Title of Invention

A SPOILER FOR A WINDOW WIPER BLADE

Abstract

A spoiler for a window wiper blade, having at least one retaining lug and at least one latching element which is arranged on the retaining lug (16) and is provided for the purpose of snapping into place on a supporting bracket (10) of the window wiper blade, and has two latching lugs (28), is to be developed to the effect that reliable positipning on the supporting bracket is possible. For this purpose, provision is made for the latching element (18) to have two locating parts (22) which are arranged at a distance from each other along the longitudinal direction of the spoiler (14), and in that the'two latching lugs (28) are arranged between the locating parts (22).

Full Text

Prior art The invention relates to a spoiler for a window wiper blade, having at least one retaining lug and at least one latching element which is arranged on the retaining lug and is provided for the purpose of snapping into place on a supporting bracket of the window wiper blade, and has two latching lugs. A spoiler of this type, which is disclosed in EP 0 599 637 Al, serves to ensure, at relatively high vehicle speeds, that the window wiper rests with the necessary press-on force on the window to be cleaned. The spoiler is provided with two latching elements which are arranged at a distance from each other and engage in a respective elongated hole in the supporting bracket. In this case, the latching lugs are arranged on the latching elements in such a manner that they engage on those edges of the elongated hole which lie opposite each other along the longitudinal direction. This has the result that forces which act on the spoiler and are directed parallel to the longitudinal axis of the supporting bracket can act on the latching element and can deform the latter. The object according to the invention is to develop a spoiler of the type mentioned at the beginning to the effect that the result is improved positioning of the spoiler on the window wiper blade. Advantages of the invention The spoiler according to the invention having the features as described herein has the advantage that reliable positioning of the spoiler is ensured by means of the locating parts. In general terms, the spoiler according to the invention rests on a functional separation between the retaining lugs and the locating parts. The locating parts serve to ensure, by resting against the edge of the corresponding opening in the supporting bracket, that the spoiler is optimally positioned and, in the case of forces acting on it, cannot slip. The latching lugs serve exclusively for preventing the locating parts from being pulled out of the opening in the supporting bracket. The locating parts ensure that the latching lugs cannot be distorted by forces acting on the spoiler, this ensuring overall that the spoiler is particularly reliably fastened to the supporting bracket. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, provision is made for the outer surfaces of the two locating parts to run at an angle differing from 90° relative to the plane of the retaining lug, so that they act in the manner of an introductory slope. This simplifies the placing-on and snapping into place of the spoiler on the supporting bracket. Provision is preferably made for the two locating parts each to have an approximately semicircular cross section in a section parallel to the plane of the retaining lug, and for the two locating parts to be connected to each other by two connecting webs which extend from that end of the corresponding locating part which faces away from the retaining lug to the respectively opposite locating part. The connecting webs stabilize the locating parts and increase the strength- According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, provision is made for each of the two latching lugs to be arranged on one of the connecting webs and to extend from the latter in the direction of the retaining lug. with this design, the required elasticity of the latching lugs can be obtained with very little outlay. Advantageous refinements of the invention are also described herein. Drawings The invention will be described below with reference to a preferred embodiment which is illustrated in the attached drawings, in which: fig. 1 shows, in a perspective view, a window wiper blade with a spoiler placed on it; fig. 2 shows, in a perspective view from below, the window wiper blade with the spoiler from fig. 1; fig. 3 shows, on an enlarged scale, the detail III from fig. 2; fig. 4 shows, in a perspective view from below, a spoiler; and fig. 5 shows, on an enlarged scale, the detail V from fig. 4. Description of the exemplary embodiment Fig. 1 shows a supporting bracket 10 which is provided for the purpose of being fastened to a window wiper arm (not illustrated) and of holding a wiper strip 12 (see fig. 2) . A spoiler 14 (also see fig. 4) is attached to the supporting bracket 10 and serves to prevent the wiper strip 12 from lifting off from the window to be cleaned when the vehicle provided with the window wiper blade comprising wiper strip and supporting bracket is moving at relatively high speed. The spoiler 14 has two retaining lugs 16 which are arranged at a distance from each