GB2081075A

GB2081075A - Connector for connecting windscreen wiper arm to blade assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2081075A
Application number: GB8122278A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Trico Ltd
Current assignee: Trico Ltd
Priority date: 1980-07-31
Filing date: 1981-07-20
Publication date: 1982-02-17
Also published as: GB2081075B

Abstract

A connector for coupling a wiper arm (25) to a pivot pin (5) of a blade assembly comprises a block (10) provided with a bearing (15) to receive the pivot pin (5), the block being bounded towards one side thereof by a sidewall (13) integral with the block, but open towards the other side to receive the arm termination (32, 33, 34; or 37), abutment surfaces (on 21, 22, 23, 25') to limit longitudinal and pivotal movement between the arm termination and the block, a member (11) spaced from and movable in relation to the side wall, and capable of at least partly closing the open side of the block so as to confine the arm termination, and cooperating screw-threaded means (20, 16) acting between the member and the block for adjusting the spacing between the member (11) and the side wall (13) to correspond with the width of the arm termination. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in windscreen wipers When awindscreen wiper on a motor vehicle has become worn, the practice is to replace the wiper blade unit, while retaining the wiper arm which was installed in the vehicle as original equipment. For the convenience both of the public and of replacement part stockists, it is desirable that at least the great majority of the need for replacement blade units should be met by a small variety of such units. In particular, wiper arms on current and existing motor vehicles are of several different widths, e.g. 7mm, 8mm, 9mm, and it is desirable for a single replacement wiper blade unit to be capable of being fitted to wiper arms of these various widths.

The present invention relates particularly to connectors which have been devised primarily to couple a wiper arm termination to a pivot pin on a wiper blade unit of the type in which there is a harness including a central yoke of inverted channel section, with a window through the web at the centre of the yoke, and a pin extending between the flanges of the yoke below the window. However, connectors according to the present invention can also be used with wiper blade units of the type in which there is a pivot pin projecting at one side of the harness, so that in use the wiper arm lies beside the wiper blade unit, in a style known as "side mounting".

The present invention is thus primarily concerned with a connector for coupling a wiper arm termination to a pivot pin, the connector comprising a block in which is a bearing disposed with its longitudinal axis extending from side to side of the block to receive the pivot pin, the block being bounded towards one side thereof by a side wall integral with the block but open towards the other side to receive the arm termination, the connector providing abutment surfaces to limit longitudinal and pivotal movement between the arm termination and the block, a member spaced from and movable in relation to the side wall, and capable of at least partly closing the open side of the block so as to confine the arm termination, and cooperating screw threaded means acting between the member and the block for adjusting the spacing between the member and the side wall to correspond with the width of the arm termination.

The invention is further concerned with a combination of such a connector, a wiper blade unit having a pivot pin, and a wiper arm having a termination, the proportions being such that the connector can couple the wiper arm termination to the pivot pin of the wiper blade unit.

The accompanying drawings show two examples of connectors embodying the present invention. In these drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the connector, with a fragment of a yoke and a fragment of a wiper arm indicated in chain lines; Figure 2 is a cross section on the line ll-ll in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section through the connector on the line Ill-Ill in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on the line IV-IV in Figure 3; and Figures 5 and 6 are views similar to Figures 3 and 4, showing an alternative arm termination; Figure 7 is a side elevation of a second connector, in open condition; Figure 8 is an end elevation, looking in the direction of the arrow VIII in Figure 7; Figure 9 is a view from below; and Figure 10 is a side elevation of the connector of Figure 7, assembled with a wiper arm.

Figures 1 and 2 show a first connector, and indicate how it is assembled with a wiper blade unit. The wiper blade unit is of the type including a main yoke 1, of inverted channel section, with a web 2 and flanges 3. In the centre of the length of the yoke, the web 2 is cut away, so that there is a window 4, which can receive the connector.

The connector is pivoted to the yoke 1 by a pin 5, which has a head 6 on one end, and a split enlargement 7 at the other end, this enlargement serving to retain a bush 8. The pin 5 and bush 8 cooperate with holes in the flanges 3 of the main yoke.

The connector is constituted by a block 10 and a member 11 movable relatively to the block. This member 11 is a disc which, as shown in Figure 4, is integral with an externally-threaded shank 20.

At one side (the right side in Figure 4, and the side remote from the viewpoint in Figure 1) the block has a side wall 13. The block also has a top wall 21, a front wall 22, and a partial rear wall 23 separated from the top wall 21 by an opening 24. In Figure 1 a fragment of wiper arm is indicated at 25. In fact, as described more fully below with reference to Figures 3 to 6, the termination of the wiper arm extends through the opening 24 into the interior of the block.

