Spoilerless Wiper Blade Flexor Design for Uniform Contact
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wiper blade assemblies face challenges in maintaining uniform contact with vehicle windows due to airflow and non-uniform surfaces, leading to streaking and noise, and the use of spoilers complicates manufacturing and increases costs.
Innovation Solution
A wiper blade assembly comprising a resilient wiper element, elongate metal flexors, and a polymeric cover with a connector that allows for attachment to a wiper arm without separate fasteners, featuring grooves, channels, and locking mechanisms to ensure uniform pressure distribution and flexibility during oscillation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If spoilers are added to the wiper blade assembly to improve aerodynamic contact, then uniform pressure distribution is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spoiler component entirely from the wiper blade assembly. Instead of adding aerodynamic features to the blade, the invention uses a curved flexor element that provides the necessary aerodynamic attack angle through its pre-formed curvature, eliminating the need for separate spoiler components and reducing overall assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the aerodynamic function into the flexor element itself by pre-curving it during manufacturing. This combines the structural support function of the flexor with the aerodynamic attack angle requirement, eliminating the need for separate spoiler components and reducing assembly complexity.
2Reliability
If spoilers are added to the wiper blade assembly to improve aerodynamic contact, then uniform pressure distribution is improved, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the spoiler component entirely from the wiper blade assembly. Instead of adding aerodynamic features to the blade, the invention uses a curved flexor element that provides the necessary aerodynamic attack angle through its pre-formed curvature, eliminating the need for separate spoiler components and reducing overall assembly complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates the aerodynamic function into the flexor element itself by pre-curving it during manufacturing. This combines the structural support function of the flexor with the aerodynamic attack angle requirement, eliminating the need for separate spoiler components and reducing assembly complexity.
3Reliability
If the wiper blade assembly is made flexible to adapt to non-uniform window surfaces, then contact uniformity is improved, but structural stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a curved flexor element that is designed to be flexible in the vertical direction (allowing adaptation to window surface contours) while maintaining structural integrity through its curved geometry and material selection. The flexor can dynamically adjust its shape during oscillation to maintain uniform contact pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a curved flexor element made from flexible materials that can bend and conform to the window surface while maintaining overall structural stability. The flexor's curved shape provides both flexibility for adaptation and rigidity for maintaining contact pressure.
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 a cost-effective, aerodynamically efficient wiper blade assembly that maintains uniform contact with windows across various conditions, reducing streaking and noise while eliminating the need for spoilers and additional fasteners.
Implementation Method 1
the wiper blade needs to be able to flex along it length to change its contour during oscillation
Implementation Method 2
The lower surface of the cover has the other of the opening or protrusion, with the respective opening and protrusion being configured to engage one another to lock the connector to the cover
Implementation Method 3
the inwardly facing edges are releasably disposed in each of the grooves of the wiper element crown
Data Source
AI summary
A wiper blade assembly has a resilient wiper element with a crown having lengthwise grooves and a tip for wiping a window. An arcuate metal flexor has inner edges disposed in the grooves of the crown and outer edges. An elongate cover has an upper wall and a pair of flanges curled inwardly in spaced relation from the upper wall to provide elongate channels. The outer edges of the flexor are disposed in the channels. The connector is configured for attachment to a wiper arm, and has a lower surface with a pair of flanges curled in spaced relation from the lower surface to provide opposite facing pockets that slidingly receive the cover flanges therein. A projection on one of the connector or the cover is received in an opening of the other of the connector or the cover to lock the connector to the cover.