Automotive experts quite typically recommend that the squeegees of windshield wiper assemblies be replaced at least annually as a consequence of their deterioration due to abrasion, aging, etc. To minimize the expense of replacement of an entire windshield wiper system including arm, pressure applying superstructure, and squeegee assembly, only the latter is replaced. In the usual case, the squeegee assembly includes both the squeegee itself and a flexor or backing which is applied to the existing pressure applying superstructure mounted on the wiper arm.
Of course, some means must be provided whereby the squeegee assemblies may be easily disassembled from and replaced on the superstructure which also provides for positive retention of the squeegee assembly on the superstructure during use.
As a consequence, there have been a large variety of proposals for retainer clips to accomplish this purpose. Representative of such attempts, and constituting the most pertinent prior art known to the applicant are the following: U.S. Pat. No. 3,626,544 issued Dec. 14, 1971 to Lopez; U.S. Pat. No. 3,879,794 issued Apr. 29, 1975 to Roberts; U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,736 issued Nov. 18, 1975 to Bourassa; U.S. Pat No. 4,009,503 issued Mar. 1, 1977 to Sharp; U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,951 issued June 5, 1979, also to Sharp; U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,742 issued June 21, 1983 to Kimber; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,389,746 issued June 28, 1983 to Riester. Also of possible relevance are French patent publication No. 2,443,354 and German Gebrauchsmuster No. E82 20 739.9. Of the foregoing, U.S. Pat. No. 4,388,742 to Kimber may be the most relevant.
The retainers of each of the foregoing patent publications have a variety of advantages and accompanying disadvantages which will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art. In general, it is desirable that the clip be easily handled, both during an assembly and a disassembly process, that it has sufficient strength as to not be broken or permanently distorted during installation or removal of a squeegee assembly, that it have universal applicability in terms of accommodating superstructures of various configurations and the ability to mount squeegee assemblies of varying length, that it provide for positive retention and firm securement of the squeegee assembly to the superstructure and that it provide a high degree of retention in the proper placement during the assembly process.
In general, the prior art suffers from the deficiency of being unable to fulfill one or more of the foregoing desirable attributes of a retaining clip. The present invention is directed to providing a retaining clip that fulfills all of the foregoing desirable attributes.