GB2049010A

GB2049010A - Improvements relating to vehicle windows

Info

Publication number: GB2049010A
Application number: GB8005808A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Rover Co Ltd
Current assignee: Rover Co Ltd
Priority date: 1979-02-21
Filing date: 1980-02-21
Publication date: 1980-12-17

Abstract

A direct glazed vehicle window has a finisher 17 which is retained in place around the edge of a glazing panel 11 by means of clips 22 embedded in the direct glazing compound 16. The clips 22 have resilient arms 26 by means of which the clip can be reduced in width to enable the finisher to be removed from the vehicle without removing the clips from the direct glazing compound. <IMAGE>

Description

Improvements relating to vehicle windows This invention relates to windows for vehicles, and move particularly to direct glazed windows wherein a finisher is provided adjacent the edge of the glazing panel.

Direct glazed windows are essentially those wherein the glazing panel, which is almost invariably made of glass, is sealed in place in the window aperture of the vehicle body by means of a bead of direct glazing compound which also acts as an adhesive to retain the panel in the aperture.

Finishers, which generally extend around the edge of the panel and window aperture, have hitherto commonly been provided with clips which engage the edge of the window panel, or else have had an integral flange which is embedded in the glazing compound.

Viewed from one aspect, the invention provides a method of direct glazing a vehicle window including the step of attaching a finisher adjacent an edge of a glazing panel, wherein said finisher is retained in place by means of clips attached to said finisher and embedded in a bead of directglazing compound.

Viewed from another aspect the invention provides a direct glazed vehicle wherein a finisher is retained in place adjacent an edge of a glazing panel by means of clips attached to said finisher and embedded in a bead of glazing compound.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a joint between a vehicle body and a glazing panel installed by direct glazing, and including a finisher secured in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 shows on a reduced scale, a clip shown in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a side view of the clip of Figure 2.

Figure 1 shows in cross section the edge of a glass windscreen 11 of a vehicle, mounted in an aperture defined by the vehicle body 1-2.

A direct glazing system is used to mount the windscreen in a rebate 13 defined around the edge of the aperture by a flange 14 the edge of which is directed toward the aperture. A resilient plastics flange finisher 1 5 fitted over the edge of flange 14 ensures the spacing of the glazing panel 11 from the flange 14, while the glazing panel is retained in place by the adhesive properties of a bead 1 6 of direct glazing compound, which in the present case is Solbit, a deformable plastics compound provided with an integral heating element by means of which the plastics can be cured to produce an adhesive bond between itself and the surfaces it contacts. It is possible nonetheless to use other materials which form a seal and which cure to form an adhesive bond, such as Butyl Urethane.

The components so far described are assembled as follows. The Solbit bead and flange finisher are located around the edge of the window aperture, with the bead standing proud of the flange finisher in a direction away from flange 1 4. The windscreen 11 is then placed in the aperture and pressed toward flange 14 to compress and deform the Solbit bead, until the windscreen engages the flange finisher.

The windscreen is edged by a stainless steel finisher 1 7 which, in addition to providing an aesthetic enhancement of the gap between the outer edge of the windscreen and the vehicle body, in conjunction with an inner plastics sealing strip 1 8 and an outer plastics sealing strip 1 9 serves to provide a supplementary seal between the glass and the vehicle body. Strips 1 8 and 1 9 also serve to mask any variations in the gap between the body or glass and the finisher.

The finisher 1 7 consists of a strp of stainless steel with turned over inwardly directed side edges 20, 21. Finisher 17 is retained in place by a pluraiity of acetal clips 22 (Figures 2 and 3) spaced along the length of the finisher, which are pressed into the Solbit bead. The clips 22 are approximately T shaped in end view, the "vertical" stem of the T being formed by a broad blade like portion 23 for embedding in the Solbit, having a pointed edge 24 and a series of elongate barbs 24a extending the length of the clip parallel to edge 24 which improve the grip of the Solbit on the member 23.One of the 'horizontal' limbs of the T is truncated and is formed by a projection 25, the other 'horizontal' limb being formed by a pair of curved arms 26 which project from the blade-like portion 23 and are substantially parallel to the blade at their tips 27. The 'horizontal' limbs 25,26 of the 'T' are held by the side edges 20, 21 of the finisher 1 7 to retain the finisher in place on the clips.

To assemble the finisher to the vehicle body the clips are first assembled to the finisher and the finisher is then fitted to the vehicle by embedding the cjips in the Solbit and slipping the inner and outer sealing strips 1 8 and 1 9 into posiition before finally pressing the finisher home into the position illustrated. Over a period of time the Solbit will then cure around the clips to firmly retain the finisher in place.

if it is desired to remove the finisher, for example in order to cure a leak in the windscreento-Solbit joint or to replace the windscreen, the finisher can be removed without destroying it so that it can be re-used. To remove the finisher from a clip, the finisher is moved laterally (to the laft in Figure 1) bending the curved arms 26 apart and toward the blade-like portion 23, until the finisher's edge 20 can be slipped over the projection 25. The procedure is repeated over the length of the finisher until the finisher can be sprung off the curved arms 26.

It will be apparent that various modifications of the illustrated arrangement are possible. For example the shape of the clips and of the finisher can be varied whilst retaining their basic functions, although preferably the clip will be deformable such as to permit the finisher to be removed when desired without removing the clip from the glazing compound, or damaging the finisher.

Claims

1. A method of direct glazing a vehicle window including the step of attaching a finisher adjacent an edge of a glazing panel, wherein said finisher is retained in place by means of clips attached to said finisher and embedded in a bead of directglazing compound.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said clips are attached to said finisher before said finisher is pressed into place embedding the clips in said glazing compound.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, including the step of locating a sealing strip between said finisher and said glazing panel.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, including the step of locating a sealing strip between said finisher and the vehicle body.

5. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, including the steps of applying a bead of direct glazing compound to a vehicle body around a window aperture, and pressing a glazing panel onto the compound.

6. A method as claimed in any preceding claim, including performing the step of passing electrical current through the direct glazing compound to cure the compound after the said clips are embedded therein.

7. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

8. A direct glazed vehicle window wherein a finisher is retained in place adjacent an edge of a glazing panel by means of clips attached to said finisher and embedded in a bead of direct glazing compound.

9. A window as claimed in claim 8, wherein said finisher includes a turned over edge which receives a resiliently movable arm on said clip, whereby the finisher can be removed from the vehicle without removing the clips from the glazing compound.

1 0. A window as claimed in claim 8 or 9, wherein said finisher includes a turned over edge which receives a rigid limb on said clip.

1 A window as claimed in claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein said clip includes a blade for embedding in said direct glazing compound, and a pair of limbs extending from said blade in opposite directions for engagement with turned over inwardly directed edges of said finisher, at least one of said limbs being resiliently movable such as to enable the finisher to be removed from the clip.

1 2:A window as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said limbs is resiliently deformable and is curved such that its tip is substantially parallel to said blade.

13. A window as claimed in claim 12, including a further resilient curved limb extending from the same side of said blade as the other resilient curved limb, the tips of said curved limbs pointing in opposite directions.

14. A window as claimed in any one of the claims 8 to 13, including a sealing strip located between said finisher and said glazing panel.

1 5. A window as claimed in any one of claims 8 to 14, including a sealing strip located between said finisher and the vehicle body.

1 6. A direct glazed vehicle window substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 7. A motor vehicle having a direct glazed vehicle window in accordance with any one of claims 8 to 1 6.