wiper blade

Abstract

The invention relates to a wiper blade (10) with a support system (12), (14), (16) which holds a wiper strip (20) and has a connecting device (61) for a wiper arm (34, 36), wherein the connecting device (61) has at least two parallel side walls (60) with aligned openings (63) and an adapter (40) made of plastic, which has lateral legs (44) connected to one another via a central web (42) and having bearing bores (48) for a bearing axis (58). It is proposed that the lateral legs (44) be connected to the central web (42) by means of film hinges (52), wherein the film hinges (52) allow the lateral legs (44) to be folded onto the side walls (60) relative to the central web (42).

Description

State of the art

[0001] The invention is based on a wiper blade according to the preamble of claim 1.

[0002] For commercial vehicles, trucks and buses today, conventional wiper blades with a support bracket system are used almost exclusively. This system has a main bracket to which subordinate brackets are articulated. The subordinate brackets can be designed as claw brackets and hold a wiper strip that is guided over a vehicle windshield during operation. However, additional claw brackets can also be connected to the subordinate brackets via joints. The main bracket can be designed in the middle section as a connecting device that is articulated to a wiper arm by means of a connecting device in the form of an overlap shoe. For this purpose, the overlap shoe, whose cross-sectional profile is open towards the wiper strip and is formed by two side walls and a cover wall connecting these, encloses the connecting device of the main bracket on the side facing away from the wiper strip.The side walls of the connection device and the side walls of the overflow shoe have aligned holes through which a screw is inserted as a bearing axis, securing the wiper blade to the overflow shoe. To enable relative rotational movement between the overflow shoe and the main bracket of the wiper blade around the screw, an adapter, preferably made of plastic, is provided between these parts, reducing wear and friction during rotational movement.

[0003] The overrun shoe can be permanently connected to a wiper arm, which pivots across the vehicle windshield. However, the wiper arm can also be designed as a parallel guide, with a drive lever articulated to the overrun shoe, which in turn is articulated to a link running parallel to the drive lever via a coupling element. The adapter can compensate for differences between the main bracket of a wiper blade and the overrun shoe, so that one wiper blade type can be used for multiple wiper arms with different overrun shoes. The adapter therefore has a U-shaped cross-sectional profile, with its inner sides adapted to the outer sides of the main bracket and its outer sides adapted to the inner sides of the overrun shoe. U-shaped adapters are difficult to manufacture and take up a lot of space during transport. Adapters are also known whose wall sections are manufactured as individual parts.However, this increases the variety of parts. Furthermore, parts can get lost during transport and mixed up during assembly.

[0004] DE 102005016486 A1 discloses a wiper blade with a flat bar design. It has a connecting device with two side walls enclosed by an adapter, which in turn is connected to a wiper arm via a cover device. Further prior art is disclosed in DE 103 22 058 A1. Disclosure of the invention

[0005] According to the invention, the side arms of the adapter are connected to the center bar by means of film hinges, whereby the film hinges allow the side arms to be folded onto the side walls of the main bracket, generally at an angle of 90° relative to the center bar. It is advantageous to manufacture the adapter in an extended position using an injection molding process and only convert it into its operating shape during assembly. During transport from production to assembly, the adapters can be packaged in a space-saving manner and attached to the wiper blade, preventing any parts of the adapter from being lost or incorrectly installed. Furthermore, the adapter can be manufactured cost-effectively using a simple, slide-less tool.

[0006] According to one embodiment of the invention, it is proposed that the adapter produced using an injection molding process has a first surface which faces outwards in the assembled state and is flat, while on an opposite second surface, angled collars are provided on the edges running parallel to the film hinges, which collars enclose the free edges of the side walls of the connecting device in the assembled state. The collars can be formed in the same operation. Furthermore, bearing eyes can be formed on the second surface in the same operation; these bearing holes extend in the arms of the adapter beyond the second surface and engage in holes in the side walls of the connecting device in the assembled state. These measures enable the tool for the adapter to be manufactured cost-effectively.

[0007] Protection is claimed not only for the wiper blade with the adapter, but also for the adapter without the wiper blade, which has the adapter-specific features essential to the invention and is suitable for use with a wiper blade according to the invention.

[0008] Further advantages will become apparent from the following description of the drawings. The drawings illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The drawings, the description, and the claims contain numerous features in combination. Those skilled in the art will also expediently consider the features individually and combine them into useful further combinations.

[0009] They show: Fig. 1 a perspective partial view of a wiper blade according to the invention in the region of a covering device in the form of an overflow shoe, Fig. 2 an enlarged view of an over-the-top shoe according to Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a longitudinal section through an adapter in an extended position and Fig. 4 a cross-section through a main bracket with a mounted adapter in the area of ​​a connection device.

