Wiper blade adapter

Abstract

To provide a wiper blade adapter materializing improvement of the safety of a wiper blade.SOLUTION: A wiper blade adapter 20 is provided which connects a wiper blade 10 to a wiper arm 30 having a first recessed portion 30b at a distal end portion 30a, the wiper blade adapter 20 comprises: a holder 21 which is rotatably supported by a connector 13 provided in the wiper blade 10 and detachably houses the distal end portion 30a of the wiper arm 30; and a cover 22 covering at least a portion of the holder 21. The holder 21 includes an opening 21j which exposes the first recessed portion 30b to the outside when the holder 21 houses the distal end portion 30a of the wiper arm 30. The cover 22 includes a first protruded portion 22g which penetrates the opening 21j and engages with the first recessed portion 30b when the cover 22 covers the holder 21.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4A

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an adapter for a wiper blade. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, automobiles and other vehicles are equipped with wiper devices for removing water droplets and the like adhering to the surface of windshields. Patent Document 1 discloses technology related to an adapter for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm that has two recesses formed at its tip. In this adapter, a protrusion on the connector on the wiper blade engages with one recess formed at the tip of the wiper arm, functioning as a retainer for preventing the wiper arm from coming off the adapter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] German Patent Application Publication No. 102016204243 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] With the adapter disclosed in Patent Document 1, depending on the direction and operating angle of rotation of the adapter relative to the wiper blade, the recessed portion of the wiper arm connected to the adapter may separate from the protruding portion of the connector on the wiper blade side. As a result, the recessed portion of the wiper arm may come off the protruding portion of the connector, and the wiper arm may unintentionally come off the adapter supported by the wiper blade.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a wiper blade adapter that improves the safety of the wiper blade. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a wiper blade adapter that connects a wiper blade to a wiper arm having a first recess at its tip, comprising: a holder that is rotatably supported on a connector provided on the wiper blade and that removably accommodates the tip of the wiper arm; and a cover that covers at least a portion of the holder, wherein the holder has an opening that exposes the first recess to the outside when the holder accommodates the tip of the wiper arm, and the cover has a first protrusion that penetrates the opening and engages with the first recess when the cover covers the holder. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a wiper blade adapter that improves the safety of the wiper blade. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a main part of a wiper device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the wiper blade adapter according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an internal space of the cover in one embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the adapter when inserting the wiper arm into the holder. [Figure 4B] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the adapter before the holder is covered with the cover. [Figure 4C] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the adapter after the holder is covered with the cover. [Figure 5A] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wiper arm is locked to the holder. [Figure 5B] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the wiper arm is prevented from coming off from the cover. [Figure 6A] 4C is a cross-sectional view corresponding to VIA-VIA in FIG. 4B. [Figure 6B] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the wiper arm is unlocked. [Figure 7A] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to VIIA-VIIA in FIG. 4C. [Figure 7B] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to VIIB-VIIB in FIG. 4C. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the operating range of the adapter connected to the wiper arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, the dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values shown in the embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the present disclosure unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present disclosure are not shown.

[0010] Fig. 1 is a side view of a main part of a wiper device 1 including a wiper blade adapter 20 (hereinafter simply referred to as "adapter 20") according to one embodiment. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the adapter 20. Note that Fig. 2 also illustrates each component included in the wiper device 1 and connected to the adapter 20.

[0011] The wiper device 1 is installed in a vehicle such as an automobile, and removes water droplets and the like adhering to a surface 100a of a windshield 100. The wiper device 1 includes a wiper blade 10, an adapter 20, a wiper arm 30, a mounting pin 40, and a drive mechanism (not shown).

[0012] Of the components of the wiper device 1, the wiper arm 30 and the drive mechanism are installed on the vehicle side in advance. The wiper arm 30 is a rod-shaped member made of metal. An adapter 20 is connected to a tip portion 30a, which is one end of the wiper arm 30. The other end of the wiper arm 30 is connected to a drive mechanism that moves the wiper arm 30 along the surface 100a of the window glass 100. In this embodiment, the tip side of the wiper arm 30, including the tip portion 30a, is a long flat plate member. On the other hand, the base side of the wiper arm 30, which is connected to the drive mechanism, may be a structural member formed by processing a plate to increase rigidity.

