MXPA05005644A - A windscreen wiper device - Google Patents

Abstract

A windscreen wiper device comprising at least one yoke which is attached to a carrier in such a manner as to be capable of pivotating movement about a first pivot axis, wherein both said carrier and said yoke have a substantially U-shaped cross-section at the location of their interconnection, said windscreen wiper device further comprising a oscillating arm pivotally connected to said carrier about a second pivot axis near one end, wherein said carrier is provided, at the location of said second pivot axis, with a transverse shaft, with the special feature that said oscillating arm and said carrier are interconnected with the interposition of a joint part, wherein said joint part comprises at least one resilient tongue engaging in a correspondingly shaped hole provided in said oscillating arm.

Description

A WINDSHIELD CLEANING DEVICE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a windshield wiper device comprising at least one yoke that is attached to a carrier such that it is capable of pivotally moving about a first pivot axis, wherein the carrier and the yoke have a U-shaped cross section at the place of their interconnection, the windshield wiper device further comprises an oscillating arm pivotally connected to the carrier around a second pivot shaft near one end, where the carrier is provided, in the position of the second pivot, with a transverse arrow. A windshield wiper device of this type is generally known and is usually provided with a variety of yokes, to ensure that a wiper blade thereon is in contact with a usually curved windshield, along its entire length. Each yoke, therefore, is pivoted at the end of a carrier in its central part, so the carrier itself can also be a yoke. Usually the carrier and the yokes or yokes are made of metal, in such a way that a plastic part often called "spacer" is interposed at the connection site of a carrier and a yoke, this part of plastic is stationary with respect to to a carrier associated with it. The oscillating arm has a hook-shaped end that engages the arrow of the carrier. A disadvantage of this type of known windscreen wiper device is that, due to the great force exerted in practice on the connection between the swing arm and the carrier, the reliability of this connection seems to decrease with the passage of time, which causes a game between the swing arm and the carrier. In practice, it has been proven that said game causes contact with friction between these parts and therefore this causes wear. The object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art indicated in the above, in particular to provide a windshield wiper device wherein the carrier and the swing arm are interconnected in a simple but solid and durable manner. To achieve this goal, a windshield wiper device of the type mentioned in the introduction is characterized according to the invention by the fact that this swing arm and this carrier are interconnected by sandwiching a joint piece, wherein said joint piece comprises the less a flexible tongue which engages in a respectively formed hole provided in the oscillating arm. This makes it possible to perform a reliable and effective operation, which is extremely resistant to wear, while minimizing the number of parts. In a preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention, the swing arm has a cross section at least almost U-shaped at the site of its connection to this joint piece, where the hole is provided in a U-shaped cross-sectional base. In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention, the joint piece comprises at least two lateral flexible tabs extending outwards, wherein the swing arm has a at least almost U-shaped cross section at the site of its connection to this joint piece, and wherein each tab is engaged with a respectively formed hole provided in a leg of the U-shaped cross section. In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention, the orifice (s) have a closed circumference. This or these closed holes improve the retention of the oscillating arm on the carrier in all directions, in particular horizontally and vertically. In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention, the swing arm has a cross section at least almost U-shaped at the site of its connection to this joint piece., wherein each leg of the U-shaped cross section comprises fastener parts which engage around the longitudinal sides of this joint piece having an opposite orientation to each other. Preferably, these fastener parts are formed as edges of the U-shaped cross section bent inwards and serve to further strengthen the retention of the swing arm on the carrier in the vertical direction, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the swing arm. In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention, this arrow is pivotally engaged with this joint piece. In particular, this arrow can be pivotally mounted on at least one correspondingly formed depression in this joint piece. In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the present invention, this arrow can be secured by pressure in the depression.

