GB2080098A - Windscreen wiper connecting element - Google Patents

Abstract

A connecting element (50) for connecting a wiper arm (20) to a wiper blade assembly (10) comprises a clip part (31) swivellably mountable on pivot pin (15), a web (34) which bridges side wall (11) at a distance from the pivot pin (15), and a part provided with a channel (36) into which the end of the wiper arm (20) is inserted, the arrangement being such that in use the latter part extends laterally beside the wiper blade assembly. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Windscreen wiper The invention relates to a windscreen wiper.

In the majority of the windscreen wipers normally used today the wiper arm is locked with a connecting member which is itself mounted to be swivelled on a pivot pin secured between side walls of the main yoke. In these arrangements the wiper arm is located above the yoke system of the wiper blade.

The advantage of these arrangements with a central attachment is that the pitching and twisting moments of the wiper blade are reliably controlled, because the guide between arm and blade is relatively long and stable.

In addition windscreen wipers are known the wiper arm of which is fastened on a profiled pin projecting laterally from the wiper blade. In these arrangements the wiper arm is extending laterally of the wiper blade in a plane imagined to extend through the axis of the pin in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade. These arrangements primarily are preferred because of stylistic reasons, they can, however, especially at high driving speeds, be of advantage because of their low overall height, because they are not removed so easily from the pane to be cleaned. Due to the lateral articulation of the wiper blade on the wiper arm these arrangements are, however, disadvantageous with respect to stability.

The invention is thus based on the problem of creating a windscreen wiper which com bines the advantages of the two above arrangements without having their disadvantages.

According to the present invention there is provided a windscreen wiper including a wiper arm, a wiper blade with a main yoke and a connecting element between the wiper arm and the wiper blade, the yoke having a substantially U-shaped cross-section and a pivot pin, secured between side walls thereof in the vicinity of an aperture in the back of the main yoke, to which the connecting element is swivellably mounted, characterised in that the connecting element projects through the aperture in the back of the main yoke and, at a spacing from the pivot pin, overlaps one side wall of the main yoke and ends-in an adapter portion for the wiper arm, which adapter portion extends laterally beside the wiper blade.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a part longitudinal section through a wiper blade and arm with central attachment and an angled connecting member; Figure 2 is a part-sectioned side view of the wiper blade, arm and connecting member of Fig. 1; Figure 3 is a plan view from above the wiper blade, arm and connecting member of Fig. 1; The windscreen wiper shown in the drawings consists of a wiper blade (not shown in detail) with a conventional main yoke 10 having two parallel side walls 11 and 12 and a back 13 with an aperture 14. In the area of the aperture 14 a pivot pin 15 is secured between the side walls 11 and 12.

A connecting element 50 consists of a locking element 31 with two clip-shaped legs 32 and 33, a web 34 overlapping the side wall 11 of the main yoke and an adapter member 35 with an insertion channel 36 for a wiper arm 20 with a straight end. The connecting element 50 is locked for swivelling on the pivot pin 15. The insertion channel 36 is closed at one end and the adapter portion 35 is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade in such a way that the wiper arm ends at a spacing in front of the pivot pin axis, that is the wiper arm does not extend up to the pivot pin axis.

The portions comprising the connecting element 50 are angled sidewards and downwards relative to one another in such a way that in spite of the central attachment between the side walls of the main yoke, the wiper arm extends laterally to the wiper blade and at least partially below an imagined swept plane through the pivot pin axis.

The connecting member 50 thus basically comprises a first portion which projects through the aperture 14 in the back 13 of the main yoke 10, the adapter portion 35 and, at a spacing from the pivot pin axis, the web portion which extends over side wall 11 and connects the first portion to the adapter portion so that the latter portion extends laterally beside the wiper blade. The connecting member effectively has a first bending, in a sidewards direction at a spacing from the pivot pin, followed by a second bending, in the opposite sidewards direction, such that the adapter portion extends in parallel to the wiper blade at least in a partial area, as can be seen in Fig. 3.Also, the connecting member effectively has a third bending, in a downwards direction, at a spacing from the pivot pin, followed by a fourth bending, in the opposite direction to the downwards direction, such that the adapter portion extends at least partially below the swept plane imagined to extend through the pivot pin axis. The web portion 34 of the connecting element is between the first and second bendings and may be at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the wiper blade which is not equal to 90 , in an analogous manner to the bending of the wiper arm in Fig. 2 of our co-pending application No. 7910155 (Serial No. 2016912) from which the present application has been divided.Similarly, a portion of the connecting element between the third and fourth bendings may intersect the pivot pin axis swept plane at an angle not equal to 90 in an analogous manner to the bending of the wiper arm in Fig. 1 of our co-pending application.