[0013] The tip end 30a of the wiper arm 30 is pre-formed with a first recess 30b and a second recess 30c. The flat plate member at the tip end of the wiper arm 30 includes a first side end face 30d and a second side end face 30e, which are side end faces extending in the longitudinal direction relative to the front and back principal planes. The first recess 30b and the second recess 30c are formed by cutting out the first side end face 30d side of the tip end 30a and are spaced apart along the longitudinal direction of the tip end 30a. The first recess 30b is closer to the tip of the wiper arm 30, i.e., the open end of the tip end 30a, than the second recess 30c. The first recess 30b is cut out deeper on the side of the first side end face 30d than the second recess 30c. The width of the first recess 30b along the longitudinal direction of the tip end 30a is wider than the width of the second recess 30c. In this embodiment, the flat plate member constituting the wiper arm 30 is inclined with respect to the surface 100a so that the distance from the first side end face 30d to the surface 100a of the window glass 100 is closer than the distance from the second side end face 30e to the surface 100a.

[0014] Meanwhile, among the components of the wiper device 1, the wiper blade 10, the adapter 20, and the mounting pin 40 already constitute one blade unit 2. In this case, the adapter 20 is connected to the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30, whereby the blade unit 2 is attached to the wiper arm 30, and the wiper device 1 is finally constituted.

[0015] When removing water droplets and the like adhering to a surface 100a of a window glass 100, the wiper blade 10 moves back and forth over the surface 100a while keeping a portion of the wiper blade 10 in contact with the surface 100a. The wiper blade 10 includes, for example, a rubber portion 11, a blade body 12, and a connector 13.

[0016] The rubber portion 11 is a rod-shaped elastic member that comes into contact with the surface 100a when removing water droplets and the like adhering to the surface 100a. The rubber portion 11 may be a rubber portion used in a general wiper blade. The material and specific shape of the rubber portion 11 are not particularly limited.

[0017] The blade body 12 is a rod-shaped structure that holds the rubber portion 11. The blade body 12 may be a blade body used in a general wiper blade. The material and specific shape of the blade body 12 are not particularly limited.

[0018] The connector 13 connects the blade body 12 to the holder 21 included in the adapter 20, which will be described in detail below. The connector 13 has a holder support portion 13a and a base 13b. The holder support portion 13a is a block body partially accommodated in the accommodation space S1 (see FIGS. 6A and 7B) provided in the holder 21 and supports the holder 21 via a mounting pin 40. The holder support portion 13a has an axial hole 13c through which a portion of the mounting pin 40 passes. The holder support portion 13a has an outer shape such that the height of the portion without the axial hole 13c is lower than the height of the portion with the axial hole 13c. This reduces the area occupied by the holder support portion 13a in the accommodation space S1. The base 13b is fixed, for example, to a portion of the blade body 12 opposite the side that holds the rubber portion 11, and fixes the holder support portion 13a. The connector 13 may be integrally formed with the blade body 12, or may be joined to the blade body 12 by welding or the like.

[0019] The adapter 20 is an intermediate member that connects the wiper blade 10 to the wiper arm 30. The adapter 20 includes a holder 21 and a cover 22. The material of the holder 21 or the cover 22 is not particularly limited, and may be made of, for example, metal or resin.

[0020] The holder 21 is a structure that is rotatably supported by the connector 13 and detachably accommodates at least a portion of the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30 in the accommodation space S1. The holder 21 is elongated overall and includes a first side wall 21a, a second side wall 21b, and an upper wall 21c. The first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b are flat plate portions that face each other in a direction perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction of the holder 21 and the direction in which the holder 21 faces the blade body 12. The distance between the first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b is set to be large enough to accommodate at least a portion of the holder support portion 13a of the connector 13. The upper wall 21c connects the first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b at the end opposite the end of the first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b that is close to the blade body 12. The cross-sectional shape of upper wall 21c cut along a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is an L-shaped plate with a ridge extending along the longitudinal direction as a bend. When tip end 30a of wiper arm 30 is housed inside holder 21, the inner surface of upper wall 21c includes two surfaces: a surface facing second side end surface 30e and a surface facing one of the main planes of tip end 30a (see FIG. 6A, etc.).

