Sliding Windscreen Support Arm for Simple Vehicle Installation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing windscreen installation apparatuses are complex, heavy, and prone to damage, making them difficult to use and maintain, especially for a single technician.
Innovation Solution
A windscreen installation apparatus with a sliding and rotatable support arm that engages with a mount structure, allowing for easy positioning and manipulation of the windscreen, featuring a spherical stop for secure sliding and a yoke-like mount structure for guiding the arm, which is also pivotable and dismantleable for storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If a telescopic arm or slidable anchor arrangement is used, then the apparatus can extend to reach the windscreen, but the construction becomes more complex and heavier
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is divided into a fixed portion and a movable portion that can be separately positioned and assembled. The movable portion can be inserted through an opening in the fixed portion to achieve extension without requiring complex telescopic mechanisms. This segmentation allows the arm to reach the windscreen while keeping the construction simple and robust.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a complex telescopic or slidable mechanism is used, then the arm can extend and adjust, but the apparatus becomes heavier and more prone to damage
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm is segmented into fixed and movable portions that can be independently positioned. The movable portion passes through an opening in the fixed portion and is retained by a stop, creating a simple yet effective extension mechanism. This approach provides adjustability without adding significant weight or complexity that would make the apparatus more prone to damage.
3Ease of operation
If the support arm is fixed in position, then the structure is simpler and more robust, but the windscreen cannot be easily positioned and manipulated
Solution Approach 1:
The support arm transitions from a fixed structure to a dynamic one where the movable portion can be inserted through and removed from the fixed portion's opening. This dynamic configuration allows the windscreen to be easily positioned and manipulated while maintaining overall structural simplicity. The stop mechanism provides retention during operation but allows for easy repositioning when needed.
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus for use in handling windscreens for example for installation in a vehicle, includes a windscreen anchor assembly (2) comprising a windscreen anchor device (14) and a support arm (16) extending away from the windscreen anchor device (14). A mount assembly (3) is provided for supporting the windscreen anchor assembly. The mount assembly (3) includes a mount structure (11) for engaging with the support arm (16) such that the support arm can slide bodily in its longitudinal direction with respect to the mount structure (11).