GB1562510A - Window wiper - Google Patents

Description

(54) WINDOW WIPER (71) We, CORONET-WERKE HEINRICH SCHLERF GmbH, a German body corporate, of D-6948 Wald-Michelbach/Odenwald, Federal Republic of Germany, do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement:- The invention relates to a window wiper comprising a handle and a wiper part secured thereto, having a longitudinally extending cleaning element arranged in a longitudinally extending portion of the wiper part, said cleaning element usually being made of rubber, sponge, foam rubber, leather, textile material or bristles.

These window wipers are used for the cleaning of window panes and usually consist of a handle made of sheet metal on whose forward part a suitably shaped portion of the wiper part is secured by a screw or by a clamping element operated by a screw.

Since a rubber cleaning element is not suitable for all kinds of uses, it is necessary to use several different cleaning elements for different cleaning operations. Thus, different window wipers with different cleaning elements are used for different kinds of cleaning purposes. Since a person using such window wipers has always to carry with him or her a complete set of parts with different cleaning elements in order to carry out a complete cleaning operation, known window wipers are in many cases cumbersome and difficult to use. In addition, the two portions of the wiper part which are situated over approximately equal lengths at the two sides of the handle may be too short to reach remote corners or recesses. For these purposes the person using the window wipers usually has to carry with him or her two or more wipers with the same kind of, but different lengths of, cleaning elements in order to be able to cope with all cleaning problems, which is an additional disadvantage more particularly to those persons whose trade is the cleaning of panes of all kinds in domestic and industrial premises.

The invention has as its object to construct a window wiper in such a manner that it is suitable for all cleaning tasks and more particularly allows easy and rapid interchanging of wiper parts with different cleaning elements, and also the cleaning of corners and recesses where access is usually difficult.

According to the present invention there is provided a window wiper consisting of a handle and a wiper part secured thereto having a longitudinally extending cleaning element, a portion of which wiper part is adapted to be slid into a groove of the handle adapted to receive it and to be locked in the groove means of a resilient manipulating element arranged on the handle and provided with a nose engaging with an indentation provided on said portion of the wiper part characterized in that the manipulating element and the handle are made in one piece from a plastics material, that said portion of the wiper part includes a plurality of said indentations and is locked by means of said nose engaging with a said indentation, and that the nose extends from an underside of the handle opposite from the manipulating element into the said groove and is connected rigidly to the manipulating element which is arranged at an upper side of the handle.

By operating the manipulating element the wiper part can be replaced quickly and easily by another, or simply slid laterally to allow access to disadvantageously placed parts of a window.

This affords the advantage that wiper parts with different cleaning elements can be rapidly interchanged, so that only one handle and a set of wiper parts with different cleaning elements are required in order to cope with all cleaning tasks. Moreover, it is also possible to move the wiper part laterally along its axis and secure it to the handle to increase its free length projecting beyond the said handle, so that it is also easier to clean corners which are difficult to reach.

It is true that interchanging of wiper parts with others having different cleaning elements is in principle possible in the case of the known window wipers whose wiper part is clamped to the handle by means of a screw, although they are not intended for that pur pose. However, the interchange requires timeconsuming and cumbersome releasing of screws or nuts of the clamping element, which needs a special tool, for example a screwdriver or spanner.

The window wiper is of particularly simple and cheap construction since the said portion of the wiper part is adapted to be inserted into a groove of the handle adapted to the external contour of the said portion.

The said portion of the wiper part comprises a plurality of indentations and is locked by means of only one nose which is provided on the manipulating element and which engages in a said indentation, so that the only operation required to be performed on the said portion is the formation of indentations.

The manipulating element is arranged on the handle and is resilient and the manipulating element and the handle are made in one piece from a plastics material, so that there is no need to arrange a separate manipulating element on the handle, so that provision of a manipulating element involves no additional assembly expense.

According to a further feature of the invention the nose extends from the under side of the handle, i.e. the side opposite from the manipulating element, into the groove for the said portion of the wiper part and is rigidly connected to the manipulating element which is situated at the upper side of the handle, so that manufacture is notably simplified. Nose and manipulating element are advantageously made in one piece and are arranged on a resilient tongue integrally formed with the handle, so that there is no need to incorporate a separate spring for the nose or manipulating element. Because of this arrangement the handle of the window wiper can be constructed as a moulded plastics part.

