JP6738198B2 - Wiper arm - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to wiper arms.

In the vehicle wiper arm described in Patent Document 1 below, a retainer that is connected to a wiper blade via an arm piece is rotatably connected to a tip end portion of an arm head. When the retainer is rotated to the lockback position where it stands upright with respect to the arm head, the convex portion provided on the side wall of the retainer comes into contact with the protrusion provided on the distal end portion of the arm head. As a result, rotation of the retainer in the upright direction with respect to the arm head is restricted.

On the other hand, in the wiper arm described in Patent Document 2 below, when the retainer is rotated to the lockback position in which the retainer stands upright with respect to the arm head, the end surface of the side wall of the retainer on the arm head side is formed at the tip of the arm head. It comes into contact with the bent portion (step portion). As a result, rotation of the retainer in the upright direction with respect to the arm head is restricted.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 56-161846 JP, 2007-168489, A

In the vehicle wiper arm described in Patent Document 1, for example, when the length dimension of the wiper arm is increased, the torque when the retainer is erected with respect to the arm head is increased. As a result, the stress acting on the protrusion when the protrusion of the retainer contacts the protrusion of the arm head increases, and it becomes difficult to secure the strength of the protrusion. This point is considered to be the same in the wiper arm described in Patent Document 2.

In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to provide a wiper arm that can easily secure the strength of a portion of a retainer that restricts rotation with respect to an arm head.

In a wiper arm of the present disclosure, an arm head whose base end is fixed to a wiper shaft, and a pair of side walls and an upper wall connecting the pair of side walls extend in the longitudinal direction, and the pair of side walls at one longitudinal end. Includes a retainer rotatably connected to the tip of the arm head, and a rubber elastic member disposed on an upper surface of the tip of the arm head, and the retainer stands upright with respect to the arm head. By rotating in the direction, the end surface of the upper wall on the arm head side abuts against the upper surface of the tip end portion via the rubber elastic member.

According to the above configuration, when the retainer is rotated in the direction in which it is upright with respect to the arm head, the end face of the upper wall of the retainer on the arm head side is a rubber elastic member disposed on the upper surface of the tip of the arm head. Abut on the upper surface through. This restricts further rotation of the retainer in the upright direction. In this retainer, a pair of side walls rotatably connected to the tip of the arm head are connected by an upper wall. For this reason, at the time of the above-mentioned abutting, the load applied from the tip of the arm head to the upper wall is distributed to the pair of side walls, so that stress can be prevented from being concentrated on the upper wall. As a result, it is possible to easily secure the strength of the upper wall that is a portion for restricting the rotation of the retainer with respect to the arm head. Moreover, as described above, since the end surface of the upper wall of the retainer abuts the upper surface of the tip end portion of the arm head via the rubber elastic member, it is possible to prevent the upper surface of the arm head, which is a design component, from being damaged.

In the wiper arm of the present disclosure, the arm head is attached to the head body to cover the head body, the head body including the base end portion and the tip end portion, and the arm head is formed at the end portion on the retainer side. And a head cover having the rubber elastic member mounted on the mounting portion.

According to the above configuration, the head main body having the proximal end fixed to the wiper shaft and the retainer connected to the distal end is manufactured by, for example, aluminum die casting. On the other hand, the head cover attached to the head body and covering the head body is manufactured by, for example, resin injection molding. Then, the rubber elastic member is attached to the attaching portion formed at the end portion on the retainer side of the resin head cover. As a result, the degree of freedom in setting the shape of the mounting portion is higher than in the case where the mounting portion is formed on the head body made of aluminum die cast. As a result, for example, the rubber elastic member can be easily assembled to the mounting portion.

In the wiper arm of the present disclosure, a part of the rubber elastic member is arranged between the mounting portion and the head body.

According to the above configuration, a part of the rubber elastic member is arranged between the mounting portion formed on the head cover and the head body. Accordingly, the backlash of the head cover with respect to the head body can be regulated by the rubber elastic member for preventing the arm head from being damaged.

Further, in the wiper arm of the present disclosure, the rubber elastic member is formed with a slit opened toward the base end side of the head body, and the mounting portion is inserted into the slit. One of the parts on both sides through the slit is the part.

According to the above configuration, the rubber elastic member is formed with the slit opened to the base end side of the head main body. The mounting portion of the head cover is inserted into this slit. Then, one of the portions on both sides of the rubber elastic member via the slit is arranged between the mounting portion and the head body. Since the mounting portion of the head cover is inserted into the slit formed in the rubber elastic member as described above, the rubber elastic member partially sandwiched between the mounting portion and the head body can be easily attached to the head cover. Can be installed.

