FR2684058A1 - Windscreen wiper particularly for a motor vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The windscreen wiper 1, particularly for a motor vehicle, comprising a first element with balance arm (waffle tree) 2 carrying at least a second element 6a, 6b with balance arm respectively exhibiting first and second means for connection by engagement is characterised in that the said first and second elements for connection by engagement of the said first and second elements with balance arm 2, 6a, 6b in use are mutually opposite and in direct reciprocal connection. Application to windscreen wipers.

Description

The present invention relates to a broom

  windshield wiper, in particular for a motor vehicle.

  Wiper blades are known comprising a central balance adapted to be joined to an actuating arm and to support at least one terminal balance (directly or by the interposition of an intermediate balance) Such a terminal balance means turn a support body of a wiper element

made of rubber.

  The link between the pendulums is currently obtained in two ways: by direct coupling and

  with the help of an intermediary element.

  In the first case one of the pendulums (usually the carrying pendulum) has a cylindrical transverse opening having a reduced entry, while the other pendulum has a journal having a transverse section defining a larger dimension, substantially equal to that of the opening, and a lower dimension substantially equal to the width of the entry. Consequently, the pin is inserted into the opening, orienting it so as to have its lower dimension, transverse to the entry, and therefore by turning it in a position. active, with its upper dimension transverse to the entry, so as to prevent the exit of the journal from the opening and the clearance between the two pendulums. According to this solution, the disadvantage lies in the fact that the engagement of the journal must be carried out. when the latter (as well as the relative balance) are turned 90 relative to the active position, these also implying t a corresponding bending of the rubber wiper element, previously mounted, which can present a certain difficulty. In addition, such a bending operation can cause the clearance between the end balance and the wiper element which must therefore be provided with stop structures complicating the manufacture of such a

wiper element.

  In the second case, on the contrary, the intermediate element is connected, generally by engagement,

  to the two pendulums, by a simpler operation in itself.

  In this case, however, it appears disadvantageous to have to provide an additional element, with additional costs, and the need to perform two operations to ensure the connection, also taking into account the reduced dimensions of such intermediate elements. such known elements,

  the various parts can come off easily.

  On the one hand, this entails a certain complication and therefore costs linked to the production of the attachment elements so as to reduce such possibilities, and on the other hand, this does not completely eliminate the risk of involuntary unhooking between the parts during the use of the wiper blades, carried out with

  insufficient security in the connection.

  The object of the present invention is to produce a wiper blade, in particular for a motor vehicle, which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks, and in which the attachment means between the various pendulums have a simple structure, which can be produced economically and are such as to allow the assembly of the brushes with

  simple maneuvers and in reduced numbers.

  According to the present invention, a wiper blade is produced in particular for a motor vehicle comprising a first balance element carrying at least a second balance element, said first and second balance elements having first and second means, respectively. interlocking connection, characterized in that said first and second interlocking connection means for said first and second balance elements in use are mutually opposite and in direct reciprocal engagement. For a better understanding of the present invention, a preferred embodiment will now be described, purely by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a partial longitudinal section of a brush part d 'wiper according to the present invention, along line II of Figure 2; Figure 2 is a cross section of this wiper blade, along line II-II of Figure 7; Figures 3-7 show side views of this broom, in different phases

assembly of it.

  Referring first to FIG. 7, the wiper blade according to the present invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 1 and comprises, in known manner, a central balance 2 having a central part 3 for connection with a actuating arm (not shown) and two end parts 4 which carry, in the embodiment described below, a central part 5 of a respective end balance 6 a, 6 b The end balance 6 a, 6 b are shaped so that in the state of engagement with the central balance 2, these extend along the longitudinal extension of the central balance 2 Terminal balances 6a, 6b each have two pairs of feet 7a, 7 b for supporting a longitudinal body 8 for supporting a wiping element 9 made of rubber More specifically, the pair of feet 7 a hold end sections of the longitudinal body 8 between them while the pairs of feet 7 b retain sections i ntermediaries of the same body 8 In addition, each end balance 6 a, 6 b, protruding at its end from the central balance 2, is provided with a respective stop means 10 a, l Ob for the longitudinal body 8 and

the wiping element 9.

  Each end part 4 of the central balance 2 (visible cormme in particular in Figures 1 and 2) has a pair of transverse walls 11a and 11b parallel to each other and extending downward in a

  transverse direction relative to the central balance 2.

  In particular the wall 11a is aligned with the end edge of the central pendulum 2, while the wall 11b is disposed behind the wall 11a, the two having a width less than that of the central pendulum 2 In addition, each end part 4 has a second pair of longitudinal walls 12 which are parallel to each other, also extending downward, but in the longitudinal direction of the pendulum 2 and in the space between the walls 11a, 11b, and form with the latter lights 13 To increase the elasticity of the longitudinal walls 12, these each have on their faces which are not opposite one another, a housing 14 in the alignment of which is formed a hole 15 passing through Advantageously, the housings 14 have an increasing depth towards the lower end of the longitudinal walls 12 and consequently, the latter have a decreasing thickness towards their lower ends hours, in connection with the accommodation,

  horn is particularly noted in Figure 2.

