JP2007237854A - Wiper blade - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a wiper blade small in size and light in weight having a pair of covers on both sides of rubber holder which holds blade rubber. <P>SOLUTION: A pair of holding parts 34 are provided at two ends in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder 16 of the wiper blade 11, and the blade rubber 15 is held in the holding parts 34 by the rubber holder 16, where a middle part is covered with the rubber holder 16. The two covers 17 are installed at the two ends in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder 16 and coupled rotatably with the rubber holder 16 by the engagement of a coupling leg 41 with a rotary shaft 47. A pair of stoppers 51 are installed on the covers 17, and when the covers 17 rotate at a prescribed angle or larger relative to the rubber holder 16, the stoppers 51 contact with the engagement part 52 of the rubber holder 16 so as to restrict the further rotation of the covers 17. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a wiper blade that is attached to the tip of a wiper arm and wipes a windshield of a vehicle.

  Vehicles such as passenger cars, buses, and trucks are provided with wiper blades to secure the driver's field of view by wiping rain, snow, splashes from the front car, and the like attached to the front window glass and rear window glass. Such a wiper blade has a rubber blade rubber that is in direct contact with the window glass and a rubber holder that holds the blade rubber. The rubber holder is attached to the tip of the wiper arm, and the wiper motor is driven by the wiper motor. And the glass surface is wiped by reciprocating the wiping range on the wind glass.

  As such a wiper blade, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a leaf spring member that is curved more strongly than the glass surface is attached to a mounting groove formed in the blade rubber, and the blade rubber to which the leaf spring member is attached is attached. What is held by a two-point holding type rubber holder is known. In this case, holding portions are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder, and the rubber holder holds the blade rubber in these holding portions. As a result, the pressing force from the wiper arm is applied to the middle part of the blade rubber from two points on both ends of the rubber holder, the leaf spring member is elastically deformed into a shape along the glass surface, and the blade rubber is made of glass with a predetermined distribution pressure. It comes in contact with the surface.

  However, in such a wiper blade, since the blade rubber is held by the rubber holder at two points on both ends in the longitudinal direction, the front side portion protruding from the rubber holder of the blade rubber is exposed to the outside. For this reason, there is a problem in that the mounting groove on which the leaf spring member is mounted and the burrs generated when the blade rubber is molded are visually recognized from the outside, so that the appearance of the wiper blade is poor.

Accordingly, a wiper blade has been developed in which a pair of covers are provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder, and the front side portion protruding from the rubber holder of the blade rubber is covered with these covers to improve the appearance of the wiper blade. . In this case, the base end of the cover is provided with a connecting leg projecting toward the rubber holder, while the rubber holder is provided with a rotating shaft, and the connecting leg is engaged with the rotating shaft. ing. Thus, the cover is connected to the rubber holder so as to be rotatable in a direction perpendicular to the window glass, so that the follow-up of the blade rubber to the glass surface is not hindered.
JP 63-145155 A

  However, in the wiper blade provided with the cover as described above, the cover is rotatable with respect to the rubber holder about the rotation axis. Therefore, the cover is rotated more than a predetermined angle with respect to the rubber holder by an external force. When moved, a large bending force due to an external force is applied to the connecting leg portion as a point of action corresponding to the holding portion. For this reason, it is necessary to form the connecting leg portion thickly and firmly so as to resist this bending force, which hinders the reduction in size and weight of the wiper blade.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the size and weight of a wiper blade having a pair of covers on both sides of a rubber holder that holds a blade rubber.

  The wiper blade of the present invention is a wiper blade that is attached to the tip of a wiper arm and wipes the window glass of a vehicle, and is formed so as to be elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the window glass and a blade rubber that contacts the window glass. A leaf spring member attached to the blade rubber, a rubber holder that includes a pair of holding portions at both longitudinal ends, covers a middle portion of the blade rubber, and holds the blade rubber in the holding portion; and the rubber A pair of covers provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the holder, each covering the front side portion of the blade rubber, and a connecting portion formed integrally with the cover and projecting from the cover toward the rubber holder and provided on the rubber holder A connecting leg portion rotatably connected to the cover; and A stopper that engages with an engaging portion provided in the rubber holder when the cover is rotated by a predetermined angle or more with respect to the holder and restricts the rotation of the cover by a predetermined angle or more. .

  The wiper blade of the present invention is characterized in that the engaging portion is provided on the window glass side of the connecting portion, and the stopper is disposed on the connecting portion side of the engaging portion.