Further, in the wiper arm of the present disclosure, the head main body is formed with a detachment preventing portion that prevents the rubber elastic member from coming off by contacting the rubber elastic member from the tip side of the head main body. ..

According to the above configuration, the detachment prevention portion of the head main body comes into contact with the rubber elastic member, so that the mounting portion of the head cover is prevented from coming out from the slit of the rubber elastic member. As a result, the head elastic body can prevent the rubber elastic member from coming off the mounting portion.

Further, in the wiper arm of the present disclosure, the mounting portion is formed with a notch opening to the tip side of the head body, and the rubber elastic member is a notch insertion portion inserted inside the notch. And the portions on both sides via the slit are connected by the notch insertion portion.

According to the above configuration, the rubber elastic member has the notch insertion portion inserted inside the notch portion formed in the mounting portion of the head cover. The notch insertion portion connects the portions on both sides of the rubber elastic member via the slit. Thereby, the slit can be prevented from expanding due to an external force, so that the rubber elastic member can be favorably held in the mounting portion.

Further, in the wiper arm of the present disclosure, the notch insertion portion is fitted inside the notch portion.

According to the above configuration, the cutout insertion portion of the rubber elastic member is fitted in the cutout portion formed in the mounting portion of the head cover. By this fitting, the rubber elastic member is held by the mounting portion. As a result, for example, when the head cover to which the rubber elastic member is attached is attached to the head main body, the rubber elastic member does not easily accidentally fall off from the attachment portion.

1 is a plan view of a vehicle wiper configured by applying a wiper arm according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration of a base end side of the wiper arm. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a configuration around a connecting portion between an arm head and a retainer. It is an expansion perspective view which expands and shows a part of FIG. It is an expanded sectional view which expands and shows the cut surface which cut|disconnected the arm head along line F5-F5 of FIG. It is a perspective view of a grommet which is a rubber elastic member. (A) is a top view of a grommet, (b) is a front view of a grommet, (c) is a right side view of a grommet. It is sectional drawing which shows the cut surface along the F8-F8 line of FIG.7(c). FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the retainer is located at the lockback position in the wiper arm according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which a retainer is located at a lockback position in a wiper arm according to a comparative example. It is sectional drawing which shows the partial structure of the wiper arm which concerns on the modification of embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, the wiper arm 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9. As shown in FIG. 1, a wiper arm 10 according to the present embodiment is applied to a vehicle wiper 14 for wiping an unillustrated front windshield 12 (not shown except in FIG. 1) of an automobile. A wiper blade 16 is connected to the tip of the wiper arm 10. Both the wiper arm 10 and the wiper blade 16 are formed in a long shape.

The wiper arm 10 is reciprocally rotated (swings) by receiving the rotational force of a wiper motor (not shown). By the reciprocating rotation of the wiper arm 10, the wiper blade 16 reciprocally rotates to wipe the wiping surface 12A of the front windshield 12. The wiper arm 10 and the wiper blade 16 are arranged at a storage position that extends in the vehicle width direction along the lower end of the front windshield when the wiper motor is not operating.

It should be noted that arrows A and B that are appropriately shown in the respective drawings indicate one side in the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 10 and the other side in the longitudinal direction. In addition, arrows C, D, and R that are appropriately shown in the drawings respectively indicate the upward direction of the wiper arm 10, the downward direction of the wiper arm 10, and the rotating direction of the wiper arm 10 (wiping direction of the wiper blade 16). Hereinafter, in the case of simply using the vertical direction, the vertical direction of the wiper arm 10 is shown.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wiper arm 10 includes an arm head 18 that constitutes a base end portion of the wiper arm 10, a retainer 20 that constitutes a longitudinally intermediate portion of the wiper arm 10, and an arm piece that constitutes a tip end portion of the wiper arm 10. 22 and 22 are provided. The wiper arm 10 includes a first washer nozzle 26 attached to the tip of the retainer 20, a second washer nozzle 24 attached to the arm piece 22, and two washer hoses 28 provided on the wiper arm 10. , 30 and. The wiper arm 10 further includes a grommet 40 as a “rubber elastic member” attached to the arm head 18. First, an outline of the overall configuration of the wiper arm 10 will be described, and then, a main part of the present embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the arm head 18 includes a metal head main body 32 that constitutes the main body of the arm head 18, and a resin head cover 34 that covers the head main body 32. .. The head main body 32 is manufactured by aluminum die casting, and is formed in an elongated shape having the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 10 as the longitudinal direction. The surface of the head body 32 is coated with a black coating for antiglare and rust prevention and is covered with a coating layer. The base end portion 32A, which is one end portion in the longitudinal direction of the head body 32, corresponds to the “base end portion of the arm head” according to the present invention, and the tip end portion 32B that is the other end portion in the longitudinal direction of the head body 32 is. Corresponds to the “tip portion of the arm head” according to the present invention.

