Windshield wiper blade, especially for a motor vehicle

Abstract

TITLE: Windshield wiper blade, particularly for a motor vehicle. Windshield wiper blade with a wiping blade (16) held by a mounting segment (24) and having a practically triangular lip segment (18). A cavity segment (22) between the mounting segment (24) and the lip segment (18), the lower wall (44) of which has, on its side facing the lip segment (18), at least one guiding shoulder (56) to guide the lip segment (18). Figure 3

Description

Title of the invention: Windshield wiper blade, particularly for a motor vehicle. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a windshield wiper blade, particularly for a motor vehicle, with a wiping blade held by a fixing segment and a practically triangular lip segment. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] Wiper blades such as those defined above are already known, with a wiping blade held between a first elastic rail segment and a second elastic rail segment by a fixing segment; these wiper blades have a practically triangular lip section provided with several parallel notches.

[0003] Document DE 10 2019 214 976 A describes an example of such a windshield wiper.

[0004] DESCRIPTION AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The invention relates to a windshield wiper blade, particularly for a motor vehicle, comprising a wiping blade held by a fixing segment and having a practically triangular lip segment; this windshield wiper blade is characterized by a cavity segment between the fixing segment and the lip segment, the lower wall of which has, on its side turned towards the lip segment, at least one guiding shoulder to guide the lip segment.

[0006] The wiper blade according to the invention has the advantage of having a cavity segment between the fixing segment and the wiping lip; this cavity has its lower wall on the side facing the wiping lip segment with a guiding shoulder to guide the lip segment, which improves wiping without increasing the cost of the wiper blade.

[0007] Advantageously, Tshoulder is a groove or hollow which thus optimally supports the wiping lip.

[0008] An advantageously simple embodiment is that of a lip segment having a substantially triangular section and an edge on each side, the rear edge of the lip segment according to the direction of movement of the wiping blade in operation penetrates into the guide shoulder.

[0009] The embodiment is simple and economical if the cavity segment has a cross-section of a practically rectangular shape.

[0010] It is also advantageous that the fixing segment be practically T-shaped, ensuring that the wiping blade is held securely.

[0011] According to another advantageous development of the invention, the first or second elastic rail segment is taken between the cavity segment and the upper beam of the fixing segment, ensuring the holding of the wiping blade.

[0012] Advantageously, the lip segment has a symmetrical-planar cross-section and exactly two notches on each side. Numerous tests have shown that the wiping result is particularly good.

[0013] Advantageously, the notches are in particular two, preferably exactly two which form other tilting spacers improving the wiping.

[0014] It is particularly advantageous that the first tilting spacer has a first width and one of the other tilting spacers has another width equal to or less than the first width.

[0015] Most advantageously, the notches have a width of less than 1 mm, in particular less than 0.8 mm and preferably less than 0.5 mm. Brief description of the drawings

[0016] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

[0017] [Fig-1] Schematic cross-sectional view of a windshield wiper blade according to the invention,

[0018] [Fig.2] section of a wiper blade of a windshield wiper, and

[0019] [Fig.3] section of a wiper blade of a windshield wiper according to the invention.

[0020] DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT METHODS OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Figure 1 shows a side view schematic of a windshield wiper 10 according to the invention. This wiper has a flexible rail 12 equipped with a mounting means 14 for a wiper arm (not shown to avoid complicating the drawing). The flexible rail 12 carries, on its side opposite the mounting element 14, a wiper blade 16, the side of which not facing the flexible rail 12 carries a lip segment 18 which, during operation, scrapes moisture from the windshield 20 (Fig. 2). The wiper 10 has a longitudinal extension, and the mounting element 14 is substantially in the middle of this longitudinal extension. The ends of the longitudinal extension have end caps not specifically referenced.

[0022] Figure 2 is a section of the wiper blade 16 of a windshield wiper 10 according to the invention. The wiper blade 16 is planar symmetrical with respect to an axis of symmetry S forming the trace of the plane of symmetry. In the installed position, the wiper blade 16, more precisely the lip segment 18 of the wiper blade 16, applies itself to the windshield 20 to remove moisture from it.

[0023] It should be recalled that the conjunction "or" used in the description and in the claims has the usual meaning of this conjunction, namely to combine both the logical function "inclusive or" and the function "exclusive or".

