The present invention relates to a windscreen wiper arm, particularly for automobiles, comprising a mounting head mountable on a drive shaft and a first arm member at one end thereof being pivotally connected to the mounting head by means of a pivot pin and at another end thereof being rigidly connected to a second arm member arranged to be connected to an elongated wiper blade to be placed in abutment with said windscreen to be wiped, and wherein said first and said second arm members can oscillate to-and-from between a first reversal position and a second reversal position . In the framework of the present invention said first reversal position may be identified as a position, wherein the arm members extend parallel to a windscreen to be wiped and are located near a lower edge of said windscreen to be wiped. Also, said second reversal position may be formulated as a position, wherein the arm members extend also parallel to a windscreen to be wiped and are located in a central region or near a side edge of said windscreen to be wiped.

The present invention also relates to a vehicle equipped with such a windscreen wiper arm, as well as to a method for manufacturing a windscreen wiper arm.

It is noted that the present invention is not restricted to automobiles, but also refers to rail coaches and other

(fast) vehicles.

Such a windscreen wiper arm is generally known. The first arm member at one end thereof is pivotally connected to the mounting head by means of a pivot pin, for example in the form of a rivet. The first arm member at the other end thereof is connected to a second arm member in the form of a wiper rod, wherein one end of the wiper rod extends inside the first arm member. A spring is hooked with its first end on the mounting head and with its second end on to the wiper rod in order to ensure that the wiper rod and thus the wiper blade connected thereto is pressed onto a windscreen to be wiped. 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 the arm members into rotation and by means of a connecting device

(interconnecting the wiper rod and the wiper blade) moves the wiper blade.

A disadvantage of the known windscreen wiper arm is its heavy weight and large dimensions.

It is an object of the invention to obviate this

disadvantage, in the sense that at minimum costs - without using complex machinery and additional tools - windscreen wiper arms having a reduced weight and reduced dimensions are proposed, while the mounting head and the arm members are interconnected in a reliable and secure manner.

Thereto, according to the invention a windscreen wiper arm mentioned in the preamble is characterized in that said said second arm member is made in one piece and has a

substantially U-shaped cross-section defining a housing between a base and legs of said U-shaped cross-section, wherein said housing is arranged to accommodate at least one channel for a washing liquid and/or electricity wiring.

Hence, due to the U-shaped cross-section of the second arm member, the weight of the entire windscreen wiper arm is significantly reduced compared to conventional windscreen wiper arms. Further, the rigidity of said second arm member in longitudinal direction thereof is now increased with less material (compared to the prior art), while a "rattling" or reversal noise due to a wiping lip of said wiper blade tumbling over at each turning point of the oscillatory movement of the windscreen wiper arm, is reduced. Finally, said channel for a washing liquid and/or electricity wiring inside said U-shaped cross-section is protected from the environment, such as snow, ice, UV-radiation from the sun, and dust .

Said U-shaped cross-section extends along the entire length of the second arm member. Said channel for a washing liquid and/or electricity wiring is preferably clipped or glued onto (a leg and/or a base of) the U-shaped cross-section of the second arm member. A source for said washing liquid, such as a water source/reservoir, as well as an electricity source, such as a battery, are preferably located under a bonnet of the car involved.

In a preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper arm in accordance with the invention said first arm member has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, wherein a part of said second arm member extends between legs of said U-shaped cross-section of said first arm member. Particularly, said legs of said U-shaped cross-section of said second arm member abut said legs of said U-shaped cross-section of said first arm member at the location of their interconnection. In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper arm according to the invention said first and second arm members are glued, welded or soldered together. In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper arm in accordance with the invention said second arm member is made integrally from a single sheet material, wherein parts of said sheet material are folded outwardly to form said legs of said U-shaped cross-section of said second arm member.

The present second arm member is preferably made of metal. In the alternative, said second arm member is preferably made of a plastic material.

Particularly, the present second arm member in use thereof is connected to a windscreen wiper device of the "flat blade" type. Preferably, said windscreen wiper device comprises an elastic, elongated carrier element, as well as an elongated wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade includes at least one longitudinal groove, in which groove a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, which windscreen wiper device comprises a

connecting device ("connector") for the windscreen wiper arm according to the invention.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper arm according to the invention said at least one channel for a washing liquid is arranged to be connected to a spraying nozzle connected to said second arm member or said wiper blade or a connecting device interconnecting said wiper blade and said second arm member. In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper arm in accordance with the invention a part of said mounting head extends between said legs of said U-shaped cross-section of said first arm member and beyond said pivot pin.

