Abstract: A wiper assembly for use in connection with a wiper arm attachment member having a transversely extending pin and bent tab. The wiper assembly includes a wiping element and a superstructure having first and second longitudinal ends. The wiper assembly further includes first and second airfoils attached to the superstructure between an intermediate position and the longitudinal ends. The wiper assembly further includes a coupler attached to the superstructure and disposed between the first and second airfoils. The coupler includes first and second sidewalls, a deck that extends from the first sidewall and a rail that extends from the deck. The deck and rail of the wiper assembly cooperate to define a side-saddle that facilitates low-profile attachment to a wiper arm attachment member for reducing the likelihood of wind lift and lateral movement between the wiper arm attachment member and the wiper assembly.

Abstract: A beam blade wiper assembly including a rubber wiping element and an elongated beam having first and second longitudinal ends. The wiper assembly also includes an airfoil having an attachment portion and an upper portion extending between first and second distal ends. The attachment portion includes a flat rib and a pair of legs adapted to operatively engage the rubber wiping element. The upper portion includes a solid base having a leading edge that extends from the base toward the wiping element. The base and the rib define a space that receives the elongated beam. The base and the elongated beam define a cavity that provides flexibility between the upper portion and the attachment portion during wiper operation. The upper portion further includes a spoiler that extends from the base in a manner opposite to the leading edge.

Abstract: A beam blade wiper assembly including a rubber wiping element and an elongated beam having first and second longitudinal ends. The wiper assembly also includes an airfoil having an attachment portion and an upper portion extending between first and second distal ends. The attachment portion includes a flat rib and a pair of legs adapted to operatively engage the rubber wiping element. The upper portion includes a solid base having a leading edge that extends from the base toward the wiping element. The base and the rib define a space that receives the elongated beam. The base and the elongated beam define a cavity that provides flexibility between the upper portion and the attachment portion during wiper operation. The upper portion further includes a spoiler that extends from the base in a manner opposite to the leading edge.

Abstract: The present invention is a breakaway mounting bracket assembly for a wiper system that displaces components of the wiper system below the impact line of a vehicle in the event of, for example, a vehicle-pedestrian impact. The assembly includes a mounting bracket and a grommet removably attached to the mounting bracket. The assembly also includes a ferrule disposed within the grommet that includes a column having an internal passage and a platform connected to the column by a plurality of bridges disposed therebetween. The assembly also includes an attachment member to connect the mounting bracket to the vehicle where the attachment member includes a body engaged to the internal passage. The mounting bracket is adapted to break away from attachment with the grommet in the event of a predetermined load acting on a pivot shaft assembly and to displace the pivot shaft assembly and a portion of the wiper arm below the vehicle's impact line in the event of a pedestrian impact.

Abstract: The present invention is a breakaway mounting bracket assembly for a wiper system that displaces components of the wiper system below the impact line of a vehicle in the event of, for example, a vehicle-pedestrian impact. The assembly includes a mounting bracket and a grommet removably attached to the mounting bracket. The assembly also includes a ferrule disposed within the grommet that includes a column having an internal passage and a platform connected to the column. The assembly also includes an attachment member to connect the mounting bracket to the vehicle where the attachment member includes a body engaged to the internal passage. The platform breaks away from the column in the event of a predetermined load acting on the pivot shaft assembly, which disconnects the grommet from the ferrule and thereby displaces the pivot shaft assembly and a portion of a wiper arm below the impact line of a vehicle.

Abstract: A wiper system including a wiper arm having a pivot end, attachment member and an elongate body. The attachment member includes a deck, a tab, wall plate, and a pin that extends transversely relative to the tab. The tab and the wall plate depend from the deck to define a channel. The deck extends along an inclined plane to maximize downward force of air current applied to the deck to reduce wind lift. The system further includes a wiper assembly having a wiping element, an elongated beam and a carrier. The carrier has sidewalls that define a track to receive the elongated beam and further includes a coupler to releasably engage the attachment member. The coupler includes a bore to receive the pin and a saddle to engage the channel. The saddle includes first and second guide surfaces to limit the rotational movement of the wiper assembly about the pin.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wiper coupler and wiper assembly that includes a wiping element and a tournament-style superstructure to support the wiping element. The wiper assembly further includes a wiper coupler that releasably attaches the superstructure to a wiper arm attachment member. The wiper coupler includes a pair of sidewalls each having a flange to engage a portion of the guides of the attachment member and further includes an elevated platform and a deck each disposed between the sidewalls. The deck and a portion of the sidewalls define a rest to receive the track of the attachment member. The wiper coupler further includes an aperture between the elevated platform and the deck. The aperture receives a portion of the bent tab of the attachment member to facilitate attachment between the superstructure and the attachment member conventionally employed for use with a beam blade-style wiper assembly.

Abstract: A windshield wiper assembly including at least one motor having an output shaft and a windshield wiper operatively connected to the output shaft. The motor includes a stator adapted to provide an electromagnetic flux and a rotor assembly supported for rotation about the stator. The rotor assembly includes a back iron that defines an inner circumference and a plurality of magnets disposed in spaced parallel relationship relative to one another about the inner circumference of the back iron and in radially spaced relationship about the stator. The rotor assembly is operatively connected to the output shaft and responsive to electromagnetic flux generated by the stator so as to provide a rotational force to the output shaft to drive the windshield wiper in repeated wiping motion across the windshield.