[0021] Thus, the basic shape of the holder 21 is such that it has a storage space S1, but the side facing the blade body 12 and both longitudinal end sides of the holder 21 are open to the outside. The tip end 30a of the holder 21 can be inserted into the storage space S1 through an opening at one longitudinal end, with the insertion direction being the direction along the longitudinal directions of the holder 21 and the wiper arm 30. Hereinafter, the opening at the holder 21 on the insertion side of the wiper arm 30 will be referred to as the attachment / detachment part 21n.

[0022] Next, regarding the specific shape of the holder 21, the first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b each have a through hole 21d that is aligned coaxially with the axial hole 13c provided in the connector 13 when a portion of the connector 13 is accommodated in the accommodation space S1 of the holder 21.

[0023] The holder 21 also has an elastically deformable first locking claw 21e on the longitudinal side of the through-hole 21d toward the detachable portion 21n. The first locking claw 21e is disposed in a notch 21k provided in the first side wall 21a, along the first side wall 21a, without contacting the first side wall 21a. The first locking claw 21e includes a second protrusion 21f (see FIG. 6A, etc.) on the side facing the storage space S1 that engages with the second recess 30c of the wiper arm 30 when the tip end 30a of the wiper arm 30 is stored in the storage space S1. The first locking claw 21e is supported by the inner surface of the second side wall 21b in the storage space S1 via an elastically deformable support piece 21g that is continuous with the second protrusion 21f. Furthermore, the first locking claw 21e has a pressing surface 21m exposed to the outside on the side opposite to the side where the second protrusion 21f is provided.

[0024] The holder 21 also has a rotation support portion 21h that rotatably supports the cover 22 at an opening on the opposite side in the longitudinal direction from the attachment / detachment portion 21n where the tip portion 30a of the wiper arm 30 is attached and detached. The rotation support portion 21h may be a notch that is formed symmetrically on both the first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b, as shown in Fig. 2, and that engages with the rotation shaft 22d provided on the cover 22.

[0025] In addition, the first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b each have an engagement hole 21i on the side facing the outside, with which an engagement claw 22f provided on the cover 22 engages when the cover 22 covers the holder 21.

[0026] Furthermore, the upper wall 21c has an opening 21j that exposes the first recess 30b formed in the wiper arm 30 to the outside when the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30 is accommodated in the accommodation space S1.

[0027] The cover 22 is rotatably supported on the holder 21 and is a structure that covers at least a portion of the holder 21 so as to accommodate it in the internal space S2 (see FIGS. 7A and 7B). The cover 22 is elongated overall and includes a first side wall 22a, a second side wall 22b, and an upper wall 22c. The first side wall 22a and the second side wall 22b are flat plate portions that are parallel to the first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b of the holder 21, respectively, and face each other. The distance between the first side wall 22a and the second side wall 22b is set to be sufficient to accommodate at least a portion of the holder 21. The upper wall 22c connects the first side wall 22a and the second side wall 22b at the end opposite the end of the first side wall 22a and the second side wall 22b that is close to the holder 21. The upper wall 22c has a shape that roughly follows the shape of the upper wall 21c of the holder 21.

[0028] Thus, the basic shape of the cover 22 has an internal space S2, but is open to the outside on the side facing the holder 21 and on both longitudinal ends of the cover 22. The cover 22 can accommodate the entire holder 21 in the internal space S2, that is, it can cover the entire holder 21.

[0029] Next, regarding the specific shape of the cover 22, the cover 22 has a rotation shaft 22d at a position where the cover 22 engages with the rotation support portion 21h while covering the holder 21. One end of the rotation shaft 22d is connected to the first side wall 22a, and the other end of the rotation shaft 22d is connected to the second side wall 22b. In this embodiment, the axial direction of the rotation shaft 22d is parallel to the opposing direction of the through holes 21d provided in the first side wall 21a and the second side wall 21b of the holder 21. The cover 22 is supported by the holder 21 via the rotation shaft 22d, and can be rotated about the rotation shaft 22d to release the state where the cover 22 covers the entire holder 21.