As indicated earlier, the present invention also refers to a vehicle provided with a windscreen wiper arm according to the invention. Further, the present invention also refers to a method for manufacturing a windscreen wiper arm, particularly for automobiles, comprising a mounting head mountable on a drive shaft and a first arm member at one end thereof being pivotally connected to the mounting head by means of a pivot pin and at another end thereof being rigidly connected to a second arm member arranged to be connected to an elongated wiper blade to be placed in abutment with said windscreen to be wiped, and wherein said first and said second arm members can oscillate to-and-from between a first reversal position and a second reversal position, characterized in that said second arm member is made in one piece and has a

substantially U-shaped cross-section defining a housing between a base and legs of said U-shaped cross-section, wherein said housing is arranged to accommodate at least one channel for a washing liquid and/or electricity wiring.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrated in a drawing, wherein: - figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper arm according to the invention (with a windscreen wiper blade) ; and figure 2 shows schematic front and perspective views of a part of the windscreen wiper arm of figure 1.

Figure 1 shows a preferred variant of a windscreen wiper arm 1 according to the invention. As illustrated in figure 1, the windscreen wiper arm 1 according to the invention comprises a plastic mounting head 2 which can be fixed for rotation to a shaft 3 driven, via a mechanism not

illustrated, by a small motor. Said windscreen wiper arm 1 further comprises a plastic first arm member 4 supported by the mounting head 2. Said windscreen wiper arm 1 further comprises a plastic second arm member 5 rigidly connected to said first arm member 4. Said second arm member 5 in turn supports a schematically depicted wiper blade 6 with the help of a connecting device 7. The first arm member 4 is pivotally connected to the mounting head 2 by means of a pivot pin 8, for example in the form of a rivet. A spring (not shown) is hooked with its first end on the mounting head 2 and with its second end on to the second arm member 5 in order to ensure that the second arm member 5 and thus the wiper blade 6 connected thereto is pressed onto a windscreen to be wiped. In use, the shaft 3 rotates alternately in a clockwise and in a counter-clockwise sense carrying the mounting head 2 into rotation also, which in turn draws the first and second arm members 4,5 into rotation and by means of the connecting device 7 moves the wiper blade 6.

As illustrated, in interconnecting the connecting device 7 and the second arm member 5 use is made of a so-called

"bayonet connection", wherein a resilient tongue 9 of said connecting device 7 during a sliding movement is initially pushed inwards against a spring force and is then allowed to spring back into a correspondingly shaped hole 10 of said second arm member 5, thus snapping, that is clipping the resilient tongue 9 into the hole 10. By subsequently pushing in again said resilient tongue 8 against the spring force (as if it were a push button) , the connecting device 7 together with the wiper blade 6 may be released from the windscreen wiper arm 2. The wiper blade 6 is of the so- called "flat blade type", wherein the wiper blade 6 includes at least one longitudinal groove, in which groove a

longitudinal strip of a carrier element is disposed in order to bias said wiper blade 6.

As illustrated, the first arm member 4 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section near said pivot pin 6 comprising legs or sidewalls, wherein said sidewalls extend between a part of the mounting head 2 and beyond said pivot pin 6. Said part of the mounting head 2 is provided with opposite surfaces. The first arm member 4 is pivotally connected to the mounting head 2 by means of the pivot pin 8, wherein the first arm member 4 can be pivoted between a wiping position (or "working position") , wherein the first arm member 4 extends parallel to a windscreen to be wiped, and an

elevated or upright position (or "service position"), wherein the first arm member 4 and/or a windscreen wiper blade 6 to be attached to said second arm member 5 can be repaired or replaced.

With reference to figure 2, said second arm member 5 is made in one piece and has a substantially U-shaped cross-section defining a housing 11 between a base 12 and legs 13 of said U-shaped cross-section. Said housing 11 is arranged to accommodate a channel 14 for a washing liquid and a channel 15 for electricity wires. As depicted, a part of said second arm member 5 extend between inside said U-shaped cross- section of said first arm member 4, wherein said legs 13 of said U-shaped cross-section of said second arm member 5 abut said legs of said U-shaped cross-section of said first arm member 4 at the location of their interconnection. In this case said first and second arm members 4,5 are welded together .

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