Abstract: The wiper device includes a wiper blade which extends in a longitudinal direction and at least one longitudinal strip that is pre-curved to have a curved shape when in a relaxed condition. The wiper device supports the wiper blade and biases the wiper blade into a curved shape. A connecting device is attached with the at least one longitudinal strip. The connecting device includes a two-piece base and a joint part which is pivotably connected with the two-piece base. The two-piece base includes a first piece, which is directly secured with the at least one longitudinal strip, and a second piece with laterally spaced apart side walls that are each J-shaped.

Abstract: An adapter for attaching a wiper assembly to a wiper arm having an attachment member including an end with a bent tab extending outwardly therefrom, and walls having fins. The adapter includes a body having first and second ends. A retention member is disposed at the first end for abutting the fin. A canard extends from the retention member toward the second end and is adapted to be disposed adjacent to one of the walls. A stop is disposed closer to the second end than the first. A guard is spaced longitudinally from the stop and has a cam surface and an engagement surface. A bridge connects the guard to the body and is adapted to flex when the guard pivots from the stop in response to force translated to the cam surface from the bent tab until the engagement surface abuts at least a portion of the bent tab.

Abstract: A wiper arm for supporting a wiper blade includes a wiper arm head comprises a recessed splined cup portion having a plurality of angularly adjacent teeth about the internal circumference of the cup portion wherein the cup portion includes a slot. A complementary drive shaft includes a splined head having teeth for mating engagement with the teeth in the wiper arm head. In order to facilitate the alignment therebetween, an integral alignment key is received in the axially aligned slots. The alignment key further includes a lower notched end which abuts against a bottom radial lip of the splined head to prevent the key from moving axially in the slots. As such, the key and the splined head include complementary formations preventing the key from accidentally falling out of the slots.

Abstract: An adapter for attaching a wiper assembly to a wiper arm having an attachment member including an end with a bent tab extending outwardly therefrom, and walls having fins. The adapter includes a body having first and second ends. A retention member is disposed at the first end for abutting the fin. A brace is connected to the retention member for substantially preventing lateral movement with respect to the body. A stop is disposed closer to the second end than the first. A guard is spaced longitudinally from the stop and has a cam surface and an engagement surface. A bridge connects the guard to the body and is adapted to flex when the guard pivots from the stop in response to force translated to the cam surface from the bent tab until the engagement surface abuts at least a portion of the bent tab.

Abstract: A holder assembly for holding multiple wiper assemblies includes a plurality of end spacers adapted to contact and separate wiper assemblies at a toe and heal thereof and a center clamp adapted to be disposed about and retain the wiper assemblies together.

Abstract: A wiper coupler adaptor for releasably attaching a wiper assembly to a wiper arm includes a pair of sidewalls each including a post that extends laterally toward the other and adapted to operatively engage a wiper assembly. The sidewalls include recessed sections adapted to operatively engage rails of an attachment member of a wiper arm, each of the recessed sections have a flange that extends outward beyond to provide releasable engagement with the attachment member.

Abstract: A universal coupler assembly for a wiper assembly includes a carrier adapted to be mounted to the wiper assembly and a saddle that is removably received and retained by the carrier. The saddle is slideably mounted in a side of the carrier and includes a locking mechanism to provide releasable engagement with the carrier. The carrier and saddle cooperate to accommodate various sizes of “pinch-type” wiper arm attachment members, “push-button-type” attachment members, as well as “side-pin-type” and “pin-and-bent-tab-type” attachment members that are used to connect the wiper arm and the wiper assembly.

Abstract: An end cap for retaining a wiping element of a wiper assembly includes a body adapted to be disposed over a portion of a wiping element of the wiper assembly and the body includes at least one tab adapted to be disposed in at least one notch of the wiping element of the wiper assembly to retain the wiping element from longitudinal movement relative thereto.

Abstract: A wiper system includes at least one wiper assembly, a linkage assembly connected to the at least one wiper assembly, and at least one worm-driven reduction gear motor having a housing, an output shaft rotatably supported by the housing, and a motor arm connected to the output shaft and the linkage assembly to drive the at least one wiper assembly in repeated wiping motion across a surface to be wiped. The wiper system also includes a resilient interface assembly disposed between the housing and the motor arm to provide resistance to loading deflection and damp axial and cross-axial movement of the output shaft of the motor.

Abstract: A windshield wiper assembly adapted to be mounted to the attachment portion of a wiper arm including a coupler assembly mounted to a wiper blade and serving to interconnect the wiper blade to the wiper arm. The coupler assembly includes a coupler having a body with a pair of sidewalls, a channel defined between the sidewalls and extending substantially parallel thereto. The channel is adapted to cooperatively receive the attachment portion of the wiper arm. A latching mechanism is operatively mounted to the body and movable between an open position spaced from the channel and a closed position disposed over the channel to secure the attachment portion of the wiper arm between the latching mechanism and the body thereby securing the coupler to the attachment portion of the wiper arm.