other, as viewed along the longitudinal axis of the spoiler. Each retaining lug 16 is provided with a latching element 18 which is provided for the purpose of snapping into place in a cutout 20, in the manner of an elongated hole, in the supporting bracket. Each latching element 18 has two locating parts 22 which lie at a distance opposite each other, as seen along the longitudinal axis of the spoiler. Each locating part has, as seen in a cross section parallel to the retaining lug 16, the cross section of a ring which extends over an angular region of approximately 180^. The two locating parts are arranged and dimensioned in such a manner that the contour defined by them in the region of the transition into the retaining lug 16 approximately corresponds to the contour of the cutout 20 in the supporting bracket. In order to facilitate the insertion of the latching elements into the corresponding cutouts of the supporting bracket, the two locating parts are designed in such a manner that they taper in the manner of an introductory slope from a transition section, the outer surface 24a of which extends approximately perpendicular with respect to the plane of the retaining lug 16, to their end which faces away from the retaining lug; the outer surface 24b of the tapering section thus enclose an angle differing from 90° with the plane of the retaining lug 16. The two locating parts 22 are connected to each other at their end facing away from the retaining lug 16 by two connecting webs 26, with the result that the latching elements have a continuous end side on their side facing away from the retaining lug. Each connecting web 26 is provided with a latching lug 28 which extends from the respective connecting web 26 in the direction of the retaining lug 16. Each latching lug 28 is provided, on its outer side, with a ramp 30 which increases in thickness in the direction toward the retaining lug from that end of the corresponding latching element which faces away from the retaining lug 16. For installation purposes, the spoiler has merely to be pressed onto the supporting bracket 10. The obliquely running outer surfaces 24b of the locating part enable the latching elements to be easily introduced into the corresponding cutouts of the supporting bracket. When the latching elements are pushed into the cutouts, the latching lugs are pressed inward by the ramps 3 0 resting against the outer edge of the cutouts, the latching lugs being pivoted through the axis of rotation D shown in fig. 5. They can spring back again elastically outward into their original position when the latching elements have been pushed through the cutouts sufficiently far for the latching lugs 16 to bear against the outer side of the supporting bracket. The latching lugs then bear with their free end against the underside of the supporting bracket and prevent the spoiler from being able to be removed from the supporting bracket. The locating parts ensure by means of their outer surfaces 24a that the spoiler is optimally positioned on the supporting bracket. List of reference numbers 10; Supporting bracket 12 : Wiper strip 14: Spoiler 16: Retaining lug 18: Latching element 20: Cutout 22: Bearing part 24a: Outer surface 24b: Outer surface 26: Connecting web 28: Latching lug 30: Ramp D: Pivot axis WE CLAIM : 1. A spoiler for a window wiper blade, having at least one retaining lug (16) and at least one latching element (18) which is arranged on the retaining lug and is provided for the purpose of snapping into place on a supporting bracket of the window wiper blade, and has two latching lugs (28), characterized in that the latching element has two locating parts (22) which are arranged at a distance from each other along the longitudinal direction of the spoiler, and in that the two latching lugs are arranged between the locating parts. 2. The spoiler as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer surfaces of the two locating parts (22) run at an angle differing from 90° relative to the plane of the retaining lug, so that they act in the manner of an introductory slope. 3. The spoiler as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the two locating parts (22) each have an approximately semicircular cross section in a section parallel to the plane of the retaining lug, and in that the two locating parts are connected to each other by two connecting webs (26) which extend from that end of the corresponding locating part which faces away from the retaining lug to the respectively opposite locating part. 4. The spoiler as claimed in claim 3, wherein each of the two latching lugs (28) is arranged on one of the connecting webs (26) and extends from the latter in the direction of the retaining lug.

Documents:

349-chenp-2003-abstract.pdf

349-chenp-2003-claims filed.pdf

349-chenp-2003-claims granted.pdf

349-chenp-2003-correspondnece-others.pdf

349-chenp-2003-correspondnece-po.pdf

349-chenp-2003-description(complete) filed.pdf

349-chenp-2003-description(complete) granted.pdf

349-chenp-2003-drawings.pdf

349-chenp-2003-form 1.pdf

349-chenp-2003-form 18.pdf

349-chenp-2003-form 26.pdf

349-chenp-2003-form 3.pdf

349-chenp-2003-form 5.pdf

349-chenp-2003-other document.pdf

349-chenp-2003-pct.pdf

abs-349-chenp-2003.jpg