GB2159043A

GB2159043A - Windscreen wiper blade assembly

Info

Publication number: GB2159043A
Application number: GB08413206A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ian John Deeks
Original assignee: WIPERS Ltd
Current assignee: WIPERS Ltd
Priority date: 1984-05-23
Filing date: 1984-05-23
Publication date: 1985-11-27
Also published as: GB2159043B; GB8413206D0

Abstract

A windscreen wiper blade assembly comprises a primary yoke, and at least one secondary yoke releasably connected together and turnable relative to each other between an operative position and an inoperative position. The primary yoke includes a slot (15) and a cavity (16). The secondary yoke includes a pin (23) having studs (24, 25). In the operative position, the pin (23) extends along the bottom of slot (15) and studs (24, 25) are positioned within cavity (16) so that movement of the pin (23) away from the slot (15) is prevented. The yokes may be separated by relative turning to an inoperative position and displacing one relative to the other. A wiper arm may be connected to a primary yoke by means of a similar coupling. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Windscreen wiper blade assembly This invention relates to a windscreen wiper blade assembly.

According to the invention a windscreen wiper blade assembly comprises first and second wiper parts releasably connected together and turnable relative to each other between an operative position and an inoperative position, said first wiper part including a straight slot extending in a first direction and having a mouth and a bottom remote from said mouth and a cavity extending transversely of said first direction and which opens into the bottom of said slot between the ends of the latter, and said second wiper part including a pin having means extending transversely from a portion of the pin intermediate opposite ends of the latter, the said wiper parts when connected together in said operative position being positioned with the pin extending in said first direction along the bottom of the slot and with the transversely extending means positioned within said cavity so that movement of the pin away from the bottom of the slot and through the mouth of the slot is prevented by abutment of the transversely extending means against walls of the cavity, the said wiper parts being disconnectible by relative turning of the wiper parts into said inoperative position so that the said cavity walls do not impede the said transversely extending means to permit movement of the pin away from the bottom of the slot and through the mouth of the slot thereby to disconnect the said wiper parts.

Preferably one of said wiper parts, e.g. the first wiper part, comprises a primary yoke and the other wiper part, e.g. the second wiper part, comprises a secondary yoke. In this case two secondary yokes are conveniently provided for connection to opposite ends of the primary yoke.

Typically the said cavity opens into a first surface of the first wiper part opposite a second surface of the first wiper part containing the mouth of said slot.

Suitably the second wiper part includes an opening defined in part by spaced apart side walls, the said pin extending across said opening from one to the other of said side walls, and the said first wiper part includes a portion, containing the said slot, which is positioned in said opening between the said spaced apart walls when the wiper parts are connected together.

Conveniently the transversely extending means extend transversely on opposite sides of the pin.

Typically the said wiper parts are made of plastics material.

Although the said wiper parts preferably comprises primary and secondary yokes, it is possible for one of the wiper parts to comprise a primary yoke and the other of the wiper parts to comprise a wiper arm.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a primary yoke and a secondary yoke of a windscreen wiper blade assembly according to the invention, Figure 2 is a plan view of the primary yoke shown in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line Ill-Ill of Figure 2, Figure 4 is a plan of the secondary yoke shown in Figure 1, Figure 5 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line V-V of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line VI-VI of Figure 4, Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of an end portion of the primary yoke shown in Figure 1, and Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line Vil-VIl of Figure 7.

Figure 1 shows a yoke assembly of a windscreen wiper blade assembly comprising a plastics primary yoke 1 and a pair of plastics secondary yokes 2 and 3 (secondary yokes 3 being shown in dashed lines).

The secondary yoke 2 is shown disconnected from the primary yoke 1 whereas the secondary yoke 3 is shown connected to the primary yoke 1 in an operative position.

The primary yoke 1 can be seen in Figures 1-3,7 and 8 and comprises two side walls 4 and 5 connected by a web 6 of arcuate cross-section having apertures 7 formed therein. The web 6 does not bridge between the walls 4 and 5 at a central region of the yoke 1 so that an opening 8 is formed at the centre of the yoke 1. Within the opening a pin 9 extends between the side walls 4 and 5 for the connection of a wiper arm (not shown) to the primary yoke 1.

At opposite ends of the primary yoke 1, narrrow end portions 10 are provided each having spaced apart parallel side surfaces 11 and 12, a bottom surface 13 and a top surface 14. The two end portions 10 are similarly constructed and, for convenience, only one end portion 10 will be described in detail in the ensuing description.

A straight slot 15 opens into the bottom surface 13 and extends widthwise across the narrow portion 10 from surface 11 to surface 12. A further slot or cavity 16 of generally rectangular cross-section opens into the top surface 14 and meets the slot 15 in such a manner that the bottom of the slot 15, intermediate its opposite ends, opens into the cavity 16. As can be seen in Figure 2, the cavity 16 extends substantially lengthwise of the primary yoke 1 as opposed to the slot 15 which extends substantially widthwise of the primary yoke 1. By way of example, the cavity 16 has a length L = 4.826 mm and a width W1 = 2.54 mm and the slot 15 has a width W2 = 3.200 mm.

