WO2011098959A1

WO2011098959A1 - A cap for windscreen wipers

Info

Publication number: WO2011098959A1
Application number: PCT/IB2011/050547
Authority: WO
Inventors: Banu Bicici; Murat Bozkurtlu; Salih Bekir Sonmez
Original assignee: Teklas Kaucuk Sanayi Ve Ticaret A.S.
Priority date: 2010-02-09
Filing date: 2011-02-09
Publication date: 2011-08-18
Also published as: RU2548651C2; RU2012138477A; EP2534019A1

Abstract

This invention relates to a cap element (100) for a wiper system where a flat type wiper blade (900) is attached to a wiper arm (7) with a hooked end, the element being mounted onto the articulation area so that it improves aesthetic and aerodynamic performance of the blade. Disclosed cap element is composed a body (20) which is in the form of a shell having side walls (2), front and back walls (3, 4), and a lower and an upper opening (212, 222) and an integral upper lid (30) hinged to the body (20) by a flexing zone (31) arranged on the front.

Description

A CAP FOR WINDSCREEN WIPERS

This invention relates to a cap element that is mounted on a connector for attachment of a 'flat' type windscreen wiper blade to a wiper arm with a conventional (hook-shaped) end form.

Prior Art

The wiper systems known as 'flat-blade wipers' wherein an elastic, preferably rubber wiper strip which wipes the surface of the windscreen is carried by a flat, long, resilient metal carrier frame, also known as vertebrae, bent like a bow and wherein the system is connected to the wiper arm from a point preferably at the longitudinal center have been known for a long time. In the flat-blade wiper systems, generally end caps providing the unity of the system by being mounted on the free longitudinal ends of the wiper blade and a spoiler secured to the upper portion of the vertebrae are also provided; however, in all these embodiments a connector element mounted almost on the longitudinal center of the wiper blade and also known as bracket, must be used.

The bracket, on the one hand, provides the unity of the system by clamping the vertebrae and the wiper profile; and on the other hand, together with an auxiliary component called 'adapter', it forms a structure which enables the articulated connection of the free end of the wiper arm. In order to attach the flat wiper blade to a conventional type wiper arm with a hook shaped end which is still widely used on many vehicles, the said bracket is produced to have a cross-pin provided between two side walls. German patent number 19641042 discloses such a bracket, and European patent application 0158991 discloses a typical adapter used for connecting such a bracket to a hook-shaped arm.

However, in such an application, utilization of different materials like metal, plastic and rubber together in the connection area of the arm and the blade, as well as the required working clearances between the components creates an aesthetically unpleasant appearance, which results in customer dissatisfaction. In addition, said working clearances or abrupt cross sectional changes in said connection area which is approximately at the longitudinal center of blade, negatively affect the aerodynamic performance of the wiper blade. Furthermore, since the connection area is open to environmental effects, it is common to observe functional losses due to rain, dust, dirt etc in the long term use.

In order to overcome the above mentioned problems, this invention proposes a cap element which can be mounted onto such a bracket to provide a better appearance and better aerodynamic performance to the connection area.

Object of the Invention

The object of the present invention is to provide a cap element for arrangements where a flat type wiper blade is connected to a conventional wiper arm, in order to cover the articulated connection between the arm and the blade in an aesthetic and aerodynamic manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an upper lid and an articulation zone which enable the said cap element to be opened and closed in a simple, quick and easy way.

The present invention will be explicated in detail with reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wiper blade including the cap element provided by the invention.

Figure 2 is an exploded view of the arm, adaptor and the bracket onto which the cap element is mounted.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view the cap element.

Figure 4 is cross sectional front (a) and side (b) views of the cap element in the assembled state.

Figure 5 is perspective views of the cap element where the upper lid is open.

Figure6 is perspective views of the cap element where the upper lid is closed.

Figure 7 is an exemplary cross-sectional view of the locking tongue locked on a distal end.

Figure 8, 9 and 10, show respective steps of the detachment of the wiper arm and the blade.

The elements illustrated in the figures are numbered as follows:

Cap element (100)

Body (20)

Upper lid (30)

Free end (301)

Locking tongues (311)

Side walls (2)

Rib (201, 202, 203, 204)

Lower portion (21)

Legs (211)

Lower opening (212)

Upper portion (22)

Support wall (221)

Distal edge (2211)

Upper opening (222)

Front wall (3)

Flexing zone (31)

Front opening (32)

Back wall (4)

Back opening (41)

Bracket (5)

Bracket side walls (51)

Protrusion (511)

Pin (52)

Bracket legs (53)

Bottom surface (531)

Front surface (54)

Back surface (55)

Adapter (6)

Wiper arm (7)

Wiper strip (8)

Vertebrae (9)

Wiper blade (900)

Detailed Description of the Invention

Figure 1 shows a windscreen wiper blade (900) according to the present invention which is attached to a wiper arm (7) with a hook-shaped end. The wiper blade (900) comprises a vertebrae (9), a wiper strip (8), a bracket (5), an adapter (6) and the cap element (100) mounted onto the said bracket and the adapter (5, 6).

