Wiper lever assembly and wiper blade

Abstract

The wiper blade (10) includes a wiper rod assembly (20) of a racetrack structure. In the above-mentioned wiper rod assembly (20), a pair of movable covers (60) are provided on both sides of the length direction of a main rod (22) to which the wiper arm is connected in the center of the length direction. Fin surfaces (46, 84) that are inclined downward toward the front side of the vehicle are formed on both sides of the length direction of the main rod (22) and each movable cover (60), and a main receiving chamber and a movable receiving chamber (86) that are open to the wiping surface side are formed. In addition, a pair of yoke rods (96) accommodated in each main receiving chamber (48) and each movable receiving chamber (86) are rotatably connected to the main rod (22) and each movable cover (60). In addition, the height dimension of the rear side of each main receiving chamber (48), each movable receiving chamber (86) and each yoke rod (96) is larger than that of the front side.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a wiper rod assembly and a wiper blade. Background Art

[0002] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-513928 describes a flat wiper blade that does not utilize a wiper rod assembly with a track-like structure, which consists of multiple rods connected together. In this wiper blade, a leaf spring-like support element (gasket) imparts rigidity and elasticity to the wiper strip (squeeze rubber). Furthermore, the wiper blade includes a wind deflector secured to the support element via a first claw and a second claw. A fin surface is formed on the upper surface of the wind deflector to convert traveling air into a pressing force toward the wiping surface.

[0003] International Publication No. 2010 / 035794 describes a wiper blade comprising a rod member (wiper rod assembly) of a racetrack structure, a scraper rubber, and two movable covers. The rod member comprises: a main rod detachably connected to the wiper arm at the center in the longitudinal direction; and two yoke rods rotatably connected to the two ends of the main rod in the longitudinal direction. The movable covers are rotatably connected to the yoke rods, and the scraper rubber is held by each yoke rod and each movable cover. In addition, a fin surface is formed on the upper surface of the main rod and each movable cover for converting the traveling wind into a pressing force toward the wiping surface. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0005] In recent years, it has been established that when the wiping environment of the wiper changes due to, for example, applying a water-repellent coating agent to the wiping surface, a higher-performance wiper blade is required. In this regard, the wiper blade described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-513928 is flat, so the height of the protrusion from the wiping surface can be suppressed to a low level, thereby improving aerodynamic characteristics. However, compared with the structure of the wiper rod assembly using a racetrack structure, it has the disadvantage of poor wiping performance because it is difficult to distribute the pressure to the wiping surface evenly. On the other hand, although the wiper blade described in International Publication No. 2010 / 035794 achieves good wiping performance through the wiper rod assembly using a racetrack structure, since the protrusion height from the wiping surface becomes higher and the lift and drag acting during wiping become larger, there is still room for improvement from the perspective of improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wiper lever assembly and a wiper blade including the wiper lever assembly, which can improve aerodynamic characteristics while ensuring good wiping performance.

[0007] Technical solutions used to solve technical problems

[0008] The wiper rod assembly of the first embodiment of the present invention is a wiper rod assembly that holds a scraper rubber for wiping a wiping surface, comprising: a main rod, the main rod being connected to the front end portion of the wiper arm at the center portion in the length direction, a first fin surface being formed on the upper surface on both sides in the length direction and tilted downward toward the front side in the width direction, and a main receiving chamber being formed on both sides in the length direction, which is open to the wiping surface side and has a larger height dimension on the rear side in the width direction than on the front side; a pair of movable covers, the pair of movable covers being arranged continuously on both sides in the length direction of the main rod with the length direction of the main rod as the long side, and a wiper arm for holding the wiper rubber on the side opposite to the main rod. The holding portion of the scraper rubber is formed on the upper surface with a second fin surface inclined downward toward the front side in the width direction, and is formed with a movable receiving chamber that is open to the wiping surface side and has a height dimension of the rear side in the width direction that is larger than the front side; and a pair of yoke rods, which are accommodated in each of the main receiving chambers and each of the movable receiving chambers with the length direction of the main rod and each of the movable covers as the long side, and are connected to the main rod and each of the movable covers in a manner that can rotate around an axis extending in the width direction, and holding portions for holding the scraper rubber are provided at both end portions in the length direction, and the height dimension of the rear side in the width direction is larger than the front side.

[0009] In the wiper rod assembly of the first embodiment, a pair of movable covers are continuously arranged on both sides of the length direction of the main rod to which the front end of the wiper arm is connected in the middle of the length direction. A first fin surface and a second fin surface that are inclined downward toward the front side in the width direction are formed on the upper surfaces of the two sides of the length direction of the main rod and the upper surfaces of each movable cover. In addition, a main receiving chamber that opens to the wiping surface side (lower side) and has a larger height dimension on the rear side than the front side in the width direction is formed on both sides of the length direction of the main rod, and a movable receiving chamber that opens to the wiping surface side (lower side) and has a larger height dimension on the rear side than the front side in the width direction is formed in each movable cover. In addition, a pair of yoke rods housed in each main receiving chamber and each movable receiving chamber are connected to the main rod and each movable cover in a manner that can rotate around an axis extending in the width direction. In addition, the gripping portion of each movable cover provided on the side opposite to the main rod and the gripping portions of each yoke rod provided at both ends in the length direction grip the scraper rubber. Thus, the pressing force applied from the wiper arm to the main lever is dispersed in the longitudinal direction of the blade rubber via the yoke levers, thereby making the pressure distributed to the wiping surface uniform and improving the wiping performance.

[0010] Furthermore, as described above, since the height dimension of the yoke rod housed in the main housing chamber and the movable housing chamber is larger on the rear side than on the front side in the width direction, the strength of the yoke rod can be ensured by the larger height dimension, and the yoke rod can be compactly housed in the main housing chamber and the movable housing chamber. Furthermore, since the height dimension of the rear side in the width direction of the main rod and the movable cover, which have the first fin surface and the second fin surface inclined downward toward the front side in the width direction, is larger than that of the front side as described above, even if the main housing chamber and the movable housing chamber are formed with the height dimension of the rear side in the width direction larger than that of the front side as described above, the increase in the height dimension can be suppressed. Thus, in this wiper rod assembly, the height of the protrusion protruding from the wiping surface can be suppressed to be low, thereby improving the aerodynamic characteristics.

[0011] In the wiper lever assembly according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the yoke lever includes a metal portion made of metal and a resin portion provided outside the metal portion.

[0012] According to the second embodiment of the wiper lever assembly, since the yoke is constructed with a resin portion outside the metal portion, it is easier to simultaneously achieve both yoke strength and miniaturization compared to a yoke constructed solely of resin. Furthermore, when the metal portion is embedded in the resin portion, the exposed portion of the metal portion is reduced, eliminating the need for rust-proofing or glare-proofing coatings.

[0013] In the wiper lever assembly according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the main lever and the movable cover are made of resin, and the yoke lever is rotatably connected to the main lever and the movable cover at the resin portion.

[0014] A wiper lever assembly according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the second aspect or the third aspect, the grip portion is formed on the resin portion.

[0015] A fifth aspect of the wiper lever assembly of the present invention is characterized in that in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the yoke lever is rotatably connected to the main lever and the movable cover at a lower portion thereof having a width greater than that of an upper portion in the front-rear direction.

[0016] According to the fifth embodiment of the wiper lever assembly of the present invention, the above-described structure allows the axial lengths of the respective pivotal connection portions between the main lever, the movable cover, and the yoke lever to be set longer in the width direction. As a result, changes in the posture (i.e., the tilted posture) of the yoke lever relative to the main lever and the movable cover can be suppressed.

[0017] A wiper lever assembly according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the yoke lever includes: a plate-shaped portion having a vertical direction as a plate thickness direction; and a standing wall portion projecting upward from a rear side in the width direction of the plate-shaped portion.

[0018] A wiper lever assembly according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the sixth aspect, the main lever and the movable cover include a pair of opposing walls that face each other across the standing wall portion in the front-rear direction.

[0019] According to the wiper lever assembly of the seventh aspect, loosening of the yoke lever relative to the main lever and the movable cover can be suppressed by the engagement of the upright wall portion provided on the yoke lever with the pair of opposing walls provided on the main lever and the movable cover.

[0020] In the wiper rod assembly of the eighth embodiment of the present invention, in the sixth embodiment based on the second embodiment, the metal part has: a plate-shaped plate-shaped part, which is embedded in the resin part corresponding to the plate-shaped part of the yoke rod and has the up-down direction as the plate thickness direction; and a vertical wall part, which is embedded in the resin part corresponding to the vertical wall part of the yoke rod and protrudes upward from the rear side in the width direction of the plate-shaped part.

[0021] A ninth aspect of the present invention is a wiper lever assembly according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein a pair of pressurizing portions are formed on an upper surface of the yoke lever so as to protrude upward and contact upper surfaces of the main accommodating chamber and the movable accommodating chamber.

[0022] According to the ninth embodiment of the wiper rod assembly, a pair of pressure-applying parts provided on the upper surface of the yoke rod contacts the upper surface of the main receiving chamber and the upper surface of the movable receiving chamber. As a result, the pressing force from the wiper arm, the reaction force from the wiping surface, and the like are transmitted between the yoke rod and the main rod and the movable cover via the above-mentioned pair of pressure-applying parts, thereby preventing or suppressing the above-mentioned forces from being applied to the various rotating connection parts between the yoke rod and the main rod and the movable cover. As a result, since the connection strength of the above-mentioned various rotating connection parts can be designed to be lower, the yoke rod can be miniaturized in the height direction. Therefore, according to this wiper rod assembly, the height of the protrusion protruding from the wiping surface can be further suppressed to be lower.

[0023] In the wiper rod assembly of the tenth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to ninth aspects, the convex portions formed on the front and rear surfaces of each main containing chamber and each movable containing chamber in the width direction are respectively embedded in the four concave portions formed on the front and rear surfaces of the yoke rod in the width direction, so that the yoke rod can be rotatably connected to the main rod and the movable cover.

[0024] According to the tenth embodiment of the wiper rod assembly, since it is constructed as described above, the structure and assembly of the various rotating connection parts of the main rod, the movable cover and the yoke rod can be simplified compared to the case where the main rod and the movable cover are rotatably connected to the yoke rod using an axis component.

[0025] In the wiper rod assembly of the eleventh embodiment of the present invention, in the sixth embodiment or any one of the seventh to tenth embodiments based on the sixth embodiment, the main receiving chamber of the main rod has a first opening portion opening to the wiping surface side, the movable receiving chamber of a pair of movable covers has a second opening portion opening to the wiping surface side, and the plate-shaped portions of a pair of yoke rods close the first opening portion and the second opening portion.

[0026] A wiper lever assembly according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that in any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the main lever includes a pair of center-side partition walls that partition the main accommodation chambers in the longitudinal direction at the center side of the main lever in the longitudinal direction.

[0027] A thirteenth aspect of the present invention is a wiper lever assembly according to any one of the first to twelfth aspects, wherein the movable cover includes an outer partition wall that partitions the movable accommodation chamber in a longitudinal direction on a side opposite to the main lever relative to the yoke lever.

[0028] In any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the wiper rod assembly of the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the main rod and the movable cover respectively have: a front wall and a rear wall opposite to each other in the width direction; and an upper wall connecting the upper end portion of the front wall and the upper end portion of the rear wall in the width direction, each of the front walls has a front inner wall and a front outer wall formed continuously from the front inner wall and the upper wall and toward one side in the width direction, each of the yoke rods is rotatably connected to each of the front inner walls and each of the rear walls, the first fin surface and the second fin surface are formed by being connected, the first fin surface is formed on the upper surface of the upper wall of the main rod and the upper surface of the front outer wall, and the second fin surface is formed on the upper surface of the upper wall of the movable cover and the upper surface of the front outer wall.

[0029] In the fourteenth embodiment of the wiper rod assembly of the fifteenth embodiment of the present invention, one side of the concave portion and the convex portion formed on each of the front inner walls and each of the rear walls are respectively embedded in the four convex portions and the other side of the concave portion formed on the front and rear surfaces of the yoke rod in the width direction, so that the yoke rod can be rotatably connected to the main rod and the movable cover, and each of the front inner walls has: a flexible portion on which one side of the concave portion and the convex portion is formed; and a reinforcement portion that is reinforced than the flexible portion, and a front side protrusion is formed on the yoke rod in a manner that corresponds to the reinforcement portion and can abut against the reinforcement portion.

[0030] The wiper rod assembly of the sixteenth embodiment of the present invention, in any one of the first to fifteenth embodiments, includes a load transfer portion, which is separately arranged from the main rod, the movable cover and the respective rotating connection portions of the yoke rod, and the load transfer portion includes a clamped portion provided on the main rod and the movable cover and a clamping portion provided on the yoke rod, and the load acting between the main rod, the movable cover and the yoke rod along the length direction of these components is borne by the clamped portion and the clamping portion.

[0031] According to the sixteenth aspect of the wiper lever assembly, the load transfer portion, provided separately from the respective rotational connections between the main lever, the movable cover, and the yoke, includes an engaged portion provided on the main lever and the movable cover, and an engaging portion provided on the yoke. The load transfer portion supports loads acting along the longitudinal directions of the main lever, the movable cover, and the yoke through engagement between the engaged portion and the engaging portion. This prevents or suppresses the loads from acting on the respective rotational connections.

[0032] The wiper blade of the seventeenth embodiment of the present invention comprises: a scraper rubber, which is used to wipe the wiping surface of the vehicle; and a wiper rod assembly of any one of the first to sixteenth embodiments, which holds the scraper rubber by each of the holding portions provided on a pair of the movable covers and a pair of the yoke rods.

