Title of Invention

A CONNECTION PIECE FOR CONNECTING A WIPER BLADE TO A WIPER ARM

Abstract A connection piece 10 for connecting a wiper arm 11 to a wiper blade is proposed, which comprises three different fastening systems for wiper arms 11, so that a multiplicity of wiper arms 11 can be received.
Full Text

The invention proceeds from a connection piece for connecting a wiper blade and a wiper arm.
Connection pieces for connecting the wiper arm to the wiper blade have already become known, for example from EP 0 863 058 A2, but the connection piece presented there is of multi-part design, so that in each case different adapter parts are used, in part along the lines of the building block system, for different wiper arms.
Windshield wiper frame connector which accommodates different size wiper arms is known from US 5,611,103. Windshield wiper with a connection piece is known from FR2190078. Automobile windscreen wiper is known from FR2759047. Motor vehicle windscreen wiper is known from FR2744082. Connecting piece for windscreen wiper is known from DE19618307. Resilient connector for a windscreen wiper system is known from EP0585811. Device for attaching a windscreen wiper blade to a wiper arm is known from EP0694459.
Advantages of the invention
By contrast, the advantage of the connection piece according to the invention, having the characterizing features of the main claim, is that it can receive a multiplicity of customary types of wiper-arm ends and can therefore also be used for the multiplicity of differently dimensioned wiper arms. Furthermore, it can be produced in one piece, for example in an injection-moulding method, thus affording an appreciable advantage in terms of assembly, since it is not necessary first to determine which adapter piece is suitable for the respective wiper-arm end. This is particularly important especially because, as a rule, assembly is carried out by the vehicle driver himself, that is to say by a layman, not by an expert.

Advantageous developments and improvements ot the connection piece are described herein.
Accordingly the present invention provides a connection piece for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, with a body which is connectable to one wiper-arm end and has means for receiving and supporting the wiper blade, means for receiving hook-shaped wiper-arm ends and means for receiving pin-like wiper-arm ends, the connection piece having at least one means for receiving another wiper-arm end characterized in that the wiper-arm end is of forked-shaped.
Since the wiper-arm end is of fork-shaped design, a high rigidity of the connection between wiper arm and wiper blade is obtained. The optimum angle between the screen and the wiper blade can thereby be maintained accurately.
A suitable adapter piece of fork-shaped design can also connect the connection piece to a strip-shaped wiper-arm end, as is customary in the case of single wiper arms, without any loss of rigidity.
If one region of the connection piece is designed as a resilient platform, particularly high dimensional tolerance is achieved. If the resilience of the platform is caused by webs which are at an angle to the wiper arm of less than 90°, when the connection piece is removed from the wiper arm a self-locking effect occurs, which further increases the connection strength between the wiper arm and the wiper blade.
Since the resilient regions have stops for limiting the resilience, a high breaking strength is also additionally ensured.
By means of the clamp-like projections for locking the wiper arms, a multiplicity of different wiper arms can be fastened reliably to the wiper blade, since, for locking purposes, there is no need to resort to the method used by the manufacturer of the wiper arm.
Drawings
The invention is explained below with reference to an exemplary embodiment by means of accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a diagram illustration of part of a wiper system with the connection piece according to the invention, in the installation position,
Figure 2 shows a box region of a middle bar of a wiper blade,
Figure 3 shows a hook-shaped wiper-arm end, Figure 4 shows a perspective illustration of a connection piece according to the invention and a pin¬like wiper-arm end,
Figures 5 and 6 show a connection piece according to the invention, in each case with a hook-shaped wiper-arm end,
Figure 7 shows a perspective illustration of a connection piece according to the invention with a strip-shaped wiper-arm end and with a fork-shaped adapter,
Figure 8 shows a section through a connection piece according to the invention, and Figure 9 shows a section through an adapter.
Description of the exemplary embodiment
A connection piece 10 with a wiper arm 11 and with a wiper blade 12 can be seen in Figure 1, In the assembled position, the wiper blade lies on a screen 13. The wiper arm 11 has two ends, its lower end being connected to a wiper motor 14. Its upper end normally has either a hook-like wiper-arm end (11a), a pin-like wiper-arm end (11b) or a strip-shaped wiper-arm end (11c) .
Figure 2 shows a box region 15 of a middle bar of a wiper blade 12. Located in this box region is a connection element 18, often a rivet or a roll rivet, which connects the body of the connection piece 10 to the wiper blade 12. The box region 15 has at the sides various bores 21 which may also be rimmed.

