INJECTOR AND SUPPORT DEVICE FOR REPAIRING LAMINATED GLASS

Abstract

A plate glass repair tool has two casing members rotatably connected to one another, one of the two casing members having a screw thread defining a helical groove. The screw thread has a pitch varying in a direction from a distal end to an opposite end of the tool, an angle of inclination of the screw thread with respect to a transverse plane increasing continuously in the direction from the one end to the opposite end, a camming element extending from the other of the two casing members into the helical groove. The two casing members each comprise a cylindrical body, the cylindrical body of the other of the two casing members being disposed about the cylindrical body of the one of the two casing members.

Claims

1. A glass-pane repair resin injector tool mountable to a laminated glass pane by means of a suction-grip support device, comprising: a first cylindrical casing with a tubular distal end portion having a free distal end engageable with a laminated glass pane at a crack, said first cylindrical casing having a longitudinal axis, said tubular distal end portion having a first outer screw thread with a first diameter for coupling the repair injector to the suction-grip support device, said first cylindrical casing having a main body portion with an outer diameter substantially larger than an outer diameter of said tubular distal end portion, said main body portion having a second outer screw thread with a second diameter defining a helical camming groove, said second diameter being substantially larger than said first diameter; a central pin disposed in said first cylindrical casing for motion (a) in a distal direction parallel to or along said longitudinal axis so as to insert into said tubular distal end portion for ejecting resin through an opening or mouth at the free end of said tubular distal end portion and depositing resin into the crack in the laminated glass pane and alternately (b) in a proximal direction along said longitudinal axis for extracting air bubbles out of the deposited resin; a piston disposed in said first cylindrical casing for movement only axially relative thereto, said central pin being rigidly connected to said piston on a distal side thereof; and a second cylindrical casing disposed around and radially outwardly of said first cylindrical casing for rotation relative thereto, said second cylindrical casing having a camming element projecting into said helical camming groove, said second cylindrical casing having a cylindrical inner surface with a diameter larger than the outer diameter of said first cylindrical casing, said second cylindrical casing being connected to said piston for shifting same in said distal direction and alternately in said proximal direction along said longitudinal axis and relative to first cylindrical casing.

2. The glass-pane repair resin injector tool as defined in claim 1, wherein said second outer screw thread has a continuously varying pitch that increases from a minimum at a distal end to a maximum at a proximal end.

3. The glass-pane repair resin injector tool as defined in claim 2, wherein said first cylindrical casing and said second cylindrical casing are made of aluminium, said camming element being made of steel.

4. The glass-pane repair resin injector tool as defined in claim 3, wherein the helical camming groove has a maximum angle of 7.853 degrees with respect to a transverse plane perpendicular to said longitudinal axis.

5. The glass-pane repair resin injector tool as defined in claim 1, wherein said first diameter is about 8 mm and said first outer screw thread has a pitch of 3 mm and wherein said second diameter is about 30 mm, said second outer screw thread having a pitch increasing from about 3 mm to about 13 mm from a distal end to a proximal end.

6. The glass-pane repair resin injector tool as defined in claim 1, wherein surfaces of said first cylindrical casing and said second cylindrical casing are anodized.

7. The glass-pane repair resin injector tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said second outer screw thread has a pitch that varies from one end to another end, said pitch having a smaller value on a distal side than on a proximal side.

8. A windshield repair assembly including the glass-pane repair resin injector tool as defined in claim 1, further comprising a support device comprising a tripod frame with rubber suction cups attachable to a windshield further comprising an extension strip with a bore receiving said tubular distal end portion.

9. A resin-injecting plate glass repair tool comprising: a first cylindrical casing including a tubular nose portion with a cylindrical outer surface having a first screw thread, said first cylindrical casing further including a main body portion with a cylindrical first surface symmetrical about a longitudinal axis, said cylindrical first surface having a diameter larger than a diameter of said cylindrical outer surface; a second cylindrical casing having a cylindrical second surface symmetrical about said longitudinal axis, one of said cylindrical first surface and said cylindrical second surface having a second screw thread defining a helical groove, the other of said cylindrical first surface and said cylindrical second surface having a lug projecting away from said other of said cylindrical first surface and said cylindrical second surface, said main body portion of said first cylindrical casing being inserted at least partially inside said second cylindrical casing so that said lug is slidably disposed within said groove, and said second cylindrical casing is freely rotatable about said longitudinal axis relative to said first cylindrical casing and is simultaneously movable longitudinally with respect to said first cylindrical casing; and a piston assembly disposed within said first cylindrical casing and said second cylindrical casing, said piston assembly having a perimeter seal in sliding engagement with an inner surface of said main body portion of said first cylindrical casing, said piston assembly being axially fixed and rotatably connected to an end of said second cylindrical casing opposite said first cylindrical casing, whereby rotation of said second cylindrical casing relative to said first cylindrical casing shifts said second cylindrical casing and said piston assembly longitudinally along said first longitudinal axis relative to said first cylindrical casing by virtue of said lug exerting a camming force on said second screw thread, wherein said second screw thread has a pitch that increases in a direction extending away from said tubular nose portion.