[0033] According to the seventeenth aspect of the wiper blade, the wiper rubber for wiping the wiping surface of the vehicle is gripped by gripping portions provided on the pair of movable covers and the pair of yokes included in the wiper lever assembly. Since the wiper lever assembly is a component of any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the above-mentioned effects can be achieved.

[0034] The wiper blade of the eighteenth embodiment of the present invention is in the seventeenth embodiment, wherein the scraper rubber is arranged on the lower side of the wiper rod assembly and is held by the yoke rod and the movable cover, is pressed toward the wiping surface, and has gaps formed between the yoke rod and the movable cover, respectively. The wiper blade includes a blocking portion, which is protruding from at least any one of the lower surface of the movable cover, the lower surface of the yoke rod, and the upper surface of the scraper rubber, and extends in the internal space of the wiper rod assembly along the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber, blocking the outflow of traveling wind flowing into at least one of the gaps.

[0035] A nineteenth aspect of the present invention is the wiper blade according to the eighteenth aspect, wherein the stopper portion is a longitudinal rib projecting downward from a lower surface of the movable cover that is recessed upward when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the wiper rubber.

[0036] A 20th aspect of the present invention is the wiper blade according to the 19th aspect, wherein the longitudinal rib is arranged above a rear end portion in the width direction of the blade rubber. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a wiper blade according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 2 It is a top view of the wiper blade.

[0039] Figure 3 It is the front view of the wiper blade.

[0040] Figure 4 It is a side view of the wiper blade.

[0041] Figure 5 It is an exploded perspective view of the wiper blade.

[0042] Figure 6 It is an exploded perspective view of the wiper blade.

[0043] Figure 7 This is a perspective view showing a portion of the wiper blade. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along the F7-F7 line.

[0044] Figure 8 This is a perspective view showing a portion of the wiper blade. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along line F8-F8.

[0045] Figure 9 This is a perspective view showing a portion of the wiper blade. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along line F9-F9.

[0046] Figure 10 This is a perspective view showing a portion of the wiper blade. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along the F10-F10 line.

[0047] Figure 11 This is a perspective view showing a portion of the wiper blade. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along line F11-F11.

[0048] Figure 12 This is a perspective view showing a portion of the wiper blade. Figure 3 A cross-sectional view along the F12-F12 line.

[0049] Figure 13 Observed from the length direction of the wiper blade Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of the cut plane is shown.

[0050] Figure 14 Observed from the length direction of the wiper blade Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of the cut plane is shown.

[0051] Figure 15 Observed from the length direction of the wiper blade Figure 9 A cross-sectional view of the cut plane is shown.

[0052] Figure 16 Observed from the length direction of the wiper blade Figure 10 A cross-sectional view of the cut plane is shown.

[0053] Figure 17 Observed from the length direction of the wiper blade Figure 12 A cross-sectional view of the cut plane is shown.

[0054] Figure 18 1 is a perspective view showing a state where a front end portion of a wiper lever assembly according to a first embodiment of the present invention is viewed from below.

[0055] Figure 19 The diagram is a perspective view showing a base end portion of the wiper lever assembly as viewed from below.

[0056] Figure 20 1 is an exploded perspective view showing a portion of the wiper lever assembly.

[0057] Figure 21 1 is a perspective view showing a main rod of the wiper rod assembly.

[0058] Figure 22 1 is a perspective view showing a main rod of the wiper rod assembly.

[0059] Figure 23 It will Figure 22 A stereogram showing an enlarged portion of the image.

[0060] Figure 24 1 is a perspective view showing a movable cover of the wiper lever assembly.

[0061] Figure 25 1 is a perspective view showing a yoke rod of the wiper rod assembly.

[0062] Figure 26 1 is a perspective view showing a yoke rod of the wiper rod assembly.

[0063] Figure 27 This is a perspective view of the metal portion of the yoke.

[0064] Figure 28 This is a perspective view of the metal part.

[0065] Figure 29 This is a perspective view of the metal part.

[0066] Figure 30It is a schematic diagram for explaining the force acting on the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0067] Figure 31 This is used to explain the lift generated by the wiper blade of the comparative example. Figure 17 Corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0068] Figure 32 This is a diagram for explaining the lift generated by the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 17 Corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0069] Figure 33A This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram in a state where the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged above the front end portion of the blade rubber in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] Figure 33B In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged Figure 33A Aerodynamic analysis diagram of the rear side of the position shown.

[0071] Figure 33C In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged Figure 33B Aerodynamic analysis diagram of the rear side of the position shown.

[0072] Figure 33D In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged Figure 33C Aerodynamic analysis diagram of the rear side of the position shown.

[0073] Figure 33E In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged Figure 33D Aerodynamic analysis diagram of the rear side of the position shown.

[0074] Figure 33F In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged Figure 33E Aerodynamic analysis diagram of the rear side of the position shown.

[0075] Figure 33G In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged Figure 33F Aerodynamic analysis diagram of the rear side of the position shown.

[0076] Figure 33H 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the position of the longitudinal rib and the lift force in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0077] Figure 34AThis is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the blade rubber is set to be small in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] Figure 34B In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the wiper rubber is set to be larger than Figure 34A The aerodynamic analysis diagram for the large state is shown.

[0079] Figure 34C In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the wiper rubber is set to be larger than Figure 34B The aerodynamic analysis diagram for the large state is shown.

[0080] Figure 34D In the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention, the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the wiper rubber is set to be larger than Figure 34C The aerodynamic analysis diagram for the large state is shown.

[0081] Figure 34E This is a graph showing the relationship between the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the blade rubber and the lift force in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] Figure 35A The figure shows the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the blade rubber in the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 34A A line graph showing the relationship between the position of the longitudinal rib and the lift force in the aforementioned setting state.

[0083] Figure 35B The figure shows the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the blade rubber in the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 34B A line graph showing the relationship between the position of the longitudinal rib and the lift force in the aforementioned setting state.

[0084] Figure 35C The figure shows the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the blade rubber in the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 34C A line graph showing the relationship between the position of the longitudinal rib and the lift force in the aforementioned setting state.

[0085] Figure 35D The figure shows the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the blade rubber in the wiper blade of the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 34D A line graph showing the relationship between the position of the longitudinal rib and the lift force in the aforementioned setting state.

[0086] Figure 36A This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when no longitudinal ribs are provided on the movable cover in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0087] Figure 36B This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of a state in which the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged on the front side in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Figure 36C This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram in a state where the longitudinal ribs of the movable cover are arranged above the rear end portion of the blade rubber in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] Figure 37A This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the blade rubber is set to be small in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] Figure 37B This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when the gap between the longitudinal rib of the movable cover and the blade rubber is set to be large in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] Figure 38A This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when the gap between the front wall of the movable cover and the blade rubber is set to be small in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] Figure 38B This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when the gap between the front wall of the movable cover and the blade rubber is set to be large in the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] Figure 39 This is a diagram showing a modified example of the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 Corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0094] Figure 40 This is a diagram showing a modified example of the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 15 Corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0095] Figure 41 The wiper blade according to the second embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 13 Corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0096] Figure 42 The front end side portion of the wiper rod assembly according to the second embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 18 Corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0097] Figure 43A This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of a wiper blade of a comparative example.

[0098] Figure 43B This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of a wiper blade according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0099] Figure 43C This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when the protrusion amount of the lever protrusion is set to be large in the wiper blade according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0100] Figure 44 The wiper blade according to the third embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. Figure 14 Corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0101] Figure 45 The present invention is a wiper blade according to a third embodiment of the present invention, in which a recessed portion is formed on the lower surface of the yoke. Figure 47 Corresponding cross-sectional view.

[0102] Figure 46A This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of a wiper blade according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] Figure 46B This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when a recessed portion is formed on the lower surface of the yoke in the wiper blade according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0104] Figure 47 This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of the wiper blade according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] Figure 48 This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of the wiper blade of the first comparative example.

[0106] Figure 49 This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of a wiper blade according to a second comparative example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0107] (First embodiment)

[0108] Below, use Figures 1 to 40 , a wiper blade 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, in each figure, some symbols may be omitted for ease of understanding. In addition, in each figure, the scale of the drawings may be appropriately changed for ease of explanation.

[0109] Figures 1 to 17 The wiper blade 10 shown is used to wipe the windshield G (except Figures 13 to 17 The wiper blade 10 is a member that wipes raindrops from the outer surface of the wiper surface WS (other than the figure omitted), and is a so-called racetrack structure. Figure 1The wiper arm 12 is connected to the front end portion thereof (not shown in the figure), and is subjected to a pressing force from the wiper arm 12 toward the wiping surface WS. The above-mentioned wiper arm 12 and wiper blade 10 together constitute a vehicle wiper. The base end portion of the wiper arm 12 is fixed to a pivot (not shown in the figure) that is reciprocated within a specified angle range by the driving force of a wiper motor (not shown in the figure), and the wiper arm 12 is swung back and forth by the reciprocating rotation of the pivot. Thus, the wiper blade 10 connected to the front end portion of the wiper arm 12 is configured to swing back and forth between a lower reversal position set at the lower end portion of the windshield G and an upper reversal position set at a position closer to the upstream side of the windshield G than the lower reversal position.

[0110] The wiper blade 10 includes a scraper rubber 14 for wiping the wiping surface WS and a wiper rod assembly 20 for holding the scraper rubber 14. Figures 1 to 20 As shown, the wiper lever assembly 20 includes a main lever 22 connected to the front end of the wiper arm 12 at its longitudinal center; a pair of movable covers 60 provided on either side of the main lever 22 in the longitudinal direction; and a pair of yoke levers 96 rotatably connected to the main lever 22 and the pair of movable covers 60 (in other words, the movable covers 60 are rotatably connected to the pair of yoke levers 96). The wiper lever assembly 20 is configured to grip the wiper rubber 14 via the pair of movable covers 60 and the pair of yoke levers 96.

[0111] The following describes the above-mentioned structural elements of the wiper blade 10 in detail. In the following description, the arrows UP and FR, as indicated in the respective figures, are used to indicate the upper and front sides of the wiper blade 10, respectively, and the side indicated by the arrow BE is used to indicate the base end side (swing center side) of the wiper blade 10. The up-down direction of the wiper blade 10 is a direction perpendicular to the wiping surface WS, and the front-to-back direction of the wiper blade 10 is the width direction of the wiper blade 10, which is roughly consistent with the wiping direction. When only the front-to-back, up-to-down and down directions are used for description, these directions are indicated relative to the wiper blade 10.

[0112] (About scraper rubber)

[0113] The scraper rubber 14 is formed into a long strip of rubber, for example. The scraper rubber 14 includes: an upper portion 14A that is gripped by the wiper rod assembly 20; and a wiping portion 14B that extends from the upper portion 14A toward the lower side (wiping surface WS side) and has its lower end pressed toward the wiping surface WS. A pair of gasket grooves 16 that are open on both sides in the front-to-back direction (width direction) are formed along the length direction of the scraper rubber 14 at the upper portion 14A of the scraper rubber 14. Gaskets (not shown) composed of metal leaf spring members are respectively embedded in these gasket grooves 16. The gaskets are members that disperse the pressing force against the wiping surface WS received from the wiper arm 12 in the length direction of the scraper rubber 14. In addition, a pair of holding grooves 18 that are open on both sides in the front-to-back direction are formed along the length direction of the scraper rubber 14 at a position of the upper portion 14A of the scraper rubber 14 that is closer to the lower side than the pair of gasket grooves 16. The vertical positions of these gripping grooves 18 correspond to gripping portions 80 and 110 of the wiper lever assembly 20 , which will be described later.

[0114] (About wiper lever assembly)

[0115] As described above, the wiper lever assembly 20 includes the main lever 22, a pair of movable covers 60, and a pair of yoke levers 96. Furthermore, in the wiper lever assembly 20, the portion on the front end side (opposite to the swing center of the wiper blade 10) and the portion on the base end side (on the swing center side of the wiper blade 10) are formed into symmetrical or substantially symmetrical shapes.

[0116] (About the main rod)

[0117] The main lever 22 is formed of, for example, a resin material and is elongated in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 10. The main lever 22 forms the longitudinal middle portion of the wiper lever assembly 20. The main lever 22 has a connecting portion 22A at its longitudinal center, and a pair of arm portions 22B on either side of the connecting portion 22A.

[0118] like Figure 21 and Figure 22 As shown, the connecting portion 22A is formed into a rectangular frame shape with the length direction of the main rod 22 as the long side when viewed from the top and bottom directions. An opening portion 24 is formed in the connecting portion 22A, which passes through the connecting portion 22A in the top and bottom directions. The above-mentioned opening portion 24 is formed into a long strip shape with the length direction of the main rod 22 as the long side. At the center portion in the length direction of the above-mentioned opening portion 24, a metal connecting shaft 26 connecting the front and rear wall portions of the connecting portion 22A is provided in an integral manner. The front end portion of the wiper arm 12 is connected to the above-mentioned connecting shaft 26 via a connecting clip 28.

