Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 1
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`2313939
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` Int: Cl.: B 60 s, 1/38
`A 47 1, 1/02
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`R. 1385
`02/28/1973 Kü/Sz
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`Federal Republic of Germany
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`(10) Published Patent Application 2 313 939
`(11)
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`(21) Application number: P 23 13 939.1
`(22) Filing date: March 21, 1973
`(43) Date of Publication: September 26, 1974
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`Wiper assembly for cleaning round, convex panes
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`Robert Bosch GmbH, 7000 Stuttgart
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`Eckhart, Ursel, 7580 Bühl
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`9. 74 409 839/524 5/70
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`Exhibition Priority:
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`Union Priority
`Date:
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`File No.:
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`Title:
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`Appended to:
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`Divided from:
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`Representative purs. to §16 PatG
`[Patent Act]:
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`Named as the inventor:
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`T 2313939
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` German Cl.: 63 c, 82
`34 c, 1/02
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`Patent Office
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`German
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`(52)
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 2
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`2313939
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`R. 1385
`02/28/1973 Kü/Sz
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`Attachment to the
`patent and utility model
`Auxiliary application
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`ROBERT BOSCH GMBH, Stuttgart
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`Wiper assembly for cleaning round, convex panes
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`The invention relates to a wiper assembly for cleaning round, convex panes, particularly
`headlight diffusers, having a wiper arm and a rubber wiping strip which is attached with
`articulation and supported at only one point on the wiper arm, and is made rigid by a spring
`rail arranged in a plane which is parallel to the wiper plane, wherein this spring rail is convex
`in this plane and is elastically resilient only perpendicular to this plane.
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`409839 / 0524
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 3
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`In known wiper assemblies for cleaning convex panes, the rubber wiping strip has, to date,
`been suspended on a support bracket system which itself is attached to the wiper arm with
`articulation. The wiper arm in such designs is pressed by a spring force against the pane to be
`cleaned, and this contact force is transmitted by the support bracket system to multiple points
`on the rubber wiping strip. Rubber wiping strips which are supported in this way therefore
`nestle very well against the convex contour of a pane to be cleaned – for example, the known
`front windshields. However, this support bracket system is very expensive, and also fails to
`produce satisfactory results if the rubber wiping strip is relatively short.
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`In the field of headlight cleaning systems, another known approach is to insert a spring rail
`into the rubber wiping strip, said spring rail being convex in a plane which is parallel to the
`surface being cleaned, according to the outer contour of the headlight. Such a design is
`practical because the rubber wiping strip, when in the unused position, contacts the edge of
`the pane it cleans, and therefore does not compromise the functioning of the headlight. In this
`known wiper assembly, the wiping strip is relatively short, such that it is not worth it to attach
`a separate support bracket system. Because the rubber wiping strip is elastic perpendicular to
`the wiping direction, and the wiping edge molded on the rubber wiping strip is also very
`elastic, the assumption was made that such a wiper assembly is also suitable for cleaning
`convex panes. However, in practice, it has been found that, at least with highly convex panes,
`the edge regions are not adequately cleaned because the contact pressure of the rubber wiping
`strip against the pane to be cleaned is too low on the ends thereof.
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`The problem addressed by the present invention is that of overcoming these disadvantages
`and creating a wiper assembly in which the rubber wiping strip is pressed against the pane
`with sufficient pressure, over the entire length thereof, even in the case of highly convex
`panes.
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`409839 / 0524
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 4
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`This problem is solved according to the invention in that the spring rail is curved in a plane
`perpendicular to the wiping direction when it is not stressed.
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`The spring rail is therefore essentially pretensioned toward the end regions thereof, such that
`the rubber wiping strip contacts the pane to be cleaned over its entire length, with no
`hindrances.
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`In one advantageous implementation of the invention, the curvature of the spring rail in the
`plane perpendicular to the wiping direction has a smaller curve radius than the curvature of
`the pane to be cleaned.
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`In such a design, the wiping strip is pressed by a spring force against the pane to be cleaned
`by the arm which is attached primarily in the middle of the wiping strip. The required contact
`pressure is applied in the middle of the rubber wiping strip by the elastic wiper arm, while in
`the end region the contact pressure depends on the extent to which the spring rail is
`pretensioned when it is not stressed.
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`The invention is described below in greater detail with reference to one embodiment
`illustrated in the drawings, wherein:
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`Fig. 1
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`Fig. 2
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`Fig. 3
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`Fig. 4
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`shows a perspective view of the rubber wiping strip,
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`shows a cutaway view along the line I-I in Fig. 1,
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`shows a view of the spring rail, and
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`shows a view in the wiping direction of the pretensioned spring rail which is
`contacting a pane to be cleaned.
