A connecting mechanism that connects the wiper blade to the wiper arm.

Abstract

To provide a coupling mechanism that couples a wiper blade to a wiper arm while preventing unintentional decoupling. [Solution] In the connecting mechanism (1), the slider (50) has a pair of guide pieces (54). Each of the pair of guide pieces (54) has a protruding end portion (54a) that protrudes so that a tip surface (54b) is positioned in the intra-arm space (S) when the slider (50) is attached to the wiper arm (10). The clip (40) has an elastically deformable lever piece (44). The lever piece (44) abuts against the tip surface (54b) of the protruding end portion (54a) while housed in the intra-arm space (S). The surface (44d) of the lever piece abutting against the tip surface (54b) of the protruding end portion (54a) has a locking claw (44c) that locks the protruding end portion (54a) from the direction opposite to the direction in which the wiper arm (10) is inserted into the slider (50) when the slider (50) is in the restricting position.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a connecting mechanism for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a part of a wiper device used in vehicles such as automobiles, there is a connecting mechanism for detachably connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm. Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a connecting device including a slider for maintaining the connection state of the wiper blade to the wiper arm and regulating the operation of the slider within a certain angular range of the operating angle of the wiper blade.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the connecting device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the angular range in which the operation of the slider is regulated is a part of the operating angle of the wiper blade. That is, when the angle of the wiper arm with respect to the wiper blade exceeds the angular range in which the operation of the slider is regulated, the slider becomes movable with respect to the wiper arm, so that the connection may be unintentionally released and the wiper blade may fall off from the wiper arm.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a connecting mechanism for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm while suppressing unintentional disconnection.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a connecting mechanism for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, comprising: a clip base for attaching the wiper blade; a clip rotatably supported by the clip base and at least a portion of which is housed in an internal space of the wiper arm sandwiched between a pair of side walls at the tip of the wiper arm; and a slider mounted on the tip of the arm so as to be slidable between an attachment / detachment position for attaching and detaching the clip to the wiper arm and a restricting position for restricting the detachment of the clip from the wiper arm, wherein a portion of the end of the slider on the side into which the wiper arm is inserted in the sliding direction is The slider has a pair of guide pieces that are individually opposed to the edge of each side wall portion of the wiper arm in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction, and each of the pair of guide pieces has a protruding end that protrudes so that its tip surface is positioned in the internal space of the arm when the slider is mounted on the wiper arm, and the clip has an elastically deformable lever piece that is housed in the internal space of the arm and abuts against the tip surface of the protruding end, and has a locking claw on the surface that abuts against the tip surface of the protruding end, which locks the protruding end from the opposite direction to the direction in which the wiper arm is inserted into the slider when the slider is in the restricted position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a coupling mechanism that connects a wiper blade to a wiper arm while preventing unintended disconnection. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the front side of a coupling mechanism according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view showing the back side of a coupling mechanism according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is an exploded perspective view of the coupling mechanism in the direction corresponding to Figure 1. [Figure 4] This is an exploded perspective view of the coupling mechanism in the direction corresponding to Figure 2. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view of a portion of the wiper arm. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of the slider. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view showing the connection mechanism just before the wiper blades are connected. [Figure 8A] This diagram shows the state of the coupling mechanism at the stage when the clip attachment operation is initiated. [Figure 8B] This diagram shows the state of the connecting mechanism when the protrusion of the clip is retracted. [Figure 8C] This diagram shows the state of the coupling mechanism after the clip attachment operation has been completed. [Figure 9A] This is a diagram of the coupling mechanism when the clip is in the neutral position. [Figure 9B] This is a diagram of the coupling mechanism when the clip is rotated and displaced at its maximum rotation angle. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes exemplary embodiments with reference to the drawings. The dimensions, materials, and other specific numerical values ​​shown in these embodiments are illustrative only and, unless otherwise specified, do not limit this disclosure. Furthermore, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanations, and elements not directly related to this disclosure are omitted from the illustrations.

[0010] Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of a coupling mechanism 1 according to one embodiment. Figure 1 shows the front side of the coupling mechanism 1, with the side to which the wiper blade 20 is connected being the back side. Figure 2 shows the back side of the coupling mechanism 1. Note that in Figure 1, a portion of the wiper blade 20 held by the coupling mechanism 1 is schematically depicted. For convenience, the depiction of the wiper blade 20 is omitted in all figures except Figure 1 below.