Also projecting from the side wall 13 is a central body 25', having upper and lower surfaces parallel to the top wall 21.

A front portion 26 of the body contains a transverse bore 15 which receives the pin 5. There is a gap 27 between the front portion 26 and the front wall 22, and the profile of the left side of the front portion 26 in Figure 1 somewhat resembles one half of an octagon with rounded corners, the nose of the profile also being rounded.

To enable the connector to substantially fill a normal size of window 4, the block 10 is extended (to the left in Figure 1) beyond the front wall 22 by an additional wall 28.

The walls 21, 22, 23 and 28, and the front portion 26 of the body 25' all terminate in a plane indicated at A-A in Figure 4. The relevant surfaces are indicated by horizontal shading B in Figure 1. These surfaces cooperate with the inner face of the left-hand flange 3 of the main yoke, as seen in Figure 2. That is to say, relative movement of the connector and the yoke is controlled not only by the pin 5 and transverse bore 15, but also by sliding engagement between side faces of the connector and the internal faces of the flanges 3.

The threaded shank 20 of the member 11 engages in a threaded bore 16 in the body 25' and side wall 13. By rotation of the member 11, its axial position can be adjusted, over the range indicated in Figures 4 and 6. Furthermore, the member 11 can be removed by rotation until the shank 20 disengages from the bore 16. The body 25' and top wall 21 are recessed at 29,30 to enable the member 11 to move axially into the required positions.

In the lower surface of the top wall 21 there is a transverse groove 31, explained more fully below.

Figures 3 and 4 show the interengagement of the connector and a wiper arm 25a having a hookshaped termination, comprising a straight portion 32, a 1800 bend portion 33, and a straight terminal portion 34. The wiper arm 25a, as shown in Figure 4, is made of metal strip of substantially rectangular cross section with slightly rounded corners. The width of the strip is 9mm, and the depth is somewhat less than the depth of the opening 24.

As shown in Figure 3, the portion 33 can fit between the front portion 26 of the connector and the front wall 22, while the upper portion 32 fits between the body 25 and the top wall 21 and the terminal portion 34 fits belowthe body 25'.

To permit assembly of the arm termination with the block, the member 11 is removed, and is then returned, to the position shown in Figure 4. It is convenientto turn the disc 11 clockwise, as seen in Figure 1, until the portions 32 and 34 of the arm termination are firmly clamped between the member 11 and the side wall 13. The friction created by the clamping then resists rotation of the member 11, so thatthe member will not come loose again unintentionally. However, it is not essential for the purposes of the invention that the arm termination should be clamped, provided that it has no more than very slight lateral movement between the member 11 and the side wall 13.Then, however, it is necessary to provide for a tight fit between the threaded shank 20 and the threaded bore 16, in orderto resist unintentional rotation of the member 11.

If in place of the arm termination 25a there is another termination of less width, as indicated by the chain line 35 in Figure 4, then the member 11 is brought to a position correspondingly closer to the side wall 13, as indicated in chain lines at 36 in Figure 4.

Figures 5 and 6 show the interengagement of the connector and a wiper arm 25b having what is known as a "bayonet-type" termination, that is to say a straight terminal portion 37, on which is an upward projection 38. In assembly, after removal of the member 11, the projection 38 is slid into the groove 31, and the member 11 is then returned to the position shown in Figure 6.

In each of Figures 3 and 5 it can be seen that the block 10 of the connector includes abutment surfaces which limit both longitudinal and pivotal movement between the arm termination and the block. For practical purposes, it is not essential for there to be complete absence of play. Indeed wiper arms may exist in slightly different thicknesses of material, as has been indicated by comparison of the portion 32 in Figures 3 and 4 and the portion 37 in Figures 5 and 6.

Figures 7 to 10 show a second connector, in which the member for partly closing the open side of a block40 is a plate 41, secured to the block by a screw 42, which acts both as a means for moving the plate 41 towards a side wall 43 of the block, and also as a pivot, around which the plate 41 can swing through 900, between a position shown in Figures 7 and 8, and a position shown in Figure 10 (in Figure 9 the first position of the plate is shown in solid lines, and g the second position in chain lines).

The block includes a top wall 44 in which is a transverse notch 45, and a partial rear wall 46. In addition, the block has a central body 47, generally similar to that in Figures 1 to 6, with the exception that the bore 15 is replaced by a notch 48 extending to the bottom of the block 40.

The block also includes a lower flange 49 extending for one half the width of the connector, and the plate 41 carries an end flange 50 also extending for nearly one half the width of the connector.

