CN107618480B

CN107618480B - Protective cap for wiper arm

Info

Publication number: CN107618480B
Application number: CN201610550298.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 郑青青; 张金方; 侯晨力; 赵阳; 陈健; 傅晶
Original assignee: Taizhou Valeo Wenling Automotive Systems Co Ltd
Current assignee: Taizhou Valeo Wenling Automotive Systems Co Ltd
Priority date: 2016-07-13
Filing date: 2016-07-13
Publication date: 2020-08-25
Anticipated expiration: 2036-07-13
Also published as: WO2018010631A1; CN107618480A

Abstract

The invention proposes a protective cap for a wiper arm, which has a joining section at its end, having a body which extends in its longitudinal direction, which has a first face which faces the joining section in the longitudinal direction and a second face which faces away from the joining section, and having a cavity which extends in the longitudinal direction, wherein the cavity is open at the first face and receives the joining section via the first face, and wherein a cross section of the cavity perpendicular to the longitudinal direction matches a cross section of the joining section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and accommodates the joining section in the cavity.

Description

Protective cap for wiper arm

Technical Field

The invention relates to a protective cap for a wiper arm of a motor vehicle, which protective cap can receive a joining section of the wiper arm.

Background

Motor vehicles are generally equipped with a wiping system to wipe and clean the windshield and prevent interference with the driver's view. The wiper system usually comprises a wiper arm and a wiper blade, the wiper arm being provided at its ends with coupling sections for connection to the wiper blade. The wiper arm reciprocates angularly to drive the wiper blade so that the wiper blade rubs against the windshield and clears water and dirt, etc. out of the driver's field of view.

In some cases, such as before a rain test is performed on the vehicle, the wiper arm is usually already assembled on the vehicle, for example in the lower region of the front or rear windshield in the inoperative state, but the wiper blade is not mounted to the wiper arm, but is placed, for example, in the vehicle cabin.

Further, for a vehicle that is not used for a long period of time, it is also preferable not to assemble the wiper blade to the wiper arm, thereby preventing the deterioration of the wiper blade.

In such a case, the coupling section of the wiper arm may directly contact the windshield, and when the wiper arm is accidentally actuated, the coupling section may hit or scrape against the windshield, thereby causing damage to the windshield.

Disclosure of Invention

The object of the present invention is to overcome the above-mentioned drawbacks by proposing a protective cap for a wiper arm. The protective cap according to the invention is able to accommodate a plurality of types of bonding sections, that is to say it is common to a plurality of types of bonding sections, so that it is not necessary to design a dedicated protective cap for a specific shape, size, etc. of different types of bonding sections.

Preferably, the cavity comprises a main channel and a sub-channel extending in the longitudinal direction, the main channel communicating with the sub-channel. The cooperation between the main channel and the sub-channel facilitates the accommodation and retention of the coupling section in the protective cap.

Preferably, a cross-section of the main channel perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is substantially rectangular, and a cross-section of the sub-channel perpendicular to the longitudinal direction includes an elongated base portion and at least one leg portion perpendicular to and extending from the base portion.

Preferably, in a cross section of the main body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a length direction of the rectangular cross section of the main channel is perpendicular to a length direction of the base of the sub channel.

Preferably, in a cross section of the main body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a length direction of the rectangular cross section of the main channel is parallel to a length direction of a base of the sub channel, and the main channel overlaps with the base.

Preferably, the protective cap is made of rubber.

Preferably, the main body is provided with raised support feet on at least one side for contacting a vehicle windshield. The use of the support legs provided on the side surfaces of the protective cap main body to contact the windshield of the vehicle reduces the contact area between the protective cap and the windshield, so that when the wiper arm is actuated, the frictional force between the protective cap and the windshield is reduced, which is advantageous for preventing the protective cap from falling from the joint section.

Preferably, the support feet are in the form of raised bars or points, or are formed by cutting grooves into the side on which the support feet are located.

Preferably, the second face is a closed face, preventing the bonded section from passing out of the second face.