A fastening hole (not shown) whose axial direction is the vertical direction of the wiper arm 10 is formed in the central portion of the base end portion 32A of the head body 32. A pivot shaft 38 (see FIG. 1) as a wiper shaft is inserted into the fastening hole from below the base end portion 32A. The pivot shaft 38 has a proximal end portion 32A of the head main body 32 fastened and fixed to the pivot shaft 38 by a nut 39 being screwed into a distal end portion formed with a male screw.

The pivot shaft 38 is rotatably supported on a lower end side of the front windshield 12 by a pivot holder (not shown) fixed to a frame of an automobile or the like, and the rotational force of the wiper motor is transmitted via a link mechanism (not shown). It is reciprocally rotated. As a result, the head body 32, that is, the arm head 18 is reciprocally rotated (reciprocally rocked) integrally with the pivot shaft 38. When the wiper motor reciprocally rotates the output shaft, the output shaft of the wiper motor may be a wiper shaft.

The head cover 34 is manufactured by injection molding of resin, for example, and is formed in an elongated shape as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The head cover 34 is formed in an open cross-sectional shape open to the lower side (wiping surface 12A side) of the wiper arm 10 when viewed in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the head cover 34 includes a pair of front wall portions 34F and rear wall portions 34R facing the rotation direction of the wiper arm 10 (direction of arrow R in FIGS. 1 to 4), front wall portion 34F and rear wall portions. 34R has an upper wall portion 34U connecting the upper end portion (the end portion on the opposite side to the wiping surface 12A), and has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section when viewed in the longitudinal direction.

The head cover 34 is attached to the head body 32 from above (on the side opposite to the wiping surface 12A), and the upper wall portion 34U, the front wall portion 34F, and the rear wall portion 34R form an upper surface and both sides of the head body 32. Covering the face. A plurality of claw portions (not shown) are formed at lower end portions of the front wall portion 34F and the rear wall portion 34R (end portions on the side opposite to the upper wall portion 34U). The head cover 34 is held by the head body 32 by hooking these claw portions on the lower surface of the head body 32. The head cover 34 is set to have a dimension in the longitudinal direction shorter than that of the head main body 32, and is covered on the head main body 32 in a state where the front end portion 32B and the base end portion 32A of the head main body 32 are exposed.

On the other hand, the retainer 20 is formed by bending a sheet metal, for example, and has a long shape. The retainer 20 is formed in an open cross-sectional shape that is open to the lower side (wiping surface 12A side) of the wiper arm 10 when viewed in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the retainer 20 includes a front wall 20F and a rear wall 20R that face each other in the rotating direction of the wiper arm 10, and upper end portions (end portions on the opposite side to the wiping surface 12A) of the front wall 20F and the rear wall 20R. The wiper arm 10 has an upper wall 20U connected in the rotating direction, and has a substantially inverted U-shaped cross section when viewed in the longitudinal direction. The front wall 20F and the rear wall 20R correspond to the "pair of side walls" according to the present invention.

A front wall 20F and a rear wall 20R of the retainer 20 are rotatably connected to a front end portion 32B of a head body 32 at a base end portion 20A which is one end portion in the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the front end portion 32B of the arm head 18 is arranged in an inserted state between the front wall 20F and the rear wall 20R, and the hinge shaft 36 penetrating the front wall 20F, the front end portion 32B, and the rear wall 20R ends. The part is crimped. As a result, the base end portion 20A of the retainer 20 is pivotally supported by the tip end portion 32B of the head body 32 via the hinge shaft 36. The retainer 20 has a normal position (wiping posture position) extending along the wiping surface 12A (see FIGS. 1 to 4) and a lockback position (standing posture position) that stands upright with respect to the wiping surface 12A and the arm head 18 (upright posture position). (See FIG. 9), the arm head 18 can be rotated. The arrow L shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 and 9 indicates the rotation direction of the retainer 20 with respect to the arm head 18.

