Vehicle Wiper Control Device High Load Stop Position

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional vehicle wiper control systems fail to stop the wiper motor effectively without obstructing the driver's view, especially when the load is high, as the wiper blade may be stopped mid-position between reversal points, obstructing visibility.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle wiper control device that includes wiper blades, an electric motor, a drive part, a load calculation part, and a memory device to execute a wiper stop processing program, moving the wiper blades to a storage position below the lower reversal point to prevent further wiping motion when the load exceeds a threshold, ensuring the wiper blades do not obstruct the driver's view.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the electric motor is stopped when the load is high to prevent continuous energization in an overloaded state, then the motor protection is improved, but the wiper blade may be stopped at a position that obstructs the driver's view

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor protectionVSAvoiddriver's view obstruction
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The control device determines the current position of the wiper blade before stopping the motor. Based on this preliminary position information, the control device selects an appropriate stop position (either the lower reversal position or a storage position below it) to ensure the blade does not obstruct the driver's view when stopping due to high load conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the stop position of the wiper blade based on real-time conditions. When high load is detected, the control device evaluates the current blade position and directs the blade to an optimal stop location (lower reversal position or storage position) rather than a fixed position, thereby adapting to different operational states to prevent view obstruction.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Object-affected harmful factors

If the wiper blade is stopped at the lower reversal position to prevent view obstruction, then the driver's view is improved, but the motor may remain in an overloaded state causing continuous energization

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedriver's view obstructionVSAvoidmotor protection
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The control device continuously monitors the load on the electric motor and the position of the wiper blade. When high load is detected, the system provides feedback by stopping the motor at a predetermined safe position (lower reversal position or storage position below it), thereby preventing both view obstruction and continuous motor energization in an overloaded state.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Loss of time

If the wiper blade is stopped at a position between the lower reversal position and upper reversal position, then the motor can be stopped quickly, but the driver's view is obstructed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemotor stopping timeVSAvoiddriver's view obstruction
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

Before stopping the motor, the control device determines the current position of the wiper blade. Based on this preliminary assessment, the system directs the blade to stop at the lower reversal position or a storage position below it when high load is detected, ensuring the blade is positioned to avoid obstructing the driver's view rather than stopping at an intermediate position.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3828041B1Vehicle wiper control device and vehicle wiper control method
Publication Date: 2022.11.23 MITSUBA CORP
  • EP3828041B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3828041B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3828041B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention stops an electric motor in a manner that a wiper blade does not obstruct a view of a driver when a load on the electric motor is relatively high. Disclosed is a vehicle wiper control device which includes: wiper blades that can be disposed on a surface to be wiped and that perform a reciprocating wiping motion between a lower reversal position and an upper reversal position which are set on the surface to be wiped; an electric motor that reciprocates the wiper blades on the surface to be wiped; a drive part that drives the electric motor; and a load calculation part that calculates a load on the electric motor while the wiper blades wipe from the upper reversal position to the lower reversal position. If the calculated load value exceeds a predetermined threshold, the drive part performs wiper stop processing for stopping the wiper blades at the lower reversal position or at a storage position which is set below the lower reversal position.