Wiper blade in flat beam construction

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper blade (10) in a flat beam construction with a support element in the form of at least one pre-bent spring rail (16), to which a connecting element (18, 46) for articulated connection with a wiper arm is attached in the central area, wherein the connecting element (18, 46) has two side walls (28, 48) with mutually facing, open guide profiles (54) for the spring rail (16), the side walls (28, 48) are connected to each other by transverse parts (30, 32, 34, 50, 62), and the connecting element (18, 46) is fixed in the longitudinal direction (26) relative to the spring rail (16) by a fixing element (40, 56, 66). It is proposed that several fixing points (20, 22, 24) be provided offset in the longitudinal direction (26) on the spring rail (16), with which the fixing element (40, 56, 66) can interact in different longitudinal positions.

Description

State of the art

[0001] The invention relates to a wiper blade in flat beam construction according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] From DE 100 58 208 A1, a wiper blade of this type is known, in which a connecting element made of a suitable material, e.g., plastic, is attached in the central area to two parallel spring rails that serve as a support element. The connecting element has guide profiles on its longitudinal sides, with which it engages the spring rails from the outer longitudinal sides, both above and below, as well as along the longitudinal sides themselves. A fixing element, supported by the connecting element, is located between the two spring rails and secures the spring rails by positive and / or non-positive locking. The fixing element is a pin that is guided approximately perpendicular to the broad side of the spring rails in a bore of the connecting element and presses the spring rails outwards against the guide profiles of the connecting element by non-positive locking.In some designs, the pin can also engage in recesses on the inner sides of the spring rails, thereby achieving a positive fit in addition to or instead of a frictional fit. The positive fit can be further enhanced by providing recesses on the outer sides of the spring rails into which projections in the guide profile engage. During assembly, the fixing pin is secured in its axial position within its guide, for example, by an interference fit, gluing, soldering, welding, riveting, pressing, screwing, or similar methods.

[0003] From DE 102 53 580 A1, a wiper blade is known which has a single spring rail as a support element, which is housed in a longitudinal channel of the wiper strip. The connecting element comprises part of a head strip of the wiper strip with the longitudinal channel and can be secured in the mounted position by pins in a form-fit manner and / or by a fabric connection.

[0004] Furthermore, WO 00 / 38964 A1 discloses a wiper blade in which the connecting element has two guide profiles connected to each other by a spring-loaded bracket. Opposing spring detents are provided on the guide profiles, the spring tongues of which run longitudinally along the outer sides of the spring rails and have inwardly facing detent cams at their free ends. These detent cams engage in corresponding detent recesses in the spring rails when the blade is mounted, thus fixing the position of the connecting element longitudinally along the wiper blade.

[0005] Furthermore, WO 98 / 19899 A1 discloses a wiper blade whose connecting element has two side walls guided along the longitudinal sides of the spring rails. Each side wall has longitudinally spaced spring detents whose spring tongues run perpendicular to the broad side of the spring rails and have locking lugs at their free ends that engage the spring rails from the side of a wiper lip. Two opposing spring detents have thickenings on their spring tongues with which they engage in corresponding recesses in the spring rails and thus secure the mounting position in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade. In one embodiment, the spring detent is provided on a base of the connecting element.It runs lengthwise along the wiper blade and has a locking lug at its free end pointing towards the spring rails, which engages in a corresponding recess in the spring rail when mounted, thus securing the mounting position.

[0006] The object of the invention is to improve a wiper blade of the generic type. Disclosure of the invention

[0007] This problem is solved by a wiper blade with the features of claim 1.

[0008] According to the invention, several fixing points are provided on the spring rail, offset along the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade, allowing the fixing element to interact in different longitudinal positions. The connecting element can thus be unambiguously fixed in any longitudinal position defined by the fixing points. This allows one and the same wiper blade to be fitted to different vehicle windshields, regardless of whether the position is pre-set by the factory or adjusted by the user. Furthermore, it is possible to ensure asymmetrical mounting and thus pressure distribution of the wiper blade on the vehicle. Additionally, the user can easily correct any incorrect positioning of a wiper blade on the windshield if they notice it. Only the number of parts for a single design is required to manufacture wiper blades for different vehicle types.This greatly simplifies the storage of the required components.

[0009] The fixing points and fixing elements can be designed in various ways. For example, the fixing points can be recesses in the spring rails in the form of notches, holes, or embossed indentations. They can also be raised areas formed by embossing or welded on. Corresponding counterparts are provided on the connecting element for each type of fixing point.

