Good wiper design

[aspearin1]

In case there are some of the windshield designers out there who worked on the Nissan Quest (or similar design), I wanted to commend you on what I see as a great design. I am one of those at an unfortunate height where my line of vision is directly in line with the top edge of the wiper wash. I have to bow my head a little, usually, to get a clear line of sight. It turns into a real ergonomic issue while I drive. I tried accenting with larger wipers, but I couldn't get wipers that extended further to the top of the winshield without having them also extend to far off the bottom of the windshield. I recently purchased the Nissan Quest minivan and in addition to a windshield big enough to view a feature film, the wipers do a great job of clearing nearly the entire thing with none of the redundant wiping area usually found in the mid windshield.

The wiper combination consists of a driver side wiper which covers with about a 3 ft. span and a passenger wiper with an extended arm and a blade that covers only an 18" span. Basically the passenger wiper only covers the area beyond the reach of the driver side wiper.

This may be old design for buses, so far as I know, but new to me in passenger cars. I wish it were more prevalent. The only issue I see with it is that you can't just buy a single pair of replacement wipers. You need to buy two pair of drastically differently sized wipers.

ChemE, M.E. EIT
"The only constant in life is change." -Bruce Lee

 

[NickE]

"The only issue I see with it is that you can't just buy a single pair of replacement wipers. You need to buy two pair of drastically differently sized wipers."

Yeah that happens on my subaru too... 21 & 17"(18") ... I find that its worth it though (i just buy the refills for summer not the whole hand.) Then I get all through spring on my winter jacketed, switch to the unjacketed regular ones in early summer when the weather is nice. Then to the other set when the UV an D-Town roads have taken their toll. And back to the jackets when it starts freezing.

ncik

 

[patprimmer]

I guess one factor here is whether the car was originally designed for right or left hand drive.

Another useful feature that was popular in the 80's and 90's but seems to have diminished in popularity is the height adjustable seat, so you can place your eyeballs about 6" below the roof, and thereby get maximum vision of the road surface. If all eyeballs were in a similar position behind the screen, it would be easier to optimise wipers.

Regards
pat pprimmer@acay.com.au
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[aspearin1]

I found a flaw. I sat in the passenger seat. The view through my right eye is full of dust and dirt, while the view from the left eye is clear. So instead of cricking my neck forward, I have to crick my neck to the side. Oh well... I can at least fight for the driver's seat.

ChemE, M.E. EIT
"The only constant in life is change." -Bruce Lee

 

[NormPeterson]

Unequal length wipers are apparently fairly common. At least one of my own cars is so equipped. Probably two cars, as overlooking this detail has elicited some "garage vocabulary" from yours truly over a 1" difference (too long for one side) and required a separate trip to the parts store.

pat - perhaps height-adjustable seats have fallen out of favor for reasons involving roof structure crush space. Hip points seem to be rising, anyway. Ford made enough of this that specific mention was made in the monthly magazines in connection with the new Five Hundred.

Norm

 

[GregLocock]

On one of our cars at the moment you can adjust the pedal reach (electrically), steering column up and down and in and out, and seat up and down and forwards and backwards, and tilt, and backrest angle.

If you draw that lot out you realise that two people with the same dimension can be in a whole range of positions. This is crazy. The airbag needs to know where your face is.





Cheers

Greg Locock