wiper blades

Abstract

To reduce the number of components, and improve assembly workability.SOLUTION: A wiper blade has a main holder 40 connected to a wiper arm, a vertebra 22 which is held by the main holder 40 and is curved at a predetermined curvature, and a blade rubber 30 which is held by the vertebra 22 and is brought into contact with a front glass 11, wherein the main holder 40 includes a first claw part 46 and a second claw part 47 for holding the vertebra 22 at an interval in its longitudinal direction, and a support projection 49 which is provided between the first claw part 46 and the second claw part 47 and projects toward the vertebra 22, and the vertebra 22 has a long hole 22a with which the support projection 49 is engaged.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a wiper blade that is connected to an arm that is swung by a drive source and that wipes a surface to be wiped. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with wiper devices. The wiper device is activated by turning on a wiper switch installed inside the vehicle cabin. This wiper device wipes away rainwater, dust, and other deposits from the wiping surface, ensuring good visibility. Such wiper devices include an arm that is swung by a drive source and a wiper blade connected to the arm.

[0003] For example, the wiper blade described in Patent Document 1 has a connecting lever (connecting member) connected to a wiper arm (arm) and a backing (vertebra) that imparts rigidity and elasticity to the blade rubber. The backing is restricted from moving in its longitudinal direction relative to the connecting lever. Specifically, a support part is provided between the backing and the connecting lever to restrict the backing's longitudinal movement relative to the connecting lever. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-082431 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the wiper blade described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1 requires a small support part, and the support part must be attached between the connecting lever and the backing while they are aligned with each other. This not only makes parts management more complicated, but also inevitably reduces the ease of assembly.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a wiper blade that can reduce the number of parts and improve assembly workability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a wiper blade is connected to an arm that is swung by a drive source and wipes a surface to be wiped, and includes a connecting member connected to the arm, a vertebra that is held by the connecting member and curved with a predetermined curvature, and a blade rubber that is held by the vertebra and comes into contact with the surface to be wiped, wherein the connecting member includes a first holding portion and a second holding portion that hold the vertebra at a distance in the longitudinal direction, and a protrusion that is provided between the first holding portion and the second holding portion and protrudes toward the vertebra, and the vertebra has an engagement hole with which the protrusion is engaged. The engagement hole is a long hole extending in the short direction of the vertebra, and the protrusion is movable inside the long hole in the short direction of the vertebra. are. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, the protrusion of the connecting member is engaged with the engagement hole of the vertebra, thereby restricting the longitudinal movement of the vertebra relative to the connecting member. Therefore, by integrating the protrusion with the connecting member, it is possible to reduce the number of parts compared to conventional methods, and ultimately improve the ease of assembly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a wiper blade according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of a main holder in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of FIG. 2 as seen from the blade rubber side. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a blade rubber and a vertebra. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line DD in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the main holder alone as viewed from the wiper arm side. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the main holder alone, as viewed from the blade rubber side. [Figure 11] 1A to 1C are cross-sectional views illustrating an assembly procedure (1) of the wiper blade. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are cross-sectional views illustrating an assembly procedure (2) of the wiper blade. [Figure 13] 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an assembly procedure (3) of the wiper blade. FIG. [Figure 14] 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an assembly procedure (4) of the wiper blade. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the main holder alone according to the second embodiment, as viewed from the wiper arm side. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the main holder alone according to the second embodiment, as viewed from the blade rubber side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] [Embodiment 1] Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] Figure 1 is an oblique view of a wiper blade in embodiment 1, Figure 2 is an enlarged oblique view of the main holder portion of Figure 1, Figure 3 is an enlarged oblique view of Figure 2 seen from the blade rubber side, Figure 4 is an oblique view showing the blade rubber and vertebra, Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view along line AA of Figure 3, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view along line BB of Figure 3, Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view along line CC of Figure 3, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view along line DD of Figure 7, Figure 9 is an oblique view of the main holder alone seen from the wiper arm side, and Figure 10 is an oblique view of the main holder alone seen from the blade rubber side.

[0012] [Wiper Blade Overview] 1 forms a wiper device that wipes a windshield (wiping surface) 11 of a vehicle such as an automobile. The wiper blade 10 includes a rubber holder 20 and a blade rubber 30. The rubber holder 20 holds the blade rubber 30 and is rotatably connected to the tip of a wiper arm (arm) 12, which is indicated by a two-dot chain line in the figure.

[0013] The base end of the wiper arm 12 is fixed to a pivot shaft (not shown) that is swung by a wiper motor (drive source). As a result, the wiper arm 12 and the wiper blade 10 are swung by the drive of the wiper motor. Specifically, the wiper blade 10 moves back and forth within a wiping range (not shown) formed between a lower reversal position and an upper reversal position of the windshield 11. As a result, rainwater, dust, and the like adhering to the wiping range of the windshield 11 are wiped away.

