CA2553158A1

CA2553158A1 - Windshield repair apparatus including bridge and method

Info

Publication number: CA2553158A1
Application number: CA002553158A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Jonathan P. Thomas; Paul E. Syfko; Mark Charles Christian; Paul S. Petersen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: TCG International Inc
Priority date: 1996-10-02
Filing date: 1997-10-02
Publication date: 1998-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 2017-10-02
Also published as: CA2553158C

Abstract

A windshield repair apparatus includes a bridge for holding an injector adjacent to a break area of a windshield. The bridge includes a suction cup for mounting the bridge to the windshield. The bridge includes a pivotally mounted arm which allows for pivotal movement of the injector away from the break area, and a registration system which allows for accurate replacement of the injector over the break area following pivotal movement back toward the break area. A ball plunger and detent mounting arrangement between the pivotally mounted arm and a remainder of the bridge allows for registration.
The suction cup includes a vacuum pump for withdrawing air from beneath the suction cup. The injector includes a clip securing a stopper to a body of the injector. The stopper includes peripheral lip seal at a first end of the stopper which is received by the body. The arm also is pivotally moveable toward and away from the windshield and is controlled by a threaded adjustment mechanism.

Claims

1.~A windshield repair apparatus for use on a windshield comprising:
a bridge having a suction cup extending from the bridge for mounting the bridge to the windshield;
the bridge including a pivotally mounted arm, the arm defining an injector holder, the arm rotatable about a first axis between an original position and a rotated position; and the bridge including a registration system engageable with the pivotally mounted arm for allowing return of the pivotally mounted arm to the original position from the rotated position.

2. ~The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a vacuum pump mounted to the suction cup.

3. ~The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the registration system includes a ball plunger and detent arrangement.

4. ~The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an injector mounted to the injector holder.

5.~The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the injector includes:
a body extending from a tip to an opposite end, the body having an outside surface, and an inner surface defining an inner passage;
a resilient fitting disposed at the tip partially within the inner passage;
and a resilient stopper with at least one passage closing off the opposite end in the inner passage, the resilient stopper including a peripheral lip seal positioned within the body.

6. ~The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the stopper includes two passages, wherein one passage through the stopper is central to the stopper, and one passage is offset, and wherein the offset passage includes a nipple.

7. ~The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first axis and a central axis of the vacuum cup are generally parallel, and wherein the pivotally mounted arm includes a back end, the registration system positioned at the back end of the arm, the registration system including a ball plunger moveable in a direction transverse to the first axis.

8. ~The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pivotally mounted arm has a front end defining the injector holder, the front end rotatable about a second axis relative to a remainder of the arm, the front end rotatable toward and away from the general direction faced by the suction cup.

9. ~The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising a threaded adjustment mechanism for selectively positioning the front end of the arm relative to the remainder of the arm.

10. ~The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the threaded adjustment mechanism includes a spring biasing the front end in a direction away from the windshield.

11. ~The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bridge includes a releasable clamp for selectively clamping the pivotally mounted arm to a remainder of the bridge.

12. ~A windshield repair apparatus for use on a windshield comprising:
a bridge having a suction cup extending from the bridge for mounting the bridge to the windshield;
the bridge including an arm pivotally mounted for movement toward and away from the windshield; and the bridge including a threaded adjustment mechanism for moving the arm toward and away from the windshield.

13. ~The windshield repair apparatus of claim 12, wherein the threaded adjustment mechanism includes a spring biasing the arm away from the windshield.

14. ~A windshield repair injector comprising:
a body extending from a tip to an opposite end, the body having an outside surface, and an inner surface defining an inner passage;
a resilient fitting disposed at the tip partially within the inner passage;
and a resilient stopper with at least one passage closing off the opposite end in the inner passage, the resilient stopper including a peripheral lip seal positioned within the body.

15. ~The injector of claim 14, wherein the stopper includes two passages, wherein one passage through the stopper is central to the stopper, and one passage is offset, and wherein the offset passage includes a nipple.

16. ~A windshield repair injector comprising:

a body extending from a tip to an opposite end, the body having an outside surface, and an inner surface defining an inner passage;
a resilient fitting disposed at the tip partially within the inner passage;
a resilient stopper with at least one passage closing off the opposite end in the inner passage; and a clip mounting the stopper to the body.

17. The injector of claim 16, wherein the outside surface of the body defines two shoulders, and a groove therebetween, the clip including a flange positioned in the groove.

18. A stopper for use with a windshield repair injector comprising:
a resilient body with a central longitudinal axis, the body having an outer surface and at least one inner passage, the outer surface including a flange at one end of the stopper, the outer surface including a peripheral lip seal spaced from the one end of the stopper.

19. The stopper of claim 18, wherein the stopper includes two inner passages, wherein one passage through the stopper is central to the stopper, and one passage is offset, and wherein the offset passage includes a nipple.

20. A clip for use with a windshield repair injector including a stopper mounted to the injector, the clip comprising:
a clip body defining first and second spaced apart arms;
the clip body further defining a spring section interconnecting the first and second arms; and the clip body further defining two inwardly projecting flanges, wherein the first and second arms and the inwardly projecting flanges define a chamber sized for receipt of a portion of the injector and a portion of the stopper.

21. The clip of claim 20, further comprising a grasping tab extending from the spring section.

22. A method of repairing a windshield comprising the steps of:
mounting a windshield repair apparatus to a windshield adjacent to a break area;~
rotating an arm containing an injector from an original position to a rotated position wherein the injector is rotated away from the break area;

releasing a registration system engaged with the arm;
rotating the arm back to the original position; and reengaging the registration system.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising the step of rotating a front portion of the rotatable arm toward the windshield.

24. A method of repairing a windshield comprising the steps of:
mounting a windshield repair apparatus to a windshield adjacent to a break area; and rotating an arm of the windshield repair apparatus including the injector toward the windshield.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step of rotating the arm includes the step of rotating a threaded adjustment mechanism to move the arm toward the windshield.