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US4736484A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Windshield wiper system

Assignee: SWF Auto Electric GmbH
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Filing: 1986-07-02
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Granted: 1988-04-12
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Expires: 2006-07-02
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Abstract

Abstract In a windshield wiper system for motor vehicles the contact pressure of the wiper onto the window is adjustable while the wiper is moving. For this purpose a multi-part actuator driven by an electromotive adjusting device and guided in a bore of the wiper shaft is axially displaced. The multi-part construction of this actuator compensates for faulty alignment, so that the adjusting mechanism operates with a good efficiency and enables rapid adjusting times.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kurt Bauer
  • 👤 Herbert Bienert
  • 👤 Bruno Egner-Walter
  • 👤 Eckhardt Schmid
  • 👤 Volker Tietz

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-30 14:43
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60S; B60S1/00; B60S1/02; B60S1/04; B60S1/32; B60S1/34; B60S1/3411

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim 217 words
A windshield wiper system comprising: a fastening member fixed on a wiper shaft; a link articulated on said fastening member; a spring element acting between said fastening member and said link; a lever acting upon said spring element; an actuating drive; an actuator displaceable within a bore of said wiper shaft; said actuator comprising a plurality of parts including a tappet and an adjusting rod acting upon said lever, thereby the contact pressure for a wiper blade produced by said spring element is variable by said actuating drive moving said tappet in an adjusting stroke which is transmitted onto said lever by said actuator; a flexible connecting element transmitting the adjusting stroke of said tappet onto said adjusting rod; wherein said flexible connecting element is arranged inside said wiper shaft bore; wherein said flexible connecting element is arranged inside said bore close to the end of said wiper shaft opposite said fastening member; and, wherein: said connecting element includes a second bushing which on one side has a first recess for one end of said tappet and has on its other side a second recess for receiving the end of said adjusting rod, wherein said second recess is formed as a universal ball joint, into which engages a correspondingly shaped crowned end portion of said adjusting rod.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 217 words
A windshield wiper system comprising: a fastening member fixed on a wiper shaft; a link articulated on said fastening member; a spring element acting between said fastening member and said link; a lever acting upon said spring element; an actuating drive; an actuator displaceable within a bore of said wiper shaft; said actuator comprising a plurality of parts including a tappet and an adjusting rod acting upon said lever, thereby the contact pressure for a wiper blade produced by said spring element is variable by said actuating drive moving said tappet in an adjusting stroke which is transmitted onto said lever by said actuator; a flexible connecting element transmitting the adjusting stroke of said tappet onto said adjusting rod; wherein said flexible connecting element is arranged inside said wiper shaft bore; wherein said flexible connecting element is arranged inside said bore close to the end of said wiper shaft opposite said fastening member; and, wherein: said connecting element includes a second bushing which on one side has a first recess for one end of said tappet and has on its other side a second recess for receiving the end of said adjusting rod, wherein said second recess is formed as a universal ball joint, into which engages a correspondingly shaped crowned end portion of said adjusting rod.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 40 words
A windshield wiper system in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the center of said crowned portion or of the universal ball joint lies outside said second bushing; and said second bushing is displaceably mounted with lateral play in said bore.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 154 words
A windshield wiper system comprising: a fastening member fixed on a wiper shaft; a link articulated on said fastening member; a spring element acting between said fastening member and said link; a lever acting upon said spring element; an actuating drive; an actuator displaceable within a bore of said wiper shaft; said actuator comprising a plurality of parts including a tappet and an adjusting rod acting upon said lever, whereby the contract pressure for a wiper blade produced by said spring element is variable by said actuating drive moving said tappet in an adjusting stroke which is transmitted onto said lever by said actuator; an adjusting screw on the said lever, said adjusting screw having a recess in its front face; and a supporting body in the shape of a ball portion movably mounted in said recess, said supporting body having a planar supporting face resting upon the front face of said adjusting rod.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 154 words
A windshield wiper system comprising: a fastening member fixed on a wiper shaft; a link articulated on said fastening member; a spring element acting between said fastening member and said link; a lever acting upon said spring element; an actuating drive; an actuator displaceable within a bore of said wiper shaft; said actuator comprising a plurality of parts including a tappet and an adjusting rod acting upon said lever, whereby the contract pressure for a wiper blade produced by said spring element is variable by said actuating drive moving said tappet in an adjusting stroke which is transmitted onto said lever by said actuator; an adjusting screw on the said lever, said adjusting screw having a recess in its front face; and a supporting body in the shape of a ball portion movably mounted in said recess, said supporting body having a planar supporting face resting upon the front face of said adjusting rod.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 21 words
A windshield wiper system in accordance with claim 3, wherein said supporting body is movably locked in said adjusting screw recess.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 230 words