Preferably, the cavity is a through cavity. In this case, not only can material and thus costs be saved, but the protective cap can be made in the following manner: a workpiece having features according to the invention and having a relatively long length in the longitudinal direction may be produced and then sectioned as desired, each section forming a separate protective cap. Thus, the manufacturing method of the protective cap is simple and easy to operate.

Preferably, the sub-channel has a plurality of legs, so that the cavity of the protective cap has a higher flexibility to accommodate different bonding sections.

Preferably, at least one inner side wall of the cavity is provided with a pressing rib extending in the longitudinal direction, protruding from an inner surface of the cavity and contacting the coupling section. The pressing rib can exert pressure on the joining section, thereby firmly holding it in the cavity, which can further avoid the detachment of the protective cap when the wiper arm is actuated.

Preferably, the dimension of the cavity in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction matches the dimension of the coupling section in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, or the inner wall of the cavity is press-fitted with the coupling section.

Preferably, a cross-section of the body perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is rectangular, square, circular, oblong, or oval.

Preferably, the cavity is provided with a chamfer at the entry edge of the first face to facilitate insertion of the joining section.

Drawings

Other features, details and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly in the description which follows, given by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1A is a schematic view of a protective cap according to the present invention mounted on a coupling section of a wiper arm of a front windshield of a vehicle, wherein the wiper arm is in a rest position;

fig. 1B is a schematic view of a protective cap according to the present invention mounted on a coupling section of a wiper arm of a front windshield of a vehicle, wherein the wiper arm is in an operating position;

fig. 2A is a schematic view of a protective cap according to the present invention mounted on a coupling section of a wiper arm of a rear windshield of a vehicle, wherein the wiper arm is in an inoperative position;

fig. 2B is a schematic view of the protective cap according to the present invention mounted on the coupling section of the wiper arm of the rear windshield of the vehicle, in which the wiper arm is in the working position;

figure 3 is a perspective view of a protective cap according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figure 4 is a perspective view of a protective cap according to one embodiment of the present invention;

figure 5 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a protective cap according to one embodiment of the invention;

fig. 6A shows a schematic perspective view of the protective cap receiving coupling section according to fig. 4, fig. 6B shows a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the protective cap receiving coupling section according to fig. 4, wherein the coupling section is hook-shaped;

fig. 7A shows a coupling section of the wiper arm; fig. 7B shows a perspective view of the protective cap according to fig. 4 accommodating the joining section, fig. 7C shows a sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the protective cap according to fig. 4 accommodating the joining section, wherein the joining section has a U-shaped cross section;

fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a protective cap according to another embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a protective cap according to a further embodiment of the present invention;

figures 10A to 10C are perspective views of a protective cap receiving engaging section according to an embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 11A to 11D are sectional views perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the protective cap according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The accompanying drawings illustrate embodiments in which the invention is practiced, and as such, may naturally be used to define the invention.

Fig. 1A and 1B show a vehicle 500 having a front windshield W. Fig. 1A and 1B also show a wiper arm 300 for wiping the front windshield W, and one end of the wiper arm 300 may be provided with a coupling section 310 for connecting a wiper blade (not shown). The other end 320 of the wiper arm 300 is pivotally mounted to the body of the vehicle 500. When the wiper arm 300 is actuated (e.g., by a motor), it can pivot about a pivot axis (not shown) at its end 320 for angular reciprocation, thereby bringing a wiper blade mounted to the coupling section 310 into reciprocating friction against the windshield W to clear water and dirt, etc. out of the driver's field of view. The wiper arm 300 is shown in fig. 1A in its rest position, i.e. a position in which it is resting when the wiper arm 300 is not actuated, in which the wiper arm 300 is located in a lower region of the windscreen W. Fig. 1B shows a state in which the wiper arm 300 is operated, in which the wiper arm 300 has moved away from the rest position and rubbed against the front windshield W.