Further details and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of a constructional example shown in the drawings. In the drawings: Fig. 1 shows a window wiper with the wiper part shown in partly fragmentary fashion; Fig. 2 shows a section of line II-II of Fig. 1 without the wiper part; Fig. 3 shows a section on line III-III of Fig. 1 without the wiper part; Fig. 4 shows a view in the direction of arrow IV of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 shows a section on line V-V of Fig. 1 through the wiper part on a larger scale.

The window wiper which is given the general reference numeral 1 in Fig. 1 comprises a handle 2 and a wiper part 4 secured on the forward part 3 of the said handle. In the constructional example shown, the wiper part comprises a longitudinally extending portion 5 in which there is arranged a cleaning element or blade 6 made of rubber.

This rubber element 6 is used for removing the film of water which remains on a glass pane after it has been cleaned down.

In Fig. 5 the wiper part 4 is shown in section. The portion 5 of the wiper part has a generally U-shaped cross-section with the space bounded by the two flanges of the portion 5 narrowing towards the opening.

The cleaning blade 6, which is provided with a lip or bead along one edge, is secured in this space. The upper flange 7 of the portion 5 extends forwards further than the flange situated opposite it, and at this upper flange, has a slightly convex face presented to the opposite flange. The cleaning blade 6 is arranged to extend slightly further forwards than the upper flange 7 of the portion 5, so that when in use, i.e. when a certain pressure is exerted towards the window, it will bear against the upper flange 7.

At its narrow end remote from the forward portion 3, the handle 2 comprises a tubular handle element 8 (Fig. 2). The handle element 8 is adjoined by the forward part 3 which is of generally U-shaped cross-section (Fig. 3), via an approximately trapezoidal intermediate part which ends in an approximately rectangular end piece. The forward part 3 is set at an angle relatively to the axis of the handle element 8 (Fig. 2).

The handle element 8 is of hollow construction (Fig. 2) and is provided with an internal screwthread 9 so that, for extension purposes, the window wiper 1 can be screwed on to the end of a rod having a corresponding external screwthread. A ribbed recess 10 is provided as a thumb rest on the upper side of the handle element 8. At the under side of the handle element 8 and at the rear end of the said element a hole 11 is provided to allow the window wiper 1 to be hung up after use.

On the forward part 3 of the handle 2 an open-ended groove 12 is provided in the rectangular end piece. The groove 12 is given a cross-sectional shape (Fig. 2) corresponding to that of the portion 5, so that the wiper part 4 can be inserted laterally in the groove 12 and be secured therein.

Corresponding to the substantially Ushaped cross-section of the portion 5, the groove 12 has two arms of which an upper arm 13 extends forwards further than the lower arm 14. The upper arm 13 extends over the entire width of the rectangular end piece of the front portion 3, whereas the lower arm 14 is interrupted symmetrically adjacent its centre by two incisions 20 (Figs. 3 and 4). The central piece 15 of the lower arm 14 thus formed is shaped to define part of the groove 12, but in addition has a nose 16 extending into the free space of the groove 12 (Figs. 2 and 4). The central piece 15, because of its slits 20, forms a spring tongue 17 at the under side and a manipulating element 18 at the top of the forward part 3 (Figs. 1, 2).

Owing to the integral connection between the spring tongue 17 and the nose 16 provided on the central piece 15, when the manipulating element 18 likewise provided on the spring tongue is pressed, the nose 16 is moved out of the free space of the groove 12.

But since, when the wiper part 4 is inserted, the nose is locked in a suitable indentation or notch 19 (Fig. 5) on the portion 5, when the manipulating element 18 is pressed the nose 16 is released from the indentation 19 in the strip 5, so that the latter can be slid out of the groove 12 laterally. When the manipulating element 18 is released, the central piece 15 with the nose 16 provided thereon returns into the locking position owing to the action of the spring tongue 17.

Conveniently the handle of the window wiper 1 is made of a resilient plastics material with high inherent stability. Since a plurality of indentations 19 are arranged on the portion 5 of the wiper part 4 (Fig. 1), the latter can be secured in various positions, for example in such a way that the wiper part is not symmetrical with respect to the axis of the handle 2, but extends substantially only towards one side. The cleaning blade can also be changed when it is worn down. It is not necessary to replace the entire wiper part.