[0014] A link mechanism (not shown) is provided between the wiper motor and the pivot shaft to convert the rotational motion of the wiper motor into the swinging motion of the pivot shaft. However, the wiper blade 10 can also be applied to a so-called direct drive wiper device in which the base end of the wiper arm is directly fixed to the output shaft of the wiper motor.

[0015] [Rubber holder] 1 to 10, the rubber holder 20 includes one main holder 40, a pair of sub-holders 21, a pair of vertebrae 22, and a pair of caps 23. The main holder 40 holds the pair of vertebrae 22. A U-shaped clip UC is attached to the main holder 40 so as to be able to swing freely, and the tip of the wiper arm 12 is connected to the U-shaped clip UC. The pair of vertebrae 22 held by the main holder 40 hold the main body 31 of the blade rubber 30.

[0016] In addition, the pair of sub-holders 21 are arranged on both longitudinal sides of the main holder 40, and hold a pair of vertebrae 22 in the same manner as the main holder 40. Furthermore, the pair of caps 23 are provided on the opposite side of the pair of sub-holders 21 from the main holder 40 in the longitudinal direction, and are fixed to the ends of the pair of vertebrae 22. These caps 23 cover the ends of the sub-holders 21, the vertebrae 22, and the blade rubber 30, respectively, thereby improving the appearance of the entire wiper blade 10.

[0017] [Blade Rubber] As shown in Figures 4 to 8, the blade rubber 30 comprises a main body portion 31 held by a pair of vertebras 22, and a lip portion 32 that comes into contact with the windshield 11. A neck portion 33 is provided between the main body portion 31 and the lip portion 32. The neck portion 33 is narrower than the lip portion 32 and is more flexible than the lip portion 32. Therefore, as the blade rubber 30 moves back and forth on the windshield 11, the lip portion 32 tilts, and as a result, the corners at the tip of the lip portion 32 cleanly wipe away rainwater, dust, etc. adhering to the windshield 11.

[0018] The blade rubber 30 is provided over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the rubber holder 20, and its cross-sectional shape along the width direction is approximately the same over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the blade rubber 30. A pair of grooves 34 extending in the longitudinal direction of the blade rubber 30 is provided on both widthwise sides of the main body 31, i.e., on both sides in the wiping direction of the blade rubber 30 (left and right sides in Figures 5 to 7). A portion of the vertebra 22 in the width direction (a portion occupying approximately one-third) is fitted into each of these grooves 34. As a result, the blade rubber 30 is held by the main holder 40 and sub-holder 21 via the pair of vertebras 22.

[0019] [Vertebra] As shown in Figures 3 to 8, the pair of vertebras 22 are held by the main holder 40 and the sub-holder 21. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the pair of vertebras 22 are each formed into a long, thin rod shape by punching out a stainless steel plate or the like into a flat plate, and have the function of a leaf spring. The pair of vertebras 22 are provided over the entire longitudinal area of ​​the rubber holder 20 (see Figure 1), and their length dimension is approximately equal to the length dimension of the blade rubber 30.

[0020] The pair of vertebrae 22 are curved in advance to a predetermined curvature in a free state with no external force applied. Specifically, the curvature of the vertebrae 22 is smaller than the curvature of the windshield 11. This allows the entire longitudinal area of ​​the lip portion 32 (see Figure 5) to fit closely to the curvature of the windshield 11. In other words, by making the curvature of the vertebrae 22 smaller than the curvature of the windshield 11, sufficient wiping performance of the blade rubber 30 is ensured.

[0021] More specifically, the pair of vertebras 22 are held by a pair of first claws 46 and a pair of second claws 47 provided on the main holder 40, as shown in Figures 3 and 6. Note that only the pair of first claws 46 are shown in Figure 6. Also, as shown in Figure 5, a portion of the pair of vertebras 22 in the width direction (a portion occupying approximately two-thirds) is accommodated in a pair of vertebra accommodating portions 21b provided on the sub-holder 21.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, a long hole 22a is provided in each of the pair of vertebrae 22 at approximately the center in the longitudinal direction. These long holes 22a correspond to the engagement holes in the present invention. The long holes 22a extend in the short direction of the vertebrae 22 and penetrate through the vertebrae 22 in the plate thickness direction. Specifically, the long holes 22a are wide in the short direction of the vertebrae 22 and narrow in the long direction of the vertebrae 22.

