Wiper Blade Adapter Locking Mechanism to Prevent Pivot Breakage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current windshield wiper systems face challenges in optimal alignment and secure assembly/disassembly of wiper blades, leading to suboptimal cleaning performance and risk of damage during handling.
Innovation Solution
An adapter with a locking device that limits pivoting to prevent excessive angle and includes a pushing member and blocking member, secured via a pivot axis, facilitates secure attachment and detachment of the wiper blade to the arm, enhancing assembly and disassembly while preventing breakage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the locking device is designed to allow free pivoting for easy assembly/disassembly, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of breakage and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by introducing a limiting means that constrains the pivoting angle of the locking device to a safe range. This modifies the operational parameters of the locking device, allowing sufficient movement for assembly/disassembly while preventing excessive angles that would cause breakage. The limiting means effectively changes the pivoting parameter from unrestricted to controlled within safe boundaries.
Solution Approach 2:
The limiting means acts as a preventive measure before damage can occur. By预先 (in advance) limiting the pivoting angle, the system prevents the locking device or arm from reaching positions where breakage would occur. This is a classic application of beforehand cushioning, where potential damage is prevented before it can happen by establishing protective constraints in advance.
2Reliability
If the locking device pivoting is restricted to prevent breakage, then the reliability is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The limiting means modifies the pivoting parameter of the locking device by introducing angular constraints. These parameter changes are designed to be permissive enough to allow normal assembly and disassembly operations while restrictive enough to prevent breakage. The key is finding the optimal parameter range that satisfies both reliability and operability requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking device maintains dynamic capability for necessary movements (assembly/disassembly) while imposing static constraints through the limiting means to prevent excessive movements. The system is dynamic in allowing required pivoting but becomes constrained when approaching dangerous angles, creating a dynamic-restricted hybrid behavior that balances operability and safety.
3Productivity
If the wiper blade is pressed against the glass surface with high force, then the cleaning performance is improved, but the pressing mechanism complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes aerodynamic forces generated during vehicle movement to provide the pressing force on the wiper blade. The air flow acts as a natural counterweight or forcing mechanism that automatically presses the blade against the glass surface during operation, eliminating the need for complex mechanical spring or actuator-based pressing mechanisms. This is particularly effective for curved windshields where aerodynamic forces naturally direct the blade onto the surface.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to an adapter (1) for attaching a wiper blade to an arm of a wiper system, the adapter (1) extending along a longitudinal direction (L), the adapter (1) being configured to be rotatably mounted on a connector of the wiper blade about an axis of rotation transverse to the longitudinal direction (L), the adapter (1) comprising at least one side wall (10) and one top wall (12), the side wall (10) and the top wall (12) participating in defining an internal volume of the adapter (1), the adapter (1) comprising an internal wall (20) extending at least partially into the internal volume of the adapter (1), the adapter (1) comprising a locking device (22) for longitudinally securing the adapter to the arm of the wiper system, the locking device being pivotally mounted on the top wall about a pivot axis.