Windshield Heater Electrode Layout for Selective Defogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional windshield heater devices consume excessive power by heating the entire windshield, including areas where fogging is less likely to occur, leading to increased power consumption and discomfort due to unnecessary air circulation.
Innovation Solution
A heater device with a transparent conductive film and electrode portions that can be energized in multiple modes, allowing for selective heating of the windshield, particularly focusing on areas prone to fogging, thereby reducing power consumption and improving passenger comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the entire windshield is heated using conventional heater devices, then the windshield can be effectively de-iced or de-fogged, but power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The windshield heating area is segmented into multiple regions using separate electrode portions (first, second, third, fourth electrode portions) that can be independently controlled. This allows only the necessary areas prone to fogging to be heated, rather than heating the entire windshield, thus reducing power consumption while maintaining de-fogging effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the windshield are assigned different heating characteristics through localized electrode portions. The electrode portions are strategically positioned to provide enhanced heating to areas more susceptible to fogging, while reducing or eliminating heating in areas where fogging is less likely, achieving energy-efficient localized heating
2Reliability
If the entire windshield is heated, then fogging prevention is achieved, but unnecessary air circulation causes passenger discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is segmented to operate only in specific zones where fogging occurs, rather than uniformly across the entire windshield. This localized heating approach prevents fogging in critical areas while minimizing unnecessary air circulation and heat distribution to other areas, thereby reducing passenger discomfort
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of applying heating action across the entire windshield surface, the system applies partial heating action only to the extent necessary for fogging prevention. By limiting heating to specific electrode portions and their corresponding windshield regions, the system achieves sufficient fogging prevention without excessive heat distribution that would cause discomfort
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 device efficiently heats only the necessary areas of the windshield, reducing power consumption and enhancing passenger comfort by minimizing air circulation and heat distribution.
Implementation Method 1
The control device can execute a plurality of energization modes for energizing the transparent conductive film by setting the first to fourth electrode portions to a high potential, a low potential, or a non-energizing state
Data Source
AI summary
A transparent conductive film is disposed on the light-transmitting region of the windshield. A first electrode portion and a second electrode portion are arranged to face each other in a vertical direction of a vehicle. A third electrode portion and a fourth electrode portion are arranged to face each other in a direction crossing the vertical direction of the vehicle. A control device is capable of implementing multiple energization modes. In a first mode among the plurality of energization modes, one of the first electrode portion and the second electrode portion is set to a high potential and the other is set to a low potential, or one of the third electrode portion and the fourth electrode portion is set to a high potential and the other is set to a low potential.