Wiper Blade Spring Rail Mounting with Mirror-Image Recesses

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wiper blade technologies face challenges in ensuring precise and secure mounting of spring rails and wiper arms, often requiring additional bracket parts and complex assembly processes, which can lead to ambiguity and instability in the connection.

Innovation Solution

The wiper blade design incorporates mirror-image recesses on the inner and outer sides of spring rails for unmistakable mounting, along with locking lugs and spacer cams for secure assembly, and a connection element with a hub and bearing part for precise guidance and locking, allowing for various wiper arm configurations without additional bracket parts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional bracket parts are used to secure spring rails and wiper arms, then the mounting reliability is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple functions into the spring rails themselves. The spring rails include integrated mounting features such as recesses for positive engagement, locking mechanisms, and guidance structures. This eliminates the need for separate bracket parts while maintaining secure mounting, directly resolving the contradiction between reliability and complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The spring rails are designed as multi-functional components that simultaneously provide structural support, precise positioning, secure locking, and guidance for wiper arms. This universal design allows a single component to perform multiple functions previously requiring separate parts, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining mounting reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Manufacturing precision

If complex assembly processes are used to ensure precise mounting, then the manufacturing precision is improved, but the ease of manufacture deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemounting precisionVSAvoidease of manufacture
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The spring rails are pre-configured with precisely positioned recesses, locking features, and guidance structures during manufacturing. This preliminary preparation of mounting features ensures high positioning accuracy is achieved automatically during assembly without requiring complex adjustment processes, thereby improving ease of manufacture while maintaining mounting precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The design enables self-aligning and self-positioning through features such as mirror-image recesses that guide spring rails into correct orientation, and integrated locking mechanisms that automatically secure components. This self-service approach achieves precise mounting without complex external assembly processes, improving both manufacturing precision and ease of manufacture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Stability of the object's composition

If additional bracket parts are used for secure connection, then the stability of composition is improved, but the quantity of parts increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconnection stabilityVSAvoidquantity of parts
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of separate bracket parts into the spring rails themselves. The spring rails incorporate recesses for positive engagement, locking lugs for secure connection, and guidance profiles all as integrated features. This consolidation maintains connection stability while significantly reducing the total quantity of parts required in the assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Ease of operation

If mirror-image recesses and locking mechanisms are added to spring rails, then the ease of operation is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveassembly easeVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The spring rails feature mirror-image recesses on opposite sides that provide asymmetric guidance for assembly. This asymmetric design with mirrored features ensures unmistakable correct orientation during assembly, making the operation easier and more intuitive. The symmetry in the mirror-image pattern actually simplifies manufacturing while the asymmetric functionality improves ease of operation without proportionally increasing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #4Asymmetry

Data Source

PatentEP2229301B1Wiper blade
Publication Date: 2012.04.18 ROBERT BOSCH GMBH
  • EP2229301B1 patent drawingFigure 1~3
  • EP2229301B1 patent drawingFigure 4~6
  • EP2229301B1 patent drawingFigure 7~9

AI summary

The invention relates to a wiper blade (10) having a wiper strip (12), the head strip (18) of which comprises a longitudinal groove (20) on each longitudinal side, said grooves being separated from each other by a bar (22), and into which the spring rails (24) are inserted, which have open recesses (28) on the external longitudinal sides, through which said rails are fixed in the longitudinal direction relative to end caps (38), wherein the end caps (38) have spacing cams (44) protruding from the front sides into a gap (36) between the spring rails (24). The invention provides that the spring rails (24) have recesses (28) on the internal longitudinal sides thereof, which are disposed in the lateral mirror image of the recesses (28) on the external longitudinal sides.