longitudinal groove, in which groove a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, wherein free ends of said wiper blade are connected to a respective connecting piece, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for an oscillating wiper arm, and wherein said wiper blade is provided with a spoiler at a side thereof facing away from said windscreen to be wiped.

Such a windscreen wiper device is generally known. The prior art windscreen wiper device is in particular designed as a "flat blade" or "yokeless blade", wherein use is no longer made of several yokes pivotally connected to each other, but wherein the wiper blade is biased by the carrier element, as a result of which it exhibits a specific curvature. One drawback of the prior art windscreen wiper device is the fact that the connecting pieces (in practice also called "end caps") and the wiper blade are not connected in a durable, solid manner. Particularly, when high forces are exerted on the wiper blade, the wiper blade may come loose from the connecting pieces. As a result, the life span of the prior art windscreen wiper device may be seriously shortened . The object of the invention is to overcome this drawback of the prior art as indicated above, in particular to provide a windscreen wiper device wherein the wiper blade may not come loose from the connecting pieces.

In order to accomplish that objective, a windscreen wiper device of the kind referred to in the introduction is characterized according to the invention in that at least one connecting piece comprises an internal transverse reinforcement rib, wherein said spoiler is removed along a portion of the length of said wiper blade at a distance from a free end of said wiper blade facing towards said

connecting piece so as to form a transverse slit, and wherein in mounted position said internal transverse

reinforcement rib rests inside said slit. In the framework of the present invention said connecting piece is in the form of an end cap, wherein said reinforcement rib is located inside said end cap, and wherein said end cap and said reinforcement rib are preferably made of one piece of plastic material. Said transverse rib and said transverse slit extend in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of said wiper blade and in the plane of the windscreen to be wiped. Preferably, a moulding operation would ensure that said connecting piece and said

reinforcement rib can be formed in a reliable and

controllable manner, without high costs as far as additional tools and equipment are concerned. Upon mounting said connecting piece onto a respective free end of said wiper blade said internal reinforcement rib is particularly snapped or "clicked" into said transverse slit. The wiper blade is particularly made of an elastomeric material through an extrusion operation. Because said connecting piece is connected to the wiper blade without any connection between said connecting piece and said strip, the connecting piece closes the groove in a dust tight and watertight manner. This implies that any decrease in mobility between the wiper blade and the strip due to any dust inside the groove is avoided, whereas any corrosion of the strip due to any (rain) water inside the groove can be avoided as well. It is noted that the present invention is not restricted to windscreen wiper devices for cars, but that it also relates to windscreen wiper devices for rail coaches and all other (fast) vehicles. Said transverse slit in said spoiler is preferably realized through a cutting operation. The cutting operation ensures that said spoiler is locally removed in its entirety in a reliable and controllable manner. In a preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention the height of said slit corresponds to the height of said internal transverse reinforcement rib. Preferably, a part of said spoiler extending from the free end of said wiper blade to said slit has an inclined upper surface with an inclination angle lying within the range of 0 and 15°. Said upper surface extends upward, seen from a respective free end of said wiper blade. Such an inclination ensures that said

connecting piece can be easily connected to a respective free end of said wiper blade, using less force, while disconnecting said connecting piece requires more force. The connecting piece will therefore not come loose easily from the wiper blade. Said inclined upper surface may be straight or curved.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention the height of said slit is larger than the height of said internal transverse reinforcement rib. Particularly, a part of said spoiler extending from the free end of said wiper blade to said slit has an inclined upper surface with an inclination angle lying within the range of 0 and 45°. Said upper surface again extends upward, seen from a respective free end of said wiper blade. Such an inclination facilitates connection of said connecting piece to a respective free end of said wiper blade, using less force, while it makes it difficult to disconnect said connecting piece, requiring more force. Said inclined upper surface may be straight or curved.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention upon mounting of said connecting piece said wiper blade at a location facing said connecting piece is extracted outwardly so as to allow said internal transverse reinforcement rib to move into said slit. In other words, by pulling an elastomeric material (rubber, for example) of said wiper blade in outward

direction, the connecting piece and the wiper blade are interconnected while the longitudinal strip may not

interfere at the location of their interconnection. By subsequently allowing the elastomeric material (rubber, for example) of said wiper blade to withdraw, said longitudinal strip helps retaining said connecting piece onto said wiper blade . In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention said connecting piece is

connected to said wiper blade by a snapping operation by sliding said connecting piece onto said wiper blade in longitudinal direction thereof until said reinforcement rib snaps into said transverse slit. In the alternative, said connecting piece is connected to said wiper blade by

rotating said connecting piece onto said wiper blade until said reinforcement rib rests inside said transverse slit. In the latter case, glue may be applied to fixate said

connecting piece onto a respective free end of said wiper blade .

