GB2074441A - Attachment member for attaching wiper blade assembly to wiper arm - Google Patents

Abstract

An attachment member for releasably securing a windscreen wiper blade assembly (12) to wiper arm (19) comprises a pivotable body member (17) having a recess (18) for receiving the end of the wiper arm (19), a resilient extension (21) having a projection (22) which is arranged to engage aperture (24) in arm (19), and a shoulder (23) which is arranged to engage an abutment (27) on the assembly (12) on relative pivotal movement of body member and blade assembly to flex the extension (21) and thereby disengage projection (22) from aperture (24) to permit withdrawal of the arm (19) from the body member (17). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Attachment means This invention relates to means for attaching a windscreen wiper blade assembly to a windscreen wiper arm.

More specifically, the present invention relates to attachment of a wiper blade assembly to a wiper arm which has an end portion received by a clip or the like on the wiper blade assembly, the end portion of the arm having an aperture, recess, projection or shoulder which engages and interlocks with a complementary part of the clip or the like to secure the assembly to the arm.

A number of different forms of clips or fittings are presently used for the attachment of a windscreen wiper blade assembly to a windscreen wiper arm. A commonly used clip is that known as a "bayonet" fitting comprising a hollow metal sleeve pivoted to the windscreen wiper blade assembly and having a spring clip which is adapted to engage a recess or projection on the windscreen wiper arm which engages within the sleeve. The spring clip is manually actuated in order to enable the blade assembly to be removed from the arm.

The prior art arrangements are disadvantageous in that use of an auxiliary tool such as a screwdriver is generally required for attachment or disassembly of the windscreen wiper blade from the windscreen wiper arm. Alternatively, a plurality of parts need to be assembled and secured together to ensure that the blade assembly is properly fitted to the windscreen wiper arm.

It is therefore desirable to provide attachment means to secure a windscreen wiper blade assembly to a windscreen wiper arm which is relatively simple in construction and avoids the use of an auxiliary tool for attachment or disassembly of the blade from the arm.

It is also desirable to provide attachment means which is relatively cheap and simple to manufacture and which securely locks the blade assembly to the wiper arm.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided an attachment member for attaching a windscreen wiper blade assembly to a wiper arm, said wiper arm having a recess, aperture, shoulder or projection adjacent its free end, said wiper blade assembly including a structure which supports a wiper blade, said attachment member comprising a body portion, means on the body portion for engagement with the wiper blade structure whereby the body is pivotally mounted to the structure, a generally longitudinally extending hole or slot in the body portion, said hole or slot being of a shape and dimensions to closely receive the free end portion of the wiper arm, an extension on the body portion extending generally longitudinally, said extension being relatively resilient and able to flex relative to the body portion, engagement means on said extension to engage the recess, aperture, shoulder or projection adjacent the free end of the wiper arm when the arm is received in the said hole or slot in the body portion to thereby hold the wiper arm in engagement with the attachment member, and abutment engaging means on said extension arranged to engage with an abutment member on the wiper blade structure on relative pivotal movement of said attachment member to a first position, and whereby continued relative pivotal movement results in flexing of the extension relative to the body to disengage the engagement means from the wiper arm.

In one form of the invention, the body is provided with a pair of laterally extending bosses which engage corresponding recesses in side walls to enable the body to pivot in the longitudinal plane.

The body is formed with an integral extension which has a pip or lug to engage within a recess on the end of the wiper arm. The wiper arm is inserted through the body until the end of the arm engages the pip.

This causes the extension to flex to enable the wiper arm to be pushed further through the body until the end of the arm engages a shoulder on the end of the extension. At this position, the extension flexes back to its initial position with the pip engaging in the recess or aperture in the wiper arm.

To enable removal of the blade assembly from the arm, the assembly is rotated relative to the arm about the axis of the laterally extending bosses until the abutment engaging means on the extension engages the abutment member located between the side walls of the wiper blade structure. Continued relative rotation causes the extension to flex to disengage the pip from thd recess or aperture in the end of the wiper arm so that the arm can then be easily withdrawn through the body.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following description of one embodiment taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side elevational view of a portion of a windscreen wiper blade structure, attachment means and wiper arm in assembled relationship, and Figure 2 is a similar cross-sectional side elevational view illustrating the parts in the position enabling withdrawal of the wiper arm.

Referring to the drawings, a windscreen wiper blade assembly generally includes a superstructure which is adapted to support a flexible windscreen wiper blade. The superstructure is provided with means for securing the blade assembly to a windscreen wiper arm which is driven by a suitable motor. In the embodiment illustrated, the wiper superstructure includes a pair of spaced longitudinally extending substantially parallel walls 12 defining a recess into which the attachment means is secured. The recess is closed at its forward end by a transverse wall 13. Each side wall 12 has a circular recess 14 to receive cylindrical bosses 16 extending from each side of a body member 17. The body member 17 is thus able to pivot in the recess about the axis of the cylindrical bosses.

The body member 17 is formed with a longitudinally extending hole 18 of shape and dimensions to closely receive the end portion of a windscreen wiper arm 19. It is usual for the arm to be of substantially rectangular cross-section.

