GB2256789A

GB2256789A - Snap assemble blade harness for a windshield wiper

Info

Publication number: GB2256789A
Application number: GB9212429A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Felicis Giuseppe De
Original assignee: Fister SpA
Current assignee: Fister SpA
Priority date: 1991-06-11
Filing date: 1992-06-11
Publication date: 1992-12-23
Also published as: ES1022505U; FR2684058A1; FR2684058B3; GB9212429D0; ITTO910134U1; ES1022505Y; IT223205Z2; ITTO910134V0; DE4218800A1

Description

E 307 1 1 3 ' WINDSHIELD WIPER, PARTICULARLY FOR VEHICLES The present

invention relates to a windshield wiper, particularly for vehicles.

Windshield wipers comprise a central rocker arm connected to an operating arm and supporting (either directly or via the interposition of an intermediate rocker arm) at least an end rocker arm in turn fitted with a body supporting a rubber wiper element.

At present, the rocker arms are connected in two ways: either directly, or by means of an intermediate element.

In the first case, one of the rocker arms (usually the load-bearing one) presents a cylindrical transverse opening with a small mouth, while the other presents a pin, the cross section of which presents a long side substantially the same size as the transverse opening, and a small side substantially the same size as the width of the mouth. The pin is inserted inside the opening, with its small side across the mouth, and is rotated into the operating position, with the long side across the mouth, so as to prevent withdrawal of the pin from the opening and, consequently, detachment of the two rocker arms. A drawback of this solution is that, when inserted, the pin (and respective rocker arm) are positioned at right-angles to the operating position, which thus also involves flexing the rubber wiper element fitted beforehand. Besides posing difficulties, such flexing may also result in detachment of the end rocker arm and wiper element, which must thus be provided with stop means which inevitably complicate manufacture of the wiper element.

In the second case, though actual connection of the two rocker arms is simplified using an intermediate, normally snap-on, element, the drawbacks here lie in the need for an additional element, hence increased cost; two-stage connection of the rocker arms; and the small size of the intermediate element. Moreover, known intermediate elements are easily detached, and, despite design expenditure for preventing this from nevertheless fail to ensure fully against detachment of the wiper components.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a windshield wiper, particularly for vehicles, designed to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, i.e. wherein the means for connecting the rocker arms are of straightforward design, cheap to produce, and provide for troublefree assembly of the wiper.

According to the present invention, there is provided a windshield wiper, particularly for vehicles, occurring, in-service comprising a first rocker arm element supporting at least a second rocker arm element, said first and second rocker arm elements presenting respective first and second snap-on connecting means; characterized by the fact that, in use, said first and second snap-on connecting means of said first and second rocker arm elements are arranged facing and directly engaging each other.

A preferred, non-limiting embodiment of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig.1 shows a partial longitudinal section along line I-I in Fig.2 of a portion of the windshield wiper according to the present invention; Fig.2 shows a cross section along line II-II in Fig.7; Figs. 3 to 7 show side views of the wiper at various assembly stages.

As shown in Fig.7, the windshield wiper 1 according to the present invention comprises, in known manner, a central rocker arm 2 having a central portion 3 for connection to an operating arm (not shown) and two end portions 4 fitted, as described later, to the central portion 5 of respective end rocker arms 6a, 6b. End rocker arms 6a, 6b are so shaped as to fit on to and constitute a longitudinal extension of central rocker arm 2, and each present two pairs of feet 7a, 7b for respectively supporting the end and intermediate portions of a longitudinal body 8 in turn supporting a rubber wiper element 9. On the end projecting beyond central rocker arm 2, end rocker arms 6a, 6b present respective stops 10a, 10b for longitudinal body 8 and wiper element 9.

As shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2, each end portion 4 of central rocker arm 2 presents a pair of parallel transverse walls 11a, llb extending downwards and transversely in relation to central rocker arm 2. More specifically, both walls lla, 11b are narrower than central rocker arm 2, wall lla being aligned with the end edge of central rocker arm 2, and wall llb being located behind wall lla. Each end portion 4 also presents a second pair of parallel longitudinal walls 12 also extending downwards but longitudinally in relation to central rocker arm 2, in the gap between walls lla, llb, with which they form slots 13. To increase the elasticity of longitudinal walls 12, each presents, on the nonfacing surfaces, a recess 14 at which is formed a respective through hole 15. The depth of recesses 14 -conveniently increases towards the bottom end of longitudinal walls 12, which thus decrease in thickness towards the bottom end, at recesses 14, as shown in particular in Fig.2.