  According to the present invention, when the cover is rotated at a predetermined angle or more with respect to the rubber holder by an excessive external force, the stopper of the cover is engaged with the engaging portion of the rubber holder and the cover is rotated at a predetermined angle or more. Since it is regulated, the bending force applied to the connecting leg by the external force can be reduced. Therefore, the connecting leg provided on the cover can be formed thin and small, and this wiper blade can be reduced in size and weight.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a wiper blade according to an embodiment of the present invention. The wiper blade 11 is attached to the tip of a wiper arm 13 of a vehicle 12, and when the wiper arm 13 is driven to swing by a wiper motor (not shown). The front window glass 14 of the vehicle 12 (hereinafter referred to as the window glass 14) is wiped by swinging with the wiper arm 13.

  The wiper blade 11 includes a blade rubber 15 that directly contacts the wind glass 14 and a rubber holder 16 that holds the blade rubber 15. A pair of covers 17 are provided on both sides of the rubber holder 16 in the longitudinal direction. .

  2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory views showing details of the holding portion shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the blade rubber 15 is made of a natural rubber or a synthetic rubber as a material and is formed in a bar shape having a uniform cross section in the longitudinal direction and having a head section 21, a lip section 22 and a neck section 23 having a rectangular section. The lip portion 22 comes into contact with the window glass 14. The neck portion 23 is formed with a narrow width in the wiping direction with respect to the head portion 21 and the lip portion 22, whereby the lip portion 22 can be tilted in the wiping direction with respect to the head portion 21.

  Between the head portion 21 and the neck portion 23, there are formed holding grooves 24 that open on both side surfaces in the wiping direction and extend in the longitudinal direction, and mounting grooves 21a are formed in the longitudinal direction on both side surfaces of the head portion 21, respectively. It is formed to extend. A leaf spring member 25 is mounted in each of the mounting grooves 21a.

  The leaf spring member 25 is formed into a flat plate having a length similar to that of the blade rubber 15 by punching a plate material such as a steel plate, and is elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the wind glass 14, thereby The blade rubber 15 to which the leaf spring member 25 is attached is elastically deformable integrally with the leaf spring member 25 in a direction perpendicular to the window glass 14, that is, a direction in which the degree of curvature is changed. Further, the leaf spring member 25 is curved in a natural state in a direction in which the leaf spring member 25 can be elastically deformed so as to be stronger than the curvature of the window glass 14, so that the blade rubber 15 to which the leaf spring member 25 is attached also extends from the wind glass 14. In a separated state, it is curved more strongly than the wind glass 14.

  In the illustrated case, the leaf spring member 25 is formed of a steel plate. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the leaf spring member 25 may be elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the wind glass 14 such as a hard resin. That's fine.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the rubber holder 16 includes a top wall portion 16a extending in the longitudinal direction by a resin material and a pair of side wall portions 16b extending from both side portions of the top wall portion 16a toward the wind glass 14. It is formed in a U-shaped cross section, and its length is formed to be about half of the blade rubber 15. An intermediate portion of the blade rubber 15 is disposed inside the rubber holder 16 and is covered with the rubber holder 16, and only the lip portion 22 is exposed to the outside. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a mounting portion 26 is fixed to a substantially middle portion of one side wall portion 16 b in the longitudinal direction, and the rubber holder 16 is attached to the tip of the wiper arm 13 at the mounting portion 26. . Further, fins 27 are integrally formed on the top wall portion 16a, and the aerodynamic characteristics of the wiper blade 11 are improved by the fins 27.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a holding portion 31 is provided at one end of the rubber holder 16 in the longitudinal direction (the side closer to the swing center of the wiper arm 13 when the wiper blade 11 is attached to the wiper arm 13). . As shown in FIG. 3A, the holding portion 31 includes a pair of holding claws 32 (in the figure, only one side is shown, but the other side is provided with the same holding claws). 32 is formed in a rectangular cross-sectional shape protruding from the side wall portion 16b in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the blade rubber 15 and parallel to the wiping direction, and engages with the holding groove 24 to hold the blade rubber 15 respectively. is doing. Further, the blade rubber 15 is provided with a pair of stopper portions 33a and 33b that sandwich the holding claws 32 from the longitudinal direction, and the holding claws 32 with respect to the blade rubber 15 are held in the holding grooves 24 by the stopper portions 33a and 33b. Movement in the direction along is restricted. That is, the blade rubber 15 is held by the rubber holder 16 in a state where the holding portion 31 is positioned in the longitudinal direction.