A biasing member (not shown) (for example, a tension coil spring) is housed inside the retainer 20. The urging member is bridged between the retainer 20 or the arm piece 22 and the arm head 18. This urging member moves the retainer 20 to the normal position side (wiping surface 12A side) in a state where the retainer 20 is located on the normal position side with respect to the moderation point set between the normal position and the lockback position. Energize. On the other hand, the biasing member biases the retainer 20 toward the lockback position side when the retainer 20 is located closer to the lockback position than the moderation point.

The arm piece 22 is formed by bending a metal plate, and has an elongated shape. The base end portion (end portion in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1) of the arm piece 22 is fixed to the tip end portion of the retainer 20 by means such as swaging, screwing, and riveting. The tip of the arm piece 22 (the end in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1) is bent in a U shape, and is not shown provided in the connecting hole 50 formed in the longitudinal intermediate portion of the wiper blade 16. It is detachably attached to a connecting member (not shown) attached to the connecting shaft. As a result, the wiper blade 16 is connected to the tip of the arm piece 22, that is, the tip of the wiper arm 10. The wiper blade 16 is pressed against the wiping surface 12A by the biasing force of the biasing member described above.

The first washer nozzle 26 is formed in a long and substantially prismatic shape, and is disposed at the tip of the retainer 20 with the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 10 as the longitudinal direction. The first washer nozzle 26 is attached to the tip portion of the retainer 20 by means such as claw fitting, concavo-convex fitting, and screwing. The second washer nozzle 24 is formed in a long and substantially prismatic shape, and is arranged on one side in the width direction of the arm piece 22 with the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 10 as the longitudinal direction. A nozzle connecting piece 22A extending to the lower side of the wiper arm 10 is formed at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction of the arm piece 22, and the second washer nozzle 26 is a nozzle connected by means such as claw fitting, concavo-convex fitting, and screw fastening. It is attached to the connecting piece 22A.

The two washer hoses 28 and 30 are formed of, for example, rubber into a tube shape, and are arranged in the wiper arm 10 along the longitudinal direction of the wiper arm 10. One washer hose 28 has its tip connected to the first washer nozzle 26, and the other washer hose 30 has its tip connected to the second washer nozzle 24. These washer hoses 28 and 30 are routed inside the retainer 20 and extend toward the arm head 18.

A hose accommodating space (not shown) extending in the longitudinal direction of the arm head 18 is formed between the head body 32 of the arm head 18 and the head cover 34, and two washer hoses 28, 30 are provided in the hose accommodating space. Has been routed. The hose accommodating space is open at the base end side of the arm head 18, and washer hoses 28 and 30 extend to the outside of the arm head 18 from the opening.

The base ends of the washer hoses 28 and 30 are connected to a washer tank (not shown) of the vehicle through a hose joint 52 shown in FIG. 1 and two washer hoses not shown arranged on the vehicle body side. ing. The cleaning liquid in the washer tank is pressure-fed into each of the washer hoses 28 and 30 by a water pump (not shown), and is ejected from the first washer nozzle 26 and the second washer nozzle 24 toward the wiping surface 12A.

(Main part of this embodiment)
In this embodiment, a grommet 40 as a rubber elastic member is provided on the upper surface of the tip portion 32B of the arm head 18. The grommet 40 is formed of a material having rubber elasticity (rubber or elastic characteristics similar to rubber), and the end portion of the upper wall portion 34U of the head cover 34 on the retainer 20 side (arrow B in FIGS. 1 to 5). It is mounted on a mounting portion 35 formed at the end on the direction side). The mounting portion 35 is formed in a flat plate shape, and the lower side of the wiper arm 10 (the direction of the arrow D in FIGS. 2 to 5) toward the tip side of the head body 32 (the direction of the arrow B in FIGS. 1 to 5). ) Is gradually inclined toward. The mounting portion 35 faces the support surface 33 formed on the upper surface of the tip portion 32B of the head body 32 from the upper side of the arm head 18. The support surface 33 is formed in a flat shape, and the mounting portion 35 is arranged parallel to the support surface 33.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the mounting portion 35 is formed with a pair of notches 42. The pair of cutout portions 42 are formed by cutting out a part of the mounting portion 35 from the retainer 20 side, and are arranged in the axial direction of the hinge shaft 36. These notches 42 are configured by a wide portion 42A formed in a circular shape when viewed from the up-down direction of the wiper arm 10 and a narrow portion 42B formed closer to the retainer 20 than the wide portion 42A. The narrow portion 42B is formed to have a smaller dimension in the rotation direction of the arm head 18 than the wide portion 42A. Further, the mounting portion 35 is formed with outer notches 44 on both outer sides of the pair of notches 42 in the rotating direction of the wiper arm 10. The pair of outer cutouts 44 are formed by cutting out a part of the mounting portion 35 from the retainer 20 side, and are formed smaller than the pair of cutouts 42.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 8, the grommet 40 is formed of a rubber elastic material such as rubber into a long plate shape. The grommet 40 is arranged on the upper surface of the tip portion 32B of the head main body 32 in a posture in which the longitudinal direction is along the axial direction of the hinge shaft 36 and the plate thickness direction is along the vertical direction of the wiper arm 10. The grommet 40 integrally includes an outer portion 40A and an inner portion 40B that oppose each other in the up-down direction of the wiper arm 10, and a connecting portion 40C that connects the outer portion 40A and the inner portion 40B. Each of the outer side portion 40A and the inner side portion 40B is formed in a plate shape, and is arranged such that the thickness direction thereof is along the vertical direction of the wiper arm 10.

As shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 7A, FIG. 7C, etc., a slit (gap) 41 is formed in the central portion of the grommet 40 in the plate thickness direction. The slit 41 is open to the base end side of the head body 32 (the arrow A direction in FIGS. 1 to 5) and both sides in the rotation direction of the wiper arm 10 (the arrow R direction in FIGS. 1 to 5). .. The mounting portion 35 of the head cover 34 is inserted into the slit 41. As a result, the outer portion 40A is arranged on the side of the mounting portion 35 opposite to the head body 32 (that is, the upper surface side of the mounting portion 35), while the inner portion 40B is arranged on the head body 32 side of the mounting portion 35 ( That is, it is arranged on the lower surface side of the mounting portion 35). The outer portion 40A is in contact with the upper surface of the mounting portion 35, and the inner portion 40B is in contact with the lower surface of the mounting portion 35 and the support surface 33 of the head body 32.

The connection portion 40C includes a connection portion body 40C1 that connects the outer portion 40A and the inner portion 40B on the tip side of the arm head 18 with respect to the mounting portion 35, and the outer portion 40A and the inner portion 40B on the longitudinal center side of the grommet 40. And a pair of outer cutout insertion portions 40C3 formed between the outer side portion 40A and the inner side portion 40B at both longitudinal ends of the grommet 40. .. The pair of notch insertion portions 40C2 and the pair of outer notch insertion portions 40C3 are arranged in the rotation direction of the wiper arm 10.

The pair of notch insertion portions 40C2 are fitted to the pair of notch portions 42, and the pair of outer notch insertion portions 40C3 are fitted to the pair of outer notch portions 44. The notch insertion part 40C2 is fitted with the wide part 42A of the notch 42, the wide part C21 fitted with the narrow part 42B of the notch 42, and the narrow part connecting the wide part C21 and the connection part body 40C1. And C22. The wide portion C21 is formed in an annular shape when viewed from the thickness direction of the grommet 40, and a circular hole 43 is formed in the central portion of the wide portion C21. The hole 43 penetrates the inner portion 40B and opens on the lower surface of the inner portion 40B. The wide portion C21 is set such that the dimension of the arm head 18 in the rotating direction is larger than the narrow portion C22 and the narrow portion 42B and slightly smaller than the wide portion 42A.

The grommet 40 having the above-described structure is mounted on the mounting portion 35 of the head cover 34 in the direction indicated by the arrow E in FIG. At the time of this mounting, the mounting portion 35 is inserted into the slit 41 of the grommet 40, and the pair of notch insertion portions 40C2 is inserted into the pair of notch portions 42. At the time of this insertion, the wide portion C21 of each notch insertion portion 40C2 is elastically deformed by sliding contact with the narrow portion 42B of each notch portion 42, and is elastically restored by being inserted into the wide portion 42A. It is like this.

The head cover 34 with the grommet 40 mounted on the mounting portion 35 is mounted on the head body 32 in the direction indicated by the arrow F in FIG. At the time of this mounting, a plurality of claw portions (not shown) formed on the lower ends of the front wall portion 34F and the rear wall portion 34R are in sliding contact with the head cover 34. As a result, the head cover 34 is elastically deformed in a direction in which the front wall portion 34F and the rear wall portion 34R are separated from each other, and the plurality of claw portions are hooked on the lower surface of the head main body 32 to elastically return the head cover 34.