The handle 2 is of plastics and may be made by moulding or formed from a foamed plastics material. Instead of the illustrated wiper blade 6 it is also possible to use materials such as strips of sponge, foam rubber, leather or textile material or a brush strip. Instead of the screw connection to the handle for fixing the window wiper to an extension rod it is also possible to provide other connections such as a click-home device or a bayonet joint.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS 1. A window wiper consisting of a handle and a wiper part secured thereto having a longitudinally extending cleaning element, a portion of which wiper part is adapted to be slid into a groove of the handle adapted to receive it and to be locked in the groove by means of a resilient manipulating element arranged on the handle and provided with a nose engaging with an indentation provided on said portion of the wiper part characterized in that the manipulating element and the handle are made in one piece from a plastics material, that said portion of the wiper part includes a plurality of said indentations and is locked by means of said nose engaging with a said indentation, and that the nose extends from an underside of the handle opposite from the manipulating element into the said groove and is connected rigidly to the manipulating element which is arranged at an upper side of the handle.

2. A window wiper according to claim 1, wherein the manipulating element and the nose are made in one piece and are arranged on a resilient tongue integrally formed with the handle.

3. A window wiper according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the resilient tongue forms a portion of a wall of the said groove and is divided from the rest of this wall by slits extending therethrough.

4. A window wiper according to any preceding claim, wherein the cleaning element is made from rubber, sponge, foam rubber, textile material or bristles.

5. A window wiper substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (5)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. side and a manipulating element 18 at the top of the forward part 3 (Figs. 1, 2). Owing to the integral connection between the spring tongue 17 and the nose 16 provided on the central piece 15, when the manipulating element 18 likewise provided on the spring tongue is pressed, the nose 16 is moved out of the free space of the groove 12. But since, when the wiper part 4 is inserted, the nose is locked in a suitable indentation or notch 19 (Fig. 5) on the portion 5, when the manipulating element 18 is pressed the nose 16 is released from the indentation 19 in the strip 5, so that the latter can be slid out of the groove 12 laterally. When the manipulating element 18 is released, the central piece 15 with the nose 16 provided thereon returns into the locking position owing to the action of the spring tongue 17. Conveniently the handle of the window wiper 1 is made of a resilient plastics material with high inherent stability. Since a plurality of indentations 19 are arranged on the portion 5 of the wiper part 4 (Fig. 1), the latter can be secured in various positions, for example in such a way that the wiper part is not symmetrical with respect to the axis of the handle 2, but extends substantially only towards one side. The cleaning blade can also be changed when it is worn down. It is not necessary to replace the entire wiper part. The handle 2 is of plastics and may be made by moulding or formed from a foamed plastics material. Instead of the illustrated wiper blade 6 it is also possible to use materials such as strips of sponge, foam rubber, leather or textile material or a brush strip. Instead of the screw connection to the handle for fixing the window wiper to an extension rod it is also possible to provide other connections such as a click-home device or a bayonet joint. WHAT WE CLAIM IS

1. A window wiper consisting of a handle and a wiper part secured thereto having a longitudinally extending cleaning element, a portion of which wiper part is adapted to be slid into a groove of the handle adapted to receive it and to be locked in the groove by means of a resilient manipulating element arranged on the handle and provided with a nose engaging with an indentation provided on said portion of the wiper part characterized in that the manipulating element and the handle are made in one piece from a plastics material, that said portion of the wiper part includes a plurality of said indentations and is locked by means of said nose engaging with a said indentation, and that the nose extends from an underside of the handle opposite from the manipulating element into the said groove and is connected rigidly to the manipulating element which is arranged at an upper side of the handle.

2. A window wiper according to claim 1, wherein the manipulating element and the nose are made in one piece and are arranged on a resilient tongue integrally formed with the handle.

3. A window wiper according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the resilient tongue forms a portion of a wall of the said groove and is divided from the rest of this wall by slits extending therethrough.

4. A window wiper according to any preceding claim, wherein the cleaning element is made from rubber, sponge, foam rubber, textile material or bristles.

5. A window wiper substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.