[0011] Figures 3 and 4 are exploded perspective views of the coupling mechanism 1. Figure 3 is a directional view corresponding to the perspective view shown in Figure 1. Figure 4 is a directional view corresponding to the perspective view shown in Figure 2. Note that in Figures 3 and 4, only the slider 50 is shown attached to the arm tip 10a, which is the tip of the wiper arm 10.

[0012] Generally, in a vehicle such as an automobile, a wiper device is installed that wipes rainwater or dirt adhering to the front glass or the like with a wiper blade 20 by rotating a wiper arm 10. And the coupling mechanism 1 according to the present embodiment is a mechanism for detachably coupling the wiper blade 20 to the arm tip portion 10a of the wiper arm 10.

[0013] First, prior to the description of the coupling mechanism 1, each main part of the wiper arm 10 and the wiper blade 20 that is directly related to the structure and operation of the coupling mechanism 1 will be described.

[0014] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the arm tip portion 10a. In FIG. 5, the arm tip portion 10a is drawn so as to visually recognize the back side, which is the side where the clip 40 is attached.

[0015] The wiper arm 10 is, for example, a rod-shaped member made of metal. The arm tip portion 10a has a top wall portion 11 and a pair of side wall portions 12 that are continuous with respective side ends of the top wall portion 11 and face each other. Therefore, the cross section orthogonal to the extending direction in the arm tip portion 10a is approximately inverted U-shaped. Hereinafter, in the arm tip portion 10a, the internal space sandwiched between the pair of side wall portions 12 will be denoted as "arm internal space S".

[0016] Each side wall portion 12 has a plurality of notch portions 12b arranged at intervals in the extending direction. Each notch portion 12b is opened at an edge portion 12a on the side opposite to the continuous end continuous with the top wall portion 11 in the side wall portion 12. In the present embodiment, two notch portions 12b are formed for each side wall portion 12, and a set of notch portions 12b formed in one side wall portion 12 and a set of notch portions 12b formed in the other side wall portion 12 have symmetrical shapes with respect to each other.

[0017] The wiper blade 20 holds a wiper rubber (not shown) and presses the wiper rubber against a glass surface such as a windshield. Although there are multiple structural forms for general wiper blades, the form of the wiper blade 20 to be connected by the connecting mechanism 1 is not particularly limited.

[0018] The connecting mechanism 1 includes a clip base 30, a clip 40, and a slider 50.

[0019] The clip base 30 holds the wiper blade 20 and rotatably supports the clip 40. The clip base 30 has a base body 31 and a clip support portion 32.

[0020] The base body 31 is a block-shaped member that directly attaches the wiper blade 20. Although the base body 31 is simply depicted as a rectangular parallelepiped shape in the figures below Fig. 1, for example, it may have a connecting portion that can be connected by sliding a part of the wiper blade 20.

[0021] The clip support portion 32 is supported by the base body 31 and has a pair of cylindrical shafts 32a that serve as pivots when the clip 40 rotates. A part of the clip support portion 32 has a thickness that is sandwiched between a pair of side wall portions 42 provided on the clip 40. The pair of shafts 32a are formed with the thickness direction as the axial direction.

[0022] The clip 40 is rotatably supported by the clip base 30 as described above and is connected to the arm tip portion 10a. Since the clip 40 rotates within a certain angular range with respect to the clip base 30, it can also be expressed as a swing member. The clip 40 has a top wall portion 41 and a pair of side wall portions 42 that are continuous with respective side ends of the top wall portion 41 and face each other. Therefore, the cross-section perpendicular to the extending direction of the clip 40 is approximately an inverted U-shape. Here, the extending direction of the clip 40 is parallel to the top wall portion 41 and perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of side wall portions 42 face each other.

[0023] Each side wall portion 42 has an engagement hole 42a that slidably engages with one of a pair of shafts 32a provided on the clip base 30. By engaging each engagement hole 42a with one of the shafts 32a, the clip 40 can rotate around the rotation axis AX1 (see Figure 7).