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`409839 / 0524
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 5
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`In Fig. 1, the rubber wiping strip is indicated by 10, which has a relatively rigid spine 11,
`wherein grooves 13 and 14 are constructed in the same on both sides thereof, open toward the
`edges over the entire length thereof, such that a thin-walled bar 15 is formed between these
`two grooves. Further cross-bars, as well as the wiping lip 16, connect to this bar 15 in the
`known manner. The flat spring rail 17, with a rectangular cross-section, has a slot 18 in the
`middle which extends almost over the entire length of the spring rail 17. The bar 15 of the
`rubber wiping strip 10 is inserted into this slot 18 as shown particularly in Fig. 1, such that
`the spring rail lies in the grooves 13 and 14. The slot is expanded on the ends 19, thereby
`simplifying the insertion of the rubber wiping strip.
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`It can be seen in Figs. 3 and 4 in particular that the spring rail is curved in two planes when
`not stressed. In a first plane parallel to the pane to be cleaned, the spring rail has a curvature
`which matches the outer contour of the pane. Perpendicular to this plane, the spring rail 17
`has an elastic construction.
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`However, it can be seen in Fig. 4 in particular that the spring rail is also curved perpendicular
`to the wiping direction, wherein the radius of curvature K is less than the radius W of the
`convex pane.
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`What is essential for such a design of the spring rail is that it has a curvature corresponding to
`the pane to be cleaned when in the final position – that is, when it is also pretensioned
`perpendicular to the wiping direction and is contacting the pane to be cleaned. This means
`that, prior to this pretensioning – that is, particularly when being produced by die cutting –
`the radius of curvature R of the spring rail must be selected to be accordingly greater than the
`radius of the outer contour of the pane.
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`409839 / 0524
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 6
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`A holding element 20 is attached to the rubber wiping strip, which has a slot 21 into which a
`bolt attached to the wiper arm can be inserted. The spring 22 serves the purpose of closing the
`slot 21.
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`The holding element 20 has two claws 23 and 24, each on one side thereof, which engage
`around the spine 11 of the rubber wiping strip 10, and engage on the bottom of the spring rail
`17 in the grooves 13 and 14. At this position, the spring rail 17 has two recesses 26 and 25,
`one on each side thereof, which prevent the holding element 20 from being able to slide
`relative to the rubber wiping strip 10 and/or relative to the spring rail 17 after the assembly.
`The holding element is arranged approximately in the middle of the rubber wiping strip.
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`If at this point the wiper arm, which is typically elastically pretensioned in the direction
`indicated by the arrow P in Fig. 4, said wiper arm not illustrated in the drawing in greater
`detail, presses against the rubber wiping strip 10, the end regions of the spring rail 17 are
`deformed, as is consequently the rubber wiping strip 10, until the wiping lip contacts the
`convex pane along its entire length. With the radius of curvature K of the spring rail 17
`suitably matched to the radius of curvature W of the pane to be cleaned, and with a suitable
`material being used for the spring rail 17, it is easy to achieve a configuration wherein the
`contact pressure of the wiping lip is essentially constant over the entire length. This measure
`significantly improves the wiping effect with respect to previously known wiper assemblies,
`decisively contributing to traffic safety.
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`So that no parts of the wiper assembly project into the pane when the wiper blade is not in
`use, the wiper arm is advantageously given a bent construction at least in the region of the
`pane to be cleaned, in such a manner that it corresponds to the contour of the pane.
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`409839 / 0524
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 7
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`Claims
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`1. A wiper assembly for cleaning round, convex panes, particularly headlight diffusers,
`having a wiper arm and a rubber wiping strip which is attached with articulation and
`supported at only one point on the wiper arm, and is made rigid by a spring rail arranged
`in a plane which is parallel to the wiping plane, wherein this spring rail is convex in this
`plane and is elastically resilient only perpendicular to this plane, characterized in that the
`spring rail (17) is curved in a plane perpendicular to the wiping direction when it is not
`stressed.
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`2. A wiper assembly according to claim 1, characterized in that the radius of curvature (R)
`of the spring rail (17) corresponds, when pretensioned, to the radius of the outer contour
`of the pane to be cleaned when the pretensioned rubber wiping strip is contacting the pane
`to be cleaned.
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`3. A wiper assembly according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the curvature of the
`spring rail (17) in the plane perpendicular to the wiping direction has a smaller curve
`radius (K) than the curvature of the pane to be cleaned.
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`4. A wiper assembly according to the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the wiping strip has
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`409839 / 0524
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 8
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`a relatively rigid spine (11), wherein grooves (13, 14) extending through the longitudinal
`direction are constructed the same on both sides thereof such that a thin-walled bar (15) is
`formed between these two grooves, and in that this bar (15) is inserted into a slot made in
`the spring rail (17) which passes through the spring rail approximately in the center
`thereof and over almost all of the length thereof.
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`409839 / 0524
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 9
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`409839 / 0524
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 10
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`Costco Exhibit 1010, p. 11