Wiper Connector Hooking Units and Coupling Plate Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional windshield wiper blade assemblies face issues with proper contact and wiping efficiency at high speeds due to lift and inefficient assembly processes, particularly with connector apparatuses that require additional coupling pins or male-female shapes.
Innovation Solution
A wiper connector apparatus with a first and second connector member forming a sandwich structure, featuring hooking units and a coupling plate that slides into these units to secure the wiper blade to the wiper arm, enhancing assembly efficiency and preventing dislocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional connector apparatus uses additional coupling pins or male-female coupling shapes to connect two members, then the connection reliability is improved, but the assembly process becomes less efficient and more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The coupling pin and the hooking units are merged into a single integrated coupling plate structure. The coupling plate simultaneously engages with multiple hooking units on both connector members through a single sliding insertion motion, eliminating the need for separate coupling operations and reducing assembly steps while maintaining secure connection.
Solution Approach 2:
The connector apparatus is segmented into distinct functional elements: hooking units on connector members and a separate coupling plate with corresponding engagement features. This segmentation allows for modular assembly where the coupling plate can be independently manufactured and then easily attached by sliding into place, simplifying the overall assembly process.
2Strength
If a connector apparatus uses multiple separate coupling components to secure two members, then the connection strength is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple coupling functions are merged into a single coupling plate that simultaneously engages with multiple hooking units. This integrated approach provides strong, multi-point attachment while reducing the total number of separate components, thereby decreasing device complexity while maintaining or enhancing connection strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The hooking units are pre-formed on the connector members during manufacturing, creating ready-to-engagement features. The coupling plate is designed with corresponding slots and hooks that naturally align with these pre-formed features, allowing for quick and secure assembly without requiring complex alignment procedures or additional fastening steps.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a wiper blade assembly uses a retainer structure with tournament configuration to accommodate curvature deviation, then the adaptability to windshield curvature is improved, but the assembly complexity and potential for high-speed lift increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex retainer structure with tournament configuration is extracted and replaced with a simplified connector apparatus that directly couples the vertebra to the connector members. This extraction eliminates unnecessary structural complexity while maintaining the ability to accommodate windshield curvature through the flexible vertebra design itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The design transitions from a rigid, multi-component retainer structure to a more flexible connector system that relies on the inherent elasticity and geometric properties of the vertebra. This parameter change allows the assembly to adapt to curvature variations through material and structural flexibility rather than complex mechanical adjustments.
Data Source
AI summary
A wiper connector apparatus includes a first connector member at a side of a vertebra; a second connector member that is disposed at an opposite side of the first connector member with the vertebra therebetween, wherein a first hooking unit is formed on an inner surface of the first connector member, to extend and slope against a direction of a length of the vertebra; a second hooking unit is formed on an inner surface of the second connector member in a parallel direction to the first hooking unit and not overlapping with the first hooking unit; and a coupling plate that slides into and is coupled to the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit to bind the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit so that the first hooking unit and the second hooking unit are not detached from each other.