[0023] A pair of support protrusions 49 (see Figure 10) provided on the main holder 40 enters and engages inside these long holes 22a. The support protrusions 49 are movable inside the long holes 22a only in the short direction of the vertebra 22. In other words, the support protrusions 49 are unable to move in the longitudinal direction of the vertebra 22 relative to the long holes 22a.

[0024] As a result, the pair of vertebras 22 are restricted from moving in the longitudinal direction relative to the main holder 40, and rattle in that direction is suppressed. On the other hand, when the sliding resistance of the blade rubber 30 against the windshield 11 is large or when a relatively large load is applied in the wiping direction of the wiper blade 10 due to snow accumulation or the like, the support protrusion 49 moves inside the elongated hole 22a. This prevents a large load from being applied to the support protrusion 49.

[0025] Furthermore, cap fixing holes 22b are provided on both longitudinal sides of the pair of vertebras 22. A pair of engaging protrusions (not shown) provided on the inside of the cap 23 (see FIG. 1) engage with these cap fixing holes 22b. As a result, the pair of caps 23 are fixed to both longitudinal sides of each vertebra 22. The sub-holder 21 is held between the main holder 40 and the pair of caps 23 by fixing the pair of caps 23 to both longitudinal sides of the pair of vertebras 22, respectively.

[0026] Here, as shown in Figure 4, when the vertebra 22 is attached to the groove 34 of the blade rubber 30, the elongated hole 22a and the cap fixing hole 22b are exposed to the outside. In other words, the elongated hole 22a and the cap fixing hole 22b do not enter the groove 34. Therefore, with the pair of vertebras 22 attached to the blade rubber 30, this assembly (blade sub-assembly SA) can be easily attached to the main holder 40. Furthermore, with the blade sub-assembly SA in this state, caps 23 can be easily attached to both longitudinal sides of the pair of vertebras 22. The assembly procedure for the wiper blade 10 will be described in detail later.

[0027] In addition, the sub-holders 21 that hold the pair of vertebras 22 are made of a flexible plastic material or the like. Therefore, the pair of sub-holders 21 can easily elastically deform to follow the curved shapes of the pair of vertebras 22. Therefore, the pair of sub-holders 21 do not adversely affect the wiping performance of the wiper blade 10.

[0028] [Main holder] The main holder 40 is rotatably connected to the tip of the wiper arm 12 via a U-shaped clip UC (see FIG. 1). The main holder 40 corresponds to the connecting member in this invention. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the main holder 40 is formed into a substantially rectangular shape by injection molding a resin material such as plastic, and extends in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 10. Here, the main holder 40 is a component connected to the wiper arm 12 via the U-shaped clip UC, and therefore requires a certain degree of strength. Specifically, the main holder 40 is made of a high-hardness plastic material that is not deformed by the spring force of the pair of vertebras 22 (see FIG. 4).

[0029] The main holder 40 has a first long side wall portion 41 and a second long side wall portion 42 that extend in the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade 10 and stand perpendicular to the windshield 11. The first long side wall portion 41 is located on the front side of the vehicle when the wiper blade 10 is in the inverted position below the windshield 11 (see FIG. 1). On the other hand, the second long side wall portion 42 is located on the rear side of the vehicle when the wiper blade 10 is in the inverted position below the windshield 11.

[0030] Furthermore, first fin portions 42a that receive wind generated when the vehicle is traveling are integrally provided on both longitudinal sides of the second long side wall portion 42 (left and right sides in FIG. 9). This prevents the blade rubber 30 from lifting up from the windshield 11, preventing a decrease in wiping performance when the vehicle is traveling at high speeds, etc. Note that low floor portions 41a that are lower in height from the windshield 11 than the first fin portions 42a are integrally provided on both longitudinal sides of the first long side wall portion 41. This allows wind to flow along the surface of the main holder 40 from the low floor portions 41a toward the first fin portions 42a.

[0031] Furthermore, a first bridging portion 43, a second bridging portion 44, and a third bridging portion 45, each formed in a substantially flat plate shape, are integrally provided between the first long side wall portion 41 and the second long side wall portion 42. The first bridging portion 43 is disposed on the opposite side of the main holder 40 from the wiper arm 12 in the longitudinal direction (the left side in FIG. 9 ) when the wiper blade 10 is attached to the wiper arm 12. On the other hand, the third bridging portion 45 is disposed on the wiper arm 12 side in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40 (the right side in FIG. 9 ) when the wiper blade 10 is attached to the wiper arm 12. The second bridging portion 44 is disposed between the first bridging portion 43 and the third bridging portion 45 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40.

