WO2020074078A1

WO2020074078A1 - Windscreen wiper device

Info

Publication number: WO2020074078A1
Application number: PCT/EP2018/077635
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mike LEPAGE
Original assignee: Federal-Mogul S.A.
Priority date: 2018-10-10
Filing date: 2018-10-10
Publication date: 2020-04-16
Also published as: EP3863896A1

Abstract

A windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type comprising a carrier element, and a wiper blade of a flexible material, which wiper blade includes a central longitudinal groove, wherein a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, wherein an end cap is provided at an end of said wiper blade, wherein a connecting device for an oscillating wiper arm is provided, wherein said wiper blade at said end thereof extends beyond said strip in order to define an open space at said end thereof, wherein said end cap is retained at said end so as to dust and/or water tightly close said groove at said end, characterized in that said end cap comprises an interior finger fitting inside said space, wherein said finger extends longitudinally inwards towards said strip, and wherein an end portion of said finger engages in a correspondingly shaped recess in said strip.

Description

WINDSCREEN WIPER DEVICE

The invention relates to a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes a central

longitudinal groove, in which groove a central longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, wherein an end cap is provided at an end of said wiper blade, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for an

oscillating wiper arm, wherein said wiper blade at said end thereof extends beyond said longitudinal strip in order to define at said end of said wiper blade a space open at one end thereof, wherein said end cap is retained at said end of said wiper blade so as to dust and/or water tightly close said groove at said end of said wiper blade. Preferably, said oscillating arm can be pivotally connected to said connecting device with the interposition of a joint part.

In the framework of the present invention the following is noted. Said connecting device, also called "connector", is preferably made of plastic. Said connector is preferably made in one piece, also called a "one piece connector".

Also the joint part, also called "spacer", is preferably made of plastic. Said joint part acts as a spacer interposed between said connecting device and said oscillating arm. The wiper blade being preferably made of an elastomer material, such as rubber, is particularly made through extrusion.

Particularly, said wiper blade comprises a spoiler at a side thereof facing away from the windscreen to be wiped, wherein said wiper blade and said spoiler are preferably made in one piece. Said longitudinal groove is preferably a central longitudinal groove accommodating said longitudinal strip. Said longitudinal strip is also called a "flexor". Said connecting device is preferably fixedly connected to the longitudinal strip (s) particularly through a welding, brazing ("soldering") , gluing or clamping operation or with the help of a pin inserted through said connecting device and said longitudinal strip (s) . In the alternative or in addition thereto, said connecting device is clamped onto the flexible material of the wiper blade, particularly in case the latter is equipped with a central longitudinal groove for the carrier element. Preferably, said connecting device and said joint part are provided with mutually cooperating pivot means for pivotally connecting said joint part to said connecting device. All the above preferred features of the present invention can be used alone or in combination with any other feature (s), as a skilled person would appreciate.

A windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type is known from European patent publication no. 1 491 416 in the name of the same Applicant. The prior art windscreen wiper device is in particular designed as a "yokeless" wiper device, wherein use is no longer made of several yokes pivotally connected to each other, but wherein the wiper blade is biased by the carrier element, as a result of which it exhibits a specific curvature. According to the prior art an end cap is slid over the neighboring ends of said strips - or vice versa, that is the neighboring ends of said strips are slid into said end cap -, so that a reliable snap connection between these parts is realized. In the prior art said end cap is provided with an opening at its free end so that the wiper blade can freely slide through said end cap. In other words, the end caps do not retain the wiper blade, so that said end caps allow a relative movement of the wiper blade along the longitudinal strips in the end caps .

A windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type is also known from European patent publication no. 2 241 484, wherein the end cap is provided with two engaging members, wherein said engaging members engage around the wiper blade so as to allow a slidingly mounting of said end cap over said end of said wiper blade.

One drawback of prior art windscreen wiper devices is the fact that the end cap is fixed to the wiper blade, which limits the design flexibility of said wiper blade. Another drawback of prior art windscreen wiper devices is the fact that the end cap is designed to be compatible with a longitudinal strip with specific dimensions. Therefore, various versions of such end cap need to be produced for various longitudinal strip dimensions, e.g. varying strip thicknesses .

