A connection and method

Abstract

A pivotal connection 6 for connecting a wiper blade 4 to a wiper arm 2. The connection 6 comprises a spring device 20 manually operable for use in disconnecting the blade 4 from the arm 2. There is al

Description

This invention relates to a pivotal connection for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm. It also relates to a detaining device and a spring device for use in the connection, as well as to a method of dismounting a wiper blade from a wiper arm. US9,352,725(B2) discloses a connecting arrangement for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm for a windscreen wiper system of a vehicle. An adaptor for holding the wiper blade is fitted onto the wiper arm in an installation direction running transversely with respect to a wiping surface definable by the wiping movement of the wiper blade. The connecting arrangement includes a securing element designed as a sliding latch arranged on the wiper arm. The sliding latch, which has a U-profile in cross section, serves for the positionally secured holding of the adaptor on the wiper arm, and the sliding latch is displaceable alongthe wiper arm from an installation position into a functional position securing the adaptor. The sliding latch has a back and two limbs, and at least one projection engaging around the wiper arm on the lower side is arranged on the limbs of the sliding latch. US10,081,338(B2) discloses a connection arrangement to connect a wiper blade to a wiper arm. A connection element includes an upper part formed to fasten the connection element to the wiper arm, on which upper part a lower part formed to hold a basic body of the wiper blade is mounted to be pivotable around a rotational axis. A slider encloses the wiper arm in an end region, where the slider is able to move along the wiper arm from an assembly position into a functional position securing the connection element. A securing element prevents a movement of the slider into the assembly position during a pivot movement of the lower part around the rotational axis by a first value and allows the movement of the slider into the assembly position if the lower part is pivoted by a second value which is greater than the first value. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pivotal connection for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, said connection comprising a spring device for carrying by one of said blade and said arm and manually operable for use in disconnecting said blade from said arm, a detaining device for carrying by the other of said blade and said arm, a protrusion of said spring device urged by said spring device against said detaining device and determining in co-operation with said detaining device a dismount condition in which said blade is dismountable from said arm, and a releasable connection between said spring device and said one of said blade and said arm, release of which enables said blade to be released from said arm when said spring device and said detaining device have been moved relative to each other into said dismount condition. Owing to the invention, it is possible to provide a connection between a wiper blade and a wiper arm which is relatively simple for an unskilled person to manipulate in mounting and dismountingthe blade on and from the arm. The invention is particularly, but not exclusively, applicable to the assembly disclosed in the afore-mentioned US9,352,725(B2) or US10,081,338(82). Preferably, the protrusion is urged by the spring device against the detaining device in a direction parallel to an axis of turning of the pivotal connection. In those circumstances, the detaining device may have a surface extending around that axis at one axial end of the detaining device and against which the protrusion bears, that surface being formed with a relief which co-operates with the protrusion to determine the dismount condition. Advantageously, when the dismount condition does not obtain, the blade cannot be readily dismounted from the arm. It is particularly preferred that the spring device should comprise a second protrusion urged by the spring device against the above-mentioned surface, that surface being formed with a second relief which co-operates with the second protrusion to determine the dismount condition supplementarily, i.e. both protrusions need to entertheir respective reliefs in order that the dismount condition should be attained. It is also particularly preferred that the detaining device should have a second surface extending around the axis at an opposite axial end of the detaining device, that the spring device should have another protrusion urged by the spring device against the second surface, and that the second surface should be formed with a relief which cooperates with the other protrusion to determine the dismount condition supplementarily. Particularly advantageously, there may be, between the spring device and the one of the blade and the arm, a second releasable connection supplementary release of which enables the blade to be released from the arm when the spring device and the detaining device have been brought into the dismount condition. The spring device may comprise a channel-form spring embracingthe detaining device. The pivotal connection usually includes a pivot pin extending in holes in that spring and a hole through the detaining device and thereby interconnectingthe spring device and the detaining device. The spring may have respective ends of limbs of its channel-form as laterally outward extensions, to facilitate manual squeezing of the spring axially of the pivotal connection to release the two releasable connections. There may be effective between the spring device and the one of the blade and the arm a blocking arrangement limiting or preventing longitudinal movement of the blade relative to the arm in at least one direction. According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a