Patent ID: 8516647

Claim:
A collapsible pivot body for a windshield wiper system comprising: a housing having a channel defined therein and a mounting bracket that is adapted to attach a pivot body assembly to a portion of a vehicle; a sleeve operatively disposed within said channel and having an internal passage that is adapted to receive a pivot shaft of a wiper system; and a first plurality of bridges that connect said sleeve to said housing, said bridges are adapted to fail in response to a predetermined load acting on a pivot shaft assembly and cause said sleeve to collapse within said housing thereby displacing the pivot shaft assembly and a portion of a wiper arm below the impact line of a vehicle; said pivot body including a plurality of tabs depending from said housing and a plurality of reliefs, with each one of said tabs disposed adjacent to a corresponding relief, said tabs and adjacent reliefs alternatingly disposed radially about said housing, spaced from said sleeve and below said first plurality of bridges, said tabs and reliefs cooperating to guide said sleeve and provide limited lateral movement thereof when said sleeve is collapsed within said channel in response to a predetermined load acting on a pivot shaft assembly.