Abstract: A method of biasing a worm shaft of a motor assembly including the steps of: providing a motor assembly having a housing defining an inner chamber, an access aperture spaced therefrom, a shaft aperture in communication with both the chamber and access aperture, and a shaft rotatably supported by and at least partially disposed in the shaft aperture; providing an ultrasonic device having a horn for producing vibrations; providing a slug having a body defining a first shape for being disposed in the access aperture, transformable to a second shape whereby the slug melts in response to predetermined vibrations; placing the slug in the access aperture; actuating the ultrasonic device so as to transform the slug to the second shape such that the slug melts and at least partially flows into the shaft aperture to abut the terminal portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an adapter for use in releasably attaching a wiper assembly to a wiper arm hook including a top and a bottom with an aperture. The adapter includes a body, a deck, a release tab, a tooth, and a biasing element. The body has sides to accommodate wiper hook. The deck engages the top of the wiper hook. The release tab is spaced from the deck, is disposed between the sides, and extends to a distal end. The tooth depends from the release tab and engages the aperture of the bottom of the wiper hook. The biasing element depends from the release tab, is disposed between the tooth and the distal end, and engages the bottom of the wiper hook such that the release tab is displaced upwardly toward the top of the wiper hook when the tooth engages the aperture of the wiper hook.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for mounting a wiper blade to a wiper arm includes an adaptor adapted to be mounted to the wiper blade, the adaptor including a base wall and a plurality of side walls extending upwardly from the base wall, and a plurality of hinge pins extending outwardly from the side walls, and a coupler for connection to the wiper arm, the coupler including a base wall, a plurality of side walls depending from the base wall, and a plurality of openings extending into the side walls to receive the hinge pins to allow the coupler and the adaptor to be connected together.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wiper motor drive system that includes a motor, an output shaft operatively connected to a wiper blade, and a breakaway clutch operatively connected between the motor and output shaft. The breakaway clutch includes a torque-sensitive releasable locking mechanism having a first position wherein torque is translated from the motor to the output shaft through the breakaway clutch to drive the wiper blade across a surface to be wiped, and a second position wherein torque is interrupted between the motor and the output shaft in response to a predetermined rotational torque differential acting on the output shaft, with the locking mechanism being movable back to the first position when the differential torque is reduced on the output shaft.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an adapter for use in releasably attaching a windshield wiper assembly to a wiper arm having an attachment member including a track defined by a base and walls depending therefrom, a bent tab extending outwardly from the base, and fins that extend from the walls. The wiper adapter includes a body having first and second ends, a pair of opposing sidewalls extending longitudinally therebetween and having an inside and outside surface each, a nose connecting the sidewalls at the first end for receiving the bent tab of the wiper arm, a strap connecting the sidewalls for engaging the base of the wiper arm, and at least one resilient locking tab disposed adjacent to the second end and extending from at least one of the inside surfaces of the sidewalls for engaging at least one of the fins of the wiper arm.

Abstract: A wiper coupler adaptor for use in releasably attaching a wiper assembly to a bayonet style wiper arm having an attachment end includes a pair of sidewalls each including a post that extends transversely toward the other to operatively engage structure of a wiper assembly and a deck disposed between the sidewalls that cooperates with a portion of the sidewalls to define a rest adapted to operatively receive the attachment end of the wiper arm. The sidewalls each include a ledge that extends transversely toward the other to operatively engage the attachment end of the wiper arm. The wiper coupler adaptor also includes a locking mechanism including a cantilevered body and a head disposed at a terminal end of the cantilevered body. The head includes a lip depending therefrom that is adapted to extend through an aperture in the base of the attachment end and receive a portion of the base of the attachment end to prevent undesired release of the wiper coupler adaptor from the attachment end of the wiper arm.

Abstract: A coupler assembly for a wiper assembly includes a coupler adapted to be attached to at least one support member of the wiper assembly and a retention clip cooperating with the coupler and adapted to engage the at least one support member to retain the at least one support member and the coupler together and prevent longitudinal movement therebetween.

Abstract: A beam blade windshield wiper assembly having a universal coupler assembly including a carrier, a saddle that is removably received and retained by the carrier, and a coupler that is operatively mounted to the saddle. The carrier, saddle, and coupler cooperate to accommodate various sizes of “pinch-type” attachment members, “push-button-type” attachment members, as well as “side-pin-type” and “pin-and-bent-tab-type” attachment members that are used to connect the wiper arm and the windshield wiper assembly.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an adapter for use in releasably attaching a wiper assembly to a wiper arm having an attachment member including a track extending to a terminal edge and defined by a base and walls depending therefrom and having fins that extend from the walls. The wiper adapter includes a body having first and second ends, a pair of opposing sidewalls extending longitudinally therebetween and having an inside and outside surface each, a strap connecting the sidewalls for engaging the base of the wiper arm, at least one resilient locking tab disposed adjacent to the second end and extending from at least one of the inside surfaces of the sidewalls for engaging at least one of the fins of the wiper arm, and a stop disposed between the sidewalls adjacent to the first end for abutting the terminal edge of the wiper arm.

Abstract: The present invention relates a wiper assembly having an elongated wiping element, a pair of elongated splines, and a pair of end caps. The wiping element has a head portion and a wiping portion. The splines support the wiping element and each has opposing longitudinal ends, lateral sides, top and bottom surfaces, a first pair of notches disposed at the longitudinal ends, and a second pair of notches disposed along the lateral sides spaced from the end. The end caps are mounted to the ends and have a body defined by a shell extending from a distal surface, a pair of lower shelves extending from the surface facing each other, a valley between the shelves, mounts extending from the surface and engaging the first notches, and resilient tabs extending from the mounts and having hook sections disposed within each of the second notches of the splines.