Rear beam arm and blade assembly

Abstract

A stepped-designed beam arm wiper assembly has a beam arm that locks into a mounting head such that the beam arm can be disconnected from the mounting head for servicing a wiper blade attached to the beam arm. A head cover is attached to the mounting head via hinges on either side of the head cover which allow the head cover to open off the head on either pin hinges of the head, and can be pressed onto the head and retained on. The other end of the beam arm is inserted into an adapter which snaps onto a rear wiper blade coupler via lead-in hole and trunnion connection. The beam arm has an airfoil with a stepped design to match the head cover, adapter, and blade assembly stepped design.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A beam blade wiper assembly comprising:
 a wiping element adapted to contact a surface to be wiped;   an elongated beam arm having a first end and a second end, said first end acting to support said wiping element, and said second end configured with a retention feature; and   a mounting head having a through hole configured for engaging a drive shaft, said mounting head having a locking feature configured to matingly engage and retain said retention feature when said retention feature is assembled with said mounting head;   wherein said beam arm is detachable from said mounting head when said locking feature is repositioned into an unlocked condition; and   wherein said beam arm is fixedly coupled with said mounting head when said locking feature is in a locked condition.   
     
     
         2 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said beam blade assembly comprises a mounting head cover releasably coupled with said mounting head; and
 wherein said locking feature is repositionable between said locked condition and said unlocked condition while said mounting head cover is coupled with said mounting head.   
     
     
         3 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 2 , wherein said beam arm is removable from said mounting head while said mounting head cover is releasably coupled with said mounting head. 
     
     
         4 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 3 , said locking feature comprises a diving board feature having a retention embossment projecting from a surface of said diving board feature, a first end flexibly coupled to said head, and a second end; and
 said retention feature comprises an aperture in said beam arm;   wherein at least a portion said retention embossment is releasably engaged with said aperture in said beam arm when said locking feature is in said locked condition; and   wherein repositioning said second end of said diving board feature separates said retention embossment from said aperture which places said locking feature in said unlocked condition.   
     
     
         5 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 4 , said beam arm comprising a retention clip releasably coupled with said second end of said elongated beam arm; and
 wherein said aperture is in said retention clip.   
     
     
         6 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 5 , wherein said mounting head comprises a first pair of hinge pins positioned on opposing sides of a first hinge pin slot extending along a first longitudinal side of said mounting head; and
 said mounting head cover comprises a pair of connecting loops projecting from a first longitudinal side of said mounting head cover and configured to rotationally engage with said first pair of hinge pins.   
     
     
         7 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , wherein said mounting head cover is rotatably coupled to said mounting head when each of said pair of connecting loops is rotatably coupled with a respective one of said first pair of hinge pins. 
     
     
         8 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 7 , wherein said pair of connecting loops comprises a loop connector and a claw connector. 
     
     
         9 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 6 , said mounting head comprises a second pair of hinge pins positioned on opposing sides of a second hinge pin slot extending along a second longitudinal side of said mounting head; and
 said mounting head cover has a retention bump feature on a longitudinal side opposing said first longitudinal side;   wherein said retention bump feature frictionally engages with said second hinge pin slot when said mounting head cover is assembled with said mounting head in a closed condition.   
     
     
         10 . The beam blade wiper assembly as set forth in  claim 1 , wherein said retention feature comprises:
 a hole in the second end of the beam arm; and   a retention clip coupled to the second end of the beam arm, the retention clip including an oblong boss and an angled retention embossment that projects away from a bottom surface of the oblong boss, the angled retention embossment adapted to be positioned in the hole in the second end of the beam arm to couple the retention clip to the second end of the beam arm, the retention clip including a retention clip hole that extends through a bottom surface of the retention clip.