Injection-Molded Windshield Washer Chip With Integral Outlet Opening

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing windshield washer system chips with a two-part design face limitations in defining spray beam directions and often experience sealing issues due to their construction.

Innovation Solution

A chip designed for windshield washer systems, injection-molded with an integral outlet opening and edge, allowing for flexible spray beam direction adjustment, including vertical angles, and featuring an oscillation structure with separate output channels for uniform spray generation, eliminating the need for complex chip holder modifications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a two-part chip design is used, then the chip can be assembled into the chip holder, but sealing problems arise and spray direction definition is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespray direction definitionVSAvoidsealing
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the chip body and outlet opening into a single integral component formed by injection molding. The outlet opening is directly formed in the chip body with a continuously delimited opening edge, eliminating the need for separate sealing components between multiple parts. This integration resolves the sealing problems associated with two-part designs while maintaining adaptability for spray direction control through the integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Ease of manufacture

If a two-part chip design is used, then assembly is possible, but the device complexity increases due to additional sealing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvechip assemblyVSAvoidsealing structure
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The injection molding process creates an integral chip body with the outlet opening directly formed therein, eliminating the need for separate sealing components, gaskets, or bonding operations. The continuously delimited opening edge is formed as part of the monolithic chip structure, significantly reducing assembly steps and device complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture through the molding process itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the outlet opening is formed integrally by injection molding, then spray beam direction can be changed in any direction including vertical, but the manufacturing process becomes more precise

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvespray beam directionVSAvoidinjection molding precision
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent utilizes the injection molding process to directly form the outlet opening with a centrally inclined axis at a specific angle relative to the chip holder base. By changing the geometric parameters of the molded opening during the molding process itself, the spray beam direction can be adjusted in any direction including vertical angles, while the precision is achieved through the molding process capabilities rather than post-manufacturing adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3403890B1Improved chip for a windshield washer system with flexibly determinable directional characteristics
Publication Date: 2020.02.12 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC
  • EP3403890B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP3403890B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A chip (1) for a windshield washer system of a vehicle front or rear window, wherein the chip is injection-molded by an injection molding process, the chip being arranged to be inserted into a chip holder of the windshield washer system, wherein the chip has a structure (10, 20, 30) for generating a spray beam, wherein the structure has at an end face of the chip an outlet opening (11) having an opening edge (11.1), wherein the outlet opening is configured to allow the spray beam to emerge from the chip during operation of the windshield washer nozzle system onto the vehicle front or rear window, wherein the outlet opening is delimited by the opening edge all around the complete opening circumference by the chip, and the opening and the opening edge are formed all around and integrally by means of the injection molding process. A windshield washer system of a vehicle front or rear window with a chip which is held in a chip holder, and a method for producing a chip for a windshield washer system of a vehicle front or rear window.