In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention, this arrow is dimensioned in such a way that it can pass through an opening for inserting the depression from at least a nearly perpendicular position of the swing arm with respect to the carrier, and secure in its position in this depression from a position at least almost parallel to the oscillating arm with respect to the carrier. In the mounting position, the arrow can be freely inserted into the depression insertion opening and then be mounted in this depression, while in the operating position the arrow is secured in its position in this depression, in order that you can not get out of this depression through the insertion opening. In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention, this arrow is formed with two projections, each extending inwardly on a longitudinal side of the carrier. Preferably, these projections are cylindrical and form two cylindrical loading surfaces. The two projections acting as load surfaces are placed quite apart so that the forces exerted on these load surfaces are relatively low. In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention, this arrow is formed with a bolt extending from one longitudinal side to another longitudinal side of the carrier. In another preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the present invention, this joint piece is made of plastic, which includes any synthetic material having some flexibility.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Now the invention will be explained in greater detail with reference to the Figures illustrated in the drawings, wherein: Figure la is a schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a windshield wiper device according to the invention; Figure Ib is a top view of the windshield wiper device of Figure la; Figures 2, 3 and 4 are several perspective schematic views of a joint piece used in the windshield wiper device of Figure la; Figure 5 is a schematic perspective view of a part of an oscillating arm used in the windshield wiper device of Figures la and Ib, seen from above; and Figure 6 is a schematic perspective view of an end of an oscillating arm used in Figure 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a windshield wiper device equipped with a first yoke (1) that can be pivotally connected with a swing arm (2) at the location of a pivot shaft (3) . The first yoke (1) functions as a carrier of two secondary yokes (4), which function as carriers of four tertiary yokes (5). All the yokes are mounted on a pivot in their respective carriers, so that a force exerted on the location of the pivot axis (3) is distributed in a more or less uniform manner at the ends of the tertiary yokes (5), and that it is possible to transfer it to a rubber cleaning element (6), which can be adjusted at the ends of the tertiary yokes (5). As can be seen from Figure Ib, the first yoke (1), at the location of the pivot shaft (3), is provided with an arrow in the shape of a transverse pin (7) extending from one side longitudinal (8) to another longitudinal side (9) of the first yoke (1). A joint piece (10) is secured by pressure ("clamping") on the bolt (7), such that the bolt (7) is pivotally placed in a correspondingly formed depression (11) in a part extending towards below (12) of the joint piece (10) (Figures 2 and 3). With reference to Figures 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 the oscillating arm (2) has a U-shaped cross section at the location of its connection to the joint piece (10), in such a way that a flexible tongue (13) of the joint piece (10) engages in an identically formed hole (14) provided on a base (15) of the U-shaped cross section. placing the oscillating arm (2) on the first yoke (1) / joint piece (10), the flexible tongue (13) is initially pushed against a spring force and then the spring is allowed to return inside the hole (14) , thus ensuring by pressure, that is to say, the flexible tongue (13) is fixed in the hole (14). This is known as a bayonet connection. Each leg (16) of the U-shaped cross section comprises clamping pieces which engage around the longitudinal sides of the joint piece (10) having an opposite orientation to each other. In Figure 6 these fastening pieces are formed as inwardly bent edges (17) integrated to the legs (16) of the U-shaped cross section, and serve to further improve the retention of the swing arm (2) in the first yoke (1) / joint piece (10) in the vertical direction, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the swing arm- (2). The bent edges (17) rest in small grooves (18) of the longitudinal sides of the joint piece (10). At the site of the bent edges (17), the oscillating arm (2) has a more or less C-shaped cross section. The oscillating arm (2) is secured in the joint piece (10) by a longitudinal movement of the swing arm (2). The invention is not restricted to the variants shown in the drawing, but also extends to other embodiments that are within the scope of the appended claims. For example, an experienced person would achieve that the flexible tongue (13) could also extend laterally outwards, in such a way that it clings to an identically formed hole (14) provided on a leg (16) of the cross-section in the shape of OR.

Claims (12)

1. CLAIMS: 1. A windshield wiper device comprising at least one yoke that joins with a carrier such that it can move pivotally about a first pivot axis, wherein the carrier and the yoke have a substantially vertical cross section U-shaped at the site of its interconnection, the windshield wiper device further comprises an oscillating arm pivotally connected to the carrier around a second pivot shaft near one end, where the carrier is provided, at the site of the second axis of pivot, with a transverse arrow, characterized in that the oscillating arm and the carrier are interconnected by sandwiching a joint piece, wherein this joint piece comprises at least one flexible tongue which engages in a correspondingly formed hole provided in the oscillating arm . A windshield wiper device according to claim 1, wherein the swing arm has a cross section at least almost U-shaped at the site of its connection to this joint piece and wherein the hole is provided in a base of the U-shaped cross section. A windshield wiper device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the joint piece comprises at least two lateral flexible tabs extending outwardly, wherein the swing arm has an at least almost U-shaped cross section at the site of its connection to the joint piece, and wherein each tongue engages in a correspondingly formed hole and provided in a leg of the U-shaped cross section. A windshield wiper device according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the orifice (s) has a closed circumference. A windshield wiper device according to the preceding claims 1 to 4, wherein the swing arm has a cross section at least almost U-shaped at the site of its connection to the joint piece, and wherein each leg of this U-shaped cross section comprises clamping pieces which engage around the longitudinal sides of the joint piece having an opposite orientation to each other. 6. A windshield wiper device according to the preceding claims 1 to 5, wherein the arrow is pivotally engaged in this joint piece. 7. A windshield wiper device according to claim 6, wherein the arrow can be pivotally mounted in at least one correspondingly formed depression in the joint piece. 8. A windshield wiper device according to claim 7, wherein the arrow can be secured by pressure within the depression. A windshield wiper device according to claim 7, wherein the arrow is dimensioned such that it can pass through an opening for inserting the depression from at least a nearly perpendicular position of the oscillating arm with respect to the carrier, and its position in the depression from a position at least almost parallel to the oscillating arm with respect to the carrier. A windshield wiper device according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 9, wherein the arrow is formed with two projections, wherein each extends inwardly or outwardly on a longitudinal side of the carrier. 11. A windshield wiper device according to the preceding claims 1 to 9, wherein said arrow is formed with a bolt extending from one longitudinal side to another longitudinal side of the carrier. 12. A windshield wiper device according to the preceding claims 1 to 11, wherein the joint piece is made of plastic.