A windshield wiper system comprising: a fastening member fixed on a wiper shaft; a link articulated on said fastening member; a spring element acting between said fastening member and said link; a lever acting upon said spring element; an actuating drive; an actuator displaceable within a bore of said wiper shaft; said actuator comprising a plurality of parts including a tappet and an adjusting rod acting upon said lever, whereby the contact pressure for a wiper blade produced by said spring element is variable by said actuating drive moving said tappet in an adjusting stroke which is transmitted onto said lever by said actuator; wherein: said tappet is guided in a manner protected against twisting, said actuating drive including a drive wheel driver by way of a screw gear; and the adjusting stroke of said tappet is derived from rotation of said drive wheel by way of said screw gear; wherein said tappet has a cross-section differing from the shape of a circle, and is guided in a manner protected against twisting in a corresponding aperture in a cap covering a gear housing; and, wherein: said cap may be fixed in different angular positions relative to said gear housing and that in the axial direction of said tappet said gear housing has a closable opening through which the position of said tappet can be pre-adjusted by means of a tool.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 230 words
A windshield wiper system comprising: a fastening member fixed on a wiper shaft; a link articulated on said fastening member; a spring element acting between said fastening member and said link; a lever acting upon said spring element; an actuating drive; an actuator displaceable within a bore of said wiper shaft; said actuator comprising a plurality of parts including a tappet and an adjusting rod acting upon said lever, whereby the contact pressure for a wiper blade produced by said spring element is variable by said actuating drive moving said tappet in an adjusting stroke which is transmitted onto said lever by said actuator; wherein: said tappet is guided in a manner protected against twisting, said actuating drive including a drive wheel driver by way of a screw gear; and the adjusting stroke of said tappet is derived from rotation of said drive wheel by way of said screw gear; wherein said tappet has a cross-section differing from the shape of a circle, and is guided in a manner protected against twisting in a corresponding aperture in a cap covering a gear housing; and, wherein: said cap may be fixed in different angular positions relative to said gear housing and that in the axial direction of said tappet said gear housing has a closable opening through which the position of said tappet can be pre-adjusted by means of a tool.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 310 words
A windshield wiper system comprising: a fastening member fixed on a wiper shaft; a link articulated on said fastening member; a spring element acting between said fastening member and said link; a lever acting upon said spring element; an actuating drive; an actuator displaceable within a bore of said wiper shaft; said actuator comprising a plurality of parts including a tappet and an adjusting rod acting upon said lever, whereby the contact pressure for a wiper blade produced by said spring element is variable by said actuating drive moving said tappet in an adjusting stroke which is transmitted onto said lever by said actuator; said tappet is guided in a manner protected against twisting, said actuating drive including a drive wheel driver by way of a screw gear and the adjusting stroke of said tappet is derived from rotation of said drive wheel by way of said screw gear; wherein: said tappet is connected with a thread portion having an external thread; said thread portion having centrally arranged in a thread sleeve and meshes with the internal thread of said thread sleeve, and said thread sleeve is connected with said drive wheel in a manner protected against twisting; wherein: said thread sleeve is symmetrically arranged to the center plane of said drive wheel, and, wherein: said drive wheel is rotatably guided in a bore of said gear housing by means of a cylindrical stud and at the other side by means of a cylindrical stud in a bore of an endshield secured in said gear housing in a manner protected against twisting; said gear housing being closed by a cap; and between said endshield and said cap is arranged a switch inside said gear housing, said switch being operable by way of a cam disk coupled with said cylindrical stud on said drive wheel in a manner protected against twisting.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 310 words
A windshield wiper system comprising: a fastening member fixed on a wiper shaft; a link articulated on said fastening member; a spring element acting between said fastening member and said link; a lever acting upon said spring element; an actuating drive; an actuator displaceable within a bore of said wiper shaft; said actuator comprising a plurality of parts including a tappet and an adjusting rod acting upon said lever, whereby the contact pressure for a wiper blade produced by said spring element is variable by said actuating drive moving said tappet in an adjusting stroke which is transmitted onto said lever by said actuator; said tappet is guided in a manner protected against twisting, said actuating drive including a drive wheel driver by way of a screw gear and the adjusting stroke of said tappet is derived from rotation of said drive wheel by way of said screw gear; wherein: said tappet is connected with a thread portion having an external thread; said thread portion having centrally arranged in a thread sleeve and meshes with the internal thread of said thread sleeve, and said thread sleeve is connected with said drive wheel in a manner protected against twisting; wherein: said thread sleeve is symmetrically arranged to the center plane of said drive wheel, and, wherein: said drive wheel is rotatably guided in a bore of said gear housing by means of a cylindrical stud and at the other side by means of a cylindrical stud in a bore of an endshield secured in said gear housing in a manner protected against twisting; said gear housing being closed by a cap; and between said endshield and said cap is arranged a switch inside said gear housing, said switch being operable by way of a cam disk coupled with said cylindrical stud on said drive wheel in a manner protected against twisting.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4370774A Cited
JPS55160637A Cited
DE3314456A1 Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1991-04-12 1991-10-12 1992-04-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1995-04-12 1995-10-12 1996-04-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1999-04-12 1999-10-12 2000-04-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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