[0010] The fixing element can advantageously be a U-shaped clamp whose yoke runs transversely to the longitudinal direction in the connecting element and whose legs are guided approximately perpendicular to the broad side of the spring rail and engage in recesses of the spring rail. This is particularly advantageous if the support element comprises two spring rails running parallel to each other. These can be fixed relative to each other and to the connecting element by a single fixing element, namely the clamp. It is expedient to secure the U-shaped clamp in the area of ​​its yoke by a detent in the connecting element, opposite to the mounting direction.

[0011] Instead of a clamp, the connecting element can be secured in its longitudinal position relative to the spring rails by fixing pins. It is particularly advantageous if the fixing pins are captive, at least before assembly, to the plastic connecting element via a film hinge. For installation, the fixing pin can be detached from the film hinge, or the film hinge can be designed to allow the fixing pin to be installed through elastic deformation.

[0012] Assembly and storage can be significantly simplified if the connecting element has a spring detent in the area of ​​at least one guide profile. The spring tongue of this detent extends longitudinally and has a spring lug at its free end, the raised or recessed portion of which engages with a corresponding recess or projection on the spring rail. During assembly, the spring tongue deflects into a longitudinal plane perpendicular to a broad side of the spring rail and returns to its initial position upon reaching the end position, where the spring detent engages with the correspondingly shaped fixing points.

[0013] Further advantages become apparent from the following description of the drawings. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention. The drawings, the description, and the claims contain numerous features in combination. A person skilled in the art will expediently consider the features individually and combine them into meaningful further combinations.

[0014] They show: Fig. 1 a perspective view of a wiper blade according to the invention during the assembly of a connecting element, Fig. 2 a detail corresponding to line II in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a perspective view accordingly Fig. 1 with a connecting element when inserting a fixing element in the form of a clamp, Fig. 4 a perspective partial view of a wiper blade with a partially cut-off connecting element, Fig. 5 different, exemplary designs of fixing points, Fig. 6 a cross-section through a connection element according to line VI-VI in Fig. 7, Fig. 7 a perspective partial view of a connecting element with a spring detent according to Fig. 6 from the bottom, Fig. 8 a perspective partial view of a connecting element with a fixing pin before assembly and Fig. 9 a perspective partial view of a connection element according to Fig. 8 with a mounted fixing pin.

[0015] A wiper blade 10 essentially consists of a wiper strip 12 and two parallel spring rails 16. The spring rails 16 serve as a support element for the wiper strip 12, engaging in longitudinal grooves of the wiper strip 12. In its mounted position, a backing strip 14 of the wiper strip 12 rests on the broad sides of the spring rails 16 facing the wiper arm (not shown). A connecting element 18 is mounted in the central area of ​​the wiper blade 10, serving to articulate it to the wiper arm.

[0016] The connecting element 18 is pushed from the end face of the wiper blade 10 in the longitudinal direction 26 onto the spring rails 16 up to a central area and fixed there at fixing points in the form of recesses 20. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the fixing points 20, 22, and 24 can have different shapes. Fixing points 20 are formed by notches on the outer longitudinal sides of the spring rails 16, while fixing points 22 are recesses on the inner longitudinal sides of the spring rails 16 and have a generally circular arc shape. Recesses 24, on the other hand, are bores in the spring rails 16. The shape of the recesses can be polygonal, curved, circular, or elliptical. Instead of recesses, depressions can also be formed by indentations pressed into the spring rails 16. Finally, the fixing points can also be defined by protrusions, which are formed, for example, by embossing the spring rails or by additional pieces that are welded, glued, or otherwise attached.

[0017] In the wiper blade 10 according to the invention, fixing points 20, or in another embodiment 22, 24, or the like, are provided in the longitudinal direction 26 at intervals from one another. They can be arranged on the outer longitudinal side of only one spring rail 16 or in pairs opposite each other on the outer longitudinal sides of both spring rails 16, each fixing point or pair of fixing points representing a mounting position for the connecting element 18. The connecting element 18 is fixed at a fixing point 20, 22, 24, for example, in the form of a clamp 40, at the mounting position in the longitudinal direction. The clamp 40 has two legs 44 which are connected to each other via a yoke 42.

[0018] The yoke 42 runs transversely to the spring rails 16, while the legs 44 are guided in a cross-sectional plane in the connecting element 18 perpendicular to the broad sides of the spring rails 16. In the assembled state, the free ends of the legs 44 engage in the recesses 20 and 22, 24, respectively.

