Enhanced vehicle wiper blade using active materials
AssigneeGM Global Technology Operations LLC
InventorsNicholas W. Pinto, IV, Scott R. Webb, Alan L. Browne, Paul W. Alexander, Xiujie Gao, Nancy L. Johnson, Wendell G. Summerville, John A. Cafeo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle wiper assembly includes a wiper blade having a length, and an active material disposed along the length of the wiper blade and coupled thereto. The active material includes a shape memory alloy material with a crystallographic phase that is changeable between austenite and martensite, and is elastically deformable and operatively applies a spring force against a portion of the wiper blade when the crystallographic phase is martensite.
Claims12
A vehicle wiper assembly comprising:
- a wiper blade having a length, the wiper blade including:
- a base portion operatively configured to couple with at least one of a spine or a frame;
- a wedge-shaped wiper portion coupled to the base portion via an interconnecting member, wherein each of the base portion, interconnecting member, and wiper portion extend across a longitudinal dimension of the wiper blade from a first end to an opposite second end, and wherein the wiper portion is operative to wipe liquid across a surface;
- wherein the interconnecting member is formed from an active material that includes a shape memory alloy material with a crystallographic phase that is changeable between austenite and martensite;
- wherein the shape memory alloy material is superelastic and is operatively configured to apply a spring force against the wiper portion of the wiper blade;
- and
- wherein the interconnecting member is operative to allow the wiper portion of the wiper blade to articulate about the longitudinal dimension of the base portion.
A vehicle wiper assembly comprising:
- an armature configured to extend from a rotary actuator;
- a wiper blade having a length and including:
- at least one of a spine or a frame that is operative to be fastened to the armature;
- a base portion coupled to the at least one of the spine or the frame;
- a wiper portion;
- and
- an interconnecting member that directly couples the base portion to the wiper portion;
- wherein the base portion, the wiper portion, and the interconnecting member extend across a longitudinal dimension of the wiper blade from a first end to an opposite second end and are supported by the at least one of the spine or the frame;
- wherein the interconnecting member includes a superelastic shape memory alloy material with a crystallographic phase that is changeable between austenite and martensite;
- and
- wherein the interconnecting member is elastically deformable and is operatively configured to apply a spring force against the wiper portion of the wiper blade.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.