This invention relates to the field of windshield wiper blades.
Typical wiper blades used on vehicles are plagued with numerous persistent drawbacks, including the use of wiper strips that do not have sufficient lateral strength to cleanly wipe water from a windshield without deforming during the wiping motion and leaving a streak of water on the windshield. Traditionally manufacturers have included strengthening vertebrae inserted into longitudinal grooves on the wiper strip to help provide lateral strength to the wiper strip. However, the problem still persists, particularly in the wiper lip, which is made of a relatively soft material.
The following presents a simplified summary of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding of some aspects of the invention. This summary is not an extensive overview of the invention. It is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of the invention nor delineate the scope of the invention. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts of the invention in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presented later.
In one aspect, the disclosure provides a wiper strip having a wiper lip made of a first material; a base strip; a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip; and a wiper lip insert made of a second material. The second material may be harder than the first material. Further, the wiper lip insert may have a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a wiper blade having a mounting base, a force distribution structure, and a wiper strip. The wiper strip may have a wiper lip made of a first material, a base strip, a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip, and a wiper lip insert made of a second material. The second material may be harder than the first material, and the wiper lip insert may have a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a wiper strip having a wiper lip made of a first material, a base strip, an intermediate strip, a top strip, a main body connecting the base strip to the intermediate strip, an upper body connecting the top strip to the intermediate strip, a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip, a wiper lip insert made of a second material, and a body insert made of a third material. The base strip, main body and intermediary strip may form two claw grooves. Also, the top strip, upper body and intermediate strip may form two vertebra grooves. The second material is harder than the first material by a first amount in the range of Shore Hardness A 10-20 points. Further, the wiper lip insert may have a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip and a neck portion that extends from the lip portion and is embedded in the neck. The third material may be harder than the first material by a second amount in the range of Shore hardness A greater than 20 points, and the body insert may be embedded in the main body.
The following detailed description and the appended drawings describe and illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention solely for the purpose of enabling one of ordinary skill in the relevant art to make and use the invention. As such, the detailed description and illustration of these embodiments are purely exemplary in nature and are in no way intended to limit the scope of the invention, or its protection, in any manner. It should also be understood that the drawings are not to scale and in certain instances details have been omitted, which are not necessary for an understanding of the present invention, such as conventional details of fabrication and assembly.
A novel design for wiper strip having differing hardness, and wiper blade incorporating same, are presented. Specifically, a wiper strip is presenting that is made primarily from a softer wiping material that has reinforcing portions made of a harder material embedded within.
In one aspect, the disclosure provides a wiper strip having a wiper lip made of a first material; a base strip; a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip; and a wiper lip insert made of a second material. The second material may be harder than the first material. Further, the wiper lip insert may have a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip.
In some embodiments, the wiper lip insert may further include a neck portion that extends from the lip portion and is embedded in the neck. Further, the wiper lip insert may also have a top portion connected to the neck portion, and that is embedded at least in part, in the base strip, where the neck portion has a first width, and the top portion has a second width, the second width being greater than the first width.
In some embodiments, the first material has a first hardness and the second material has a second hardness in the range of Shore Hardness A 10-20 points greater than that of the first material.
In further embodiments, the wiper strip may have a main body and a body insert that is embedded in the main body. The body insert may have an hour-glass shape.
In some embodiments, the wiper strip may further have a main body and an intermediate strip, where the base strip, main body and intermediate strip form claw grooves. The wiper strip may further have an upper body and top strip, where the top strip, upper body, and intermediate strip form vertebra grooves. The wiper strip may also have an upper body, a top strip, and a cap insert, where the top strip, upper body, and intermediate strip form two grooves, and where the cap insert has two cap legs, each having cap claws that engage the two grooves. The wiper strip may also have a claw groove insert and/or a vertebra groove insert.
In another aspect, the disclosure provides a wiper blade having a mounting base, a force distribution structure, and a wiper strip. The wiper strip may have a wiper lip made of a first material, a base strip, a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip, and a wiper lip insert made of a second material. The second material may be harder than the first material, and the wiper lip insert may have a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip.