In the condition of assembly with a wiper arm termination, as shown in Figure 10, a small protrusion 50' engages in the notch 45 in the top wall, and thus locates the plate 41 in the rotational position of Figure 10. The top wall 44 is resilient to allow protrusion 50' to be forced along the wall into and out of notch 45. The upper profile 51 of the plate 41, as seen in Figure 10, is shaped so as to clear the portion 52 of the body 47 around the notch 48, and the profile 51 includes a lug 53 which enters the notch, and with it defines a circular opening to cooperntewitha a pin 54 on a wiper blade unit.

The screw 42 has a countersunk head in a recess in the outer surface of the side wall 43, and passes with clearance through the body 47, into an internally threaded hole 55 in the plate 41.

A U-shaped arm termination, such as is shown in Figure 10, is assembled with the connector while the plate is in the position shown in Figure 7. The termination must initially be somewhat to the left of the position shown in Figure 10. Afterthetermination has engaged the side wall 43, then the termination is slid to the right, to the position shown in Figure 10, whereupon the plate 41 can be swung into the position shown in Figure 10, and the screw 42 can be tightened. In this condition, the flange 50 on the plate 41 resists movement of the arm termination to the left relatively to the block 40, as seen in Figure 10.

Should the second connector be used with an arm having a bayonet-type termination (shown in Figure 5), the assembly procedure with the connector is similar, the equivalent of projection 38 on the arm termination however engaging in notch 45 to resist longitudinal displacement of the arm.

Because the block 40 contains a notch 48, it is possible for this form of connector to be used in conjunction with wiper blade units of the type in which there is a fixed pin extending between the flanges of a main yoke beneath a window.

For use with a side mounting wiper blade unit, the block, in both examples, may be modified to incor- ; porate a latch which will cooperate with a groove in the pin of the wiper blade unit.

Although in the examplesthe bearing for the pin extends across the full width of the block, and the top wall extends for the full length of the block, it is possible for the blockto be of a somewhat more skeleton construction, while yet retàining sufficient points of contact with the pin and with the wiper arm termination to obtain the necessary restraints against undesired relative movements.

In the examples, the blocks 10 and 40 are preferably of an acetyl resin plastics material, and the plate 41 is a die casting of aluminium.

Claims

1. A connector for coupling a wiper arm termination to a pivot pin; the connector comprising a block in which is a bearing disposed with its longitudinal axis extending from side to side of the block to receive the pivot pin, the block being bounded towards one side thereof by a side wall integral with the block, but opens towards the other side to receive the arm termination; the connector providing: abutment surfaces to limit longitudinal and pivotal movement between the arm termination and the block, a member spaced from and movable in relation to the side wall, and capable of at least partly closing the open side of the block so as to confine the arm termination, and cooperating screwthreaded means acting between the member and the block for adjusting the spacing between the member and the side wall to correspond with the width of the arm termination.

2. A connector according to claim 1, in which the member is a disc integral with an externallythreaded shank, which engages in a threaded bore in the block.

3. A connector according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the block has a top wall, a front wall, and a rearwall, and a central body which projects from the side wall and has upper and lower surfaces parallel to the top wall, and is spaced from the top wall and from the front wall.

4. A connector according to claim 3, in which the top wall, front wall, and rear wall, and the front portion of the body, all terminate in a common plane parallel to the side wall.

5. A connector according to claim 3, or claim 4, in which there is a transverse groove in the lower surface of the top wall.

6. A connector according to claim 1, in which the member is a plate, secured to the block by a screw which acts both as a means for moving the plate towards the side wall, and also as a pivot for the plate.

7. A connector according to claim 6, in which the block includes a lower flange extending for one half the width of the connector, and the plate carries an end flange also extending for nearly one half the width of the connector.

8. A connector according to claim 6 or claim 7, in which, in assembled condition, a small protrusion on the plate engages in a notch in a top wall of the block.

9. A connector according to any of claims 6 to 8, in which there is a notch in the block acting as the bearing to receive the pivot pin, and there is a lug on the plate which enters the notch, so as to define a circular opening.

10. A combination of a connector according to any of claims 1 to 9, a wiper blade unit having a pivot pin, and a wiper arm having a termination, the proportions being such that the connector can couple the wiper arm termination to the pivot pin of the wiper blade unit.

11. A combination according to claim 10, in which the wiper arm has a hook-shaped termination comprising a straight portion, a 1800 bend portion, and a straight terminal portion.

12. Acombination according to claim 10, in which the wiper arm has a straight terminal portion, on which is an upward projection.

13. Aconnector according to claim 1, substan tiaily as described with reference to Figures 1 to 6, or Figures7to 10 of the accompanying drawings.