When the head cover 34 is attached to the head body 32, as shown in FIG. 5, the inner portion 40B, which is a part of the grommet 40, is located between the mounting portion 35 of the head cover 34 and the support surface 33 of the head body 32. It is supposed to be sandwiched between. Further, in this attached state, the detachment prevention portion 37 formed on the tip portion 32B of the head body 32 comes into contact with the grommet 40 from the tip side of the head body 32 (the arrow A direction side in FIGS. 1 to 5). Is configured. Specifically, the grommet 40 has a pair of protrusions 40D that protrude from the connecting portion body 40C1 toward the tip side of the head body 32. The pair of protrusions 40D are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the grommet 40, and the pair of protrusions 40D are configured to contact the disengagement prevention portion 37.

Here, in the wiper arm 10 having the above-described configuration, when the retainer 20 is rotated in the direction in which it is upright with respect to the arm head 18 and reaches the lockback position (see FIG. 9), the arm head 18 side of the upper wall 20U of the retainer 20 is located. The end surface 20U1 of the above is abutted against the support surface 33 of the head body 32 via the grommet 40. That is, when the retainer 20 is located at the lockback position where it stands upright with respect to the arm head 18, the end surface 20U1 is configured to abut against the support surface 33 of the head body 32 via the grommet 40. ..

(Action and effect)
Next, the operation and effect of this embodiment will be described.

In the wiper arm 10 having the above-described configuration, when the retainer 20 is rotated about the hinge shaft 36 to the lockback position in which the retainer 20 stands upright with respect to the arm head 18, the end surface 20U1 of the upper wall 20U of the retainer 20 on the arm head 18 side moves to the arm. It hits the grommet 40 provided on the upper surface of the tip portion 32B of the head 18. As a result, further rotation of the retainer 20 in the upright direction is restricted.

In this retainer 20, a front wall 20F and a rear wall 20R that are rotatably connected to a tip portion 32B of the arm head 18 are connected by an upper wall 20U. Therefore, at the time of the above-mentioned abutment, the load applied from the tip portion 32B of the arm head 18 to the upper wall 20U is distributed to the front wall 20F and the rear wall 20R, so that the stress concentrates on the upper wall 20U of the retainer 20. Can be prevented. As a result, the strength of the upper wall 20U, which is a part of the retainer 20 that restricts rotation of the arm head 18, can be easily ensured. Moreover, since the end surface 20U1 of the upper wall 20U abuts on the tip portion 32B of the arm head 18 via the grommet 40, it is possible to prevent the tip portion 32B (particularly the upper surface) of the arm head 18, which is a design component, from being damaged.

The above effect will be supplemented by using the wiper arm 100 (comparative example) shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, the same components as those in this embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals. The wiper arm 100 does not include the head cover 34 and the grommet 40 according to this embodiment. Instead, in the wiper arm 100, the claws 102 are formed at the ends of the front wall 20F and the rear wall 20R of the retainer 20 on the arm head 18 side (the claws 102 formed on the rear wall 20R are (Not shown). These claws 102 project toward the sides approaching each other. In the wiper arm 100, when the retainer 20 is rotated to the lockback position in which the retainer 20 stands upright with respect to the head body 32, the claw portion 102 comes into contact with a step portion (not shown) formed at the tip portion 32B of the head body 32 (see FIG. 10 state shown). As a result, further rotation of the retainer 20 in the upright direction is restricted.

However, when the above-described rotation is restricted, stress concentrates on the claw portion 102 having a cantilever structure. Therefore, for example, when the length dimension of the wiper arm 100 becomes long and the torque when the retainer 20 is erected with respect to the arm head 18 becomes large, the strength of the claw portion 102, that is, the rotation restricting portion of the retainer 20 should be ensured. Becomes difficult. In this regard, in the present embodiment, since the end surface 20U1 of the upper wall 20U having the both-end supported structure that connects the front wall 20F and the rear wall 20R abuts the upper surface of the tip end portion 32B of the arm head 18 via the grommet 40, The strength of the rotation restricting portion of the retainer 20 is significantly improved as compared with the wiper arm 100.

