Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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WI PER BLADE COMPONENTS
The present invention relates to improvements in
windshield wiper blades and more particularly an assembly
for connecting the blade to a wiper arm especially for pin
type side mounted arm to blade connection.
Windshield wiper assemblies for motor vehicles in-
clude a wiper blade assembly secured to an oscillating wiper
arm assembly driven by a power source. The blade assembly
comprises a pressure distributing superstructure which sup-
ports an elastomeric wiping element and an associated back-
ing strip. The superstructure may include a primary yoke of
10 generally inverted U-shape in lateral cross section having
an elongate aperture in the web defined by opposite side
walls oP the yoke and a pair of aligned openings through the
side walls oE the aperature for receiving a laterally ex-
tending pin ~or removably securing the blade to the arm with
the arm lying generally adjacent the side wall of the pri-
mary yoke.
Numerous means have been developed to removably se-
cure a side mounted wiper blade to a wiper arm including
plastic inserts mounted in the aperture of the primary yoke
20 with associated latch means. One of the objectives of side
mounting a blade with respect to the arm is to maintain a
low profile to enable the blade to pass through a small
space in those applications where the wiper arm and blade
are concealed below the cowl in parked position.
It is also advantageous to provide a plastic insert
for a metal superstructure to prevent corrosion and to re-
duce friction at the junction of components which move rela-
tive to each other and also to provide readily accessible
and easily manipulatable latching means.
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Prior art inserts as exemplifed by Hoebrechts et al,
U.S. Patent No. ~,118,825 and Monarch et al, U. S. Patent
No. 4,324,019 permit the possibility of corrosion at the
most vulnerable point where the pin bears in the holes of
the side walls of the yoke. The corrosion at this point has
been particularly bad when a protective finish on the yoke
has been worn through by the pin to expose an unprotected
area to salt spray from the road or atmosphere. The cor-
rosion may produce a high friction joint and inhibit pivot-
10 ing of the wiper blade around the pin; it also can cause en-
largement of the opening and failure in addition to the
unsightliness created. The insert shown and described in
U. S. Patent No. 4,324,019 discloses a fixed pin. The pin
is latched to the end of the wiper arm rather than to the
insert which obviates the use of a discrete pin or pin on
arm arrangement. The disclosed insert in U. S. Patent No.
4,118,825 does not provide for corrosion resistance at the
openings in the side walls of the yoke and requires removal
of the entire insert to release the blade from the arm.
~n accordance with the present invention~ wiper
blade components comprise a superstructure, a pin and an in-
sert. The side portions of the insert have resilient flex-
ibility in the lateral sense and have a pair of holes, one
in each side portion, aligned transversely of the insert and
are bounded by a pair of cylindrical bearing surfaces for
journalling portions of the pin adjacent each end thereof.
Each of the bearing surfaces extends through a respective
one of the side portions and through an external hollow pro-
jection which in turn extends through or deep into a respec-
30 tive one of the openings in the side walls of the yoke in
order to keep the pin out of contact with the yoke.
To enable the pin to be latched to the wiper blade
in a simple and effective manner, the insert is preferably
provided with a latch member which is accessible from out-
side of the insert and is movable between a latched position
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Which a keeper on the latch member protrudes into a space
between the aligned holes in the side portions of the insert
to engage a circumferential groove between the end portions
of the pin, and an unlatched position in which the keeper
lies withdrawn from said space and disengaged from the pin.
The principle object of the present invention is to
provide a connector for side mounting a wiper arm to a metal
section of a wiper blade which reduces the possibility of
corrosion occurring at the junction between moving parts of
10 the connector components.
Another object of the invention is to provide a
grooved pin type connector for side mounting and removably
latching a wiper arm to a wiper blade in which the latch is
easily manipulatable to and from a latched position and is
readily accessible and in which all of the connecting com-
ponents remain secured together and to the blade for latch-
ing and unlatching.
A further and more specific object of the invention
is to provide an insert for connecting a side mounted wiper
20 blade having a superstructure with an apertured web portion
to a wiper arm which insert lies substantially entirely
within the profile of the blade and which includes a latch
operator readily accessible for manual manipulation at an
exposed position,
Other objects and advantages of the invention will
be apparent from the following detailed description taken in
connection with the accompanying drawings.
