Elastic Retaining Bracket for Windshield Wiper Supply Pipe

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for attaching a windshield washer fluid supply pipe to a motor vehicle's wiper blade actuating arm are complex and prone to damage, requiring delicate assembly and not effectively concealing the pipe from the window and grille.

Innovation Solution

An elastic retaining bracket is designed to fit around the wiper pressure spring, providing a simple and quick attachment method that secures the supply pipe to the actuating arm, while also preventing rotation and translation, thus protecting the pipe from shocks and friction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the supply pipe is run inside the wiper pressure spring housed in a cavity of the actuating arm, then the pipe is concealed and protected against shocks and friction, but the assembly operation becomes delicate and complicated due to the flexibility of the supply pipe

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprotection of supply pipeVSAvoidassembly operation

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

A retaining bracket is introduced as an intermediary component between the supply pipe and the wiper pressure spring. The bracket has a shape substantially complementary to the spring and cooperates with its outer periphery, providing a simple attachment mechanism that avoids the complexity of directly assembling the flexible pipe into the spring while maintaining protection and concealment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The retaining bracket is designed with segmented forks (first fork and second forks) that can independently engage with the wiper pressure spring windings and the cavity internal flanks. This segmentation allows the bracket to adapt to the spring's geometry while maintaining a simple assembly process through elastic deformation of individual fork elements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If external clips are used to hold the flexible pipe around the actuating arm, then the assembly is simple, but the pipe is not effectively concealed and remains exposed to damage and friction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveassembly simplicityVSAvoidprotection of supply pipe

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The retaining bracket is arranged around the wiper pressure spring, nesting the protection mechanism within the existing spring structure. The bracket's forks engage with both the spring's outer periphery and the cavity's internal flanks, creating a nested configuration that conceals the supply pipe while maintaining assembly simplicity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Adaptability or versatility

If the retaining bracket is designed to cooperate with the wiper pressure spring, then the device is versatile and can be adapted to many vehicle models, but the bracket must be precisely shaped to match the spring geometry

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with vehicle modelsVSAvoidbracket shape accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The retaining bracket is designed with elastic properties that allow it to adapt to the wiper pressure spring geometry through elastic deformation. The forks can deform elastically to match the spring's winding pattern and cavity dimensions, providing versatility across different vehicle models without requiring high-precision manufacturing of each specific bracket variant.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 allows for easy, inexpensive assembly of the supply pipe, keeping it concealed and protected from damage, and is versatile enough to fit a wide range of vehicle models without modifying the actuating arm housing.

Implementation Method 1

an elastic retaining bracket (32) having a shape substantially complementary to at least a part of the spring disposed close to said bracket and being configured to cooperate with the outer periphery of a wiper pressure spring (28) housed in a cavity (26) of the housing part (14) of the actuating arm (12) or configured to be arranged around a wiper pressure spring (28) housed in a cavity (26) of the housing part (14) of the actuating arm (12) and configured to cooperate with the inner flanks of said cavity (26), to retain the supply line (56) to the actuation arm (12)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElastic deformation: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP2591958B1Windscreen wiper and device for holding a pipe for supplying a windscreen-washing product against an actuating arm of the wiper blade

Publication Date: 2016.12.28 VALEO SYST DESSUYAGE SAS

AI summary

The present invention relates to a device for retaining a supply line (56) of windshield washer fluid to an actuating arm (12) of a windshield wiper (20) of a motor vehicle, said retaining device comprising a means for fixing (31; 31') the supply line (56), characterized in that it further comprises an elastic retaining bracket (32; 32') configured to cooperate with the outer periphery of a wiper pressure spring (28) housed in a cavity (26) of the housing part (14) of the actuating arm (12) or configured to be arranged around a wiper pressure spring (28) housed in a cavity (26) of the housing part of said cavity (26), to retain the supply line (56) to the actuating arm (12). The present invention also relates to a windshield wiper (10; 10') comprising such a retaining device (30; 30').