Automotive Windshield Wiper Linkage Dynamic Modeling for Vibration Analysis

An automotive windshield wiper system is modeled mainly for vibration analysis purpose. The model is composed of solid links, ideal joints, imperfect joints to simulate unavoidable manufacturing defects and bushings having stiffness, contact between a wiper blade and a wind screen glass, friction, a spring and an actuator. Main stream of wiper dynamics analysis has been obtaining a closed form of system of equations using Newton`s or Lagrange`s formula and doing a numerical simulation study to understand and predict the behavior of it. However, the modeling process is complex since a wiper system is of multibody and a contact problem occurs. When imperfection, such as dead zone of a joint and stiffness of a rubber bushing, should be included, the added complexity makes the modeling difficult. Since the imperfection is understood as main cause of problematic vibration, the dynamics model of a wiper system aiming vibration analysis should include such unavoidable manufacturing defects in the model. An open form of dynamic model of a automotive windshield wiper system with imperfect joints using a commercial software is obtained and a simulation analyssis is conducted for vibration reduction study.