Windshield Testing Assembly for Residual Stress Evaluation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manufactured vehicle windshields often retain undesirable stresses due to improper cooling during the annealing process, which can lead to structural issues during impact tests.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle windshield testing assembly that includes an adjustable test table, multiple supports, and a testing fixture with hollow sleeves to simulate impact tests on the windshield before installation, allowing for precise measurement of stress and evaluation of the windshield's structural integrity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the vehicle windshield is cooled rapidly during the annealing process to increase productivity, then the manufacturing speed is improved, but undesirable residual stresses are retained in the windshield
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by conducting impact tests on the windshield before it is installed in the vehicle. The testing assembly allows stress evaluation to be performed in advance on the windshield while it is still in the manufacturing facility, enabling detection of residual stresses from rapid cooling before the windshield enters service. This prevents potential failures that would occur during actual vehicle use.
2Stability of the object's composition
If the vehicle windshield is cooled slowly during the annealing process to reduce residual stress, then the stress stability is improved, but the manufacturing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The testing assembly enables preliminary stress evaluation before vehicle installation, allowing manufacturers to quickly assess whether a rapidly cooled windshield has acceptable stress levels. This eliminates the need for slow cooling cycles, as the testing provides rapid feedback on stress conditions without requiring extended manufacturing time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional mechanical/thermal approach of slow cooling with a testing-based verification system. Instead of using time-consuming thermal processes to ensure stress stability, the invention uses impact testing mechanics to quickly evaluate whether residual stresses are within acceptable ranges, thereby substituting a fast measurement system for a slow processing system.
3Reliability
If impact testing is conducted after windshield installation in the vehicle, then the structural integrity can be evaluated, but the testing becomes difficult and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs impact testing in advance at the manufacturing facility before the windshield is installed in the vehicle. This preliminary testing approach simplifies the process by allowing easy access to the windshield for test application, avoiding the complexity of disassembling vehicles or accessing installed windshields. The testing is conducted while the windshield is still in the controlled manufacturing environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The testing assembly serves as an intermediary device that facilitates stress evaluation without requiring the windshield to be installed in the vehicle. It provides a intermediate testing stage at the manufacturing facility, acting as a mediator between production and final installation, thereby avoiding the complexities of in-vehicle testing while still enabling reliable structural assessment.
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle windshield testing assembly includes a test table, a plurality of supports, a vehicle windshield, and a testing fixture. The test table is configured to be adjustable about a first axis and a second axis. The plurality of supports is movably connected to the test table. The vehicle windshield is supported by the plurality of supports. The testing fixture supported by the plurality of supports. The testing fixture includes a plurality of hollow sleeves configured to receive a testing object. Each of the hollow sleeves has an opening facing the vehicle windshield.