Method for determining a blank form of an elastic component

• US 7,596,479 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2004
• Issued: 09/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Weiler, Michael, Zimmer, Joachim
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Paul L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jacob; Mary C
• Application Number:
  US10/578,791
• Publication Number:
  US 20070105458A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,845 Days
• Field of Search: 703/2, 703/6, 703/1
• US Class Current: 703/7
• CPC Class Codes: B60S 1/32 characterised by constructional features of wiper blade arms or blades
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 17/20 Finite element generation, e.g. wire-frame surface description, tesselation

Abstract

The invention starts with a method to determine a blank form of an elastic component, in particular a non-articulated wiper arm (10), with the default of a target form, which the elastic component is supposed to assume under the effect of at least a predefined initial force (F₁). It is proposed that a counter force (F_G) that at least essentially opposes the predefined initial force (F₁) is applied to a working model (12) of the elastic component, whose model blank form is at least similar to the target form.

Claims

1. A method of simulating the deformation of a non-articulated wiper arm, the method comprising:

providing parameters of a desired target form of the non-articulated wiper arm in the form of electric signals to an arithmetic logic unit that performs arithmetic and logical operations, the arithmetic-logic unit simulating a deformation of a simulated model of the non-articulated wiper arm where a counter force opposes an initial force;

increasing the counter force in several steps up to an end value;

generating assumed form parameters of the form of the simulated model that is created under the effect of the counter force when the counter force is at the end value; and

determining a virtual blank form of the non-articulated wiper arm based on the assumed form parameters.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising simulating elasticity properties of the non-articulated wiper arm using the virtual blank form of the non-articulated wiper arm.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein simulating a deformation includes performing a finite element analysis.

4. A method of simulating the deformation of a non-articulated wiper arm, the method comprising:

providing parameters of a desired target form of the non-articulated wiper arm in the form of electric signals to an arithmetic-logic unit that performs arithmetic and logical operations, the arithmetic-logic unit simulating a deformation of a simulated model of the non-articulated wiper arm where a counter force opposes an initial force;

increasing the counter force in several steps up to an end value, wherein in each step a current counter force is aligned perpendicular to a surface of the simulated model of the non-articulated wiper arm;

generating assumed form parameters of the form of the simulated model that is created under the effect of the counter force when the counter force is at the end value, where the assumed form parameters represent information about a blank form of the non-articulated wiper arm;

determining a virtual blank form of the non-articulated wiper arm based on the assumed form parameters; and

simulating elasticity properties of the non-articulated wiper arm using the virtual blank form of the non-articulated wiper arm.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein simulating a deformation includes performing a finite element analysis.

6. A method of simulating the deformation of a non-articulated wiper arm, the method comprising:

providing parameters of a desired target form of the non-articulated wiper arm, which the non-articulated wiper arm is supposed to assume under the effect of an initial force of the non-articulated wiper arm which is counter to a bearing force, wherein the parameters are provided in the form of electrical signals to a digital circuit that performs arithmetic and logical operations, wherein the digital circuit comprises at least one arithmetic-unit, wherein the arithmetic-unit simulates a deformation of a simulated model of the non-articulated wiper arm using a finite element method where a counter force opposes the initial force;

increasing the counter force in several steps up to an end value;

generating parameters of the form of the simulated model that is created under the effect of the counter force when the counter force is at the end value; and

determining a virtual blank form of the non-articulated wiper arm based on the generated parameters of the form of the simulated model.