Motorized Winch Windshield Removal Tool Anchoring Adhesive Bead
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for removing fixed glass or panels, such as windshields, require significant force and can cause further cracking or breaking, especially when anchored devices apply pressure, and adjusting these devices is time-consuming and difficult.
Innovation Solution
A windshield removal tool that anchors on the adhesive bead using a flattened claw and a winch mechanism, allowing for minimal effort in repositioning and reducing pressure on the panel by using a motorized spool and pulley system to guide a cutting wire through the adhesive bead.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Force
If a cutting wire is pulled through the adhesive bead using conventional anchoring methods, then the adhesive bead can be cut, but excessive force is required and the fixed glass or panel may crack or break
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a lever arm as an intermediary mechanical element between the cutting wire and the adhesive bead. The lever arm amplifies the pulling force on the cutting wire while distributing the reaction force away from the glass panel, preventing direct transmission of excessive force to the panel that would cause cracking or breaking.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent positions the anchoring device on a different spatial dimension - anchoring to the vehicle body frame rather than directly to the glass panel. This dimensional change allows the cutting action to occur while the reaction force is absorbed by the vehicle structure, eliminating the harmful force transmission to the glass.
2Reliability
If suction cups or similar mechanisms are used to anchor the device, then the device can be secured, but the position adjustment is difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the complex suction cup mechanism with a simpler mechanical anchoring system using a lever arm that can be directly engaged with the vehicle body frame. This mechanical substitution eliminates the time-consuming adjustment process while maintaining secure anchoring throughout the cutting operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever arm is designed to be dynamically repositionable along the adhesive bead perimeter. The anchoring mechanism allows quick movement to different positions while maintaining secure engagement, enabling efficient repositioning without the time loss associated with suction cup adjustments.
3Ease of operation
If the device is anchored on the fixed glass or panel, then the cutting wire can be pulled, but further cracking or breaking occurs due to pressure on the panel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional anchoring approach by anchoring to the vehicle body frame instead of the glass panel. This inversion ensures that the cutting operation proceeds as intended while the harmful pressure is directed away from the glass and onto the vehicle structure, preventing further damage.
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
Enables efficient and safe removal of windshields without applying excessive force to the panel, minimizing the risk of shattering and allowing for quick and easy adjustment of the tool's position along the adhesive bead.
Implementation Method 1
A winch attached to the handle and motor has a spool actuated by the motor
Implementation Method 2
A pulley is positioned near the claw. A cutting wire is guided by the pulley and wound about the spool
Data Source
AI summary
A windshield removal tool has elongate arm with a claw at its distal end. The device also includes a winch actuated by a motor at the proximal end of the arm. When a cutting wire is positioned along an adhesive bead about a periphery of a fixed glass or panel, the cutting wire is threaded through a puncture in the adhesive bead and attached to the winch. The claw engages a location along the adhesive bead as the winch wines in the cutting wire. A pulley near the distal end of the arm guides the wire. The device may be removed from an initial anchored position and anchored at a new position by removing the claw and placing it at another point along the periphery.