Activity

The technological process of windscreen wiper technology

Characters:

Theme: Technological solutions to everyday problems

Competencies

Competence in Linguistic Communication

Mathematical competence in science, technology and engineering

Personal, social and learning to learn competence

Entrepreneurial Competence

Subjects and year by Educational System

Spain > Technology and digitisation > 2nd ESO > Troubleshooting process

Spain > Technology and digitisation > 2nd ESO > Troubleshooting process. Materials, products and technological solutions

Spain > Technology and digitisation > 3rd ESO > Troubleshooting process

Spain > Technology and digitisation > 3rd ESO > Troubleshooting process. Materials, products and technological solutions

Enunciation

I'm sure you've ever travelled by car and it's started to rain.

1. The following image is the patent drawing of the first windscreen wiper, invented by Mary Anderson, which she herself registered in 1903. Obviously, its shape is very different from today's windscreen wipers. However, there are still parts that are very similar to the original ones Mary Anderson devised. Which parts have remained virtually unchanged since her conception?

 

                                 

                                                                                                                  Mary Anderson windscreen wiper

 

Limpiaparabrisas de Mary Anderson.

 

Fuente: https://patents.google.com/patent/US743801 (20/03/2022) Limpiaparabrisas actual.

2. Carry out a formal and functional analysis of a current windscreen wiper like the one shown in the second image of the previous section.

Observations and context

We can relate this invention and its inventor Mary Anderson to other everyday inventions made by women in the late 19th and 20th centuries: the dishwasher (Josephine Cochrane), the hypodermic syringe (Letitia Geer), the coffee machine (Melitta Bentz), the disposable nappy (Marion Donovan), the lifeboat (Maria Beasley), the ink pen (Bette Nesmith Graham) or the bra (Mary Phelps Jacob).

Description

Exercises to put into practice the concepts of object analysis within the topic: the technological process.
 
Objectives: to analyse technological objects both for their usefulness and their social impact.

Answer

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