Figure 1 is a side view of parts of a wiper arm and
a wiper blade shown in assembly with an insert and latch
30 member;
Figure 2 is a top plan view of the insert omitting
the latch member but showing the main yoke of the wiper
blade in chain lines;
Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on line
III-III through Figure 2 with the latch member in the un-
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latched position;
Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional viewsimilar to Figure 3 showing the pin engaged with the latch
member;
Figure 5 is a transverse section taken along the
line V-V of Figure 3 with the latch member in the latched
position; and
Figure 6 is a transverse section taken along the
line VI-VI of Figure 3 with the latch member in the un-
latched position.
Referring initially to the general assembly (Figure1), a wiper blade 10 is shown comprising an elastomeric
wiper strip 12 and subsidiary yokes 14 which are pivotally
mounted with respect to a main yoke 16 of metal. A wiper
arm 18 terminates in a rigid plastics moulding 20 which lies
alongside the main yoke 16 and is releasably pivotally con-
nected to the main yoke 16 by a cylindrical pin 22. The pin
22 may be permanently rigidly supported by the moulding and
projects from it at right angles to the length oE the ad-
jacent part of the wiper arm 18. Alternatively the pin 22can be a discrete member which is releasably connected in
known manner to a connector permanently attached to the free
end of the wiper arm 18 in place of the moulding 20. An in-
sert and latch member, present in Figure 1 but almost total-
ly hidden, contribute to connecting the main yoke 16 to the
pin 22.
As indicated by the chain lines in Figure 3, the ma-
jority of the main yoke 16 is of inverted channel sections
with a web 24 and flanges 26. In a central portion the main
30 yoke 16 widens slightly as shown in Figure 2 and there pre-
sents a rectangular aperture 28, the ends of which are de-
fined by the web 24 and the sides of which are defined by
the flanges 26. The flanges 26 extend somewhat upwards
along each side of the aperture 28 to upper edges 30. A
pair of transversely aligned holes or openings 32 is formed
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in the flanges 26 to permit the pin 22 to enter and extend
from side to side of the main yoke 16. In this example
there is a gap 1 mm wide between the moulding 20 and the
yoke 16 when the pin is latched to the yoke. ~owever,
should a discrete pin having a central collar 38 be
employed, the collar 38 would occupy the position indicated
in chain lines in Figure 5. The outer end part of the pin,
whether permanently supported by the moulding or releasably
connected to a connector, has two cylindrical portions 36,
1~ 38 separated by a circumferential groove 40, the cylindrical
portion 38 having a tapering extremity.
The insert (Figures 2 to 6) is a single piece of
moulded plastics having a generally rectangular body 50
which has a length substantially greater than its width.
More particularly, the body 50 comprises a pair of end por-
tions 52 bridging a pair of laterally resilient side por-
tions 54 to present a hollow rectangular frame defining a
corresponding opening 58. A pair of external lips 60 pro-
jects longitudinally in opposite directions from the end
20 portions 52. The lips 60 are disposed below the upper pe-
ripheries of the end portions 52 by an amount corresponding
to the thickness of the web 24 of the yoke 16. A pair of
hollow external cylindrical projections 62 having circular
internal and external peripheries projects laterally in op-
posite directions from the side portions 54. The projec-
tions 62 are radially dimensioned to fit the openings 32 in
the flanges 26. A pair of aligned holes 64 extends through
he side portions 54 and also through the projections 62, the
holes 64 being bounded by a pair of cylindrical bearing sur-
30 faces 66 for the pin as later described.
The latch member (Figures 3 to 6) is a single pieceof moulded plastic and has a block 70 depending from a rect-
angular plate-like cover 76 with chamfered ends which is
longer than the aperture 28 and preferably has a running fit
with the flanges 26 of the main yoke 16. On the underside
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of the cover 76 are two dependent stems 90 which are spaced
from the ends of the cover and from each other. The stems
90 serve to retain and guide the cover for sliding over the
aperture 28. Accordingly each stem is formed at its lower
end with depending, laterally resilient, side flanges 72
with outwardly directed lips 74 chamfered as shown to enable
them to snap engage with the lower edges of the in- sert as
later described. The block 70, shaped for latching with the
pin 22 and serving as a keeper, is disposed between the
10 stems 90. The left-hand end of the block 70, as shown in
Figure 3, is recessed to form a part-cylindrical cavity 80
corresponding in diameter to that of the circumferential
groove 40 in the pin 22. The cavity 80 has a slightly nar-
rower mouth 82 at one side.
