Spline for use in a wiper assembly
AssigneeAlberee Products, Inc.
InventorAlbert LEE
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A spline for use in a windshield wiper assembly including a wiping element is provided. The spline is composed of a pair of elongate strips, and each strip includes a first curved portion having at least one pointed protrusion to penetrate the wiping element, a notched portion having a notch, a second curved portion provided at a side of the elongate strip, and a body portion to seat within the wiping element. An overall shape of the spline is convex or concave with a bottom surface of the spline directed toward a wiping lip of the wiping element.
Claims20
A spline for use in a windshield wiper assembly including a wiping element and a component having a plurality of claws, the spline being composed of a pair of elongate strips and adapted to seat within the wiping element, each elongate strip comprising:
- a first curved portion having at least one pointed protrusion configured to penetrate the wiping element to retain the wiping element between the elongate strips;
- a notched portion having a rectangular-shaped notch positioned on a side of the elongate strip opposite to the at least one protrusion and adapted to engage with a first claw of the component to retain the wiping element;
- a second curved portion provided at a side of the elongate strip and adapted to engage into the wiping element for retaining the wiping element;
- and
- a body portion extended from the first curved portion and adapted to seat within the wiping element to be engaged with a second claw of the component for retaining the wiping element.
A method for forming a spline for use in a windshield wiper assembly, the spline being composed of a pair of elongate strips and for each elongate strip of the pair of elongate strips, the method comprising:
- providing a blank linear elongate strip;
- forming a first curved portion by carrying out a first bending operation in a first portion of the elongate strip;
- carrying out a first material removing operation for forming at least one pointed protrusion on an outer surface of the first curved portion of the elongate strip;
- carrying out a second material removing operation for forming a rectangular-shaped notch in a second portion of the elongate strip;
- and
- forming a second curved portion by carrying out a second bending operation at a side of the elongate strip.
A sub assembly for a windshield wiper assembly, comprising:
- a wiping element with a wiping lip;
- a component including a first claw and a second claw;
- and
- a spline composed of a pair of elongate strips and adapted to seat within the wiping element, each elongate strip comprising:
- a first curved portion having at least one pointed protrusion penetrating the wiping element to retain the wiping element between the elongate strips;
- a notched portion having a rectangular-shaped notch positioned on a side of the elongate strip opposite to the at least one protrusion and engaging the first claw of the component to retain the wiping element;
- a second curved portion provided at a side of the elongate strip, the second curved portion engaging the wiping element for retaining the wiping element at the side of the elongate strip;
- and
- a body portion extended from the first curved portion and seated within longitudinally extending recesses formed in the wiping element, the body engaging the second claw of the component for retaining the wiping element, wherein the notched portion is disposed between the first curved portion and the second curved portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.