GB2258143A

GB2258143A - A windscreen wiper blade with spoiler

Info

Publication number: GB2258143A
Application number: GB9215525A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Felicis Giuseppe De
Original assignee: Fister SpA
Current assignee: Fister SpA
Priority date: 1991-07-23
Filing date: 1992-07-22
Publication date: 1993-02-03
Also published as: FR2681029A1; DE4223766A1; ITTO910182U1; ES1022512Y; ITTO910182V0; FR2681029B3; GB9215525D0; ES1022512U; IT223233Z2

Description

2 25 CA 4-3 1 A WINDSCREEN WIPER BLADE WITH SPOILER The present invention

relates to a windscreen wiper blade with a wind-deflecting surface.

As is known, such a deflecting surface is constituted by a deflector element (generally called a spoiler) which is normally fixed to the central rocker arm of the blade by screws, by snap - engagement, or even by riveting; in order to increase the adherence of the wiper blade to the vehicle's windsdreen. In fact such a deflector, which extends alongside the rubber wiper element, deflects the air flowing along the windscreen above the windscreen wiper blade, causing the blade to be pressed against the windscreen and thereby ensuring that the wiping element acts uniformly along its entire length.

In known windscreen wiper blades, the method used to fix the deflector to the central rocker arm brings disadvantages. In fact, when the deflector is fixed by screws, these can loosen as a result of vibrations affecting the blade or as a result of knocks caused for example, by the brushes of a car wash. Similarly, if the deflector is snap-engaged, the action of car-wash brushes or vibrations can lead to the deflector becoming unclipped. In both cases, and in the case of fixing with rivets, even before the stage of detachment of the deflector is reached, the loosening of the connection 2 between the deflector and the rocker arm can lead to incorrect positioning of the deflector in relation to the windscreen and even to contact between the two, especially when the wiper is at the top of the windscreen, thereby reducing the adhesion of the blade to the windscreen and the effectiveness of the wiper. In some cases, there is also a risk of the spoiler becoming detached while the vehicle potentially dangerous situation.

is moving, creating a An object of the present invention is to provide a windscreen wiper blade that eliminates the disadvantages described above and in which the relative positions of the deflector and the blade to each other and therefore to the windscreen remain constant, even in the presence of vibrations and external forces on the spoiler which tend to modify their relative positions.

According to the present invention, there is provided a windscreen wiper blade with a wind-deflecting surface, including at least one rocker arm element carrying a wiper element and supporting a deflector element extending along at least part of the said blade, characterised in that the said deflector element is non-releasably fixed to the rocker arm element.

The invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

3 Figure 1 is a side view of the windscreen wiper blade according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a plan view of the present blade from above; and Figures 3 and 4 are two cross-sections of the blade, taken on the lines III-III and IV-IV respectively of Figure 1.

With reference initially to Figures 1 and 2, the illustrated windscreen wiper blade, generally indicated 1, comprises, as is known, a central rocker arm 2 having the shape of an upturned U in cross section (see Figure 4) and has a central hole 3 through which passes a pin 4 on which is rotatable a fixing element 5 for connection to an operating arm (not shown). The central rocker arm 2 has two end portions 6 on which are pivoted (by respective pins 7) the central portions 8 of respective intermediate arms 9 whose ends 10 (of which only the outer ones are visible in the drawings) are in turn articulated to central portions 11 of four end rocker arms 12. The end rocker arms 12 (of which only the two outside ones are completely visible in Figure 1) each have two pairs of little feet 13 supporting a rubber wiper element incorporating a longitudinal reinforcing spine 15 (Figure 3).

4 According to the present invention, there is non-releasably fixed to the central rocker arm 2, which is generally of metal, a deflector element or spoiler 18, conveniently of plastics material, which is moulded onto the central rocker arm 2 ensuring a lasting, non-releasable connection. The deflector 18 is formed in one piece and has a fixing portion 19 in which is embedded part of the central rocker arm 2, and a deflector portion 20 which extends alongside the central portion of the blade 1. In detail, the fixing portion 19 extends for slightly less than half the length of the central arm 2, from the hole 3 to near an end 7, and is joined to the deflector portion 20 along an intermediate portion 21 which is thinner than the fixing portion 19 itself. The deflector portion 20 extends substantially along the entire length of the central arm 2. As can be seen particularly in Figure 3, the deflector portion 20 is inclined to the longitudinal plane of symmetry of the blade, represented by the line 25 in the same drawing, away from the fixing portion 19.

In practice, as shown in Figure 1, the deflector portion 20 provides lateral cover for the central rocker arm 2, the inner halves of the intermediate arms 9 and the two inner end arms 12, while the wiper element 14 remains uncovered, thereby ensuring a correct spacing between the free edge of the deflector portion 20 and the surface of the windscreen once the blade 1 is mounted on the vehicle.

0 As is seen in Figures 2 and 4, the fixing portion 19 of the spoiler 18 finally has weight-reducing holes 26 in correspondence with similar holes 27 formed in the central rocker arm 2.

The windscreen wiper blade of the present invention has the following advantages. Firstly, given that the spoiler 18 is non-releasably fixed to the central rocker arm 2, it is not possible for the spoiler itself to move relative to the arm whether as a result of vibrations, knocks or stresses, thus ensuring that the correct working position and therefore the maximum efficiency of the spoiler are maintained. In addition, the spoiler cannot become detached while the vehicle is in motion, eliminating any related driving risks. Given that the fixing portion 19 of the spoiler 18 surrounds a large part of the central arm 2 and that the portion 21 intermediate the portions 19 and 20 is fairly long and sufficiently thick, the spoiler 18 has a high mechanical strength and is not easily broken. The moulding of the spoiler directly onto the blade 1 is a simple procedure and requires no further manual or automated operations to connect it to the blade, thus keeping costs low. Finally, in fitting of the spoiler to the blade requires no alteration to the blade itself so that a given blade can be marketed either with or without a spoiler, thus reducing manufacturing costs.

6 Finally it is clear that modifications and variations can be made to the blade illustrated and described above without departing from the scope of the present invention.

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Claims

1. A windscreen wiper blade with a wind deflecting surf ace, including at least one rocker arm element carrying a wiper element and supporting a deflector element extending along at least part of the said blade, wherein the deflector element is is non-releasably fixed to the rocker arm element.

2.

A windscreen wiper blade according to Claim 1 wherein the deflector element is moulded onto the rocker arm element.

3. A wiper blade according to Claim 1 or2, wherein the deflector element comprises a fixing portion in which is embedded part of the rocker arm element and a deflector portion extending alongside the rocker arm element for a length greater than the said fixing portion.

A wiper blade according to Claim 3, wherein the rocker arm element comprises a central rocker arm supporting end rocker arms at its ends, and in that the said fixing portion extends along substantially half the length of the central rocker arm and the deflector portion extends along substantially the entire central rocker arm.

8 5. A wiper blade according to Claim 3 or 4, wherein the said f ixing portion 19 has through-holes 26 in correspondence with through-holes 27 in the central rocker arm.

6. A wiper blade with a wind--:def lecting surface, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

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