[0119] A pair of arm portions 22B integrally extend from the connecting portion 22A to both sides in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 10. Figure 7 、 Figure 8 、 Figure 13 、 Figure 14 As shown, the arm portion 22B has an open cross-sectional shape that opens to the lower side (wiping surface WS side) when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22, and the lower surface of each arm portion 22B is recessed upward when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 (when viewed from the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber 14). Figure 13 、 Figure 14 、 Figures 21 to 23 As shown, each arm portion 22B includes: an upper wall 30; a front wall 32 extending downward from the front end portion of the upper wall 30; a rear wall 40 extending downward from the rear end portion of the upper wall 30; a rear inner wall 42 extending downward from a slightly rearward side of the center portion of the upper wall 30 in the front-to-back direction (in other words, between the front inner wall 36 and the rear wall 40 described later); and a plurality of reinforcing ribs 44 (see FIG. 1 ) provided between the front surface of the rear inner wall 42 and the lower surface of the upper wall 30. Figure 23 The front wall 32 and the rear wall 40 are opposed to each other in the front-to-back direction, and the upper wall 30 connects the upper end of the front wall 32 and the upper end of the rear wall 40 in the front-to-back direction. A plurality of reinforcing ribs 44 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 and are integrally connected to the upper wall 30 and the rear inner wall 42.

[0120] In addition, the front wall 32 has: a front outer wall 34 and a front inner wall 36 that are opposite to each other in the front-to-back direction; and a plurality of reinforcing ribs 38 that connect the front outer wall 34 and the front inner wall 36 in the front-to-back direction. The front outer wall 34 extends from the front end portion of the upper wall 30 toward the front side (one side in the width direction) and downward, and the front inner wall 36 extends from the front end portion of the upper wall 30 downward slightly to the rear side (slightly to the other side in the width direction) of the front outer wall 34. That is, the front outer wall 34 is arranged on the front side relative to the front inner wall 36. The front outer wall 34 is curved in a convex manner toward the front side and toward the upper side. The front inner wall 36 is set so that the longitudinal dimension of the main rod 22 is smaller than that of the front outer wall 34, and is configured so that the front inner wall 36 is not provided on the connecting portion 22A side of each arm 22B. The plurality of reinforcing ribs 38 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 and are integrally connected to the upper wall 30, the front outer wall 34, and the front inner wall 36.

[0121] like Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the front outer wall 34 extends downward from the front inner wall 36, and the lower end of the front outer wall 34 is positioned slightly below the lower end of the front inner wall 36. The lower end of the front inner wall 36 and the lower end of the rear wall 40 are positioned at approximately the same position (height) in the vertical direction. The lower end of the rear inner wall 42 is positioned above the lower ends of the front inner wall 36 and the rear wall 40. Furthermore, the rear wall 40 is formed so that its dimension (thickness) in the front-to-back direction increases as it moves from the upper end side connected to the upper wall 30 toward the lower end side.

[0122] The upper surface of each arm 22B (i.e., both sides in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22) constructed as described above is composed of the upper surface of the upper wall 30 and the upper surface of the front outer wall 34. A fin surface (first fin surface) 46 that is inclined downward toward the front side of the vehicle (i.e., the front side in the width direction; one side in the width direction) is formed on the upper surface of each arm 22B. Each fin surface 46 is inclined or curved (here, curved) in a manner that moves further away from the wiping surface WS toward the rear side of the vehicle. Each fin surface 46 is formed on the upper surface of each upper wall 30 on the front side of the vehicle and extends in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22. The above-mentioned fin surface 46 extends to a slightly rear side of the central part of each arm 22B in the front-to-back direction (width direction) and is curved so that the slope becomes larger toward the rear side. Since the above-mentioned fin surface 46 is subjected to the traveling wind when the vehicle is traveling, a pressing force toward the wiping surface WS side is applied to the scraper rubber 14. The arm portions 22B on which the fin surfaces 46 are formed have a height dimension (a dimension in the vertical direction) greater on the rear side than on the front side in the front-rear direction.

[0123] In addition, if Figure 13 、 Figure 14 、 Figures 21 to 23 As shown, a main receiving chamber 48 for receiving a portion of the yoke rod 96 is formed in each arm portion 22B (i.e., on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22). The main receiving chamber 48 is formed between the front wall 32 and the rear wall 40 on the lower side of the upper wall 30, and is open to the lower side (the wiping surface WS side) and the outer side in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22. The opening 48A (see FIG. 1 ) on the lower side of the main receiving chamber 48 is Figure 14 、 Figures 18 to 20 、 Figure 22 and Figure 23 ,exist Figure 13 ) corresponds to the "first opening portion". Hereinafter, the above-mentioned opening portion 48A will be referred to as the "first opening portion 48A". In addition, for the main storage chamber 48, the height dimension (the dimension in the up-down direction) of the rear side is larger than that of the front side in the width direction. The above-mentioned rear inner wall 42 is provided near the center portion in the front-to-back direction of the main storage chamber 48, and the upper portion of the main storage chamber 48 is divided into front and rear portions by the rear inner wall 42. In addition, a central side partition wall (reinforcement rib) 50 (see Figure 22 and Figure 23 ), the main storage chamber 48 and the interior of the connecting portion 22A are separated by the central side partition wall 50. The central side partition wall 50 has both the function of separating the main storage chamber 48 at the longitudinal center of the main rod 22 and the function of reinforcing the main rod 22 in the longitudinal direction, as described later.

[0124] In addition, if Figure 13 、 Figures 18 to 23As shown, at both ends of the main rod 22 in the longitudinal direction, convex portions (shaft portions) 52 and 54 are respectively formed on the front and rear surfaces (both surfaces in the width direction) of each main storage chamber 48. In detail, a convex portion 52 that protrudes toward the rear side is formed at the lower end of the front inner wall 36 that forms the front surface of the main storage chamber 48, and a convex portion 54 that protrudes toward the front side is formed at the lower end of the rear wall 40 that forms the rear surface of the main storage chamber 48. The above-mentioned convex portions 52 and 54 are arranged (coaxially) to be opposite to each other in the front-to-back direction of the main rod 22 and protrude in directions approaching each other. Each convex portion 52 and 54 has a roughly semicircular shape when viewed from the front-to-back direction, and is arranged in a posture such that the arc-shaped curved surface protrudes upward. In addition, the opposing surfaces of each convex portion 52 and 54 (the surface facing the center side of the main storage chamber 48 in the front-to-back direction) are inclined or curved in a manner that becomes more outward in the front-to-back direction as it moves toward the lower side.

[0125] In addition, if Figure 20 and Figure 23 As shown, a pair of slits 56 extending in the vertical direction are formed on the front inner wall 36 on either side of the main rod 22 in the longitudinal direction of the protrusion 52. The area between the pair of slits 56 in the front inner wall 36 (i.e., the area where the protrusion 52 is formed) constitutes the flexible portion 36A, while the areas on either side of the flexible portion 36A in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 constitute the reinforcement portions 36B. The flexible portion 36A is not reinforced by the reinforcement ribs 38, while the reinforcement portion 36B is. Therefore, the flexible portion 36A is more easily flexed forward and backward in the width direction than the reinforcement portion 36B.

[0126] In addition, if Figure 22 and Figure 23 As shown, a notch 58 cut out from the bottom is formed at the lower end of the rear inner wall 42. The notch 58 is formed near the protrusions 52 and 54. The notch 58 is an "engaged portion."

[0127] (About the movable cover)

[0128] The pair of movable covers 60 are formed of, for example, a resin material into a long strip shape. Figures 1 to 3 、 Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the movable cover 60 is arranged on both sides of the main rod 22 in the longitudinal direction with the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 as the long side. Figures 9 to 12 、 Figures 15 to 19 and Figure 24As shown, each movable cover 60 has an open cross-sectional shape that opens to the lower side (wiping surface WS side) when viewed from the length direction of each movable cover 60, and the lower surface of each movable cover 60 is recessed toward the upper side when viewed from the length direction of each movable cover 60 (viewed from the length direction of the scraper rubber 14). Each movable cover 60 includes: an upper wall 62; a front wall 64 extending downward from the front end portion of the upper wall 62; a rear wall 72 extending downward from the rear end portion of the upper wall 62; a longitudinal rib (inner wall) 75 extending (protruding) downward from the lower surface of the upper wall 62 between the front wall 64 and the rear wall 72; an outer partition wall 73 connecting the front wall 64, the longitudinal rib 75, and the rear wall 72 in the front-to-back direction at a side slightly closer to the main rod 22 than the center portion in the longitudinal direction of each movable cover 60; and a plurality of (here two) partition walls (reinforcing walls; reinforcing ribs) 76 connecting the front wall 64, the rear inner wall 74, and the rear wall 72 in the front-to-back direction at a side opposite to the main rod 22 separated by the outer partition wall 73.

[0129] The front wall 64 and the rear wall 72 are opposite to each other in the front-to-back direction, and the upper wall 62 connects the upper end of the front wall 64 and the upper end of the rear wall 72 in the front-to-back direction. The longitudinal ribs 75 extend in the longitudinal direction of each movable cover 60. The outer partition wall 73 and the plurality of partition walls 76 are arranged in the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of each movable cover 60 and are arranged in the longitudinal direction of each movable cover 60 in a spaced manner. The above-mentioned outer partition wall 73 and the plurality of partition walls 76 are integrally connected to the upper wall 62, the front wall 64, the rear wall 72 and the longitudinal ribs 75. The outer partition wall 73 has both the function of separating the movable accommodation chamber 86 in the longitudinal direction on the side opposite to the main rod 22, as described later, and the function of reinforcing the movable cover 60. In addition, the plurality of partition walls 76 have both the function of separating the portion of the movable cover 60 in the longitudinal direction opposite to the main rod 22 separated by the outer partition wall 73, in other words, the function of separating the internal space on the end side closer to the movable accommodation chamber 86, and the function of reinforcing the above-mentioned portion. Alternatively, the movable cover 60 may be configured to include only one partition wall 76 .

[0130] In each movable cover 60, a rear inner wall 74 is provided instead of a longitudinal rib 75 at a position closer to the main rod 22 than the outer partition wall 73. The rear inner wall 74 extends downward (protrudes) from a position slightly further rearward than the center portion in the front-to-back direction of the lower surface of the upper wall 62. In addition, each movable cover 60 includes a plurality of reinforcing ribs 78 (see FIG. 1 ) provided between the front surface of the rear inner wall 74 and the lower surface of the upper wall 62 at a position closer to the main rod 22 than the outer partition wall 73. Figure 24 The reinforcing ribs 78 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of each movable cover 60 at intervals, and are integrally connected to the upper wall 62 and the rear inner wall 74 .

[0131] In addition, if Figure 24As shown, the portion of the front wall 64 that is closer to the main rod 22 than the outer partition wall 73 includes a front outer wall 66 and a front inner wall 68 that are opposite to each other in the front-to-back direction, and a plurality of reinforcing ribs 70 that connect the front outer wall 66 and the front inner wall 68 in the front-to-back direction. The front outer wall 66 extends from the front end portion of the upper wall 62 toward the front side and downward, and the front inner wall 68 extends from the front end portion of the upper wall 62 downward at a position slightly to the rear side (slightly to the other side in the width direction) than the front outer wall 66. That is, the front outer wall 66 is arranged on the front side relative to the front inner wall 68. The front outer wall 66 is curved in a convex manner toward the front side and toward the upper side. The front inner wall 68 is set so that the dimension of the movable cover 60 in the longitudinal direction is smaller than the dimension of the movable cover 60 of the front outer wall 66 in the longitudinal direction, and the front inner wall 68 is not provided on the side of the outer partition wall 73. The plurality of reinforcing ribs 70 are arranged side by side in the longitudinal direction of the movable cover 60 and are integrally connected to the upper wall 62 , the front outer wall 66 , and the front inner wall 68 .

[0132] like Figure 15 and Figure 16 As shown, the front outer wall 66 extends downward from the front inner wall 68, and the lower end of the front outer wall 66 is positioned below the lower end of the front inner wall 68. The lower end of the front inner wall 68 and the lower end of the rear wall 72 are positioned at approximately the same position (height) in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the lower end of the rear inner wall 74 is positioned above the lower ends of both the front inner wall 68 and the rear wall 72. The longitudinal ribs 75's front-to-back arrangement and vertical length will be described in detail later.

[0133] A gripping portion 80 is formed at one longitudinal end of each movable cover 60 (the end opposite the main rod 22) for gripping the longitudinal end of the scraper rubber 14. The gripping portion 80 includes a pair of front and rear gripping pieces 82 extending downward from the front wall 64 and rear wall 72. The front ends (lower ends) of the front and rear gripping pieces 82 in the width direction are bent toward each other and fit into the pair of gripping grooves 18. Thus, the longitudinal end of the scraper rubber 14 is gripped by the gripping portion 80.

[0134] The upper surface of each movable cover 60 constructed as described above is composed of the upper surface of the upper wall 62 and the upper surface of the front outer wall 66. A fin surface (second fin surface) 84 is formed on the upper surface of each movable cover 60, which is inclined downward toward the front side of the vehicle (i.e., the front side in the width direction; one side in the width direction). Each fin surface 84 is inclined or curved (here, curved) in a manner that moves away from the wiping surface WS as it moves toward the rear side of the vehicle. Each fin surface 84 is formed on the upper surface of each upper wall 62 on the front side of the vehicle and extends in the longitudinal direction of the movable cover 60. The above-mentioned fin surface 84 extends slightly to the rear side of the central part of each movable cover 60 in the front-to-back direction and is curved so that the slope becomes larger toward the rear side. Since the above-mentioned fin surface 84 is subjected to the wind when the vehicle is running, a pressing force is applied to the scraper rubber 14 toward the wiping surface WS side. For each movable cover 60 formed with the above-mentioned fin surface 84, the height dimension of the rear side is larger than that of the front side in the front-to-back direction.