[0030] 3 is a perspective view that allows the internal space S2 of the cover 22 to be seen. The first side wall 22a and the second side wall 22b each have an engagement claw 22f that engages with an engagement hole 21i provided in the holder 21 when the cover 22 covers the holder 21. Each engagement claw 22f is provided on an elastic wall portion 22e formed by two notches in each of the first side wall 22a and the second side wall 22b.

[0031] Furthermore, the upper wall 22c accommodates the tip end 30a of the wiper arm 30 in the accommodation space S1 and has a first protrusion 22g that penetrates the opening 21j of the holder 21 and engages with the first recess 30b when the cover 22 covers the holder 21. That is, the first protrusion 22g protrudes from the upper wall 22c toward the internal space S2 in an orientation that is approximately parallel to the first side wall 22a and the second side wall 22b (see FIG. 7B).

[0032] Then, with a portion of holder support portion 13a of connector 13 housed in housing space S1 of holder 21, mounting pin 40 penetrates through through-hole 21d and shaft hole 13c from the outside of holder 21, thereby connecting holder 21 and connector 13. As a result, holder 21 supporting cover 22, i.e., adapter 20, is supported relative to connector 13 so as to be rotatable with mounting pin 40 as the rotation axis.

[0033] Next, the attachment of the blade unit 2 to the wiper arm 30 will be described.

[0034] 4A to 4C are diagrams showing a series of states of the adapter 20 when attaching the blade unit 2 to the wiper arm 30. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the adapter 20 when the wiper arm 30 is being inserted into the holder 21. FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the adapter 20 after the tip portion 30a of the wiper arm 30 has been housed in the holder 21 and before the holder 21 has been covered with the cover 22. FIG. 4C is a perspective view of the adapter 20 after the tip portion 30a has been housed in the holder 21 and after the holder 21 has been covered with the cover 22. Note that in FIGS. 4A to 4C, the entire wiper blade 10 is not shown, and only the connector 13 is shown.

[0035] First, as shown in Fig. 4A, the worker rotates the cover 22 relative to the holder 21 around the rotation axis 22d to place it in an open state. In other words, at this stage, the cover 22 does not cover the entire holder 21. Next, the worker brings the blade unit 2 close to the wiper arm 30 installed on the vehicle and inserts the tip portion 30a from the attachment / detachment portion 21n of the holder 21 toward the storage space S1.

[0036] Fig. 5A is a perspective view showing the locked state of the wiper arm 30 when the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30 is housed in the housing space S1 of the holder 21. For the sake of simplicity, only the holder 21 and the wiper arm 30 are shown in Fig. 5A.

[0037] 6A is a cross-sectional view corresponding to VIA-VIA in FIG. 4B, taken along the line corresponding to an engagement between second recess 30c formed in tip 30a and second protrusion 21f provided inside first locking claw 21e of holder 21. FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 6A, showing a state in which wiper arm 30 is unlocked.

[0038] In this embodiment, the flat plate member of the wiper arm 30, which includes a portion of the tip 30a, is inclined with respect to the surface 100a of the window glass 100, as described above. In contrast, in the accommodation space S1 of the holder 21, as shown in FIG. 6A , a portion of the inner surface of the upper wall 21c and the surface of the support piece 21g supporting the first locking claw 21e face each other. The area sandwiched between the portion of the inner surface of the upper wall 21c and the surface of the support piece 21g serves as an entry path for the tip 30a. Additionally, the portion of the inner surface of the upper wall 21c and the surface of the support piece 21g are each inclined with respect to the connection direction between the holder 21 and the connector 13 in accordance with the inclination shape or angle of the wiper arm 30. Due to this shape of the holder 21, even if the flat plate member constituting the tip 30a is inclined with respect to the surface 100a of the window glass 100, the entire blade unit 2 remains parallel to the surface 100a. Generally, a wiper arm having a flat plate shape that is inclined with respect to the surface 100a of the window glass 100, like the wiper arm 30 in this embodiment, is sometimes called an oblique insertion arm.

