The present invention relates to a windsc een wiper device of the "flat blade type" comprising 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 for an

oscillating wiper arm, wherein end caps are provided at both free ends of said wiper blade, said end caps each comprise engaging members sidewardly engaging said wiper blade from the outside, wherein said engaging members comprise retaining means for retaining said end caps onto said wiper blade, wherein said retaining means engage into opposing longitudinal slits on said longitudinal sides of said wiper blade, wherein said retaining means comprises at least one sidewardly extending gripping tooth for gripping an intermediate web of said wiper blade as defined by said opposing longitudinal slits, wherein said engaging members and said retaining means are in one piece, and wherein said engaging members and said retaining means are formed by inwardly bent parts of edges of said end cap.

A windscreen wiper device of the "flat blade type" is generally known. In such a windscreen wiper device of the "flat blade type" no use is made of several yokes

pivotally connected to each other, but wherein the wiper

^" hi SHP Ί Q hi a QPH Ί ΛΤ- †" ]Ί P p> Q 1 Qryip 1ri1iL" Λ Q Λ rp Qn 1†" r which it exhibits a specific curvature. In practice, the end caps on the one hand and the flexible material of the wiper blade on the other hand need to be interconnected in a durable, solid manner so as to prevent that the end caps may come loose from the wiper blade. Therefore, there is a need to improve said connection of the end caps on the one hand, but to ensure an easy assembly thereof on the other hand, particularly during the blade assembly

process .

The object of the invention is to provide an improved windscreen wiper device of the "flat blade type", wherein no use is made of several yokes pivotally connected to each other, but wherein the wiper blade is biased by the a o , Ί†- "F ~ ~ ^{. "} u ~. ^ ^" ~ ^{, "} h

c p i "F i i yp 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 gripping tooth is hingeable in a longitudinal plane

perpendicular to the vertical median plane of the wiper blade. The hingeability of the gripping tooth ensures that the grip thereof into the intermediate web of said wiper blade, as defined by said opposing longitudinal slits, is smaller when mounting the end caps onto the wiper blade in a longitudinal direction towards the connecting device than the grip thereof into said intermediate web when dismounting the end caps from the wiper blade in a longitudinal direction away from the connecting device.

It is noted that the present invention is not restricted to C 3, S .but 3.1 S O J Θ f Θ S t O 2 cl 11 C O 3.ch Θ S 3. Γ1cl oth Θ -L? (f 3.st ) i ^" 1 ( 1 ίΞ5 S · It is noted that the present invention is not restricted to the use of only one longitudinal strip forming the elastic carrier element that is particularly located in a central longitudinal groove of the wiper blade. Instead, said carrier element may also comprise two longitudinal strips, wherein said strips are disposed in opposite longitudinal grooves of the wiper blade. Said groove (s ) may be closed at one outer end. Further, it is noted that in the invention use is made of a mounting head fixed for rotation to a shaft, wherein said shaft is rotatable alternately in a clockwise and in a counter-clockwise sense carrying said mounting head into rotation. Thus, in turn said mounting head draws said connecting device into rotation and thereby moves said wiper blade. In the alternative, said mounting head is fixed for translation to a carriage, wherein said carriage can be translated alternately in a one linear direction and in another counter linear direction carrying said mounting head into translation. The present invention can therefore be used for circular or linear movement of said mounting head.

In the framework of the present invention the following is noted. Said connecting device, also called "connector", is preferably made of plastic. The wiper blade being

preferably made of an elastomer material, such as rubber, is particularly made through extrusion. Particularly, said wiper blade comprises a spoiler at a side thereof facing away from the windscreen to be wiped, wherein said wiper blade and said spoiler are preferably made in one piece. Said longitudinal groove is preferably a central

longitudinal groove accommodating said longitudinal strip. Said longitudinal strip is also called a "flexor". Said connecting device is preferably fixedly connected to the longitudinal strip (s) particularly through a welding, brazing ("soldering"), gluing or clamping operation or with the help of a pin inserted through said connecting device and said longitudinal strip (s) . In the alternative or in addition thereto, said connecting device is clamped onto the flexible material of the wiper blade, particularly in case the latter is equipped with a central longitudinal

fo fh r rr pr p 1 pmpn D 1 y 1 \/ c* :q i H

connecting device comprises two protuberances extending outwardly on either side thereof, wherein said

protuberances pivotally engage into correspondingly shaped recesses of a joint part interposed between the connecting device and he oscillating arm. Said protuberances are preferably cylindrical in shape. All the above preferred features of the present invention can be used alone or in combination with any other feature (s), as a skilled person would appreciate.

In a preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention said g ipping tooth is hingeable around a restricted neck. Hence, said restricted neck forms a hinge for said gripping tooth and enhances the hingeability thereof, without deteriorating the life span thereof .

according to the invention said gripping tooth is

bend/biassed in a direction away from a free end of said wiper blade. This ensures that mounting the end caps over the wiper blade does not take a large force, whereas the end caps are retained thereof in a reliable and safe manner. In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device in accordance with the invention said retaining means comprises at least two opposing gripping teeth. The

invention ensures that a distance (A) between free tips of said gripping teeth in mounted position of a respective end cap and under the influence of a force in the direction away from a free end of said wiper blade is larger than a

distance (B) between free tips of said gripping teeth in mounted position of a respective end cap and under the influence of a force in the direction towards a free end of said wiper blade. Preferably, the end caps each comprise two, preferably three pairs of opposing gripping teeth.

