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(12)UK Patent Application (19)GB (“,2 346 318 (13)A
`
`(43) Date ofA Publication 09.08.2000
`
`(51)
`
`INT CL7
`B605 1/38
`
`(52) UK CL (Edition R l
`A4F FAG
`
`(56) Documents Cited
`EP 0316114 A2
`
`US 3881214 A
`
`(58)
`
`Field of Search
`UK CL (Edition 0 ) A4F FAG FAJ
`INT ci_5 3505 1/33
`
`Onlinez wm, EPODOC, JAPIO
`
`(21) Application No 99022063
`(22) Date of Filing 02.02.1999
`
`(71) Applicantlsl
`Rover Group Limited
`(Incorporated in the United Kingdom)
`lntemational Headquarters,
`Warwick Technology Park, WARWICK, CV34 GRG,
`United Kingdom
`
`(72)
`
`lnventorlsl
`
`Peter Lumsden
`
`(74) Agent and/or Address for Service
`Rover Group Limited
`Gaydon Test Centre, Banbury Road, LIGHTHORNE,
`Warwick, CV35 ORG, United Kingdom
`
`(54) Abstract Title
`Extruded plastics wiper blade carrier
`
`is aerodynamically shaped as at 28. Thus unlike the prior a .
`manufacture, the invention provides a simple extruded aerq
`quick and easy to produce.
`
`é
`
`V8L89178Z89
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 1
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 1
`
`

`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 2
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 2
`
`

`
`-1-
`
`234631 8
`
`Motor Vehicle Wiper Blade Carrier
`
`The present invention relates to a motor vehicle windscreen wiper blade
`
`carrier and to a Wiper blade assembly indorporating such a carrier.
`
`It is usual to produce a wiper blade carrier from spring steel. However, it also
`
`known to manufacture such carriers from tough plastics materials.
`
`Wiper blade assemblies may include covers or other fitments attached to the
`
`wiper blade carrier. Such fitments can include aerodynamic wind deflectors. Such
`
`deflectors may be used either to urge a wiper blade into contact with a wind shield
`
`of a motor vehicle or to act as a slipstreaim deflector to ease the movement of the
`
`wiper blade during its travel. Such deflectors may be formed as rigid profiles
`
`which may be attached either to the wiper blade contained within the carrier or
`
`the carrier itself. It is a problem to provide attachment means that remain for the
`
`life of the assembly.
`
`Further, such attachment means may be complex to
`
`manufacture and time consuming to assemble.
`
`It
`
`is an advantage of the present
`
`invention that
`
`these problems are
`
`eliminated, or at least substantially reduced.
`
`According to a first aspect of the present invention, a wiper blade carrier
`
`comprises a plastics extrusion having a capping portion, a'first element depending
`
`fiom a first side of the capping portion and a second element depending from a
`
`second side of the capping portion, each element being provided vvith an inwardly
`directed flange at an end remote? from the capping portion,
`in which an outer
`
`surface of at least one of the first and second elements is shaped to form an
`
`aerodynamic spoiler.
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 3
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 3
`
`

`
`.2-
`
`The need for a fixing for attaching the deflector to the wiper blade carrier is
`plastics extrusion
`
`thus eliminated. Manufacture of the wiper blade carrier as a
`means that the carrier is both cheap and quick to manufacture. Furthermore, the
`ature of the carrier means that less power is required to drive the
`
`lightweight n
`
`5 motor which moves the wiper blade.
`
`Accordin
`
`g to a second aspect of the present invention a wiper bl
`comprises a wiper blade carrier according to the first aspect of the present
`invention, a wiper blade and a plurality of reinforcing members.
`
`ade assembly
`
`The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference
`
`10
`
`to the accompanying drawing:
`Figure 1, which shows a section through a wiper blade assembly in accordance
`
`with one aspect of the present invention.
`
`Referring to Figure 1, there is shown a section of a wiper blade assembly 2
`a wiper blade 4, a wiper blade carrier 6 and first and second
`
`comprising
`
`15
`
`reinforcing elements 8,10.
`
`The wiper blade 4 is manufactured from a resilient material, such as rubber
`or plastics, and comprises a blade portion 12 connected to a support portion 14 by
`portion 16.
`It will be understood that the wiper blade is of suitable
`a connecting
`length and dimensions for the windscreen that is to be cleaned.
`
`The wiper blade carrier 6 comprises a capping portion 18, a first element 20
`depending from a first side of the capping portion and a second element 22
`depending from a second side of the capping portion. Each element is provided
`with an inwardly directed flange 24,26 at an end of the element remote from the
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p, 4
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 4
`
`