[0032] Furthermore, a connecting pin PN to which the U-shaped clip UC is rotatably connected is provided between the first long side wall portion 41 and the second long side wall portion 42, and between the first bridging portion 43 and the second bridging portion 44 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40. The connecting pin PN is formed in a cylindrical shape and is integrally formed with the main holder 40 when the main holder 40 is injection molded. In other words, the connecting pin PN is made of a resin material such as plastic. As shown in FIG. 8, the connecting pin PN is rotatably engaged with an engaging groove G provided in the U-shaped clip UC. In this way, the wiper arm 12 (see FIG. 1) is rotatably connected to the connecting pin PN via the U-shaped clip UC.

[0033] 10 , a pair of first claw portions 46 and a pair of second claw portions 47 are provided on the windshield 11 side of the main holder 40. Specifically, the pair of first claw portions 46 are arranged in a portion corresponding to the first bridging portion 43 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40, and the pair of second claw portions 47 are arranged in a portion corresponding to the second bridging portion 44 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40. Therefore, the connecting pin PN is provided between the first claw portions 46 and the second claw portions 47 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40. The pair of first claw portions 46 and the pair of second claw portions 47 are provided integrally with the first long side wall portion 41 and the second long side wall portion 42, respectively, and protrude toward the inside of the main holder 40.

[0034] These first and second claw portions 46 and 47 hold a pair of vertebrae 22, as shown in Fig. 8. Specifically, the first and second claw portions 46 and 47 hold the vertebrae 22 at a distance in the longitudinal direction, with the first and second claw portions 46 and 47 corresponding to the first holding portion in the present invention, and the second claw portion 47 corresponding to the second holding portion in the present invention. A relatively large gap S is formed between the pair of vertebrae 22 held by the first and second claw portions 46 and 47 and the first bridging portion 43 and second bridging portion 44. Specifically, this gap S is approximately twice as large (approximately 2.0 mm) as the thickness of the vertebrae 22 (approximately 1.0 mm).

[0035] This prevents the pair of vertebras 22 from falling off the main holder 40, and the pair of vertebras 22 can be flexibly bent at the first claw portion 46 and the second claw portion 47. Therefore, the blade rubber 30 held by the pair of vertebras 22 can be smoothly bent at the main holder 40 to match the curvature of the windshield 11, thereby ensuring sufficient wiping performance.

[0036] 8, the first bridging portion 43 and the third bridging portion 45 each cover the end portion of the sub-holder 21 opposite to the cap 23 in the longitudinal direction, thereby improving the appearance of the vicinity of the main holder 40 that forms the wiper blade 10.

[0037] [Elastic arm] 7 to 10, an elastic arm 48 extending in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40 is integrally provided on the second bridging portion 44 of the main holder 40. The elastic arm 48 corresponds to the arm of the present invention, and is formed in a substantially flat plate shape, and is formed in a substantially T-shape when viewed from the perpendicular direction of the windshield 11. An arm main body 48a extending in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40 is provided on the base end side (right side in FIG. 9) of the elastic arm 48, and a vertebra support portion 48b extending in the short direction of the main holder 40 is provided on the tip side (left side in FIG. 9) of the elastic arm 48.

[0038] Specifically, the base end of the arm main body 48a in the longitudinal direction is connected to the second bridging portion 44, and notches NC are provided on both sides of the arm main body 48a in the width direction of the main holder 40. This allows the arm main body 48a to be elastically deformable relative to the second bridging portion 44 in the direction perpendicular to the windshield 11.

[0039] The vertebra support part 48b is integrally provided at the longitudinal tip of the arm main body 48a. As shown in Fig. 9, the surface of the vertebra support part 48b opposite to the windshield 11 is a flat surface that is flush with the surfaces of the second bridging part 44 and the arm main body 48a. This prevents the U-shaped clip UC attached to the connecting pin PN from interfering with the elastic arm part 48.

[0040] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, a pair of support protrusions 49 are integrally formed on the windshield 11 side of the vertebra support part 48b. These support protrusions 49 are provided between a pair of first claw parts 46 and a pair of second claw parts 47 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40, and protrude at a predetermined height from the vertebra support part 48b towards the pair of vertebras 22 (windshield 11). The pair of support protrusions 49 correspond to the protrusions in this invention.

[0041] The pair of support protrusions 49 are provided on the tip side in the longitudinal direction of the elastic arm portion 48, and are portions that respectively fit into the elongated holes 22a of the pair of vertebrae 22. These support protrusions 49 are formed in a cylindrical shape, and their protruding height is approximately 1.3 mm, which is slightly larger than the wall thickness (approximately 1.0 mm) of the vertebrae 22. This allows the pair of support protrusions 49 to reliably engage with the pair of elongated holes 22a, respectively.

