Wiper Adapter With Hinged U-Shaped Articulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wiper systems face challenges in providing a simple and durable connection between the wiper blade and the drive arm, making maintenance operations, especially replacing worn blades, difficult and prone to damaging the connection device, with a risk of inadvertent unlocking during operation.
Innovation Solution
An adapter with a 'U'-shaped design, featuring a hinge mechanism and a rotation connection system, allows for secure attachment to the drive arm, enabling easy assembly and locking, preventing unintended unlocking, and facilitating quick maintenance by aligning the adapter's parts along the drive arm's longitudinal axis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of repair
If a traditional connection device is used to attach the wiper blade to the drive arm, then the connection is durable and robust, but the maintenance operations become difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The connection device is divided into two separable parts: an adapter that remains fixed on the drive arm and a connector that attaches to the wiper blade. This segmentation allows the wiper blade to be quickly removed by detaching only the connector, while the adapter stays securely mounted on the drive arm, thus enabling easy maintenance while maintaining connection durability through the robust adapter design.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter serves as an intermediary component between the drive arm and the wiper blade connector. It provides a standardized interface that simplifies the connection and disconnection process, allowing users to easily attach and detach wiper blades without directly manipulating the drive arm, thereby improving ease of repair while ensuring reliable connection through the mediator's robust design.
2Ease of operation
If a simple connection mechanism is used to facilitate quick blade replacement, then the maintenance operation becomes easy and quick, but the risk of inadvertent unlocking during operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter includes a pre-positioned locking element that automatically engages with a corresponding feature on the drive arm when the adapter is installed. This preliminary locking action ensures that the connection is secured before the wiper blade is attached, providing anti-unlocking reliability while maintaining ease of operation through the simple attach-detach mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The connection device incorporates a self-locking mechanism where the locking element automatically engages and secures the adapter to the drive arm without requiring additional manual intervention. This self-service feature ensures reliable locking while keeping the operation simple and easy, as users only need to attach the connector to the wiper blade.
3Reliability
If a robust and secure connection is designed to prevent inadvertent unlocking, then the connection durability is improved, but the complexity of the device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The adapter incorporates a localized locking feature at a specific position on the drive arm interface, rather than distributing complexity throughout the entire structure. This local quality approach provides reliable connection security through a targeted locking mechanism while keeping the overall adapter structure simple and easy to manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The adapter is designed as a simple, inexpensive component with a basic locking feature that provides sufficient reliability for its intended use. Rather than using complex expensive mechanisms, the design accepts that the adapter is a relatively simple part that can be easily replaced if needed, thus achieving connection security without excessive complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an adapter (2) intended to equip an end part of a drive arm, the adapter (2) comprising at least a front part (11) of which at least one section is arranged in a "U" and which includes a front upper wall (11a) and two front side walls (11b), the adapter (2) comprising at least a rear part (12) of which at least one section is arranged in a "U" and which includes a rear upper wall (12a) and two rear side walls (12b), characterized in that the front part (11) and the rear part (12) are articulated to each other by means of an articulation means (13) interposed between the front upper wall (11a) and the rear upper wall (12a).