Abstract: According to the invention, a resilient element is disposed between interconnected elements on a windshield wiper blade assembly such as cooperating primary and secondary yokes and a wiper blade element. Preferably the resilient element is a tape with a pressure sensitive adhesive backing or a coating that can be sprayed or painted on. The invention also comprehends a method of forming the windshield wiping elements by applying the tape or coating to stock material before the individual elements are stamped and formed.

Abstract: According to the invention, an attachment structure is provided and has a body with a configuration for connection to a wiper arm. The attachment structure may have one or any combination of an airfoil, a washer fluid conduit or receptacle or an air dam integrally formed on or carried by the body. The attachment structure is elongate and may have an airfoil, an air dam and/or a washer fluid conduit or receptacle integrally formed on the body and will extend lengthwise of the wiper arm in assembled relationship therewith. The cross-sectional configuration of the body and wiper arm is substantially uniform throughout the length of the structure. Because extrusion molding is cheaper than injection molding, a high integrity, plastic device can be produced at a lower cost than conventional injection molded structures.

Abstract: A refill unit for a windshield wiper blade having a resilient wiping element and a backing member with sidewardly extending flanges. A wiper blade superstructure has at least two articulated yokes or holders with claws on one of the yokes or holders engaging the flanges on said backing member. Abutments are struck from the walls of the body portion of the backing member for forming stops which engage the opposite ends of the wiping elements to prevent the wiping element from separating from the backing member. The abutments may be struck from the back of the backing member or from the sides of the backing member with the faces on the abutments facing toward the center of the blade.

Abstract: A refill unit for a windshield wiper blade having a resilient wiping element and a backing member with sidewardly extending flanges. A wiper blade superstructure has at least two articulated yokes or holders with claws on one of the yokes or holders engaging the flanges on said backing member. A clip is provided for holding the superstructure assembled with the refill and includes a tab engaging in one of at least two apertures in the backing member. Detents and lugs on the clip seat below the flanges for retaining the clip on the backing member. The clip has forwardly extending legs with hook-shaped parts extending outwardly for engaging the claws on the holder for holding the superstructure assembled on the refill.

Abstract: A windshield wiper arm having a mounting head with a channel and extension pivoted thereto. The mounting head has a socket with a longitudinal axis and a chamber separated by a common wall. A retainer is affixed in said chamber for latching the wiper arm to a drum head on a drive shaft. The retainer has a body portion and a latch portion with the body portion attached to the common wall for resiliently holding the body portion against the common wall. The latch portion has a rounded hook shaped member with the rounded portion of the hook shaped member overhanging a portion of the socket. A tab is struck from the rounded hook shaped portion and lies transverse to the body portion and transverse to the longitudinal axis of the socket in overhanging relationship with the drum head seated in the socket.

Abstract: According to the invention, an improved connector is provided between a windshield wiper arm and blade. The wiper arm has a trunnion member which cooperates with a cam surface on a socket associated with the wiper blade. Upon relatively rotating the wiper arm and blade, the trunnion travels along the cam surface and causes the blade to be conformingly reoriented relative to the windshield. The cam surface is chosen depending upon the configuration of the windshield.

Abstract: A claw retaining clip for a windshield wiper structure including a relatively rigid base with a locking post extending from one side thereof. A pair of relatively resilient fingers extend in generally parallel relation from the base and each terminates in a hook-like element receivable in grooves in a flexor of a blade. The fingers are provided with cam surfaces which may be engaged by a claw of a pressure applying superstructure to cam the fingers apart so as to allow the claw to enter a claw receiving recess formed intermediate the ends of the fingers in which movement of the claw is restrained. Projections carried by the fingers along with the hook-like elements and the post cooperate together to provide for positive retention of the retaining clip at a desired location on a flexor.

