US 7,665,792 B1Granted

Foldable windshield assembly with compound hinge

OwnerDaniel J. Flynninventor

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Abstract

A foldable windshield assembly comprises upper and lower pillar supports, upper and lower windshield members connected thereto, and a hinge disposed between the upper and lower pillar supports. The hinge comprises a first connector rigidly connected to one pillar support, a second connector slidably connected within the other pillar support, and a pivot member pivotally connected to one of the connectors by a pivot connector defining a pivot axis and rigidly connected to the other of the connectors, the pivot member received within a pillar support associated with the second connector. The pivot axis intersects one of the pillar supports to maintain the upper windshield member in a use position, and the upper windshield member is moveable between use and folded positions by separating the upper pillar from the lower pillar to reveal the pivot connector and folding the upper windshield member over the lower windshield member.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A foldable windshield assembly comprising:

a windshield support including opposing pairs of upper and lower pillar supports;
an upper windshield member connected to said upper pillar supports;
a lower windshield member connected to said lower pillar supports;
and
a hinge disposed between said opposing pairs of upper and lower pillar supports, said hinge comprising:
a first connector adapted to be connected to one of said upper or lower pillar supports;
a second connector adapted to be slidably connected within the other of said upper or lower pillar supports;
and
a pivot member having a first end pivotally connected to one of said first connector and second connector by a pivot connector defining a pivot axis and a second end connected to the other of said first connector and second connector, said pivot member adapted to be received within one of said upper or lower pillar supports associated with said second connector;
whereby said pivot axis intersects one of said upper or lower pillar supports to maintain said upper windshield member in a use position, and said upper windshield member is moveable between use and folded positions by separating said upper pillar from said lower pillar to reveal said pivot connector from one of said upper or lower supports and folding said upper windshield member over said lower windshield member.

7 more elements

A compound hinge for a foldable windshield assembly, the windshield assembly including a windshield support having opposing pairs of upper and lower pillar supports, an upper windshield member connected to said upper pillar supports, and a lower windshield member connected to said lower pillar supports, the compound hinge comprising:

a first connector adapted to be connected to one of said upper or lower pillar supports;
a second connector adapted to be slidably connected within the other of said one of said upper or lower pillar supports;
and
a pivot member having a first end pivotally connected to one of said first connector and second connector by a pivot connector defining a pivot axis and a second end connected to the other of said first connector and second connector, said pivot member adapted to be received within one of said upper or lower pillar supports associated with said second connector;
whereby said pivot axis intersects one of said upper or lower pillar supports to maintain said upper windshield member in a use position, and said upper windshield member is moveable between use and folded positions by separating said upper pillar from said lower pillar to reveal said pivot connector from one of said upper or lower supports and folding said upper windshield member over said lower windshield member.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.