[0024] The wiping blade 16 is practically made in three parts. Above From the lip segment 18 there is a cavity segment 22. This cavity segment 22 continues as a fixing segment 24. The T-shaped fixing segment 24 thus comprises a horizontal upper beam 26 and a vertical arm 28. The lip segment 18 and the cavity segment 22 are connected by a first tilting spacer 30. This first tilting spacer 30 has a first width B1. The first height of the tilting spacer SK, corresponding to the height of the first tilting spacer 30, is approximately 0.6 mm.

[0025] The spacer 28 connected to the cavity segment 22 and the upper beam 26 form a section to the left and right of a retaining groove 32, respectively. The retaining groove 32 receives a first elastic rail segment 34 and the other retaining groove 32 receives a second elastic rail segment 36. The length of the spacer 28 corresponds substantially to the thickness of the first elastic rail segment 34 or that of the second elastic rail segment 36 so that the wiping blade 18 is reliably held in the vertical direction between the first elastic rail segment 34 and the second elastic rail segment 36.

[0026] The lip segment 18 of the left and right sections respectively has two notches 38. Each horizontal notch 38 is offset from the axis of symmetry S, which forms the plane of symmetry. Thus, the depth of the notch 38 forms another tilting spacer 40 having a second width B2.

[0027] The notches 38 have a width SB of approximately 0.4 mm. This results in two tilting spacer heights corresponding to the notch width SB.

[0028] The cavity segment 22 has a practically rectangular shape and is internally hollow. However, the cavity segment 22 is not necessarily hollow. Depending on the choice of material, the cavity segment 22 can be solid. The cavity segment 22 has an upper wall 42 provided substantially in its middle by the spacer 28. The cavity segment 22 has a lower wall 44 provided substantially in its middle by the first tilting spacer 30, which is perpendicular. The lower wall 44, in the context of an internally hollow cavity segment 22, is substantially thinner than the upper wall 42, which provides greater elasticity. The lower wall 44 has a wider cross-section than the total width of the lip segment 18. In particular, the width of the lower wall 44 is chosen so that when the lip segment 18 is tilted around the first tilting spacer 30, it can support the lip segment 18 by the lower wall 44.The side walls 46 between the upper wall 42 and the lower wall 44 are inclined so that the lower wall 44 has a smaller cross-section than the upper wall 42. The overall width of the . cavity segment 22 has in section, a width approximately two to four times and preferably two to three times the greatest width of lip segment 18.

[0029] The first width B1 of the first tilting spacer 30 is larger that the second width B2 of the other tilting spacer 40. According to one embodiment of the invention, the other tilting spacers 40 have a different width, in particular, the width of the other tilting spacers 40 decreases in steps from the first tilting rib 30. According to another embodiment of the invention, the width SB of the notch 38 is different, in particular it increases in steps from the first tilting spacer 30.

[0030] The wiping blade 16 is made of extruded EPDM rubber. A co-extrusion process is used; however, alternatively, only one plastic material may be used. The region of the lip segment 18 is made of a softer EPDM rubber than the remaining part of the wiping lip 16. Thus, the cavity segment 22 has a higher hardness than the lip segment 16. In addition, the cavity segment 22 has greater damping than the lip segment 16. According to another embodiment, the fixing segment 24 can be made of a harder plastic material so that the wiping blade is thus extruded with three different plastic materials.

[0031] The cavity of the cavity segment 22 may have both sides open in the longitudinal extension direction, so that air is present. According to one embodiment, the ends of the longitudinal extension of the cavity segment 22 are closed and the cavity is filled, in particular with gas or compressed air.

[0032] Figure 3 shows a section of a wiper blade 16 of a windshield wiper corresponding to a variant of the invention. To avoid repetition, only the differences compared to Figure 2 will be described. Thus, the explanations given in Figure 2 also apply here.

[0033] The cavity segment 22 and the fixing segment 24 are separated by a damping segment 50 equipped with damping means. The damping means 52 are in the form of fins or tabs extending from the upper wall 42 of the cavity segment 22 by its free end into the retaining grooves 32. The damping means 52, as well as the fins or tabs, are integral with the hollow cavity segment 22; however, the damping means may also be made separately and fixed to the cavity segment 22, for example by bonding or by another material bonding. The damping means 52 according to a variant of the invention may also have a flat layer fixed to the cavity segment 22; for example, a layer of felt or a polymer foam may be used.