Abstract: A windshield wiper arm assembly is provided and has a mounting head connected to an oscillatably driven pivot shaft. The assembly has an outer arm section pivotally connected to the head, the outer arm section being adapted to support a wiper blade. A link is pivotally supported at one end to the mounting head. A tension spring is connected at one end to the arm section. A lever is pivotally supported on the outer arm section and defines a pivot which is connected to the other end of both the link and the spring. The lever is H-shaped with a pair of spaced legs and an interconnecting support, one end of the legs being pivotally supported to the outer arm section and the other end having a pin which defines the pivot.

Abstract: Connector apparatus is provided for permitting rapid connection and disconnection of a wiper blade from a wiper arm. The blade portion of the connector includes a pair of spaced apart parallel slots. To accommodate different styles of wiper arm ends, two longitudinally spaced pins are provided on the blade. One of the two pins is used with an arm end having two parallel spaced tabs with forwardly facing pin slots and the other pin is used with an arm end having two parallel spaced tabs, forwardly facing pin slots and rearwardly spaced guide portions. Both of the last named two arm ends have structure for retaining the blade on the arm end even when the blade and arm are lifted from the windshield. In an additional embodiment, one of the two pins is removable to accommodate attachment of the side pin of a side pin style connector. Since the arm is secured to the blade along two transversely spaced planes, the chances of rollover of the blade relative to the arm is minimized.

Abstract: A driving mechanism for reciprocating a windshield wiper arm having maximum velocity at the mid-portion of the wiper stroke and zero velocity and minimum acceleration at the outboard ends of the stroke. The driving mechanism includes a slotted follower having a semicircular shape with ends pivotally secured to a housing. An output drive shaft extends from the motor housing and has a curved crank attached thereto for rotation. The crank includes a pin at one end which extends into the follower slot for converting the rotary motion of the output drive shaft into reciprocable motion of the follower. The follower transmits the reciprocable motion to a drive shaft connected to the wiper arm for reciprocating the wiper across the windshield surface.

Abstract: In a windshield wiper assembly (10), a connecting adaptor (14) converts a center mounted pin connection between a wiper arm (11) and a pressure-distributing yoke (13) to a side mounted pin connection. In assembled position, the connecting adaptor (14) is disposed over the cross rivet (28) within a center open space (20) defined by the yoke (13). The connecting adaptor (14) has deflectable claw elements (42,43) with tabs (44,45) which engage the bottoms (48,49) of the shoulders (22,23) of the yoke (13) and flanges (54,55) which engage the tops of the shoulders (22,23) to fixedly maintain the connecting adaptor (14) in proper assembled position. A connecting pin (33) carried by the connecting adaptor (14) and extending laterally outward therefrom provides a side mounted pin connection for pivotally receiving the terminal end (68) of the wiper arm (11).

Abstract: A pin (18) is provided for attaching a connector or an adaptor (16) to a wiper blade (10). The pin (18) has a novel head (70) on one end portion which has spaced tangs or tabs (72) depending therefrom. The spaced tangs or tabs (72) nest in slots (44) provided on the connector or on the adaptor (16) to retain the pin (18) in a piggyback manner on the connector or adaptor (16) during shipment and storage. Securing the pin (18) on the connector or adaptor (16) prevents losing or misplacing the pin (18) until it is ready for use in attaching the connector or adaptor (16) to the blade (10).

Abstract: In a wiper assembly (10) for a windshield, a window, a headlight, or the like, including a flexor (20) for a resilient wiping element (21) having laterally extending tabs (45,46) and lateral indents (55,56) defined on the flexor by the lateral edges (33,34) thereof. A plurality of such flexors are cut from a sheet of material without substantial waste by orienting the flexors to be cut in abutting side-by-side relationship such that the tabs of one flexor are cut from laterally aligned indents of an adjacent flexor on the sheet. The pair of tabs (45,46) have axially spaced external shoulders (49,52) located near one end (30) of the flexor with one shoulder on each lateral side of the flexor and the pair of indents (55,56) have axially spaced internal shoulders (59,62) located near the other end (31) one on each lateral side of the flexor such that adjacent flexors are oriented 180.degree. relative to each other when they are to be cut apart from the sheet.

