Sliding Boat Windshield With Cable Actuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional boat windshields with sliding center panels have become heavier, making it difficult and potentially dangerous to open and close the center panel, especially when it is inadvertently slammed open or shut, and require significant clearance in the forward area, which can be obstructed by passengers or equipment.
Innovation Solution
A windshield design featuring a center panel mounted to a header with L-shaped or J-shaped channels that allow sliding forward and outward movement, with interlocking guides on the bottom edge to secure the panel during opening and closing, and an actuation mechanism like hydraulics or electric motors for controlled operation, minimizing clearance requirements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the center panel is made heavier to meet safety standards, then the safety and quality of the boat increases, but the center panel becomes increasingly difficult and dangerous to open and close
Solution Approach 1:
A cable system acts as an intermediary between the operator and the heavy center panel. The cable runs through a pulley system that provides mechanical advantage, allowing a person to safely control and move the heavy panel without directly handling its full weight, thus resolving the contradiction between safety requirements and ease of operation
Solution Approach 2:
The windshield system transitions from a static hinge-based design to a dynamic cable-pulley system that can adapt to the weight and movement requirements of the center panel. The cable system can be tensioned and controlled to provide assistance during opening and closing operations, making the heavy panel manageable while maintaining safety standards
2Device complexity
If the center panel is designed to swing open in a conventional manner, then the structure is simple, but significant clearance is required in the forward area which can be obstructed by passengers or equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The center panel movement is changed from a simple swinging arc in one plane to a more complex path that combines vertical lifting, horizontal sliding, and rotational movement. The cable system guides the panel through a three-dimensional trajectory that clears the forward seating area, reducing the clearance footprint while accepting increased structural complexity
3Ease of manufacture
If the center panel is made heavier with higher quality materials, then the overall quality of the boat increases, but the panel becomes dangerous to inadvertently slam open or shut
Solution Approach 1:
The cable system is pre-tensioned and configured to provide cushioning force before the panel can be slammed. The cable acts as a energy-absorbing element that gradually decelerates the panel during closing or accidental movement, preventing dangerous slamming while allowing the use of high-quality heavy materials for safety
Data Source
AI summary
A sliding windshield (1) for boats having at least two side panels (2, 3) and a center panel (4). The center panel is mounted to a header (15) having two curved channels (17, 18) that allow the center panel to slide forward or outward from two stationary side panels and then sideward in front of one of the two side panels into an open position.