The object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art as indicated above, in particular to provide a windscreen wiper device wherein said end cap is universally compatible with said longitudinal strip, irrespective of the dimensions of said longitudinal strip, without the need to fix said end cap to the flexible material of said wiper blade .

In order to accomplish that objective, a windscreen wiper device of the kind referred to in the introduction is characterized according to the invention in that said end cap comprises an interior finger fitting inside said space, wherein said finger extends longitudinally inwards towards said longitudinal strip, and wherein an end portion of said finger engages in a correspondingly shaped recess in said longitudinal strip. Preferably, end caps are provided at both ends of said wiper blade. Preferably, said interior finger comprising said end portion, and said recess are substantially in the same plane.

The interior finger allows the end cap to be fixed to the longitudinal strip instead of to the flexible material of the wiper blade, as is customary for the prior art

windscreen wiper, such that the end caps are securely retained at the ends of the wiper blade without limiting the shape thereof.

Furthermore, as the end portion of the interior finger engages a correspondingly shaped recess in the longitudinal strip, the end cap can be fixed to any longitudinal strip comprising said recess. Accordingly, an end cap according to the present invention is suitable for fixation to

longitudinal strips of any shape and dimension, resulting in a universal end cap connecting mechanism.

It is noted that as the end caps close the groove in a dusttight and/or watertight manner, dust and (rain) water are not allowed to enter said groove. This implies that any decrease in mobility between the wiper blade and the strip due to any dust inside the groove is avoided, whereas any corrosion of the strip due to any (rain) water inside the groove is avoided as well.

Preferably, said oscillating arm at one end thereof is arranged to be pivotally connected to a mounting head mounted on a drive shaft, and wherein said oscillating arm at another end thereof is arranged to be pivotally connected to said elongated wiper blade to be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped. Said mounting head is usually fixed for rotation to said shaft, wherein said shaft is rotatable alternately in a clockwise and in a counter clockwise sense carrying said mounting head into rotation. Thus, in turn said mounting head draws said connecting device into rotation and thereby moves said flat blade. In the alternative, said mounting head is fixed for translation to a carriage, wherein said carriage can be translated alternately in a one linear direction and in another counter linear direction carrying said mounting head into

translation. The present invention can therefore be used for circular or linear movement of said mounting head.

It is noted that the present invention is not restricted to cars, but also refers to rail coaches and other (fast) vehicles .

In one preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention, said end portion of said finger snappingly engages in said recess. Said end cap is therefore mountable at said end of said wiper blade by sliding said interior finger into said groove and

subsequently pressing said end portion into said recess, which then 'snaps' into place in said recess.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention, said longitudinal strip comprises leg portions formed by said recess which extend in longitudinal direction of said longitudinal strip towards a free end thereof. Preferably, a distance between said leg portions decreases near said free end of said longitudinal strip. Preferably, said leg portions engage said finger at a portion thereof adjacent to said end portion. According to the invention, said end portion of said interior finger engages between said leg portions, i.e. in said recess. It is preferred that the distance between the leg portions decreases near the free end of the longitudinal strip, such that the end portion of the finger is firmly contained between the leg portions. It is further preferred that the end portion has a larger width than the finger at a portion of the finger adjacent to the end portion, such that the leg portions substantially enfold said end portion and engage said finger at a location behind said end portion as seen in longitudinal direction outwards from said longitudinal strip. Preferably, said interior finger comprising said end portion, and said leg portions are substantially in the same plane .

