Automotive Glass-Setting Tool with Adjustable Arms
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tools for setting windshield glass on a vehicle are often expensive, cumbersome, and require two people due to the glass's weight and fragility, making them difficult to handle ergonomically and efficiently for a single person.
Innovation Solution
A glass-setting apparatus comprising upper and lower support arms with suction cups that attach to the vehicle's roof and hood, featuring a holding mechanism and notches to securely hold the windshield edges away from the sealant line, allowing a single person to install or remove windshields ergonomically and accurately.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If two people are used to set windshield glass, then safety and stability are improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (the glass-setting tool with support arms and notches) that mediates between the worker and the windshield glass. This tool provides mechanical support and positioning, allowing a single person to safely handle the glass without requiring a second person, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The glass-setting tool is designed to be self-supporting with adjustable arms and notches that automatically position themselves to hold the glass. The tool performs the support function independently without requiring additional human assistance, enabling one person to complete the task safely while reducing overall system complexity
2Ease of operation
If commercially-available tools are used, then glass-setting assistance is improved, but cost and ease of operation worsen due to expense and cumbersome setup
Solution Approach 1:
The tool is segmented into simple, modular components (support arms, notches, attachment mechanisms) that can be easily manufactured and assembled. This segmentation allows for cost-effective production while maintaining the glass-setting assistance function, resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and manufacturing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs simple, inexpensive materials and design elements in the glass-setting tool that reduce manufacturing cost while providing sufficient functionality for the task. The tool uses basic mechanical components rather than expensive specialized equipment, making it cost-effective while still providing necessary assistance
3Ease of operation
If commercially-available tools are used, then glass-setting capability is improved, but ease of operation worsens due to cumbersome setup, use and storage
Solution Approach 1:
The support arms of the glass-setting tool are designed to be dynamically adjustable, allowing the user to modify the position and configuration of the arms based on the specific windshield and vehicle. This dynamic adjustability simplifies operation for different scenarios while maintaining compact storage, resolving the contradiction between glass-setting capability and setup/storage complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A glass-setting apparatus may include an upper support arm and a lower support arm. The upper support arm may be attachable to a roof of a vehicle and may have a holding mechanism operable to hold a top edge of a sheet of material. The lower support arm may be attachable to a hood of the vehicle and may have one or more notches along a portion of the lower support arm that is operable to receive a bottom edge of the sheet of material.