Further, in the wiper arm 100 according to the comparative example, since the claw portion 102 directly contacts the tip portion 32B of the head body 32, the tip portion 32B of the head body 32 may be damaged. For this reason, although the claw portion 102 is brought into contact with the tip end portion 32B of the head body 32 at a position where it is difficult to be visually recognized from the outside of the vehicle, the head body 32 and the surface of the retainer 20 are painted black with anti-glare and rust prevention. If so, the coating layer may be damaged (see the dotted area in FIG. 10). As a result, there is concern about corrosion from the damaged portion of the head main body 32 and the coating layer of the retainer 20. In this respect, in the present embodiment, since the tip end portion 32B of the head body 32 is protected by the grommet 40, it is possible to prevent the above-mentioned scratches, and eventually prevent corrosion. As a result, it is possible to prevent deterioration of the appearance of the wiper arm, which is a designed part, due to scratches or corrosion.

Further, in the present embodiment, the head main body 32 in which the base end portion 32A is fixed to the pivot shaft 38 and the retainer 20 is connected to the tip end portion 32B is manufactured by aluminum die casting. On the other hand, the head cover 34 attached to the head body 32 and covering the head body 32 is manufactured by injection molding of resin. The grommet 40 is mounted on a mounting portion 35 formed at the end of the resin head cover 34 on the retainer 20 side. As a result, the degree of freedom in setting the shape of the mounting portion 35 is higher than in the case where the mounting portion 35 is formed on the aluminum die-cast head body 32. As a result, it becomes easy to assemble the grommet 40 to the mounting portion 35. Moreover, since it becomes easy to visually confirm the assembled state of the grommet 40 to the mounting portion 35, it becomes easy to suppress the occurrence of defective assembly. Further, since the die for aluminum die casting can be simplified, the manufacturing cost of the die can be reduced.

Further, in the present embodiment, the inner portion 40B that is a part of the grommet 40 is sandwiched between the mounting portion 35 formed on the head cover 34 and the head body 32. As a result, the backlash of the head cover 34 with respect to the head body 32 can be regulated by the grommet 40 for preventing the arm head 18 from being damaged. As a result, for example, it is not necessary to form the dimensional accuracy in fixing the head body 32 and the head cover 34 with high accuracy, so that the head body 32 and the head cover 34 can be easily manufactured.

Further, in the present embodiment, the grommet 40 is formed with the slit 41 that is open to the base end side of the head body 32. The mounting portion 35 of the head cover 34 is inserted into the slit 41. The inner portion 40B, which is one of the portions (outer portion 40A and inner portion 40B) on both sides of the grommet 40 via the slit 41, is sandwiched between the mounting portion 35 and the head body 32. As described above, since the mounting portion 35 of the head cover 34 is inserted into the slit 41 formed in the grommet 40, the grommet 40 partially sandwiched between the mounting portion 35 and the head main body 32 is attached to the head cover 34. It can be easily installed.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the head main body 32 comes in contact with the grommet 40 from the tip end side of the head main body 32, that is, the side opposite to the side where the mounting portion 35 is inserted into the slit 41. Have 37. When the detachment prevention portion 37 comes into contact with the grommet 40, the mounting portion 35 is prevented from coming out of the slit 41. Thereby, the head body 32, that is, the existing configuration can prevent the grommet 40 from being accidentally detached from the mounting portion 35.

Further, in the present embodiment, the mounting portion 35 is formed with a pair of cutout portions 42 that are open to the tip side of the head body 32. The grommet 40 has a pair of notch insertion portions 40C2 inserted inside the pair of notch portions 42, and the portions on both sides (the outer side portion 40A and the inner side portion 40B) through the slit 41 have the notch insertion portions. It is connected by 40C2. As a result, the slit 41 can be prevented from expanding due to an external force, so that the grommet 40 can be satisfactorily held on the mounting portion 35. Further, it is possible to prevent or suppress the outer portion 40A from being rolled up by an external force.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the mounting portion 35 of the head cover 34 is inserted into the slit 41 of the grommet 40, the notch insertion portion 40C2 of the grommet 40 fits into the notch portion 42 formed in the mounting portion 35. As a result, for example, when the head cover 34 with the grommet 40 attached is attached to the head body 32, the grommet 40 is unlikely to accidentally fall off from the attachment portion 35. Therefore, the work of attaching the head cover 34 to the head body 32 is facilitated.

