Federal-mogul Corporation

Federal-mogul World Wide, Inc.

Robert Boschgmbh

Scott Allen Koppen

James Lynn Lytle

Xavier Boland

Richard A Herring

Deborah Herring, Legal Representative

A wiper actuating assembly configured to actuate a windshield wiper arm includes an actuator and a linkage that connects the actuator to the wiper arm. Links of the linkage are joined by ball joints. The ball joints each include a ball stud and a ball socket. The ball portion of the ball stud has an annular ball groove that receives a retaining portion that protrudes inward from the inner surface of the ball socket. The ball groove and retaining portion cooperate to prevent withdrawal of the ball stud from the socket housing.

Ball joint with locking ball socket assembly

A wiper blade assembly has a resilient wiper element with a crown having lengthwise grooves and a tip for wiping a window. An arcuate metal flexor has inner edges disposed in the grooves of the crown and outer edges. An elongate cover has an upper wall and a pair of flanges curled inwardly in spaced relation from the upper wall to provide elongate channels. The outer edges of the flexor are disposed in the channels. The connector is configured for attachment to a wiper arm, and has a lower surface with a pair of flanges curled in spaced relation from the lower surface to provide opposite facing pockets that slidingly receive the cover flanges therein. A projection on one of the connector or the cover is received in an opening of the other of the connector or the cover to lock the connector to the cover.

Method of assembling a wiper blade

A universal connector () is adapted to connect a wiper blade assembly () with a variety of wiper arm ends (). In order to connect side pin type wiper arm ends (), the connector includes a pin hole () having a figure '8' shape defined by larger and smaller overlapping lobes (). A flexible tongue () carried by the connector () includes a pair of scalloped pawls () aligned with the respective larger and smaller lobes () so as to engage either a &#xbc;&#x2033; or 3/16&#x2033; wiper arm side pin (-). In order to connect wiper arm ends having hook slots (), the connector () includes a generally planar upper landing (), a generally planar lower return (), and a forward nose profile (). Sides () include cantilevered extensions () projecting beyond the nose profile () and which carry a pair of 9&#xd7;4 stops () set below the plane of the lower return () by a clearance gap. When assembling a 9&#xd7;3 hook end (), the 9&#xd7;4 stop () is bypassed entirely due to the clearance gap. However, when a 9&#xd7;4 hook arm () is used, the 9&#xd7;4 stops () retain the hook arm () in position.

Multifunction wiper blade connector and assembly

Spoilerless flat wiper blade assembly

A central connecting device () for a flat blade style wiper blade assembly () includes a plastic intermediate base () that is fixed, such as by ultrasonic welding, to a pair of flexors () extending the length of the wiper blade assembly (). The intermediate base () includes a recessed deck section () for receiving a metallic housing (). The housing () is heat-staked in position to the intermediate base () to secure the two elements together as an integral unit. A rivet () extends transversely across the sidewalls () of the housing () for adjoining to a universal connector () or other suitable adaptor or by direction connection to the end of a wiper arm.

Growing community of inventors

Wanatah, IN, United States of America

Scott Allen Koppen