10. The resin-injecting plate glass repair tool defined in claim 9 wherein the pitch of said second screw thread increases monotonically and gradually.

11. The resin-injecting plate glass repair tool defined in claim 10 wherein said second screw thread has an angle relative to a transverse plane perpendicular to said first longitudinal axis that varies from 1.823 degrees at one end to 7.853 degrees at an end opposite said tubular nose portion of said first cylindrical casing.

12. The resin-injecting plate glass repair tool defined in claim 9 wherein said first cylindrical casing and said second cylindrical casing are made of aluminum and said lug is made of stainless steel.

13. The resin-injecting plate glass repair tool defined in claim 9 wherein said piston assembly includes a disk, said perimeter seal being mounted to said disk, said piston assembly further including a pin extending axially from said disk, said pin being at least partially insertable into said tubular nose portion to eject resin material from an opening or mouth at a free end of said tubular nose portion.

14. The resin-injecting plate glass repair tool defined in claim 9 wherein said cylindrical first surface is an outer surface of said main body portion of said first cylindrical casing, said cylindrical second surface is an inner surface of said second cylindrical casing, said main body portion of said first cylindrical casing being insertable to a variable extent inside said second cylindrical casing.

15. The resin-injecting plate glass repair tool defined in claim 9 wherein said tubular nose portion is provided at a free or distal end with an annular flexible element for forming a seal with a glass surface.

16. The resin-injecting plate glass repair tool defined in claim 9 wherein the diameter of said cylindrical first surface is between 1.5 and 3 times as large as the diameter of said cylindrical outer surface.

17. A resin-injecting plate glass repair tool comprising two cylindrical casing members rotatably connected to one another, one of said two cylindrical casing members having a screw thread defining a helical groove and having a pitch varying in a direction from a distal end to an opposite end of the tool, an angle of inclination of the screw thread with respect to a transverse plane perpendicular to a common longitudinal axis of said two cylindrical casing members increasing continuously in said direction from said one end to said opposite end, a camming element extending from the other of said two cylindrical casing members into said helical groove, a first of said two cylindrical casing members having a main body and a tubular distal end portion, a second of said two cylindrical casing members being disposed about said main body of said first of said two cylindrical casing members so that said two cylindrical casing members are relatively rotatable and relatively translatable parallel to said common longitudinal axis.

18. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0026] A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

[0027] FIG. 1A shows an axial section, taken along line 1A-1A in FIG. 1B, of a repair injector in accordance with the present invention, showing the injector tool in a starting or most extended configuration for a resin injection phase of a glass plate repair procedure;

[0028] FIG. 1B shows a side view of the repair injector in the position of FIG. 1A;

[0029] FIG. 2A shows an axial section, taken along line IIA-IIA in FIG. 2B, of the repair injector in a finishing position of the resin injection phase and a starting position of an air bubble extraction phase of a repair procedure;

[0030] FIG. 2B shows a side view of the repair injector in the position of FIG. 2A;

[0031] FIG. 3A shows a side view of a known support device with the repair injector of FIGS. 1A, 1B, 2A and 2B mounted thereto and shown in an axial section taken along line IIIA-IIIA in FIG. 3B; and

[0032] FIG. 3B shows a side view of the support device with the mounted or screwed repair injector of FIG. 3A.

DEFINITIONS

[0033] The word “distal” is used herein to denote the end of the injector-extractor tool that contacts a glass surface during use of the tool. Concomitantly, the term “distal direction” and the word “distally” when applied to movement of a part of the tool mean movement towards the distal end of the tool.

[0034] The word “proximal” is used herein to denote the end of the injector-extractor tool that is closer to the user and opposite the distal end of the tool. Concomitantly, the term “proximal direction” and the word “proximally” when applied to movement of a part of the tool mean movement away from the distal end of the tool.

[0035] The inclination angle of a screw thread denotes the angle of the thread, and also of the groove defined by the thread, relative to a transverse plane oriented perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of a cylindrical surface, axle or wall on which the thread is disposed.