  Similarly, a holding portion 34 is provided at the other end of the rubber holder 16 in the longitudinal direction. As shown in FIG. 3B, the holding portion 34 has a pair of holding claws 35 each having a rectangular cross section. (In the figure, only one side is shown, but the same holding claw is provided on the other side.) The holding claw 35 engages with the holding groove 24, thereby holding the blade rubber 15. Further, the blade rubber 15 is not provided with a stopper portion at a portion where the holding claw 35 is engaged, and the holding claw 35 is movable along the holding groove 24. That is, the blade rubber 15 is held by the holding portion 34 so as to be movable in the axial direction with respect to the rubber holder 16.

  As described above, in the wiper blade 11, the pair of holding portions 31 and 34 are provided at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder 16, and the blade rubber 15 is held at two points of the holding portions 31 and 34. . Therefore, when the pressing force from the wiper arm 13 is applied to the rubber holder 16 via the mounting portion 26, the pressing force is applied to the blade rubber 15 from two points at both ends of the rubber holder 16, that is, from the holding portions 31 and 34. Thereby, the blade rubber 15 is brought into contact with the wind glass 14 in an elastic manner.

  4A to 4D are explanatory views showing changes in the shape of the blade rubber when the wiper blade shown in FIG. 1 is in contact with the wind glass. The wiper blade 11 has the blade rubber 15 as the wind glass 14. When not touching, the blade rubber 15 is curved in the direction of closing toward the glass surface with a larger curvature than the maximum curvature in the wiping range of the wind glass 14, as shown in FIG. When the wiper blade 11 is set on the wind glass 14 from this state, first, both end portions of the blade rubber 15 in the longitudinal direction come into contact with the glass surface. When the pressing force of the wiper arm 13 (indicated by an arrow in the figure) is applied to the blade rubber 15 through the rubber holder 16 with both ends of the blade rubber 15 in contact with the glass surface, as shown in FIG. The blade rubber 15 is deformed into an M shape so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction is in contact with the glass surface. At this time, since the blade rubber 15 is restricted from moving in the axial direction with respect to the rubber holder 16 in the holding portion 31 and is allowed to move in the axial direction in the holding portion 34, the pressing force from the wiper arm 13 increases. Accordingly, the blade rubber 15 can be deformed along the glass surface. As shown in FIG. 4 (c), the blade rubber 15 is gradually deformed so as to be along the glass surface. When the blade rubber 15 is completely set on the glass surface, as shown in FIG. The wiping posture is such that the entire longitudinal direction comes into contact with the glass surface by the pressing force from 13. At this time, the leaf spring member 25 is also elastically deformed along the glass surface in the same manner as the blade rubber 15, so that the pressing force of the wiper arm 13 applied to the rubber holder 16 via the attachment portion 26 is elastically deformed of the leaf spring member 25. The blade rubber 15 is dispersed in the longitudinal direction of the blade rubber 15, and the blade rubber 15 contacts the window glass 14 with a uniform distributed pressure in the longitudinal direction. Accordingly, the blade rubber 15 can be wiped in a state where the entire longitudinal direction is uniformly in contact with the wind glass 14, and good wiping performance can be exhibited.

  5 is a perspective view showing details of the rubber holder and the cover shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. In the present embodiment, the wiper blade 11 is provided with a pair of covers 17, but these covers 17 have substantially the same structure except that they are bilaterally symmetrical. Only the cover 17 will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cover 17 is formed separately from the rubber holder 16, and a connecting leg portion 41 is provided at a base end portion thereof so that the connecting leg portion 41 is connected to the rubber holder 16. It has become. As shown in FIG. 6, the cover 17 is formed of a resin material into a U-shaped cross section having a top wall portion 17a and a pair of side wall portions 17b. The top wall portion 17a has a fin of the rubber holder 16. The fin 42 which continues to 27 is integrally formed to enhance its aerodynamic characteristics.

  As shown in FIG. 1, one cover 17 is arranged side by side on the rubber holder 16 on one side in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder 16, and the other cover 17 is on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder 16. Accordingly, the front side portions of the blade rubber 15 protruding from both sides of the rubber holder 16 are covered with the covers 17 respectively. That is, the blade rubber 15 is such that only a part of the lip portion 22 is exposed to the outside and the other part is entirely covered by the rubber holder 16 and the cover 17.