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention, a perimeter of said end portion is at least partially circular. When said end portion is at least partially circularly shaped, its outer perimeter is naturally guided into said recess along the walls defining said recess. Preferably, a distance between said leg portions at an entrance portion of said recess is smaller than a maximum width of said end portion, such that during assembly the insertion resistance increases until the end portion surpasses said entrance portion of said recess with its maximum width point, after which the end portion naturally 'snaps' into the recess. Said end portion can alternatively be envisioned with varying perimeter shapes, such as triangular, droplet-shaped, saw tooth profile, oval, and other suitable shapes conceivable by a person skilled in the art . In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention, said end portion comprises a through hole substantially in the center thereof, so as to facilitate elastic deformability of said end portion in plane direction, i.e. mainly in length and width direction of said finger. The through hole uniformly weakens the end portion in plane direction, so as to allow said end portion to be elastically deformed by an assembly force applied during (un) mounting of said end cap with said longitudinal strip. In other words, said end portion is deformed by a resultant force exerted by said leg portions on said end portion during insertion or extraction. Accordingly, said end cap is easily connectable to said longitudinal strip.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention, a width of said finger narrows towards said end portion. The widest portion of the finger is fixed to a wall of the end cap so as to ensure the structural integrity of said end cap, i.e. so as to form a strong connection between the finger and a wall of the end cap. The finger then narrows toward the end portion, so as to allow the end portion to be formed such that a maximum width thereof is larger than a minimum width of said finger, and said maximum width is smaller than a width of said longitudinal strip. This allows the recess to span across a portion of the width of the longitudinal strip at its maximum width. Preferably, said portion of the width of the longitudinal strip is substantially between 90% and 20% of the width of the longitudinal strip, more preferably between 50% and 25%, and even more preferably between 40% and 30%.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention, said finger is a resilient finger. The resiliency of the finger ensures that the finger does not easily break or deform during assembly of the end cap on an end of the windscreen wiper device or when the end of the wiper blade is deformed locally due to exterior forces, such as impacting debris or handling by a person. Namely, after deformation the finger springs back to its original position due to its resiliency.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention, an outer surface of said end cap is a closed surface, so as to prevent water and/or dust from entering said end cap through said outer surface. Accordingly, said end cap is open only at its bottom and in longitudinal direction of said wiper blade, so as to allow said wiper blade to be inserted therein with an end portion thereof .

The invention also relates to an end cap as a separate (i.e. single) constructional element arranged to be provided on a free end of a wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, so as to dust and/or water tightly close a central longitudinal groove inside said wiper blade accommodating a central longitudinal strip of a carrier element, characterized in that said end cap comprises at least one interior finger arranged to fit inside a space open at one end thereof and defined inside said groove at said free end of said wiper blade, wherein said finger extends longitudinally inwards towards said longitudinal strip, and wherein an end portion of said finger engages in a correspondingly shaped recess in said longitudinal strip. Preferably, said end cap is

manufactured in one piece. Preferably, said end cap is made in one piece from a plastic material. Preferably, said end cap is manufactured through molding. More specifically, said end cap is preferably manufactured by injection molding or casting. Alternatively, said end cap can be fully or partially manufactured out of a metal, such as steel or aluminum or an alloy or other suitable metals known to a person skilled in the art. Preferably, an outer surface of said end cap is a closed surface, so as to prevent water and/or dust from entering said end cap through said outer surface

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrated in a drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective, schematic view of a

preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention; and

Figure 2 shows details of the windscreen wiper device of figure 1, e.g. of the end cap, excluding the wiper blade; and

Figure 3 shows details of the windscreen wiper device of figure 1, including the wiper blade.

Figure 1 shows a preferred variant of a windscreen wiper device 1 according to the invention. Said windscreen wiper device is built up of an elastomeric wiper blade 2 having a central longitudinal groove 3. A central longitudinal strip 4 made of spring band steel is fitted in said longitudinal groove 3. Said strip 4 forms a flexible carrier element for the rubber wiper blade 2, as it were, which is thus biased in a curved position (the curvature in operative position being that of a windscreen to be wiped) . At both ends 5 of said wiper blade 2, that is on either side of the windscreen wiper device 1, end caps 6 are provided. The windscreen wiper device 1 is further equipped with a connecting device 7 for an oscillating arm 8, and a spoiler 9. As the wiper blade 2 and the groove 3 are longer than the strip 4, at both ends 5 of the wiper blade 2 a blind hole 10 (that is a space open at one end) is created. The end caps 6 are both made of one piece of plastic.

Figure 2a is a bottom view of an end cap 6 acording to the present invention. Figure 2b is a cross-sectional side view of the end cap 6 along the line A-A of figure 2a. Figures 2c and 2d are bottom views of the end cap 6 in a state of being fixed to a longitudinal strip 4.

An interior finger 11 is provided in the end cap, which comprises an end portion 12. The width of the finger 11 narrows toward the end portion 12, which end portion 12 is located substantially at the free end of the finger 11. The end portion 12 has an at least partially substantially circular perifery, i.e. perimeter, and a substantially circular through-hole 13 substantially in its center.