[0042] Furthermore, the pair of support protrusions 49 are arranged on both longitudinal sides of the vertebra support portion 48b, and are not arranged on the longitudinal extension of the arm body 48a. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, when the wiper blade 10 is viewed from the vertical direction of the windshield 11, the blade rubber 30 and the pair of support protrusions 49 are arranged in positions where they do not overlap. Therefore, in the state shown in Fig. 3, for example, by pressing the support protrusions 49 using a tapered tool (such as a screwdriver), the lock of the vertebra 22 to the main holder 40 can be released.

[0043] Furthermore, a tapered surface TP is provided at each tip of the pair of support protrusions 49. Specifically, the tapered surface TP is provided on the second claw portion 47 side of the support protrusions 49 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40. These tapered surfaces TP are inclined at a predetermined angle so that the height of the support protrusions 49 gradually decreases toward the second claw portion 47 side. This makes it easy to attach the pair of vertebras 22 from the second claw portion 47 side in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40. However, depending on the specifications of the support protrusions 49 (projection height, shape, etc.), the tapered surface TP may be omitted.

[0044] 9 and 10, when the main holder 40 is viewed from the vertical direction of the windshield 11, the connecting pin PN to which the U-shaped clip UC is attached and the support protrusion 49 provided on the vertebra support portion 48b are arranged offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the vertebra 22. Specifically, the connecting pin PN is arranged between the first bridging portion 43 and the support protrusion 49 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40, and the support protrusion 49 (elastic arm portion 48) is arranged between the connecting pin PN and the second bridging portion 44 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40.

[0045] This prevents the connecting pin PN from overlapping with the support protrusion 49 (elastic arm portion 48) when the main holder 40 is viewed from the direction perpendicular to the windshield 11, thereby enabling easy release from the mold used to injection mold the main holder 40. In other words, the shape of the main holder 40 is designed in consideration of moldability that does not cause undercuts.

[0046] [Subfolder] 1, the pair of sub-holders 21 are arranged on both longitudinal sides of the main holder 40 and occupy most of the rubber holder 20. Therefore, these sub-holders 21 are components that greatly affect the appearance of the wiper blade 10. As shown in FIG. 5, the sub-holder 21 includes a second fin portion 21a and a pair of vertebra holder housing portions 21b.

[0047] Like the first fin portion 42a (see FIG. 2) of the main holder 40, the second fin portion 21a is also a portion that receives wind when the vehicle is traveling. This prevents the blade rubber 30 from lifting up from the windshield 11, preventing a decrease in wiping performance during high-speed traveling, etc. In other words, the inclined surface SL (see FIG. 5) that forms the surface of the second fin portion 21a faces the front side of the vehicle (the right side in FIG. 5).

[0048] The pair of vertebra housing portions 21b each have a cross section formed in a substantially U-shape and are integrally provided on the windshield 11 side of the second fin portion 21a. The pair of vertebra housing portions 21b face each other and are open toward the blade rubber 30. As a result, a portion (occupying approximately two-thirds) of the pair of vertebras 22 enters the inside of each vertebra housing portion 21b.

[0049] Here, the second fin portion 21a is formed from a flexible elastic material (such as silicone rubber), and the pair of vertebra housing portions 21b are formed from a resin material (such as soft plastic) that is harder than the second fin portion 21a. Specifically, the sub-holder 21 having the second fin portion 21a and the pair of vertebra housing portions 21b is formed long by simultaneously extruding an elastic material such as silicone rubber and a resin material such as soft plastic. In other words, the sub-holder 21 is a two-color molded product.

[0050] The vertebra 22 is freely movable inside the vertebra housing portion 21b through a predetermined gap. This allows the vertebra 22 to be easily installed inside the vertebra housing portion 21b, improving the ease of assembly of the wiper blade 10. Furthermore, the vertebra 22 can easily slide inside the vertebra housing portion 21b, making it possible to efficiently transmit the spring force of the vertebra 22 to the blade rubber 30.

[0051] [Wiper blade assembly procedure] Next, the assembly procedure for the wiper blade 10 formed as described above will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0052] Figure 11 shows a cross-sectional view illustrating the wiper blade assembly procedure (1), Figure 12 shows a cross-sectional view illustrating the wiper blade assembly procedure (2), Figure 13 shows a cross-sectional view illustrating the wiper blade assembly procedure (3), and Figure 14 shows a cross-sectional view illustrating the wiper blade assembly procedure (4).

[0053] First, as shown in Fig. 11, a main holder 40 manufactured in advance in a separate manufacturing process is prepared. Also, a blade sub-assembly SA is prepared by assembling a pair of vertebras 22 to a blade rubber 30.

