Windshield wiper blade and a wiping strip with stiffening element therefor

A wiper blade assembly including an elongated wiping lip (2) comprising a base portion (4) having an upper horizontal face (5) and a lower horizontal face (6) joined by a pair of vertical faces (7, 8), a pair of opposed cavities (9) in said vertical face for receiving a supporting structure, a flexible neck (10) connected to said lower face, a wiping friction element (11) for engaging a surface to be wiped connected to said neck for pivotal motion with respect to said base, and a stiffening element (3) coextensively mounted to and lying in contact with said upper horizontal face of said base, and means securing said stiffening element to said base, said securing means comprising a longitudinal groove (12) in said base and a rib (16) depending from said stiffening element, said rib being frictionally received in said groove whereby lateral flexing of said wiping lip is prevented by paid stiffening element.