Wiper arm assembly having pivotal cover allowing access to pivot shaft

1. A wiper arm assembly adapted to support a wiper blade as it moves across a surface to be wiped, said wiper arm assembly comprising:

a body and a head supported by said body and adapted to be mounted to a pivot shaft that defines a pivot axis and drives the wiper blade in an oscillating manner across the surface to be wiped, said body defining an interior cavity and including an opening providing access to said head mounted to the pivot shaft, said body further including a pair of opposed bosses formed on said interior cavity opposite to one another so as to define inwardly facing openings, said head including a pair of bearings that are cooperatively received in the inwardly facing openings such that the head and body may pivot relative to each other about an axis defined by the bearings;

a cover pivotally connected to said body at said opening and movable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis from a first position closing said opening to a second position allowing access to said head; and

a locking mechanism on said cover to lock said cover to a nut on the pivot shaft to retain said cover in said first position closing the opening.

2. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said locking mechanism comprises at least one flexible retention member adapted for releasable engagement with the nut.

3. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said locking mechanism comprises a plurality of flexible retention members spaced circumferentially and adapted for releasable engagement with the nut.

4. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein said flexible retention members have a lip at a free end thereof extending inwardly to engage an outer surface of the nut.

5. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cover includes at least one hinge pin extending substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis.

6. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 5 wherein said body including an opening that receives said at least one hinge pin and retains said at least one hinge pin for rotational movement about said axis that is perpendicular to the pivot axis.

7. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said cover defines a top wall and side walls depending therefrom to form an interior cavity of said cover.

8. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said at least one hinge pin comprises a cylindrical shaft extending inwardly into said interior cavity of said cover from a free end of said side walls.

9. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said locking mechanism comprises a plurality of flexible retention members spaced circumferentially and cantilevered from said top wall and extending into said interior cavity of said cover and spaced from said side walls.

10. A wiper arm assembly as set forth in claim 7 wherein said cover includes a recess in one of said side walls to allow a tool or finger to engage and move said cover.

11. A wiper system for a vehicle comprising:

a wiper blade adapted to contact a surface to be wiped, a wiper arm assembly adapted to support said wiper blade as it moves across a surface to be wiped, and a coupler assembly that operatively interconnects said wiper blade and said wiper arm assembly;

said wiper arm assembly including a body and a head supported by said body and adapted to be mounted to a pivot shaft that defines a pivot axis and drives the wiper blade in an oscillating manner across the surface to be wiped, said body defining an interior cavity and including an opening providing access to said head mounted to the pivot shaft, said body further including a pair of opposed bosses formed on said interior cavity opposite to one another so as to define inwardly facing openings, said head including a pair of bearings that are cooperatively received in the inwardly facing openings such that the head and body may pivot relative to each other about an axis defined by the bearings;

a cover pivotally mounted to said body at said opening and movable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis from a first position closing said opening to a second position allowing access to said head, said cover having at least one flexible retention member to lock said cover to a nut on the pivot shaft to retain said cover in said first position closing the opening.

12. A wiper system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said locking mechanism comprises a plurality of flexible retention members spaced circumferentially and adapted for releasable engagement with the nut.

13. A wiper system as set forth in claim 12 wherein said flexible retention members have a lip at a free end thereof extending inwardly to engage an outer surface of the nut.

14. A wiper system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said cover includes at least one hinge pin extending substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis.

15. A wiper system as set forth in claim 14 wherein said body includes an opening that receives said at least one hinge pin and retains said at least one hinge pin for rotational movement about said axis that is perpendicular to the pivot axis.

16. A wiper system as set forth in claim 11 wherein said cover defines a top wall and side walls depending therefrom to form an interior cavity of said cover.

17. A wiper system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said at least one flexible retention member extends cantilevered from said top wall into said interior cavity of said cover and spaced from said side walls.

18. A wiper system as set forth in claim 16 wherein said cover includes a recess in one of said side walls to allow a tool or finger to engage and move said cover.

19. A wiper arm assembly adapted to support a wiper blade as it moves across a surface to be wiped, said wiper arm assembly comprising:

a body and a head supported by said body and adapted to be mounted to a pivot shaft that defines a pivot axis and drives the wiper blade in an oscillating manner across the surface to be wiped, said body defining an interior cavity and including an opening providing access to said head mounted to the pivot shaft, said body further including a pair of opposed bosses formed on said interior cavity opposite to one another so as to define inwardly facing openings, said head including a pair of bearings that are cooperatively received in the inwardly facing openings such that the head and body may pivot relative to each other about an axis defined by the bearings;

a cover pivotally connected to said body at said opening and movable about an axis substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis from a first position closing said opening to a second position allowing access to said head; and

said cover comprising a top wall and side walls depending therefrom to form an interior cavity, a pair of opposed hinge pins extending from a free end of said side walls substantially perpendicular to the pivot axis to be received in an opening of said body for rotational movement about said axis that is perpendicular to the pivot axis, and a plurality of flexible retention members extending from said top wall and into said interior cavity of said cover and spaced circumferentially with a lip at a free end thereof extending inwardly to engage an outer surface of a nut on the pivot shaft to retain said cover in said first position closing the opening.