[0039] In this embodiment, the shape of the second protrusion 21f on the holder 21 matches the shape of the second recess 30c, which is an engagement target and is formed in advance in the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30. In addition, the shape and installation position of the second recess 30c in the tip 30a are different from the shape and installation position of the other recess, the first recess 30b. Therefore, after the tip 30a is accommodated in the accommodation space S1 of the holder 21, the second protrusion 21f and the second recess 30c are reliably engaged at the intended engagement position, as shown in FIG. 5A .

[0040] Here, the second protrusion 21f is continuous with the elastically deformable support piece 21g. Therefore, while the tip end 30a moves within the storage space S1 immediately after insertion, as shown in FIG. 6B, the support piece 21g deforms to match the shape of the portion of the tip end 30a other than the second recess 30c, so movement within the storage space S1 is not hindered. When the second protrusion 21f and the second recess 30c engage, the position of the support piece 21g returns to its normal position as shown in FIG. 6A. At this time, the wiper arm 30 is in a locked state. Even if the wiper arm 30 attempts to move along the insertion direction, the second recess 30c gets caught on the second protrusion 21f, preventing the movement.

[0041] Next, as shown in Fig. 4B, the worker rotates the cover 22 relative to the holder 21 while keeping the wiper arm 30 in the locked state. Finally, as shown in Fig. 4C, the worker closes the cover 22 so that the cover 22 covers the entire holder 21.

[0042] Fig. 5B is a perspective view showing a state in which the wiper arm 30 is prevented from coming off when the cover 22 covers the holder 21, assuming that the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30 is housed in the housing space S1 of the holder 21. For the sake of simplicity, Fig. 5B shows only the cover 22 and the wiper arm 30.

[0043] 7A corresponds to VIIA-VIIA in Fig. 4C and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIA-VIIA of Fig. 4C, along the engagement portion between second recess 30c formed in tip portion 30a and second protrusion 21f provided on the inner side of first locking claw 21e of holder 21. Fig. 7B corresponds to VIIB-VIIB of Fig. 4C and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VIIB-VIIB of Fig. 4C, along the engagement portion between first recess 30b formed in tip portion 30a and first protrusion 22g provided on the inner side of upper wall 22c of cover 22.

[0044] In this embodiment, when the cover 22 covers the holder 21, the entire holder 21 is accommodated in the internal space S2 of the cover 22. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4C and Fig. 7A, the first locking claw 21e, which is continuous with the second protrusion 21f that locks the wiper arm 30, is also covered by the cover 22, and the pressing surface 21m is also covered by the first side wall 22a and is not exposed to the outside.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the cover 22 covers the holder 21, the respective engagement claws 22f provided on the cover 22 engage with the respective engagement holes 21i provided on the holder 21. This prevents the cover 22 from being unintentionally opened. Furthermore, since the respective engagement claws 22f are provided on the respective elastic wall portions 22e, when the cover 22 covers the holder 21, no unnecessary force is applied to the entire cover 22, improving workability.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first protrusion 22g of the cover 22 protrudes from the upper wall 22c toward the internal space S2. Meanwhile, an opening 21j is formed in advance in the upper wall 21c of the holder 21. Therefore, when the cover 22 covers the holder 21, the first protrusion 22g penetrates the opening 21j and engages with the first recess 30b, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 7B. At this time, the wiper arm 30 is in a retained state, and even if the wiper arm 30 attempts to move along the insertion direction, the first recess 30b gets caught on the first protrusion 22g, thereby preventing the movement.

[0047] Next, a description will be given of how to remove the blade unit 2 from the wiper arm 30. When removing the blade unit 2 from the wiper arm 30, the worker basically performs the reverse of the above-described attachment work.

[0048] First, the worker opens both elastic wall portions 22e of cover 22 outward and rotates cover 22 relative to holder 21 to open it. This disengages first recess 30b from first protrusion 22g, releasing the retained state of wiper arm 30. Now, with cover 22 in the open state, first locking claw 21e of holder 21 is no longer covered by cover 22, and pressing surface 21m is also exposed to the outside.

[0049] Next, with cover 22 in the open state, the worker presses pressing surface 21m in the direction toward storage space S1, as shown in Fig. 6B. This causes first locking claw 21e to move entirely due to deformation of support piece 21g, and second protrusion 21f, which is continuous with first locking claw 21e, also moves in a direction away from tip 30a of wiper arm 30. Then, second recess 30c and second protrusion 21f no longer engage with each other, and the locked state of wiper arm 30 is released.

