Windscreen wiper device
View Patent ↗A windscreen wiper device of the flat blade type, comprising a longitudinal strip, 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 is of the flat blade type and includes at least one groove, in which groove the longitudinal strip is disposed, wherein the windscreen wiper device further comprises a connecting device for detachably connecting the wiper blade to an oscillating arm the connecting device having a substantially U-shaped cross-section, wherein legs of the U-shaped cross-section are connected to the flexible material on opposite sides thereof, wherein the legs are provided with two pairs of opposite protrusions, and wherein the protrusions for exerting a transverse force on the flexible material, thereby locally squeezing the flexible material onto the longitudinal strip.
1. A windscreen wiper device 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 is of the flat blade type and includes at least one groove, in which groove a longitudinal strip of said carrier element is disposed, wherein said windscreen wiper device further comprises a mounting head for transferring a reciprocal movement to an oscillating arm, and a connecting device for detachably connecting said wiper blade to the oscillating arm near one end thereof around a pivot axis, wherein said connecting device has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, wherein legs of said U-shaped cross-section are connected to the flexible material of said wiper blade on opposite sides thereof, wherein said legs are provided with two pairs of opposite protrusions near the outer ends of said connecting device, and wherein said protrusions extend laterally inwardly and exert only a transverse force on the flexible material of said wiper blade in order to allow said longitudinal strip to exhibit a curvature at the location of the interconnection of said connecting device and said wiper blade, thereby locally squeezing said flexible material onto said longitudinal strip, in order to block any lateral movement of said longitudinal strip at the location of the interconnection of said connecting device and said wiper blade, and wherein a ratio (L′/L) between the width L′ of said flexible material at the location of said protrusions and the width L of said flexible material at a location outside said protrusions varies between 30% and 1% said connecting device extending a predetermined length between opposite longitudinal ends thereof, and said longitudinal strip having a constant width along said length of said connecting device.
2. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said legs of said U-shaped cross-section are movable from an open position, wherein said wiper blade including said longitudinal strip can be placed inside said connecting device at the location of their interconnection, to a closed position, and wherein said legs are clamped around the flexible material of said wiper blade.
3. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 2 , wherein said legs of said U-shaped cross-section can be pushed against a spring force from the closed position into the open position, and wherein said legs can be allowed to spring back from said open position into said closed position.
4. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 2 , wherein in said closed position said wiper blade and said longitudinal strip are mutually fixated by said legs at the location of the interconnection of said connecting device and said wiper blade, and wherein in said closed position said wiper blade is allowed to move in longitudinal direction relative to said longitudinal strip outside the location of the interconnection of said connecting device and said wiper blade.
5. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said connecting device is detachably connectable to the oscillating arm with the interposition of a joint part, and wherein said joint part is detachably connected to said connecting device by engaging protrusions of said connecting device, at the location of said pivot axis, in recesses provided in said joint part.
6. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 5 , wherein said joint part has an at least substantially U-shaped cross-section at the location of its connection to said connecting device, and wherein said joint part is provided with said recesses provided coaxially with said pivot axis.
7. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 5 , wherein the protrusions extend outwards on either side of said connecting device.
8. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 5 , wherein said protrusions are provided with coaxial through holes.
9. The windscreen wiper device claim 5 , wherein said joint part comprises at least one resilient tongue engageable in a correspondingly shaped hole provided in a base of the U-shaped cross-section of the oscillating arm, and wherein said resilient tongue is rotatable along a hinge axis between an outward position retaining said wiper blade onto the oscillating arm and an inward position releasing said wiper blade from the oscillating arm.
10. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said mounting head is fixed for rotation to a shaft, and wherein the shaft is rotatable alternately in a clockwise and in a counter-clockwise sense carrying said mounting head into rotation.
11. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said windscreen wiper device further comprises a connecting piece positioned on both ends of said wiper blade and connected to an end of said longitudinal strip.
12. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said longitudinal strip has a continuously extending constant cross-section.
13. A windscreen wiper device 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 is of the flat blade type and includes at least one groove, in which groove a longitudinal strip of said carrier element is disposed, wherein said windscreen wiper device further comprises a mounting head for transferring a reciprocal movement to an oscillating arm, and a connecting device for detachably connecting said wiper blade to the oscillating arm near one end thereof around a pivot axis, wherein said connecting device has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, wherein legs of said U-shaped cross-section are connected to the flexible material of said wiper blade on opposite sides thereof, wherein said legs are provided with two pairs of opposite protrusions near the outer ends of said connecting device, and wherein said protrusions extend laterally inwardly and exert only a transverse force on the flexible material of said wiper blade in order to allow said longitudinal strip to exhibit a curvature at the location of the interconnection of said connecting device and said wiper blade, thereby locally squeezing said flexible material onto said longitudinal strip, in order to block any lateral movement of said longitudinal strip at the location of the interconnection of said connecting device and said wiper blade, and wherein a ratio (L′/L) between the width L′ of said flexible material at the location of said protrusions and the width L of said flexible material at a location outside said protrusions varies between 30% and 1% and wherein said protrusions have a round cross-section.
14. A windscreen wiper device including a wiper blade of a flexible material, which can be placed in abutment with a windscreen to be wiped, which wiper blade is of the flat blade type and includes at least one groove in which groove a longitudinal strip is disposed, said windscreen wiper device comprising a connecting device detachably connected to said wiper blade, wherein said connecting device has a substantially U-shaped cross-section, wherein legs of said U-shaped cross-section are connected to the flexible material of said wiper blade on opposite sides thereof, wherein said legs are provided with two pairs of opposite protrusions near the outer ends of said connecting device, and wherein said protrusions extend laterally inwardly for exerting only a transverse force on the flexible material of said wiper blade in order to allow said longitudinal strip to exhibit a curvature at the location of the interconnection of said connecting device and said wiper blade, thereby locally squeezing said flexible material onto said longitudinal strip, in order to block any lateral movement of said longitudinal strip at the location of the interconnection of said connecting device and said wiper blade, and wherein a ratio (L′/L) between the width L′ of said flexible material at the location of said protrusions and the width L of said flexible material at a location outside said protrusions varies between 30% and 1% said connecting device extending a predetermined length between opposite longitudinal ends thereof, and said longitudinal strip having a constant width along said length of said connecting device.
15. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 1 , wherein said longitudinal strip has a continuously extending constant cross-section.
16. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 14 , wherein each of said protrusions has a round cross-section.