[0024] The pair of side wall portions 42 are spaced apart from each other to the extent that they sandwich a portion of the clip support portion 32 of the clip 40, and that at least a portion of the clip 40 is housed in the internal space S of the arm at the arm tip portion 10a.

[0025] Furthermore, the clip 40 has multiple protrusions 43 and a lever piece 44.

[0026] The multiple projections 43 engage with the multiple notches 12b provided on the arm tip 10a when the clip 40 is connected to the arm tip 10a. The multiple projections 43 protrude outward from the outer surface opposite to the inner surface that houses the clip 40, and are spaced apart in the extending direction of the clip 40 for each side wall 42. In this embodiment, as described above, two notches 12b are formed on each side wall 12 of the arm tip 10a. Therefore, the clip 40 is provided with two projections 43 corresponding to the two notches 12b for each side wall 42. The pair of projections 43 formed on one side wall 42 and the pair of projections 43 formed on the other side wall 42 are symmetrical in shape. In this case, for each side wall 42, the engagement hole 42a is formed between the two projections 43.

[0027] The lever piece 44 is elastically deformable with respect to a virtual axis AX2 that extends in the direction along the rotation axis AX1 of the clip 40, more specifically, a virtual axis AX2 parallel to the rotation axis AX1 (see Figure 8B). Furthermore, when the clip 40 is attached to the arm tip portion 10a, the lever piece 44 is housed in the internal space S of the arm.

[0028] In this embodiment, the lever piece 44 has a tip piece 44a and a pair of arm pieces 44b. The tip piece 44a functions as an operating part for releasing the locking by the locking claws 44c provided on each arm piece 44b. Of the pair of arm pieces 44b, one end is supported by the side end of one side wall 42, and the other end is supported by the side end of the other side wall 42. Here, the side ends of the side wall 42 to which the arm pieces 44b are supported are the side ends that are perpendicular to the extension direction of the clip 40 and are directed toward the root side of the arm tip 10a when the clip 40 is attached to the arm tip 10a. Furthermore, the other ends of each of the pair of arm pieces 44b are continuous with each other via the tip piece 44a which is parallel to the rotation axis AX1. Therefore, the planar shape of the lever piece 44 is approximately U-shaped.

[0029] When the clip 40 is attached to the arm tip 10a, the surface 44d of each arm piece 44b opposite to the surface of the arm tip 10a facing the top wall 11 abuts against the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a provided on the slider 50. Each surface 44d is provided with a locking claw 44c that engages the protruding end 54a from the opposite direction to the direction in which the wiper arm 10 is inserted into the slider 50 when the slider 50 is in the restricted position described in detail below.

[0030] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the slider 50. In Figure 6, the slider 50 is depicted so that the back side, where the clip 40 is attached, is visible.

[0031] The slider 50 is mounted on the tip of the arm 10a with its sliding direction being along the extension direction of the arm tip 10a, and operates slidably at least between a detachable position and a restricting position. Here, the detachable position is the position in which the clip 40 can be detachably attached to the wiper arm 10. The restricting position is the position in which the detachment of the clip 40 from the wiper arm 10 is restricted. In other words, when the slider 50 is in the restricting position, the connection between the wiper arm 10 and the wiper blade 20, which is held by the clip 40, is maintained.

[0032] The slider 50 has a top wall portion 51, a pair of side wall portions 52 that are continuous with one of the side ends of the top wall portion 51 and face each other, a plurality of ribs 53, a pair of guide pieces 54, and a front wall portion 55 that closes the front ends of the top wall portion 51 and the pair of side wall portions 52. Therefore, in the slider 50, the cross-section at a position perpendicular to the extension direction and where the ribs 53 and guide pieces 54 are absent is approximately an inverted U shape. Here, the extension direction of the slider 50 is the direction parallel to the top wall portion 51 and perpendicular to the direction in which the pair of side wall portions 52 face each other.

