CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This PCT Patent Application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application

No. 61/900,628, filed on November 6, 2013 entitled "Rear Windshield Windscreen Wiper Device," and U.S. Utility Patent Application Serial No. 14/534,820 filed on November 6, 2014 entitled "Rear Windscreen Wiper Device," the entire disclosures of the applications being considered part of the disclosure of this application and hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present application is related generally to windscreen wiper devices and more particularly to connecting assemblies for joining windscreen wiper devices with rear oscillating wiper arms on vehicles.

2. Related Art

[0003] Many passenger vehicles, such as sport utility vehicles, hatchback vehicles and station wagons are provided with an oscillating wiper arm and a wiper blade for cleaning the rear windshield. Such vehicles are provided with any one of a range of different sizes and styles of oscillating wiper arms including. When the original equipment wiper blades become worn, customers typically look to the aftermarket for replacement wiper blades.

[0004] Some aftermarket wiper blades are configured only for attachment to one size and style of rear wiper arm. However, customizing parts for each type and length of rear wiper blade can be very costly. Therefore, there is a desire to use the same parts for different lengths of wiper blades and for attachment to different styles of wiper arms in order to achieve cost savings through economies of scale.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION AND ADVANTAGES

[0005] An improved windscreen wiper device is provided which may be manufactured at a low cost and may be quickly, easily and securely configured for attachment with a range of rear wiper arms.

[0006] An aspect of the present invention provides for a windscreen wiper device including a wiper element which is made of a flexible material. A carrier operably supports the wiper element and biases the wiper element into a pre-curved position. A connecting device is provided for attachment with a rear wiper arm. The connecting device includes a base which is engaged with the carrier and at least one connector piece which is releasably connectable with the base. The base includes a pair of holding elements which wrap around opposite lateral side edges of the carrier and a pair of laterally spaced side walls. The connector piece including a pair of laterally spaced legs. A pair of projections are disposed in at least one of the side walls of the base and the legs of the connector piece and a pair of recesses are disposed on at least one of the side walls of the base and the legs of the connector piece for receiving the projections to attach the connector piece with the base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] These and other features and advantages of the present invention will be readily appreciated, as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

[0008] Figure 1 is a front elevation view showing an exemplary windscreen wiper device attached with a Type A style rear wiper arm; [0009] Figure 2 is another front elevation view showing the exemplary windscreen wiper device attached with the Type A style rear wiper arm;

[0010] Figure 3 is a fragmentary and isometric view showing the exemplary windscreen wiper device attached with the Type A style rear wiper arm;

[0011] Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the windscreen wiper device taken along line 4-4 of Figure 2;

[0012] Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of the windscreen wiper device taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2;

[0013] FFiigguurree 6 is an isometric view of a base of the windscreen wiper device of

Figure 1;

[0014] Figure

[0015] Figure

[0016] Figure

[0017] Figure

Figure 9;

[0018] Figure

device with a second exemplary embodiment of a connector piece and in engagement with a Type B style rear wiper arm;

[0019] Figure 12 is a top elevation view of the connector piece of Figure 11;

[0020] Figure 13 is a front elevation view of the connector piece of Figure 11;

[0021] Figure 14 is a fragmentary and isometric view of the windscreen wiper device with a third exemplary embodiment of the connector piece and in engagement with a Type D style rear wiper arm;

[0022] Figure 15 is a top elevation view of the connector piece of Figure 14; [0023] Figure 16 is a fragmentary and isometric view of the windscreen wiper device with a fourth exemplary embodiment of the connector piece;

[0024] Figure 17 is a top elevation view of the connector piece of Figure 16;

[0025] Figure 18 is a fragmentary and isometric view of the windscreen wiper device with a fifth exemplary embodiment of the connector piece and in engagement with a hook style rear wiper arm; and

[0026] Figure 19 is a top elevation view of the connector piece of Figure 18.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ENABLING EMBODIMENT

[0027] Referring to the Figures, wherein like numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, a first exemplary embodiment of an improved beam-style windscreen wiper device 20, or wiper blade assembly, for cleaning a rear windscreen (not shown) of a vehicle (not shown) is generally shown in Figures 1 and 2. The wiper device 20 includes a connecting device 22 with easily interchangeable parts which may be readily and easily configured for attachment to a range of different styles of rear wiper arms 24. Specifically, without the need for any special tools, a user may be quickly configure the connecting device 22 for attachment with "Type A" rear wiper arms 24a (Figures 1-5), "Type B" rear wiper arms 24b (Figure 11), "Type D" rear wiper arms 24c (Figure 14), "Type E" rear wiper arms (not shown) or hook style rear wiper arms 24d (Figure 19).

[0028] The wiper device 20 includes a wiper element 26 which is made of a flexible, elastic material (such as rubber) for sealing against the rear windshield to clear water, ice and other debris therefrom. The wiper device 20 is a beam- style device in that it has a longitudinally extending carrier which operably supports and biases the wiper element 26 into a pre-curved configuration to seal the length of the wiper element 26 against the windshield. This is in contrast to so-called conventional- style wiper devices which employ a superstructure which includes a plurality of yokes to bias the length of the wiper element against the windshield. As best shown in Figures 4 and 5, the wiper element 26 has a pair of laterally oppositely facing and longitudinally extending grooves, and the carrier includes a pair of longitudinal strips (also known as flexors 28), which are disposed in the grooves and project laterally outside of the grooves. Referring back to Figures 1 and 2, neighboring ends of the flexors 28 are interconnected with one another with end caps 30.