Figure 2 shows an exploded view of the bracket (5) and the adapter (6) onto which the inventive cap element (100) is mounted, together with the wiper arm (7). Said bracket (5) is essentially composed of two parallel side walls (51) and a pin (52) extending between them. On it's lower side, bracket (5) is provided with legs (53) which enclose the vertebrae (9) by surrounding it on both lateral sides and the bottom surface. The adapter (6) is rotatably attached to the pin (52) of the bracket (5). The hook-shaped wiper arm (7) is mounted onto this adapter (6) and is fixed in this position by the locking means of the adapter. As a result, an articulated connection between the wiper arm (7) and the blade (900) is achieved.

The inventive cap element (100) as shown in Figure 3, is essentially composed of a body (20) and an upper lid (30).

The body (20) is in the form a shell which is composed of two parallel side walls (2) extending along the longitudinal axis of the blade and a front (3) and a back wall (4) each connecting said side walls (2) on the extremities, and which is open (222, 212) on upper and lower sides. The said lower opening (212) allows the cap element (100) to be mounted onto the said bracket (5), whereas the upper opening (222) allows the wiper arm (7) to be mounted/dismounted onto the adapter (6).

Thanks to the said lower opening (212), the cap element (100) is elastically deformed in the assembly stage so that it can be slid over the bracket (5) from the top. As seen in Figure 4 (a), as the assembly is completed, the inwardly protruding legs (211) provided on the lower portion (21) of the cap element (100) engages the bottom surfaces (531) of the bracket legs (53). In this manner, the cap element (100) cannot slide upwards and detachment from the bracket (5) is thus prevented. The number and form of the legs (211) may vary depending on the form of bracket (5) to be used. As an example embodiment, each leg (211) can be arranged as a single continuous protrusion along the bracket (5). In the embodiment described here and also shown in Figure 4(b), two legs (211) are provided on each side wall, arranged at a distance from each other.

As shown in Figure 3, the inner surfaces of the two opposing side walls (2) are provided with ribs (201-204). These ribs (201-204) function as fixation means after the assembly by blocking any longitudinal motion of the cap element (100) on the bracket (5) and consequently on the blade (900), and on the other hand, they serve as guide means during the assembly stage by assuring correct longitudinal positioning of the cap element (100). In order to satisfy said first function, at least two of the ribs (201, 204) are positioned to abut to the longitudinally front and back surfaces (54, 55) of the braket legs as shown in Figure 4(b). On the other hand, the other two ribs (202, 203) are positioned such that the protrusions (511) on the bracket side walls (51) pass between them, so that they serve as guide means during the assembly and provide the second function.

As shown in Figure 5 (a) and (b), apertures (41, 32) are provided on the back (4) and the front (3) walls of the body (20). Said front and back apertures (32,41) conform with the upper contour of the wiper strip (8). As the cap element (100) is mounted onto the bracket (5) from the top by moving orthogonally to the longitudinal axis, said wiper strip (8) seats in the said apertures (32, 41) as can be seen in Figure 1.

The upper lid (30) is hinged to the body (20) by a flexing zone (31) located just above the said aperture (32) on the front wall (3). The upper lid (30), which is shown in its open state in Figure 5, can be swung towards the body (20) around said flexing zone (31) which is in the form of a living hinge, and then can be locked in this position to the body (20) thanks to the locking tongues (311) provided on it.

As shown in Figure 6, the shape of the upper lid (30) exactly conforms to the curve of the side walls (2) such that when it is closed onto the body (20), it completes the upper opening (222). However, the upper lid (30) does not close the upper opening (222) completely but just a portion of it in a region neighboring the front wall (3) . In this way, the middle and the rear portions of the upper opening (222) are always kept open providing the necessary space for the operation of the wiper arm, on the other hand, thanks to the upper lid (30), the front portion, which is only functional when the arm (7) is going to be replaced, can be opened and closed when required. This brings the cap element (100) an aesthetic and aerodynamic advantage during normal operation.

As shown in Figure 3 and 5, the side walls (2) of the body (20) are provided on their upper portion (22) with opposing support walls (221) arranged parallel to a horizontal axis. Said support walls (221) are in the form of inwardly protruding sections located on the upper portion (22) of the side walls (2), with a length corresponding to the length of the upper lid (30). When the upper lid (30) is closed onto the body (20) as can be seen in Figure 6, it rests on these support walls (221) on lateral sides, such that, any gap between the lateral edges of the upper lid (30) and the relevant edges of the body (20) is covered underside by this support walls (211) which providing a visually aesthetic continuity.

The upper lid (30) is retained on the body (20) in locked position by a locking engagement of the locking tongues (311) on the free end (301) of the lid (30) to the distal edges (2211) of the said support walls (211). As shown in Figure 7, the locking tongues (311) which are provided in a catch-like manner, engage the distal edge (2211) of the support wall (211) like a hook, and prevent opening of the upper lid. Said locking tongues (311) can be provided in alternative forms or numbers.