  Thus, since the wiper blade 11 is provided with the pair of covers 17 on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder 16, the entire blade rubber 15 can be covered with the rubber holder 16 and the cover 17. Accordingly, the leaf spring member 25 attached to the blade rubber 15 and the burrs generated when the blade rubber 15 is molded are hidden by the cover 17 so that they cannot be seen from the outside, thereby improving the aesthetics of the wiper blade 11. Can do.

  7 is a perspective view showing details of the connecting leg portion, FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing details of the connecting boss portion, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the connecting leg portion 41 provided on the cover 17 is formed of a resin material integrally with the cover 17 so as to protrude from the base end portion of the cover 17 toward the rubber holder 16. A metal reinforcing member 43 is insert-molded.

  The connecting leg portion 41 is formed in a plate shape whose thickness in the direction perpendicular to the window glass 14 is thin with respect to the cover 17, and a long hole 44 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the central portion thereof. Has been. The connecting leg 41 is provided with a pair of engaging recesses 45 located on both sides of the elongated hole 44. The engaging recesses 45 are arranged opposite to each other with their axes aligned with each other. Has been. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 8, the rubber holder 16 has a leading end portion as a connecting portion formed in a convex shape that protrudes toward the wind glass 14 from the top wall portion 16 a integrally with the top wall portion 16 a. A connecting boss portion 46 is provided, and a pair of rotating shafts 47 that are coaxial with each other and project in the wiping direction are provided on both sides of the connecting boss portion 46.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the connecting leg portion 41 has the connecting boss portion 46 disposed in the elongated hole 44 so that the inner surface thereof engages with the outer surface of the connecting boss portion 46, and the engaging recess 45 corresponds. It connects with the connection boss | hub part 46 so that it may engage with the rotating shaft 47 so that rotation is possible. As a result, the cover 17 is connected to the rubber holder 16 so as to be rotatable in the direction perpendicular to the window glass 14 around the rotation shaft 47 in the connecting leg portion 41. Therefore, even if the wiper blade 11 starts the wiping operation and the blade rubber 15 is elastically deformed so as to follow the window glass 14, the cover 17 rotates with respect to the rubber holder 16 and the blade rubber 15 is elastically deformed. Without obstruction, the followability of the wiper blade 11 to the glass surface can be improved.

  FIGS. 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing the operation of the stopper.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the wiper blade 11 is opposed to the end face of the rubber holder 16 of the side wall portion 17 b of the cover 17 in order to restrict the rotation angle of the cover 17 with respect to the rubber holder 16 within a predetermined range. A pair of stoppers 51 are provided on the surface to be engaged, and a pair of engaging portions 52 are provided on the rubber holder 16.

  The engaging portions 52 formed on the rubber holder 16 are formed on the front end side of the rubber holder 16 with respect to the holding claws 32 and are integrally formed with the holding claws 32, respectively. It is positioned closer to the wind glass 14 than the (connection boss portion 46). On the other hand, the stoppers 51 provided on the cover 17 are formed integrally with the cover 17 so as to protrude from the base end portion of the cover 17 to the rubber holder 16 side, respectively, and when the cover 17 is coupled to the rubber holder 16, A pair of stoppers 51 are disposed on the inner side of the side wall portion 16 b of the rubber holder 16 and are provided at predetermined positions located on the rotation shaft 47 side with respect to the engaging portion 52. For this reason, the wiper blade 11 which is not easily damaged without impairing the appearance can be provided.

  Next, the rotation restricting action of the cover 17 by the stopper 51 and the engaging portion 52 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in a normal state such as when the wiper blade 11 is set on the window glass 14, the cover 17 is positioned within a predetermined angle range with respect to the rubber holder 16, and at this time, as shown in FIG. As shown, the stopper 51 of the cover 17 is separated from the engaging portion 52 of the rubber holder 16 with a predetermined interval. Therefore, even if the wiper blade 11 performs the wiping operation in this state, the stopper 51 does not come into contact with the engaging portion 52, the rotation of the cover 17 with respect to the rubber holder 16 is not restricted, and the blade rubber 15 follows the glass surface. Corresponding to the operation, the cover 17 freely rotates, and the wiping property of the wiper blade 11 is ensured.