The body member 17 is also provided with an integral, forwardly extending extension 21 which carries a downwardly extending projection 22 part way along its length and a downwardly extending end shoulder 23.

The windscreen wiper arm 19 has an aperture 24 adjacent the free end thereof, the projection 22 being of dimensions to fit within the aperture 24. The rearward surface 26 of the projection 22 is tapered or sloped for the purpose hereinafter described.

The traverse wall 13 is formed with a rearwardly extending abutment 27 which is adapted to be engaged by the shoulder 23 during pivotal movement of the body member 17 relative to the superstructure. A stop member 28 is provided between the side walls 12 to limit the pivotal movement of the body member 17 relative thereto.

In use, the end portion of a windscreen wiper arm 19, which is generally rectangular in cross-section, is inserted through the longitudinal hole 18 in the body member 17 until the end ofthe arm 19 engages with the tapered rear surface 26 of the projection 22. Continued movement of the arm 19 relative to the body 17 causes the extension 21 to resiliently flex away from the position shown in Fig. 1 until the end of the arm 19 engages with the shoulder 23. Afthis position, the extension snaps back to its normal position with the projection 22 engaged within the aperture 24 in the end of the arm 19. The arm is thereby locked in position in the body member 17 so that the windscreen wiper blade assembly is securely attached to the arm but can pivot relative thereto between predetermined limits about the axis of the cylindrical bosses 16.

When it is desired to remove the blade assembly from the arm, the assembly is rotated relative to the arm in the manner indicated in Fig. 2. The shoulder 23 engages with the abutment 27 and continued relative pivotal movement of the blade assembly to the arm causes the extension 21 to flex to thereby release the engagement of the projection 23 from within the aperture 24.The arm 19 can then be withdrawn from the body member 17. The stop member 28 restricts the relative pivotal movement to prevent undue flexing of the extension 21.

Of course, the interlocking parts can be reversed so that the arm is provided with a projection which is adapted to engage in a recess or aperture formed in the extension 21. With this arrangement, the longitudinal hole 18 is formed of a shape to enable the arm and protruding projection to pass therethrough.

Also, the skilled person will appreciate that the extension may be provided on the other end of the body member 17 to extend rearwardly. In this case, laterally extending lugs or the like may be provided on the extension and arranged to engage with appropriate abutment members on the side walls of the blade assembly structure to cause flexing of the extension during disengaging pivotal movement of the body.

The body 17 and integral extension 21 are preferably formed of a resilient, synthetic plastic material such as polyethylene, polypropylene or the like. The windscreen wiper superstructure may also be formed of a synthetic plastic material or of metal, as is known in the art.

Claims (10)

1. An attachment member for attaching a windscreen wiper blade assembly to a wiper arm, said wiper arm having a recess, aperture, shoulder or projection adjacent its free end, said wiperblade assembly including a structure which support wiper blade,said attachment member comprising a body portion; means on the body portion for engagement with the wiper blade structure whereby the body is pivotally mounted to the structure, a generally longitudinally extending hole or slot in the body portion, said hole orslot being of a shape and dimensions to closelyreceive the free end portion of the wiper arm, an extension on the body portion extending generally longitudinally, said extension being relatively resilient and able to flex relative to the body portion, engagement means on said extension to engage the recessraperture, shoulder or projection adjacent the free end of the wiper arm when the arm is received in the said hole or slot in the body portion to thereby hold the wiper arm in engagement with the attachment member, and abutment engaging means on said extension arranged to engage with an abutment member on the wiper blade structure on relative pivotal movement of said attachment memberto a first position, and whereby continued relative pivotal movement results in flexing of the extension relative to the body to disengage the engagement means from the wiper arm.

2. An attachment member according to claim 1 wherein said body portion has a pair of transversely extending bosses adapted to engage with opposed recesses in side walls of said structure to pivotally support the body portion.

3. An attachment member according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the extension is integral with the body and is formed with a lug to engage within a recess or aperture in the wiper arm.

4. An attachment member according to claim 3 wherein said lug is formed with a cam surface engageable by the wiper arm to flex the extension away from the wiper arm during engagement of the arm with the attachment member.

5. An attachment member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said body portion has a longitudinally extending hole therethrough to receive said wiper arm.

6. An attachment member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said abutment engaging means comprises a shoulder on the extension which also acts to limit the extent of engage ment of thewiperarm in the body portion.

7. An attachment member according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said body portion and extension are moulded of a resilient synthetic plastic material

8. An attachment member for a windscreen wiper blade assembly said member comprising means for mounting said member to the assembly, means to receive a wiper arm in said member, latch means on the member to releasably secure the wiper arm to the member, said latch means being deformable to releasethesecurementto enable withdrawal of the wiper arm.

9. A member according to claim 8 wherein said latch means includes shoulder means engageable with abutment means on the assembly and said member is pivotal about a transverse axis so as to deform said latch means when the shoulder engages the abutment.

10. Any novel feature or combination of features described herein.