[0135] Furthermore, in each movable cover 60, a movable accommodation chamber 86 for accommodating a portion of the yoke rod 96 is formed on a side closer to the main rod 22 than the outer partition wall 73. Figure 15 、 Figure 16 、 Figure 20 and Figure 24 As shown, the movable storage chamber 86 is formed between the front wall 64 and the rear wall 72 on the lower side of the upper wall 62 and is open to the lower side (wiping surface WS side) and the main rod 22 side. Figure 16 、 Figures 18 to 20 、 Figure 24 ,exist Figure 15 (The symbol omitted in the middle) corresponds to the "second opening." Hereinafter, the opening 86A will be referred to as the "second opening 86A." Furthermore, the movable accommodation chamber 86 has a greater height dimension at the rear side than at the front side in the front-to-back direction. The rear inner wall 74 is provided near the center of the movable accommodation chamber 86 in the front-to-back direction. The upper portion of the movable accommodation chamber 86 is divided into front and rear portions by the rear inner wall 74.

[0136] In addition, if Figure 15 、 Figures 18 to 20 as well as Figure 24As shown, at the other end of the movable cover 60 in the longitudinal direction (the end on the main rod 22 side), protrusions 88 and 90 are formed on the front and rear surfaces of each movable storage chamber 86 in the width direction. Specifically, a protrusion 88 is formed at the lower end of the front inner wall 68 forming the front surface of the movable storage chamber 86, protruding toward the rear side, and a protrusion 90 is formed at the lower end of the rear wall 72 forming the rear surface of the movable storage chamber 86, protruding toward the front side. The protrusions 88 and 90 are arranged so as to face each other in the front-to-back direction of the movable cover 60 and protrude toward each other. Each protrusion 88 and 90 has a roughly semicircular shape when viewed from the front-to-back direction, and is arranged so that the arc-shaped curved surface protrudes upward. In addition, the opposing surfaces of each protrusion 88 and 90 (the surface facing the center of the movable storage chamber 86 in the front-to-back direction) are inclined or curved so as to be more outward in the front-to-back direction as they move downward.

[0137] In addition, if Figure 20 and Figure 24 As shown, a pair of slits 92 extending in the vertical direction are formed on the front inner wall 68 on either side of the convex portion 88 in the longitudinal direction of the movable cover 60. The area between the pair of slits 92, i.e., the area where the convex portion 88 is formed, constitutes the flexible portion 68A. The areas on either side of the flexible portion 68A in the longitudinal direction of the movable cover 60 constitute the reinforced portions 68B. The flexible portion 68A is not reinforced by the reinforcing ribs 70, while the reinforced portion 68B is. Therefore, the flexible portion 68A is more easily flexed forward and backward in the width direction than the reinforced portion 68B.

[0138] In addition, if Figure 20 and Figure 24 As shown, a notch 94 cut out from the bottom is formed at the lower end of the rear inner wall 74 in the movable housing chamber 86. The notch 94 is formed near the protrusions 88 and 90. The notch 94 is an "engaged portion."

[0139] (About the yoke)

[0140] like Figure 5 、 Figure 6 、 Figures 18 to 20 、 Figure 25 、 Figure 26 As shown, a pair of yoke rods 96 are formed into a long strip shape with the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 and each movable cover 60 as the long side. Each yoke rod 96 includes a metal portion 98 (see Figures 27 to 29), a yoke main body portion 108 as a resin portion provided on the outside of the metal portion 98. The metal portion 98 is embedded in the yoke main body portion 108 by, for example, insert molding. In addition, the present invention is not limited to a structure in which the metal portion 98 is embedded in the yoke main body portion 108 as a resin portion, and a resin portion may be attached to a portion of the metal portion (for example, the peripheral portion of the grip portion 110 and recesses 114, 116, 118, 120 described later) by external insert molding or the like. In addition, the present invention is not limited to a structure in which each yoke 96 includes the metal portion 98 and the yoke main body portion 108 (resin portion), and a structure in which each yoke 96 includes only one of the metal portion and the resin portion.

[0141] The metal portion 98 is a member manufactured by stamping a metal plate made of, for example, stainless steel, and has a long strip shape with its long sides being the longitudinal direction of the yoke 96. The metal portion 98 comprises a plate portion 98A whose thickness is in the vertical direction, and a vertical wall portion (reinforcement flange portion) 98B extending upward from the widthwise rear end (the other widthwise end) of the plate portion 98A. The cross-section thereof, as viewed in the longitudinal direction, is L-shaped.

[0142] A pair of through-holes 100 and 102 are formed side by side along the length of the metal portion 98 at the middle portion in the longitudinal direction of the metal portion 98. These through-holes 100 and 102 are formed in the curved portion between the plate-shaped portion 98A and the upright wall portion 98B. Furthermore, at the upper end of the upright wall portion 98B, a pair of upwardly projecting protrusions 104 and 106 are formed side by side along the length of the metal portion 98. These protrusions 104 and 106 are positioned above the pair of through-holes 100 and 102 and form a generally semicircular shape that protrudes upward when viewed from the front-back direction.

[0143] The yoke main body 108, into which the metal portion 98 is embedded, is formed in the same shape as the metal portion 98, and has an L-shaped cross-section when viewed from the longitudinal direction. Specifically, the yoke main body 108 includes a plate-like portion 108A with its thickness oriented in the vertical direction, and a vertical wall portion 108B extending upward from the rear end of the plate-like portion 108A in the width direction, forming an L-shaped cross-section when viewed from the longitudinal direction.

[0144] Plate portion 98A of metal portion 98 is embedded within plate portion 108A, and upright wall portion 98B of metal portion 98 is embedded within upright wall portion 108B. Plate portion 108A, which constitutes the lower portion of yoke main body 108, is configured to have a smaller width dimension than upright wall portion 108B, which constitutes the upper portion of yoke main body 108. Furthermore, yoke main body 108 (yoke 96) provided with upright wall portion 108B has a stepped height dimension at the rear side compared to the front side in the width direction, resulting in an L-shaped cross-section when viewed in the longitudinal direction.

[0145] A gripping portion 110 for gripping the middle portion of the scraper rubber 14 in the longitudinal direction is formed at both ends of the plate-shaped portion 108A in the longitudinal direction. Each gripping portion 110 has a pair of front and rear gripping pieces 112 extending downward from the front and rear ends of the plate-shaped portion 108A. The front ends (lower ends) of the front and rear gripping pieces 112 are bent toward one side close to each other and fit into the above-mentioned pair of gripping grooves 18. Thus, the middle portion of the scraper rubber 14 in the longitudinal direction is gripped by each gripping portion 110. In addition, the front gripping piece 112 protrudes from the plate-shaped portion 108A to the front side and then extends to the lower side, and is configured to be closer to the front side than the plate-shaped portion. In other words, the plate-shaped portion 108A is cut toward the rear side between the front gripping pieces 112 provided at both ends of the plate-shaped portion 108A in the longitudinal direction. In addition, between the above-mentioned gripping portions 110, a gap 97 (refer to Figures 13 to 16 ) is formed between the lower surface of the plate-shaped portion 108A (the lower surface of the yoke 96 ) and the upper surface of the blade rubber 14 .

[0146] Furthermore, a pair of recesses 114 and 116 are formed on the front surface of the longitudinally intermediate portion of the plate-like portion 108A, aligned along the longitudinal direction of the yoke main body 108. A pair of recesses 118 and 120 are formed on the rear surface of the longitudinally intermediate portion of the plate-like portion, aligned along the longitudinal direction of the yoke main body 108. The pair of recesses 114 and 116 and the pair of recesses 118 and 120 are aligned in the longitudinal and vertical directions of the yoke main body 108 and face each other in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the recesses 114, 116, 118, and 120 are open on the front-to-back outer sides and lower sides (open to the front-to-back outer sides and lower sides), forming a roughly semicircular shape when viewed from the front-to-back direction. These recesses 114, 116, 118, and 120 are arranged so that their arc-shaped curved surfaces bulge upward. Furthermore, recesses 118 and 120 formed on the rear surface of plate-like portion 108A are formed at positions corresponding to (opposite in the width direction of) the pair of through-holes 100 and 102. This ensures the wall thickness of yoke main body 108 around recesses 118 and 120, miniaturizing the front-to-back and top-to-bottom dimensions of yoke main body 108. Alternatively, instead of the pair of through-holes 100 and 102, recesses may be formed in metal portion 98 at positions corresponding to recesses 118 and 120, recessed toward the side opposite to recesses 118 and 120. Alternatively, notches may be formed in metal portion 98 at positions corresponding to recesses 114 and 116, recessed toward the side opposite to recesses 114 and 116. In the yoke main body 108 , the peripheral portions of the recesses 114 and 116 constitute front protrusions (reference numerals omitted) protruding forward, and the peripheral portions of the recesses 118 and 120 constitute rear protrusions (reference numerals omitted) protruding rearward.

[0147] Furthermore, a plurality of front protrusions 122 projecting forward are formed side by side along the longitudinal direction of the yoke main body 108 on the front surface of the longitudinally intermediate portion of the plate-like portion 108A in the width direction. A plurality of rear protrusions 124 projecting rearward are formed side by side along the longitudinal direction of the yoke main body 108 on the rear surface of the longitudinally intermediate portion of the plate-like portion 108A and the upright wall portion 108B in the width direction (the rear surface of the longitudinally intermediate portion of the yoke main body 108 in the width direction). The front protrusions 122 are designed so that their protrusion from the front surface of the plate-like portion 108A is greater than the protrusion from the front surface of the plate-like portion 108A by the front protrusions (the periphery of the recesses 114 and 116), and the rear protrusions 124 are designed so that their protrusion from the rear surface of the yoke main body 108 is greater than the protrusion from the rear surface of the yoke main body 108 by the rear protrusions (the periphery of the recesses 118 and 120).

[0148] Furthermore, on the front surface of the widthwise intermediate portion of the vertical wall portion 108B, multiple inner protrusions 126 projecting forward are formed side by side along the longitudinal direction of the yoke main body 108. The vertical dimensions of these inner protrusions 126 are set to be equal to the vertical dimensions of the vertical wall portion 108B. Furthermore, on the front surface of the widthwise intermediate portion of the vertical wall portion 108B, a pair of engaging protrusions 128 and 130 projecting forward are formed side by side along the longitudinal direction of the yoke main body 108. These engaging protrusions 128 and 130 are referred to as "engaging portions." These engaging protrusions 128 and 130 project further forward from the vertical wall portion 108B than the multiple inner protrusions 126 and are integrally connected to the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion 108A. Specifically, these engaging protrusions 128 and 130 are arranged so as to straddle the boundary between the vertical wall portion 108B and the plate-shaped portion 108A. The pair of engaging protrusions 128 and 130 are set to have a vertical dimension smaller than that of the plurality of inner protrusions 126. The pair of engaging protrusions 128 and 130 are formed near the pair of recesses 114 and 116 and the pair of recesses 118 and 120.

[0149] Furthermore, on the upper surface of the middle portion of the vertical wall portion 108B in the longitudinal direction, a pair of rear pressure portions 132 and 134 that protrude upward are formed side by side along the longitudinal direction of the yoke main body portion 108. These rear pressure portions 132 and 134 correspond to "pressure portions." These rear pressure portions 132 and 134 are positioned above the pair of recesses 118 and 120 and have a generally semicircular shape that protrudes upward when viewed from the front-to-back direction. The pair of protrusions 104 and 106 are embedded within the rear pressure portions 132 and 134. Furthermore, a pair of contact portions 136 and 138 that protrude upward are formed on the upper surface of the longitudinal end portions of the vertical wall portion 108B.

[0150] The yoke 96 of the above-described structure is accommodated longitudinally within the main accommodation chamber 48 of the main lever 22 and within the movable accommodation chamber 86 of the movable cover 60, and is rotatably connected to the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 about an axis extending in the width direction. Specifically, the main lever 22 and the yoke 96 are rotatably connected by engaging the protrusions 52 and 54 coaxially disposed on the main lever 22 with the recesses 114 and 118 of the yoke 96. Furthermore, the movable cover 60 and the yoke 96 are rotatably connected by engaging the protrusions 88 and 90 coaxially disposed on the movable cover 60 with the recesses 116 and 120 of the yoke 96. Specifically, the yoke 96 is rotatably connected to the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 at the lower plate-like portion 108A, which is wider in the front-to-back direction than the upper wall portion 108B. Furthermore, the yoke 96 is rotatably coupled to the front inner wall 36 and the rear wall 40 of the main lever 22 , and is rotatably coupled to the front inner wall 68 and the rear wall 72 of the movable cover 60 .

[0151] like Figures 13 to 16 As shown, the plate-like portion 108A of the yoke lever 96 is housed between the front inner wall 36 and the rear wall 40 of the main lever 22, and between the front inner wall 68 and the rear wall 72 of the movable cover 60. Furthermore, the vertical wall portion 108B of the yoke lever 96 is housed between the rear inner portion 42 and the rear wall 40 of the main lever 22, and between the rear inner wall 74 and the rear wall 72 of the movable cover 60. Specifically, the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 have a pair of opposing walls (the rear wall 40 and the rear inner wall 42, and the rear wall 72 and the rear inner wall 74) that face each other in the front-to-back direction, sandwiching the vertical wall portion 108B therebetween.

[0152] The gripping portion 110 on the main lever 22 side of the gripping portion 110 provided at both ends of the yoke lever 96 in the longitudinal direction is located between the front inner wall 36 of the main lever 22 and the central partition wall 50 (see FIG. Figure 22 and Figure 23 ) can be extended and retracted and accommodated in the main accommodation chamber 48. In addition, the gripping portion 110 on the opposite side of the main rod 22 is accommodated in the movable accommodation chamber 86 between the front inner wall 68 of the movable cover 60 and the outer partition wall 73.

