Laminated Windshield Wiper Motor Mounting Plate Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing process for attaching a windshield wiper motor to a laminated windshield is tedious, time-consuming, and expensive, requiring the cutting of mounting holes in pre-laminated glass, which is challenging due to the need for precise alignment and risk of glass fractures.
Innovation Solution
A notch is pre-cut into the laminated glass during manufacture to accommodate the wiper motor, with a motor mounting plate and exterior cover plate secured over the notch, eliminating the need for hole cutting and alignment, and using a metallic plate with adhesive for secure mounting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If mounting holes are cut in pre-laminated glass, then the wiper motor can be attached to the windshield, but the process becomes tedious, time-consuming and expensive with alignment difficulties
Solution Approach 1:
The notch is pre-formed in the glass during the lamination process itself, before the wiper motor attachment is needed. This preliminary action eliminates the need for subsequent hole-cutting operations and alignment procedures, directly resolving the time-consuming and complex manufacturing process described in the contradiction.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of cutting holes through the entire laminated glass structure (which requires precise alignment and risks damaging the glass), the invention extracts only the necessary portion by forming a notch that exposes the inner vinyl layer. This allows motor attachment without penetrating through both glass layers, simplifying the manufacturing process.
2Ease of manufacture
If mounting holes are cut in laminated glass, then the wiper motor can be secured, but the risk of glass fractures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention introduces non-metallic bushings as intermediary elements between the metallic motor mounting hardware and the glass surface. These bushings act as a protective mediator that prevents direct metal-to-glass contact, eliminating stress concentration points that would cause glass fractures while still enabling secure motor attachment.
Solution Approach 2:
The notch design itself serves as a cushioning feature by exposing the flexible inner vinyl layer. This vinyl layer acts as a cushion that absorbs and distributes mounting stresses, preventing stress concentration at hole edges that would lead to glass fractures. The flexible vinyl provides a compliant mounting surface that protects the rigid glass layers.
3Ease of manufacture
If holes are cut and aligned in laminated glass, then motor attachment is possible, but the process becomes expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The notch is formed during the lamination process itself, integrating the feature creation into the existing manufacturing workflow. This eliminates the need for separate, expensive post-lamination hole-cutting operations and alignment procedures, significantly reducing manufacturing costs while maintaining motor attachment capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the notch formation step with the existing lamination process. By combining these two operations into one integrated process, the need for separate expensive operations (hole cutting, alignment, vinyl trimming) is eliminated, reducing overall manufacturing cost and improving productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
A windshield assembly includes a laminated windshield provided with a cutout and a motor mounting plate secured to the laminated windshield over the cutout. The motor mounting plate includes a first mounting area. An exterior motor cover plate is secured on an exterior side of the laminated windshield and overlays the cutout in facing relation with the motor mounting plate. The exterior motor cover includes a second mounting area in alignment with the first mounting area. The structure distributes forces encountered by the wiper and motor over a large area on the glass. Also, due to a small footprint, the view through the windshield is less obstructed. The structure also eliminates the need for drilling/aligning holes in laminated glass.