In some embodiments, the wiper lip insert further includes a neck portion that extends from the lip portion and is embedded in the neck, and a top portion that is connected to the neck portion and is embedded at least in part, in the base strip, where the neck portion has a first width, and the top portion has a second width, the second width is greater than the first width.
In some embodiments, the first material has a first hardness and the second material has a second hardness in the range of Shore Hardness A 10-20 points greater than that of the first material.
In some embodiments, the wiper strip further has a main body, and a body insert that is embedded in the main body. The body insert may have an hour-glass shape.
In some embodiments, the wiper strip further has a main body and an intermediate strip, where the base strip, main body and intermediate strip form claw grooves. The wiper strip may further have an upper body and top strip, where the top strip, upper body, and intermediate strip form vertebra grooves.
In some embodiments, the wiper strip may further include an upper body, a top strip, and a cap insert, where the top strip, upper body, and intermediate strip form two grooves, and where the cap insert has two legs, each having claws that engage the two grooves.
In yet another aspect, the disclosure provides a wiper strip having a wiper lip made of a first material, a base strip, an intermediate strip, a top strip, a main body connecting the base strip to the intermediate strip, an upper body connecting the top strip to the intermediate strip, a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip, a wiper lip insert made of a second material, and a body insert made of a third material. The base strip, main body and intermediary strip may form two claw grooves. Also, the top strip, upper body and intermediate strip may form two vertebra grooves. The second material is harder than the first material by a first amount in the range of Shore Hardness A 10-20 points. Further, the wiper lip insert may have a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip and a neck portion that extends from the lip portion and is embedded in the neck. The third material may be harder than the first material by a second amount in the range of Shore hardness A greater than 20 points, and the body insert may be embedded in the main body.
The top strip 17, upper body 16, intermediate strip 15, main body 14, base strip 13, are preferably made out of an elastic material, such as natural or synthetic rubber and preferably have a hardness that is soft enough to wipe water off of a windshield cleanly. These structures are preferably made from the same material, but may be made from different materials with different hardness in accordance with the disclosed concept. Typical wiper material hardness tends to have a Shore Hardness A in the range of approximately 58±5. However, the hardness may be adjusted up or down by up to 5, or up to 10, Shore Hardness A points, based on climate and other design considerations. Other suitable materials for these components include, but are not limited to, chloroprene, polyisoprene, butadiene isoprene, EDPM, NBR-PVC. Persons of skill in the art will recognize that the disclosed concept may be practiced with any suitable material, including those set forth below for the reinforcing wiper lip 20, the reinforcing groove inserts 31, 32 and the reinforcing body inserts 33, 34.
A reinforcing wiper lip insert 20 may be provided substantially, or entirely, within the wiper lip 11. The wiper lip insert may have a lip portion 21, which is embedded within, and surrounded by, the wiper lip 11. The lip portion 21 may have a shape that complementary to and may substantially match the shape of the wiper lip 11. For example,
The wiper lip insert 20 may preferably run at least substantially along the entire length of the wiper lip 11. In some of these embodiments, the wiper lip insert 20 may run along the entire length of the wiper lip 11 such that the material composition of the wiper strip 10 keeps a constant profile along its entire length. In other embodiments, the wiper lip insert 20 may extend less than the entire length of the wiper lip 11. For example, the wiper lip insert 20 may stop short of the ends of the wiper lip 11, or the wiper lip insert 20 may comprise two or more sections interspersed throughout the wiper lip.
The wiper lip insert 20 is preferably made from a material that is harder than the material used for the wiper lip 11. More specifically, it may be advantageous to use a material having a Shore Hardness A of approximately 10 to 20 points greater than the hardness of the material of wiper lip 11. In some embodiments it may be advantageous to use a material with Shore Hardness A in the range of approximately 70±5. However, persons of skill in the art will recognize that certain implementations of the disclosed concept may use a material for the wiper lip insert 20 having a Shore Hardness A of less than 10, or more than 20, points greater than the hardness of the material of the wiper lip 11. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, high or low density polyethylene (HDPE/LDPE), Nylon, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or silicone, as well as the same materials used for the wiper lip 11.
