Vehicle window wiper assembly having one-piece carrier with flexible tips

Abstract

A vehicle window wiper assembly has a one-piece carrier with a central section and flexible tips to allow the wiper to accommodate windows of high curvature. The tips have a higher flexibility than the central section, due in part to molded serrations on the bottom surface in combination with decreased thickness and width with respect to the central section. The central section and the tips also have different radii of curvature which provide a uniform pressure distribution across the window during wiping operation, even at high curvature window locations. A blade channel extends the longitudinal length of the carrier for receiving a wiper blade therein. The central section has a molded air foil defined by a downwardly projecting, longitudinally extending lip on a leading edge for preventing wiper assembly lift. The rear edge of the central section may have similar lip. A pair of laterally opposed attachment flanges, as well as laterally opposed stability posts, are integrally molded with the central section, as are the tips and air foil lips. The carrier is integrally molded with the aforementioned features, preferably of a thermoplastic material, with no moving parts, and thus is not susceptible to the adverse effects of snow and ice induced lock-up.