Wiper Lever Limit Stop for Elastic Deformation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wiper designs for motor vehicle window panes risk damage due to excessive bending, which can lead to plastic deformation and reduced effectiveness in wiping away dirt and raindrops, as they lack effective mechanisms to prevent bending beyond the elastic limit.
Innovation Solution
A wiper design featuring a flexibly bendable wiper lever with a limit stop that restricts bending to an elastic deformation range, preventing plastic deformation by providing a haptically perceptible resistance at the maximum bending angle, and utilizing a cover or counterstop to ensure the wiper lever remains within the elastic deformation range, thereby avoiding damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the wiper lever is made flexibly bendable to enable easy wiper blade exchange, then the ease of operation is improved, but the risk of plastic deformation and damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The limit stop is pre-positioned to define the maximum bending angle before any damage can occur. This preliminary structural arrangement ensures that during normal operation, the wiper lever cannot be bent beyond the elastic deformation range, thus preventing plastic deformation while maintaining flexibility for blade exchange
Solution Approach 2:
The limit stop acts as an intermediary element between the flexible wiper lever and the potential damage state. It provides a mechanical barrier that interrupts the bending motion at the safe limit, mediating between the need for flexibility and the risk of deformation
2Ease of operation
If the wiper lever is bent away from the window pane to replace the wiper blade, then the ease of operation is improved, but the wiper lever may exceed the elastic deformation range causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The limit stop provides preliminary anti-action by opposing further bending motion before plastic deformation can occur. When the wiper lever reaches the maximum safe bending angle during blade replacement, the limit stop engages to counteract any additional bending force, preventing harmful deformation
3Reliability
If a limit stop is added to prevent excessive bending, then the reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The limit stop is merged with the wiper lever assembly, forming an integrated structure rather than a separate component. This combining of functions reduces the number of discrete parts and simplifies the overall device while maintaining the reliability benefit of deformation prevention
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 wiper lever remains within the elastic deformation range, preventing damage and ensuring effective wiping by providing a clear indication of the maximum bending angle, thus maintaining optimal wiping performance while reducing the risk of plastic deformation.
Implementation Method 1
a limit stop limits a maximum bending angle of the wiper lever around a bending axis that extends perpendicular to the drive shaft so that the wiper lever can bend only in a range of elastic deformation
Data Source
AI summary
A wiper (14) for wiping a window pane (12) of a motor vehicle is provided, having a drive shaft (16) that can be driven by a motor, and a wiper lever (18) connected to the drive shaft (16) for moving a wiper blade. The wiper lever (18) is flexibly bendable. A maximum bending angle (20) of the wiper lever (18) around a bending axis extending perpendicular to the drive shaft (16) is limited by a limit stop (32) to bending of the wiper lever (18) in the range of elastic deformation. The limit stop (32) makes stop contact at the maximum bending angle (20) and can keep the deformation of the wiper lever (18) reliably in the range of elastic deformation, thus reducing the risk of damage to wipers (14).