[0153] Rear pressure members 132 and 134 protrude from the upper surface of upright wall portion 108B provided at the rear of yoke lever 96. Rear pressure member 132 contacts the upper surface of main housing chamber 48 (the lower surface of upper wall 30), while rear pressure member 134 contacts the upper surface of movable housing chamber 86 (the lower surface of upper wall 62). Rear pressure members 132 and 134 (upright wall portion 108B) are positioned rearward of fin surfaces 46 and 84, above and to the rear of blade rubber 14.

[0154] The multiple front protrusions 122 formed on the yoke lever 96 protrude toward the reinforcement portion 36B provided on the front wall 32 of the main lever 22 and toward the reinforcement portion 68B provided on the front wall 64 of the movable cover 60, and are in contact with or close to the reinforcement portions 36B and 68B. Furthermore, the multiple inner protrusions 126 formed on the yoke lever 96 protrude toward the rear inner wall 42 of the main lever 22 and toward the rear inner wall 74 of the movable cover 60, and are in contact with or close to the rear inner walls 42 and 74. Furthermore, the multiple rear protrusions 124 formed on the yoke lever 96 protrude toward the rear wall 40 of the main lever 22 and toward the rear wall 72 of the movable cover 60, and are in contact with or close to the rear walls 40 and 72. In addition, although in this embodiment, the plurality of rear protrusions 124 are opposite to the portion from the upper part to the lower part of the rear wall 40, 72 in a contact or close manner, this is not limited to this, as long as they are opposite to at least the upper side of the rear wall 40, 72 in a contact or close manner.

[0155] Furthermore, the engagement protrusion 128 of the pair of engagement protrusions 128 and 130 formed on the yoke 96 is disposed in the notch 58 formed on the rear inner wall 42 of the main lever 22 (see FIG. Figure 23 ), the engaging protrusion 130 is disposed in the notch 94 formed on the rear inner wall 74 of the movable cover 60 (see Figure 24 ). The engaging protrusions 128 and 130 and the notches 58 and 94 constitute a load transmission portion (reference numerals omitted). The load transmission portion is configured to receive a load acting along the longitudinal direction of the main lever 22, the movable cover 60, and the yoke lever 96 by engaging the engaging protrusion 128 with the end of the notch 58 and the engaging protrusion 130 with the end of the notch 94.

[0156] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first opening 48A of each main accommodating chamber 48 and the second opening 86A of each movable accommodating chamber 86 are closed by the plate-like portion 108A of each yoke 96. Furthermore, each main accommodating chamber 48 is partitioned along its longitudinal direction by each central side partition wall 50 at the longitudinal center side of the main rod 22, and each movable accommodating chamber 86 is partitioned along its longitudinal direction by each outer side partition wall 73 at the side opposite to the main rod 22.

[0157] However, between the edges of the first openings 48A and the second openings 86A and the yokes 96, there are formed narrow gaps for allowing the yokes 96 to smoothly rotate relative to the main rod 22 and the movable covers 60. Specifically, Figure 18 and Figure 19As shown, between the front inner walls 36, 68 forming the front edges of the first openings 48A and the second openings 86A and the yokes 96, relatively narrow gaps 150, 152 having a front-to-back dimension equal to that of the plurality of front protrusions 122 are maintained in areas where the plurality of front protrusions 122 are not present, thereby allowing for the aforementioned smooth rotation. Furthermore, between the rear walls 40, 72 forming the rear edges of the first openings 48A and the second openings 86A and the yokes 96, relatively narrow gaps 154, 156 having a front-to-back dimension equal to that of the plurality of rear protrusions 124 are maintained in areas where the plurality of rear protrusions 124 are not present. Furthermore, relatively narrow gaps 158, 160 are also formed between the yokes 96 and the central partition walls 50, and between the yokes 96 and the outer partition walls 73. Narrow gaps 162, 164, 166, and 168 are also formed between the grips 110 of the yokes 96 and the front walls 32, 64 and rear walls 40, 72. Furthermore, the yokes 96 close the first openings 48A and the second openings 86A except for the gaps.

[0158] In addition, in this embodiment, the portion of each movable cover 60 on the opposite side of each movable housing chamber 86 and the main rod 22 (specifically, the portion closer to the longitudinal end side than the movable housing chamber 86) is open to the downward side, and each movable cover 60 has a plurality of partition walls 76 that separate this portion in the longitudinal direction of each movable cover 60.

[0159] In addition, if Figure 12 、 Figure 17 As shown, at a position closer to the outside of the yoke 96 in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 10, a space 61 extending in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 10 is formed between the lower surface of the upwardly recessed movable cover 60 and the wiper rubber 14. In the space 61 constituting the internal space of the wiper lever assembly 20, the wind from the vehicle passes through the gap 63 between the front wall 64 of the movable cover 60 and the wiper rubber 14 (see FIG. Figure 17 The traveling air entering the space 61 passes through a gap (noted) between the rear wall 72 of the movable cover 60 and the wiper rubber 14 and flows out to the rear side in the width direction of the wiper blade 10 .

[0160] However, in this embodiment, a longitudinal rib 75 is formed on the lower surface of the movable cover 60, located farther outward in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 10 than the yoke 96. The longitudinal rib 75 protrudes downward from the lower surface of the movable cover 60 and is disposed within the aforementioned space 61. The longitudinal rib 75 is disposed above the rear end portion of the wiper rubber 14 in the width direction and extends in the longitudinal direction of the movable cover 60. The longitudinal rib 75 acts as a "blocking portion," blocking the traveling airflow entering the aforementioned space 61 within the aforementioned space 61.

[0161] In addition, the above-mentioned "blocking" does not need to completely block the outflow of the traveling wind from the space 61, but only needs to limit (suppress) the outflow. Figure 17 In the figure, P represents the distance in the front-to-rear direction between the longitudinal rib 75 and the front end surface of the wiper rubber 14 (hereinafter referred to as the "longitudinal rib position P"), G represents the width of the gap 65 between the longitudinal rib 75 and the wiper rubber 14 (hereinafter referred to as the "rib × rubber gap G"), and E represents the width of the front opening 63 (hereinafter referred to as the "opening width E"). In the wiper blade 10 of this embodiment, by adjusting the longitudinal rib position P, the rib × rubber gap G, and the opening width E, the pressure in the internal space (space 61) of the movable cover 60 can be adjusted when the vehicle is traveling at high speeds.

[0162] (Function and Effect)

[0163] Next, the operation and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0164] In the wiper blade 10 of the above-mentioned structure, the scraper rubber 14 is held by the wiper rod assembly 20 of the racetrack structure. In the above-mentioned wiper rod assembly 20, a pair of movable covers 60 are continuously arranged on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 to which the front end portion of the wiper arm 12 is connected in the central portion in the longitudinal direction. Fin surfaces 46 and 84 that are inclined downward toward the front side in the width direction (the front side of the vehicle) are formed on the upper surfaces of the two sides in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 and the upper surfaces of each movable cover 60. In addition, a main receiving chamber 48 that opens to the wiping surface WS side and has a larger height dimension on the rear side than on the front side in the width direction is formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22, and a movable receiving chamber 86 that opens to the wiping surface WS side and has a larger height dimension on the rear side than on the front side in the width direction is formed on each movable cover 60.

[0165] Furthermore, a pair of yokes 96 housed within each main housing chamber 48 and each movable housing chamber 86 are connected to the main rod 22 and each movable cover 60 so as to be rotatable about an axis extending in the width direction. Furthermore, the gripping portion 80 of each movable cover 60, located on the side opposite the main rod 22, and the gripping portions 110 of each yoke 96, located at both ends in the longitudinal direction, grip the scraper rubber 14. Thus, the pressing force applied from the wiper arm 12 to the main rod 22 is distributed and dispersed along the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber 14 via each yoke 96 and a gasket formed of a metal leaf spring member. This uniformly distributes the pressure applied to the wiping surface WS, resulting in improved wiping performance.

[0166] Furthermore, as described above, since the yoke 96 housed within the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86 has a greater height dimension at the rear side than at the front side in the width direction, the greater height dimension ensures the strength of the yoke 96 and allows the yoke 96 to be compactly housed within the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86. Furthermore, since the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60, each having fin surfaces 46 and 84 formed on their upper surfaces that slope downward toward the front side in the width direction (the vehicle front side), have a greater height dimension at the rear side in the width direction than at the front side, even with the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86 having a greater height dimension at the rear side in the width direction than at the front side, an increase in height dimension can be suppressed. Thus, in the wiper blade 10 (wiper lever assembly 20), even when the yoke 96 is housed within the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86, the protrusion height from the wiping surface WS can be kept low, thereby reducing drag and improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0167] In addition, since the fin surface 84 of the movable cover 60 is affected by the traveling wind, a pressing force is generated in the movable cover 60 itself, thereby applying a pressing force to the scraper rubber 14, especially the front end portion of the scraper rubber 14 held by the gripping portion 80 of the movable cover 60. Therefore, while suppressing the protruding height from the wiping surface WS to a lower level, a pressing force is also applied to the above-mentioned front end portion that wipes the portion with a larger curvature of the wiping surface WS during high-speed driving.

[0168] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned wiper lever assembly 20, the main lever 22 and each movable cover 60 are respectively made of resin, while each yoke 96 is constructed to include a metal portion 98 made of metal and a yoke main body portion 108 made of resin. Thus, compared with the case where each yoke 96 is constructed only of resin, the strength of each yoke 96 can be ensured, and the height dimension (vertical dimension) of each yoke 96 can be reduced (lowered). As a result, the height dimensions H1 and H2 of each main receiving chamber 48 and each movable receiving chamber 86 that accommodates each yoke 96 can be reduced (see Figure 14 and Figure 16 ;exist Figure 13 and Figure 15 (not shown in the figure), the height dimensions of the main lever 22 and the movable covers 60, which are formed with the main housing chambers 48 and the movable housing chambers 86, can be reduced. As a result, in the wiper lever assembly 20, the height protruding from the wiping surface WS can be suppressed to a low level, thereby reducing resistance and improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0169] Furthermore, in this embodiment, fin surfaces 46 and 84 are formed on the upper surfaces of both longitudinal sides of the main rod 22 and the upper surfaces of each movable cover 60, respectively, and are inclined downward toward the front side in the width direction. Therefore, the main storage chambers 48 and movable storage chambers 86, which are formed on both longitudinal sides of the main rod 22 and the movable covers 60 and open toward the wiping surface WS, have a height dimension that is lower at the front side in the width direction than at the rear side.

[0170] In this regard, in the present embodiment, the yoke 96 housed within the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86 is constructed to include a metal portion 98 and a yoke main body portion 108 (hereinafter referred to as the "resin portion 108"). The metal portion 98 and the resin portion 108, respectively, have plate-shaped portions 98A and 108A, each having a plate-like shape with the thickness direction being the vertical direction, and upright walls 98B and 108B, respectively, projecting upward from the widthwise rear ends of the plate-shaped portions 98A and 108A. Since the yoke 96 thus constructed has a shorter widthwise front side than a shorter rear side, the yoke 96 can be compactly housed within the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86, where the heights are shorter widthwise at the front side than at the rear side, while maintaining the strength of the yoke 96 by virtue of the upright walls 98B and 108B of the metal portion 98 and the resin portion 108.

[0171] In other words, since the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 have fin surfaces 46 and 84 formed on their upper surfaces that slope downward toward the front in the width direction, the rear side of the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 have a greater height dimension in the width direction than the front side, and thus, as described above, the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86 can be formed with height dimensions H1 and H2 greater in the width direction than the front side. Furthermore, the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86 are provided within the interior space of the wiper lever assembly 20. Since the yoke lever 96 having plate-like portions 98A and 108A and vertical wall portions 98B and 108B is housed in these two housing chambers 48 and 86, an increase in the height dimension can be suppressed. Thus, in the wiper blade 10 (wiper lever assembly 20), the height protruding from the wiping surface WS can be suppressed to a low level, thereby preventing obstruction of the driver's field of view, reducing drag, and improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0172] Supplementary explanation of the above-mentioned aerodynamic characteristics. In order to improve the aerodynamic characteristics of the wiper blade 10 (wiper rod assembly 20), in addition to setting the height dimensions of the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 to be smaller, it is also preferred to make the fin surfaces 46, 84 of the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 gently tilt or bend from the upwind to the leeward of the traveling wind (making the slope gentle). Therefore, it is necessary to make the height dimensions of each arm 22B of the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 decrease as they move toward the front side in the width direction. In this regard, in this embodiment, the height dimension of the rear side of the width direction of the yoke rod 96 is larger than that of the front side. Since the height dimension of the front side in the width direction is lower, the degree of freedom in setting the shape of each arm 22B and the movable cover 60 is higher, and it is easy to set the fin surfaces 46, 84 to a preferred shape. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 can extend the fin surfaces 46, 84 forward via the front outer walls 34, 66 extending forward and downward from the front ends of the upper walls 30, 62. This allows the front fin surfaces 46, 84 to have a gentle slope. Consequently, aerodynamic characteristics can be significantly improved (particularly, lift can be reduced).

[0173] Furthermore, the yoke 96 is formed into an L-shape when viewed from the longitudinal direction, and its height increases in a stepped manner at the rear side compared to the front side. Therefore, while effectively ensuring the strength of the yoke 96, the yoke 96 can be compactly accommodated within the main accommodation chamber 48 and the movable accommodation chamber 86. This allows the protrusion height of the wiper lever assembly 20 from the wiping surface WS to be kept low, thereby reducing drag and further improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0174] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the yoke 96 is structured such that the resin portion 108 is provided outside the metal portion 98, the metal portion 98 ensures the strength of the yoke 96, while the resin portion 108 increases the degree of freedom in shape setting. Specifically, the resin portion 108 can easily mold a complex shape including a pair of grips 110, a plurality of front protrusions 122, a plurality of inner protrusions 126, and a plurality of rear protrusions 124.

