Patent Description:
In general, most wipers are attached to a wiper arm and pressed on a windshield by the wiper arm, and the windshield is usually a curved surface. In order to allow the wiper to be well attached on the windshield during the wiping process, the wiper itself is designed as an elastic curved strip with a radius of curvature smaller than the minimum radius of curvature of the windshield, so that its concave side can be attached onto the windshield very well, and the mid-point of the wiper can be pressed by the wiper arm and attached to the windshield and both ends of the wiper can press against the windshield by the elasticity of the wiper. However, the elasticity of the wiper is not large enough to resist a crosswind flowing at the windshield surface while a car is driving, and thus two ends of the wiper are still affected by the crosswind and may be detached from the windshield. To overcome this problem, some related-art wipers have a convex ridge-shaped flow guiding cover mounted onto the top of the wipers and extended along a longitudinal direction of the wiper, and the flow guiding cover has a windward side with a gentler slope that the slope on a leeward side. When the crosswind flows along the windshield surface and passes through the windward slope, a component force acting on the windshield surface is produced to press the whole wiper.

The documents <CIT>, <CIT>, <CIT> disclose different wiper designs.

However, the aforementioned pressing mechanism capable of pressing the whole wipe is still unable to overcome the issue of uneven forces acting at the center and both outer ends of the wiper, and the uneven forces make each part of the wiper blade to be deformed unevenly when pressed, thereby producing a gap between the wiper blade and the windshield surface easily, and failing to effectively scrape off the rainwater attached to the windshield surface.

In view of the aforementioned drawbacks, the inventor proposes this disclosure based on his expert knowledge and elaborate researches to overcome the drawbacks of the related art.

It is a primary object of this disclosure to overcome the drawbacks of the related art by providing a wiper with a flow guiding cover having a horizontal pressing rib in accordance with this disclosure.

In order to achieve the object mentioned above, this disclosure discloses a wiper including an elastic strip, a wiper blade and an flow guiding cover. The elastic strip is of a flat strip shape, and two surfaces of the elastic strip are defined as a bottom side and a top side respectively, and a connecting base is disposed on the center of the top side. The wiper blade is disposed corresponding to the bottom side. The flow guiding cover includes a cover of flat strip shape, and two surfaces of the cover are defined as an outer surface and an inner concave surface respectively, and the inner concave surface covers the top side and is extended from the connecting base to two ends of the elastic strip, and a plurality of pressing ribs is formed and protruded from the outer surface of the flow guiding cover, and each pressing rib is tilted with respect to the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip, and one side surface of each pressing rib is formed into a windward slope, and a side of an edge of the flow guiding cover is a windward side, and the windward side is disposed on a side of an edge of the elastic strip edge, and the windward slope is arranged toward the windward side.

According to the invention, the flow guiding cover includes an outer section and an inner section disposed on two ends of the connecting base respectively, and a tilt angle of each pressing rib on the outer section relative to the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip is less than a tilt angle of each pressing rib on the inner section relative to the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip, so that the reinforced pressure received by the outer section is greater than the reinforced pressure received by the inner section.

The quantity of pressing ribs on the outer section may be greater than the quantity of pressing ribs on the inner section.

In the wiper of this disclosure, each pressing rib has a cross section substantially in a non-isosceles triangular shape or an irregular trapezoidal shape. Each windward slope is a plane or a concave curved surface. Each pressing rib has a tilt angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip less than about <NUM> degrees. The tilt angle may be about <NUM> degrees.

In the wiper of this disclosure, the flow guiding cover has at least one end, and the pressing rib on the flow guiding cover is close to the end of the flow guiding cover.

In the wiper of this disclosure, the pressing ribs are non-uniformly arranged along the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip. Any one of the pressing ribs in the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip is non-overlapped with the other adjacent pressing rib.

In summation of the description above, the wiper of this disclosure has the flow guiding cover with the horizontal pressing rib, and the pressing ribs are non-uniformly arranged along the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip and capable of partially applying different pressures at specific positions in the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip, so that the pressure in the longitudinal direction of the elastic strip may be distributed more uniformly to avoid a gap produced between the wiper blade and the windshield.

The features of the disclosure believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The disclosure itself, however, may be best understood by reference to the following detailed description of the disclosure, which describes a number of exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the invention is shown in <FIG> :.