[0050] By performing the steps up to this point, both the locked state and the prevented state of the wiper arm 30 have been released, so the worker can finally remove the blade unit 2 by pulling out the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30 from the holder 21.

[0051] Next, the effect of the adapter 20 will be described.

[0052] First, the adapter 20 according to this embodiment connects the wiper blade 10 to the wiper arm 30 having a first recess 30b formed in its tip 30a. The adapter 20 includes a holder 21 that is rotatably supported by a connector 13 provided on the wiper blade 10 and that detachably houses the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30, and a cover 22 that covers at least a portion of the holder 21. The holder 21 has an opening 21j that exposes the first recess 30b to the outside when the holder 21 houses the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30. The cover 22 has a first protrusion 22g that penetrates the opening 21j and engages with the first recess 30b when the cover 22 covers the holder 21.

[0053] According to this adapter 20, when the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30 is housed in the holder 21, the first recess 30b provided in the tip 30a is exposed to the outside through the opening 21j provided in the holder 21. When the cover 22 covers the holder 21 in this state, the first protrusion 22g provided on the cover 22 penetrates the opening 21j and engages with the first recess 30b, thereby preventing the wiper arm 30 from coming off the holder 21 unintentionally.

[0054] Figure 8 is a side view illustrating the operating range of the adapter 20 connected to the wiper arm 30. In Figure 8, the basic position of the adapter 20 and the wiper arm 30 is shown by solid lines. Also, in Figure 8, the position when the adapter 20 and the wiper arm 30 are tilted relative to the wiper blade 10 for some reason, that is, when they rotate around the mounting pin 40, is shown by two-dot chain lines.

[0055] In the adapter 20, the first protrusion 22g, which functions as a retainer for the wiper arm 30, is provided on the cover 22. In other words, the component of the wiper blade 10 is not involved in the function of the adapter 20 as a retainer for the wiper arm 30. Therefore, even if the adapter 20 is tilted at the maximum operating angle θ relative to the connector 13 provided on the wiper blade 10, the engagement between the first recess 30b and the first protrusion 22g is maintained. In other words, even if the adapter 20 is tilted at the maximum operating angle θ relative to the connector 13, the retained state of the wiper arm 30 is not released. Here, the maximum operating angle θ in the connection structure between the connector 13 and the adapter 20 refers to the angle at which a part of the adapter 20 comes into contact with a part of the wiper blade 10 at a location other than the rotational position via the mounting pin 40, thereby hindering the rotation of the adapter 20. In the example shown in Figure 8, the maximum operating angle θ is the angle at which the end of the side wall of the cover 22 on the adapter 20 comes into contact with the base 13b of the connector 13 on the wiper blade 10, preventing the adapter 20 from rotating any further.

[0056] In a typical wiper device, a convex portion on the wiper blade engages with a concave portion pre-formed on the wiper arm to prevent the wiper arm from coming off. In other words, in a typical adapter (or holder), a component of the wiper blade acts as a part that prevents the wiper arm from coming off. In this configuration, when the adapter rotates, the convex portion on the wiper blade may disengage from the concave portion on the wiper arm before the operating angle reaches the maximum operating angle θ, potentially causing the wiper arm to come off unintentionally from the adapter. In contrast, with the adapter 20 according to this embodiment, the engagement state between the first concave portion 30b and the first convex portion 22g does not depend on the operating angle of the adapter 20. Therefore, the possibility of the wiper arm 30 coming off unintentionally from the adapter 20 can be prevented in advance, thereby improving the safety of the wiper blade 10.

[0057] As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide the adapter 20 that improves the safety of the wiper blade 10.

[0058] In the adapter 20, the holder 21 may rotatably support the cover 22 on the side opposite to the side where the tip portion 30a of the wiper arm 30 is attached or detached.