  On the other hand, for example, when the wiper blade 11 is removed from the wiper arm 13, an excessive external force is applied to the cover 17, and the cover 17 tries to rotate more than a predetermined angle with respect to the rubber holder 16. As shown in FIG. 10B, the end portion of the side wall portion 17b of the cover 17 abuts against the end portion of the side wall portion 16b of the rubber holder 16, and the stopper 51 contacts the engaging portion 52. Further rotation is restricted. That is, when an excessive external force is applied to the cover 17 and the cover 17 tries to rotate more than a predetermined angle with respect to the rubber holder 16 about the rotation shaft 47, the stopper 51 is engaged with the engaging portion. The contact with 52 is supported by the stopper 51, and further rotation of the cover 17 is restricted. Therefore, even if the cover 17 is rotated with respect to the rubber holder 16 by an excessive external force, it is possible to prevent an excessive bending force having the holding portions 31 and 34 from acting on the connecting leg portion 41.

  Thus, in the wiper blade 11, when the cover 17 rotates more than a predetermined angle with respect to the rubber holder 16 due to excessive external force, the stopper 51 of the cover 17 is engaged with the engaging portion 52 of the rubber holder 16. Since the rotation of the cover 17 beyond a predetermined angle is restricted, the bending force applied to the connecting leg 41 by the external force can be reduced. Therefore, the connecting leg portion 41 provided on the cover 17 can be formed thin and small, and thus the wiper blade 11 can be reduced in size and weight.

  It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the wiper blade 11 wipes the front window glass 14 of the vehicle 12, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the wiper blade 11 may wipe the rear window glass of the vehicle 12. Good.

  In the present embodiment, the cover 17 is rotated by engaging the engaging recess 45 provided in the connecting leg portion 41 of the cover 17 with the rotating shaft 47 provided in the connecting boss portion 46 of the rubber holder 16. The rubber holder 16 is freely connected to the rubber holder 16, but is not limited to this. For example, if the connecting leg portion 41 is connected to the connecting boss portion 46 so as to be rotatable, the connecting leg portion 41 can be rotated. A moving shaft may be provided, and an engaging recess may be provided in the connecting boss portion 46.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the leaf spring member 25 is attached to the attachment groove 21a of the blade rubber 15. However, the structure is not limited to this, and the leaf spring member 25 is directly fixed to the blade rubber 15 by adhesion or the like. Also good.

  Further, the reinforcing member 43 may not be provided, and the connecting leg portion 41 and the cover 17 may be integrally formed with resin.

  Furthermore, the present invention can be applied to wiper blades used in various types of wiper apparatuses such as a tandem type and a counter wiping type.

It is a perspective view which shows the wiper blade which is one embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing which follows the AA line in FIG. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing which shows the detail of the holding | maintenance part shown in FIG. 1, respectively. (A)-(d) is explanatory drawing which shows the change of the shape of a blade rubber when the wiper blade shown in FIG. 1, respectively contacts window glass. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of the rubber holder and cover shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing which follows the BB line in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of a connection leg part. It is a perspective view which shows the detail of a connection boss | hub part. It is sectional drawing which follows the CC line in FIG. (A), (b) is explanatory drawing which shows the effect | action of a stopper, respectively.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Wiper blade 12 Vehicle 13 Wiper arm 14 Front window glass 15 Blade rubber 16 Rubber holder 16a Top wall part 16b Side wall part 17 Cover 17a Top wall part 17b Side wall part 21 Head part 21a Mounting groove 22 Lip part 23 Neck part 24 Holding groove 25 Plate Spring member 26 Mounting portion 27 Fin 31 Holding portion 32 Holding claws 33a and 33b Stopper portion 34 Holding portion 35 Holding claw 41 Connecting leg portion 42 Fin 43 Reinforcing member 44 Long hole 45 Engaging recess portion 46 Connecting boss portion 47 Rotating shaft 51 Stopper 52 engaging part

Claims (2)

A wiper blade attached to the tip of the wiper arm to wipe the windshield of the vehicle,
A blade rubber in contact with the window glass;
A leaf spring member that is elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the window glass and is attached to the blade rubber;
A rubber holder that includes a pair of holding portions at both ends in the longitudinal direction, covers a middle portion of the blade rubber, and holds the blade rubber in the holding portion;
A pair of covers provided on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the rubber holder, respectively covering the front side portion of the blade rubber;
A connecting leg portion formed integrally with the cover, projecting from the cover to the rubber holder side and rotatably connected to a connecting portion provided in the rubber holder;
A stopper that is provided on the cover and that engages with an engaging portion provided on the rubber holder when the cover rotates relative to the rubber holder by a predetermined angle or more, thereby restricting the rotation of the cover beyond the predetermined angle. A wiper blade characterized by comprising:   2. The wiper blade according to claim 1, wherein the engaging portion is provided closer to the wind glass than the connecting portion, and the stopper is disposed closer to the connecting portion than the engaging portion.

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