[0175] Furthermore, in the yoke 96, the metal portion 98 is embedded in the resin yoke body 108. This reduces the exposed portion of the metal portion 98 and eliminates the need for rust-proof and glare-proof coating (typically black), thereby reducing manufacturing costs.

[0176] Furthermore, in the yoke 96 , since the metal portion 98 is embedded in the resin yoke body 108 , it is easier to achieve both yoke strength and size reduction compared to a case where the yoke 96 is composed only of the resin portion.

[0177] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the protrusions 52, 54, 88, and 90 formed on the front and rear surfaces (i.e., the front inner walls 36, 68 and the rear walls 40, 72) of the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86 in the width direction are respectively fitted into the four recesses 114, 118, 116, and 120 formed on the width direction surfaces of the resin portion 108 of the yoke 96, thereby rotatably connecting the yoke 96 to the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60. This simplifies the structure and assembly of the respective rotationally connecting portions of the main lever 22, the movable cover 60, and the yoke 96, compared to, for example, a case where the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 are rotatably connected to the yoke 96 using a metal shaft member.

[0178] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the four recesses 114, 116, 118, and 120 formed on both the front and rear sides of the yoke 96 in the widthwise direction are open on their front-to-rear outward and downward sides, forming a generally semicircular shape when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. This allows the height of the yoke 96 to be smaller than, for example, if the recesses 114, 116, 118, and 120 described above were circular when viewed from the front-to-rear direction. As a result, in this wiper lever assembly 20, the height of the yoke 96 protruding from the wiping surface WS can be further reduced.

[0179] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the yoke 96 is rotatably connected to the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 at the plate-like portion 108A on the lower side, which is wider in the front-to-back direction than the upright wall portion 108B on the upper side. Thus, since the axial length of each of the rotatably connected portions of the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 and the yoke 96 can be set longer in the width direction, changes in the posture of the yoke 96 relative to the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 (i.e., the tilted posture when viewed from the longitudinal direction) can be suppressed.

[0180] Specifically, in the present embodiment, four recesses (114, 116, 118, 120) formed in the resin portion 108 of the yoke 96 and forming the movable connection portion of the yoke 96 with the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 are formed on both sides of the plate-shaped portion 108A of the resin portion 108 in the width direction. The width dimension of the plate-shaped portion 108A is set to be larger than that of the vertical wall portion 108B. Therefore, by forming the four recesses 114, 116, 118, 120 on both sides of the plate-shaped portion 108A in the width direction as described above, the axial length of each rotating connection portion of the yoke 96 with the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 can be set longer in the width direction, thereby suppressing changes in the posture (tilted posture) of the yoke 96 relative to the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60.

[0181] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the metal portion 98 of the yoke 96 has through-holes 100 and 102 formed at positions opposite to the recesses 118 and 120 in the width direction. This allows the depth and diameter of the recesses formed by the upright wall portions 98B of the metal portion 98 to be free from restrictions around the recesses 118 and 120, thereby ensuring the wall thickness of the resin portion 108 and miniaturizing the width and vertical dimensions of the resin portion 108.

[0182] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an upwardly projecting upright wall portion 108B is formed on the rear side of the yoke lever 96, and the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 have a pair of opposing walls (the rear wall 40 and the rear inner wall 42, and the rear wall 72 and the rear inner wall 74) that face each other in the front-to-back direction, sandwiching the upright wall portion 108B. Thus, the engagement of the pair of opposing walls with the upright wall portion 108B suppresses loosening of the yoke lever 96 relative to the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60.

[0183] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a pair of rear-side pressing portions 132 and 134 are provided on the upper surface of the upright wall portion 108B provided on the rear side of the yoke 96. These portions contact the upper surfaces of the rear sides of the main accommodating chamber 48 and the upper surfaces of the rear sides of the movable accommodating chamber 86. As a result, the pressing force from the wiper arm 12, the reaction force from the wiping surface WS, and the pressing force converted from the traveling wind are transmitted between the yoke 96, the main lever 22, and the movable cover 60 via the pair of rear-side pressing portions 132 and 134, thereby preventing or suppressing the application of these forces to the respective rotational connection portions between the yoke 96 and the main lever 22. As a result, the connection strength of each of the aforementioned rotational connection portions can be designed to be low (for example, the recesses 114 and 118 of the yoke 96 can be semicircular or substantially semicircular when viewed from the front-to-back direction). This allows the yoke 96 to be reduced in height, and the height of the wiper lever assembly 20 (wiper blade 10) protruding from the wiping surface WS can be further reduced. Furthermore, since the rear pressure portions 132 and 134 (standing wall portions 108B) are positioned rearward of the fin surfaces 46 and 84, the rear pressure portions 132 and 134 can be prevented from or suppressed from restricting the shape of the fin surfaces 46 and 84, thereby increasing the degree of freedom in designing the shape of the fin surfaces 46 and 84. Furthermore, the metal portion 98 of the yoke 96 includes a pair of protrusions 104 and 106 embedded within the pair of rear pressure portions 132 and 134. This facilitates ensuring the strength of the pair of rear pressure portions 132 and 134.

[0184] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 have front walls 32 and 64 that form the front surfaces of the main accommodating chamber 48 and the movable accommodating chamber 86, respectively. Each front wall 32 and 64 has a flexible portion 36A and 68A having protrusions 52 and 88 formed thereon, and a reinforcing portion 36B and 68B that reinforces the flexible portion 36A and 68A. Therefore, when the protrusions 52, 54, 88, and 90 formed on the front and rear surfaces of the main accommodating chamber 48 and the movable accommodating chamber 86 in the width direction are respectively inserted into the recesses 114, 118, 116, and 120 formed on the front and rear surfaces of the yoke lever 96 in the width direction, the flexible portions 36A and 68A flex, allowing the protrusions 52 and 88 formed on the flexible portions 36A and 68A to easily fit into the recesses 114 and 116 of the yoke lever 96.

[0185] Furthermore, when a load in the widthwise front-rear direction (wiping direction) acts between the yoke 96 and the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60, the plurality of front protrusions 122 protruding from the yoke 96 so as to correspond to and abut against the reinforcements 36B and 68B abut against the reinforcements 36B and 68B provided on the main lever 22 and the front walls 32 and 64 of the movable cover 60. This prevents or suppresses the application of the load to the flexible portions 36A and 68A, thereby preventing the protrusions 52 and 88 formed on the flexible portions 36A and 68A from accidentally falling off the recesses 114 and 116 of the yoke 96.

[0186] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the reinforcements 36B, 68B of the front inner walls 36, 68 of the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 are connected to the front outer walls 34, 66 in the front-rear direction via the reinforcement ribs 38, 70. This allows the reinforcements 36B, 68B to be reinforced with a simple structure.

[0187] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 each include rear walls 40 and 72, respectively, which define the rear surfaces of the main accommodating chamber 48 and the movable accommodating chamber 86; and upper walls 30 and 62, respectively, extending downward from the rear ends of the rear walls 40 and 72. Each rear wall 40 and 72 has a protrusion 54 and 90 formed at its lower end. Therefore, when the protrusions 52, 54, 88, and 90 formed on the front and rear surfaces of the main accommodating chamber 48 and the movable accommodating chamber 86 in the widthwise direction are fitted into the four recesses 114, 118, 116, and 120 formed on the front and rear surfaces of the yoke lever 96 in the widthwise direction, the rear walls 40 and 72 flex, allowing the protrusions 54 and 90 formed on the lower ends of the rear walls 40 and 72 to easily fit into the recesses 114 and 116 of the yoke lever 96.

[0188] Furthermore, when a load in the widthwise and front-to-back direction acts between the yoke 96, the main lever 22, and the movable cover 60, the plurality of rear protrusions 124 projecting from the yoke 96 abut against the upper side of the rear walls 40, 72 (i.e., a portion that is less susceptible to front-to-back deflection than the lower side of the rear walls 40, 72), thereby shortening the distance from the deflection fulcrum and suppressing deflection of the rear walls 40, 72. As a result, the protrusions 54, 90 formed on the rear walls 40, 72 are prevented from accidentally falling off the recesses 114, 116 of the yoke 96.

[0189] In addition, in the present embodiment, the front outer walls 34, 66 of the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60 are curved in a manner that bulges toward the front and upper sides. As a result, the airflow that interferes with the front outer walls 34, 66 from one side in the width direction can easily and smoothly flow to the upper surface side of each upper wall 30, 62. In addition, each front outer wall 34, 66 extends downwardly than each front inner wall 36, 68. As a result, each front outer wall 34, 66 can be reinforced by each front inner wall 36, 68, and can prevent the snow accumulated near the lower reversal position of the wiping surface WS from colliding with the snow and the like, thereby preventing the snow from entering the internal space of the wiper lever assembly 20 (inside the space 61, inside the main receiving chamber 48, and inside the movable receiving chamber 86).

[0190] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the plurality of front protrusions 122, the plurality of rear protrusions 124, and the plurality of inner protrusions 126 protruding from the yoke lever 96 are in point contact with the front inner walls 36, 68, the rear walls 40, 72, and the rear inner walls 42, 74 of the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60, respectively. Therefore, compared to a structure in which the yoke lever 96 contacts the aforementioned walls over a wider area, dimensional control is easier.

[0191] Furthermore, this embodiment includes a load transmission mechanism comprising: notches 58, 94 formed in the rear inner walls 42, 74 of the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60; and engaging projections 128, 130 provided on the yoke 96. This load transmission mechanism supports loads acting along the longitudinal directions of the main lever 22, the movable cover 60, and the yoke 96 by engaging the ends of the notches 58, 94 with the engaging projections 128, 130. This prevents or suppresses the application of these loads to the respective rotational connections between the yoke 96, the main lever 22, and the movable cover 60.

[0192] Furthermore, according to the wiper blade 10 (wiper lever assembly 20), the first opening 48A of each main housing chamber 48 and the second opening 86A of each movable housing chamber 86 are closed (blocked) by the plate-shaped portion 108A of each yoke 96. This actively prevents airflow that might interfere with the wiper blade 10 from flowing into the main housing chamber 48 and the movable housing chamber 86. Consequently, turbulence in the airflow caused by the airflow into the interior space of the wiper lever assembly can be prevented or suppressed, thereby improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0193] Furthermore, the plate-shaped portion 108A included in each yoke 96 is formed in a plate shape with the vertical direction being the plate thickness direction, and thus can effectively close each first opening 48A and each second opening 86A opened downward.

[0194] Furthermore, in this embodiment, fin surfaces 46 and 84 are formed on the upper surfaces of both sides in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 and the upper surfaces of each movable cover 60, respectively, and are inclined downward toward the front side (one side in the width direction). Therefore, the height dimension of each main storage chamber 48 and each movable storage chamber 86 formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the main rod 22 and each movable cover 60 is lower on the front side than on the rear side.

[0195] In this regard, in this embodiment, each yoke 96 housed within each main housing chamber 48 and each movable housing chamber 86 includes a plate-shaped portion 98A, 108A having a thickness in the vertical direction, and a vertical wall portion 98B, 108B projecting upward from the other widthwise end of the plate-shaped portion 98A, 108A. With this structure, each yoke 96 has a lower height dimension at the front than at the rear, allowing the yoke 96 to be compactly housed within each main housing chamber 48 and each movable housing chamber 86, while maintaining the strength of each yoke by virtue of the vertical wall portions 98B, 108B. Furthermore, since the main lever 22 and the movable cover 60, each having the fin surfaces 46 and 84 formed on their upper surfaces so as to be inclined downwardly toward one side in the width direction, have a greater height dimension at the rear side in the width direction than at the front side, even if the main accommodation chamber 48 and the movable accommodation chamber 86 are formed so as to have a greater height dimension at the rear side in the width direction than at the front side, an increase in height dimension can be suppressed. Thus, in the wiper blade 10 (wiper lever assembly 20), the height of the protrusion from the wiping surface WS can be suppressed to a low level, thereby reducing drag and improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0196] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the main rod 22 includes a pair of central partition walls 50 that partition each main accommodating chamber 48 along the longitudinal center of the main rod 22, the pair of central partition walls 50 can prevent or suppress airflow from the longitudinal center of the main rod 22 into each main accommodating chamber 48. As a result, raindrops and the like can be prevented or suppressed from flowing into or being retained in the main accommodating chamber 48 along with the airflow, or from sometimes reaching the movable accommodating chamber 86 and being ejected in one go.

[0197] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since each movable cover 60 includes an outer partition wall 73 that partitions each movable accommodation chamber 86 in the longitudinal direction on the side opposite to the main lever 22, airflow that attempts to flow from the movable accommodation chamber 86 toward the longitudinal end portion can be prevented or suppressed by the outer partition wall 73. As a result, by suppressing airflow within the internal space of the wiper lever assembly from flowing toward the longitudinal end portion, the wiper lever assembly can facilitate airflow from the widthwise front side to the rear side.

[0198] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the portion of each movable cover 60 opposite the main lever 22 across the movable housing chamber 86 is open downward and includes a plurality of partition walls 76 that partition this portion along the length of the movable cover 60. Thus, the plurality of partition walls 76 prevent or suppress airflow from the movable housing chamber 86 side of each movable cover 60 toward the side opposite the main lever 22. Consequently, airflow within the internal space of the wiper lever assembly, particularly within the movable cover 60, can be further prevented or suppressed from flowing toward the longitudinal end.

