Innovation in automotive engineering - windshield wipers
04/10/2017
Yawn! Windshield wipers, what else is there to talk about? These things are hardly noticed, after all, they were invented over 110 years ago. We've written about them before. But a lot has happened since then.
The simple rubber strips that could be pulled over the windshield have become highly complex structures with elaborate support mechanisms. And some of them even escape the airflow.
There was even a time when the windscreen wipers moved outwards and inwards from the center (keyword Mercedes-Benz W124).
And, of course, the windshield wiper was also aerodynamically improved so that it didn't take off even at 160 km/h.
Even the mounting location was changed again and again and there were cars with one, two or even three windshield wipers at the front.
Some cars even wiped from above and below.
And there was also the internal windshield wiper for the rear windshield wiper on the Lancia Flaminia. This probably replaced the heating wires of today.
The controls have also changed over the decades.
Simple switches on the dashboard or in the door trim were replaced by steering column levers, which also had a rotary switch for interval control.
And today? Hardly anyone still operates the windshield wiper by hand, because it is controlled by a rain sensor.
Thousands and thousands of hours of engineers' time were invested in the further development of the windshield wiper, but not all ideas proved successful in practice. So even the windshield wiper-free windshield has so far remained a fantasy. Despite the advance praise. We won't get rid of the windshield wiper that quickly ...