  The central parts 5 of the terminal balances x 6 each have in turn a through opening 17 defined by a pair of walls 18 defining a local width of the terminal balances equal to the width of the end parts 4 of the central balance 2 The dimensions of the through openings 17 are provided so as to accommodate the walls 11a, 11b and 12 of the central balance 2, further allowing a certain oscillation of the terminal balance 6 The walls 18 each have on opposite sides respectively, protuberances 20 adapted to hole 15 and intended

  to engage elastically in these.

  The mounting of the brushes according to this

  invention is carried out in the following manner.

  Initially, a first terminal pendulum (in the example shown the pendulum 6a on the left) is hooked to the central pendulum 2 For this purpose, the walls 11a, llb and 12 of the end part 4a on the left are introduced into the 'through opening 17 of the terminal balance 6a In this phase, the housings 14 function as guides for the protrusions 20, this interlocking connection in the holes 15 being favored by the elasticity of the walls 12 which bend - the v' to each other and then blocks the protrusions 20

(figure 4).

  Then, the longitudinal body 8, carrying the wiping element 9, can be threaded between the feet 7 b and therefore 7 a of the end balance 6 has already been mounted, up to

  abut against the stop means 1 Qa (Figure 5).

  Then, the other terminal balance 6 b (on the right in the example shown) is threaded onto the longitudinal body 8 (which first engages between the feet 7 b and therefore between the feet 7 a of the balance 6 b) until the longitudinal body 8 abuts against the stop means l Ob (Figure 6) Therefore, the end balance 6 b is connected to the end part 4 b of the central balance 2, exactly as described for the balance terminal 6 a, thus obtaining

  a brush 1 mounted according to FIG. 7.

  The wiper blade according to the present invention has the following advantages First, it has a reduced number of parts, since it does not require the use of intermediate connecting elements, and has a very structure simple, with a reduction in manufacturing costs In addition, it can be mounted with extremely simple operations that can be easily automated, without requiring complex positioning of these elements and with a minimum of phase, since the attachment between the central pendulum and each terminal pendulum (or between two pendulums mutually articulated in more complex wiper blades) only requires the introduction of the end part of one pendulum into the opening of the other Thanks to the simplicity of the structure, the connection between the parts is very firm, without risk of reciprocal release during the use of the broom Indeed, the broom i according to the present invention can not be disassembled, either involuntarily due to an error in the assembly of its parts, or voluntarily for the purpose of, for example, replacing the single wiping element. The various parts of the brush are kept stable by relationship with others after mutual engagement even during the intermediate assembly phases, without having to plan for improvements

  specific or additional specific stops.

  Finally, it is clear that at the wiper blades

  glass which have just been described and illustrated can be made modifications and variants without

  for this depart from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (9)

  1 Wiper blade (1) in particular for a motor vehicle, comprising a first balance element (2) carrying at least a second balance element (6 a, 6 b), said first and second balance elements (2 , 6 a, 6 b) respectively having first and second engagement means (15, 20), characterized in that said first and second engagement elements (15, 20) of said first and second balance members ( 2.6 a, 6 b) in service, are opposite one another and in direct reciprocal connection.  2 A brush according to claim 1, characterized in that said first pendulum element (2) comprises a first pair of walls (12) carrying said first interlocking connection means (15), which can be housed, in order to ensure a interlocking connection, in an opening (17) of said second balance element (6 a, 6 b).   3 A brush according to claim 2, characterized in that said second pendulum element (6 a, 6 b) has a second pair of walls (18) defining between them said opening (17) and having said second connecting means by engagement (20).   4 A brush according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said first engagement connection means comprise holes (15) and said second engagement connection means comprise protrusions (20) able to engage by engagement in said holes (15).   Broom according to one of claims 2 to   , characterized in that the walls (12) of said first pair of walls are elastically flexible towards each other the other.   6 Broom according to one of claims 2 to   4, characterized in that each wall (12) of said first pair of walls has a housing (14) nearby   said first interlocking connection means (15).   7 A brush according to claim 6, characterized in that said housing (14) has an increasing depth from said first balance member (2) to the free end of said walls (12).   8 Broom according to one of claims 2 to   7, characterized in that said walls (12) of said first pair extend parallel to the longitudinal direction of said first balance element (2) in the retracted position relative to the longitudinal edges of said first balance element (2), and said second pendulum element (6 a, 6 b) in the mounted position, is aligned with said lateral edges and extends in   extension of said first balance element 2.   9 Broom according to one of claims 1 to   8, characterized in that said first balance element comprises a central balance (2) and said second element   with balance includes a terminal balance (6 a, 6 b).   Broom according to claim 9, characterized in that it comprises a later end balance (6 a, 6 b), having snap-in connecting means (20) directly opposite and in direct connection with corresponding means of connection by   engagement (15) of said central balance (2).   11 A brush according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that at least one end part (4) of said central balance (2) carries, for interlocking connection, a central part (5) of said balance terminal (6 a, 6 b).