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The groove inserts 31,32 are preferably made from a material that is harder than the material used for the wiper lip 11. More specifically, it may be advantageous to use a material having a Shore Hardness A of more than 20 points greater than the hardness of the material of wiper lip 11. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to use a material with Shore Hardness A in the range of approximately 85±5. However, persons of skill in the art will recognize that certain implementations of the disclosed concept may use a material for the groove inserts 31, 32 having a Shore Hardness A of less than 20 points greater than the hardness of the material of the wiper lip 11. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, high or low density polyethylene (HDPE/LDPE), Nylon, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or silicone, as well as the same materials used for the wiper lip 11.
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The reinforcing body inserts 33, 34, 44 are preferably made from a material that is harder than the material used for the wiper lip 11. More specifically, it may be advantageous to use a material having a Shore Hardness A of more than 20 points greater than the hardness of the material of wiper lip 11. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to use a material with Shore Hardness A in the range of approximately 85±5. In other embodiments, it may be advantageous to use a material with Shore Hardness A in the range of above 90±5. However, persons of skill in the art will recognize that certain implementations of the disclosed concept may use a material for the reinforcing body inserts 33, 34, 44 having a Shore Hardness A of less than 20 points greater than the hardness of the material of the wiper lip 11. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, high or low density polyethylene (HDPE/LDPE), Nylon, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or silicone, as well as the same materials used for the wiper lip 11.
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The cap insert 40 is preferably made from a material that is harder than the material used for the wiper lip 11. More specifically, it may be advantageous to use a material having a Shore Hardness A of more than 20 points greater than the hardness of the material of wiper lip 11. In some embodiments, it may be advantageous to use a material with Shore Hardness A in the range of approximately 85±5. In other embodiments, it may be advantageous to use a material with Shore Hardness A in the range of above 90±5. However, persons of skill in the art will recognize that certain implementations of the disclosed concept may use a material for the reinforcing body inserts 33, 34, 44 having a Shore Hardness A of less than 20 points greater than the hardness of the material of the wiper lip 11. Suitable materials include, but are not limited to, high or low density polyethylene (HDPE/LDPE), Nylon, polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polypropylene (PP), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), or silicone, as well as the same materials used for the wiper lip 11.
Despite being made from different materials, the wiper strips 10 of the disclosed concept is preferably manufactured so as to be an integrated, unitary, one-piece structure. Manufacture of the wiper strips of embodiments of disclosed concept is preferably done through a coextrusion or multilayer extrusion process. Such processes combine the multiple materials with varying hardnesses into a unitary piece. After extrusion, the wiper strips may be cured, vulcanized, cut, and coated (with graphite or other coatings known in the art). Other methods of manufacture known in the art, including molding, may be used.
Alternatively, the inserts 20, 31, 32, 33, 34, 40, 44 of the wiper strips 10 of the disclosed concept may be separate pieces that are manufactured separately through any suitable manufacturing process known in the art and later assembled into the wiper strip 10.
Persons of skill in the art will recognize that the wiper strips of the disclosed concept may be incorporated into any type of wiper blade that is currently known in the art or will be developed in the future, including traditional bracketed wiper blades, beam blades, and hybrid wiper blades which incorporate both beams and brackets.
Certain aspects of the disclosure provide the following non-limiting embodiments:
A wiper strip comprising: a wiper lip made of a first material; a base strip; a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip; and a wiper lip insert made of a second material, wherein the second material is harder than the first material, and wherein the wiper lip insert comprises a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip.
The wiper strip of embodiment 1, wherein wiper lip insert further comprises a neck portion that extends from the lip portion and is embedded in the neck.
