Browse Topic: Wipers and washers
In today's dynamic driving environments, reliable rear wiping functionality is essential for maintaining safe rearward visibility. This study sharing the next-generation rear wiper motor assembly that seamlessly integrates the washer nozzle, delivering improved performance alongside key benefits such as better Buzz, Squeak, and Rattle (BSR) characteristics, reduced system complexity, cost savings, and enhanced perceived quality. This integrated design simplifies the hose routing which improves the compactness and the efficiency of the design. This also enhances the spray coverage and minimizes the dry wiping unlike the traditional systems that position the washer nozzle separately. A non-return valve (NRV) is incorporated to eliminate spray delays ass it maintains consistent water flow giving cleaning effectiveness. Since this makes the nonfunctional parts completely leak proof due to the advanced sealing, it increases the durability and reliability in long run. As this proposal offers a sustainable solution, it can be considered as the new benchmark in rear wiper technology.
Sound source identification based on beamforming is widely used today as a spatial sound field visualization technology in wind tunnel experiments for vehicle development. However, the conventional beamforming technique has its inherent limitation, such as bad spatial resolution at the low frequency range, and limited system dynamic range. To improve the performance, three deconvolution methods CLEAN, CLEAN-SC and DAMAS were investigated and applied to identify wind noise sources on a production car in this paper. After analysis of vehicle exterior wind noise sources distribution, correlation analysis between identified exterior noise sources and interior noise were conducted to study their energy contribution to vehicle interior. The results show that the algorithm CLEAN-SC based on spatial source coherence shows the best capability to remove the sidelobes for the uncorrelated wind noise sources, while CLEAN and DAMAS, which are based on point spread functions have definite limitations. Considering the testing car, the main noise source of exterior is from the wheelhouse region, then follows the rearview mirror with much lower sound energy. However, noise from the mirror contributes most to the vehicle interior, while the contribution from wheelhouse region ranks the second place. In addition, windshield wipers and door handle can do perceptible contributions to vehicle interior noise at some characteristic frequency bands.
In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Jing-Yau Chung along with Joseph Pope published several external General Motors reports on the then novel measurement of sound intensity (SI) using the two-microphone, cross-spectral method. Application of this measurement method was then extended to sound intensity measurements in flow. Through component wind tunnel measurements, it was determined that the intensity of noise sources could be accurately measured up to a level of 15 dB below the sound pressure level generated by flow noise on microphones. An initial application of this method was to the identification of noise sources alongside rolling truck tires. It was then extended to the measurement of the aerodynamic noise generated by protrusions added to automotive vehicle designs. These included items such as outside rearview mirrors, windshield wipers, A-pillar offsets, grille whistles, roof racks, underbodies, and fixed-mast radio antennas. Many of these could be applied on the early full-size clay models or other mock-ups as well as actual vehicles. An application of sound intensity was the development of the straked antenna design leading to a GM Defensive Patent and its now universal application to virtually all vehicles with simple fixed-mast antennas. The development of this design is highlighted along with the background on the application of sound intensity to measurements in air flow.
The Class A Task Force of the Vehicle Network for Multiplexing and Data Communications Subcommittee is providing information on sensors that could be applicable for a Class A Bus application. Sensors are generally defined as any device that inputs information onto the bus. Sensors can be an input controlled by the operator or an input that provides the feedback or status of a monitored vehicle function. Although there is a list of sensors provided, this list is not all-inclusive. This SAE Information Report is intended to help the network system engineer and is meant to stimulate the design thought process.
The most widely used type of windshield wiper system employs a coil spring for wiper arm pressure generation. This spring is fixed between the arm head (fixed part) and wiper arm (moving part) and the tension in the spring is responsible for pressure generation. The present arrangement although being unsophisticated design, has following drawbacks: Inability to change wiper arm pressure according to change in vehicle speed. Inability to provide constant arm pressure during the complete range of motion along varying curvature of windshield. Inability to reduce/remove the continuous pressure on wiper blade when vehicle is parked for long durations resulting in permanent deformation of wiper blade rubber. This paper describes how electromagnets can be used to overcome the above stated inherent limitations of the windshield wiper system. An electromagnet is a device which produces magnetic field on application of electric current. It consists of electrical conductor wound around a magnetic core. Unlike a permanent magnet whose magnetic field is fixed, the magnetic field produced by electromagnets can be changed or even reversed very quickly by controlling the input current. Since, magnetic fields attract or repel each other depending upon their direction, hence, electromagnets can be used to produce variable force of attraction or repulsion. This enables electromagnets to be used as a spring with adjustable stiffness.
