Patent Application
20220143856
This invention relates generally to glazing panel removal and more particularly to glazing panel removal techniques using a cutting wire or other length of cutting filament to remove vehicle glazing panels.
Glazing panel removal techniques are known using wire winding tools. Such an arrangement is shown in for example WO2006/030212 which discloses winder unit having a pair of winder spools and guide pulleys mounted outwardly of the winder spools. More recently techniques have been developed which use synthetic plastics fibre line in place of wire.
An improved tool for use in such cutting techniques has now been devised.
According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a glazing panel removal device comprising a winder unit having:
In one embodiment the drive means comprises a rotary input drive means, preferably arranged such that driving the rotary input in a first rotary direction causes winding of the filament onto the first winder spool and driving the rotary input in the opposite direction causes winding of the filament onto the second winder spool.
In certain embodiments, it is preferred that the drive means is arranged to be configured to either:
The drive means is arranged to be configured to drive the winder spool or spools such that the filament is wound onto one spool whilst being wound simultaneously off the other.
It is preferred that the drive means is arranged to be configured between a configuration in which filament is permitted to be wound off one of the spools and a configuration in which the filament is prevented from winding off that same spool.
This may be achieved for example by means of using a brake arrangement, which may be an adjustable brake arrangement arranged to vary the torque required to wind the filament off either of the winder spools. With the brake fully applied the winding off torque is so high that the filament is prevented from being wound off. With the brake partially applied the winding off torque is less and the filament can be wound off if the required torque is applied. This enables the torque for slip cutting to be adjusted.
In one embodiment the drive means may comprise an input drive shaft comprising the drive input and separate transmission shafts transmitting rotary motion to drive respective winder spools, the transmission shafts extending transversely to the input drive shaft.
In a preferred embodiment the device may include a transmission comprising a common bevel gear arrangement for transmitting rotary motion to each of the winder spools.
In a preferred embodiment the device may include a transmission comprising respective one way bearings for transmitting rotary motion to each of the winder spools. A one way bearing is known in the art as a device that permits transmission of torque for rotation in a first direction but not for rotation in the opposed direction.
In a preferred embodiment one or more preferably both of the rotary winder spools are demountable from the unit.
In a preferred embodiment one or more preferably both of the winder spools are arranged to be mounted with respect to a driven shaft in an engaged position in which the spool is coupled to rotate with the driven shaft and a neutral position in which the spool can rotate independently of the driven shaft.
It is preferred that the winder spools are mounted to rotate on axes that are substantially co-axial with one another.
It is preferred that the device further comprises mounting means for mounting the device to a glazing panel. In a preferred embodiment the mounting means comprises one or more suction devices.
It is preferred that the device comprises one or more guide pulleys spaced from the winder spools.
The drive means may be configured to be manually driven (using a lever coupled with a drive shaft) or power driven. Beneficially the device is capable of being either manually driven or power driven. It is therefore preferably capable of coupling with a manual drive tool or a powered drive tool.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a glazing panel removal device comprising a winder unit having:
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a glazing panel removal device comprising a winder unit having:
It is preferred that the transmission is arranged to be switched so as to permit the other of the spools to be driven whilst the remaining spool rotates without being driven. The switching may be achieved by means of rotating a common drive gear in opposed directions.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a glazing panel removal device comprising a winder unit having at least one winder spool for winding a cutting filament, wherein the winder spool is arranged to be mounted with respect to a driven shaft in an engaged position in which the spool is coupled to rotate with the driven shaft and a neutral position in which the spool can rotate independently of the driven shaft.
According to a further aspect, the invention provides a glazing panel removal device comprising a winder unit having at least one winder spool for winding a cutting filament, wherein the winder spool is arranged to be mounted or coupled with respect to a driven shaft by magnetic means.
Preferred aspects presented in respect of the first aspect of the invention may, it will readily be appreciated, also be preferred in relation to the other aspects defined.
These and other aspects of the present invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to, the embodiment described herein.
