Screen wipers
Screen wipers are required so that the driver’s ability to see out of the vehicle is maintained in
all types of conditions. It is a legal requirement that screen wipers must be maintained in good
working condition.
Modern wipers are electrically operated and a single electric motor normally drives both front
screen wipers through a mechanical linkage as shown in the diagram below.
.Modern styling of vehicles requires the rear screen to be fitted with a separate screen wiper
and this is equipped with a separate electric motor. Permanent magnet motors are normally
used for screen wiper applications because:
a. They are compact and powerful.
b. They are readily equipped with two speed operation.
Operation
The armature shaft of the motor has a worm gear machined into it and these mates with a
worm wheel that provides a gear reduction.
The worm wheel carries a crankpin which is connected by a rigid link to the screen wiper linkage
and, by this means; the rotary movement of the worm wheel gear is converted into the
reciprocating (to and fro) movement of the wiper linkage.
The wiper arms are pivoted near the screen and the shaft on which the blade is mounted is
connected by a lever to the reciprocating wiper linkage. This results in angular movement of the
wiper arm and blade.
Control of the wipers
The control switch for the screen wipers is mounted in a convenient position adjacent to the steering
wheel. The switch is multi-functional because it is used to select the options that are available, in
addition to the basic on off operations.
Parking the wiper blades:
When the wipers are not in use, the arms and blades are
placed (parked) in a position that does not obstruct the view
from inside the vehicle.
This operation is automatically achieved by the use of a cam
operated limit switch that is located inside the wiper motor
housing. A simplified circuit for this operation is shown in
diagram.
Regenerative braking:
When the wipers are in action, the mechanism possesses
considerable momentum and a form of electric braking is utilized
the helps to bring the wiper mechanism to rest in the desired
position without placing undue strain on it.
This circuit diagram shows how the limit switch cam activates an
additional set of electrical contacts.
When these contacts are closed, an electrical load is placed across
the screen wiper motor armature and the generator effect of the
moving armature places an effective braking effect on the wiper motor and causes it to stop in
the required position
Two speed operation:
Permanent magnet screen wiper motors are capable of operating at two different speeds to suit
different weather conditions. The speed variation is achieved by means of a third brush.
This third brush is connected to a smaller number of armature windings than the other main
brushes and this causes a higher current to flow in the armature coils and this, in turn, leads to a
higher speed of rotation. The figure below shows the layout arrangement.
Two speed and intermittent wiper control (simplified circuit)
Intermittent operation:
Most modern wiper systems make provision for the driver to select a switch position that allows
the wipers to provide a short spell of wiper action at set intervals of time.
This is achieved by means of a timer circuit that controls a relay. The wipe action usually occurs
at intervals of 15 to 20 seconds and is designed to help the driver cope with conditions where
light rain or showers are encountered.
In some designs the delay period may be adjusted at the wiper switch. In such cases, the timer
circuit will contain a resistive and capacitive device in which the resistance may be altered to
vary the interval between wipe actions. An outline circuit is shown in the circuit above.