AU593915B2

AU593915B2 - Blade for a windscreen and like surface wiper

Info

Publication number: AU593915B2
Application number: AU74690/87A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Graham Durtnal
Original assignee: Trico Ltd
Current assignee: Trico Ltd
Priority date: 1986-06-26
Filing date: 1987-06-25
Publication date: 1990-02-22
Anticipated expiration: 2007-06-25
Also published as: GB8615651D0; GB2191936B; AU7469087A; BE1000251A4; JPS63263152A; GB8714748D0; DE3721198A1; DE3721198C2; GB2191936A

Description

IA

Form COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1952-69 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION

(ORIGINAL)

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Class Int. Class Application Number: 74690/87 Lodged: Complete Specification Lodged: Accepted: Published: Priority: Related Art: a a a* Ndme of Applicant: a e a *a 'Address of Applicant: *t i S TRICO-FOLBERTH LIMITED GREAT WEST ROAD, BRENTFORD, MIDDLESEX TW8 9HP, ENGLAND Actual inventor PETER MOWER and GRAHAM DURTNALL s fr eve EDWD. WATERS SONS, dress for ervice 50 QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA, 3000.

SCqmplete Specification for the invention entitled: BLADE FOR A WINDSCREEN AND LIKE SURFACE WIPER The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to 1S prescribed by its Articleso 2 5 JUN- 7 Dyson Association.

S ,MeboU Regi-stered Patent Atto',rney To: 01 TITE COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS.

2 BLADE FOR A WINDSCREEN AND LIKE SURFACE WIPER This ,invention relates to a blade for the wiper for windscreens and like surfaces.

With the advent of high speed vehicles, it is necessary to take into account the air flow over the vehicle so as to avoid significant wind resistance and with it poor fuel economy.

The higher speeds of the vehicles coupled with the aerodynamic shape used provides problems for windscreen wipers due to the air flow causing the blades to be lifted, at least partially, from the windscreen impairing the visibility of the driver of the vehicle in wet conditions.

Many proposals have been made for overcoming these problems, in particular the provision of a number of different types of vane attached to various parts of the blade or the windscreen wiper arm and the provision'of slotted members used in the blade harness 'to reduce the effect of wind resistance of the windscreen wiper blade.

The present invention seeks to provide a windscreen wiper blade having an improved wiping performance at high vehicle'speedp.g "o According to the invention, a windscreen wiper Sc, blade for a windscreen wiper comprises a main yoke having c r connection means for connection to a windscreen wiper arm 5 and being articulated 'at its ends to a secondary yoke or lever and a bla d rubber carried by'th, secondary yokes or levers, the main yoke being'provided on the side of the blade intended to face the air fow with a de peding vane which extends along the main yoke, wherein the connection CL 30 means of the main yoke comprises a pair of parallel side r walls, formed, at least in part, from the depending vane and defining a space therebetween for receiving a connector for a windscreen wiper arm, the side walls extending at least approximately parallel with the longitudinal centre plane of S 35 the blade rubber but offset laterally therefrom.

Preferably, the top edges of the side walls constitute the maximum distance of the main yoke from the blade rubber.

k. -1 -a 1 0 -3- The main yoke may be provided with channel sectioned portions aligned with the longitudinal centre plane of the blade rubber at its articulation points with the secondary yokes or levers and the secondary yokes or levers may be aligned with the longitudinal centre plane of the blade rubber and be received into the channel sectioned portions of the main yoke at the articulation points.

In one embodiment of the invention, the side walls are so formed as to provide an aperture in the depending vane in which the connector may sit while, in another embodiment, one side wall comprises a suitably adapted surface of the vane while the other side wall comprises a projection, extending upwardly from the lower edge of the vane.

The side walls may be bridged by a rivet, pin or the like so that the connector for the windscreen wiper arm can be connect'ed thereto.

The invention will now be described in greater detail, by way 5 of example, with reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is perspective view of a first form of windscreen wiper blade in accordance with the invention; e. o Figure 2 is a plan view of the windscreen wiper i blade shown in figure 1; 25 Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line III-III of figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view a second form of windscreen wiper blade in accordance with the invention; Figure 5 is a plan view of the windscreen wiper blade shown in figure 4, and Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line VI-VI of figure Referring to figures 1 to 3 of the drawings, there i is shown a windscreen wiper blade 1 comprising a blade 3 5 rubber 2 which is carried by a harness comprising a main yoke 3 articulated at 4 to a secondary lever 5 which in turn is articulated, at its inner end, to a subsidiary yoke 6.

The blade rubber 2 is held by a claw arrangement 8 provided S4 on the outer ends of the secondary levers 5 and on both ends of the subsidiary yoke 6. The specific construction of the secondary lever 5, the subsidiary yoke 6 and the blade rubber 2 form no part of the invention and can be of any suitable known form.

The primary yoke 3 basically comprises a downwardly depending vane 10 with a centrally located connection means 7 for connection of the blade to 1 a windscreen wiper arm (shown in chain lines at This connection means 7 comprises two side 5 walls, one 11 of which is formed by a folded down projection of the vane 10 and the other 12 of which is formed by a pressed up portion of the vane defining between the two side walls 11 and 12 an aperture 17 in which the arm termination of the wiper arm 9 is located.

