Side-View Mirror Shutter Wiping Assembly for Clear Driver Visibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle side-view mirror wipers obstruct the driver's view during operation, are complex, prone to misalignment, and have high wear and tear, leading to visibility issues and safety concerns, especially in rainy or dusty conditions.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle mirror wiping unit with a hidden design, featuring a mirror shutter assembly, motor, and cleaning elastomer that moves from one end of the mirror to the other, allowing for unobstructed visibility and using a linear and rotary actuation mechanism with replaceable parts, eliminating the need for rolling elements and ensuring the wiper is concealed when not in use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a traditional wiper is attached to the side view mirror, then the mirror can be cleaned, but the driver's view is obstructed during operation
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper mechanism is extracted from the traditional visible position on the mirror and relocated to a hidden position within the mirror housing. The mirror surface itself becomes the wiping surface, allowing the wiper to operate without protruding into the driver's field of view, thus eliminating the obstruction problem while maintaining the cleaning function.
Solution Approach 2:
The wiper mechanism is nested within the mirror housing structure. The wiper arm and cleaning elastomer are concealed inside the mirror casing during normal operation and only become visible when activated to clean the mirror surface, allowing the system to maintain both a clean appearance and functional capability.
2Ease of manufacture
If a traditional wiper mechanism is used with rollers in guideways, then the wiper can be mounted, but misalignment problems occur leading to mechanism failure
Solution Approach 1:
The complex mechanical system with rollers in guideways is replaced with a simpler linear actuation mechanism. The wiper is moved along a straight path using a linear motor or actuator, eliminating the need for precision-guided rollers and reducing alignment sensitivity, thus improving reliability while maintaining ease of manufacture.
3Ease of manufacture
If a rigid wiper structure is used, then the wiper can be mounted, but wear and tear is high and flexibility is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid wiper structure is replaced with a flexible cleaning elastomer that can conform to the mirror surface. This flexible element reduces wear and tear by adapting to surface irregularities and provides better contact with the mirror, improving cleaning effectiveness while extending service life.
4Reliability
If a visible wiper is positioned on the side view mirror, then the mirror can be cleaned, but the mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The wiper mechanism is merged with the mirror housing structure, sharing common components and mounting points. The actuation system is integrated into the existing mirror assembly, reducing the number of separate parts and simplifying the overall mechanism while maintaining the cleaning capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides unobstructed driver visibility during cleaning, reduces wear and tear, and enhances safety by hiding the wiper mechanism when not in operation, preventing distractions and accidents.
Implementation Method 1
The mirror spring is compressed, and the pin is fastened on to the mirror shaft from inside of a vertical slot of the mirror spring holder
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A
Figure 2B
AI summary
Wiper is utilized to clean side-view mirror of a vehicle. Existing wiper attached with the side-view mirror obstructs visibility of a driver while cleaning the side-view mirror in a rainy season or in a dusty environment, which leads to an accident. A vehicle mirror wiping unit is provided. The vehicle mirror wiping unit (100) includes a mirror (204); a mirror shutter assembly (400); a mirror casing (102); a mirror mounting unit (300), consisting of: the mirror (204), a mirror spring (214), a spring retaining cap (216), and a mirror spring holder (212); a pin (302) pass through a cut-out (308) of the spring retaining cap, and a cut-out (310) in the mirror spring holder; and a cleaning elastomer (312) is triggered by the mirror shutter motor (208), and the mirror shutter moves from the first end of the mirror to the second end of the mirror. A frontal surface of the mirror shutter is a reflective surface functioning as a mirror.