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention said connecting piece comprises engaging members sidewardly engaging said wiper blade from the outside, wherein said engaging members comprise retaining means for retaining said wiper blade onto said connecting piece. Particularly, said engaging members and said retaining means are in one piece. Preferably, a moulding operation would ensure that said engaging members and said retaining means can be formed in a reliable and controllable manner, without high costs as far as additional tools and equipment are concerned.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention said engaging members and said retaining means are formed by inwardly bent parts of edges of lateral sides of said connecting piece.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention a cross plane through a free end of said internal transverse reinforcement rib extends through said retaining means.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention said retaining means comprises at least one sidewardly extending gripping tooth for gripping an intermediate web of said wiper blade. Particularly, said retaining means comprises at least two sidewardly extending, opposing gripping teeth.

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

windscreen wiper device in accordance with the

invention; figure 2 is a perspective, schematic view of a

connecting piece or end cap used in the windscreen wiper device of figure 1 according to a first

embodiment A, a second embodiment B and a third

embodiment C; figures 3 and 4 in steps show how the end cap of embodiment A is mounted onto a respective free end of a wiper blade (in two different embodiments) used in the windscreen wiper device of figure 1 ; figure 5 in steps shows how the end cap of embodiment B is mounted onto a respective free end of a wiper blade used in the windscreen wiper device of figure 1; and figure 6 in steps shows how the end cap of embodiment C is mounted onto a respective free end of a wiper blade used in the 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 1 is built up of an elongated wiper blade 2 made of an elastomeric material. Said wiper blade 2 comprises a central longitudinal groove 3, in which a longitudinal strip 4 or flexor made of spring band steel is fitted. Said strip 4 forms a flexible carrier element for the rubber wiper blade 2, as it were, which is thus biased in a curved position (the curvature in operative position being that of a windscreen to be wiped) .

The windscreen wiper device 1 is further equipped with a connecting device 5 for an oscillating arm 6, and a spoiler

7 made in one piece with said wiper blade 2. At both ends of said wiper blade 2, that is on either side of the windscreen wiper device 1, connecting pieces 8 are provided.

As can be seen in figure 2, said connecting pieces or end caps 8 according to embodiments A, B and C each have a bending stiffness in transverse or lateral direction. This is realized by providing said end cap 8 with an internal transverse reinforcement rib 9. Said internal reinforcement rib 9 enhances the stiffness of said end cap 8 in transverse or lateral direction, allowing said end cap 8 to firmly retain said wiping blade 2 thereon.

With reference to figure 2, lateral sides 10 of each end cap

8 are provided with engaging members 11 made integral therewith, wherein said engaging members 11 engage around an upper part of said wiper blade 2, so as to form a groove 12 for sliding said upper part therein (embodiments A and B) or by rotating said upper part therein (embodiment C) . Further, said engaging means 11 include sidewardly extending gripping teeth 13 made integral therewith, wherein said gripping teeth 13 grip into an intermediate web of said wiper blade 2. It is noted that the teeth 13 may only slightly penetrate the elastomeric (rubber) material of said wiper blade 2, without damaging the same.

According to the invention the end caps 8 are connected to the wiper blade 2 without any connection between said end caps 8 and the strip 4. With reference to figure 3, said spoiler 7 is removed along a portion 14 of the length of said wiper blade 2 at a distance from a free end of said wiper blade 2 facing said end cap 8, so as to form a transverse slit 15. Mounting of said end cap 8 onto said free end of said wiper blade 2 is realized as follows. First, said end cap 5 is freely slided onto the respective free end of said wiper blade 2 (side view of situation X and bottom view of situation X) until said reinforcement rib 9 is snapped or "clicked" into said transverse slit 15 (bottom view of situation Y) . As shown in figure 3, said free end of said wiper blade 2, at the location of said upper part thereof is cut in order to have a curved extremity, so that said upper part of said wiper blade 2 (designated with reference numeral 16) is able to follow a curvature of said end wall 17 of said end cap 8. In order to freely slide said end cap 8 onto said free end of said wiper blade 2, said wiper blade 2 is pinched at a location 18 thereof in order to pull said wiper blade 2 in outward direction. Figure 4 corresponds to figure 3, wherein corresponding parts have been designated with the same reference numerals, on the understanding that in figure 3 a part of said spoiler 7 extending from the free end of said wiper blade 2 to said slit 15 has an inclined upper surface 19 with an inclination angle of 5°, whereas in figure 4 said inclined upper surface 19 has an inclination angle of 20°. Figure 5 corresponds to figures 3 and 4, wherein

corresponding parts have been designated with the same reference numerals, on the understanding that in figure 5 a part of said spoiler 7 extending from the free end of said wiper blade 2 to said slit 15 has an inclined upper surface 19 having a certain curvature.

Figure 6 corresponds to figures 3, 4 and 5, wherein

corresponding parts have been designated with the same reference numerals, on the understanding that in figure 6 said connecting piece 8 is connected to said wiper blade 2 by rotating said connecting piece 8 onto said wiper blade 2 (side view of situation X) until said reinforcement rib 9 rests inside said transverse slit 15 (bottom view of

situation Y) . Glue may be used to further retain said end cap 8 onto said wiper blade 2.

Although not shown in figures 1, 2 and 3, but fully

understood by a skilled person, said oscillating arm 6 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 8 into rotation and by means of said connecting device 5 moves said wiper blade 2.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown, but also extends to other preferred embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.