[0199] Furthermore, in the wiper blade 10, longitudinal ribs 75 protrude downward from the lower surface of the movable cover 60, which is recessed upward when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber 14. The longitudinal ribs 75 are arranged in the internal space (space 61) of the movable cover 60, which constitutes the internal space of the wiper rod assembly 20 between the movable cover 60 and the scraper rubber 14, and extend in the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber 14. The longitudinal ribs 75 block the traveling wind flowing into the space 61 within the space 61. Thus, when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the pressure in the space 61 becomes high, and the increase in pressure is regulated by the blocking portion, and the lift force generated by the scraper rubber 14 is appropriately reduced. As a result, the scraper rubber 14 is suppressed from floating up on the lower side of the movable cover 60, thereby improving the wiping performance.

[0200] use Figures 30 to 32 The above lift reduction effect is supplemented. When the vehicle is traveling at high speed, Figure 30 As shown schematically, force acts on the wiper blade 10 of this embodiment. Figure 30 In FIG. 1 , a downward arrow indicates a negative lift force (a force pressing toward the wiping surface WS), and an upward arrow indicates a positive lift force (a force in a direction of floating away from the wiping surface).

[0201] The negative lift force generated by the wiper arm 12 and the main lever 22 is distributed to the gripping portion 110 (support point) of the wiper rubber 14 in the yoke lever 96 (see Figure 30In addition, with respect to the negative lift generated by the movable cover 60, since the fin surface 84 of the movable cover 60 is subjected to the traveling wind when the vehicle is traveling at high speed, a pressing force is generated on the movable cover 60 itself, and a pressing force is applied to the gripping portion 110 (support point) of the scraper rubber 14 of the yoke 96 and the gripping portion 80 (support point) of the scraper rubber 14 of the movable cover 60 (see FIG. Figure 30 On the other hand, the positive lift force generated by the blade rubber 14 is generated over the entire area in the longitudinal direction of the blade rubber 14 (see Figure 30 (shown as hollow arrows).

[0202] Therefore, if Figure 31 In a structure where the movable cover 60 does not include the longitudinal ribs 75, as shown in Comparative Example 400, the traveling wind W passing through the gap between the wiper lever assembly 20 and the scraper rubber 14 may cause the internal space of the wiper lever assembly 20 to be in a relatively low-pressure state, particularly between the grip 80 of the movable cover 60 and the yoke 96 (the longitudinal range of the internal space of the movable cover 60 where the yoke 96 is not located), causing the scraper rubber 14 to float. Specifically, according to Comparative Example 400, the traveling wind W during high-speed driving causes the front area FA of the scraper rubber 14 and the upper area UA of the movable cover 60 to be high-pressure, while the rear area RA of the wiper blade 10 and the area GA within the space 61 to be relatively low-pressure. Consequently, negative lift is generated on the movable cover 60, while positive lift is generated on the scraper rubber 14. This positive lift causes the scraper rubber 14 to float.

[0203] In contrast, in this embodiment, due to Figure 32 The movable cover 60 shown includes longitudinal ribs 75 continuously along the longitudinal direction of the internal space (inside the space 61). Therefore, by pre-adjusting and setting the resistance to the traveling wind W in the space 61 based on the assumed traveling wind at a predetermined speed, the pressure in the area GA in the space 61 can be appropriately increased. The lift force generated by the blade rubber 14 due to the pressure in the area GA can be reduced.

[0204] Furthermore, in this embodiment, longitudinal ribs 75, which protrude downward from the lower surface of the movable cover 60, which is recessed upward when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber 14, are positioned above the rear end of the scraper rubber 14 in the width direction. The pressure of the traveling wind blocked by the longitudinal ribs 75 increases toward the front side of the width direction, i.e., the rear end of the scraper rubber 14 in the width direction, relative to the longitudinal ribs 75. This higher pressure acts on a wider area of the upper surface of the scraper rubber 14 than would be the case if the longitudinal ribs 75 were positioned above the front end of the scraper rubber 14 in the width direction. As a result, the effect of reducing the lift generated by the scraper rubber 14 is enhanced.

[0205] Furthermore, in the wiper blade 10, the longitudinal sides of the main lever 22 and the movable covers 60 each include: a front wall 32, 64 and a rear wall 40, 72 that oppose each other in the width direction; and an upper wall 30, 62 that connects the upper ends of the front wall 32, 64 and the rear wall 40, 72 in the width direction. Each front wall 32, 64 includes: a front inner wall 36, 68; and a front outer wall 34, 66 that is positioned forward of the front inner wall 36, 68. Furthermore, each yoke 96 is rotatably connected to the front inner wall 36, 68 and the rear wall 40, 72, respectively. Each first fin surface 46 and each second fin surface 84 are formed on the upper surfaces of the upper wall 30, 62 and the front outer wall 34, 66, respectively. Specifically, the front walls 32, 64 have a two-layer structure consisting of a front inner wall 36, 68, which serves as a rotational connection with each yoke 96, and a front outer wall 34, 66, which forms the front portion of each fin surface 46, 84. Since the front outer wall 34, 66 is positioned forward of the front inner wall 36, 68, the fin surfaces 46, 84, which slope downward toward the front, can be expanded (elongated) toward one side in the width direction. This allows the slope of each fin surface 46, 84 to be set more gently on one side in the width direction, thereby improving aerodynamic characteristics.

[0206] (Aerodynamic Analysis)

[0207] Next, use Figures 33A to 38B The results of aerodynamic analysis of the wiper blade 10 according to the present embodiment will be described. Figures 33A to 33G 、 Figures 34A to 34D 、 Figures 36A to 38B This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram using a computer. Figures 33A to 33G In the above aerodynamic analysis, the symbols of the scraper rubber 14 and the movable cover 60 are omitted. Figure 17 The vertical rib position P, gap width G and opening width E shown in FIG are analyzed to determine the lift generated by the wiper blade 10. Figures 33A to 33H , the change in lift force accompanying the change in the longitudinal rib position P is described.

[0208] exist Figures 33A to 33G In the embodiment, the gap width G and the opening width E are set to be constant, and the longitudinal rib position P is changed to P1 to P7. The longitudinal rib positions P1 to P7 are set to the relationship of P1 < P2 < P3 < P4 < P5 < P6 < P7. The relationship between the change of the longitudinal rib position P and the lift generated by the scraper rubber 14 is as follows: Figure 33H In the above Figure 33H In FIG. 1 , the lift generated by the blade rubber 14 at the longitudinal rib positions P1 to P7 is indicated by “△”. Figures 34E to 35D The same is true in Chinese.

[0209] according to Figures 33A to 33GIt can be seen that the pressure in the space 61 becomes higher in front of the longitudinal rib 75 in the width direction, and the pressure in the space 61 becomes lower in the rear of the longitudinal rib 75 in the width direction. Figures 33A to 33H It can be seen that when the longitudinal rib 75 is arranged above the rear end portion in the width direction of the blade rubber 14 , the lift force reducing effect of the blade rubber 14 is enhanced.

[0210] Next, use Figures 34A to 34E , the change of the lift force of the blade rubber 14 caused by the change of the gap width G is described. Figures 34A to 34D In the embodiment, the longitudinal rib position P and the opening width E are set to be constant, and the gap width G is changed to G1 to G4. The gap widths G1 to G4 are set to the relationship of G1 < G2 < G3 < G4. The relationship between the change of the gap width G and the lift force generated by the scraper rubber 14 is as follows: Figure 34E Shown in line graph.

[0211] according to Figures 34A to 34E It can be seen that as the gap width G decreases, the pressure in the space 61 increases in front of the longitudinal rib 75 in the width direction, and the lift force generated by the blade rubber 14 decreases.

[0212] Next, use Figures 35A to 35D , the change of the lift force of the blade rubber 14 caused by the change of the longitudinal rib position P and the gap width G will be described. Figures 35A to 35D In the example, the opening width E is set to be constant. Figure 35A In the example, the gap width G is set to G1 and the longitudinal rib position P is changed. Figure 35B Set the gap width G to G2, Figure 35C Set the gap width G to G3, Figure 35D In the example, the gap width G is set to G4 and the longitudinal rib position P is changed.

[0213] according to Figures 35A to 35D It can be seen that when the longitudinal rib position P and the gap width G are changed, the lift force generated in the blade rubber 14 changes.

[0214] The above aerodynamic analysis confirmed the following: Specifically, it was confirmed that the lift generated by the blade rubber 14 could be adjusted by changing the internal pressure within the space 61 (inside the movable cover 60), and that the pressure within the space 61 could be adjusted by changing the amount of traveling air (airflow) flowing into the space 61 and the amount of traveling air flowing out of the space 61.

[0215] In addition, the following was confirmed: the structure of the movable cover 60 not including the longitudinal rib 75 (see Figure 36A ) Compared to the structure in which the movable cover 60 includes the longitudinal ribs 75 (see Figure 36B and Figure 36C), it is possible to create a high pressure above the scraper rubber 14 inside the movable cover 60. Furthermore, it was confirmed that, because the pressure in the widthwise front of the longitudinal rib 75 is higher than in the widthwise rear, it is effective to arrange the longitudinal rib 75 near the upper and lower ends of the scraper rubber 14 in order to create a high pressure over the entire widthwise region of the upper surface of the scraper rubber 14.

[0216] In addition, the following was confirmed: Compared with the case where the gap width G was set larger (refer to Figure 37B ) compared to the case where the gap width G is set smaller (refer to Figure 37A ), the longitudinal rib 75 is further pressurized in the width direction. In addition, the following is confirmed: compared with the case where the opening width E is set to be smaller (refer to Figure 38A ) compared to the case where the opening width E is set larger (refer to Figure 38B ) can also make the pressure in the width direction of the longitudinal rib 75 further high by changing (increasing) the inflow amount in the traveling wind direction space 61, and it can be seen that the lift generated by the scraper rubber 14 (the internal pressure of the space 61) can be adjusted.

[0217] (Supplementary Explanation of the First Embodiment)

[0218] In the first embodiment, a pair of rear side pressurizing portions 132 and 134 are provided on the upper surface of the rear side of the yoke 96 (the upper surface of the vertical wall portion 98B) so as to contact the upper surface of the rear side of the main storage chamber 48 and the upper surface of the rear side of the movable storage chamber 86. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Figure 39 and Figure 40 As shown in the modified example, a pair of front-side pressing portions 140 and 142 are provided on the front upper surface of the yoke lever 96 (the upper surface of the plate-shaped portion 108A) so as to contact the front upper surface of the main accommodating chamber 48 and the front upper surface of the movable accommodating chamber 86. The pair of front-side pressing portions 140 and 142 correspond to the "pressing portion."

[0219] According to the above-mentioned modification, the pressing force from the wiper arm 12, the reaction force from the wiping surface WS, etc. are transmitted between the yoke 96 and the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60 via the above-mentioned pair of front side pressure parts 140, 142, thereby preventing or suppressing the above-mentioned forces from being applied to the various rotating connection parts between the yoke 96 and the main rod 22 and the movable cover 60. As a result, the above-mentioned various rotating connection parts can be miniaturized in the height direction of the yoke 96. As a result, similar to the above-mentioned embodiment, the protruding height of the wiper arm assembly 20 (wiper blade 10) protruding from the wiping surface WS can be further suppressed to a lower level. In addition, since the above-mentioned front side pressure parts 140, 142 are arranged above the scraper rubber 14, the pressing force from the wiper arm 12 can be applied to the scraper rubber 14 from above (without deviation in the front-to-back direction).

[0220] Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. Components and functions that are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment, and their description will be omitted.

[0221] (Second embodiment)

[0222] Figure 41 In, use Figure 14 The corresponding cross-sectional view shows a wiper blade 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 42 In, use Figure 18 The corresponding perspective view shows the structure of the front end portion of the wiper lever assembly 20 of the wiper blade 200 according to the second embodiment. While the wiper blade 200 of the second embodiment has a substantially identical structure to the wiper blade 10 of the first embodiment, a rod protrusion 202 serving as a stopper is formed on the lower surface of the yoke lever 96. Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the wiper lever assembly 20 has the same structure as the aforementioned modified example of the first embodiment.

[0223] The rod protrusion 202 is integrally formed with the yoke main body 108 and protrudes from the rear end portion in the width direction of the lower surface of the yoke main body 108, extending in the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber 14. The rod protrusion 202 is arranged to be closer to the rear side in the front-back direction than the scraper rubber 14, and faces the gap 97 between the scraper rubber 14 and the yoke 96 from the rear side in the width direction. The front end surface in the width direction of the rod protrusion 202 is arranged to be closer to the rear side in the width direction than the rear end surface in the width direction of the scraper rubber 14 (see FIG. 1 ). Figure 41 The yoke rod 96 is reinforced by the rod protrusion 202, thereby improving the bending strength of the yoke rod 96. In addition, in order to improve the reinforcing effect of the yoke rod 96 by the rod protrusion 202, it is preferable to expand the width of the protrusion 202 to the rear end surface of the yoke rod 96 in the width direction (refer to Figure 41 The double-dotted line RS).

[0224] In the above embodiment, the structure other than the above is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, in the above embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, in the above embodiment, the rod protrusion 202 protruding from the rear end portion in the width direction of the lower surface of the yoke 96 extends in the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber 14. The above-mentioned rod protrusion 202 blocks the traveling wind flowing into the gap 97 between the scraper rubber 14 and the yoke 96 within the gap 97. Thus, even in the case where it is difficult to form the longitudinal rib 75 protruding from the lower surface of the movable cover 60 and the main rod 22 due to the presence of the yoke 96, the pressure in the gap 97 can be increased, thereby suppressing the scraper rubber 14 from floating on the lower side of the yoke 96.