[0019] The connecting element 18 has two side walls 28, which are connected to each other by further components, namely a rear wall 30, an end wall 32, a pivot axis 62, and a transverse wall 34. A slot 36 for guiding the clamp 40 is located in the transverse wall 34. A detent 38 is provided in the area of ​​the upper boundary of the slot 36, by which the clamp 40 is held in the mounted position in the slot 36. The end faces of the legs 44 can also be designed to interact with projections on the spring rails 16; in particular, they can have recesses in the form of troughs or cutouts in the form of grooves. If the connecting element 18 is to assume a different longitudinal position, the clamp 40 is loosened opposite to the mounting direction indicated by arrow 41. After the connecting element 18 has been moved longitudinally 26, the connecting element 18 is again secured in the new longitudinal position by the clamp 40.

[0020] The connecting element 46 after Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 has two side walls 48, which are connected to each other by a base 50. The base 50 has a longitudinal groove 52 on the side facing the wiper strip 12, which provides sufficient space for the backing strip 14. Extending from the side walls 48 towards the wiper strip 12, the connecting element 46 has guide profiles 54, by which it is guided on the spring rails 16. In the area of ​​the guide profiles 54, spring detents 56 are located in the base 50, offset longitudinally from the guide profiles 54, and serve as fixing elements. The spring tongues 58 of these detents extend in the longitudinal direction 26 of the wiper blade 10 and have locking lugs 60 at their free ends. When the assembly position is reached, these engage in the associated recesses 20, 22, 24, the design of the locking lugs 60 and the recesses 20, 22, 24 being coordinated with each other in the manner described above and being able to be modified accordingly.

[0021] In the exemplary embodiment according to Fig. 8 and Fig. The connecting element 46 has a fixing pin 66 as a fixing element. This pin is guided in a bore in the base 50 or in a guide block 72 on the inner side of the side wall 48 and interacts with the fixing points in the form of the recesses 20, 22, 24. At least during transport of the connecting element 46, the fixing pin 66 is advantageously connected to the connecting element 46 at a suitable location via a film hinge 68. For assembly, the fixing pin 66 can be detached and inserted into the bore 64. There, it can be secured by a press fit, crimping, gluing, or the like. The film hinge 68 can also be arranged so that it can be bent in the direction of arrow 70, allowing the fixing pin 66 to be inserted into the bore 64 without damaging the film hinge 68.

Claims

[1] Wiper blade (10) in flat beam construction with a support element in the form of at least one pre-bent spring rail (16) to which a connecting element (18, 46) for articulated connection with a wiper arm is attached in the middle area, wherein the connecting element (18, 46) has two side walls (28, 48) with mutually facing, open guide profiles (54) for the spring rail (16), the side walls (28, 48) are connected to each other by transverse parts and the connecting element (18, 46) is fixed in the longitudinal direction (26) relative to the spring rail (16) by a fixing element, characterized by , that several fixing points (20, 22, 24) are provided offset in the longitudinal direction (26) on the spring rail (16), with which the fixing element can interact in different longitudinal positions. [2] Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized by, that the fixing points (20, 22, 24) are recesses in the form of notches, bores or embossed depressions or formed or welded protrusions, for which a corresponding counterpart is provided on the connecting element (18, 46) as a fixing element. [3] Wiper blade (10) according to claim 2, characterized by , that the fixing element is a U-shaped clamp (40) whose yoke (42) runs transversely to the longitudinal direction (26) in the connecting element (18, 46) and whose legs (44) are guided approximately perpendicular to the broad side of the spring rail (16) and engage in recesses of the spring rail (16). [4] Wiper blade (10) according to claim 3, characterized by , that the u-shaped clamp (40) is secured in the area of ​​its yoke (42) by a detent (38) in the connecting element against the direction of assembly (41). [5] Wiper blade (10) according to claim 2, characterized by, that the connecting element (18, 46) has a spring detent (56) in the area of ​​at least one guide profile (54), the spring tongue (58) of which extends in the longitudinal direction (26) and has a detent lug (60) at its free end, the elevation or depression of which interacts with a depression or recess or an elevation of the spring rail (16) by the spring tongue (58) deflecting in a longitudinal plane perpendicular to a broad side of the spring rail (16) and returning to the initial position in the end position. [6] Wiper blade (10) according to claim 2, characterized by , that the fixing element is a fixing pin (66) which is connected to the plastic connecting element (18, 46) at least before assembly via a film hinge (68) and is guided in a bore (64) of the connecting element (18, 46) approximately perpendicular to the broad side of the spring rail (16) when assembled.

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