The wiper strip of embodiment 2, wherein the wiper lip insert further comprises a top portion is connected to the neck portion, and that is embedded at least in part, in the base strip, wherein the neck portion has a first width, and the top portion has a second width, the second width is greater than the first width.
The wiper strip of any of embodiments 1-3, wherein the first material has a first hardness and the second material has a second hardness in the range of Shore Hardness A 10-20 points greater than that of the first material
The wiper strip of any of embodiments 1-4, wherein the wiper strip further comprises a main body, and a body insert that is embedded in the main body.
The wiper strip of embodiment 5, wherein the body insert has an hour-glass shape.
The wiper strip of any of embodiments 1-6, wherein the wiper strip further comprises a main body and an intermediate strip, wherein the base strip, main body and intermediate strip form claw grooves.
The wiper strip of embodiment 7, wherein the wiper strip further comprises an upper body and top strip, wherein the top strip, upper body, and intermediate strip form vertebra grooves.
The wiper strip of embodiment 7, wherein the wiper strip further comprises an upper body, a top strip, and a cap insert, wherein the top strip, upper body, and intermediate strip form two grooves, and wherein the cap insert comprises two cap legs, each having a cap claws that engage the two grooves.
The wiper strip of embodiment 7, further comprising a claw groove insert.
The wiper strip of embodiment 8, further comprising a vertebra groove insert.
A wiper blade comprising: a mounting base; a force distribution structure; and a wiper strip, wherein the wiper strip comprises: a wiper lip made of a first material; a base strip; a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip; and a wiper lip insert made of a second material, wherein the second material is harder than the first material, and wherein the wiper lip insert comprises a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip.
The wiper blade of Embodiment 12, wherein wiper lip insert further comprises a neck portion that extends from the lip portion and is embedded in the neck, and a top portion that is connected to the neck portion and is embedded at least in part, in the base strip, wherein the neck portion has a first width, and the top portion has a second width, the second width is greater than the first width.
The wiper blade of any of Embodiments 12-13, wherein the first material has a first hardness and the second material has a second hardness in the range of Shore Hardness A 10-20 points greater than that of the first material.
The wiper blade of any of Embodiments 12-14, wherein the wiper strip further comprises a main body, and a body insert that is embedded in the main body.
The wiper blade of Embodiment 15, wherein the body insert has an hour-glass shape.
The wiper strip of any of Embodiments 12-16, wherein the wiper strip further comprises a main body and an intermediate strip, wherein the base strip, main body and intermediate strip form claw grooves.
The wiper strip of Embodiment 17, wherein the wiper strip further comprises an upper body and top strip, wherein the top strip, upper body, and intermediate strip form vertebra grooves.
The wiper strip of Embodiment 17, wherein the wiper strip further comprises an upper body, a top strip, and a cap insert, wherein the top strip, upper body, and intermediate strip form two grooves, and wherein the cap insert comprises two legs, each having a claws that engage the two grooves.
A wiper strip comprising: a wiper lip made of a first material; a base strip; an intermediate strip; a top strip; a main body connecting the base strip to the intermediate strip, wherein the base strip, main body and intermediary strip form two claw grooves; an upper body connecting the top strip to the intermediate strip, wherein the top strip, upper body and intermediate strip form two vertebra grooves; a neck connecting the wiper lip to the base strip; a wiper lip insert made of a second material, wherein the second material is harder than the first material by a first amount in the range of Shore Hardness A 10-20 points, and wherein the wiper lip insert comprises a lip portion that is embedded in the wiper lip, and a neck portion that extends from the lip portion and is embedded in the neck; and a body insert made of a third material, wherein the third material is harder than the first material by a second amount in the range of Shore hardness A greater than 20 points, and wherein the body insert is embedded in the main body.
The descriptions set forth above are meant to be illustrative and not limiting, and persons of skill in the art will recognize that various common and known deviations from the above described structures are considered to be within the scope of the disclosed concept described herein.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/139,383, filed Mar. 27, 2015, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62139383 | Mar 2015 | US |