As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the vehicle 500 also has a rear windshield V. Similarly, one end of the wiper arm 300 'for the rear windshield V may be provided with a coupling section 310' for connecting to a wiper blade wiping the rear windshield V. The other end portion of the wiper arm 300' is pivotally mounted on the body of the vehicle 500. In fig. 2A the wiper arm 300 ' is shown in its rest position, i.e. the position in which it is resting when the wiper arm 300 ' is not actuated, in which the wiper arm 300 ' is located in the lower region of the windscreen V. Fig. 2B shows a state in which the wiper arm 300 ' is in operation, in which the wiper arm 300 ' has moved out of the rest position and rubs against the rear windshield V to remove water and dirt, etc. out of the driver's field of view.

As shown in fig. 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B, the wiper arm 300 is not mounted with a wiper blade at its joining section 310, but the protective cap 100 is disposed on the joining section 310, so that it is possible to avoid the joining section 310 from directly contacting the windshields W and V.

The protective cap 100 for joining the sections 310, 310' will now be described in detail. The following description is with respect to the bonding section 300 and the protective cap 100, and similar description may be applied to the bonding section 310' and the protective cap thereof. As shown in fig. 3, the protective cap 100 may have a main body 110 extending in a longitudinal direction X thereof, which corresponds to a direction in which the coupling section 310 extends in a longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 300, and the longitudinal direction of the protective cap 100 may or may not be parallel to the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 300. The body 110 may have a first face 120 facing the joining section 310 along the longitudinal direction X, and a second face 130 facing away from the joining section 310 (fig. 6A). The body 110 may further have a cavity 200 extending in the longitudinal direction X. The cavity 200 may be open at the first face 120 and may be capable of receiving the coupling section 310 of the wiper arm 300 via the first face 120. A cross section of the cavity 200 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X can match a cross section of the coupling section 310 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X and accommodate the coupling section 310 in the cavity 200. In particular, as shown in fig. 6A and 7A, the joining section 310 can be inserted into the cavity 200 via the first face 120 of the protective cap 100, such that the protective cap 100 can remain on the joining section 310 without falling off when the wiper arm 300 is actuated, e.g., the protective cap 100 can remain on the joining section 310 during at least three wiping cycles of the wiper arm 300. Advantageously, the inner wall of the cavity 200 may be press-fitted with the coupling section 310.

Fig. 4 shows a protective cap 100 according to one embodiment of the invention. The cavity 200 of the protective cap 100 may comprise a main channel 210 and a sub-channel 220 extending in the longitudinal direction X, the main channel 210 communicating with the sub-channel 220. The cross section of the main channel 210 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X may be substantially rectangular. A cross-section of the sub-channel 220 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X may comprise an elongated base portion 221, as enclosed by a dashed line in fig. 4, and a leg portion 222, which leg portion 222 may be perpendicular to said base portion 221 and extend from the base portion 221. As can be seen in the example shown in fig. 4, in a cross section of the main body 110 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, a length direction of the rectangular cross section of the main channel 210 may be parallel to a length direction of the base portion 221 of the sub channel 220, and a portion of the main channel 210 may overlap the base portion 221 of the sub channel 220, for example, an area of the base portion 221 is an area where the main channel 210 overlaps the sub channel 220.

Next, how the bonding section 310 is accommodated in the protective cap 100 to be protected thereby will be described with reference to fig. 6A and 6B, 7A and 7B in conjunction with fig. 4.

Fig. 6A shows a portion of a wiper arm 300 including a wiper arm lever 330, a hook coupling section 310 at an end of the wiper arm 300, and a bent connection portion 340 connecting the wiper arm lever 330 to the coupling section 310. Fig. 6A shows a perspective view of the protective cap 100 when the bonding segment 310 is received. The coupling section 310 may have a hook shape, that is, the wiper arm 300 is bent back at its end to form a hook. The hook coupling section 310 may have a first branch 311, a second branch 312 bent back and substantially parallel to the first branch 311, and a bent portion (not shown) connected between the first branch 311 and the second branch 312. Fig. 6B shows a cross-sectional view in section Z1-Z1 of fig. 6A perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X.