detaining device for use in the above-mentioned pivotal connection, said device having respective axial end surfaces extending around an axis of pivoting and formed with respective reliefs therein in the form of respective recesses open at outer ends thereof which in use face the one of the blade and the arm, said recesses being inclined at a predetermined angle to the radial. There may be respective other reliefs in the axial end surfaces in the form of 20 respective other recesses open at outer ends thereof which in use face the one of the blade and the arm, the other recesses being inclined at substantially the above-mentioned angle to the radial. Those other recesses may be shorter than the first-mentioned recesses. According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a spring device for use in the pivotal connection and comprising a channel-form spring having respective ends of limbs of the channel-form as laterally outward extensions. According to yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of dismounting a wiper blade from a wiper arm, comprising manually turning the blade relative to the arm to bring a spring device from a condition in which at least one protrusion thereof is bearing against a surface of a detaining device into a dismount condition in which said at least one protrusion enters one or more reliefs in said surface and thereby enables manual squeezing, axially of a pivotal connection between the blade and the arm, of said spring device to release the connection between the blade and the arm. In order that the invention may be clearly and completely disclosed, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is an exploded perspective view of a combination of a wiper arm, a wiper blade and a pivotal connection therebetween; Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the combination in a condition in which dismounting of the blade from the arm is obstructed; Figure 3 shows a viewsimilarto Figure 2 but in which dismounting of the blade from the arm is no longer obstructed; Figure 4 shows a detail of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a side elevation of the combination in a condition in which dismounting of the blade from the arm is obstructed whilst longitudinal movement of the blade relative to the arm is also obstructed; and Figure 6 is an underneath perspective view of a slider on the arm. Referring to Figure 1, there is seen a wiper arm 2, a wiper blade 4 and a pivotal connection 6 therebetween. Grippingthe blade 4 is a detaining device 8 of a block-like form. Through the block is a hole 10 through which a pivot pin 12 extends. Formed in respective opposite axial end surfaces 14 of the device 8 are respective longer reliefs 16 and respective shorter reliefs 18, the reliefs 16 being at the opposite side of the pivot pin 12 from the reliefs 18. Each relief 16 or 18 is in the form of a recess open at that end thereof nearer the arm 2. Embracingthe device 8 is a spring device 20 which consists of a channel-form spring and is symmetrical about a radial plane of the axis of the pin 12. Each side of the channel-form comprises a limb 22 formed with a hole 24 for receiving the respective end of the pivot pin 12. At either side of the limb 22 are respective arms 26 those ends of which further from the arm 2 have their ends as laterally outward extensions 28 which are joined at 30 and serve to facilitate manual squeezing of the spring axially of the pivot pin 12 to release two releasable connections 32, of which there are two at each side of the spring 20. Each of the releasable connections 32 consist of a stub 34 which engages in a detent 36 in a U-section part 38 fixed to the arm 2. The joining of the extensions 28 at 30 means that, upon manually squeezing the spring 20 axially of the pivot pin 12, all four stubs 34 are disengaged from their respective detents 36. The reliefs 16 and 18 are inclined to the blade 4 at an angle corresponding to the angle of displacement of the blade between its working condition and its dismount condition. The working condition is seen in Figure 2 and the dismount condition in Figure 3. In the working condition, the arms 26 press against the surfaces 14 at locations at least partly outside the reliefs 16 and 18 whilst, in the dismount condition, the blade has been swung from its working condition into a condition in which the inwardly spring-loaded arms 26 enter their corresponding reliefs 16 and 18, so allowing the stubs 34 to leave the detents 36, whereby the blade 4 can be dismounted together with the devices 8 and 20 and the pivot pin 12. It will be noted that the surface of the spring 20 closest to the arm 2 is substantially smooth and without direct linkage to the arm 2. One advantage of the springs having a substantially smooth surface with no direct linkage to the arm is that the pivotal connection 6 does not need to be handed as between the left-hand screen wiper and the right-hand screen wiper on a vehicle. In the working condition of the blade 4, inward protrusions 40 of the slider 46 come to bear against nibs 42 at respective opposite sides of the spring 20 to prevent, or at least limit, longitudinal movement of a slider 46 relative to the arm 2 in a direction towards the pivot end of the arm. The nibs 42 prevent movement of the slider 46 relative to the arm 2 even when the spring 20 has been turned relative to the detaining device 8 into the dismount position. In the embodiment described with reference to the drawings, the slider 46, which is provided in the combinations disclosed in US9,352,725(B2) and US10,081,338(B2) is not used in mounting or dismounting of the blade. To mount the blade onto the arm, the arms 26 are simply inserted into the reliefs 16 and 18, whereafter the blade 4 can be turned relative to the arm 2 to bring the arms 26 resiliently out of those reliefs into the positions in which the surfaces 14 obstruct inward movement of the arms 26.

