Such a windscreen wiper device is generally known. This prior art windscreen wiper device is designed as a so-called "flat blade" or "yokeless blade", wherein no use is made of several yokes pivotally connected to each other, but wherein the wiper blade is biassed by the carrier element, as a result of which it exhibits a specific curvature. The object of the invention is to provide an improved windscreen wiper device.

In order to accomplish that objective, a windscreen wiper device of the type referred to in the introduction is characterized according to the invention in that said wiping element, during its oscillatory movement, is hingeable along at least one hinge positioned at a distance from a location where said wiping element abuts said first part of said wiper blade. An important aspect of the invention is that, during oscillatory movement of said wiping element, forces involved therewith are exerted on said strong first part instead of on said weaker hinge like in the prior art.

Consequently, stress in said hinge is avoided resulting in less chatter, better wiping quality, and the avoidance of a permanently set position of said hinge.

Preferably, said wiper blade and said wiping element are made in one piece of elastomeric material.

In a preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention said wiping element abuts said first part of said wiper blade along a rolling contact surface. Preferably, said wiping element abuts said

longitudinal strip. Hence, in use said wiping element permanently abuts said strong longitudinal strip, wherein said wiping element performs a rolling movement along said rolling contact surface during its oscillatory movement.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention said wiping element consists of a downwardly extending wiping lip and an upwardly extending protrusion abutting said longitudinal strip. Said protrusion particularly has a round contact surface abutting said longitudinal strip, so that said rolling contact surface is formed by said round contact surface.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention said wiping element is hingeable along at least two hinges positioned on opposite sides of said wiping element, and wherein said location where said wiping element abuts said first part of said wiper blade extends between said hinges. Preferably, said hinges are part of bottom of said groove and form an

integral part thereof. In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention said hinges are resilient in order to allow oscillatory movement of said wiping element and to limit a reversal movement of said wiping element during its oscillatory movement. The advantage is that the so-called "reversal noise" of the wiping element during said oscillatory movement is reduced.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention said wiper blade is provided with a spoiler at a side thereof facing away from a windscreen to be wiped.

The invention will now be explained more in detail with reference to figures illustrated in a drawing, wherein figure 1 is a perspective, schematic view of a

preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention, with and without an

oscillating arm, respectively; and figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a wiper blade as used in a windscreen wiper device of figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a preferred variant of a windscreen wiper device 1 according to the invention. Said windscreen wiper device is built up of an elastomeric wiper blade 2

comprising a central or middle longitudinal groove 3, wherein a central or middle longitudinal strip 4 made of spring band steel is fitted in said longitudinal groove 3 (see figure 2) . Said strip 4 forms a flexible carrier element for the rubber wiper blade 2, as it were, which is thus biassed in a curved position (the curvature in

operative position being that of a windscreen to be wiped) . An end of said strip 4 and/or an end of said wiper blade 2 is/are connected on either side of the windscreen wiper device 1 to respective connecting pieces or "end caps" 5. In this embodiment, the connecting pieces 5 are separate constructional elements, which may be form-locked, as well as force-locked to both ends of said strip 4/said wiper blade 2. In another preferred variant, said connecting pieces 5 are in one piece with the strip 4 made of spring band steel. The windscreen wiper device 1 is furthermore built up of a connecting device 6 for connecting an

oscillating wiper arm 7 thereto. The oscillating wiper arm 7 is pivotally connected to the connecting device 6 about a pivot axis near one end. The preferred embodiment of figure 1 according to the invention comprises a spoiler or "air deflector" 8 which is made in one piece with the rubber wiper blade 2 and which extends along the entire length thereof. The connecting device 6 with the wiper blade 2 is mounted onto the oscillating arm 7 as follows. A joint part 9 being already clipped onto the connecting device 6 is pivoted relative to the connecting device 6, so that said joint part 9 can be easily slided on a free end of the oscillating arm 7. During this sliding movement a resilient tongue 10 of said joint part 9 is initially pushed in against a spring force and then allowed to spring back into said hole 11 of said oscillating arm 7, thus snapping, that is clipping the resilient tongue 10 into the hole 11. This is a so-called bayonet-connection. The oscillating arm 7 together with the joint part 9 may then be pivoted back in a position parallel to the wiper blade 2 in order to be ready for use. By subsequently pushing in again said resilient tongue 10 against the spring force (as if it were a push button), the connecting device 6 and the joint part 9 together with the wiper blade 2 may be released from the oscillating arm 7. Dismounting the connecting device 6 with the wiper blade 2 from the oscillating arm 7 is thus realized by sliding the connecting device 6 and the joint part 9 together with the wiper blade 2 in a direction away from the oscillating arm 7. The connecting device 6 comprises two cylindrical protrusions 12 extending outwards on either side of said connecting device 6. These

protrusions 12 pivotally engage in identically shaped cylindrical recesses 13 of the plastic joint part 9. Said protrusions 12 act as bearing surfaces at the location of the pivot axis in order to pivot the joint part 9 (and the oscillating arm 7 attached thereto) about the pivot axis near one end of the oscillating arm 7. Although not shown in figure 1, but fully understood by a skilled person, said oscillating arm 7 is connected to a mounting head fixed for rotation to a shaft driven by a small motor. In use, the shaft rotates alternately in a clockwise and in a counter-clockwise sense carrying the mounting head into rotation also, which in turn draws said oscillating arm 7 into rotation and by means of said connecting device 6 moves said wiper blade 2.

With reference to figure 2 the wiper blade 2 comprises a wiping element 14 made in once piece therewith and forming part of a bottom of said groove 3. Said wiping element 14 consists of a downwardly extending wiping lip 15 and an upwardly extending protrusion 16 abutting said longitudinal strip 4. Said protrusion 16 has a round contact surface abutting said longitudinal strip 4, so that said wiping element 14 during its oscillatory movement carries out a rolling movement along a rolling contact surface 17 formed by said round contact surface. Said wiping lip 15 rests with its free end on a windscreen to be wiped. In action said wiping lip 15, as if it were a hinge, tilts in its

oscillation reversal positions. As can be seen in figure 2, said wiping element 14 is hingeable along at least two hinges 18,19 positioned on opposite sides of said wiping element 14, and wherein said rolling contact surface where said wiping element 14 abuts said longitudinal strip 4 is positioned between said hinges 18,19. Said hinges 18,19 are thus spaced apart from said rolling contact surface 17, so that forces are exerted on said strong longitudinal strip 4 instead of on said weaker hinge like in the prior art. Said hinges 18,19 are resilient in order to allow oscillatory movement of said wiping element 14 and to limit/damp a reversal movement of said wiping element 14 during its oscillatory movement for reducing the so-called "reversal noise".

As can be seen in figure 2, said central groove 3 extends in upward direction above the longitudinal strip 4 for forming a longitudinal hollow channel 20 defined by said

longitudinal strip 4 and an upper surface 21 of said groove 3. This is realized for facilitating insertion of said longitudinal strip 4 inside said groove 3 and for reducing the amount of raw material used in order to minimize costs and weight. The invention is not restricted to the variants shown in the drawing, but it also extends to other preferred embodiments that fall within the scope of the appended claims.