Abstract: A windshield wiper (10) is provided with parts for connecting a plastic windshield wiper blade assembly (11) to a wiper arm (14). The connecting parts include a side pin (30) carried by the wiper arm (14) having a keyway (75) at the end (71) thereof and a pin-receiving aperture (42) defined in a yoke (17) with a U-shaped spring (50) extending in chordal fashion through the aperture (42) and a key (66) projecting into the aperture (42). When the side pin (30) is fully inserted into the aperture (42), spring portions (57,58) will releasably seat in a reduced diameter constricted segment (69) of the side pin (30) to secure the yoke (17) on the wiper arm (14). If the side pin (30) is not fully inserted, engagement of the key (66) and the keyway (75) will lock the yoke (17) and the wiper arm (14) in skewed relation to prevent proper contact of a wiping element (27) carried by the yoke (17) with a windshield (16).

Abstract: A windshield wiper blade connector (20) is provided for connecting a plastic windshield wiper blade (14) to the side pin (61) of a side pin wiper arm. The connector includes a U-shaped spring (52) seated in a cavity (32) in the bridge of a wiper blade (14). Intermediate portions of the sides of the U-shaped spring (52) intersect in a chordal fashion the transverse pin-receiving aperture (42) in the yoke (16) of the blade. The pin (61) with a reduced diameter portion (62) is inserted in the aperture (42) so that the intermediate portions (55,57) of the U-shaped spring (52) will seat in the reduced diametered portion (62) of the pin (61) to lock the blade (14) to the arm. The U-shaped spring (52) can be flexed to release the pin (61) from the blade (14).

Abstract: In a windshield wiper assembly (10), a connecting adaptor (14) converts a center mounted pin connection between a wiper arm (11) and a pressure-distributing yoke (13) to a side mounted pin connection. In assembled position, the connecting adaptor (14) is disposed over the cross rivet (28) within a center open space (20) defined by the yoke (13). The connecting adaptor (14) has deflectable claw elements (36) with tabs (53) which engage the side walls (16, 17) of the yoke (13) to fixedly maintain the connecting adaptor (14) in proper assembled position. A connecting pin (33) carried by the connecting adaptor (14) and extending laterally outward therefrom provides a side mounted pin connection for pivotally receiving the terminal end (75) of the wiper arm (11).

Abstract: An improved adaptor is provided for connecting a hook-end wiper arm to a pin-type connector on a wiper blade. The adaptor includes a double-ended pin with one end being removably insertable in a pin-type connector of the wiper blade and with the other end of the pin being gripped by a U-shaped leaf spring or a U-shaped plastic body. The U-shaped spring and U-shaped plastic body have lugs for engaging in an aperture in the end portion of a hook-end wiper arm to removably retain the arm on the adaptor.

Abstract: A connector for connecting one type of windshield wiper arm end to a cross pin-type wiper blade. The arm end is releasably attached to the connector which connector has a body portion with a pin-receiving slot on the forward end thereof. The orientation of the pin-receiving slot with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body portion is such that to assemble the arm to the pin on the blade, the axis of the arm and connector relative to the longitudinal axis of the blade approaches 75.degree. to 90.degree.. The pin-receiving slot is forced over the pin on the blade to seat the pin in the slot. Once the pin on the blade is in the slot in the connector, the arm is pivoted relative to the blade until the axis of the arm is substantially parallel to the axis of the blade.

Abstract: A connector is provided for connecting one type arm end connector to a cross pin of a cross pin-type wiper blade. The connector has a body portion having a longitudinal axis with one part of the body portion receiving the end of a wiper arm and a second part of said body portion engaging the cross pin of the blade. Said second part has a pin-receiving slot in the forward facing wall and a pair of sidewardly-urged latch legs having contact surfaces spaced from the transverse axis of said pin-receiving slot. The legs are squeezed together as the pin-receiving slot is aligned with the cross pin and the squeezed legs are threaded between the side walls of the blade. The legs are released as the slot of the connector is snapped over the pin. The connector is rotated about the axis of the pin until the latch legs snap out of the opening between the walls of the blade.