Wiper Blade Connector Hole with Variable Radii for Breakage Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing connection systems for windscreen wiper blades are prone to breakage due to the presence of a hole with thin, fragile walls that are subjected to significant stresses during use, leading to a risk of breakage under wiping forces.
Innovation Solution
A connection system with articulation means featuring a hole with multiple portions of different radii, providing enhanced strength and guiding capabilities, allowing for secure attachment and centering of the blade relative to the arm, and utilizing elastic snap-fitting for secure engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a hole is provided in the connector for articulation means, then the blade can be attached to the driving arm, but the thin wall of the hole becomes fragile and prone to breakage under wiping forces
Solution Approach 1:
The hole is designed with multiple portions having different radii, creating local variations in wall thickness. The first and third portions have greater thickness for strength, while the second portion has reduced thickness for flexibility and stress distribution. This local quality variation allows the connector to maintain both attachment capability and resistance to breakage.
2Ease of manufacture
If the hole has constant thickness, then manufacturing is simple, but the wall is fragile and prone to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The hole incorporates multiple portions with different radii along its length, creating local variations in wall thickness. The first and third portions have greater thickness for strength and reliability, while the second portion has reduced thickness. This design maintains manufacturability through a single molding operation while significantly improving breakage resistance under wiping forces.
3Reliability
If the wall thickness is increased throughout the hole, then breakage resistance improves, but the connector becomes more complex and harder to manufacture
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than uniformly increasing wall thickness, the invention applies local quality variation with three distinct portions having different radii. The first and third portions have greater thickness for strength, while the second portion has reduced thickness. This targeted approach improves breakage resistance without requiring complex multi-step manufacturing processes.
4Strength
If the hole has multiple portions with different radii, then strength and guiding capabilities are enhanced, but the manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the hole by defining three portions with different radii (R1, R2, R3) where R1 > R2 and R3 > R2. This parameter variation is achieved through a single molding operation with standard tolerances, avoiding the need for high-precision multi-step manufacturing while maintaining enhanced strength and guiding capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a member 24 for a system for connecting a wiper blade to a windscreen wiper arm, comprising means 80 of articulation about an axis Y of pivoting and configured in order to interact with complementary means of a second member of the connection system, characterized in that the articulation means comprise at least one hole 80 comprising at least two portions 80a, 80b of a cylinder having radii R1, R2, which are constant and different, each cylinder forming a rotation bearing.