Patent Document

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/256,031 filed Oct. 29, 2009, and incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention generally relates to automotive repair, and more particularly relates to an automotive glass-setting tool that may allow a single person to set windshield glass onto a vehicle. 
         [0003]    Because windshield glass is both heavy and fragile, a person setting windshield glass onto a vehicle must be careful to avoid injuring himself and/or breaking or cracking the windshield glass. Because of that, two people are often required to work together to set the windshield glass. Further, while commercially-available tools are available to assist in setting windshield glass, such tools are often expensive and cumbersome to setup, use and store. 
         [0004]    As can be seen, there is a need for a less expensive tool that allows a single person to more easily and ergonomically set windshield glass on a vehicle. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In one aspect of the present invention, a glass-setting apparatus may comprise an upper support arm attachable to a roof of a vehicle, the upper support arm having a holding mechanism operable to hold a top edge of a sheet of material; and a lower support arm attachable to a hood of the vehicle, the lower support arm having one or more notches along a portion of the lower support arm that is operable to receive a bottom edge of the sheet of material. 
         [0006]    In another aspect of the present invention, a method for holding a windshield may comprise attaching an upper support arm to a roof of a vehicle; attaching a lower support arm to a hood of the vehicle; placing a top edge of the windshield on a holding mechanism on the upper support arm; and placing a bottom edge of the windshield on a notch on the lower support arm. 
         [0007]    These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]      FIG. 1  shows an upper support arm of an automotive glass-setting tool in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  shows a lower support arm of the automotive glass-setting tool of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0010]    The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims. 
         [0011]    Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features. 
         [0012]    Broadly, embodiments of the present invention generally provide an automotive glass-setting tool that allows for single-person removal and installation of windows of any size in an ergonomic and accurate manner. The automotive glass-setting tool may comprise upper and lower support arms that attach via suction cups to the roof and the hood of a vehicle. 
         [0013]    Referring now to  FIG. 1 , an upper support arm  10  may be an L-shaped tool that may comprise an upper extension bar  20  operably coupled to an L-shaped upper suction frame  40 . The upper support arm  10  may have an upper suction cup  50  operably coupled to a first end of the upper support arm  10  so that the upper suction cup  50  may be situated approximately in parallel with the upper extension bar  20 . The upper support arm  10  may attach to the roof of a vehicle via the upper suction cup  50  so that the upper extension bar  20  may extend down towards the vehicle&#39;s hood and in parallel with the plane of the vehicle&#39;s windshield. The upper support arm  10  may also have a holding mechanism, such as a bracket  60 , that is operably coupled to a second end of the upper support arm  10  opposite the first end. The bracket  60  may be shaped, such as by having an L shape, to hold an edge of a windshield away from the sealant line, and the bracket  60  may be coated to protect against scratching the held windshield. 
         [0014]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a lower support arm  110  may be an L-shaped tool that may comprise a lower extension bar  120  operably coupled to an L-shaped lower suction frame  140 . The lower support arm  110  may have a lower suction cup  150  operably coupled to an end of the lower support arm  110  so that the lower suction cup  150  may be situated approximately in parallel with the lower extension bar  120 . The lower support arm  110  may be attached to the hood of the vehicle via the lower suction cup  150  so that the lower extension bar  120  may extend up towards the roof of the vehicle at an angle. The lower extension bar  120  may comprise several notches  160  for holding a bottom edge of the windshield, so that the windshield glass may be held away from the sealant line. The notches  160  may be coated to prevent scratching of the windshield glass, and the multiple notches  160  may allow the lower support arm  110  to accommodate windshields of different sizes. 
         [0015]    To install a windshield onto a vehicle, top and bottom edges of the windshield may be placed onto the bracket  60  of the upper support arm  10  and one of the notches  160  on the lower support arm  110 , respectively, thus keeping the windshield edge away from the urethane sealant line on the frame of the vehicle where the windshield will be set. The user may then place the windshield edge into the urethane sealant line opposite from the support arms  10  and  110 . Suction cups may then be applied to the edge of the windshield resting on the support arms  10  and  110  to allow a user to lift the windshield off of the support arms  10  and  110 . Once the windshield has been lifted off the support arms  10  and  110 , the support arms  10  and  110  may be removed and the windshield may then be precisely placed into the sealant. Alternatively, two sets of upper and lower support arms  10  and  110  may be attached to either side of a windshield. A user may lift the windshield from a set of support arms  10  and  110  on one side, set the windshield, and then lift the windshield from the set of support arms  10  and  110  on the other side to complete setting the windshield. 
         [0016]    To remove a windshield from a vehicle, old sealant around the windshield may be cut. The upper and lower support arms  10  and  110  may hold the sides of the windshield that has already been cut out from the sealant to keep the edges of the windshield from rubbing against and possibly damaging the vehicle and also to create a clearance gap to allow a user to continue cutting through old sealant. 
         [0017]    The automotive glass-setting tool may be made by using commercially available suction cups and may be manufactured by machining, molding, casting, carving, or other processes. The suction cups may be secured via a pin, screw, adhesives, welding, or any other mechanical fastening system. The bracket  60  may be fastened to the upper arm support via a screw, pin, welding, adhesives, or any other mechanical fastening system. The surfaces of the arms of the tool may be coated with plastic, rubber, felt, or any other non-scratching material. 
         [0018]    The upper and lower support arms  10  ad  110  and the bracket  60  may be made of metal, wood, or plastic, and may be placed at various positions on a vehicle frame as long as the suction cups can maintain a solid vacuum and the glass is held securely to the arms. The angle of the bracket  60  may be approximately 100 degrees, but may also be between about 90 and 150 degrees. The bracket  60  may be flexible to accommodate various windshield sizes and windshield frame angles. 
         [0019]    While the automotive glass-setting tool is currently described in the context of setting a windshield onto a vehicle, the tool may also be used for any purpose that requires setting a pane of material into a sealant line of a framed area. 
         [0020]    It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Technology Category: 7