Also, the first sidewards bending may begin in the vicinity of an edge 19 of the aperture 14 in the back of the main yoke in an analogous manner to the bending of the wiper arm in Fig. 2 of our co-pending application. Similarly the second, sidewards, bending and the third, downwards, bending may change over into each other in the downwards direction.

Of course the locking connection between the connecting element and the pivot pin as well as the connection between the adapter member and the wiper arm can be modified as required. For instance the adapter portion could be suitable to articulate a hooked wiper arm.

The arrangement of the majority of the wiper arm at least partially below the plane extending through the pivot pin axis has proved to be especially advantageous. It is indeed a decisive factor for the effectiveness of the wiper that during the wiper process the wiper blade is standing on the surface to be cleaned as vertically as possible, so that the edge of the wiper lip wipes over the pane at an angle of about 45". With the wiper blades centrally secured to the wiper arm between the side walls of the main yoke this previously could not be realised so easily, because it has to be considered that due to the driving force of the wiper arm and due to the friction force counteracting against said driving force due to the contact pressure between wiper lip and pane a pitching moment is acting on the joint connection in a way that the wiper blade is tilted. To said pitching moment a twisting moment is opposed, if the wiper is not bent upwards from the joint connection, but downwards. Thereby the effect is the larger the lower the wiper arm is located which is the reason why it is desirable that the wiper arm extends beside the wiper element. It has, however, to be ensured that the wiper arm cannot touch a curved windscreen.

Claims (7)

1. A windscreen wiper including a wiper arm, a wiper blade with a main yoke and a connecting element between the wiper arm and the wiper blade, the yoke having a substantially U-shaped cross-section and a pivot pin, secured between side walls thereof in the vicinity of an aperture in the back of the main yoke, to which the connecting element is swivellably mounted, characterised in that the connecting element projects through the aperture in the back of the main yoke and, at a spacing from the pivot pin, overlaps one side wall of the main yoke and ends in an adapter portion for the wiper arm, which adapter portion extends laterally beside the wiper blade.

2. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 1, wherein at a spacing from the pivot pin the connecting element has a first bending, in a sidewards direction, followed by a second bending, in the opposite sidewards direction, such that the adapter portion extends in parallel to the wiper blade at least in a partial area.

3. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at a spacing from the pivot pin the connecting element has a third bending, in a downwards direction, followed by a fourth bending, in the opposite direction to the downwards direction, such that the adapter portion extends at least partially below a swept plane imagined to extend through the axis of the pivot pin.

4. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 2 or claim 3 as dependent on claim 2, wherein a web portion of the connecting element between the first and second bendings intersects the longitudinal axis of the wiper blade by an angle not equal to 90 .

5. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 3, wherein a portion of the connecting element between the third and fourth bendings intersects the pivot pin axis swept plane at an angle not equal to 90 .

6. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first sidewards bending begins in the vicinity of an edge of the aperture in the back of the main yoke.

7. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 3 as appendant to claim 2 or any preceding claim as appendant to claim 3, wherein the areas of the second and third bendings partially overlap.

7. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 3 as appendant to claim 2 or any preceding claim as appendant to claim 3, wherein the second, sidewards, bending and the third, downwards, bending are changing over into each other in the downwards direction.

8. A windscreen wiper as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the adapter portion is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade such that the wiper arm does not extend up to the pivot pin axis.

9. A windscreen wiper substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

CLAIMS (29 Sep 1981)

2. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim.

1, wherein at a spacing from the pivot pin the connecting element has a first bending, in a 4 sidewards direction away from the wiper blade, followed by a second bending such that the adapter portion extends in parallel to the wiper blade.

3. A windscreen wiper as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein at a spacing from the pivot pin the connecting element has a third bending, in a downwards direction, followed by a fourth bending, in an upwards direction such that the adapter portion extends at least partially below a swept plane imagined to extend through the axis of the pivot pin.