In another preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention said wiper blade at both free ends thereof extends beyond said longitudinal strip in order to define at both ends of said wiper blade a space open at one end thereof, wherein said end caps are retained onto said wiper blade so as to dust and water tightly close said groove at both free ends of said wiper blade, and wherein said end caps each comprise an interior protrusion fitting inside said space in order to dust and water tightly close said groove at both free ends of said wiper blade.

Preferably, said interior protrusion extends longitudinally from an end wall of each end cap.

The present invention also relates to an end cap as a single constructional element arranged to be provided at both free ends of a wiper blade of a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type, wherein said end cap comprise engaging members arranged to sidewardly engaging said wiper blade from the outside, wherein said engaging members comprise retaining means for retaining said end caps onto said wiper blade, wherein said retaining means are arranged to engage into opposing longitudinal slits on longitudinal sides of said wiper blade, wherein said retaining means comprises at least one sidewardly extending gripping tooth arranged for gripping an intermediate web of said wiper blade as defined by said opposing longitudinal slits, wherein said engaging members and said retaining means are in one piece, and wherein said engaging members and said retaining means are formed by inwardly bent parts of edges of said end cap, characterized according to the invention in that said gripping tooth is hingeable in a longitudinal plane

perpendicular to the vertical median plane of the end cap. 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

preferred embodiment of a windscreen wiper device according to the invention, together with a detail thereof seen in cross-section;

Figures 2 shows a bottom view of an end cap as used in the windscreen wiper device of figure 1; and

Figure 3 coresponds to figure 2, on the understanding that the end cap is shown in a mounted situation without any force exerted thereon (top) and with a pulling force exerted thereon (below) .

Figure 1 shows a preferred variant of a windscreen wiper device 1 of the flat blade type according to the invention. Said windscreen wiper device is built up of an elastomeric wiper blade 2 having a central longitudinal groove 3. A central longitudinal strip 4 made of spring band steel is fitted in said longitudinal groove 3. 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) . At both ends 5 of said wiper blade 2, that is on either side of the windscreen wiper device 1, end caps 6 are povided. The windscreen wiper device 1 is further equipped with a connecting device 7 for an oscillating arm

8, and a spoiler 9. The connecting pieces 6 are both made of one piece of plastic.

With reference to figures 2 and 3, each connecting piece 6 is provided with two engaging members 10 made integral therewith, wherein said engaging members 10 engage around the wiper blade 2 so as to allow a slidingly mounting of said connecting pieces 6 over said ends 5 of said wiper blade 2. Further, said engaging means 10 include sidewardly extending gripping teeth 11 made integral therewith, wherein said gripping teeth 11 grip inside opposing longitudinal slits 12 and into an intermediate web 13 of said wiper blade 2 (see detail of figure 1) . Hence, said gripping teeth 11 realize that the connecting pieces 6 are blocked against any movement in longitudinal direction with respect to the wiper blade 2. In case said gripping teeth 11 would be hook- shaped, said hooks are preferably bent/biassed in a

direction away from the connecting device 7, so that any movement of said wiper blade 2 in a direction towards said connecting piece 6 is blocked by an end wall of said

connecting pieces 6, whereas any movement of said wiper blade 2 in a direction away from said connecting pieces 6 is blocked by said hooks. It is noted that the teeth 11 only slightly penetrates the elastomeric (rubber) material of said wiper blade 2, without damaging the same, namely a part of said wiper blade 2 that extends from said strip 4 in a direction towards the windscreen to be wiped.

As a shown in figures 2 and 3, teeth 11 of three opposite teeth pairs are hingeable around a respective restricted neck 14 in a longitudinal plane perpendicular to the

vertical median plane VMP of the wiper blade 2 (see detail of figure 1) . The hingeability of the gripping teeth 11 ensures that the grip thereof into the intermediate web 13 of said wiper blade 2, as defined by said opposing

longitudinal slits 12, is smaller when mounting the end caps 2 onto the wiper blade 2 in a longitudinal direction towards the connecting device 7 than the grip thereof into said intermediate web 13 when dismounting the end caps 6 from the wiper blade 2 in a longitudinal direction away from the connecting device 7. The top of figure 3 shows a bottom view of the end cap 6 in mounted position on the free end 5 of the wiper blade 2 without any force exerted thereon, whereas the bottom of figure 3 shows the end cap 6 in the same position, but with a pulling force exerted thereon. In general the distance A between free tips of said gripping teeth 11 in mounted position of a respective end cap 6 and under the influence of a force in the direction away from a free end 5 of said wiper blade 2 is larger than a distance B between free tips of said gripping teeth 11 in mounted position of a

respective end cap 6 and under the influence of a force in the direction towards a free end 5 of said wiper blade 2. In case of figure 3 A is larger than B. According to the invention the connecting pieces 6 or end caps are connected to the wiper blade 2 without any

connection between said connecting pieces 6 and the strip 4.

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