In Figure 3 there is a hook-shaped wiper-arm end. It has a hook-shaped 180-bend with a radius R.
Figure 4 illustrates a connection piece 10 according to the invention and also a pin-like wiper-arm end 11b. The pin-like wiper-arm end 11b has a pin 24 which, in the installation position, lies parallel to the screen and perpendicularly to the wiper arm 11 and the diameter of which is narrowed in a suitable portion.
The body of the connection piece 10 has essentially two side walls 30 which are held by three cross connections 27a, 27b and 27c and serve for receiving and supporting the wiper blade 12 (see also Figure 8).
On the front side, facing away from the wiper arm 11, of the connection piece, the side walls 30 are led further beyond the cross connections 27a, b, c and are closed off by the elevations 33. This gives rise to a clamp-like projection 31 which serves for the locking of hook-like wiper-arm ends 11a.
The upper face 27a is curved downwards to a radius 3 6 in the front region of the body.
The connection piece has, on its underside facing the screen in the assembled state, a transverse groove 37 which narrows upwards and which is closed off by a cylindrical cutout 38 serving for receiving the connection element 18 of the wiper blade 12.
In the rear region facing the wiper arm, the connection piece 10 has slots 40 in the side walls 30 on the side facing the screen 13, so that the lower face 27b is carried only by thin webs 39 and thus forms a resilient platform.
The direction of the slots 40 and consequently the direction of the webs 39 are expediently selected such

that, when the connection piece 10 is removed from the wiper arm 11a, the adhesion of the wiper arm 11a to the lower face 27c brings about an increase in the pressure pressing the lower face 27c onto the wiper arm 11a.
This is achieved in that, when the connection piece 10 is drawn out of the wiper arm 11a, the lowermost face 27c moves forwards a little as a result of its adhesion to the wiper arm 11a. The angle of the webs 39 to the wiper arm and consequently the distance between the upper face 27a and the lower face 27c are thereby-increased somewhat, with the result that the pressure pressing the face 27c against the bent end of the wiper arm 11a rises.
The resilient region 41 has, for limiting the resilience, stops 44 which prevent the webs 3 9 from being broken off.
Above the platform 27c, the connection piece 10 has a transversely passing hole 43 between the upper and the middle face. This hole 43 serves as a receptacle for a pin-like wiper arm lib.
For this purpose, the middle face 27b is interrupted by a tongue-like tab 45 which extends from the transverse groove 37 to behind the hole 43 and which reduces the diameter of the hole 43 within the body of the connection piece 10. The tab 45 is bent upwards behind the hole 43 and thereafter has a pressure face 48 running in parallel alignment with the upper face 27a.
When the pin 24 of a pin-like wiper-arm end lib is introduced into the receptacle 43, the tab 45 is first bent downwards, so as then, when the pin 24 is in the desired position, to snap upwards due to the narrowed diameter and thereby latch the wiper arm 11.

On the upper face, the connection piece has two recesses 52 which may serve for fastening an adapter 55.
Figure 5 shows a connection piece 10 with a hook-like wiper-arm end 11a in the assembled position.
Figure 6 likewise shows a connection piece 10 according to the invention with a wiper arm 11a, but, here, the wiper arm 11a has a larger radius R than in Figure 5. The bent end therefore slips under the resilient platform 27c and, where appropriate, presses the latter upwards somewhat. Locking via the elevations 33 of the connection piece 10 can be seen clearly here.
Figure 7 illustrates a connection piece 10 according to the invention, together with an adapter 55 and a strip-shaped wiper-arm end 11c. The adapter 55 has essentially a long and a short longitudinal strut 58, 59 which are connected to one another by means of a cross strut 62 in such a way that a fork-like structure is obtained.
Figure 9 illustrates the adapter part 55 in section. The long upper longitudinal strut 58 has on its underside, in the front region facing the connection piece 10, a locking tongue 65, on the end of which are formed teeth 68 which serve for locking the adapter 55 in the recesses 52 of the connection piece 10. Located on that side of the adapter 55 which faces the wiper arm 11 is an arm receptacle 71 which consists of a recess and of a locking hole 74. The arm receptacle 71 is designed in such a way that a strip-shaped wiper arm 11c can be pushed in and is locked via a wiper-arm stud 77 which snaps into the locking hole 74.
When the adapter 55 is being connected to the connection piece 10, the short longitudinal strut 59 is pushed into the region between the middle and the lower

