US20070178816A1

US20070178816A1 - Grinder for windshield wipers

Info

Publication number: US20070178816A1
Application number: US11/307,237
Authority: US
Inventors: Arlo Lin
Original assignee: Esito International LLC
Current assignee: Esito International LLC
Priority date: 2006-01-27
Filing date: 2006-01-27
Publication date: 2007-08-02

Abstract

A grinder includes two plates and two pieces of sandpaper. Each of the plates includes at least one bent portion, a sandpaper side and a finger side opposite to the sandpaper side. The pieces of sandpaper are attached to the sandpaper sides of the plates before the plates are connected to each other so as to form at least one V-shaped structure for receiving a tip of a rubber strip of a windshield wiper.

Description

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to windshield wipers and, more particularly, to a grinder for windshield wipers.
2. Related Prior Art
Windshield wipers are important equipment for vehicles. The quality of windshields determines whether rain can completely be wiped from the windshields of the vehicles. Whether rain can completely be wiped on the windshields determines whether drivers can have clear view through the windshields. Clear view is very important for the safety of the drivers' safety and/or pedestrians who are nearby.
A typical windshield wiper includes a rubber strip for wiping rain from a windshield and a frame for carrying the rubber strip. When newly installed, windshield wipers generally can wipe rain from windshields completely. However, after used for some time, the rubber strips of the windshield wipers will inevitably be hardened and fail to wipe rain from the windshields completely. In early days, users have no choice but to replace used windshield wipers with new ones. Later, users are allowed to replace only used rubber strips with new ones. Now, users can grind hardened tips of used rubber strips of windshield wipers so that the used rubber strips of windshield can become like new.
Shown in FIG. 9 is a conventional grinder for windshield wipers. The grinder includes a body 1 with two contact faces 4 on two sides and two flat faces 2 at two ends. A piece of sandpaper 3 is adhered to each of the flat faces 2. A user can hold the grinder by the contact faces 4 and use the sandpaper 3 to grind a tip of a rubber strip 5 of a windshield wiper. However, it is difficult to keep the sandpaper 3 on the tip of the rubber strip 5 since the latter tends to buckle while being ground by the former.
Shown in FIG. 10 is another conventional grinder for windshield wipers. This grinder includes two V-shaped faces 6 instead of the flat faces 2. The V-shaped faces 6 can firmly receive the tip of the rubber strip 5 of the windshield wiper. However, it is difficult to attach the sandpaper 3 to the V-shaped faces 6.
The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at least alleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, a grinder includes two plates and two pieces of sandpaper. Each of the plates includes at least one bent portion, a sandpaper side and a finger side opposite to the sandpaper side. The pieces of sandpaper are attached to the sandpaper sides of the plates before the plates are connected to each other so as to form at least one V-shaped structure for receiving a tip of a rubber strip of a windshield wiper.
An advantage of the grinder of the present invention is that the sandpaper can easily be attached to the sandpaper sides of the plates.
Another advantage of the grinder of the present invention is that the V-shaped structure can firmly receive the tip of the rubber strip of the windshield wiper.
Still another advantage of the grinder of the present invention is its easy fabrication.
Other advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described through detailed illustration of five embodiments referring to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grinder for windshield wipers according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the grinder shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the grinder shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a windshield wiper ground by means of the grinder shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a grinder according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of a grinder according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a grinder according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a grinder according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a front view of a conventional grinder.
FIG. 10 is a front view of another conventional grinder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Shown in FIGS. 1 through 3 is a grinder for windshield wipers in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention. The grinder includes a first plate 10, a second plate 20 and two pieces of sandpaper 30. One of the pieces of sandpaper 30 is adhered to the first plate 10 while the other piece of sandpaper 30 is adhered to the second plate 20. The first plate 10 is connected to the second plate 20.
The first plate 10 includes a substantially rectangular form with a first (or “sandpaper”) side 11, a second (or “finger”) side 12 opposite to the first side 11, two countersink holes13 therein and two bent portions 14.
The second plate 20 includes a substantially rectangular form with a first (or “sandpaper”) side 21, a second (or “finger”) side 22 opposite to the first side 21, two mushroom-shaped anchors 23 therein and two bent portions 24. The second plate 20 is identical to the first plate 10 except that the anchors 23 are compliant to the countersink holes 13.
Each of the pieces of sandpaper 30 defines two apertures 31.
After the pieces of sandpaper 30 are respectively adhered to the first plate 10 and the second plate 20, the anchors 23 are fit in the countersink holes 13 through the apertures 31. Thus, the grinder is assembled. The bent portions 14 and the bent portions 24 form two V-shaped structures to which sandpaper 30 is adhered. The anchors 23 are split so that they can easily be fit in and moved from the countersink holes 13.
Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a windshield wiper includes a frame and a rubber strip 40. The rubber strip 40 includes a taper portion 41 that is formed with a tip 42. The tip 42 will be hardened after the windshield wiper is used for some time. In that case, the tip 42 can be located and kept in one of the V-shaped structures and ground by means of the sandpaper 30.
Shown in FIG. 5 is a grinder according to a second embodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is like the first embodiment except two things. Firstly, the first side 11 of the first plate 10 includes a horizontal portion 111 near each of the bent portions 14. Secondly, the first side 21 of the second plate 20 includes a horizontal portion 211 near each of the bent portions 24. When the grinder is assembled, the horizontal portions 111 and 211 form two larger horizontal portions for contact with the tip 42.
Shown in FIG. 6 is a grinder according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is like the first embodiment except including a first plate 50 instead of the first plate 10. The first plate 50 does not include two bent portions like the bent portions 14 of the first plate 10. The first plate 50 includes a planar first side 51 and a planar second side 52. However, the first plate 50 defines a countersink hole 53 like the countersink hole 13 of the first plate 10.
Shown in FIG. 7 is a grinder according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment is like the first embodiment except including a second plate 60 instead of the second plate 20. The second plate 60 does not include two bent portions like the bent portions 24 of the second plate 20. The second plate 60 includes a planar first side 61 and a planar second side 62. However, the second plate 60 includes an anchor 64 like the anchor 23 of the second plate 20.
Shown in FIG. 8 is a grind according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. The fifth embodiment is like the first embodiment except two things. Firstly, the first plate 10 includes one bent portion 14. Secondly, the second plate 20 includes one bent portion 24.
The grinder according to the present invention exhibits several advantages. Firstly, the sandpaper can easily be adhered. Secondly, the V-shaped structures can firmly receive the tip of the rubber strip of the windshield wiper. Thirdly, its fabrication is easily.
The present invention has been described through the illustration of the embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations from the embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Hence, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of the present invention defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A grinder for a windshield wiper, the grinder comprising:

first and second plates each comprising at least one bent portion, a sandpaper side and a finger side opposite to the sandpaper side, with the bent portion extending at an acute angle from the sandpaper side; and

first and second pieces of sandpaper attached to the sandpaper sides of the first and second plates, with the first piece of sandpaper attached to and extending from the bent portion of the first plate to the sandpaper side of the first plate and the second piece of sandpaper extending from the bent portion of the second plate to the sandpaper side of the second plate, wherein the first and second plates are connected to each other, with the sandpaper side of the first plate parallel to the sandpaper side of the second plate and so as to form at least one V-shaped structure by the bent portions of the first and second plates for receiving a tip of a rubber strip of a windshield wiper, with the sandpaper sides of the first and second plates sandwiching the first and second pieces of sandpaper together, and with the first piece of sandpaper attached to the sandpaper side of the first plate facially abutting the second piece of sandpaper attached to the sandpaper side of the second plate when the first and second plates sandwich the first and second pieces of sandpaper together.

2. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein each of the plates comprises two bent portions.

3. A grinder for a windshield wiper, the grinder comprising:

two plates each comprising at least one bent portion, a sandpaper side and a fingerside opposite to the sandpaper side, wherein the sandpaper side of the each of the plates comprises a horizontal portion near the bent portion; and

two pieces of sandpaper attached to the sandpaper sides of the plates before the plates are connected to each other so as to form at least one V-shaped structure for receiving a tip of a rubber strip of a windshield wiper.

4. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein one of the plates defines an aperture, wherein the other plate comprises an anchor fit in the aperture, thus locking the plates to each other.

5. The grinder according to claim 4 wherein the aperture is in the form of a countersink hole.

6. The grinder according to claim 4 wherein the anchor is in the form of a mushroom.

7. The grinder according to claim 4 wherein the anchor is split.

8. A grinder comprising:

a flat plate comprising a sandpaper side and a finger side opposite to the sandpaper side;

a bent plate comprising at least one bent portion, a sandpaper side and a finger side opposite to the sandpaper side; and

9. The grinder according to claim 8 wherein the bent plate comprises two bent portions.

10. The grinder according to claim 8 wherein the sandpaper side of the bent plate comprises a horizontal portion near the bent portion.

11. The grinder according to claim 8 wherein one of the plates defines an aperture, wherein the other plate comprises an anchor fit in the aperture, thus locking the plates to each other.

12. The grinder according to claim 11 wherein the aperture is in the form of a countersink hole.

13. The grinder according to claim 11 wherein the anchor is in the form of a mushroom.

14. The grinder according to claim 11 wherein the anchor is split.

15. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein the first piece of sandpaper is attachable to the bent portion of the first plate and sandpaper side of the first plate, and the second piece of sandpaper is attachable to the bent portion of the second plate and sandpaper side of the second plate, when the first and second plates are not connected together.

16. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein when the first plate and the second plate are not sandwiched together, and when the first piece of sandpaper does not facially abut the second piece of sandpaper, the first piece of sandpaper is attachable to the first plate and the second piece of sandpaper is attachable to the second plate.

17. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein the sandpaper sides of the first and second plates are planar.

18. The grinder according to claim 1 wherein one of the first and second plates defines an aperture, wherein the other of the first and second plates comprises an anchor fit in the aperture, thus locking the plates to each other.

19. The grinder according to claim 18 wherein the aperture is in the form of a countersink hole.

20. The grinder according to claim 19 wherein the anchor is in the form of a mushroom and wherein the anchor is split.