Collapsible Wiper Pivot Body for Pedestrian Safety
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Solution Overview
Problem
Windshield wiper systems pose a risk of increased injury during vehicle-pedestrian impact due to components being located above the impact line, and existing systems are complex and costly to repair.
Innovation Solution
A collapsible pivot body that displaces wiper system components below the impact line upon receiving a predetermined load, featuring a housing with a mounting bracket and bridges that break to allow the pivot shaft assembly to collapse, reducing the risk of injury and simplifying repairs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the pivot shaft assembly is operatively connected to the wiper arm at or above the impact line to facilitate movement, then the wiper arm can move effectively across the windshield, but the risk of causing greater injury to pedestrians upon impact increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pivot body is designed to dynamically change its state from stable to collapsed based on applied load. During normal operation, the pivot body remains stable and supports the wiper arm. Upon impact exceeding the predetermined load threshold, the bridges collapse and the pivot body rotates downward, dynamically transitioning the connection point from above to below the impact line, thus resolving the contradiction between operational effectiveness and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the positional parameter of the pivot body relative to the impact line based on the load parameter. The bridges are designed with specific structural parameters (thickness, geometry) that determine the predetermined load threshold. When the applied load exceeds this threshold, the parameter change occurs - the pivot body rotates from an upper position to a lower position, thereby changing the harmful factor profile while maintaining operational functionality.
2Ease of operation
If the pivot shaft assembly uses a complex linkage assembly with multiple moving components to facilitate wiper arm movement, then the wiper system can achieve precise control, but the complexity of assembly and repair increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the pivot shaft assembly into distinct functional components: the mounting bracket fixed to the vehicle body, the pivot body containing the pivot shaft, and the bridges connecting these elements. This segmentation allows the complex linkage assembly to be separated from the pivot body, enabling independent replacement of the simpler pivot body component while maintaining the precision control functionality of the linkage assembly.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts the collapsible safety function from the complex linkage assembly and places it in the separate pivot body component. The bridges are specifically designed to collapse under load, providing the safety function independently of the linkage assembly's precision control mechanism. This extraction simplifies the overall system by separating safety functionality from operational functionality, making assembly and repair easier.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the pivot body uses bridges to connect the mounting bracket to the sleeve, then the structure provides stability during normal operation, but the cost of replacing the entire assembly increases following impact damage
Solution Approach 1:
The bridges are designed as sacrificial components that are relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Upon impact, the bridges collapse but the mounting bracket, pivot body, and linkage assembly remain intact and can be retained. This approach replaces only the cheap, simple bridges rather than the entire expensive assembly, significantly reducing repair costs while maintaining structural stability during normal operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention implements a strategy where the bridges are discarded (collapsed) upon impact to protect more valuable components. The mounting bracket, pivot body housing, and linkage assembly are recovered and retained as functional components. This selective discarding and recovery approach reduces replacement costs by preserving expensive components while sacrificing simpler, cheaper elements that serve their protective function.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4A~4B
AI summary
A collapsible pivot body (60) having a housing (62) that includes a channel (72) defined therein and a mounting bracket (64) that is adapted to attach the pivot body (60) to a portion of a vehicle. The collapsible pivot body (60) further includes a sleeve (74) operatively disposed within the channel (72). The sleeve (74) includes an internal passage (76) that is adapted to receive a pivot shaft assembly of a wiper system. The collapsible pivot body (60) further includes a plurality of bridges (86) that connect the sleeve (74) to the housing (62). The bridges (86) are adapted to fail in response to a predetermined load acting on a pivot shaft assembly and cause the sleeve (74) to collapse within the housing (62), thereby displacing the pivot shaft assembly and a portion of a wiper arm below the impact line of a vehicle.