When using the protective cap 100 shown in fig. 4, the bending portion of the bonding section 310 may be aligned with the first face 120 of the protective cap 100, and the protective cap 100 is sleeved outside the first branch 311 and the second branch 312. The second branch 312 is a branch near the windshield. When the coupling section 310 is inserted in the cavity 200, the coupling section 310 is able to cooperate with the inner wall of the cavity 200, ensuring that the protective cap 100 does not fall off when the wiper arm 300 is actuated, e.g. the protective cap 100 does not fall off during at least three wiping cycles, thereby avoiding direct contact of the coupling section 310 with the windshield. In particular, in the example shown in fig. 4 and in fig. 6A and 6B, which show that the body 110 has two legs 222, the two

branches

311 and 312 of the joining section 310 can be pressed against the edges of the projections separating the legs 222, respectively, as will be described in detail below.

Fig. 7A shows another coupling section 310 of the wiper arm. The coupling section 310 has a U-shaped cross-section and includes a top portion 314 and two side edges 315 connected to the top portion 314. The insertion section 317 is cantilevered on the extension of the top 50. On the side 315, a stop edge 316 is provided, which can be matched to a connecting element (not shown) for a wiper blade. The joining section 310 can be provided with a marking, which can be realized, for example, by an inclined corner 318 on the side 315 of the joining section 310, as shown in fig. 7A. The flattened angle 318 can correspond to a complementary material coating at a corresponding position of the connecting element of the wiper blade in order to ensure a unique adaptation of the wiper blade to the wiper arm. Bonding segment 310 may also have a side 319, with side 319 being on side 315, facing in the direction of the windshield. This flank 319 cooperates with the connecting element of the wiper blade when entering the final assembly position.

Fig. 7B shows a perspective view of the protective cap 100 according to fig. 4 with the joining section 310 accommodated. Fig. 7C shows a cross-sectional view in a section Z2-Z2 of fig. 7B perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X. When using the protective cap 100 shown in fig. 4, the ends of the joining sections 310 are aligned with the first face 120 of the protective cap 100, in particular the side edges 315 are aligned with the legs 222 of the sub-channels 220 of the cavity 200, such that when the protective cap 100 is fitted on the joining sections 310, a part or all of each side edge 315 is accommodated in the respective leg 222, while the top 314 abuts against the inner wall of the cavity 200, so that the joining sections 310 can cooperate with the inner wall of the cavity 200, ensuring that the protective cap 100 does not fall off when the wiper arm 300 is actuated, e.g. the protective cap 100 does not fall off during at least three wiping cycles, so that the joining sections 310 are prevented from coming into direct contact with the windshield. In the example shown in fig. 7B, the cavity 200 of the protective cap 100 also accommodates the stop edge 316 of the joining section 310. Correspondingly, a recess (not shown) is provided at the bottom of leg 222 of subpassage 220 for receiving stop edge 316.

As can be seen from fig. 6A and 6B and fig. 7B and 7C, when the protective cap 100 receives the coupling section 310 (fig. 7A to 7C) having a U-shaped cross-section, it is rotated by substantially 90 ° about the longitudinal direction X compared to when the hook-type coupling section 310 (fig. 6A and 6B) is received. The cavity 200 of the protective cap 100 according to the present invention is capable of receiving bonding sections having different shapes without designing different protective caps for the specific shape, size, etc. of each bonding section.

Reference is now made to fig. 5 in conjunction with fig. 6A, 6B and the combination section 310 shown in fig. 7A-7C. Fig. 5 shows a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of a protective cap 100 according to another embodiment of the invention. As shown in fig. 5, cavity 200 of protective cap body 110 may include a main passage 210 and a sub-passage 220 extending in longitudinal direction X, main passage 210 communicating with sub-passage 220. The cross section of the main channel 210 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X may be substantially rectangular. A cross-section of the sub-channel 220 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X may comprise an elongated base portion 221, as enclosed by a dashed line in fig. 5, and a leg portion 222, which leg portion 222 may be perpendicular to said base portion 221 and extend from the base portion 221. In the example shown in fig. 5, in a cross section of the main body 110 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X, a length direction of a rectangular cross section of the main channel 210 may be perpendicular to a length direction of the base 221 of the sub channel 220.