An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring initially to
The unit is similar in certain respects to the winder unit disclosed in WO2006/030212, particularly in that it utilises a pair of spaced suction mounts 52 and also a pair of spaced winder spools 10,11 for winding the cutting filament in the worm either of the cutting wire or the cutting plastics fibre line. The unit also includes rotatable guide pulleys 54555657 for guiding the cutting filament 100 which are arranged in similar configuration to the arrangement of FIG. 12 in WO2006/030212.
The unit includes further 2 inclined or angled pulleys 6162 which are provided to guide the filament 100 as it is wound onto and off a respective winder spool 1011. These pulleys are provided because, contrary to the arrangement of WO2006/030212, the winder spools 10,11 are arranged upright, coaxially with one another and with their rotational axis horizontal (i.e. parallel to the general plane of the glazing panel to which the unit is mounted). This for ergonomic and ease of use reasons, particularly because the winder spools are demountable from their respective drive shafts 1617 and the arrangement in this configuration makes for easy mounting and de-mounting.
A further departure from the arrangement shown in WO2006/030212 is that a single drive for driving both the winder spools 1011 is provided. The single drive comprises a socket 64 coupled to a drive shaft 14. In one embodiment a rotary manual handle 68 can be coupled to drive the drive shaft 14 via the socket 64. In an alternative embodiment a powered drive tool can be coupled to the drive socket 64. The transmission system for driving the spools 1011 will be described in detail below.
As shown in
Importantly the gears 2223 act to drive the shafts 1617 through respective one way bearings 1213. These ensure that torque is only transmitted to the respective drive shafts 1617 when the respective gear 2223 is rotated in one direction (opposite rotation directions for each of the gears 2223). One way bearings are known in the art.
Also mounted to the respective shafts 1617 are respective adjustable friction brake arrangements 4142 which are controlled by operating a rotary control annulus 41a 42a which is cam profiled to urge a movable brake disc 2526 to frictionally engage with fixed washers 27 in order to provide a braking effect. An alternative exemplary arrangement is shown in the schematic embodiment of
In the embodiment of
In use the transmission can be used in 2 modes, these being slip mode (in which the filament 100 is simultaneously wound off one spool as it is wound onto another) and non-slip mode (in which the filament is wound onto one of the spools whilst not being wound off the other). In slip mode the tension can be adjusted using the brake devices.
Non-slip mode is shown in
In the situation of
For counter clockwise winding of the drive shaft 14, the situation is reversed as shown in
This non-slip cutting is achieved when the brakes 4142 are full applied (or at least sufficiently applied to prevent rotation as a result of tension in the filament).
If the brakes 4142 are not fully applied, then the slip cutting situation shown in
In the situation of counter clockwise rotation (as shown in
As an alternative to the transmission described, the gear train could be used to drive the shafts simultaneously in opposed directions but this would result in potentially a less versatile means of operation as the alternative modes of cutting would be more difficult to achieve.
The spools 10, 11 are mounted on respective drive shafts in 1617 in two positions, a driving or engaged position in which they rotate with the driven shaft 1617 and a neutral position in which they can rotate independently of the main drive shaft 1617. The spools 1011 are displaced axially outwardly from the drive position to the neutral position. In the neutral position the spools 1011 are held to rotate with a rotatable shaft tip 16a 17a which is rotatably fixed to the main shaft 1617 by a respective axis pin 71. This is shown most clearly and schematically in
The ability to engage neutral position is important to enable filament to be pulled off from the spools once it has already been wound on. This is necessary for example when using the fibre line filament during the set up procedure.
The cut out unit can be used in various techniques and procedures and is particularly versatile in this regard being capable for powered or manual use and also for use with traditional wire or the newer fibre line filament.
It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be capable of designing many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed in parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claims. The word “comprising” and “comprises”, and the like, does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those listed in any claim or the specification as a whole. In the present specification, “comprises” means “includes or consists of” and “comprising” means “including or consisting of”. The singular reference of an element does not exclude the plural reference of such elements and vice-versa. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1408938.7 | May 2014 | GB | national |
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/312,218, filed on Nov. 18, 2016, which is the national stage of International Patent Application No. PCT/EP2015/061093, filed on May 20, 2015, which claims priority from British Patent Application No. GB 1408938.7, filed on May 20, 2014, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 15312218 | Nov 2016 | US |
| Child | 17505551 | US |