[0033] Multiple ribs 53 are arranged at intervals in the extending direction on the edges 52a of each side wall portion 52. Here, the edges 52a of the side wall portion 52 on which the multiple ribs 53 are arranged are the edges on the side wall portion 52 that are opposite to the continuous end that is continuous with the top wall portion 51. Multiple ribs 53 provided on one side wall portion 52 and multiple ribs 53 provided on the other side wall portion 52 protrude from the edges 52a on which they are provided in directions opposite to each other. In this embodiment, two ribs 53 are provided for each side wall portion 52, and the pair of ribs 53 formed on one side wall portion 52 and the pair of ribs 53 formed on the other side wall portion 52 have symmetrical shapes.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, when the slider 50 is in the attachment / detachment position, the rib 53 faces the edge 12a of the arm tip 10a, but does not face the open end of the notch 12b formed in the side wall 12 of the arm tip 10a. On the other hand, when the slider 50 is in the restricting position, the rib 53 closes the open end of either of the notches 12b.

[0035] The pair of guide pieces 54 are positioned at the end of the edge 52a of each side wall portion 52 that is inserted in the sliding direction, spaced apart from the adjacent rib 53 in the extending direction. One guide piece 54 provided on one side wall portion 52 and the other guide piece 54 provided on the other side wall portion 52 protrude in opposite directions from the edge 52a on which they are provided, and have a symmetrical shape.

[0036] After the slider 50 is attached to the arm tip 10a, a portion of the guide piece 54 always faces the edge 12a of each side wall 12 in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction, regardless of whether it is in the attachment / detachment position or the stabilization position.

[0037] Each guide piece 54 has a protruding end 54a that protrudes such that its tip surface 54b is positioned in the internal space S of the arm when the slider 50 is attached to the arm tip 10a. Therefore, the cross-section of the guide piece 54 perpendicular to the extension direction of the slider 50 is approximately L-shaped.

[0038] Here, when the slider 50 is in the attachment / detachment position, as shown in Figure 4, each rib 53 and guide piece 54 does not block the open end of any of the notches 12b at the arm tip 10a. Therefore, when attaching the clip 40 to the arm tip 10a, the projection 43 of the clip 40 can be accommodated in each of the notches 12b. Alternatively, when removing a clip 40 that has already been attached to the arm tip 10a, the projection 43 can be detached outward from each of the notches 12b.

[0039] On the other hand, when the slider 50 is in the restricted position, each rib 53 closes the open end of one of the corresponding notches 12b. In other words, each rib 53 acts as a retainer for the projection 43 already housed in the notch 12b, maintaining the connection of the wiper blade 20 to the wiper arm 10.

[0040] Next, we will explain the procedure for connecting the wiper blade 20 to the wiper arm 10.

[0041] Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the coupling mechanism 1 just before the wiper blade 20 is connected to the wiper arm 10. In the coupling mechanism 1 shown in Figure 7, a slider 50 is already attached to the tip 10a of the wiper arm 10, and a clip 40 is rotatably supported on the clip base 30.

[0042] Figures 8A to 8C are partial cross-sectional views showing the state of the connection mechanism 1 shown in Figure 7, starting from the pre-connection state and continuing until the connection of the wiper blade 20 is completed, in chronological order. For convenience, in these figures, the combination of the wiper arm 10 and slider 50 is depicted as a longitudinal cross-section cut along their respective extension directions, and the combination of the clip base 30 and clip 40 is depicted as a side view.

[0043] Figure 8A shows the state of the coupling mechanism 1 at the stage when the operation to attach the clip 40 to the arm tip 10a is initiated. At this stage, first, the slider 50 is slid to the attachment / detachment position. When the slider 50 slides from the restricted position to the attachment / detachment position, the front wall portion 55 of the slider 50 moves away from the tip of the arm tip 10a. Next, the clip 40 is inserted into the arm internal space S while maintaining an inclined position that is inclined relative to the coupling position when the slider 50 is in the restricted position. Here, as shown in Figure 8C, when the clip 40 is in the coupling position, the extension direction of the clip 40 roughly coincides with the extension directions of the arm tip 10a and the slider 50, respectively. In other words, when the clip 40 is in an inclined position, it corresponds to a state in which the extension direction of the clip 40 intersects with the extension directions of the arm tip 10a and the slider 50, respectively. The insertion of the clip 40 into the arm's internal space S may be continued until a portion of the clip 40, other than the lever piece 44, comes into contact with the guide piece 54 of the slider 50.

[0044] Furthermore, in the stage shown in Figure 8A, when the clip 40 is inserted into the space S inside the arm, the lever piece 44 is inserted into the space between the top wall portion 11 of the arm tip portion 10a and the pair of guide pieces 54 of the slider 50. At this time, as the lever piece 44 is inserted, the surfaces 44d of the tip portion 44a and the pair of arm portions 44b, which are part of the lever piece 44, sequentially face the tip surfaces 54b of the protruding ends 54a of each guide piece 54.

