Windscreen wiper arm
A windscreen wiper arm, particularly for automobiles, includes a mounting head mountable on a drive shaft and an arm member pivotally connected to the mounting head by means of a pivot pin. The arm member has a substantially U-shaped cross-section near the pivot pin comprising two side walls. A part of the mounting head extends between the side walls and beyond the pivot pin. Protrusion/groove features are provided on the part and the side walls for limiting a pivot angle of the arm member. The protrusion/groove means comprise at least one groove and at least one protrusion cooperating with the groove, the protrusion is movable in the groove between a first position corresponding with a wiping position of the arm member and a second position corresponding with a mounting position of the arm member. The part is provided with opposite abutting surfaces for abutting against the side walls. The protrusion extends laterally inwardly from one of the side walls into the groove being provided on one of the abutting surfaces abutting against that respective side wall. The groove has a width larger than a width of the protrusion.
1. A windscreen wiper arm, comprising:
a mounting head mountable on a drive shaft and an arm member pivotally connected to the mounting head by means of a pivot pin, wherein the arm member has a substantially shaped cross-section near said pivot pin and has two side walls,
wherein a part of the mounting head extends between the side walls of the arm member and beyond said pivot pin,
wherein said mounting head has at least one groove with groove side walls,
wherein said arm member has at least one protrusion which cooperates with said at least one groove,
wherein said at least one protrusion is movable in said at least one groove along a path between a first position corresponding with a wiping position of the arm member and a second position corresponding with a mounting position of the arm member,
wherein said part is provided with opposite abutting surfaces for abutting against the side walls of the arm member and wherein said at least one groove is provided on one of said abutting surfaces,
wherein said at least one protrusion extends laterally inwardly from one of the side walls of said arm member into said groove, and
wherein said groove side walls are spaced apart from one another in a direction that is transverse to the path by a width which is larger than a width of said protrusion such that said protrusion is movable along the path in said groove for the entire length between said first and second positions without making contact with said groove side walls.
2. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 1 , wherein in said second position said protrusion abuts against a curved end wall of said groove.
3. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 2 , wherein one of the groove side walls of said groove facing away from said pivot pin and adjacent to said curved end wall extends along a straight line.
4. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 3 , wherein said groove side wall of said groove away from said pivot pin encloses an acute angle α with a horizontal plane, and wherein said acute angle α is chosen between 20° and 85°.
5. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 2 , wherein said end wall extends along a part of a circle.
6. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 2 , wherein one of the groove side walls of said groove facing towards said pivot pin comprises a first wall portion adjacent to said end wall and extending along a straight line, as well as a second wall portion adjacent to said first wall portion, and wherein said first and second wall portions enclose an obtuse angle β.
7. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 6 , wherein said first wall portion of said groove side wall of said groove facing towards said pivot pin encloses an acute angle γ with a horizontal plane, and wherein said acute angle γ is at least 37° and no greater than 90°.
8. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 1 , wherein the arm member is made of a metal material.
9. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 8 , wherein the metal is steel.
10. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 1 , wherein the mounting head is made of a metal material.
11. The windscreen wiper arm according to claim 10 , wherein the metal is aluminium.
12. The windscreen wiper device comprising a windscreen wiper arm according to claim 1 .
13. The windscreen wiper device according to claim 12 , wherein it 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 longitudinal groove, in which groove of said wiper blade a longitudinal strip of the carrier element is disposed, wherein ends of said longitudinal strip are connected by a respective connecting piece, which windscreen wiper device comprises a connecting device for the windscreen wiper arm.
14. A method for manufacturing a windscreen wiper arm, comprising the steps of:
preparing a mounting head mountable on a drive shaft; and
pivotally connecting an arm member to the mounting head by means of a pivot pin,
wherein the arm member has a substantially U-shaped cross-section near said pivot pin comprising two side walls,
wherein a part of the mounting head extends between the side walls of the arm member and beyond said pivot pin,
wherein the mounting head has at least one groove for limiting a pivot angle of the arm member,
wherein the at least one groove of the mounting head has groove side walls,
wherein the arm member has at least one protrusion which cooperates with said groove,
wherein said at least one protrusion is movable in said at least one groove along a path between a first position corresponding with a wiping position of the arm member and a second position corresponding with a mounting position of the arm member,
wherein said part is provided with opposite abutting surfaces for abutting against the side walls of the arm member and wherein said at least one groove is provided on one of said abutting surfaces,
wherein said at least one protrusion extends laterally inwardly from one of the side walls of said arm member into said groove, wherein
wherein said groove side walls are spaced apart from one another in a direction that is transverse to the path by a width which is larger than a width of said protrusion such that said protrusion is movable along the path in said groove for the entire length between said first and second positions without making contact with the groove side walls of said groove.