 2002, and German Patent Application No. 10259480.5, filed Dec. 19, 2002, the disclosures of all of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entireties. Priority to each application is hereby claimed. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Known windshield wipers have a wiper arm sitting on a wiper shaft which is driven by a wiper motor. A wiper blade is connected to the free end of the wiper arm in an articulated joint. It usually has a multisection bracket system with a central bracket to which are hinge-connected subordinate brackets, at least some of which hold a wiper strip with claws at their ends. Wiper blades without a joint are also known; instead of the supporting bracket system, these have an elastic carrying element that is made of plastic and is resilient in the direction perpendicular to the windshield. To improve the spring property, it may have at least one spring bar made of spring steel. In the unloaded state, the carrying element has a greater curvature than the windshield, so the wiper strip is in contact with the windshield with a suitable pressure distribution under the pressing force of the wiper arm. 
     Unarticulated wiper blades have a very low design, which is highly advantageous with regard to their hydrodynamic properties and the noise generated in the slip stream from driving. German Patent 199 24 662 A1 describes a windshield wiper having an unarticulated wiper blade which is connected to a wiper arm in an articulated joint using a so-called sidelock system comprising a two-part connecting piece, the first part of which has a block section with a bearing bore and surrounds the spring strips, which serve as the carrying element, laterally and from beneath with integrally form-fitting elements. The second part is attached to the free end of the wiper arm which has a U-shaped profile that is open toward the windshield. A pin is inserted laterally into the second part so that it runs across the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm and points toward the wiper blade; the pin is then pivotably mounted in the bearing bore of the first part of the connecting piece. 
     A bridge is arranged on the second part of the connecting piece in parallel with the pin and offset in the longitudinal direction, this bridge being bent at its free end toward the side of the pin. In an assembly position in which the wiper blade is held across the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm, the pin may be pushed into the bearing bore of the connecting part. When the wiper blade is then rotated in parallel with the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm, the bridge extends beyond the wiper blade and locks it at its bent end, so that lateral guide faces of the block-shaped section of the first part of the connecting piece are guided in the installed state between the bent end of the bridge and an opposing face of the second part. In the operating position of the wiper blade, the bridge dips into a corresponding groove of the first part and is approximately flush with its top side. For dismantling, the wiper blade must be pivoted in the opposite direction until the bent end is disengaged and the wiper blade can be pulled away from the pin. 
     German Patent 28 30 508 A1 describes a wiper device for automotive windshields which has a wiper blade to which a pivot pin is fixedly connected. The pivot pin runs in a plane which is essentially parallel to the windshield, and the pivot pin is rotatably mounted in a bearing bore in the wiper arm. In order for the pivot pin not to slip out of the bearing bore during a wiping movement, the wiper blade is locked in the axial direction of the pivot pin with respect to the wiper arm by the fact that a projecting shoulder in an extension of the wiper arm engages in a groove in the protrusion which is fixedly connected to the wiper blade at the side of the blade. The outside flank of the groove forms a shoulder against which the protrusion is in contact in the operating position and thus locks the wiper blade axially to the pivot pin. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to this invention, the joint includes a cap which covers and is attached to the connecting part. During operation the cap covers the wiper blade and the wiper rod in the installed position. This yields a very shallow connection between a preferably unarticulated wiper blade and a wiper rod, with the connecting parts for left-hand steering vehicles being the same as those for right-hand steering vehicles. Only the wiper rod is designed in mirror image. The inventive design permits numerous variants with free room for design innovation, so that the wiper blade can be adapted to numerous models of vehicles. The wiper rod itself can be kept simple because most functions used for adapting a windshield wiper to a motor vehicle are concentrated on the connecting part and the pivot pin. 
     The cap expediently has a pocket on its side facing the wiper rod; this pocket is open toward the windshield and toward the wiper rod in the longitudinal direction of the wiper rod and extends beyond it laterally. The pocket may be situated in the extension of the wiper rod, so that in the operating position, an extension of the wiper rod beyond the pivot pin, engages in the pocket of the cap. The pocket may also be situated in front of the pivot pin as seen in the longitudinal direction from the drive side of the wiper rod, whereby it includes the wiper rod on the drive side to the pivot pin. The cap and the wiper rod may therefore be shorter. 
     When the wiper rod is pivoted by approximately 90° in relation to the wiper rod, the extension of the wiper rod and/or the wiper rod itself comes out of the pocket and the wiper rod can be bent by the pivot pin attached to the wiper rod. Assembly then takes place in the opposite direction. 