According to the invention the end cap 6 is universally connectable with a longitudinal strip 4 comprising a recess 14, which is shaped to correspond to the shape of the end portion 12 of the finger 11, irrespective of the dimensions of said longitudinal strip 4. As the thickness of strips 4 can vary, and therewith their bending stiffness, it is unfavorable to rely on elastic deformation of the leg portions 15, which are defined by the recess 14, during insertion and extraction of the end portion 12 in and from the recess 14. Therefore, the circular through-hole 13 is provided in the end portion 12, as it facilitates elastic deformation of the end portion 12 in plane direction (i.e. the plane defined by the length and width of the finger 11), such that the circular end portion 12 is compressed to a slight elliptical shape during insertion by the resultant force of the leg portions 15 applied thereon, which leg portions 15 are further described below.

The finger 11 is a resilient finger 11, so that a

deformation of the wiper blade 2 at the end 5 thereof does not easily break or deform the finger 11. Furthermore, the resiliency of the finger 11 prevents damage when mounting the end cap 6 to the end 5 of the wiper blade 2 of the windscreen wiper device 1.

The end cap 6 is preferably made of plastic. The material of the end cap 6 is chosen such that the end portion 12 is elastically deformable in plane direction, i.e. in a

direction perpendicular to line A-A of figure 2a.

Accordingly, said end portion 12 can be clicked, i.e. can be snappingly engaged, in the substantially correspondingly shaped recess 14 of the longitudinal strip 4.

A recess 14 is formed in the longitudinal strip 4 to

accommodate an end portion 12 of the interior finger 11 of the end cap 6. Figure 2c shows a recess 14 in the strip 4 which closely corresponds to the shape of the end portion 12. Figure 2d shows a slight slack between the perifery of the recess 14 and the end portion 12. The slack can be varied according to required manufacturing tolerances or to provide a required freedom of movement of the end portion 12 of the finger 11. To mount the end cap 6 at the end 5 of the wiper blade 2 the interior finger 11 is slid into the abovementioned blind hole 10, until the end portion 12 of the finger 11 engages in the recess 14 of the longitudinal strip 4. The perimeter of the end portion 12 is substantially circular, such that during insertion of said end portion 12 into said recess 14 the end portion 12 is naturally guided into said recess 14 irrespective of a possible small degree of misalignment in insertion direction. The resistance at the entrance portion of the recess 14 to the insertion force gradually builds up until the maximum width point of the end portion 12 is reached, after which the end portion 12 snaps into the recess 14, and leg portions 15 securely enfold the end portion, as described below.

When the end cap 6 is mounted to the end 5 of the wiper blade 2, the groove 3 is closed off by the end cap 6 such that the groove 3 is dust and/or water tightly closed.

Furthermore, it is noted that the outer surface 17 of the end cap 6 is formed continuously, i.e. uninterruptedly, i.e. without holes or windows. In other words, the outer surface 17 of the end cap 6 is a closed surface, so as prevent dust and/or water from entering said end cap 6.

The longitudinal strip 4 comprises leg portions 15 which are formed by the recess 14 at both sides of said strip 4, and extend in longitudinal direction thereof outwards towards a free end of said strip 4. According to the present variants of the strip 4, as shown in figures 2c and 2d, the distance between the leg portions 15 decreases towards the free end of the strip 4, such that a narrowed entrance portion is formed ahead of the recess 14. As a result thereof, the end portion 12 of the interior finger 11 is enfolded, i.e. embraced, by the leg portions 15. The outer ends 16 of the leg portions 15 engage the finger 11 at a location adjacent to the end portion 12, i.e. behind said end portion 12 as seen in longitudinal direction outwards from said

longitudinal strip 4. Hence, the end portion 12 is firmly held in the recess 14, so as to provide a secure connection between the longitudinal strip 4 and the end cap 6.

It is noted that the outer ends 16 of the leg portions 15 are rounded off, so as to prevent damage to the finger 11, and specifically the end portion 12 thereof, during assembly and disassembly. In addition, the rounded-off outer ends 16 ensure a smooth insertion and extraction of the end portion 12 in and out of the recess 14, such that a person is not startled by sudden jolts in insertion direction or bothered by a high insertion resistance during assembly and

disassembly of the end cap 6 with the longitudinal strip 4.

