Patent ID: 7636981

Claim:
A wiper arm for a windshield wiper assembly, said wiper arm being formed in a single piece from a metallic blank and comprising: an elongated member having: one end portion being formed by drawing in a progressive die and having a tapered U-shaped configuration with a tapered central portion and a spaced pair of legs extending normally from said tapered central portion, said spaced pair of legs having aligned openings at one end such that said wiper arm may be fastened to an oscillating drive member; an opposite end portion, defined as substantially the remainder of said elongated member, extending from said one end portion and being formed by hemming defined by a C-shaped cross-section having a constant width bight portion and an opposed pair of edge portions reversely folded onto said bight portion to be in contact with said bight portion, said opposed edges of said edge portions being disposed touching one another and contiguous said bight portion, said C-shaped cross-section having said constant width bight portion being of no more than two thicknesses of said metallic blank from which said wiper arm is formed, said constant width bight portion of said opposite end portion being narrower than a width of said tapered central portion of said one end portion to minimize obstruction to the viewing field of an operator of an associated vehicle when said windshield wiper is in use; and said elongated member further having a transition portion between said one end portion and said opposite end portion wherein said tapered U-shaped configuration with a tapered central portion and upstanding spaced apart pair of legs extending normally from said tapered central portion is transformed by a hemming operation from said tapered U-shaped configuration into said C-shaped constant width bight portion configuration of said opposite end portion thereby reducing obstruction within the viewing field of an operator of the vehicle when said windshield wiper arm is in use.