[0034] The distance between the upper wall 42 of the cavity segment 22 and the upper beam 26 is thus slightly greater than that of the embodiment example The previous section is significantly larger than the thickness of the first elastic rail segment 34 or the second elastic rail segment 36. As indicated, the upper wall 42 of the cavity segment 22 also has shoulders 54 so that the fins can be reinforced as a damping element 52, substantially horizontally, and thickened towards their ends, resulting in a greater width or height in cross-section. The perpendicular distance between the upper end of the damping element 52 and the lower plane of the beam 26—that is, the distance at which the first elastic rail segment 34 or the second elastic rail segment 36 is used—is slightly less than the thickness of the elastic rail segment 34, 36, so that they are housed without play, that is, elastically, in the retaining grooves 32.

[0035] The lip segment 18 has here in section on the left and right only a single notch 38 so that next to the first tilting spacer 30 there is only one other tilting spacer 40.

[0036] Furthermore, the lower wall 44 of the hollow wall segment 22, in section on the left and right, each has a guide shoulder 56. This is formed as a groove or as a hollow in the side of the lower wall 44 facing the lip segment 18 so that there is a hollow forming the guide shoulder 56. The guide shoulder 56 is thus at the location where the lip segment 18, when tilting around the first tilting spacer 30, touches the lower wall 44 of the cavity segment 22. If, during wiping, the lip segment 18 tilts, the tilting spacer 30 tilts correspondingly.As the substantially triangular section of the lip segment 18 has an edge 60 on each side, the edge 60 downstream of the lip segment 18 in the direction of movement of the wiping blade 16 penetrates the guide shoulder 58 and supports the lip segment 18 so that the sliding of the lip segment 18 or more precisely of the rear edge 60 of the lip segment 18 is blocked against the cavity segment 22.

[0037] The entire wiping blade 16 is made in one piece from a plastic material, in particular an elastomer, for example, EPDM rubber. The wiping blade 16 can be produced, for example, by extrusion or injection molding. In particular, several different plastic materials can be used, for example, in a multi-component extrusion or multi-component injection molding process.

[0038] NOMENCLATURE OF MAIN ELEMENTS

[0039] 10 Windshield wiper blade

[0040] 16 Wiping blade

[0041] 18 Lip segment

[0042] 22 Cavity segment

[0043] 24 Fixing segment

[0044]

[0045]

[0046]

[0047]

[0048]

[0049]

[0050]

[0051]

[0052]

[0053]

[0054]

[0055]

[0056]

[0057]

[0058]

[0059]

[0060] 26 Top beam 30 First tilting strut 34 First elastic rail segment 36 Second elastic rail segment 38 Notch 40 Other tilting strut 42 Top wall 44 Bottom wall 46 Side wall 50 Damping segment 52 Damping means 54 Shoulder 56 Guide shoulder 60 Rear edge of the lip segment according to the direction of travel B1 First width of the first tilting strut B2 Second width of the other tilting strut SP Notch width

Claims

Demands

1. Wiper blade (10) particularly for a motor vehicle with a wiper blade (16) held by a fixing segment (24) and having a practically triangular lip segment (18), a cavity segment (22) between the fixing segment (24) and the lip segment (18) and whose lower wall (44) has on its side turned towards the lip segment (18), at least one guide shoulder (56) for guiding the lip segment (18), wiper blade characterized in that a first or second elastic rail segment (34, 36) is between the cavity segment (22) and an upper beam (26) of the fixing segment (24).

2. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide shoulder (56) is a groove or a hollow.

3. Wiper blade (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lip segment (18) has a substantially triangular cross-section with an edge (60) on each side, the rear edge (60) of the lip segment (18) according to the direction of movement of the wiper blade (16) in operation, penetrates the guide shoulder (56).

4. Wiper blade (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the cavity segment (22) has a practically rectangular cross-section.

5. Wiper blade (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the fixing segment (24) is practically T-shaped.

6. Wiper blade (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lip segment (18) has a symmetrical, flat section and on each side it has exactly two notches (38).

7. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that the notches (38) form at least one other tilting spacer (40) and in particular two and preferably exactly two other tilting spacers (40).

8. Wiper blade (10) according to claim 7, characterized in that the first spacer (36) has a first width (Bl) and at least one of the other tilting spacers (40) has a second width (B2), also less than the first width (Bl).

9. Wiper blade (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the notches (38) have a width (SB) of less than 1 millimeter, in particular less than 0.8 millimeter and preferably less than 0.5 millimeter.

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