Patent ID: 7481596

Claim:
A connector for connecting a windshield wiper arm to a first transverse hinge pin belonging to a structure element of a wiper blade unit, the connector comprising: two parallel vertical side cheek plates interconnected by a body, the body defining a first recess into which the first transverse hinge pin can be inserted radially, wherein the body has an outside convex cylindrical face portion, and an inside vertical longitudinal face of each of the side cheek plates of the connector has a shaped relief comprising a longitudinally extending rib, the convex cylindrical face portion and the two opposing inside vertical longitudinal faces of the side cheek plates configured to receive an inside wall of the end of an arm that belongs to a first category of arm, which end is in the form of a U-shaped hook such that a top branch of the U-shaped hook of the first category of arm is born against a top horizontal longitudinal face of the rib of the shaped relief, wherein the connector has a second cylindrical recess, for receiving a second transverse pin of an arm that belongs to a second category of arm and that extends transversely from a side edge of the end of the second category arm; the recess defined in part by an elastically deformable locking tongue extending longitudinally between the side cheek plates and a first longitudinal end of the locking tongue is fastened to the body, adjacent the outside convex cylindrical face portion, the locking tongue resiliently retracting, to be inserted, and causing the second transverse pin to be locked transversely in a position in which it is mounted in the second cylindrical recess, and wherein a second longitudinal end of the locking tongue is fixedly connected to the body by a film of material, and the dimensions of the film are determined so that the second recess receives a second transverse pin of a first or of a second size, the second size having a larger diameter than the first size, wherein when the second transverse pin of the first size is inserted into the second recess, the film of material remains intact and resiliently flexes to lock the second transverse pin within the second recess, and wherein inserting the second transverse pin of the second size into the second recess causes the film of material to break, enabling the locking tongue to resiliently flex downwardly to receive and to lock the second transverse pin within the second recess.