[0054] Next, as shown by dashed arrow M1, one longitudinal end (tip side) of the blade sub-assembly SA is brought to face the third bridging portion 45 side in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 40. At this time, the blade sub-assembly SA is inclined at a gentle inclination angle of α° (approximately 5°) relative to the main holder 40. At this time, it is sufficient that the relative angle between the main holder 40 and the blade sub-assembly SA in the vertical direction of the windshield 11 is α°, so the main holder 40 may be inclined at a gentle inclination angle of α° relative to the blade sub-assembly SA.

[0055] However, the main holder 40 and the blade sub-assembly SA can also be assembled in a straight state without any relative angle to each other. In this case, the pressing load of the blade sub-assembly SA against the main holder 40 increases compared to when they are inclined at a gentle inclination angle of α°.

[0056] Thereafter, the blade sub-assembly SA is continuously pushed in the direction of the dashed arrow M1, and the pair of vertebras 22 at one longitudinal end of the blade sub-assembly SA is inserted between the second bridging portion 44 and the second claw portion 47. Then, one longitudinal end of the pair of vertebras 22 passes between the second bridging portion 44 and the second claw portion 47, as shown by the dashed arrow M2. At this time, one longitudinal end of the pair of vertebras 22 moves along the slope SP provided on the second bridging portion 44 side of the second claw portion 47. Therefore, one longitudinal end of the blade sub-assembly SA passes through the second bridging portion 44 and the second claw portion 47 in a curved state.

[0057] Next, as shown by the dashed arrow M3 in Fig. 12, the blade sub-assembly SA is continuously inserted into the main holder 40. Then, as shown in Fig. 12, one longitudinal end of the blade sub-assembly SA climbs over the pair of support protrusions 49 while tilted relative to the main holder 40. At this time, the pair of vertebrae 22 can easily pass over the pair of support protrusions 49 because they are curved as they pass between the second bridging portion 44 and the second claw portion 47 and because a tapered surface TP is provided on the second claw portion 47 side of the support protrusion 49.

[0058] Thereafter, as the insertion of the blade sub-assembly SA into the main holder 40 continues, one longitudinal end of the blade sub-assembly SA reaches the vicinity of the first claw portion 46 of the main holder 40, as shown in Figure 12. At this time, the pair of support protrusions 49 press the pair of vertebrae 22 downward in the figure (towards the windshield 11), while their tip portions come into sliding contact with the pair of vertebrae 22.

[0059] Next, as shown by the dashed arrow M4 in the figure, one longitudinal end of the blade sub-assembly SA is pressed toward the main holder 40 (pressed toward the opposite side from the windshield 11), and one longitudinal end of the pair of vertebrae 22 is inserted between the first bridging portion 43 and the first claw portion 46. At that time, the pair of vertebrae 22 is pressed so as not to damage the lip portion 32 of the blade rubber 30.

[0060] As a result, the pair of vertebras 22 are inserted between the first bridging portion 43 and the first claw portion 46, and push back the pair of support protrusions 49 in the direction opposite to the windshield 11. Therefore, the elastic arm portion 48 is elastically deformed so as to bend upward in the figure (opposite to the windshield 11), as shown by the dashed arrow M5.

[0061] Thereafter, as shown by the dashed arrow M6 in Figure 13, the insertion work between the first bridging portion 43 and the first claw portion 46 of the pair of vertebrae 22 continues. At this time, as shown by the dashed arrow M5, the elastic arm portion 48 remains in a state of being elastically deformed by the pair of vertebrae 22, and the tip portions of the pair of support protrusions 49 are in sliding contact with the pair of vertebrae 22.

[0062] Next, as shown by dashed arrow M6 in Figure 14, the insertion work between the first bridging portion 43 and the first claw portion 46 of the pair of vertebrae 22 is further continued. Then, the pair of support protrusions 49 enter into the elongated holes 22a of the pair of vertebrae 22, respectively. As a result, as shown by dashed arrow M7, the elastic arm portion 48 returns from the elastically deformed state to its original straight state, and the support protrusion 49 is fully engaged with the elongated hole 22a.

[0063] Therefore, further mounting operation (relative movement) of the blade sub-assembly SA to the main holder 40 is restricted, completing the work of assembling the blade sub-assembly SA to the main holder 40. This positions the blade sub-assembly SA in the correct position relative to the main holder 40.

[0064] Thereafter, the sub-holders 21 (see Figure 1) are attached to the blade sub-assemblies SA extending on both sides of the main holder 40 in the longitudinal direction. At this time, the pair of vertebras 22 are inserted into the pair of vertebra accommodating portions 21b (see Figure 5). Here, since the vertebras 22 are inserted into the vertebra accommodating portions 21b through a gap, the sub-holders 21 can be easily attached to the blade sub-assemblies SA.

