Windscreen Wiper Connecting Device with Pivotable Door Piece

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Solution Overview

Problem

Customers face difficulties in securely attaching aftermarket wiper blades to hook-style wiper arms, leading to potential detachment during vehicle travel, and existing solutions are either costly or cumbersome to use.

Innovation Solution

A two-piece connecting device with a main piece and a pivotably coupled door piece, featuring a cylindrically shaped pin and claw-shaped receiver, securely traps the hook-style wiper arm between the door piece's tongue and the main piece's bearing surface, allowing for quick and easy engagement and secure attachment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a door feature is incorporated to lock the wiper blade assembly into engagement with a hook style wiper arm, then the connection security is improved, but the manufacturing cost and operational complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection securityVSAvoiddoor feature complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The connecting device is divided into two separate pieces: a main piece that receives the wiper arm and a door piece that provides the locking function. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently, simplifying manufacturing while maintaining the security function.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of having a complex multi-step locking mechanism, the invention uses a simple two-piece design where the door piece pivots to trap the wiper arm between itself and the main piece. This inverted approach achieves secure connection with minimal complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

2Reliability

If a door feature is incorporated to lock the wiper blade assembly, then the connection security is improved, but the ease of operation deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection securityVSAvoidease of connection
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The door piece is designed to pivot dynamically between an open position (allowing easy insertion of the wiper arm) and a closed position (providing secure trapping). This dynamic movement enables both ease of operation and secure connection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The door piece is extracted as a separate, movable component that can be easily pivoted out of the way during insertion and then closed to secure the connection. This extraction principle simplifies the operation sequence while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Ease of operation

If a two-piece connecting device with pivotable door piece is used, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of connectionVSAvoidnumber of pieces
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The main piece and door piece are combined through a simple pivoting connection that allows them to function as an integrated unit during operation. This merging approach enables easy operation while keeping the overall device complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP2797788B1Windscreen wiper device
Publication Date: 2019.09.18 FEDERAL MOGUL CORPORATION
  • EP2797788B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2797788B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP2797788B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A windscreen wiper device, or a wiper blade assembly, for cleaning a windshield of a vehicle is provided. The wiper blade assembly includes a wiper strip that extends in a longitudinal direction and at least one carrier element in engagement with the wiper strip for supporting and biasing the wiper strip into a predetermined configuration. An at least two piece connecting device is coupled to the at least one carrier element. One piece of the connecting device is a main piece that has a bearing surface shaped, and the other piece is a door piece that is pivotable between an open position for allowing attachment and detachment between the connecting device and the wiper arm and a closed position for securing the wiper arm into engagement with the wiper blade assembly. The door piece is pivotably coupled to the main piece about an axis that extends in a longitudinal direction.