With the present invention, the upper lid (30) is opened during assembly or disassembly of the flat wiper blade (900) and the conventional wiper arm (7) in order to maximize the size of the upper opening (222), and once the assembly is completed, it (30) is closed again by resting it on the support walls (221) and then engaging the locking tongues (311) to the distal edges (2211) of the walls (221). In Figure 8 and 9, the open and closed state of the upper lid (30) can be seen. When the wiper arm (7) is to be disassembled, the upper lid (30) shown in the closed state in Figure 8, is pulled upwardly just to detach the locking tongues (311) from the distal edges (2211) of the support walls. Since the upper lid (30) is integrally joint with the body (20) of the cap element (100) by the flexing zone (31), in the open state as shown in Figure 9, it does not completely detach, fall, lost ..etc but stays jointly without requiring any other support or work.

While the upper lid is in the open state, the wiper arm (7) can be easily disassembled from the blade (900) as shown in Figure 10, and afterwards, the upper lid can be closed again by swinging it onto the body (20), resting on the support walls, and engaging the locking tongues to the distal edges.

During assembly onto the bracket (5), the cap element (100) has to be elastically deflected to some extent. Said deflection causes a considerable stress concentration especially in the locations where the side walls (2) are joint with the front and back walls (3,4). In the case where the articulated joint between the upper lid (30) and the body (20) is obtained not by a flexing zone (31) as it is proposed here but with an alternative solution like a hinge pin or a similar form, the articulation zone near the front wall should be rigidified considerably to support such a pin or pin hole etc. However due to the above mentioned stress concentration during assembly, a rigid structure in this articulation zone results in cracking and rupture after the assembly, which results in loss of functioning of the component. This drawback is eliminated with this invention by the utilization of a living hinge, which, by definition, needs to be highly resilient, in the locations enduring the highest strain during assembly.

The cap element (100) disclosed by the present invention is produced by injection method in a single step, from plastic, preferably Polyoxymethylene (POM) or thermoplastic elastomer material, and with a low wall thickness.

Claims

A cap element (100) for automotive windscreen wipers, which is mounted onto a bracket (5) usedfor attachmentofa flat type wiper blade (900) to a wiper arm (7) especially with a hook-shaped end, which is composed of an upper lid (30) and a body (20) in the form of a shell having side walls (2), front and back walls (3, 4), and a lower and an upper opening (212, 222), characterized in that the said upper lid (30) is integrally hinged to the said body (20) by a flexing zone (31) arranged on the said front wall (3).
A cap element (100) according to claim 1, characterized in that the said upper lid (30) is provided with locking tongues (311) on its free end (301) for locking onto the said body (20).
A cap element (100) according to claim 2, characterized in that the said locking tongues (311) are in the form of a hook.
A cap element (100) according to claim 2 and 3, characterized in that the said locking tongues (311) are locked by engaging the distal edge (2211) of a support wall (211) arranged on the said side wall (2).
A cap element (100) according to claim 4, characterized in that the said support wall (221) is in the form of inwardly protruding section located on the upper portion (22) of the side walls (2), with a length corresponding to the length of the upper lid (30).
A cap element (100) according to claim 1-5, characterized in that the said upper lid (30) is opened by detachment of the said locking tongues (311) from the distal edges (2211) of the said support walls (221) by pulling the said upper lid (30) upwardly.
A cap element (100) according to previous claims, characterized in that the said flexing zone (31) is elastic and in the form of a living hinge.
A cap element (100) according to previous claims, characterized in that at least one of the said side walls (2) is provided on the lower portion (22) with at least one inwardly protruding leg (211) which engages the bottom surface (531) of the bracket legs(53).
A cap element (100) according to claim 8, characterized in that there are preferably two legs (211) facing one another on the lower portion (21) of each side wall (2).
A cap element (100) according to claim 1-9, characterized in that the said side walls (2) are provided on their inner surfaces with ribs (201-204) for longitudinal fixation of the cap element (100) on the blade (900).
A cap element (100) according to claim 10, characterized in that at least two (201,204) of the said ribs (201-204) are arranged to abut the longitudinally front and back surfaces (54,55) of the said bracket legs (53).
A cap element (100) according to previous claims, characterized in that a front and a back aperture (32, 41) conforming the upper profile of the said strip (8) are provided respectively on the said front and back walls (3,4).
A cap element (100) according to previous claims, characterized in that the said element has an upper opening (222) enabling assembly/disassembly of the wiper arm (7), and a lower opening (212) enabling the assembly of the cap element (100) onto the blade (900).
A cap element (100) according to previous claims, characterized in that the said element is producedby injection method in a single stepfrom thermoplastic elastomer material.
A cap element (100) according claims 1-13, characterized in that the said element is producedby injection method in a single stepfrompolyoxymethylenematerial.