Claims

1. A pivotal connection for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, said connection comprising a spring device for carrying by one of said blade and said arm and manually operable for use in disconnecting said blade from said arm, a detaining device for carrying by the other of said blade and said arm, a protrusion of said spring device urged by said spring device against said detaining device and determining in co-operation with said detaining device a dismount condition in which said blade is dismountable from said arm, and a releasable connection between said spring device and said one of said blade and said arm, release of which enables said blade to be released from said arm when said spring device and said detaining device have been moved relative to each other into said dismount condition.

2. A pivotal connection according to claim 1, wherein said protrusion is urged by said spring device against said detaining device in a direction parallel to an axis of turning of said pivotal connection.

3. A pivotal connection according to claim 2, wherein said detaining device has a surface extending around said axis at one axial end of said detaining device and against which said protrusion bears, said surface being formed with a relief which co-operates with said protrusion to determine said dismount condition.

4. A pivotal connection according to claim 3, wherein, when said dismount condition does not obtain, said blade cannot be readily dismounted from said arm.

5. A pivotal connection according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said spring device comprises a second protrusion urged by said spring device against said surface, said surface being formed with a second relief which co-operates with said second protrusion to determine said dismount condition.

6. A pivotal connection according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein said detaining device has a second surface extending around said axis at an opposite axial end of said detaining device, said spring device has another protrusion urged by said spring device against said second surface, and said second surface is formed with a relief which cooperates with said other protrusion to determine said dismount condition supplementarily.

7. A pivotal connection according to claim 6 and further comprising, between said spring device and said one of said blade and said arm, a second releasable connectionsupplementary release of which enables said blade to be released from said arm when said spring device and said detaining device have been brought into said dismount condition.

8. A pivotal connection according to claim 6 or 7, wherein said spring device comprises a channel-form spring embracingsaid detaining device.

9. A pivotal connection according to claim 8, wherein an out surface of a base of said spring is substantially smooth.

10. A pivotal connection according to claim 8 or 9, and further comprising a pivot pin extending in holes in said spring and a hole through said detaining device and thereby interconnecting said spring device and said detaining device.

11. A pivotal connection according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein said spring has respective free ends of limbs of sides of its channel-form as laterally outward extensions.

12. A pivotal connection according to any preceding claim wherein said spring device is for carrying by said arm, said pivotal connection further comprising a slider for carrying by said arm and, effective between said spring device and said slider, a blocking arrangement limiting or preventing longitudinal movement of said slider relative to said spring device in a direction towards a pivot end of said arm.

13. A combination comprising a pivotal connection according to any preceding claim, and a wiper arm and a wiper blade connected to said arm by said pivotal connection.

14. A detaining device for use in a pivotal connection accordingto any preceding claim, said device having respective axial end surfaces extending around an axis of pivoting and formed with respective reliefs therein in the form of respective recesses open at outer ends thereof which in use face said one of said blade and said arm, said recesses being inclined at a predetermined angle to the radial.

15. A device accordingto claim 13, and further comprising respective other reliefs in said axial end surfaces in the form of respective other recesses open at outer ends thereof which in use face said one of said blade and said arm, said other recesses being inclined at substantially said angle to the radial.

16. A device accordingto claim 15, wherein said other recesses are shorter than the first-mentioned recesses.

17. A spring device for use in a pivotal connection according to any one of claims 1 to 12, said device comprisinga channel-form spring havingthe respective ends of limbs of the sides of the channel-form as laterally outward extensions.

18. A method of dismounting a wiper blade from a wiper arm, comprising manually5 turning the blade relative to the arm to bring a spring device from a condition in which at least one protrusion thereof is bearing against a surface of a detaining device into a dismount condition in which said at least one protrusion enters one or more reliefs in said surface and thereby enables manual squeezing, axially of a pivotal connection according to any one of claims 1 to 12 between the blade and the arm, of said spring10 device to release the connection between the blade and the arm.

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