A rivet 16 is 10 provided for cooperation with a connector for receiving the arm termination. As can be seen, in the embodiment shown, the vane extends substantially the full length of the wiper blade 1, beyond the position of the otherwise usual ends 4 of the main yoke 3.

At each "end" 4 of the main yoke 3, there is an articulation portion 13, of channel section formed by bending projections on the top of'the depending vane These channel section portions 13 are provided, in the form shown, with rivets or trunnion connections 15 acting as 25 pivot pins for articulation of the secondary levers 5. It will be appreciated that, with the construction shown, the only parts of the main yoke 3 which lie over the blade rubber are the portions 13.

It will also be appreciated that, in use, the windscreen wiper blade 1 will be installed with the vane facing the oncoming air flow. Because of the nature of the air flow on vehicles and the wiping pattern adopted by the windscreen wipers, it is not usually necessary to provide the type of blade in accordance with the invention on both 35 arms of a dual windscreen wiper system although this may be done for aesthetic reasons. With a vehicle fitted for right hand drive as is normal in the the blade 1 would be fitted on the driver's side.

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4rr c The formation of the connection means 7 from the vane 10 itself enables a lower profile of the wiping j equipment to be obtained. This is achieved by enabling the connection means 7 to be offset from the vertical, longitudinal centre plane of the wiper rubber and thus from the longitudinal centre plane of the blade proper itself.

The arm 9 can thus pass sideways from the blade 1 (as sh:'vn in chain lines) without having to pass over the highest parts of the main yoke 3.

Figures 4 to 6 show a second embodiment of the invention. This embodiment is very similar to the first embodiment and differs only in respect of the arrangement of the connection means 7. Like parts are indicated by the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment.

Here, the face of the depending vane 10 is flattened locally at 30 to form one side wall 11 of the connection means 7 and the other side wall 12 is formed by a lug 31 projecting from the lower edge of the vane 10. This lug 31 is bent upwardly and inwardly to provide an upper part 32 which is parallel to the first side wall 11. A rivet 33 is provided for cooperation with a connector for woo.* receiving the termination of the arm 9.

S0 0 It will be appreciated that various modifications 1 may be made to the above described embodiment without departing from 1he scope of the invention. The length and shape of the vane 10 could be varied significantly and S could, for example, extend only as far as the channel shaped portions 13.

The top of the vane 10 could, if desired be cut back below the height of the articulation portions 13 or could be extended to form an "L"-shaped portion at the top.

Furthermore, the whole of the upper edge of the vane between the portions 13 could be bent into a channel shape, providing a continuous channel between the portions 13.

The height of the connection means 7 in relation to the blade height could be varied, for example by uxu; positioniung the connecting means 7 higher or lower on the vane 10. Similarly, the amount of offset of the connection means could be varied.

t i -6- 6 I It will be seen that the above described wiper blades enable a wiper system to be obtained with a reduced profile height without any substantial increase iii width. i This provides advantages in reducing the wind lift of the blades as well as improving the aesthetic appearance of the system.

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Claims

1. A windscreen wiper blade for a windscreen wiper comprising a main yoke having connection means for connection to a windscreen wiper arm and being articulated at its ends to a secondary yoke or lever and a blade rubber carried by the secondary yokes or levers, the main yoke being provided on the side of the blade intended to face the air flow with a depending vane which extends along the main yoke, wherein the connection means of the main yoke comprises a pair of parallel side walls, formed, at least in part, from the depending vane and defining a space therebetween for receiving a connector for a windscreen wiper arm, the side walls extending at least approximately parallel with the longitudinal centre plane of the blade rubber but offset laterally therefrom.

2. A windscreen wiper blade as claimed in claim 1, wherein the top edges of the side walls constitute the maximum distance of the main yoke from the blade rubber.

3. A windscreen wiper blade as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the main yoke is provided with channel sectioned portions aligned with the longitudinal centre plane of the blade rubber at its articulation points with the secondary yokes or levers.

4. A windscreen wiper blade as claimed in claim 3, wherein the secondary yokes or levers are aligned with the longitudinal centre plane of the blade rubber and are received into the channel sectioned portions of the main yoke at the articulation =points.

5. A windscreen wiper blade as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the side walls are so formed as to provide an aperture in the depending vane in which the connector may sit. rttL (I I sre I ~It I II LIIIr

111.1 C+ tICI IIr C IIIt C I. C I iI C IF 6 644e 64S L 1 u I I 8 6. A windscreen wiper blade as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein one side wall comrises a suitably adapted surface of the vane while the other side wall comprises a projection, extending upwardly from the lower edge of the vane. 7. A windscreen wiper blade as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the side walls are bridged by a rivet, pin or the like so that the connector for the windscreen wiper arm can be connected thereto. 8. A windscreen wiper blade for a windscreen wiper substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings. DATED THIS 24TH DAY OF JUNE, 1987 TRICO-FOLBERTH LIMITED EDWD. WATERS SONS, PATENT ATTORNEYS, 50 QUEEN STREET, MELBOURNE, VICTORIA 3000, SAUSTRALIA JC (4.30) i C Ct t V t certify t edfg true and exK -1 or pal63 the Speification et lgnalV lodged. fs II 1 i L(-P-I L