     Instead of a pocket, the cap may have a guide pin, which is guided in a fork at the end of the wiper rod. 
     To improve wiping quality, a spoiler is usually attached to the carrying element on both sides of the connecting part. The cap connects the two parts of the spoiler harmonically by the fact that it is connected to the parts by connecting profiles, thus essentially forming a continuous spoiler with good flow conditions for the slip stream. The wiper rod has a shallow rectangular cross-sectional profile, the long side of which runs approximately parallel to the windshield, so it supports the function of the spoiler when it is arranged on the oncoming flow side. The connecting part in the form of a sheet metal claw may be made of metal or plastic. It has a back running parallel to the carrying element, catch projections being integrally molded on the longitudinal sides of this back for simple assembly, so that it can be clipped across the carrying element. The connecting part has two side faces that face away from the carrying element. They have receiving openings for the pivot pin and are interconnected by a bearing tube when the pivot pin is rotatably mounted in the connecting part. The side faces have catch recesses or catch holes in which the catch noses of the cap engage to facilitate assembly of the cap. In addition, the cap may be held in place by a clip which surrounds the bearing tube. The cap may additionally be secured by a free end of the pivot pin protruding above the side face and engaging in a recess in the side wall of the cap. 
     The wiper rod may run above the pivot pin, in the same plane as the pivot pin or beneath the pivot pin. In the first case or the second case, it is expedient for the end that protrudes beyond the pivot pin to be bent or beveled toward the rubber profile of the wiper blade, so that the cap with its pocket can be designed to be lower. In the third case, the wiper rod may be designed to be straight. It creates particularly favorable oncoming flow conditions because it lengthens the underneath side of the spoiler profile and is only a short distance away from the windshield. 
     If the pivot pin is rotatably mounted in the connecting part, it is fixedly connected to the wiper rod at an end which protrudes out of the connecting part. This connection may be a material connection, e.g., a connection formed by welding, or a form-fitting or friction-locked connection, e.g., formed by riveting, pressing or the like. 
     According to one embodiment of this invention, on the end that is provided for the wiper rod, the pivot pin has a flat head in which there are rivet holes for rivets. In this case the wiper rod has corresponding rivet holes and is riveted to the pivot pin. In another embodiment, the pivot pin has a flat head with an integrally molded polygon, e.g., a triangular, quadrangular or hexagonal shape protrudes across the pivot pin, is pressed into a corresponding opening on the wiper rod and is secured on its projecting end by wobble riveting. Wobble riveting is a riveting method in which the riveting tool executes a wobble motion during riveting. Before assembly, the wiper rods and heads of the pivot pins are painted black. 
     In another embodiment, the pivot pin has a head with a slot to accommodate the flat wiper rod which is secured in the slot by means of a cross pin or a rivet. As an alternative to that, the wiper rod may have a hub in the area of the pivot pin, encircling the pivot pin and being secured on it by a cross pin. 
     According to another embodiment, the flat wiper rod is rotated by approximately 90° at the end so that a wide side of one end lies across the pivot pin. The end has a receiving bore for a pivot pin with a collar to which a flanged seat is connected, the receiving bore being pressed onto it and the seat being secured by a tamped disk. The end protruding beyond the pivot pin is beveled toward the rubber profile of the wiper blade and engages in a respective pocket of the cap. This embodiment has a short design length of the pivot pin, but the advantageous position of the wiper rod with respect to the spoiler is nevertheless retained in most of the area of the wiper rod. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Additional advantages are derived from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The drawings, the description and the claims contain numerous features in various combinations. Those skilled in the art will also expediently take the features into account individually and combine them to form other appropriate combinations. They show: 
         FIG. 1  a perspective partial view of an installed wiper blade as seen from above, 
         FIG. 2  essentially a view according to  FIG. 1 , but without the cap, 
         FIG. 3  a perspective partial view of a cap according to  FIG. 1  with a wiper rod and a pivot pin as seen from underneath, 
         FIG. 4  a side view of a wiper blade and a wiper rod bent toward the rubber profile at the end, 
         FIG. 5  a side view of a wiper blade and a straight wiper rod running beneath the pivot pin, 
         FIG. 6  a variant of  FIG. 5 , 
         FIG. 7  a side view of a wiper blade and a wiper rod, the end of which runs so that it is rotated by 90° about its longitudinal axis and its part which protrudes beyond the pivot pin is beveled toward the rubber profile, 