[0045] Figure 8B shows the state of the coupling mechanism 1 at the stage when the projections 43 of the clip 40 are accommodated in the notches 12b of the arm tip 10a. At this stage, with the slider 50 maintained in the attachment / detachment position, the clip 40 is rotated in the direction indicated by the solid arrows in Figure 8B so as to change from an inclined position to a coupled position. This rotational displacement causes each projection 43 of the clip 40 to be accommodated in each of the notches 12b of the arm tip 10a.

[0046] In the stage shown in Figure 8B, each locking claw 44c provided on the surface 44d of the lever piece 44 comes into contact with the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a of each guide piece 54, in accordance with the rotational displacement of the clip 40. The lever piece 44 then elastically deforms with respect to a virtual axis AX2, which corresponds to a fulcrum supported by the main body of the clip 40, and applies a biasing force to the tip surface 54b. Consequently, a reaction force continues to be generated in the clip 40, causing it to rotate in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 8B.

[0047] Figure 8C shows the state of the coupling mechanism 1 at the stage when the clip 40 has been attached to the tip 10a of the arm, and as a result the wiper blade 20 has been connected to the wiper arm 10. At this stage, with the clip 40 maintained in the coupling position, the slider 50 slides from the attachment / detachment position to the regulating position. When the slider 50 slides from the attachment / detachment position to the regulating position, the front wall portion 55 of the slider 50 moves in a direction toward the tip of the tip 10a of the arm.

[0048] First, as the slider 50 moves to the restricted position, each rib 53 on the slider 50 closes the open end of one of the corresponding notches 12b, so that each projection 43 of the clip 40 can no longer detach outward. This maintains the connection of the wiper blade 20 to the wiper arm 10.

[0049] Furthermore, as the slider 50 moves to the restricted position, the pair of guide pieces 54 provided on the slider 50 also move towards the base of the arm tip 10a. As a result, the locking claw 44c provided on the lever piece 44 eventually overcomes the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a on the guide piece 54, and the lever piece 44 deforms back to its original state. Due to the return deformation of the lever piece 44, the locking claw 44c locks the protruding end 54a onto the slider 50 from the opposite direction to the direction in which the wiper arm 10 was inserted, as described above. This restricts unintended sliding movement of the slider 50 at the arm tip 10a, and as a result, prevents the release of the connection between the wiper blade 20 and the wiper arm 10.

[0050] At this point, the biasing force exerted by the lever piece 44 on the tip surface 54b, which was present at the stage shown in Figure 8B, ceases to occur due to the return deformation of the lever piece 44. In other words, the biasing force exerted by the lever piece 44 on the tip surface 54b is now generated when the slider 50 slides between the attachment / detachment position and the regulating position.

[0051] Next, we will describe the procedure for releasing the wiper blade 20 when it is connected to the wiper arm 10 by the connecting mechanism 1.

[0052] First, the operator pushes the tip portion 44a of the lever piece 44 upward in a direction that moves the pair of surfaces 44d away from the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a of the pair of guide pieces 54. In other words, the operator pushes the tip portion 44a of the lever piece 44 upward in a direction that moves it closer to the top wall portion 11 of the arm tip portion 10a. Here, the lever piece 44 is located in the internal space S of the arm tip portion 10a. Therefore, when the operator pushes the tip portion 44a upward, it is necessary to intentionally press the tip portion 44a into the internal space S of the arm by inserting one of the operator's fingers or a separately prepared rod-shaped member. This releases the locking of the guide piece 54 by the locking claw 44c of the lever piece 44.

[0053] Next, the operator slides the slider 50 from the restricted position to the detachable position while pushing up the tip piece 44a. As the slider 50 moves from the restricted position to the detachable position, the lever piece 44 applies a biasing force to the tip surface 54b of each guide piece 54, as described above. Therefore, due to the reaction force based on this biasing force, the clip 40 easily detaches from the arm tip 10a when the slider 50 reaches the detachable position, and the connection of the wiper blade 20 to the wiper arm 10 is released. Here, the reaction force based on the biasing force corresponds to the reaction force that tries to rotate in the direction indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 8B.