[0010] A wiper blade 10 has a support system composed of a main bracket 12, two subordinate brackets 14, and several claw brackets 16. The claw brackets 16 hold a wiper strip 20 with their claws 18. The main bracket 12, the subordinate brackets 14, and the claw brackets 16 are connected to one another in an articulated manner. The main bracket 12 has a cross-sectional profile open towards the wiper strip 20, which is connected by two side walls 60 and a cover wall 62 connecting them, and forms a connecting device 61 in the central region. In the case of a wiper blade with a flat bar design, two pre-bent, elastic spring rails can also serve as the support system, to which a similar connecting device is attached in the central region, the side walls of which are enclosed by a similar adapter.

[0011] The connecting device 61 of the wiper blade 10 is articulated to a wiper arm 34, 36, 38 by means of a connecting device 22, which is designed as a parallelogram guide. This is formed by a drive lever 34 and a parallel guide rod 36, which are articulated to one another by a coupling element 38. The connecting device 22 includes a drop-in shoe 24, which, with its two side walls 26 and a cover wall 28 connecting them, encompasses the connecting device 61 of the main bracket 12 from above. Bores 30 are provided in the side walls 26 of the drop-in shoe 24, which are aligned with one another and with bores 63 in the side walls 60 of the connecting device 61.

[0012] A bearing pin 32 is attached to the cover wall 28 of the overrun shoe 24. Its longitudinal axis runs perpendicular to a vehicle window (not shown), and the drive lever 34 is pivotally mounted on the bearing pin 32 of the overrun shoe 24 by means of a bearing 35. Furthermore, one end of the coupling element 38 is pivotally mounted on the bearing pin 32 of the overrun shoe 24 by means of a bearing 35, while the free end of the coupling element 38 also carries a bearing pin 35 that runs parallel to the bearing pin 35 of the overrun shoe 24. The link 36 is pivotally mounted on the bearing pin 35 of the overrun shoe 24 by means of a bearing 35. The bearings 35 can be plain bearings or, expediently, low-friction roller bearings.

[0013] An adapter 40 is provided between the connecting device 61 of the main bracket 12 and the overflow shoe 24. This adapter is made of plastic using an injection molding process. Fig.Figure 3 shows the adapter 40 in an extended position, in which it is manufactured in an injection mold. The adapter 40 has two legs 44 that are articulated to a central web 42 by means of film hinges 52. The film hinges 52 are formed by outer grooves 54 in the first surface 64 facing the inner sides of the overflow shoe 24 and by inner grooves 56 in the second surface 66 facing the outer sides of the main bracket 12, wherein the outer groove 54 is shallower than the inner groove 56. The grooves 54, 56 extend transversely to the longitudinal direction in the extended position of the adapter 40. In the assembled position, the first surface 64 rests against the inside of the overflow shoe 24, while the opposite second surface 66 encompasses the main bracket 12, wherein collars 50, which are formed parallel to the film hinges 52 on the end edges of the adapter 40, encompass the edges of the side walls 60 of the connecting device 61 facing the wiper strip 20.

[0014] Bearing bores 48 are provided in the legs 44 of the adapter 40, which are extended by bearing eyes 46. These protrude from the second surface 66 and, when assembled, engage in the bores 63 of the connecting device 61. During assembly, a screw 58 serving as a bearing axis is inserted through the bearing bores 48, on which the bearing bores 48 and the bearing eyes 46 are pivotally mounted. The screw 58 holds the main bracket 12 of the wiper blade 10 and the overhang shoe 24 together.

Claims

[1] Wiper blade (10) with a support system (12), (14), (16) which holds a wiper strip (20) and has a connecting device (61) for a wiper arm (34, 36), wherein the connecting device (61) has at least two parallel side walls (60) with aligned openings (63) and an adapter (40) made of plastic, which has lateral legs (44) connected to one another via a central web (42) with bearing bores (48) for a bearing axis (58), characterized by that the lateral legs (44) are connected to the central web (42) by means of film hinges (52), wherein the film hinges (52) allow the lateral legs (44) to be folded onto the side walls (60) opposite the central web (42). [2] Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized bythat the adapter (40) is produced in an extended position in an injection molding process, wherein a first surface (64) facing outwards in the assembled state is flat, while on an opposite second surface (66) angled collars (50) are provided on the edges running parallel to the film hinges (52), which collars (50) in the assembled state encompass the free edges of the side walls (60) of the connecting device (61). [3] Wiper blade (10) according to claim 2, characterized by that bearing eyes (46) are formed on the second surface (66), which extend the bearing bores (48) in the legs (44) beyond the second surface (66) and, in the assembled state, engage in the bores (63) in the side walls (60) of the connecting device (61). [4] Wiper blade (10) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized bythat the film hinges (52) are each formed by an outer groove (54) and an inner groove (56) which run transversely to the longitudinal extent of the elongated adapter (40), the outer grooves (54) being flatter than the inner grooves (56).

Images