Windshield Wiper Blade Slider Lock for Secure Adapter Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing windshield wiper devices face challenges in achieving high operational reliability and easy installation, with a need for secure and low-maintenance designs that prevent unintended disassembly and ensure proper alignment of wiper arms and blades.
Innovation Solution
A windshield wiper device with a locking unit featuring a securing element guided on both sides of the wiper blade adapter, utilizing a closed longitudinal guide groove and guide extension for secure guidance, and a manually operable slider for easy assembly, along with a tiltable bearing to prevent unwanted disassembly, ensuring secure attachment perpendicular to the wiping surface.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a locking unit is used to secure the wiper blade adapter to the wiper arm adapter, then operational reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking unit is divided into distinct functional elements: a securing element for engagement, a locking element for securing, and a guide structure for controlled movement. This segmentation allows each component to perform its specific function efficiently while maintaining overall system reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism is extracted as a separate, detachable unit from the main wiper assembly. This allows the locking unit to be independently designed, manufactured, and maintained, improving reliability through specialized design while reducing overall device complexity by separating functional concerns.
2Manufacturing precision
If the securing element is guided on both sides of the wiper blade adapter, then alignment precision is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Guiding features are implemented locally at specific engagement points on the wiper blade adapter rather than throughout the entire component. The guide structure provides two-sided guidance only where necessary for precise alignment of the securing element, maintaining manufacturing precision while minimizing additional manufacturing complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The two-sided guidance system uses asymmetric guide surfaces that are optimized for their specific directional constraints. This asymmetric design achieves precise alignment in the critical directions while simplifying manufacturing compared to symmetric multi-directional guidance systems.
3Ease of operation
If the locking unit is designed to be manually operable, then ease of operation is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The locking unit incorporates a slider that can dynamically move between locked and unlocked positions along a guided path. This dynamic design allows manual operation with simple linear motion while maintaining secure locking when engaged, improving ease of operation without requiring complex mechanisms that would reduce assembly speed.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a windshield wiper device having at least one wiper blade adapter (22) for fastening a wiper blade (32), which windshield wiper device has at least one wiper blade adapter element (34, 36), having a wiper arm (16), which has at least one wiper arm adapter (24), which is provided for direct, detachable coupling to the wiper blade adapter element (34), and having a locking unit (38), which is provided in a securing position to secure the at least one wiper blade adapter (22) to the at least one wiper arm adapter (24) when in a mounted state, and which is provided to be moved at least substantially parallel to a main extension direction of the wiper arm (16) from the securing position into a releasing position and/or from the releasing position into the securing position of the locking unit (38). According to the invention, the locking unit (38) has at least one securing element (40), which is guided in the longitudinal direction (42) on two sides, in a manner delimited on the wiper blade adapter (22), in particular the wiper blade adapter element (34).