The present invention is in the field of a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type, particularly for automobiles, 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 at least one longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for an oscillating arm, wherein said oscillating arm can be pivotally connected to said

connecting device about a pivot axis near one end thereof.

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 biased by the carrier element, as a result of which it exhibits a specific curvature.

In use, said oscillating arm is connected to a mounting head mounted on a drive shaft, wherein said oscillating arm at one end thereof is pivotally connected to the mounting head by means of a pivot pin and at another end thereof is connected to said wiper blade placed in abutment with said 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 oscillating arm into rotation and by means of said connecting device moves the wiper blade. Said oscillating arm can thus oscillate to-and-from between a first and second reversal positions. It is noted that the present invention is not restricted to automobiles, but also refers to rail coaches and other

(fast) vehicles.

In practice each car manufacturer has its own design for the oscillating arm, particularly arranged for a rear window of their car(s), and that each design has its own length for the oscillating arm. Hence, dependent on the car

manufacturer, there are several types of (rear) oscillating arms on the market mutually varying in length. Despite these various types of (rear) oscillating arms mutually varying in length, a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade

connected thereto needs to able to wipe the entire (rear) window of each type of car. Hence, although the length of a wiper blade can be changed to a certain extent, dependent on the car manufacturer, there is a need for more flexibility to compensate mutually differing lengths of various types of (rear) oscillating arms presently on the market.

The object of the invention is to obviate the above

disadvantage and thereto, according to the invention, a connecting device is proposed for interconnecting a

windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type and an oscillating arm pivotally connectable to said connecting device about a pivot axis near one end thereof, wherein 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 groove, in which groove a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, wherein said connecting device comprises a first part arranged to be connected to said windscreen wiper device, as well as a second part arranged to be interposed between said first part and said oscillating arm, wherein said second part is arranged to be pivotally connected to said first part optionally around a first pivot axis or around a second pivot axis. Preferably, said second part is arranged to be pivotally connected to said first part optionally around a first pivot axis or around a second pivot axis or around a third pivot axis or even more pivot axes. In other words, the effective length of the oscillating arm can be shortened or enlarged by pivotally mounting said second part onto said first part at the location of a first pivot axis in use facing towards the mounting head ("effective length is shortened") or at the location of a second pivot axis in use facing away from the mounting head ("effective length is enlarged") , seen relative to a middle transverse plane of the connecting device in vertical direction (perpendicular to a windscreen to be wiped) . Thus, a universal connecting device is obtained which can be mounted on various types of

oscillating arms mutually differing in length, while realizing a standard effective length of these oscillating arms. This connecting device has a broader use and is able to withstand high forces, using a minimum of parts.

Preferably, said second part is snapped onto said first part .

The term "optionally" means that the user has a choice which pivot axis to use.

In a preferred embodiment of a connecting device in

accordance with the invention said pivot axes are spaced- apart in longitudinal direction of the oscillating arm. In another preferred embodiment of a connecting device according to the invention said first and second parts are provided with mutually cooperating protrusion/hole means to allow a pivotal interconnection of said first and second parts around one of said pivot axes. Particularly, said first part comprises at the location of one of said pivot axes two opposing protrusions extending laterally outwardly arranged to engage into correspondingly shaped holes in said second part. In the alternative said second part comprises at the location of one of said pivot axes two opposing protrusions extending laterally inwardly arranged to engage into correspondingly shaped holes in said first part. Said second part of the connecting device is preferably snapped onto the first part thereof, wherein the protrusions are snapped into the holes.

In another preferred embodiment of a connecting device in accordance with the invention said second part has a U- shaped cross-section at the location of its connection to said first part. Preferably, a base of said U-shaped cross- section is provided with a resilient tongue arranged to engage into a correspondingly shaped hole in said

oscillating arm. Said resilient tongue is preferably arranged to snap into said hole in said oscillating arm.

This is a so-called bayonet connection which will be explained further below in the description to the figures.

In another preferred embodiment of a connecting device according to the invention said first and second parts are each made in one piece of plastic material.

In another preferred embodiment of a connecting device in accordance with the invention said first part comprises engaging members made integral therewith arranged to engage around said longitudinal strip of the carrier element, wherein each engaging member forms a slit arranged for receiving said longitudinal strip. In the alternative said engaging members are arranged to engage around longitudinal strips of the carrier element disposed in opposing grooves of the wiper blade.

The present invention also refers to a windscreen 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 groove, in which groove a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, wherein said windscreen wiper device further comprises a connecting device according to the present invention for pivotally connecting an oscillating arm to said connecting device about a pivot axis near one end thereof. Said longitudinal groove is preferably a central longitudinal groove

accommodating said longitudinal strip.

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 preferably made through extrusion. Particularly, for use on a front windscreen to be wiped, said wiper blade comprises a spoiler (also called an "air deflector") 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 strip is also called a "flexor". Preferably, ends of said longitudinal strip (s) are connected by a respective connecting piece, also called an "end cap".

Further, 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. In case of two longitudinal strips, said first part of said connecting device is

preferably glued or welded onto said longitudinal strips. It is noted that that the term "welding" in the framework of the present invention also encompasses the term "soldering", wherein in the latter case a soldering material, preferably a polymer material, is locally applied between the

connecting device and the longitudinal strip (or skin of the longitudinal strip) . In case of one longitudinal strip, said first part of said connecting device is preferably connected to the flexible material of said wiper blade by means of separate pins extending through said flexible material and said first part of said connecting device in a direction perpendicular to a windscreen to be wiped.