[0054] Next, we will explain the effects of the coupling mechanism 1.

[0055] The connecting mechanism 1 connects the wiper blade 20 to the wiper arm 10. The connecting mechanism 1 includes a clip base 30 to which the wiper blade 20 is attached, and a clip 40 that is rotatably supported by the clip base 30 and at least a portion of which is housed in the arm internal space S sandwiched between a pair of side wall portions 12 at the arm tip portion 10a of the wiper arm 10. The connecting mechanism 1 also includes a slider 50 that is mounted on the arm tip portion 10a so as to be slidable between an attachment / detachment position that allows the clip 40 to be attached to and detached from the wiper arm 10, and a restricting position that restricts the detachment of the clip 40 from the wiper arm 10. The slider 50 has a pair of guide pieces 54 at the end on the side into which the wiper arm 10 is inserted in the sliding direction, with a portion of each facing the edge portion 12a of each side wall portion 12 of the wiper arm 10 in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction. Each of the pair of guide pieces 54 has a protruding end 54a that protrudes such that its tip surface 54b is positioned in the arm's internal space S when the slider 50 is mounted on the wiper arm 10. The clip 40 has an elastically deformable lever piece 44. The lever piece 44 is housed in the arm's internal space S and contacts the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a. The lever piece 44 also has a locking claw 44c on the surface 44d that contacts the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a, which locks the protruding end 54a from the opposite direction to the direction in which the wiper arm 10 is inserted into the slider 50 when the slider 50 is in the restricted position.

[0056] Figures 9A and 9B are side views of the coupling mechanism 1 to illustrate its effect. Figure 9A shows the coupling mechanism 1 when the clip 40 is in a neutral position with no rotational displacement relative to the clip base 30. Figure 9B shows the coupling mechanism 1 when the clip 40 is rotated at its maximum rotation angle θ relative to the clip base 30. Note that the maximum rotation angle θ of the clip 40 with respect to the clip base 30 is equivalent to the maximum operating angle of the wiper blade 20 with respect to the wiper arm 10.

[0057] First, in the coupling mechanism 1, when the slider 50 is in the restricted position, the engagement between a pair of guide pieces 54 provided on the slider 50 and the locking claw 44c of the lever piece 44 provided on the clip 40 restricts the unintended sliding movement of the slider 50. At this time, as shown in Figure 9B, the clip 40 rotates integrally with the slider 50 while restricting the sliding movement of the slider 50.

[0058] Here, as a comparative example, let's consider a case where the restriction on the sliding movement of the slider 50 is provided on the clip base 30, which does not rotate integrally with the slider 50. In this case, the clip base 30 will be provided with some kind of restricting part that engages with a part of the slider 50, but if the wiper blade 20 rotates beyond the angle range restricted by the restricting part, the slider 50 will become freely movable relative to the wiper arm 10. Therefore, considering the need to secure an angle to release the wiper blade 20 from the wiper arm 10 by allowing the slider 50 to move freely, the maximum operating angle of the wiper blade 20 relative to the wiper arm 10 will be limited.

[0059] In contrast, according to the coupling mechanism 1 of this embodiment, the engagement of a part of the slider 50 with a part of the clip 40 restricts unintended sliding movement of the slider 50, so that the movement of the slider can be restricted at any angle within the range of the maximum rotation angle θ.

[0060] Furthermore, in the coupling mechanism 1, as described above, the movement of the slider 50 is restricted by the locking claw 44c of the lever piece 44, which is part of the clip 40. In other words, by operating the lever piece 44 (specifically, by pushing up the tip piece 44a which functions as the operating part of the lever piece 44), the locking by the locking claw 44c is released, and the slider 50 can be moved intentionally. Here, as shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the lever piece 44 is always housed in the arm internal space S of the arm tip 10a. In other words, in the coupling mechanism 1, neither the locking part for restricting the movement of the slider 50 nor the operating part for releasing the movement restriction by the locking part is exposed to the outside. Therefore, with the coupling mechanism 1, it is possible to prevent unintentional contact with the lever piece 44, thereby preventing the coupling from being unintentionally released and the wiper blade 20 from falling off the wiper arm 10, and improving safety.