         FIG. 8  a wiper rod with a pivot pin according to  FIG. 7  as seen from above, 
         FIG. 9  a pivot pin according to  FIG. 8 , 
         FIG. 10  a perspective top view of a wiper blade and a wiper rod in a detail, where the free end is designed like a fork and cooperates with a guide pin on the cap, 
         FIG. 11  a variant according to  FIG. 10 , but without the cap, 
         FIG. 12  a side view of a wiper blade and a straight wiper rod which runs beneath the pivot pin and is guided in front of the pivot pin in a pocket in the cap on the drive side of the wiper arm, 
         FIGS. 13 and 14  variants of  FIGS. 12 , 
         FIG. 15  a perspective partial view of the embodiment according to  FIG. 14 , as seen from above but without the cap, 
         FIG. 16  a pivot pin according to  FIG. 15 , 
         FIG. 17  a pivot pin according to  FIG. 18 , 
         FIG. 18  a perspective partial view of a wiper arm and a wiper blade with a pivot pin according to  FIG. 17  as seen from beneath, 
         FIG. 19  a perspective view of a cap as seen obliquely from above, 
         FIG. 20  a pivot pin fitting a cap according to  FIG. 19 , 
         FIG. 21  a variant of  FIG. 20 , 
         FIG. 22  a perspective partial view of a wiper blade with a connecting piece and a pivot pin secured on it, as seen from above, 
         FIG. 23  a view of an embodiment according to  FIG. 22 , with a wiper rod obliquely from beneath, 
         FIG. 24  a perspective view of a cap with a wiper rod for an embodiment according to  FIG. 22  from beneath, 
         FIG. 25  a variant of  FIG. 25  and 
         FIG. 26  a pivot pin according to  FIG. 25 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An unarticulated wiper blade  20  has a rubber profile  22  which is attached to a flat carrying element  24 , usually consisting of one or two spring strips embedded in the top part of the rubber profile  22 . For articulated connection of the wiper blade  20  to a wiper rod  28  of a wiper arm (not shown in detail here), a joint  30  is provided in the middle area of the wiper blade  20 . This joint has as a connecting part a sheet metal claw  32 , the back  34  of which spans the carrying element  24  and is attached to it with catch noses  36 . The catch noses  36  can be pushed over the carrying element  24  in the longitudinal direction or designed as a clip connection and clipped across the carrying element  24  by elastic deformation. Between the catch noses  36 , which are provided laterally on the ends of the sheet metal claw  32 , side faces  38  are a distance away from the rubber profile  22  on the longitudinal sides  66  of the sheet metal claw  32 . They hold a bearing tube  40  which runs across the wiper blade  20  and runs approximately parallel to a windshield (not shown). A pivot pin  42  is inserted into the bearing tube  40  and protrudes with a head  44  out of the bearing tube  40  on one side toward the wiper rod  28 . 
     The wiper rod  28  has a rectangular cross section, with the longer sides running approximately parallel to the pivot pin  42 . In the embodiments according to  FIGS. 1 through 3 , the wiper rod  28  engages in the slot  46  on the head  44  of the pivot pin  42  and is secured by a cross pin  48 . The wiper rod  28  protrudes beyond the slot  46  with a finger  52 . The finger  52  is narrower than the wiper rod  28  and is situated on the side of the wiper rod  28  which faces the wiper blade  20 . 
     When seen in the longitudinal direction, the parts of a spoiler  26  are attached to the carrying element  24  on both sides of the sheet metal claw  32 , thus increasing the pressing force on the windshield due to the slip stream when there is an oncoming flow from driving. The sheet metal claw  32  is covered by a cap  54 , which is harmonically contiguous with the parts of the spoiler  26  with the connecting profiles  64 . The cap  54  is detachably attached to the sheet metal claw  32 . To this end, it has catch noses  56  on the inside of its side walls  60 , engaging in corresponding openings  104  ( FIG. 11 ) and/or recesses in the sheet metal claw  32 . In its central area, it also has a clip  58  for fastening onto the bearing tube  40 . The pivot pin  42  protrudes at its end which faces away from the head  44  ( FIG. 2 ) beyond the side face  38 , where this end engages in a recess in the side wall  60  of the cap  54  ( FIG. 3 ) and thus supports its hold on the sheet metal claw  32 . 
     On the side of the wiper rod  28 , the cap  54  has a pocket  62  which is open toward the windshield ( FIG. 3 ), the finger  52  of the wiper rod  28  engaging in said pocket in the operating position, in which the wiper blade  20  is in contact with the windshield. An outside wall  68  of the pocket  62  prevents the wiper rod  28  with its finger  52  from moving outward, so that the pivot pin  42  is locked in the axial direction. The pocket  62  is largely covered by a cover  50  which sits on the pivot pin  42  and is in harmonic contact with the contour of the wiper rod  28  and the cap  54 . The cover  50  is at the same time an impact protection and/or damping element. It prevents damage to the windshield if the wiper arm inadvertently strikes the windshield when changing the wiper blade  20 . 