[0036] The word “crack” is used herein to generically designate various kinds of damage to laminated glass panes or plates, including pits, recesses with shapes of stars or bulls eyes, extending linear and branching cracks, etc.

[0037] The word “substantial” or “substantially” is used herein in a comparison of dimensions means a difference of about 50% or more, as opposed to an insubstantial difference on the order of a few percent. With respect to the diameter of a cylindrical casing element relative to a tubular nose portion thereof, the term contemplates a diameter difference factor of at least 1.5 to 3

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] FIGS. 1A and 1B show an axial cross section and a side view of a glass repair tool 1, particularly a resin injector and air bubble extractor tool. As depicted in FIG. 1A, the repair injector-extractor tool 1 (herein “injector tool 1”) includes an inner, central, first cylindrical casing 2 having a two-stepped configuration with (a) a tubular nose or distal end portion 3 having an outer screw diameter D1 and (b) a main body or piston casing portion 4 with a helical screw thread 117 defining a helical groove 7 and having an outer thread diameter D2. Casing 2 is made of aluminum because of the light weight.

[0039] As further depicted in FIGS. 1A and 1B, injector tool 1 further includes an outer second cylindrical casing 5 made of aluminum and rotatably mounted to and partially surrounding the first cylindrical casing 2. A user can manually turn the outer cylindrical casing 5 about a common longitudinal axis 116 (FIG. 1B) of casings 2 and 5.

[0040] A steel camming element or lug 6 rigidly attached to outer casing 5 projects inwardly into helical groove 7 of inner casing 2. During rotation of outer casing 5, camming element 5 slides against helical thread 117 causing the outer casing to move axially along longitudinal axis 116 with respect to inner casing 2. Depending on the direction of rotation of outer casing 5 relative to inner casing 2 and particularly main body portion 4 thereof, casing 5 moves in a distal direction towards tubular distal end portion 3 or in a proximal direction away from tubular distal end portion 3. The user rotates outer casing 5 to move the same in the distal direction during a resin injection phase of a glass pane repair procedure. Conversely, the user rotates outer casing 5 to move it in the proximal direction during an air-bubble evacuation or extraction phase of the repair procedure.

[0041] A piston 8 with a perimeter or O-ring rubber seal 9 is disposed inside inner casing main-body portion 4 with the O-ring rubber seal in air-tight contact with an inner surface (not designated) of the main body portion 4 of inner casing 2. Injector 1 is configured so that piston 8 is movable only in the axial or longitudinal direction and does not rotate in an angular direction about longitudinal axis 116. Consequently friction is reduced, which means less effort is required on the part of the user. Less effort means easier concentration and control or the tool, particularly in maintaining a seal of the tool against the glass pane surface at a repair site.

[0042] Piston 8 has an axial injection/retraction pin 10 projecting axially in the distal direction for driving repair resin 24, preloaded into tubular nose or distal end portion 3 (FIG. 1A), from distal end portion 3 through a mouth or opening 25 (FIGS. 1A and 2A) at a free end thereof into a crack 11 or the damage point of a windshield 12 and retract the air bubbles out of the injected resin. See FIGS. 3A and 3B. In addition, piston 8 is provided with a top axle 13, which has a proximal end (not designated) placed in a central bearing construction 14. Thus piston 8 is fixed to outer casing 5 for distal and proximal translatory motion along longitudinal axis 116 but is rotatable relative to the outer casing. Thus rotation of outer casing 5 during a repair procedure results in axial motion but not rotary motion of piston 8 relative to inner or main casing 2.

[0043] The motion of piston 8 moves injection/retraction pin 10 alternatively in the distal direction towards and in a proximal direction away from windshield 12. At a free end (not separately designated), tubular distal end portion 3 is provided with an annular cylindrical rubber element 15 that flexibly contacts windshield 12 and seals the free end of tubular distal end portion 3 against the windshield during both a resin injection phase and an air bubble extraction a glass-pane repair procedure or operation.

[0044] As illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 2A and 3A, helical thread 117 (and also groove 7) has a pitch or turn-separation that increases continuously or monotonically from a distal side to a proximal side of injector tool 1. More specifically, screw thread 117 has an angle β relative to a transverse plane perpendicular to longitudinal axis 116 that varies from 1.823 degrees at the distal end to 7.853 degrees at the proximal end, opposite tubular nose or distal end portion 3 of inner casing 2. Concomitantly, thread 117 and groove 7 have a slope that varies from 0.031830989 to 0.137934284. The maximum inclination angle of 7.853 degrees and the associated slope of 0.137934284 ensure that the composite friction between outer casing 5 and inner casing 2, particularly including the friction of steel camming element 6 against thread 117, is sufficiently great at all points along the thread to frictionally lock the casings 5 and 2 to one another especially during an entire air bubble extraction phase of the repair procedure.