Figure 3a shows an end 5 of the elastomeric wiper blade 2, wherein the longitudinal strip 4 is inserted in the

longitudinal groove 3 thereof. As the wiper blade 2 extends beyond the longitudinal strip 4 at both ends 5 thereof, a blind hole 10, i.e. a space open at one end, is created at both ends 5. The end cap 6 is mounted at the end 5 of the wiper blade 2, by means of insertion of the interior finger 11 of the end cap 6 into the blind hole 10, so as to water and/or dust tightly close the blind hole 10 and therewith also the longitudinal groove 3.

With reference to figures 1 and 3a it is noted that the wiper blade 2, with inclusion of the spoiler 9, is

preferably made in once piece. Figure 3b is a cross-sectional bottom view of the wiper blade 2, end cap 6, and longitudinal strip 4 along the line C-C of figure 3a. The blind hole 10 is identifiable as the space between the outer ends 16 of the leg portions 15 of the strip 4, and the end 5 of the wiper blade 2.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment shown, but extends also to other embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A windscreen wiper device (1) of the flat blade type comprising an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade (2) of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade (2) includes a central longitudinal groove (3) , in which groove (3) a central longitudinal strip (4) of the carrier element is disposed, wherein an end cap (6) is provided at an end (5) of said wiper blade (2), which windscreen wiper device (1) comprises a connecting device (7) for an oscillating wiper arm (8), wherein said wiper blade (2) at said end (5) thereof extends beyond said

longitudinal strip (4) in order to define at said end of said wiper blade (2) a space (10) open at one end thereof, wherein said end cap (6) is retained at said end (5) of said wiper blade (2) so as to dust and/or water tightly close said groove (3) at said end (5) of said wiper blade (2), characterized in that said end cap (6) comprises an interior finger (11) fitting inside said space (10), wherein said finger (11) extends longitudinally inwards towards said

longitudinal strip (4), and wherein an end portion (12) of said finger (11) engages in a correspondingly shaped recess (14) in said longitudinal strip (4) .

2. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1, wherein said end portion (12) of said finger (11) snappingly engages in said recess (14) .

3. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said longitudinal strip (4) comprises leg portions (15) formed by said recess (14) which extend in longitudinal direction of said longitudinal strip (4) towards a free end (16) thereof.

4. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 3, wherein a distance between said leg portions (15) decreases near said free end (16) of said longitudinal strip (4) .

5. A windscreen wiper device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said leg portions (15) engage said finger (11) at a portion thereof adjacent to said end portion (12) .

6. A windscreen wiper device according to any one of

claims 1-5, wherein a perimeter of said end portion (12) is at least partially circular.

7. A windscreen wiper device according to any one of

claims 1-6, wherein said end portion (12) comprises a through hole (13) substantially in the center thereof, so as to facilitate elastic deformability of said end portion in radial direction.

8. A windscreen wiper device according to any one of

claims 1-7, wherein a width of said finger (11) narrows towards said end portion (12) .

9. A windscreen wiper device according to any one of

claims 1-8, wherein said finger (11) is a resilient finger .

10. A windscreen wiper device according to any one of

claims 1-9, wherein an outer surface of said end cap (6) is a closed surface, so as to prevent water and/or dust from entering said end cap (6) through said outer surface .

11. An end cap (6) arranged to be provided on a free end (5) of a wiper blade (2) of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, so as to dust and/or water tightly close a central longitudinal groove (3) inside said wiper blade (2) accommodating a central longitudinal strip (4) of a carrier element, characterized in that said end cap (6) comprises at least one interior finger (11) arranged to fit inside a space (10) open at one end thereof and defined inside said groove (3) at said free end (5) of said wiper blade (2), wherein said finger (11) extends longitudinally inwards towards said longitudinal strip (4), and wherein an end portion (12) of said finger engages in a correspondingly shaped recess (14) in said longitudinal strip (4) .

12. An end cap (6) according to claim 11, wherein said end cap (6) is made in one piece from a plastic material.

13. An end cap (6) according to claim 11 or 12, wherein an outer surface of said end cap (6) is a closed surface, so as to prevent water and/or dust from entering said end cap (6) through said outer surface.