     The descriptions of  FIG. 4  through  FIG. 6  show wiper rods  70 ,  80  which are attached to one end of the pivot pin  42  by means of welds  74 . The wiper rod  70  according to  FIG. 4  runs above the pivot pin  42  and protrudes at an end  72 , which is bent toward the rubber profile  22 , beyond the joint axle  42 . The bent end  72  engages in a pocket  76  of the cap  54  when the wiper blade  20  is in the operating position shown here, where the edge  78  of the cap  54 , which faces the wiper arm  70 , runs so that the wiper blade  20  can easily be pulled away from the pivot pin  42  when in a position rotated by a approximately 90° in the direction of the arrow. In this position, the wiper blade  20  is also installed by placing it on the pivot pin  42  and then pivoting it in the opposite direction. The wiper blades  20  according to  FIG. 1 ,  FIGS. 5 through 7 ,  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11  are installed and dismantled in the same way. Due to the bent end  72 , the pocket  76  may be designed to be flat, so that the wind resistance is reduced and the visual impression is improved. 
     The same effect is achieved when the wiper rod  80  runs beneath the pivot pin  42  in the embodiments according to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6  and its straight end  82  which is lengthened beyond the pivot pin  42  engages in a pocket  84  in the cap  54 . Here again, the edge  86  of the pocket  84  is designed so that installation or dismantling is readily possible in the pivoted installation position. In the embodiments according to  FIG. 4  and  FIG. 5 , the wiper blade  20  must be rotated by approximately 90° for installation, but in the embodiment according to  FIG. 6 , the wiper blade  20  can be installed and dismantled even at a smaller pivot angle. This is achieved by the fact that the edge  88  of the pocket  84  runs at a smaller angle to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade  20 . 
     The embodiment according to  FIG. 7  permits a very narrow joint  30  in that the wiper rod  90  is set at an angle of approximately 90° in the longitudinal direction at its end  92 , so that in the area of the pivot pin  96 , the longer sides of the rectangular profile of the wiper rod run across the pivot pin. The end protruding beyond the pivot pin  96  has a bevel  94 , which is inclined toward the rubber profile  22  and engages with the bevel  94  in a pocket  122  of the cap  54 . For installation and dismantling, the edge  124  of the pocket  122  is designed accordingly. The pivot pin  96  ( FIG. 9 ) has a flanged seat  100  against which the wiper rod  90  is pressed up to a collar  98  with a receptacle opening and is secured by a washer  102 . 
     In the embodiments according to  FIG. 10  and  FIG. 11 , the end of the wiper rods  118  protruding beyond the pivot pin  42  is designed as a fork  112  which in the operating position illustrated here holds a guide pin  116  of the cap  114 . In order to be able to design the cap  114  to be flat, it is expedient for the fork  112  to be inclined toward the rubber profile  22 . In the embodiment according to  FIG. 1 , the wiper rod  118  according to  FIG. 16  engages in a slot  46  in the head  44  of the pivot pin  42  and is secured by a cross pin  48 , but the wiper rod  118  according to  FIG. 11  has a hub  120  which sits on the free end of the pivot pin  42  and is secured by a cross pin  48 . Essentially the wiper rod  118 , like the wiper rods in the embodiments described previously, may be welded to the pivot pin  42 . 
     The embodiments according to  FIG. 12  through  FIG. 15  and  FIG. 18  are identical to the embodiments according to  FIG. 5  and  FIG. 6 . Here again, the wiper rods  80  and  136  run beneath the pivot pins  42  and/or  106  and  138 . Although the wiper rod  80  according to  FIG. 12  and  FIG. 13  is welded to the free end of the pivot pin  42 , the pivot pin  138  according to  FIG. 14  and  FIG. 15  has a flat head  140  with two rivet holes  142  connected by rivets  144  to the wiper rod  136  ( FIG. 15 ). The pivot pin  106  ( FIG. 17 ) has a flat head  108  with an integrally molded square shape  110 , the head being pressed into a corresponding opening in the wiper rod  136  and optionally being riveted in a wobble [riveting] method ( FIG. 18 ). 