The present invention also relates to a method for

manufacturing a windscreen 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 groove, in which groove a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for an oscillating arm, wherein said oscillating arm can be pivotally connected to said

connecting device about a pivot axis near one end,

characterized in that said connecting device comprises a first part connected to said windscreen wiper device, as well as a second part interposed between said first part and said oscillating arm, wherein said second part is pivotally connected to said first part optionally around a first pivot axis or around a second pivot axis.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to figures illustrated in a drawing, wherein figures la, lb and lc are schematic and perspective views of a windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type and a rear oscillating arm according to the invention, seen as partly cut away (figure la), seen in transparency (figure lb) and seen in real life (figure lc) , whereas figure Id is a schematic and perspective view of the windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type without the rear oscillating arm; figures 2a, 2b 2c are corresponding views of the

windscreen wiper device and the rear oscillating arm of figure 1, seen as partly cut away (figures 2a, 2b and 2c) and in detail (figure 2a) ; and

Figures 3a, 3b and 3c correspond to figures 1 and 2, but showing several pivotal interconnections of a first part and a second part of a connecting device used in the windscreen wiper device of figures 1 and 2. Figures 1 and 2 show a windscreen wiper device 1 of the

"flat blade" type according to the invention for a rear window of a car. Said windscreen wiper device 1 is built up of an elastomeric wiper blade 2, in the longitudinal sides of which opposing longitudinal grooves 3 are formed, and of longitudinal strips 4 made of spring band steel, which are fitted in said longitudinal grooves 3. Said longitudinal strips 4 form 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) . Neighbouring ends of the

longitudinal strips 4 are interconnected on either sides of the windscreen wiper device 1 by means of connecting pieces 5 or "end caps" functioning as clamping members. In this embodiment, the connecting pieces 5 may be separate

constructional elements, which may be form-locked ("positive locking" or "having positive fit"), as well as force-locked to the ends of the longitudinal strips 4. In another

preferred variant, said connecting pieces 5 are in one piece with the longitudinal strips 4 made of spring band steel. In the latter case said connecting pieces 5 form transverse bridges for the longitudinal strips 4, as it were.

With reference to figures 1, 2 and 3, the windscreen wiper device 1 is furthermore built up of a connecting device 6 of plastic material for a rear oscillating arm 7. Said

connecting device 6 comprises a first part 8 rigidly

connected to the longitudinal strips 4 through gluing, welding or soldering, as well as a second part 9 pivotally connected to said first part through a snapping (or

"clicking") operation. The oscillating arm 7 and a unit consisting of the connecting device 6 and the wiper blade 2 are interconnected through a so-called bayonet connection as follows. The second part 9 of the connecting device 6 comprises a resilient tongue 10 extending outwardly and engaging in an identically shaped hole 11 provided in a base of a U-shaped cross-section of the oscillating arm 7. First, said connecting device 6 is easily slid on a free end of the oscillating arm 7. During this sliding movement the

resilient tongue 10 is initially pushed in against a spring force and then allowed to spring back into said hole 11 in said oscillating arm 7, thus snapping, that is clipping the resilient tongue 10 into the hole 11 of the oscillating arm 7. By subsequently pushing in again said resilient tongue 10 against the spring force (as if it were a push button) , the connecting device 6 together with the wiper blade 2 may be released from the oscillating arm 7. Dismounting the

connecting device 7 with the wiper blade 2 from the

oscillating arm 7 is thus realized by sliding the connecting device 6 together with the wiper blade 2 in a direction away from the oscillating arm 7. Reference is made to European patent publication no. 1 403 156 of the same Applicant, which is herewith incorporated by reference.

With reference to particularly figure 3 said first part 8 of said connecting device 6 comprises two cylindrical

protrusions 12 extending outwards on either side thereof, i.e. on each vertical side wall thereof. Said second part 9 of said connecting device 6 comprises three pairs of

opposing cylindrical holes 13 on either side thereof, i.e. in each vertical sidewall thereof. These pairs of

cylindrical holes 13 are spaced apart in longitudinal direction of the oscillating arm 7. In other words, the middle pair of holes 13 is in the middle transverse plane (MTP ) of the second part 9, seen in a direction

perpendicular to the windscreen to be wiped, whereas the outside pairs of holes 13 in use are facing towards and facing away from the mounting head (not shown) . These protrusions 12 are arranged to pivotally engage in the identically shaped cylindrical holes 13 of each pair. In fact, as shown in figure 3, said protrusions 12 pivotally engage in the pair of holes 13 in use facing towards the mounting head (figure 3a) , in the pair of holes 13 in the middle transverse plane (MTP) of the second part 9 (figure 3b) , seen in a direction perpendicular to the windscreen to be wiped, or in the pair of holes 13 in use facing away from the mounting head (figure 3c) . The effective length of the oscillating arm 7 can therefore be standardized, also in the case of various types of oscillating arms 7 mutually varying in length. Said protrusions 12 act as bearing surfaces at the location of a pivot axis in order to pivot the second part 9 of the connecting device 6 (and the oscillating wiper arm 7 attached thereto) about one of said pivot axes

(A1,A2,A3) near a free end of said oscillating wiper arm 7. Reference is made to figure 3a. The protrusions 12 are preferably in one piece with said connecting device 6. In the alternative, the protrusions 12 are part of a single pivot pin perpendicular to the connecting device 6.

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