Universal Golf Cart Windshield Assembly with Adjustable Sliding Pane
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prior art golf cart windshields are cumbersome to operate, lack secure closure in open positions, and cannot be adjusted for varying widths or heights, requiring external access for operation and replacement of entire assemblies upon damage.
Innovation Solution
A universal golf cart windshield assembly featuring elongated rails with adjustable brackets, sliding windshield panes, and spring-loaded latches that allow vertical adjustment and one-handed operation from inside the cart, accommodating various vertical support configurations and enabling individual part replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rubber clips are used to secure the upper panel, then the windshield can be closed, but the clips harden and crack over time rendering them inoperable
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces durable but complex rubber clips with simple, inexpensive metal pins that can be easily replaced. The pins are designed as simple cylindrical fasteners that pass through aligned holes in the rail and pane, allowing quick replacement without tools or complex mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the securing function from the rubber clip assembly and implements it through a separate, simple pin mechanism. This separates the closure function from the structural rail assembly, allowing the pins to be independently replaced without affecting the rails or panes.
2Ease of operation
If PVC hinges are used to connect top and bottom panels, then the windshield can be opened and closed, but the hinges turn yellow obstructing the view from the golf cart
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the PVC hinge material entirely and replaces it with a metal pin-and-hole mechanism. This eliminates the yellowing issue while maintaining the opening and closing function through a simpler, more transparent connection method.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter from PVC (which yellows) to metal (which does not yellow), while also changing the mechanical principle from hinged rotation to pinned articulation, achieving both durability and optical clarity.
3Ease of manufacture
If fixed-size windshields are used, then manufacturing is simplified, but they cannot accommodate various widths and configurations of vertical supports
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the windshield system adjustable by introducing movable panes that can be positioned at different heights along the rails. The panes slide within the rail structure and can be secured at multiple positions using pins, allowing adaptation to different golf cart configurations without changing the rail structure itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal windshield system where the same rail and pane components can accommodate various golf cart widths and support configurations. The adjustable pane positions and removable mounting brackets enable one windshield assembly to serve multiple golf cart models.
4Strength
If the entire windshield assembly must be replaced when a pane is damaged, then structural integrity is maintained, but cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the windshield into separable components: rails, mounting brackets, and individual panes. Each pane can be independently removed from the rails by detaching the pins, allowing replacement of only the damaged pane while retaining the rails, brackets, and other intact components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the panes as separate, removable components from the overall windshield assembly. The panes are not permanently bonded to the rails but are held by simple pins that can be removed, allowing individual pane replacement without affecting the structural integrity of the remaining assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Provides convenient, adjustable, and secure windscreen operation with the ability to open and close the windshield from within the cart, accommodating different golf cart widths and allowing for easy replacement of damaged parts without replacing the entire assembly.
Implementation Method 1
a spring loaded latch secured to the upper windshield pane, where the pin is adapted to engage a desired aperture of the flange to restrain the upper windshield pane in a desired vertical position
Data Source
AI summary
A universal golf cart windshield assembly includes a pair of elongated rails and a bracket secured to each rail, where each bracket is configured to clamp over a vertical support member of a golf cart. A longitudinal slot is disposed on each rail and a flange is joined along a longitudinal edge of the longitudinal slot and extends generally at a right angle to the slot. A plurality of apertures are disposed on the flange of each rail. The assembly also includes a lower windshield pane and an upper windshield pane, where opposing edges of the upper windshield pane are slidingly engaged with the respective longitudinal slot of each rail. In addition, the assembly also includes a spring loaded latch secured to the upper windshield pane, where the pin is adapted to engage a desired aperture of the flange to restrain the upper windshield pane in a desired vertical position.