Pane Bracket with Spherical Standoffs for Curved Windshield Mounting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional windshield brackets for mounting electronic and electromechanical components on vehicles, such as sensors for driver assistance systems, face challenges with accurate positioning and orientation due to deformation and tension issues when attaching to curved windshields, leading to suboptimal sensor data quality.
Innovation Solution
A pane bracket design featuring a pane-facing wall with three spherical standoffs and limited gluing path surfaces that match the curvature of the windshield, providing a defined contact plane and ensuring accurate positioning and orientation of components, while allowing for a larger size and variety of components to be mounted.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple standoffs with flexible areas are used to ensure contact with the windshield, then the contact reliability is improved, but the casing deforms and mechanical tensions are generated leading to wrong positioning and orientation of components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies spherical standoffs instead of flexible areas to achieve contact with the curved windshield. The spherical shape allows the standoffs to conform to the curved surface while maintaining a rigid structure that prevents casing deformation. This resolves the contradiction by providing both reliable contact (through the spherical geometry matching the windshield curvature) and precise component positioning (by avoiding the deformation caused by flexible areas).
2Ease of manufacture
If adhesive tape is used to attach the pane bracket, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but the bracket size is limited and cannot maintain physical contact on curved surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the attachment function by using multiple discrete spherical standoffs distributed across the bracket surface instead of a single continuous adhesive tape. This segmentation allows the bracket to maintain contact with curved surfaces across larger areas while keeping the manufacturing process simple. Each standoff independently contacts the windshield, enabling the bracket to adapt to curvature without complex assembly procedures.
3Strength
If the operator presses the pane bracket against the curved windshield with mechanical force, then the bracket is attached to the windshield, but significant deformation of the casing occurs and electronic components do not get accurate positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the geometric parameter of the contact elements from flat flexible areas to spherical shapes. This parameter change allows the standoffs to conform to the curved windshield surface through their spherical geometry, achieving strong attachment without requiring excessive pressing force that would cause casing deformation. The spherical shape distributes the attachment force more evenly, maintaining component positioning accuracy while providing sufficient attachment strength.
Data Source
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AI summary
A pane bracket (1) for mounting components in a vehicle, said pane bracket (1) comprising a casing (2) having a pane-facing wall (3) adapted to fix said pane bracket (1) to a pane (4) of said vehicle, wherein said pane-facing wall (3) has at least one protruding gluing path surface (5) for gluing the pane-facing wall (3) to said pane (4) and standoffs (6) adapted to compensate tolerances between the gluing path surfaces (5) and the pane (4).