Wiper coupler and wiper assembly incorporating same

A wiper assembly for use in connection with a wiper arm having an attachment member including a track defined by a base and rails depending therefrom, where the base includes a bent tab extending outwardly from the base, a passage defined within the base by a peripheral edge and a contoured protrusion extending from the peripheral edge toward the center of the passage in substantially the same direction as the bent tab, said wiper assembly comprising:

• a wiping element adapted to contact a surface to be wiped;
• a tournament-style superstructure adapted to operatively engaged said wiping element;
• and
• a wiper coupler operatively mounted to said superstructure that is adapted to releasably attach said superstructure to a wiper arm attachment member, said wiper coupler including a pair of sidewalls and a deck disposed therebetween that is adapted to operatively engage a portion of the contoured protrusion of the wiper arm attachment member, said deck and a portion of said sidewalls cooperating to define a rest adapted to operatively receive the track of a wiper arm attachment member,
• said coupler further including an elevated platform disposed between said sidewalls and an aperture disposed between said deck and said elevated platform that is adapted to operatively receive a portion of the bent tab of a wiper arm attachment member, said deck further including a cantilevered beam adapted to operatively engage a portion of the peripheral edge of a wiper arm attachment member to facilitate releasable attachment between said tournament-style superstructure and a wiper arm attachment member conventionally employed for use in connection with a beam blade-style wiper assembly.

A wiper coupler for use in releasably attaching a tournament-style wiper assembly superstructure to a wiper arm having an attachment member including a track defined by a base and rails depending therefrom, a bent tab extending outwardly from the base and guides that extend linearly downward from the rails, said wiper coupler comprising:

• a pair of sidewalls each including a post that extends transversely toward the other to operatively engage a tournament-style wiper assembly superstructure and a flange adapted to engage a portion of the guides of a wiper arm attachment member, each of said flanges including a barb that is adapted to operatively engage a portion of the guides of a wiper arm attachment member;
• and
• a deck disposed between said sidewalls that cooperates with a portion of said sidewalls to define a rest adapted to operatively receive the track of a wiper arm attachment member, said deck including a bridge that is adapted to provide a positive stop against a portion the bent tab of a wiper arm attachment member,
• said wiper coupler further including an aperture disposed adjacent to said deck that is adapted to receive a portion of the bent tab of a wiper arm attachment member to facilitate releasable attachment between a tournament-style wiper assembly superstructure and a wiper arm attachment member conventionally employed for use in connection with a beam blade-style wiper assembly.