In the example shown in fig. 5, the primary channel 210 may be used to accommodate a hook engaging section 310 as shown in fig. 6A, 6B. The sub-channel 220 may be used to accommodate a joining section 310 having a U-shaped cross-section as shown in fig. 7A-7C, wherein the top 314 of the joining section 310 having a U-shaped cross-section may be received in the base 221 of the sub-channel 220 and the sides 315 thereof may be received in the legs 222 of the sub-channel 210. Although the sub-channel 220 is shown in fig. 5 as comprising two legs 222, the sub-channel 220 may also comprise only a single leg 222, in which case, when the protective cap 100 receives the joining section 310 having a U-shaped cross-section, one side 315 thereof may be received in the single leg 222 of the sub-channel 220, the other side 315 may be received in the main channel 210 and may or may not abut against the inner wall of the main channel 210, and a portion of the top 314 may be received in the base 221 of the sub-channel 220.

Fig. 8 shows a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of a protective cap 100 according to another embodiment of the invention. The difference of the protective cap 100 shown in fig. 8 compared to the protective cap 100 shown in fig. 4 comprises the provision of the leg 222 of the sub-channel 220. As shown in fig. 8, the sub-channel 220 may include more than two legs 222A-222D extending perpendicular to the base 221 and spaced apart along the length of the base 221. When using the protective cap 100, the main channel 210 of the cavity 200 may accommodate the hook-type coupling section 310, and the sub-channel 220 may accommodate the coupling section 310 having a U-shaped cross-section. In particular, two side edges 315 of the joining section 310 with a U-shaped cross section may be received in the main channel 210 and/or the sub-channel 220 depending on the distance between them, for example one side edge 315 may be received in the leg 222A closest to the outer wall of the protective cap, the other side edge 315 may be received in the main channel 210 or in one of the

other legs

222B, 222C, 222D, such as it is also possible that one side edge 315 is received in the one leg 222B located in the middle and the other side edge 315 is received in the main channel 210 or in one of the

other legs

222C, 222D. Further, the number of the leg portions 222 may not be limited to the number shown in the drawing.

In the example shown in fig. 8, the legs 222 may not extend only in the same direction, for example, some of the plurality of legs 222 may extend in a direction as shown in fig. 8 (referred to as a first direction), while other legs 222 may extend in a second direction opposite to the first direction to accommodate multiple types of bonding sections. It is also possible that the legs 222 have different lengths to accommodate joining sections 310 having sides of different lengths.

Fig. 9 shows a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X of a protective cap 100 according to a further embodiment of the invention. The difference of the protective cap 100 shown in fig. 9 compared to the protective cap 100 shown in fig. 4 comprises the provision of the leg 222 of the sub-channel 220. As shown in fig. 9, the sub-channel 220 may include more than two legs 222 extending perpendicular to the base 221 and spaced apart along the length of the base 221. The length direction of the rectangular cross-section of the main channel 210 may be substantially parallel to the base 221 of the sub-channel 210, and the main channel 210 overlaps the base 221.

When using the protective cap 100, the main channel 210 of the cavity 200 may accommodate the hook-type coupling section 310, and the sub-channel 220 may accommodate the coupling section 310 having a U-shaped cross-section. In particular, when the hook engaging section 310 is received, the edges of its first branch 311 and second branch 312 may press against the edges of the projections separating the legs 222, respectively. For example, the outer side of branch 311 abuts against inner wall 202 of cavity 200 parallel to the direction of extension of leg 222, while its side edge parallel to longitudinal direction X may press against edge 224A1 separating projections 224A of

legs

222A and 222B, and the side edge of the other branch 312 parallel to longitudinal direction X may press against the edge of the other projection, thereby retaining hook-engaging section 310 within protective cap 100, in which case the outer side of branch 312 may or may not abut against the inner wall of cavity 200 parallel to the direction of extension of leg 222.