[0029] A connecting device 22 is engaged with the flexors 28 of the carrier at approximate longitudinal midpoints of the flexors 28 for attachment with a rear wiper arm 24. As shown in Figure 3, the connecting device 22 is of multiple pieces including a base 32 and a connector piece 34. The base 32 is permanently fixed or engaged with the flexors 28 in a factory setting, and the connector piece 34 is releasably engagable with the connector piece 34 for either directly engaging the rear wiper arm 24 or for receiving a separate adapter 36 (shown in Figure 18) which in turn engages the rear wiper arm 24. The base 32 and the connector piece 34 are each preferably formed of a polymeric material and through an injection molding process. The wiper device 20 is preferably packaged with two or more connector pieces 34, 134, 234, 334, 434 with similar means of engaging the base 32 for connecting with different styles and sizes of rear wiper arms 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d.

[0030] Referring now to Figure 4-6, the base 32 includes a pair of generally L- shaped holding elements 38 for wrapping around opposite lateral edges of the flexors 28 to hold the base 32 piece in engagement with the flexors 28 of the carrier. Preferably, during manufacturing of the windscreen wiper device 20, the holding elements 38 of the base 32 are slid into a predetermined longitudinal position on the flexors 28. Next, the base 32 is heat staked or ultrasonically welded into engagement with the flexors 28 by melting the plastic materials of the base 32 and a coating on the flexors 28 together and allowing the molten material to cool, thereby establishing a permanent connection between the base 32 and the flexors 28. However, any suitable joining means could be employed to join the base 32 with the carrier.

[0031] Preferably, the windscreen wiper device 20 is packaged with a plurality of connector pieces 34, 134, 234, 334, 434 which are configured for attachment to different styles of wiper arms 24a, 24b, 24c, 24d, and all of the connector pieces 34, 134, 234, 334, 434 are configured for attachment with the base 32 in a similar manner. With reference to the first exemplary embodiment of the connector piece 34 shown in Figures 1-5, the base 32 and the connector piece 34 are releasably connectable with one another by snap fitting a pair of projections 39 on either the connector piece 34 or the base 32 into a pair of recesses 40 in the other. Specifically, in the exemplary embodiment, the base 32 includes a pair of side walls 42 which are spaced laterally from one another and face in opposite lateral directions. Each of the side walls 42 includes a single dimple, or a recess 40, which is located at approximately a longitudinal midpoint of the base 32. The connector piece 34 has a pair of legs 44 which extend vertically downwardly and each of which has a projection that is shaped similarly to the recesses 40 in the base 32. The legs 44 are resiliently deflectable for deflecting outwardly to allow for a snap fitting engagement between the projections 39 on the legs 44 of the connector piece 34 and the recesses 40 in the side walls 42 of the base 32.

[0032] Referring still to Figures 1-5, to attach a connector piece 34 with the base 32, a user simply urges the connector piece 34 downwardly such that the legs 44 of the connector piece 34 resiliently deflect outwardly on either side of the base 32 until the projections snap into the recesses 40. This provides a sufficiently secure connection for rear windscreen wiper devices 20. This process is very simple and requires no special tools. The connector piece 34 may then be detached from the base 32 by pulling the connector piece 34 upwardly to disengage the projections from the recesses 40. As such, the same wiper element 26, flexors 28, end caps 30 and base 32 can be used for connection with a range of different styles of rear oscillating arms. This provides for significant

manufacturing cost savings through economies of scale.

[0033] With reference still to the first exemplary connector piece 34, each of the exemplary connector pieces 34 includes a pair of lateral walls 46 which are spaced laterally from one another and a top wall 48 which extends transversely between the lateral walls 46. The top wall 48 has an opening formed therein for allowing the passage of a wiper arm 24 therethrough into an interior between the lateral walls 46. A pin 50 is positioned beneath the opening of the top wall 48 and extends transversely between the lateral walls 46 for directly or indirectly engaging with an end of a rear wiper arm 24.

[0034] The pin 50 of the first exemplary embodiment of the connector piece 34 shown in Figures 1-5 is sized and positioned for attachment with Type A style rear wiper arms 24a. Referring now to Figure 11-13, wherein like numerals separated by a factor of 100 indicate corresponding parts with the first exemplary embodiment, the pin 150 of the second exemplary connector piece 134 is sized and positioned for attachment with Type B style rear wiper arms 24b. Referring now to Figures 14 and 15, wherein like numerals separated by a factor of 200 indicate corresponding parts with the first exemplary embodiment, the pin 250 of the third exemplary connector piece 234 is sized and positioned for attachment with Type D style rear wiper arms 24c. Referring now to Figures 16 and 17, wherein like numerals separated by a factor of 300 indicate corresponding parts with the first exemplary embodiment, the pin 350 of the fourth exemplary connector piece 334 is sized and positioned for attachment with Type E style rear wiper arms (not shown).

[0035] Referring now to Figures 18 and 19, wherein like numerals separated by a factor of 400 indicate corresponding parts with the first exemplary embodiment, an connector piece 434 pivotally engages the pin 450 for receiving a hook style rear wiper arm 24d. The adapter 436 is made as a separate piece from the connector piece 434 and is preferably made of a plastic material through an injection molding process.

[0036] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings and may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described while within the scope of the appended claims.