The technical contents of this disclosure will become apparent with the detailed description of embodiments accompanied with the illustration of related drawings as follows. It is intended that the embodiments and drawings disclosed herein are to be considered illustrative rather than restrictive.

With reference to <FIG> and <FIG> for a wiper in accordance with the embodiment of this disclosure, the wiper includes an elastic strip <NUM>, a wiper blade <NUM>, a connecting base <NUM> and a flow guiding cover <NUM>.

The elastic strip <NUM> is a metal strip in a flat curved and elongated shape, and two surface of the elastic strip <NUM> are a concave bottom side <NUM> and a convex top side <NUM>. The wiper blade <NUM> is a silicone strip, and the wiper blade <NUM> is disposed corresponding to the bottom side <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM>, and the connecting base <NUM> is disposed on the middle (center) of the top side <NUM> and provided for connecting a wiper arm <NUM>. Specifically, the elastic strip <NUM> may be a single metal strip, or a strip with two sections successively connected to two ends of the connecting base <NUM>. The wiper blade <NUM> is provided for attaching a windshield, and the wiper arm <NUM> may apply a force to press the elastic strip <NUM> at the windshield, so that the wiper blade <NUM> is attached to the windshield.

In <FIG>, the flow guiding cover <NUM> is a rubber or plastic cover, and the flow guiding cover <NUM> covers the top side <NUM> and is extended from the connecting base <NUM> to two ends of the elastic strip <NUM>. Specifically, the flow guiding cover <NUM> includes an outer section 400a and an inner section 400b, and the inner section 400b and the wiper arm <NUM> are arranged to be substantially parallel to each other. Therefore, when the wiper arm <NUM> drives the wiper to swing, the wind speed at the outer section 400a is greater than that at the inner section 400b. The outer section 400a and the inner section 400b are disposed at two ends of the connecting base <NUM> respectively. In this embodiment, the outer section 400a and the inner section 400b are separated from each other, but this disclosure is not limited to such arrangement only. The outer section 400a and the inner section 400b may also be connected to each other and the connecting base <NUM> penetrates through the flow guiding cover <NUM> at the junction of the outer section 400a and the inner section 400b.

In this embodiment, the flow guiding cover <NUM> includes a cover <NUM> which is substantially a flat strip shape, and two surfaces of the cover <NUM> are an outer surface <NUM> and an inner concave surface <NUM>, and the inner concave surface <NUM> of the cover <NUM> covers the top side <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM>, and the outer surface <NUM> of the cover <NUM> has a plurality of pressing ribs 420a, 420b protruded from the outer section 400a and the inner section 400b respectively, and each pressing rib 420a, 420b is tilted relative to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the flow guiding cover <NUM>. When the flow guiding cover <NUM> sheathes the elastic strip <NUM>, the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the flow guiding cover <NUM> is parallel to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM>. In other words, each pressing rib 420a, 420b is also tilted relative to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM> as shown in <FIG>, and the tilt angle 422a, 422b is greater than <NUM> degree and smaller than <NUM> degrees. In some embodiments, the tilt angle 422a, 422b may be <NUM> degrees. One side surface of each pressing rib 420a, 420b is formed into a windward slope 421a, 421b, and a side of an edge of the cover <NUM> is a windward side <NUM>, and the windward slopes 421a, 421b are configured to be facing the windward side <NUM>. When the wiper swings, each windward slope 421a, 421b receives the impact of a crosswind flowing along the windshield surface and produces a component force toward the windshield, so that the wiper blade <NUM> forms a positive pressure at the windshield to reinforce the pressure against the windshield.

The pressing rib 420a, 420b has a cross section substantially in a convex ridged shape, and the two side slopes of the pressing ribs 420a, 420b are not the same, and the side of the pressing rib 420a, 420b with a milder slope is formed into a windward slope 421a, 421b, such as the inner section 400b (and the same applies to the outer section 400a). Specifically, the windward slope 421b may be a concave curved surface as shown in <FIG>, or a flat slope surface as shown in <FIG>. In other words, the cross section of the pressing rib 420b may be in a non-isosceles triangular shape or an irregular trapezoidal shape, so that the two side slopes of the pressing ribs 420a, 420b are not the same.

The pressing ribs 420a, 420b are non-uniformly arranged along the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM>. Specifically, the non-uniform configuration may be the non-uniform arrangement of the positions along the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM>, or the non-uniform configuration of the tilt angle of each pressing rib 420a, 420b relative to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM> or the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the flow guiding cover <NUM> as described in the embodiment below.