When accommodating a joining section 310 with a U-shaped cross section, the two side edges 315 of this joining section 310 can be received in the main channel 210 and/or the sub-channel 220 depending on the spacing between them, for example one side edge 315 can be received in the leg 222A closest to the outer wall of the protective cap, the other side edge 315 can be received in the main channel 210 or in one of the

other legs

222B, 222C, 222D, it also being possible, for example, for one side edge 315 to be received in the one leg 222B located in the middle and the other side edge 315 to be received in the main channel 210 or in one of the

other legs

In the example described above, the plurality of protrusions separating the legs 222 may also have different heights (i.e., lengths parallel to the direction in which the legs 222 extend in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X) to accommodate different types of joining sections.

Fig. 10A-10C show schematic views of a protective cap according to further embodiments of the present invention in a state of accommodating the bonding section 310. Fig. 11A to 11D are cross-sectional views perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of protective caps according to various embodiments of the present invention. The protective cap 100 shown in fig. 10A-10C extends a shorter length in the longitudinal direction X to fit over the portion of the bonding section 310 near the distal end as compared to the protective cap 100 previously shown in fig. 7B and 7C. Further, referring to fig. 11A to 11D, the main body 110 of the protective cap 100 may be provided with a supporting leg 111 on at least one side surface for contacting a windshield of the vehicle 500. The support feet 111 may have the form of a protruding strip, as shown in fig. 10A-10C; may also have the form of raised dots, as shown in fig. 11A and 11B. In addition, the supporting legs 111 may be further formed by cutting grooves on the outer side of the body 110 of the protective cap 100, as shown in fig. 11C and 11D. Contacting the windshield of the vehicle using the supporting legs 111 provided on the side of the protective cap main body 110 reduces the contact area as compared with contacting the entire windshield on one of the sides of the main body 110, so that the frictional force between the protective cap 100 and the windshield is reduced when the wiper arm 300 is actuated, contributing to preventing the protective cap 100 from falling off from the coupling section 310. Further, providing the supporting legs 111 on a plurality of sides of the main body 110 makes it unnecessary to struggle to determine the orientation of the side of the protective cap 100 with respect to the windshield, i.e., which side will contact the windshield, when the protective cap 100 is fitted over the coupling section 310, which is more advantageous in terms of convenience of operation and time saving of operation. Fig. 11A to 11D show that the support legs 111 are provided only on one and two side surfaces of the protective cap main body 110, but the support legs 111 may be provided on three or all four side surfaces of the main body 110.

Further, the cavity 200 of the body 110 may be further provided with a pressing rib 201 provided on at least one inner sidewall of the cavity 200, as shown in fig. 10C and fig. 11A and 11B. The pressing rib 201 may extend in the longitudinal direction X. The pressing rib 201 may protrude from an inner surface of the cavity 200 and may contact the coupling section 310 inserted therein to apply pressure to the coupling section 310 to firmly hold it in the cavity 200, which can further prevent the protective cap from being removed when the wiper arm 300 is actuated. Fig. 11A and 11B show that a plurality of pressing ribs 201 are provided on two or three inner side walls of the cavity 200, but the number and the arrangement positions of the pressing ribs 201 may be different from those shown in the drawings and set according to actual needs.

In one embodiment, the second face 130 of the body 110 of the protective cap 100 may be a closed face to prevent the bonding section 310 from coming out of the second face 130. The second face 130 may also be provided with an opening 131, as shown in fig. 10B, such that an outwardly protruding portion at the end of the coupling section 310, such as an insertion section 317, may pass through the opening.