[0045] Helical groove 7 accurately guides steel cam 6 as described. For easy rotating by hand outer cylindrical casing 5 is provided on an outer surface (not separately designated) with elliptical recesses 16 oriented longitudinally, as shown in FIGS. 1B, 2B and 3B. In the different figures, the same elements are indicated with the same reference numerals. In FIG. 1A piston 8 is moving downwards or distally as indicated with an arrow 18 while in FIG. 2A piston moves upwardly or proximally as indicated by an arrow 19.

[0046] FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate injector tool 1 attached to windshield 12 via a known or conventional support device 20 having rubber suction cups 22 and 23. A rotatable extension strip is indicated with 21.

[0047] The injector-extractor tool 1 disclosed herein facilitates the repair of laminated glass panes such as windshield 12 by making the tool easier to handle particularly in the extraction of air bubbles. Not only is injector tool 1 lightweight owing to the aluminum material of the casings 2 and 5 but also the placement of the rotatable casing 5 outside of the piston or main casing 2, which enables a gripping and turning of rotatable outer casing 5 at a location closer to tubular nose or distal end portion 3 and thus closer to the window pane or windshield 12 being repaired. The reduction of the distance between the user's hand and the point of contact of tool 1 with the glass surface reduces a lever arm of the tool at the glass surface, thereby minimizing inadvertent applications of torque by the user that might break the seal between the tool and the glass and interrupt the extraction of air bubbles from the deposited resin.

[0048] In addition, the varying pitch of screw thread 117 provides for a differential rate of bubble extraction per turn of the rotatable casing 5 relative to the main body casing 2, that maintains air pressure within the main body casing at an approximately constant and slight underpressure. The varying thread pitch up to a predetermined maximum pitch (and angle of inclination or slope) pursuant to the present invention enables a friction lock at all degrees of separation of the two casings 2 and 5 during the air bubble extraction phase of a repair operation.

[0049] After the resin has been injected into the crack 11 in the laminated glass pane or windshield 12, an initial turning of the rotatable casing 5 relative to the main body casing 2 pulls bubbles from an outer surface region of the deposited resin and extracts the air of those bubbles first, drawing the air into the main casing 2. Very little movement of piston 8 is required for the removal of the superficial air bubbles, and thus the small angle or inclination (or slope) of the thread 117 at the distal end. Later in the extraction phase, deeper air bubbles are drawn towards the surface of the resin. Removal of the deeper bubbles requires a greater rate of separation of the two casings 2 and 5 in part owing to the deeper location of the bubbles but also owing to the greater volume of air in the main casing 2. The movement of outer casing 5 relative to inner, main, casing 2 is faster to exert sufficient vacuum force for air extraction owing to the greater volume of air in the main casing. The result is that the injector-extractor tool 1 pulls air into the main casing 2 and limits the suction force tending to drawing the two casings together during the air extraction phase of the repair operation.

[0050] The varying pitch of screw thread 117 also facilitates resin injection. At the beginning of injection, the resin is easy to move through the tubular distal end portion 3 of the main casing 2 and into the crack 11 in the windshield 12. The large pitch region of screw thread 117 at the proximal end thereof, with its concomitantly large inclination angle and large slope, is suited to this initial ease of injection. Later, when the resin is compacting within the crack 11, a reduced pitch enables a slower rate of movement of the resin into the crack and a slower increase in applied pressure adapted to the increasing confinement of the ejected resin within the crack.

[0051] The friction locking of rotatable outer casing 5 relative to main casing 2 during air bubble extraction means that the user does not need to maintain a firm grip on the rotatable casing as in prior art tools where the vacuum pressure pulls the piston constantly into the respective casing. The difficulty in maintaining a proper grip during a turning procedure increases the likelihood of an inadvertent break in the tool-glass seal and a consequent failure of the process.

[0052] The self-locking property of outer casing 5 to inner casing 2, accurate adjustability of piston 8, a low pressure exerted on windshield 12 by cylindrical annular flexible sealing 15, the simplified operation by hand and relatively low manufacture costs are the most important properties of injector tool. However it is obvious that modifications and/or additions can be made, but these shall remain within the scope and field of the invention. One such modification may be a disposition of the rotatable casing 5 within the main casing 2 rather that outside the same. Another modification may be a disposition of screw thread 117 on rotatable casing 5 and an attachment of camming element 6 to inner casing 2. A further embodiment would be to incorporate both these modifications in the same tool.