The central portion 5 of each end rocker arm 6 presents a through opening 17 defined by two walls 18 so that the local width of end rocker arm 6 equals the width of end portion 4 of central rocker arm 2. Through openings 17 are so sized as to house walls 11a, 11b and 12 of central rocker arm 2, as well as to enable a certain amount of oscillation of end rocker arms 6. On the facing sides, walls 18 present respective projections 20 designed to engage flexibly inside holes 15.

The wiper according to the present invention is assembled as follows.

To begin with, a first end rocker arm (in the example shown, rocker arm 6a on the left) is connected to central rocker arm 2, by fitting walls 11a, 11b and 12 of left-hand end portion 4a inside through opening 17 of rocker arm 6a. At this stage, recesses 14 act as guides for projections 20, which are eased inside holes 15 by virtue of the elasticity of walls 12,- which flex towards each other and then clamp projections 20 (Fig.4).

Longitudinal body 8 supporting wiper element 9 is then fitted between feet 7b and 7a of rocker arm 6a, so as to contact stop 10a (Fig.5).

End rocker arm 6b (on the right in the example shown) is then connected to longitudinal body 8, by fitting body 8 first between feet 7b and then between feet 7a of rocker arm 6b, so as to contact stop 10b (Fig.6), at which point, ro cker arm 6b is connected to end portion 4b of central rocker arm 2, as described for rocker arm 6a, thus completing assembly of wiper 1 (Fig.7).

6 The advantages of windshield wiper 1 according to the present invention will be clear from the foregoing description. In particular, it provides for reducing the number of component parts by eliminating the intermediate connecting elements, and is extremely straightforward in design and therefore cheap to produce. Moreover, it provides for troublefree, readily automatable assembly, with no complex positioning of the component parts, and in a minimum number of stages, by virtue of the central and end rocker arms (or two articulated rocker arms, in the case of more complex designs) being connected by simply inserting the end portion of one arm inside the opening on the other. The straightforward design of the wiper provides for stable connection, thus safeguarding against - in-service detachment of the component parts. In fact, the wiper according to the present invention remains firmly connected even in the event of improper assembly of the component parts, when changing the wiper element, for example, and even during actual assembly, with no need for special design features or additional retaining means.

To those skilled in the art it will be clear that changes may be made to the wiper as described and illustrated herein without, however, departing from the scope of the present invention.

1

Claims

1) A windshield wiper, particularly for vehicles, comprising a first rocker arm element supporting at least a second rocker arm element, said first and second rocker arm elements presenting respective first and second snap-on connecting means; characterized by the fact that, in use, said first and second snap-on connecting means of said first and second rocker arm elements are arranged facing and directly engaging each other.

2) A wiper as claimed in Claim 1, characterized by the fact that said first rocker arm element comprises a first pair of walls featuring said first snap-on connecting means and designed to snap inside an opening in said second rocker arm element.

3).A wiper as claimed in Claim 2, characterized by the fact that said second rocker arm element presents a second pair of walls defining said opening and featuring said second snap-on connecting means.

4) A wiper as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that said firstsnap-on connecting means comprise holes, and said second snap-on connecting means comprise projections designed to snap inside said holes.

5) A wiper as claimed in one of theforegoing Claims from 2 to 4, characterized by the fact that said first pair of walls are mutually flexible.

6) A wiper as claimed in one of theforegoing Claims from 2 to 4, characterized by the fact that each wall in said first pair of walls presents a recess close to said first snap-on connecting means.

7) A wiper as claimed in Claim 6, characterized by the fact that the depth of said recess increases from said first rocker arm element to the free end of said walls.

8) A wiper as claimed in one of theforegoing Claims from 2 to 7, characterized by the fact that said first pair of walls extend parallel to the length of and behind the longitudinal edges of 'said first rocker arm element and said second rocker arm element when assembled, is aligned with said edges and constitutes an extension of said first rocker arm element.

9) A wiper as claimed in one of the foregoing Claims from 1 to 8, characterized by the fact that said first rocker arm element comprises a central rocker arm,and said second rocker arm element comprises an end rocker arm.

10) A wiper as claimed in Claim 9, characterized by the fact that it comprises a further end rocker arm having snap-on connecting means facing and i directly engaging respective snap-on connecting means on said central rocker arm.

11) A wiper as claimed in Claim 9 or 10, characterized by the fact that at least an end portion of said central rocker arm snaps on to a central portion of said end rocker arm.

12) A windshield wiper, particularly for vehicles, substantially as described and illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.