[0065] Next, a pair of caps 23 (see FIG. 1) are fixed to both longitudinal sides of the pair of vertebras 22. This covers and conceals the ends of the sub-holder 21, vertebras 22, and blade rubber 30, completing the assembly of the wiper blade 10.

[0066] As described above in detail, according to the wiper blade 10 of embodiment 1, the support protrusion 49 of the main holder 40 is engaged with the long hole 22a of the vertebra 22, thereby restricting longitudinal movement of the vertebra 22 relative to the main holder 40. Therefore, by integrating the support protrusion 49 with the main holder 40, it is possible to reduce the number of parts compared to the past, thereby improving assembly workability.

[0067] Furthermore, according to the wiper blade 10 according to the first embodiment, the blade rubber 30 and the support protrusion 49 are positioned so as not to overlap each other when the wiper blade 10 is viewed from the vertical direction of the windshield 11. This makes it possible to unlock the vertebra 22 from the main holder 40 by pressing the support protrusion 49 with a tapered tool (such as a screwdriver), for example. This improves the ease of maintenance of the wiper blade 10.

[0068] Furthermore, according to the wiper blade 10 of the first embodiment, the main holder 40 has an elastic arm 48 that is elastically deformable in the direction perpendicular to the windshield 11, and the support protrusion 49 is provided on the tip side of the elastic arm 48. This increases the amount of movement of the support protrusion 49 when the elastic arm 48 is elastically deformed. Therefore, the support protrusion 49 can be engaged with the elongated hole 22a without significantly bending the elastic arm 48. This improves the ease of assembly of the wiper blade 10.

[0069] Furthermore, according to the wiper blade 10 of embodiment 1, the elongated hole 22a extends in the short direction of the vertebra 22, and the support protrusion 49 is movable inside the elongated hole 22a only in the short direction of the vertebra 22. Therefore, when a relatively large load is applied to the wiper blade 10 in the wiping direction, the support protrusion 49 moves inside the elongated hole 22a, which in turn prevents a large load from being applied to the support protrusion 49. Therefore, the vertebra 22 (high rigidity) made of stainless steel plate can prevent damage to the plastic support protrusion 49 (low rigidity).

[0070] Furthermore, according to the wiper blade 10 of the first embodiment, a connecting pin PN to which the wiper arm 12 is rotatably connected is provided between the first claw portion 46 and the second claw portion 47 of the main holder 40, and the support protrusion 49 and the connecting pin PN are provided offset in the longitudinal direction of the vertebra 22. Therefore, when the main holder 40 is viewed from the direction perpendicular to the windshield 11, the connecting pin PN and the support protrusion 49 (elastic arm portion 48) do not overlap. Therefore, the main holder 40 has a shape that does not cause undercuts, which makes it possible to easily release the main holder 40 from the mold after injection molding, thereby improving the moldability of the main holder 40.

[0071] Furthermore, with the wiper blade 10 according to the first embodiment, the number of parts can be reduced and assembly workability can be improved as described above, thereby enabling energy savings in manufacturing. Therefore, among the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations, Goal 7 (Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all) and Goal 13 (Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts) can be achieved.

[0072] [Embodiment 2] Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that parts having the same functions as those in the first embodiment will be given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0073] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the main holder alone according to the second embodiment as seen from the wiper arm side, and FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the main holder alone according to the second embodiment as seen from the blade rubber side.

[0074] As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the main holder (connecting member) 50 of embodiment 2 differs from the main holder 40 of embodiment 1 (see Figures 9 and 10) in the shape of the second bridging portion 51 and the shape of the elastic arm portion (arm portion) 52.

[0075] A substantially semicircular cutout recess 51a is provided in the second bridging portion 51. The cutout recess 51a is open toward the third bridging portion 45 in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 50, and occupies approximately half of the second bridging portion 51. This reduces the weight of the main holder 50. In addition, the cutout recess 51a functions as a "weight reduction" to prevent sink marks (distortion, etc.) from occurring in the second bridging portion 51.

[0076] Furthermore, arm main body 52a forming elastic arm 52 has a larger width than arm main body 48a of embodiment 1 (see FIGS. 9 and 10). Specifically, notches NC provided on both sides of arm main body 52a are positioned closer to first and second long side wall portions 41 and 42 than in embodiment 1. Therefore, arm main body 52a has higher rigidity than arm main body 48a of embodiment 1.

[0077] In addition, a recessed groove 52b is provided on the windshield 11 side of the arm main body 52a (see FIG. 16), which prevents an increase in weight due to the widening of the arm main body 52a. Note that the recessed groove 52b also functions as a "weight-removing device" like the notched recess 51a.