The secondary yoke 2 can be seen in Figures 1,4, 5 and 6 and comprises spaced apart, parallel side walls 20 and 21 defining an opening 22. A cylindrical pin 23 is positioned within the opening 22 and extends between the side walls 20 and 21. The pin 23 is provided with transverse cylindrical studs 24 and 25 extending substantially lengthwise of the secondary yoke 2. By way of example the distance between the free ends of the studs 24 and 25 is 4.445 mm, the diameter of the pin 23 is 3.175 mm and the diameter of each stud 24, 25 is 2.286 mm.

In order to connect the secondary yoke 2 to the primary yoke 1, the yokes 1 and 2 are positioned as shown in Figure 1 and the secondary yoke 2 is moved towards the primary yoke in a direction parallel to arrow A. Since the diameter of each of the cylindrical studs 24 and 25 and of the pin 23 are less than the width W2 of the slot 15, the pin 23 can be moved through the mouth of the slot 15 to the bottom of the latter. When so positioned, the secondary yoke is in an inoperative position and is then turned relativetothe primaryyoke 1 through approximately 90 in a counter-clockwise direction (as viewed in Figure 1) about the axis of the pin 23 to adopt an operative position similar to that occupied by the secondary yoke 3.It will be appreciated, of course, that the studs 24 and 25 each have a diameter less than the width W1 of the cavity 16, have a distance between their free ends less than the length L of the cavity 16 and are not too long thereby to enable movement of the secondary yoke 2 relative to the primary yoke 1 between said operative and inoperative positions without being obstructed by the walls of the slot 15 and/or cavity 16.

When the secondary yoke 2 is connected to the primary yoke 1 in its operative position, the studs 23 and 24 extend into the cavity 16 and the bottom walls of the latter prevent downward movement (as viewed in Figure 1) of the yoke 2 relative to the yoke 1. Upward movement of the yoke 2 relative to the yoke 1 is of course prevented by abutment of the pin 23 against the bottom of the slot 15 on either side of the cavity 16. If it is desired to detach the secondary yoke 2 from the primary yoke 1, secondary yoke 2 is turned, relative to the primary yoke 1, into its operative position and is then moved downwardly relative to the yoke 1 so that the pin 23 is moved away from the bottom of the slot 15 and through the open mouth of the slot without being blocked or impeded by the walls of the cavity 16.

Although the invention has been specifically described with reference to the coupling of one or more secondary yokes to a primary yoke, a similar type of coupling could also or alternatively be provided for coupling a wiper arm (not shown) to the central part of the primary yoke.

It will also be appreciated that for coupling the secondary yokes to the primary yoke, pins 23 could be provided at opposite ends of the primary yoke (instead of on the secondary yokes). In this case slots and cavities for receiving the pins would be formed in the secondary yokes (instead of in the primary yoke).

Claims

1. A windscreen wiper blade assembly comprising first and second wiper parts releasably connected together and turnable relative to each other between an operative position and an inoperative position, said first wiper part including a straight slot extending in a first direction and having a mouth and a bottom remote from said mouth and a cavity extending transversely of said first direction and which opens into the bottom of said slot between the ends of the latter, and said second wiper part including a pin having means extending transversely from a portion of the pin intermediate opposite ends of the latter, the said wiper parts when connected together in said operative position being positioned with the pin extending in said first direction along the bottom of the slot and with the transversely extending means positioned within said cavity so that movement of the pin away from the bottom of the slot and through the mouth of the slot is prevented by abutment of the transversely extending means against walls of the cavity, the said wiper parts being disconnectible by relative turning of the wiper parts into said inoperative position so that the said cavity walls do not impede the said transversely extending means to permit movement of the pin away from the bottom of the slot and through the mouth of the slot thereby to disconnect the said wiper parts.

2. A windscreen wiper blade assembly according to claim 1, in which one of said first and second wiper parts comprises a primary yoke and the other of said first and second wiper parts comprises a secondary yoke.

3. A windscreen wiper blade assembly according to claim 2, comprising two secondary yokes releasably connectible to opposite ends of the primary yoke.

4. A windscreen wiper blade assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the said cavity opens into a first surface of the first wiper part opposite a second surface of the first wiper part containing the mouth of said slot.

5. A windscreen wiper blade assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the second wiper part includes an opening defined in part by spaced apart side walls, the said pin extending across said opening from one to the other of said side walls, and the said first wiper part includes a portion, containing the said slot, which is positioned in said opening between the said spaced apart walls when the wiper parts are connected together.

6. A windscreen wiper blade assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the transversely extending means extend transversely on opposite sides of the pin.

7. A windscreen wiper blade assembly according to any of the preceding claims, in which the or each transversely extending means comprises a cylindrical stud having an axis perpendicular to the axis of said pin.

8. A windscreen wiper blade assembly, in which the said wiper parts are made of plastics material.

9. A windscreen wiper blade assembly according to claim 1, in which one of the first and second wiper parts comprises a primary yoke and the other of the first and second wiper parts comprises a wiper arm.

10. A windscreen wiper blade assembly constructed and arranged substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.