[0225] Furthermore, at a position closer to the widthwise front side than the rod protrusion 202, i.e., closer to the widthwise rear end of the yoke 96, the traveling wind blocked by the rod protrusion 202 causes the pressure to be higher. Therefore, compared to a case where the rod protrusion 202 is formed at the widthwise front end of the yoke 96, the higher pressure can be applied to a wider area of the upper surface of the scraper rubber 14. As a result, the effect of reducing the lift force generated by the scraper rubber 14 is enhanced.

[0226] In this embodiment, the rod protrusion 202 is disposed widthwise rearward of the blade rubber 14. This prevents the blade rubber 14 from being hindered by contact between the rod protrusion 202 and the blade rubber 14 when the blade rubber 14 moves vertically following the curvature of the wiping surface WS.

[0227] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the yoke lever 96 is reinforced by the lever protrusion 202. Thus, for example, the yoke lever 96 can be formed only of resin (the metal portion 98 is omitted).

[0228] Next, use Figures 43A to 43C The results of aerodynamic analysis of the wiper blade 200 according to the second embodiment will be described. Figure 43A 2 is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of a comparative example in which the yoke rod 96 does not have the rod protrusion 202. Figure 43B is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of the wiper blade 200 according to the second embodiment. Figure 43C This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when the protrusion amount (vertical dimension) of the rod protrusion 202 is set to be large in the wiper blade 200 of the second embodiment. Figures 43A to 43C It was confirmed that providing the rod protrusion 202 on the yoke rod 96 can increase the pressure in the gap 97 between the blade rubber 14 and the yoke rod 96 , and that increasing the protrusion amount of the rod protrusion 202 can further reduce the lift force generated in the blade rubber 14 .

[0229] (Third embodiment)

[0230] Figure 44 In, use Figure 14 The corresponding cross-sectional view shows a wiper blade 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Figure 45 In, use Figure 44 The corresponding cross-sectional view shows an example of a wiper blade 300 according to the third embodiment, in which a recess 304 is formed on the lower surface of the yoke 96. While the wiper blade 300 according to the third embodiment has a structure substantially identical to the wiper blade 10 according to the first embodiment, a rubber protrusion 302 serving as a stopper is formed on the upper surface of the wiper rubber 14. Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the wiper lever assembly 20 has the same structure as the aforementioned modified example of the first embodiment.

[0231] The rubber protrusion 302 is integrally formed with the blade rubber 14 and protrudes from the rear end portion in the width direction of the upper surface of the blade rubber 14. The rubber protrusion 302 extends over the entire area in the longitudinal direction of the blade rubber 104 and is also disposed in the gap 97 between the yoke 96 and the blade rubber 14. Figure 45 In the illustrated example, a recess 304 capable of receiving the rubber protrusion 302 is formed at a position corresponding to the rubber protrusion 302 on the lower surface of the yoke lever 96 .

[0232] In the above embodiment, the structure other than that described above is the same as that of the first embodiment. Therefore, the above embodiment also achieves the same operational effects as the first embodiment. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a rubber protrusion 302, which protrudes from the rear end of the upper surface of the scraper rubber 14 in the width direction, is positioned between the yoke 96 and the scraper rubber 14 and extends in the longitudinal direction of the scraper rubber 14. This prevents the rubber protrusion 302 from blocking the traveling airflow into the gap 97, thereby increasing the pressure within the gap 97. As a result, the scraper rubber 14 is prevented from floating upwards on the lower side of the yoke 96.

[0233] Furthermore, at a position closer to the widthwise front side of the rubber protrusion 302, that is, closer to the widthwise rear end of the upper surface of the scraper rubber 14, the traveling wind blocked by the rubber protrusion 302 causes a higher pressure. Therefore, compared to a case where the rubber protrusion 302 is formed at the widthwise front end of the upper surface of the scraper rubber 14, this higher pressure can be applied to a wider area of the upper surface of the scraper rubber 14. As a result, the effect of reducing the lift force generated by the scraper rubber 14 is enhanced.

[0234] In addition, Figure 45In the example shown, a recess 304 is formed on the lower surface of the yoke 96 at a position corresponding to the rubber protrusion 302. This allows the scraper rubber 14 to move up and down following the curvature of the wiping surface WS without being hindered by contact between the rubber protrusion 302 and the yoke 96.

[0235] Next, use Figures 46A and 46B The aerodynamic analysis results of the wiper blade 300 of the third embodiment will be described. In addition, the aerodynamic analysis diagram of the comparative example in which the wiper rubber 14 does not have the rubber protrusion 302 is compared with the aerodynamic analysis diagram of the second embodiment. Figure 43A same, Figure 46A is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of the wiper blade 300 according to the third embodiment. Figure 46B : is an aerodynamic analysis diagram when a recessed portion 304 is formed on the lower surface of the yoke lever 96 in the wiper blade 300 of the third embodiment. Figures 46A and 46B , confirmed the following: by providing the rubber protrusion 302 on the upper surface of the scraper rubber 14, the pressure in the gap 97 between the scraper rubber 14 and the yoke rod 96 can be increased. Figure 46B It was confirmed that the recessed portion 304 does not affect the lift force generated by the blade rubber 14 .

[0236] Next, refer to Figures 47 to 49 The aerodynamic characteristics of the wiper blade 10 according to the first embodiment will be described. Figure 47 is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of the wiper blade 10 according to the first embodiment. Figure 48 is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of the wiper blade 200 of the first comparative example. Figure 49 This is an aerodynamic analysis diagram of a wiper blade 300 according to a second comparative example. Wiper blades 200 and 300 are conventional racetrack wiper blades. The height of the yoke (abbreviated reference numeral) provided on these wiper blades 200 and 300 is greater than the height of the yoke 96 provided on the wiper blade 10. Furthermore, in the above aerodynamic analysis, the height of the wiper blade 10 was set to < the height of the wiper blade 200 < the height of the wiper blade 300.

[0237] The lift and drag acting on the wiper blades 10, 200, and 300 at a vehicle speed of 200 km / h were analyzed. The results showed that the lift and drag ratios for wiper blade 10 were less than those for wiper blade 200 and less than those for wiper blade 300. In particular, the lift of wiper blade 10 was significantly lower, approximately one-seventh that of wiper blade 200. The aerodynamic analysis confirmed that the wiper blade 10 of this embodiment exhibits significantly improved aerodynamic characteristics.

[0238] Although several embodiments have been described above to explain the present invention, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

[0239] In addition, the entireties of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-173730 filed on September 18, 2018, Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-176479 filed on September 20, 2018, Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-176480 filed on September 20, 2018, Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-179440 filed on September 25, 2018, and Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-182682 filed on September 27, 2018 are incorporated herein by reference. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described in this specification are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each document, patent application, or technical standard were specifically and individually set forth.

Claims

1. A wiper lever assembly, which holds a scraper rubber for wiping a wiping surface, comprising: a main rod connected to the front end of the wiper arm at a central portion in the longitudinal direction, having first fin surfaces formed on upper surfaces on both sides in the longitudinal direction and inclined downward toward the front side in the width direction, and having main receiving chambers formed on both sides in the longitudinal direction, which are open toward the wiping surface and have a greater height dimension at the rear side in the width direction than at the front side; a pair of movable covers, the pair of movable covers being arranged continuously on both sides of the length direction of the main rod with the length direction of the main rod as the long side, a gripping portion for gripping the scraper rubber being provided on the side opposite to the main rod, a second fin surface being formed on the upper surface thereof and tilting downward toward the front side in the width direction, and a movable receiving chamber being formed which is open toward the wiping surface side and has a greater height dimension on the rear side in the width direction than on the front side; as well as A pair of yoke rods, the pair of yoke rods having the longitudinal direction of the main rod and each movable cover as the long side, are accommodated in each main accommodation chamber and each movable accommodation chamber, are connected to the main rod and each movable cover in a manner that can rotate around an axis extending in the width direction, are provided with gripping portions for gripping the scraper rubber at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the height dimension of the rear side in the width direction is larger than that of the front side, The main lever and the movable cover each have: a front wall and a rear wall facing each other in the width direction; and an upper wall connecting the upper end of the front wall and the upper end of the rear wall in the width direction. The front wall of the main rod has a front inner wall and a front outer wall formed from the front inner wall and the upper wall and extending toward one side in the width direction. Each of the yoke rods is rotatably connected to the front inner wall and the rear wall of the main rod. The first fin surface and the second fin surface are formed in a connected manner, and the first fin surface is formed on the upper surface of the upper wall of the main rod and the upper surface of the front outer wall. The second fin surface is formed on an upper surface of the upper wall and an upper surface of the front wall of the movable cover.

2. The wiper rod assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The yoke includes a metal portion and a resin portion provided outside the metal portion.

3. The wiper rod assembly according to claim 2, wherein: The main rod and the movable cover are made of resin. The yoke lever is rotatably coupled to the main lever and the movable cover at the resin portion.

4. The wiper rod assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The grip portion is formed on the resin portion.

5. The wiper rod assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The yoke lever is rotatably connected to the main lever and the movable cover at a lower portion thereof, where the width thereof in the front-rear direction is wider than that of the upper portion thereof.

6. The wiper rod assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The yoke includes a plate-shaped portion having a plate-like shape with a vertical direction as a plate thickness direction, and a standing wall portion protruding upward from a rear side in the width direction of the plate-shaped portion.

7. The wiper rod assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The main lever and the movable cover have a pair of opposing walls that face each other across the vertical wall portion in the front-rear direction.

8. The wiper rod assembly according to claim 1, wherein: The yoke includes a metal portion and a resin portion provided outside the metal portion. The yoke has: a plate-shaped portion with the vertical direction as the plate thickness direction; and a vertical wall portion protruding upward from the rear side of the width direction of the plate-shaped portion. The metal portion has: a plate-shaped portion that is embedded in the resin portion corresponding to the plate-shaped portion of the yoke and has a thickness direction defined as a vertical direction; and A standing wall portion is embedded in the resin portion corresponding to the standing wall portion of the yoke and protrudes upward from a rear side in the width direction of the plate-shaped portion.

9. The wiper rod assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7 and 8, wherein: A pair of pressurizing portions is formed on an upper surface of the yoke so as to protrude upward and contact an upper surface of the main accommodating chamber and an upper surface of the movable accommodating chamber.

10. The wiper rod assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7 and 8, wherein: The convex portions formed on the front and rear surfaces of each main receiving chamber and each movable receiving chamber in the width direction are respectively embedded in the four concave portions formed on the front and rear surfaces of the yoke rod in the width direction, so that the yoke rod can be rotatably connected to the main rod and the movable cover.

11. The wiper rod assembly according to claim 6, wherein: The main storage chamber of the main rod has a first opening portion that opens toward the wiping surface side. The movable storage chambers of the pair of movable covers have second openings that open toward the wiping surface. The plate-shaped portions of the pair of yokes close the first opening and the second opening.

12. The wiper rod assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7, 8, and 11, wherein: The main rod includes a pair of central partition walls that partition the main storage chambers along the longitudinal direction at the central side of the main rod in the longitudinal direction.

13. The wiper rod assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7, 8, and 11, wherein: The movable cover has an outer partition wall that partitions the movable accommodation chamber in a longitudinal direction on a side of the yoke rod that is opposite to the main rod.

14. The wiper rod assembly according to claim 1, wherein: One side of the concave portion and the convex portion formed on each of the front inner wall and each of the rear walls is respectively embedded in the other side of the four convex portions and the concave portion formed on the front and rear surfaces of the yoke in the width direction, so that the yoke is rotatably connected to the main rod and the movable cover. Each of the front inner walls has: a flexible portion having one of the concave portion and the convex portion formed thereon; and a reinforcing portion that is reinforced relative to the flexible portion. The yoke is formed with a front protrusion that protrudes so as to correspond to the reinforcement portion and be able to abut against the reinforcement portion.

15. The wiper rod assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 7, 8, 11, and 14, wherein: The load transmission part is provided separately from the main rod and the rotation connection parts of the movable cover and the yoke rod. The load transfer portion includes a clamped portion provided on the main rod and the movable cover and a clamping portion provided on the yoke rod, and the clamped portion and the clamping portion are engaged to bear the load acting between the main rod, the movable cover and the yoke rod along the length direction of these components.

16. A wiper blade comprising: a scraper rubber for wiping a wiping surface of a vehicle; and The wiper lever assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein the wiper lever assembly holds the blade rubber by the holding portions provided on the pair of movable covers and the pair of yokes.

17. The wiper blade according to claim 16, wherein: The scraper rubber is arranged on the lower side of the wiper rod assembly and is held by the yoke and the movable cover, is pressed toward the wiping surface, and has gaps formed between the yoke and the movable cover. The wiper blade includes a blocking portion that protrudes from at least any one of the lower surface of the movable cover, the lower surface of the yoke rod, and the upper surface of the scraper rubber, and extends along the length direction of the scraper rubber in the internal space of the wiper rod assembly to block the outflow of traveling wind flowing into at least one of the gaps.

18. The wiper blade according to claim 17, wherein: The stopper portion is a longitudinal rib that projects downward from the lower surface of the movable cover that is recessed upward when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the blade rubber.

19. The wiper blade according to claim 18, wherein: The longitudinal rib is arranged above a rear end portion of the blade rubber in the width direction.

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