[0078] Furthermore, the vertebra support part 52c, which is integrally formed at the longitudinal tip of the arm main body 52a, has a recessed part 52d formed so as to be recessed in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 50. The recessed part 52d is formed at a position corresponding to the recessed groove 52b in the longitudinal direction of the main holder 50. As a result, compared to embodiment 1, the rigidity of both longitudinal sides of the vertebra support part 52c is weakened, and the pair of support protrusions (protrusions) 52e can be individually engaged with the elongated holes 22a of the vertebra 22 (see Figures 4 and 8). This improves the "operational feel" during assembly.

[0079] Furthermore, in the pair of support projections 52e of the second embodiment, the tapered surfaces TP (see FIG. 10) at the tip portions thereof are omitted.

[0080] The second embodiment formed as described above can also achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. In addition, the second embodiment can increase the rigidity of the arm body 52a compared to the first embodiment. Therefore, the support protrusion 52e is more likely to come off the elongated hole 22a due to vibrations generated when the wiper device is in operation or distortion caused by heating in the hot sun. Furthermore, the molding precision of the main holder 50 can be improved, so that variations in the main holder 50 can be more effectively prevented. Furthermore, the "operational feel" during assembly can be improved, so that the occurrence of assembly defects and the like can be more effectively prevented.

[0081] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the wiper blade 10 is applied to a wiper device that wipes the windshield 11 of a vehicle such as an automobile, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the wiper blade 10 can also be applied to a rear wiper device mounted on the rear side of a vehicle such as an automobile, or to wiper devices mounted on ships, aircraft, railway vehicles, etc.

[0082] Furthermore, the material, shape, size, number, installation location, etc. of each component in the above-described embodiments are arbitrary as long as they can achieve the present invention, and are not limited to the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10: wiper blade, 11: windshield (wiping surface), 12: wiper arm (arm), 20: rubber holder, 21: sub-holder, 21a: second fin portion, 21b: vertebra holder, 22: vertebra, 22a: long hole (engagement hole), 22b: cap fixing hole, 23: cap, 30: blade rubber, 31: main body, 32: lip portion, 33: neck portion, 34: groove portion, 40: main holder (connecting member), 41: first long side wall portion, 41a: low floor portion, 42: second long side wall portion, 42a: first fin portion, 43: first bridging portion, 44: second bridging portion, 45: third bridging portion part, 46: first claw part (first holding part), 47: second claw part (second holding part), 48: elastic arm part (arm part), 48a: arm part main body, 48b: vertebra support part, 49: support protrusion (protrusion part), 50: main holder (connecting member), 51: second bridging part, 51a: notched recess, 52: elastic arm part (arm part), 52a: arm part main body, 52b: recessed groove, 52c: vertebra support part, 52d: recessed part, 52e: support protrusion (protrusion part), G: engagement groove, NC: notched part, PN: connecting pin, S: gap, SA: blade sub-assembly, SL: inclined surface, SP: inclined surface, TP: tapered surface, UC: U-shaped clip

Claims

1. A wiper blade connected to an arm that is swung by a drive source and that wipes a surface to be wiped, a connecting member connected to the arm; A vertebra held by the connecting member and curved at a predetermined curvature; a blade rubber held by the vertebra and in contact with the wiping surface; and The connecting member comprises a first holding portion and a second holding portion that hold the vertebra at a distance in the longitudinal direction thereof, and a protrusion provided between the first holding portion and the second holding portion and protruding toward the vertebra, The vertebra has an engagement hole with which the protrusion is engaged, The engagement hole is a long hole extending in the short direction of the vertebra, The protrusion is movable inside the long hole in the short direction of the vertebra. Wiper blade.

2. When the wiper blade is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the wiped surface, the blade rubber and the protrusion are disposed at positions where they do not overlap each other. The wiper blade of claim 1 .

3. The wiper blade according to claim 1, the connecting member has an arm portion that is elastically deformable in a direction perpendicular to the wiping surface, The protrusion is provided on the tip side of the arm. Wiper blade.

4. The wiper blade according to claim 1, The protrusion is movable within the long hole only in the short direction of the vertebra. Wiper blade.

5. The wiper blade according to claim 1, a connecting pin to which the arm is rotatably connected is provided between the first holding portion and the second holding portion of the connecting member, The protrusion and the connecting pin are provided offset in the longitudinal direction of the vertebra. Wiper blade.

6. The wiper blade according to claim 1, In the short direction of the vertebra, a first distance between a vertebra end portion provided at an end of the vertebra and a connecting member facing portion provided on the connecting member and facing the vertebra end portion is shorter than a second distance between a protrusion end portion provided on the protrusion portion opposite to the side on which the connecting member facing portion is arranged and a long hole facing portion provided in the long hole and facing the protrusion end portion; Wiper blade.

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