In assembly, the insert is introduced into the aper-
ture 28 from below the main yoke 16. The lips 60 engage the
underside of the web 24 when the upper periphery of the in-
sert is flush with the adjacent upper surface of the web,
thereby forming lap joints with the edges defining the ends
20 of the aperture 28 and minimising the overall height when in
assembly with the latch member. Furthermore, when the lips
and web are brought into engagement the projections 62 on
the insert align with the holes 32 in the yoke and, owing to
the resilience of the side portions 54, snap into deep en-
gagement with the holes 32. It should be apparent that the
lips 60 locate and steady the insert in the yoke, and that
the insert is wholly within the side profile of the yoke.
The latch member is then introduced, lips 74 first,
from above through the opening 58 in the insert. The over-
30 all width of the latch member at the lips 74 exceeds thetransverse width of the opening 58. The chamfering on the
lips 74 and the upper side edges of the opening 58 causes
inward deflection of the flanges 72. Thereafter the side
portions 54, supported from outward deflection by the
flanges 26 of the main yoke, cause inward deflection of the
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flanges 72. On reaching the lower edges of the side por-
tions 54, the lips 74 snap outwardly into sliding engagement
with the lo~er edges of the side portions 54. The cover 76
of the latch member is of sufficient extent to ensure that
the opening 58 and the insert are always concealed regard-
less of whether the latch member is in its latched or un-
latched position.
In the unlatched position of the latch member the
stem 90 on the left in Figure 3 does not obstruct insertion
10 or withdrawal of the pin 22 through the holes 64. The spac-
ing of the stems 90 from the ends of the cover 76 and from
the block 70 is such that the stems do not interfere with
either sliding or latching movements of the latch member.
The transverse dimension of the block 70 of the
latch member corresponds with the axial dimension of the
circumferential groove 40 in the pin 22. Also, the stems 90
and block 7~ have a running fit with the side portions 54 of
the insert. Thus, especially when the latch member is in
its latched position, its presence ensures that the side
20 portions 54 are prevented from accidental inward flexing.
The projections 62 therefore remain fully engaged in the
holes 32 in the main yoke 16 and the pin is borne for pivot-
ing out of contact with the peripheries of the holes 32 in
the main yoke 16 by the bearing surfaces 66. Furthermore,
the latch member is unobtrusive, the major part of the cover
76 lying within the side profile of the main yoke 16 at the
opening 28.
The wiper blade is mounted on the wiper arm by the
following procedure. With the latch member in its unlatched
30 position the leading end 38 of the pin 22 is inserted
through one of the holes 64 into the space between the side
portions 54, and through the other hole 64. Movement of the
latch member to the left into its latched position as shown
in Figure 4 forces the mouth 82 against the groove 40 in the
pin and to open so that the cavity 80 engages around the
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groove 40 with a snap action. Withdrawal of the pin 22 from
the bearing surfaces 66 is then prevented by the inter-
engagement of the perpendicular shoulder on the pin 22 with
the adjacent side of the block 70.
The plastics insert and latch member are primarily
intended for use with main yokes of metal but they can be
applied to equivalent main yokes of plastics and provide
means for latching pivot pins to them.
It should now be apparent that a unique wiper blade
10 to arm connector assembly for mounting a wiper blade along
side a wiper arm has been provided wherein the possibility
of corrosion at the junction of moving parts has been mini-
mized and in which a positive, readily accessible latching
mechanism has been provided. A certain specific embodiment
of the invention has been shown and described for the pur-
poses of illustration but it will be apparent that in ac-
cordance with the broader aspects of the invention various
modifications and other embodiments are possible within the
scope of the invention. For example, other and different
20 styles of keeper elements may be provided. Alternative em-
bodiments may include other and different means for retain-
ing a latch within the insert and for retaining the insert
within the yoke. It is to be understood therefore that the
invention is not limited to the specific arrangement shown
but in its broadest aspects it includes all equivalent em-
bodiments and modifications which come within the scope of
the invention.