SAE J3078/5 specifies a test method for testing defrosting systems. It is applicable to off-road self-propelled work machines as defined in SAE J1116 and agricultural tractors as defined in ANSI/ASAE S390. The full list of machines covered is included in Table 1.
The increasingly important need to design simpler structures, reducing the number of constituent components, has motivated the approach outlined in this article, which proposes an effective reengineering example of a product belonging to the automotive industry, combining the advantages offered by the compliant mechanisms with production opportunities linked to the use of additive manufacturing. Taking advantage of compliant mechanisms makes it possible to significantly improve the component’s production phase, leading to undoubted benefits on the supply chain and on product’s time to market, benefits made possible by exploiting the outstanding characteristic of additive manufacturing to produce already assembled multi-material structures. The performances of the innovative monocomponent wiper designed here were compared, with the help of finite element method (FEM) simulations, with those of the component made in the traditional way and with those of the only other existing single-component frame of which we have news, the one patented by the United States (US) company Flexsys, obtaining satisfactory results both in terms of weight reduction, for the best pressure distribution at the wiper/glass interface, and in terms of maximum stress reduction.
The windshield wiper is a component that is closely related to safety because it plays an important role in ensuring the driver’s vision despite external factors such as rain and dust. Here, the mechanical properties of different types of blade rubber were evaluated using a miniature tensile test machine for a structural analysis of the types of wiper blade rubber used in automobiles. In addition, a compression set and the aging characteristics of each type of rubber were determined by comparing the mechanical properties and shape changes of the blade rubber after more than one year of use to the same blade rubber before use. Using the mechanical properties as measured by a tensile test, a nonlinear structural analysis of the wiper blade system was conducted using a 3D finite element method (FEM). The contact force distribution and wiping angle of the blade rubber under a static load were measured. According to the structural analysis, there is a difference in the wiping angle of more than 30° and a difference in the contact force distribution of more than 1.5 times between the new rubber and the old rubber. A sensitivity analysis was conducted using the design of experiments (DOE)-derived three main factors affecting the cross section of the blade rubber. Based on the main factors, the effects of the wiper blade’s cross-sectional shape on the angle and contact force distribution were analyzed using the response surface method (RSM). When a static load of 2 N is applied and when the width of the web reaches 0.75 mm, the length of the web is 0.9 mm, and the tip width is 0.65 mm, the contact force distribution range is reduced, and the wiping angle is in the normal range. The results of this study indicate that it is possible to predict the main factors and the design direction of the cross-sectional shape of a wiper blade.
Visibility is a critical factor to avoid the accidents and incidents on road. Every year there are over 5 million car accidents reported in USA. Of these 23% are caused by the hazardous weather and poor visibility. Driving in poor visibility increases the potential for a serious crash. Over the last decade 15% of the accidents on road are due to poor visibility in bad weather conditions. This paper addresses the poor visibility through the rear windshield glass of a car. A vehicle is designed in a way to provide the maximum possible visibility. But due to the vehicle design constraints, the visibility through the rear glass is very less. This visibility reduces drastically in the extreme weather conditions like rain, snow, dust and fog. At present, wiper systems play an essential role in providing better visibility for the driver in bad weather. Even though there are other technological aids like cameras, sensors etc.., they come with a high cost and act as only passive visibility for the driver. These cannot give as much confidence to the driver as his own eyes can. The wiping systems for front windshield glass, in terms of wiping area, are very efficient compared to the rear glass wiper systems. The rear wiper arm length is very less, mainly due to the height of the glass. This combined with the conventional motion of wiper arm, results in a low wiping area, leading to poor visibility for the driver. This paper addresses this problem with a simple solution using a telescopic wiper system with cam and roller mechanism.
The wiper system consists of a motor, linkage, arm, and blade, which provides a clear front view to the driver by removing rain, snow, and foreign matter from the windshield glass. It is a system component that requires a robust design to meet system rigidity, scrubbing performance, and operating noise to any external conditions to provide the driver with a front view. In recent years, however, customer complaints about wiper noise have increased as automobile engine and noise levels have decreased. Based on the analysis of wiper noise, this paper presents quantitative judgment criteria for various wiper noises. In addition, we predict the change of wiper noise to environmental factors through the sound field analysis and propose the solution.
In India, vehicle population increases every day along with road accidents by 2.5% every year. About 7.7% of accidents are caused by wheel separation, 60% of which are due to nut-related problems. Wheel separations in vehicles occur due to fastener issues and fatigue failures in bolts. A study of the reasons for and mechanisms of nut loosening showed that left-hand side wheels detached and fracture failure occurred in right-hand side studs. Fatigue life of wheels with Nord-Lock washer and without washer is determined by using numerical analysis as per the IS 9438 cornering fatigue test. These numerical results are compared with experimental results.
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