Abstract: An adapter is provided to attach a non-original wiper blade assembly to a wiper arm of a vehicle which is usable with an existing sliding latch and other aesthetic and functional components of the wiper arm to maintain the original aesthetics of the wiper system while allowing installation of non-original wiper blade assemblies.

Abstract: A refillable wiper blade (36) including a refill subassembly (38) and a coupler (48) adapted for releasable attachment thereto. The refill subassembly includes a wiping element (42), an elongated spline (44) supporting the element, and a retention clip (46) operatively attached to the spline. The clip has a body (58) and an upwardly-biased cantilevered finger (60) extending from the body. The coupler has a first end (62A) shaped to receive the body of the clip, and a relief (64) defined adjacent to the first end and shaped to accommodate the finger of the clip. The refill subassembly and the coupler cooperate such that predetermined movement of the coupler with respect to the refill subassembly brings the body into engagement with the first end of the coupler such that the finger deflects downwardly until subsequent movement of the coupler along the spline releases the finger upwardly and into the relief of the coupler thereby securing the refill subassembly to the coupler.

Abstract: An adapter (124) for attaching to an attachment member (138) of a wiper arm (114) extending to an terminal end (140) with an upper wall (142) and a pair of side walls (144) depending from the upper wall. The side walls each have an inward protrusion (146) and a U-shaped cutout (148) formed at the end defining upper (150) and lower cutout (152) edges. The upper wall has an aperture (156). The adapter has a body (158) with first (160) and second (162) ends. A stop (164) formed at the first end abuts the attachment member end. A slot (166) formed at the second end receives one of the protrusions. A resilient finger (168) attached to the body has a tooth (170) engaging the aperture to prevent longitudinal movement between the attachment member and adapter. A brace (172) formed at the first end is received in one of the cutouts when the tooth engages the aperture. The brace at least partially abuts the lower cutout edge and remains spaced from the upper cutout edge.

Abstract: An adapter is provided to attach a non-original wiper blade assembly to a wiper arm of a vehicle which is usable with an existing sliding latch and other aesthetic and functional components of the wiper arm to maintain the original aesthetics of the wiper system while allowing installation of non-original wiper blade assemblies.

Abstract: An adapter for attaching to a wiper arm attachment member having 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 adapter has a body with a first and second ends. A stop wall formed at the first end abuts the track. A pair of outer walls extend between the first and second ends. A strap connects the outer walls for engaging the base. A pair of inner walls are spaced laterally between the outer walls and are arranged at least partially under the strap. A cantilevered finger extends from each of the inner walls with a tab formed adjacent to the second end. The tabs extend away from each other and are arranged to engage respective fins to prevent movement between the adapter and the attachment member when the stop wall abuts the track.

Abstract: An adapter (124) for attaching to an attachment member (138) of a wiper arm (114) extending to an terminal end (140) with an upper wall (142) and a pair of side walls (144) depending from the upper wall. The side walls each have an inward protrusion (146) and a U-shaped cutout (148) formed at the end defining upper (150) and lower cutout (152) edges. The upper wall has an aperture (156). The adapter has a body (158) with first (160) and second (162) ends. A stop (164) formed at the first end abuts the attachment member end. A slot (166) formed at the second end receives one of the protrusions. A resilient finger (168) attached to the body has a tooth (170) engaging the aperture to prevent longitudinal movement between the attachment member and adapter. A brace (172) formed at the first end is received in one of the cutouts when the tooth engages the aperture. The brace at least partially abuts the lower cutout edge and remains spaced from the upper cutout edge.

Abstract: An adapter for attaching to a wiper arm attachment member having 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 adapter has a body with a first and second ends. A stop wall formed at the first end abuts the track. A pair of outer walls extend between the first and second ends. A strap connects the outer walls for engaging the base. A pair of inner walls are spaced laterally between the outer walls and are arranged at least partially under the strap. A cantilevered finger extends from each of the inner walls with a tab formed adjacent to the second end. The tabs extend away from each other and are arranged to engage respective fins to prevent movement between the adapter and the attachment member when the stop wall abuts the track.

Abstract: A refillable wiper blade (36) including a refill subassembly (38) and a coupler (48) adapted for releasable attachment thereto. The refill subassembly includes a wiping element (42), an elongated spline (44) supporting the element, and a retention clip (46) operatively attached to the spline. The clip has a body (58) and an upwardly-biased cantilevered finger (60) extending from the body. The coupler has a first end (62A) shaped to receive the body of the clip, and a relief (64) defined adjacent to the first end and shaped to accommodate the finger of the clip. The refill subassembly and the coupler cooperate such that predetermined movement of the coupler with respect to the refill subassembly brings the body into engagement with the first end of the coupler such that the finger deflects downwardly until subsequent movement of the coupler along the spline releases the finger upwardly and into the relief of the coupler thereby securing the refill subassembly to the coupler.

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: 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 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: 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: 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: 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 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: 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: 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 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 pin recesses extending into the side walls adapted to receive a hinge pin of the wiper arm. The mounting assembly also includes a coupler for connection to the wiper arm, the coupler including a top wall, a plurality of side walls depending from the top wall, and a plurality of openings extending into the side walls adapted to receive the hinge pin, and a plurality of arms extending from the side walls and cooperating with the adapter to allow the coupler and the adaptor to be connected together.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a wiper assembly and a coupler assembly for use in releasably attaching the wiper assembly to a plurality of different attachment member for wiper arms. The coupler assembly includes a base mounted to structure of the wiper assembly and at least one coupler releasably attached to the base to allow connection to the attachment members. The coupler assembly also includes a release lever cooperating with the base and the at least one coupler for releasing the at least one coupler from the base to facilitate releasable attachment between a wiper assembly and the attachment members of the wiper arms.