Design and construction of a new solution for patios and glazing

Abstract: This thesis work has been conducted in collaboration with SPiNAB. The main assignment has been to create a new solution for adjustable windshields made of glass and keep low production costs. Throughout the project, the generic product development process has been followed with two main sources. A structure and a plan have been executed. A prestudy containing a benchmark with two competitors ''ClickitUp'' and ''Cit i Lä'' has been made. Needs have been collected and weighted. A detailed list of specifications has been made with missing data acquired from reverse engineering strategies. With the functional decomposition the functions ''Stabilize'' ''Adjust'' and ''Fit patio'' was used when generating ideas. The ideas were generated through brainstorming and research about similar solutions. After the elimination four concepts were left. The chosen concept ‘’The crutch’’ was constructed in detail with a mechanism that symmetrically disengages a cotter until released and fitted to the hole. Finally, weight calculations were made and a finite element analysis on the adjustable beam and the ground mount. The weight for the adjustable part is about 12 kg and the weight for the product as a whole is about 49 kg. The stress is 33.96 MPa and the displacement is 3.240 mm for the adjustable beam with a force of 510 N, representing 25 m/s of wind speed. The stress is 14.13 MPa and the displacement is 0.0297 mm for the ground mount for an impact force of 1 kN. The concept ''The crutch'' is the way to go forward. The concept needs some design changes before a physical prototype can be made. The weight of the adjustable part is deemed low enough to be lifted manually with the current mechanism. To keep the design cheap the beams and ground mount should have the possibility to be mirrored for the next section.