[0061] As described above, according to this embodiment, a coupling mechanism 1 is provided that connects the wiper blade 20 to the wiper arm 10 while suppressing unintended disconnection.

[0062] Furthermore, in the coupling mechanism 1, we assume that the slider 50 is in the attachment / detachment position and the clip 40 is attached to the wiper arm 10. At this time, with the clip 40 maintaining an inclined position that is inclined relative to the coupling position when the slider 50 is in the restricting position, the lever piece 44 may be inserted into the arm internal space S such that a part of it faces the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a. Also, when the slider 50 slides from the attachment / detachment position toward the restricting position, with the clip 40 changing from the inclined position to the coupling position, the lever piece 44 may apply a biasing force to the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a while the locking claw 44c is in contact with the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a.

[0063] In the connecting mechanism 1, as explained with reference to Figure 8B, before the slider 50 moves to the restricted position, the lever piece 44 continues to apply a biasing force to the tip surface 54b of the protruding end 54a of each guide piece 54. Then, when the slider 50 has not moved to the restricted position and the connection is not yet complete, the entire clip 40 attempts to rotate in a direction that will detach it from the arm tip 10a. Therefore, if the operator fails to properly slide the slider 50 to the restricted position during the connecting operation, the clip 40 will pop out from the arm tip 10a. Thus, the connecting mechanism 1 makes it easier for the operator to recognize if they have forgotten to slide the slider 50 during the connecting operation, and as a result, it is possible to prevent errors in the installation of the wiper blade 20.

[0064] In the above explanation, an example was given in which the planar shape of the lever piece 44 provided on the clip 40 is U-shaped. With such a lever piece 44, the inner space sandwiched between the pair of arm pieces 44b is continuous with the space sandwiched between the pair of side wall pieces 42, which is advantageous in that it makes it easier to avoid interference with the clip support portion 32 of the clip base 30 when the clip 40 rotates. On the other hand, for example, if it does not hinder the rotation of the clip 40, the lever piece 44 may be a simple plate-like portion that does not have an inner space.

[0065] Although embodiments have been described above, it is possible to modify or transform the embodiments based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments, and all features described in the claims, may be individually selected and combined, provided that they do not contradict each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 1 Connection mechanism 10 Wiper Arms 10a Arm tip 12 Side wall section 12a Edge 20 wiper blades 30 Clip Bases 40 clips 44 Lever pieces 44c Locking claw 44d surface 50 Slider 54 Guide piece 54a Projecting end 54b Tip surface AX1 Rotation axis AX2 virtual axis S Arm interior space

Claims

1. A connecting mechanism for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, The clip base for attaching the wiper blade, A clip that is rotatably supported on the clip base and at least a portion of which is housed in the space inside the arm, sandwiched between a pair of side walls at the tip of the wiper arm, The system includes a slider mounted on the tip of the wiper arm so as to slide between an attachment / detachment position that allows the clip to be attached to and detached from the wiper arm, and a restricting position that restricts the detachment of the clip from the wiper arm. The slider has a pair of guide pieces at the end on the side into which the wiper arm is inserted in the sliding direction, a portion of which faces each edge of the side wall portion of the wiper arm in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction, Each of the pair of guide pieces has a protruding end that protrudes such that its tip surface is positioned in the internal space of the arm when the slider is mounted on the wiper arm. The clip has an elastically deformable lever piece, The aforementioned lever piece is While being housed in the internal space of the arm, it abuts against the tip surface of the protruding end, and, A coupling mechanism having a locking claw on the surface of the protruding end that abuts the tip surface, which locks the protruding end from a direction opposite to the direction in which the wiper arm is inserted into the slider when the slider is in the restricting position.

2. When the slider is in the attachment / detachment position and the clip is attached to the wiper arm, the clip maintains an inclined position that is inclined relative to the connected position when the slider is in the restricting position, and the lever piece is inserted into the arm's internal space such that a portion of it faces the tip surface of the protruding end, The coupling mechanism according to claim 1, wherein when the slider slides from the attachment / detachment position toward the restricting position, the clip changes from the inclined position to the coupling position, and the lever piece applies a biasing force to the tip surface of the protruding end while bringing the locking claw into contact with the tip surface of the protruding end.

Images