The Mercedes Monoblade was my favorite design, although it was notoriously expensive and unreliable.
https://99percentinvisible.org/article/behind-screens-windsh...
Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
21–30 of 142 posts
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#22"...is supposed to be more efficient and better-looking..." Not sure how it can be better looking—all luxury cars already hide their wipers below the hood line already. Seems overly complex with many more failure points. Wipers are the one thing you don't want to fail when you need them.
>the one thing you don't want to fail
I wouldn't dare correct you as I have no data, but I suspect many people would put brakes or a seatbelt ahead of wipers
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
You would need two separate actuators on top and bottom, making it more expensive and prone to jamming.
And I imagine very prone to jamming in snow and ice when regular windshield wipers can be enough of a problem.
Leaves and pollen too (if you ever park your car under an oak tree.) https://0x0.st/zyS9.jpg
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#24This may be a stupid question but, is there a reason cars don't just have a single blade that goes straight across, rather than wiping in this arc motion? It seems like it'd do a much better job of wiping and avoiding streaks if it just went straight across.
> is there a reason cars don't just have a single blade that goes straight across
Some vehicles have pantograph wipers which work horizontally, however that's a more complex design than the usual simple pivot, and you can't "park" the wipers out of view when they're not in use so they're more obstructive. They're sometimes used on car rear windows but mostly seen on commercial vehicle windshields.
Some cars (mostly benzes) also have eccentric arc systems where the wiper arm extends and retracts to cover more windshield with a single pivot.
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#25> Tesla was also thinking about its Autopilot system when conceptualizing the patent for the wiper system. The argument is that traditional wiper systems aren't as robust as this new electromagnetic system; time and weather can lead to corrosion, making the traditional setup less effective over time. The resulting lack of visibility could hamper Autopilot and other autonomous-driving aids that use cameras to track la…
In a Tesla, isn't there a camera in the middle between the driver and passenger inside the passenger compartment at the very top of the windshield?
Yes, OP has no idea about cameras in a Tesla.
Source: I own a Model 3 and just looked. There is a camera on the front of the center rearview mirror on the windshield side.
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#26That looks like a linear motor, which unless I'm missing something is spectacularly power hungry.
By the looks of it, it also need linear bearings, which are difficult to seal against leaves, dirt, moss, ice and snow.
I'm going to wager £20 and say its not a game changer.
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#27> Tesla was also thinking about its Autopilot system when conceptualizing the patent for the wiper system. The argument is that traditional wiper systems aren't as robust as this new electromagnetic system; time and weather can lead to corrosion, making the traditional setup less effective over time. The resulting lack of visibility could hamper Autopilot and other autonomous-driving aids that use cameras to track la…
They absolutely are. Three cameras above the rear view mirror are kept clear by the wipers.
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#28There's a good movie called, "Flash of Genius" about the inventor of the intermittent windshield wiper and his efforts to defend himself against the theft of his idea.
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#29Tesla mentions that the mechanical components of the traditional wiper blade create a lot of friction, which requires more power to the motor that moves the arm back and forth.
I thought it was the friction of the wipers themselves on the glass that takes the most power...
In any case, some research reveals that typical wiper motors are <50W, which even if that was reduced to 0, would be an insignificant fraction of the total power draw of an EV, the motor powering the car being capable of over 200kW (200000W). I doubt this is going to have much of an effect on the overall range.
Re: Tesla has applied for a patent for a new electromagnetic windshield-wiper system
#30OT: have you ever noticed that most scifi movies depict futuristic cars that can hover or fly but which still use traditional windscreen wipers. You'd have thought they'd add a force field that repels rain or a special coating but no, traditional wipers. Even Bladerunner 2048 did this.