`
`-3-
`
`capping portion. Each flange conveniently runs along the length of the carrier.
`
`The carrier is of open section and will be understood to be open at both ends.
`
`In the illustrated embodiment, the first element 20 has an outer surface 28
`
`shaped to form an aerodynamic spoiler, The spoiler may act to urge the wiper
`
`blade into contact with a wind shield of a motor vehicle or to act as a slipstream
`
`deflector to ease the movement of the wiper blade during its travel.
`
`The first and second reinforcing elements 8,10 may conveniently comprise
`
`strips of spring steel.
`
`If the carrier is manufactured from a sufficiently rigid
`
`plastics material, the reinforcing elements may not be required.
`
`The wiper blade assembly is assembled with the first and second reinforcing
`
`elements disposed on opposite sides of the connecting portion of the wiper blade
`
`adjacent the support portion of the wiper blade. The support portion and the
`
`reinforcing strips are fed into an open end of the wiper blade carrier such that an
`
`underside of each of the first and second Ereinforcing elements is held by an upper
`
`surface of each inwardly directed flange on the respective first or second depending
`
`element.
`
`The wiper blade assembly may be secured to a wiper arm of a motor vehicle in
`
`any suitable manner.
`
`The wiper blade carrier,
`
`in use, has a reduced wind noise over previous
`
`carriers in which a separate de_flector
`comparatively low cross sectional area
`
`attached to a carrier, since it has a
`it crosses a motor vehicle Wind shield.
`
`Further, since the carrier of the present invention can be made of smaller size
`
`than carriers of the_knoWn kind less mqtor power is needed to drive the wiper
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 5
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 5
`
`

`
`.4-
`
`blade assembly. In addition the small size lends an increased aesthetic appeal to
`
`the wiper blade carrier.
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 6
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 6
`
`

`
`CLAIMS
`
`1. A wiper blade carrier comprisingza plastics extrusion having a capping
`
`portion, a first element depending from a first side of the capping portion and
`a second element depending from a: second side of the capping portion, each
`
`element being provided with an inv}/ardly directed flange at an end remote
`
`from the capping portion, in which an outer surface of at least one of the first
`
`and second elements is shaped to form an aerodynamic spoiler.
`
`A Wiper blade carrier substantially as described herein with reference to and
`
`as illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying Figure.
`
`A_Wiper blade assembly comprising‘ a wiper blade carrier according either
`
`claim 1 or claim 2, a Wiper blade and a plurality of reinforcing members.
`
`A Wiper blade assembly substantially as described herein with reference to
`
`and as illustrated herein with reference to the accompanying Figure.
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 7
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 7
`
`

`
`\'$"’; N.
`£3‘
`EIt
`
`‘a\‘
`INVESTOR IN PEOPLE
`
`Application No:
`Claims searched:
`
`GB 9902206.3
`1-4
`
`Examiner:
`Date of search:
`
`John Wilson
`20 May 1999
`
`Patents Act 1977
`
`Search Report under Section 17
`
`Databases searched:
`
`UK Patent Office collections, including GB, El’, W0 & US patent specifications, in:
`
`UK Cl (Ed.Q): A4F[FAG FAJ]
`
`Int Cl (Ed.6): B605 1/38
`
`Other:
`
`On1ine:— WPI, EPODOC, JAPIO
`
`Documents considered to be relevant:
`
`Identity of document and relevant passage
`
`X
`
`EP 0316114 A2
`
`Tamworth Plastics - whole document — see fig.3 and
`the cross sections in the figs. esp.
`fig.29
`
`US 3881214
`
`Bosso Fister - whole document — see the figs.
`
`Document indicating lack of novelty or inventive step
`Document indicating lack of inventive step if combined
`with one or more other documents of same category.
`
`Member ofthe same patent family
`
`A Document indicating technological background and/or state of the art.
`P Document published on or afier the declared priority date but before
`the filing date of this invention.
`Paient document published on or afler, but with priority date earlier
`than, the filing date of this application.
`
`E
`
`An Executive Agency ofthe Department ofTrade and lneiétsryco Exhibit 1034, p_ 8
`
`Costco Exhibit 1034, p. 8

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