Abstract: A tandem windshield wiper system including a first windshield wiper assembly having a first lever arm that is adapted to operatively move in a repeated wiping motion across the surface of a windshield. A second windshield wiper assembly having a second lever arm is spaced apart from the first windshield wiper assembly and is rotatable about a second wiper longitudinal axis and adapted to operative move in a repeated wiping motion across the surface of the windshield. A brushless DC motor that includes a planetary gear set having an output shaft is disposed between the first and the second wiper assemblies. The gear set is operable to reduce the speed of the rotational output of the motor through the output shaft of said gear set. A bellcrank having a central attachment point and a first and a second end is also included. The central attachment point is fixedly mounted to the output shaft of the motor.

Abstract: A tandem windshield wiper system that includes at least one brushless DC motor to provide drive torque through an output that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the motor. A first windshield wiper assembly having a first lever arm is driven by the motor about the longitudinal axis in a repeated wiping motion across the surface of a windshield. A second windshield wiper assembly spaced apart from the first windshield wiper assembly has a second lever arm and is rotatable about a second longitudinal axis to operative move in a repeated wiping motion across the surface of the windshield. A connecting arm is also included that is operatively disposed between the first and the second lever arms that is adapted to translate the drive torque provided to the first windshield wiper assembly to the second windshield wiper assembly. The motor includes a planetary gear set having an output shaft.

Abstract: A two speed direct current electric motor comprising: an armature having a commutator assembly that is adapted to receive an electromotive force to cause the armature to operatively rotate. A brush assembly having a common brush and a low-speed brush is disposed about and in electrical communication with the commutator to provide a first electromotive force to cause the armature to provide a low-speed rotational output. The brush assembly further includes a high-speed brush having a convex shaped end in physical and electrical communication with the commutator to provide a second electromotive force to cause the armature to provide a high-speed rotational output. The convex shaped end of the high-speed brush is further adapted to wear to take the shape of the commutator such that as the high-speed brush wears the high-speed rotational output decreases.

Abstract: A windshield wiper assembly including at least one motor having an output shaft and a windshield wiper operatively connected to the output shaft. The motor includes a stator adapted to provide an electromagnetic flux and a rotor assembly supported for rotation about the stator. The rotor assembly includes a back iron and an annular magnet mounted to the back iron so as to be disposed in radially spaced relationship about the stator. The rotor assembly is operatively connected to the output shaft and responsive to electromagnetic flux generated by the stator so as to provide a rotational force to the output shaft to drive the windshield wiper in repeated wiping motion across the windshield.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a universal wiper adapter for connecting a wiper blade assembly to a wiper arm including a pair of sidewalls having an aperture and a land extending between the sidewalls cooperating to define a channel. The present invention further includes a cantilevered beam, between the sidewalls, having a super-surface and a subsurface each cooperating with the sidewalls to define an elongate passage and an elongate track, respectively. The channel and the elongate passage cooperate to receive two sizes of hook-type wiper arms, while the channel and the elongate track cooperate to receive three sizes of hook-type wiper arms. The present invention also includes a substrate between the sidewalls cooperating with the land and the apertures to receive two sizes of pin-type wiper arms. The substrate further cooperates with the sidewalls and the land to define an elongate cavity to receive a bayonet-type wiper arm.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a windscreen wiper that includes a unitary elongate curved beam and a rubber blade mounted to the beam. The beam has a protective end formation located at at least one of its tips. The end formation comprises a deformed end portion of the beam which projects beyond the end portion of the rubber blade.

Abstract: A direct drive windshield wiper assembly including at least one brushless DC motor providing a drive torque through an output that is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the motor and a windshield wiper that is driven by the motor about the longitudinal axis in a repeated wiping motion across the surface of a windshield. The motor including a planetary gear set having an output shaft, the gear set being coaxially disposed relative to the rotational output and the longitudinal axis of the motor and operatively interconnecting the drive torque and the windshield wiper, the gear set further operable to reduce the speed of the rotational output of the motor to the windshield wiper through the output shaft of the gear set.

Abstract: A windscreen wiper includes an elongate curved backbone which is of a resiliently flexible material having a Young's modulus of between 50 to 350 GPa. The backbone has a substantially spatially consolidated cross-sectional profile at substantially all points along its length, and the magnitude of the width at substantially the widest point along the backbone, Wm (expressed in millimeters) is at most (?8.89.10?5*E+0.05378)*L?5.25, where L is the total length of the backbone expressed in millimeters and E is the Young's modulus of the backbone material expressed in GPa. The invention also provides a relationship between the thickness and the length of the backbone.

Abstract: An apparatus for manufacturing a discrete curved product from a feed stock includes a source of heat that is adapted to impose a focused beam of light on at least one surface of a work piece to cause the surface of the work piece to expand and thereby move in the general direction of the heat source so as to impart a predetermined radius of curvature to the work piece. In addition, a method of manufacturing a discrete curved product from feed stock is also disclosed.

Abstract: A windscreen wiper (14) assembly includes a wiper arm (12) and a windscreen wiper having a resiliently flexible elongate beam (18) which is curved in a plane. The assembly also includes a coupler (16) for coupling an end of the wiper arm (12) to the wiper (4) in such a manner that resilient bending movement of the beam in the plane of curvature along its full length is substantially allowed. The invention also relates to a coupler for a windscreen wiper assembly.

Abstract: A beam blade windshield wiper assembly having an elongated backbone defining a median line extending along its longitudinal beam length between its first and second ends. The backbone includes an upper surface and a lower mounting surface as well as first and second sides extending between the upper and lower surfaces and the first and second longitudinal ends. The first side of the backbone defines a leading edge and the second side of the backbone defines a trailing edge thereof. The assembly also includes a wiper element having a longitudinal centerline, said wiper element mounted to said backbone such that its longitudinal centerline is offset from said median line of said backbone in the direction of said leading edge.