face 27b and c. The long longitudinal strut 58 having the locking tongue 65 of the adapter 55 slides forwards on the upper face 27a of the connection piece 10. In the latched state, the teeth 68 engage into the recesses 52.
It is also possible to attach to the underside of the short longitudinal strut 59 a locking bolt which, in the latched state, latches into a hole located in the resilient platform, that is to say in the face 27c.



WE CLAIM :
1. A connection piece (10) for connecting a wiper blade (12) to a wiper arm (11), with a body which is connectable to one wiper-arm end (1 la, b, c) and has means (30) for receiving and supporting the wiper blade, means (36) for receiving hook-shaped wiper-arm ends (11a) and means (43) for receiving pin-like wiper-arm ends (11b), the connection piece (10) having at least one means (52) for receiving another wiper-arm end (11c) characterized in that the wiper-arm end (1 1c) is of forked-shaped.
2. The connecting piece (10) for connecting a wiper blade (12) to a wiper arm (11), with a body which is connectable to one wiper-arm end (1 la, b, c) and has means (30) for receiving and supporting the wiper blade, means (36) for receiving hook-shaped wiper-arm ends (11a) and means (43) for receiving pin-like wiper-arm ends (11b), the connecting piece (10) having at least one means (52) for receiving another wiper-arm end (11c), the other wiper-arm end (11c) is a strip-shaped wiper-arm end (11c) with a stud (77) characterized in that said stud is connected to a fork-shaped adaptor (55) facing the connecting piece (10).
3. The connecting piece (10) as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection piece (10) has a resilient region (41) which is constructed as a platform (27c).
4. The connecting piece (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the means (30) for
receiving and supporting the wiper blade (12), which carry the platform (27c) have
slots (40) such as to give rise to a springy cross-sectional structure which is formed by
at least one web (39).

5. The connecting piece (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein the platform (27c) lies
in a plane with respect to which the at least one web (39) is at an angle of less than
90°.
6. The connecting piece (10) as claimed in claim 3, wherein at least one resilient
region (41) has stops (44) for limiting the resilience.
7. The connecting piece (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein
the means (30) for receiving and supporting the wiper blade (12) have a transversely
passing hole (43), an elastic tab (45) being located in a receptacle formed by the hole
(43).
8. The connecting piece (10) as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein
the body has at least one clamp-like projection (31) which may serve for locking a
wiper-arm end (11a).
9. A connecting piece for connecting a wiper blade to a wiper arm, substantially
as hereinabove described and illustrated with reference to the accompanying
drawings.


Documents:

abs-in-pct-2002-349-che.jpg

in-pct-2002-349-che-abstract.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-claims filed.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-claims granted.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-correspondnece-others.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-correspondnece-po.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-description(complete)filed.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-description(complete)granted.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-drawings.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-form 1.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-form 26.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-form 3.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-form 5.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-other documents.pdf

in-pct-2002-349-che-pct.pdf


Patent Number 212879
Indian Patent Application Number IN/PCT/2002/349/CHE
PG Journal Number 13/2008
Publication Date 28-Mar-2008
Grant Date 17-Dec-2007
Date of Filing 06-Mar-2002
Name of Patentee ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
Applicant Address Postfach 30 02 20, 70442 Stuttgart,
Inventors:
# Inventor's Name Inventor's Address
1 ROEKENS, Jurgen Blockmansstr. 63, B-1820 Steenokkerseel,
PCT International Classification Number B60S 1/40
PCT International Application Number PCT/DE2000/002637
PCT International Filing date 2000-08-08
PCT Conventions:
# PCT Application Number Date of Convention Priority Country
1 199 41 459.9 1999-08-31 Germany