Rear beam arm and blade assembly
OwnerAlexander Kowal, Nicholas Finateri +2inventors
InventorsAlexander Kowal, Nicholas Finateri, Kyle Moll, Roger Barnett
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A stepped-designed beam arm wiper assembly has a beam arm that locks into a mounting head such that the beam arm can be disconnected from the mounting head for servicing a wiper blade attached to the beam arm. A head cover is attached to the mounting head via hinges on either side of the head cover which allow the head cover to open off the head on either pin hinges of the head, and can be pressed onto the head and retained on. The other end of the beam arm is inserted into an adapter which snaps onto a rear wiper blade coupler via lead-in hole and trunnion connection. The beam arm has an airfoil with a stepped design to match the head cover, adapter, and blade assembly stepped design.
Claims10
A beam blade wiper assembly comprising:
- a wiping element adapted to contact a surface to be wiped;
- an elongated beam arm having a first end, a second end, and opposing sides, said first end acting to support said wiping element, said second end configured with a first pair of opposing notches on said sides of said beam arm and spaced apart from said second end, said beam arm having a second pair of opposing notches on said sides of said beam arm spaced apart from said first pair of opposing notches;
- and
- a mounting head having a through hole configured for engaging a drive shaft, said mounting head having a first pair of locking features configured to matingly engage and retain a respective one of said first pair of opposing notches when said beam arm is in a first position and assembled with said mounting head, said mounting head comprising a channel passing through a portion of said mounting head and configured to matingly engage with said second end of said beam arm, said channel comprising opposing side walls, an end wall, and a channel bottom wall;
- a locking clip configured to frictionally engage with said mounting head when said beam arm is in said first position assembled with said mounting head with said first pair of locking features matingly engaged with said respective one of said first pair of opposing notches;
- wherein said beam arm is detachable from said mounting head when said locking clip is removed from said mounting head;
- and
- wherein said beam arm is fixedly coupled with said mounting head when said locking clip is frictionally engaged with said mounting head.
A method of servicing a beam blade wiper assembly, said method comprising:
- providing a beam blade wiper assembly comprising an elongated beam arm, a mounting head, and a head cover, said beam arm having a first end and a second end, said first end acting to support a wiping element and said second end configured with a retention feature, the retention feature including a first pair of opposing notches on sides of said beam arm and spaced apart from said second end, and a second pair of opposing notches on said sides of said beam arm spaced apart from said first pair of opposing notches;
- said mounting head having a through hole configured for engaging a drive shaft, said mounting head having a locking feature configured to matingly engage and retain said retention feature when said retention feature is assembled with said mounting head, the locking feature including a first pair of locking features configured to matingly engage and retain a respective one of said first pair of opposing notches when said beam arm is in a first position and assembled with said mounting head, said mounting head comprising a channel passing through a portion of said mounting head and configured to matingly engage with said second end of said beam arm, said channel comprising opposing side walls, an end wall, and a channel bottom wall;
- said head cover configured to releasably couple with said mounting head, said head cover blocking access to an upper portion of said through hole when said head cover is releasably coupled with said mounting head;
- repositioning said locking feature into an unlocked condition;
- and
- disconnecting said second end of said beam arm from said mounting head.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.