     The caps  54  for the embodiments according to  FIG. 12  through  FIG. 15  and  FIG. 18  have pockets  126  on the side facing the wiper rod  80 ,  136 , said pockets encompassing the wiper rod  80 ,  136  on its dry side in front of the pivot pin  42 ,  106 ,  138 , so that the wiper rod  80 ,  136  need not protrude beyond the pivot pin  42 ,  106 ,  138 . This permits very flat designs for the wiper blades  20  whereby the cap  54  may be designed to be very flat and tight. Between the pocket  126  and the front part of the cap  128 , only a small installation window  132  remains open in the exterior side wall. The installation windows  132  according to  FIG. 12  and  FIG. 14  have an edge  130  running approximately perpendicular to the rubber profile  22 , but the edge  134  of the installation window  132  is inclined toward the rubber profile  22  according to  FIG. 13 , so that the wiper blade  20  may be installed and dismantled at an angle which is smaller than 90°. For dismantling, the wiper blade  20  must be pivoted in the direction of the arrow, as shown in  FIG. 12 . 
     In another embodiment, the pivot pin  178  ( FIGS. 20 ,  21 ) has two diametrically opposed wings  180 ,  182  facing the wiper rod  28 ,  90  and extending radially to the pivot pin  28 ,  90  [sic;  178 ] and in the longitudinal direction of the respective wiper rod  28 ,  90 . The pivot pin  178  according to  FIG. 20  like the pivot pin  42  according to  FIG. 1  has a slot  46  in a head  44  into which the wiper rod  28  is inserted and secured by a cross pin, e.g., a rivet. The pivot pin  178  according to  FIG. 21  has a rivet pin  178  [sic] on the end, with which it is attached to the wiper rod  90 , which is rotated by 90° in the longitudinal direction like the wiper rod  90  according to  FIG. 8 . In both cases, in the installed position of the wiper blade  20 , the wings  180 ,  182  engage in suitably aligned pockets  184 ,  186  of a pocket  190  ( FIG. 19 ) in the manner of a bayonet closure. By rotating the wiper blade  20  by 90°, the bayonet closure can be released for dismantling or closed for installation. 
     With the embodiments described so far, the pivot pin  46 ,  96 ,  106 ,  138  is rotatably mounted in the bearing tube  40  of the sheet metal claw  32  and is connected to the wiper rod  20 ,  70 ,  80 ,  90 ,  118 ,  136 , but the pivot pin  146 ,  164  is in a rotationally fixed connection to the sheet metal claw  32  and is rotatably connected to the wiper rod  150 , e.g., by being held in corresponding openings in the side faces  38  with an out-of-round cross-sectional profile in the form of a polygon or a flattened cylinder. In the embodiment according to  FIG. 24 , the pivot pin  146  has a half-round cross-sectional profile with a flattened surface  148  facing the rubber profile  22 . It is inserted in a rotationally fixed manner into openings in the side faces  38  of the sheet metal claw  32  and on its end projecting laterally to the wiper rod  150 , it carries a bearing bushing  154  in a rotationally fixed mount, said bushing having on its outer circumference a cylindrical area  156  and optionally having a flattened area  158  toward the rubber profile  22 . A suitably bent end  152  of the wiper rod  150  is rotatably mounted on the bearing bushing  154  ( FIG. 23 ). The bent end  152  may also be mounted directly on a round or half-round profile part of the joint shaft  146 ,  164 . The bearing bushing  154  and the end  152  of the wiper rod  150  are guided in a bearing pocket  162  of a cap  160 . The cap  160  is attached by means of catch noses  56  and a clip  58  on the sheet metal claw  32  and/or on the pivot pin  146 . In addition, the pivot pin  146  protrudes beyond the bearing bushing  154  and engages in recess  176  in the cap  160 . The wiper blade  20  may be installed on the wiper rod  150  by rotating it with the installed cap  160  to the extent that the bent end  152  can be threaded between the cap  160  and the bearing bushing  154 . 
     The variant according to  FIG. 24  has a pivot pin  164  with a fastening area  166  which has an essentially rectangular cross section and a longitudinal section  168  running across the longer sides. The longer sides of the cross-sectional profile run approximately parallel to the carrying element  24 . On the outer sides, catch noses  170  are provided on the ends of the fastening area  166 , protruding into an opening in the respective side face  38  and engaging with the edge of this opening. On the other end, the pivot pin  164  has a bearing area  172  which is bordered by two collars  174  in the axial direction. The bent end  152  of the wiper rod  150  is mounted on the bearing area  172  and is secured in the installed position via the bearing pocket  152  of the cap  160 .

Technology Classification (CPC): 1