In another embodiment, the cavity 200 of the body 110 of the cap 100 may be a through cavity, as shown in fig. 10C. In this case, not only can material and thus costs be saved, but the protective cap can be made in the following manner: a workpiece having features according to the invention and having a relatively long length in the longitudinal direction X may be first produced and then sectioned as desired, each section forming a separate protective cap 100. Thus, the manufacturing method of the protective cap is simple and easy to operate. Also, when the tip of the coupling section has an outwardly protruding portion, for example, an insertion section 317 as shown in fig. 10C, the protective cap having the through cavity does not apply pressure to the protruding portion. In this way, when the protective cap is fitted, the depth of insertion of the coupling section into the protective cap does not have to be taken into account excessively, and there is no risk that the closed end may press against this protruding part and cause damage thereto during the wiping cycle of the wiper arm.

According to an embodiment not shown, the cross-section of the body 110 of the protective cap 100 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction X may be rectangular, square, circular, oblong, oval or the like.

According to an embodiment not shown, the cavity 200 may be provided with a chamfer at the entrance edge of the first face 120, thereby facilitating the insertion of the joining section 310. The protective cap 100 according to the present invention may be made of rubber.

The invention thus provides a protective cap which is able to accommodate a plurality of types of joining sections, that is to say a protective cap according to the invention is common to a plurality of types of joining sections, so that it is not necessary to design a dedicated protective cap for specific shapes, sizes, etc. of different types of joining sections.

Claims

1. A protective cap (100) for a wiper arm (300), the wiper arm (300) having a joining section (310) at its end, the protective cap (100) having a body (110) extending in a longitudinal direction (X) thereof, the main body (110) having a first face (120) facing the joining section (310) in the longitudinal direction (X) and a second face (130) facing away from the joining section (310), the body (110) further having a cavity (200) extending along the longitudinal direction (X), wherein the cavity (200) is open at the first face (120) and receives the joining section (310) via the first face (120), a cross section of the cavity (200) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) matches a cross section of the joining section (310) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) and accommodates the joining section (310) in the cavity (200).

2. The protective cap (100) of claim 1, wherein the cavity (200) comprises a main channel (210) and a sub-channel (220) extending in the longitudinal direction (X), the main channel (210) communicating with the sub-channel (220).

3. The protective cap (100) of claim 2, wherein a cross-section of the main channel (210) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) is substantially rectangular, a cross-section of the sub-channel (220) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) comprising an elongated base (221) and at least one leg (222) perpendicular to and extending from the base.

4. The protective cap (100) of claim 3, wherein, in a cross-section of the body (110) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X), a length direction of the rectangular cross-section of the main channel (210) is perpendicular to a length direction of the base (221) of the sub-channel (220).

5. The protective cap (100) of claim 3, wherein, in a cross-section of the body (110) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X), a length direction of the rectangular cross-section of the main channel (210) is parallel to a length direction of a base (221) of the sub-channel (220), and the main channel (210) overlaps the base (221).

6. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the protective cap (100) is made of rubber.

7. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the main body (110) is provided with a raised support foot (111) on at least one side for contacting a vehicle windshield.

8. The protective cap (100) of claim 7, wherein the supporting feet (111) have the form of protruding strips or points or are formed by cutting grooves on the side where the supporting feet (111) are located.

9. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the second face (130) is a closed face.

10. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cavity (200) is a through cavity.

11. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the sub-channel (220) has a plurality of legs (222).

12. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein at least one inner side wall of the cavity (200) is provided with a pressing rib (201) extending in the longitudinal direction (X), protruding from an inner surface of the cavity (200) and contacting the bonding section (310).

13. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a dimension of the cavity (200) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) matches a dimension of the bonding section (310) in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X), or an inner wall of the cavity (200) is press-fitted with the bonding section (310).

14. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a cross-section of the body (110) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (X) is rectangular, square, circular, oblong, or elliptical.

15. The protective cap (100) of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the cavity (200) is provided with a chamfer at an entrance edge of the first face (120).