Although the arm head 18 includes the head cover 34 in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the arm head 18 may include the head cover 34. In that case, for example, as in a modified example 60 shown in FIG. 11, the grommet 62 as a rubber elastic member is directly attached to the upper surface of the tip portion 32B of the head body 32. In the modified example 60, the grommet 62 is formed in a plate shape and is provided on the upper surface of the tip portion 32B of the head body 32. The main body portion 62A and the tubular locking portion 62B protruding from the lower surface of the main body portion 62A. And have. Further, a stepped hole 64 into which the locking portion 62B is fitted is formed in the upper portion of the tip portion 32B of the head body 32. The stepped hole 64 is formed in a stepped shape in which the lower side has a larger diameter than the upper side, and the claw portion 102 formed at the tip of the locking portion 62B is caught in the stepped portion of the stepped hole 64. Hanging As a result, the grommet 62 is locked to the tip portion 32B of the head body 32.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the inner portion 40B that is a part of the grommet 40 (rubber elastic member) is sandwiched between the mounting portion 35 of the head cover 34 and the head main body 32, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is not limited. For example, a part of the head cover may be interposed between the rubber elastic member mounted on the mounting portion of the head cover and the head body.

In the above embodiment, the mounting portion 35 of the head cover 34 is inserted into the slit 41 formed in the grommet 40 so that the grommet 40 (rubber elastic member) is mounted on the head cover 34. Is not limited to this. For example, the locking portion 62B of the grommet 62 according to the modified example 60 described above is fitted and locked in the hole formed in the mounting portion of the head cover, so that the grommet 62 (rubber elastic member) is mounted on the head cover. It may be configured.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the detachment prevention portion 37 formed on the head body 32 comes into contact with the grommet 40 from the tip side of the head body 32 to prevent the grommet 40 from coming off the head cover 34. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a member for preventing the grommet 40 from coming off the head cover 34 may be attached to the head body.

In addition, the present invention can be variously modified and implemented without departing from the scope of the invention. Further, it goes without saying that the scope of rights of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

10... Wiper arm, 18... Arm head, 20... Retainer, 20A... Base end part (one end in the longitudinal direction of the retainer), 32... Head body, 32A... Arm head base End part, 32B... Tip part of arm head, 34... Head cover, 35... Mounting part, 37... Removal prevention part, 40... Grommet, 40C2... Notch insertion part, 41. ..Slits, 42... Notches, 62... Grommets

Claims (4)

An arm head whose base end is fixed to the wiper shaft,
A retainer in which a pair of side walls and an upper wall connecting the pair of side walls extend in the longitudinal direction, and the pair of side walls are rotatably connected to the distal end portion of the arm head at one longitudinal end portion;
A rubber elastic member disposed on the upper surface of the tip of the arm head,
Equipped with
The arm head includes a head body including the base end portion and the tip end portion, and a rubber elastic member attached to the head body to cover the head body and a mounting portion formed at an end portion on the retainer side. It has a head cover attached,
The rubber elastic member has a slit opened to the base end side of the head body is inserted into the mounting portion,
One of both sides of the rubber elastic member via the slit is disposed between the mounting portion and the head body,
The head body is formed with a detachment prevention portion that prevents the rubber elastic member from coming off by contacting the rubber elastic member from the tip side of the head body.
A wiper arm in which an end surface of the upper wall on the arm head side abuts an upper surface of the tip end portion through the rubber elastic member by rotating the retainer in a direction in which the retainer stands upright. In the mounting portion, a notch portion opened to the tip side of the head body is formed,
The rubber elastic member has a notch insertion portion inserted inside the notch, the wiper arm according to claim 1 on both sides of the site that is connected by the notch insertion portion through the slit. An arm head whose base end is fixed to the wiper shaft,
A retainer in which a pair of side walls and an upper wall connecting the pair of side walls extend in the longitudinal direction, and the pair of side walls are rotatably connected to the distal end portion of the arm head at one longitudinal end portion;
A rubber elastic member disposed on the upper surface of the tip of the arm head,
Equipped with
The arm head includes a head body including the base end portion and the tip end portion, and a rubber elastic member attached to the head body to cover the head body and a mounting portion formed at an end portion on the retainer side. It has a head cover attached,
The mounting portion has a notch portion opened to the tip side of the head body,
The rubber elastic member has a slit opened to the base end side of the head body is inserted into the mounting portion,
One of both sides of the rubber elastic member via the slit is disposed between the mounting portion and the head body,
The rubber elastic member has a notch insertion portion inserted into the inside of the notch portion, and parts on both sides through the slit are connected by the notch insertion portion,
A wiper arm in which an end surface of the upper wall on the arm head side abuts an upper surface of the tip end portion through the rubber elastic member by rotating the retainer in a direction in which the retainer stands upright with respect to the arm head . The wiper arm according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the notch insertion portion is fitted inside the notch portion .

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