[0059] According to this adapter 20, as shown in the example of the engagement relationship between the rotation support portion 21h on the holder 21 side and the rotation shaft 22d on the cover 22 side, the holder 21 rotatably supports the cover 22 on the side opposite to the side where the tip portion 30a is attached or detached. Therefore, when switching between the retained state of the wiper arm 30 and the release state, the operator can simply open and close the cover 22, which can be advantageous in terms of improved workability and ease of handling of the adapter 20.

[0060] Also, assume that the tip end 30a of the wiper arm 30 is provided with a second recess 30c that is spaced apart from the first recess 30b in the longitudinal direction of the tip end 30a. In this case, in the adapter 20, the holder 21 may have an elastically deformable first locking claw 21e that includes a second protrusion 21f that engages with the second recess 30c when the tip end 30a of the wiper arm 30 is accommodated. The first locking claw 21e may have a pressing surface 21m that is exposed to the outside on the side opposite to the side where the second protrusion 21f is provided.

[0061] According to this adapter 20, when the tip portion 30a is housed in the holder 21, the second recess 30c provided on the tip portion 30a engages with the second protrusion 21f included in the first locking claw 21e. In other words, the wiper arm 30 is locked with respect to the holder 21, and the wiper arm 30 cannot easily come off from the holder 21.

[0062] On the other hand, the first locking claw 21e is elastically deformable and has a pressing surface 21m exposed to the outside, so that the worker can easily release the locked state of the wiper arm 30 by pressing the pressing surface 21m and remove the wiper arm 30 from the holder 21.

[0063] Furthermore, in the adaptor 20, the cover 22 may have a wall portion that covers the pressing surface 21m of the first locking claw 21e when the cover 22 covers the holder 21.

[0064] Here, the wall portion of cover 22 that covers pressing surface 21m corresponds to first side wall 22a in the above example. According to this adapter 20, when cover 22 is covering holder 21, pressing surface 21m is covered by the wall portion of cover 22, making it impossible to touch pressing surface 21m from the outside. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the wiper arm 30 from being accidentally released from the locked state, further improving safety.

[0065] In the above description, the tip 30a of the wiper arm 30 has two recesses, a first recess 30b and a second recess 30c, with the first recess 30b located at the tip end in the longitudinal direction functioning as a retaining recess and the second recess 30c located at the rear end functioning as a locking recess. However, the adapter 20 according to this embodiment is not limited to a structure corresponding to such a division of functions. For example, by setting the respective engagement relationships in the longitudinal direction of the adapter 20 to be opposite to those illustrated above, the first recess 30b located at the tip end can function as a locking recess and the second recess 30c located at the rear end can function as a retaining recess.

[0066] In addition, the above description has been given of an example in which the wiper arm 30 is a so-called diagonal insertion arm. However, the adapter 20 according to this embodiment can be used even in cases in which the wiper arm 30 is not a diagonal insertion arm, by simply changing the shape of each engagement portion in accordance with the shape of the wiper arm 30.

[0067] Although the embodiments have been described above, the embodiments can be modified or varied based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments and all features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined as long as they are not mutually inconsistent. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 10 wiper blades 13 Connector 20 Adapter 21 Holder 21e First locking claw 21f 2nd convex part 21j opening 21m push-down surface 22 Cover 22a 1st side wall 22g First convex part 30 wiper arm 30a Tip 30b First recess 30c Second recess

Claims

1. A wiper blade adapter for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm having a first recess at a tip end and a second recess spaced apart from the first recess along a longitudinal direction of the tip end, a holder that is rotatably supported by a connector provided on the wiper blade and that detachably houses the tip end of the wiper arm; a cover that covers at least a portion of the holder, the holder has an opening that exposes the first recess to the outside when the tip end of the wiper arm is accommodated therein, the cover has a first protrusion that penetrates the opening and engages with the first recess when the cover covers the holder; the holder has an elastically deformable first locking claw including a second protrusion that engages with the second recess when the holder accommodates the tip end of the wiper arm, The first locking claw has a pressing surface exposed to the outside on the side opposite to the side on which the second protrusion is provided.

2. The wiper blade adapter according to claim 1 , wherein the holder rotatably supports the cover on a side opposite to a side where the tip end of the wiper arm is attached or detached.

3. The wiper blade adapter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cover has a wall portion that covers the pressing surface of the first locking claw when the cover covers the holder.

Images