In <FIG>, the pressing ribs 420a, 420b of the flow guiding cover <NUM> may be arranged to be close to the ends 412a, 412b of the flow guiding cover <NUM>, and two ends of the elastic strip <NUM> may be deviated easily by wind pressure, so that the pressure at two ends of the elastic strip <NUM> may be reinforced and made to be approximate to the pressure at the center of the elastic strip <NUM>.

In <FIG>, the quantity of pressing ribs 420b on the outer section 400a is greater than the quantity of pressing ribs 420a on the inner section 400b. When the wiper swings, the outer section 400a is affected by a wind speed greater than the inner section 400b to have a greater deviation. In correspondence with the different quantities of pressing ribs 420a, 420b at two ends of the elastic strip <NUM>, the reinforced pressure received by the outer section 400a is greater than that of the inner section 400b, so that two ends of the elastic strip <NUM> receive more uniform pressure.

In <FIG>, the tilt angle 422a of each pressing rib 420a on the outer section 400a relative to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM> is closer to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM> than each pressing rib 420b on the inner section 400b. In other words, the tilt angle 442a of each pressing rib 420a on the outer section 400a relative to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM> is less than the tilt angle 422b of each pressing rib 420b on the inner section 400b relative to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM>. The closer the tilt angle 422a, 422b of the pressing rib 420a, 420b to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM>, the greater the windage area in the crosswind direction, so that a greater wind pressure is received. The pressing ribs 420a, 420b corresponding to two ends of the elastic strip <NUM> have different tilt angles 422a, 422b, so that the reinforced pressure received by the outer section 400a is greater than the reinforced pressure received by the inner section 400b, so that two ends of the elastic strip <NUM> may receive more uniform pressure.

In <FIG>, the pressing rib 420b with its end <NUM> closer to the flow guiding cover <NUM> has a tilt angle 423a closer to the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM>. When the wiper swings, two ends of the elastic strip <NUM> have a greater deviation than the deviation at the center of the elastic strip <NUM>. In the aforementioned configuration, a greater reinforced pressure is received at the position nearer to two ends of the elastic strip <NUM>, so that the distribution of pressure in the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM> may be more uniform.

In <FIG>, any one of the pressing ribs 420a, 420b in the longitudinal direction <NUM> of the elastic strip <NUM> is non-overlapped with another adjacent pressing rib 420a, 420b. In this way, each windward slope 421a, 421b in the crosswind direction is not be sheltered and may receive the wind pressure of the crosswind.

Claim 1:
A wiper, comprising:
an elastic strip (<NUM>), in a flat curved strip shape, comprising a bottom side (<NUM>) and a top side (<NUM>), and a connecting base (<NUM>) disposed on a center of the top side (<NUM>);
a wiper blade (<NUM>), disposed corresponding to the bottom side (<NUM>); and
a flow guiding cover (<NUM>), comprising a cover (<NUM>) of a flat strip shape, and the cover (<NUM>) comprising an outer surface (<NUM>) and an inner concave surface (<NUM>), and the inner concave surface (<NUM>) covering the top side (<NUM>) and extended from the connecting base (<NUM>) to two sides of the elastic strip (<NUM>), a plurality of pressing ribs (420a, 420b) protruding from the outer surface (<NUM>) of the flow guiding cover (<NUM>), and each of the pressing ribs (420a, 420b) disposed inclinedly relative to a longitudinal direction (<NUM>) of the elastic strip (<NUM>), and a windward slope (421a, 421b) disposed on one side surface of each pressing rib (420a, 420b), and a side of the flow guiding cover (<NUM>) being a windward side (<NUM>), and the windward side (<NUM>) disposed on a side of the elastic strip (<NUM>), and the windward slope (421a, 421b) arranged toward the windward side (<NUM>),
wherein
the flow guiding cover (<NUM>) comprising an outer section (400a) and an inner section (400b), and the outer section (400a) and the inner section (400b) are disposed on two ends of the connecting base (<NUM>) respectively, characterized in that a tilt angle of each pressing rib (420a) on the outer section (400a) relative to the longitudinal direction (<NUM>) of the elastic strip (<NUM>) is less than a tilt angle of each pressing rib (420b) on the inner section (400b) relative to the longitudinal direction (<NUM>) of the elastic strip (<NUM>). (<NUM>), so that the reinforced pressure received by the outer section (400a) is greater than the reinforced pressure received by the inner section (400b).