GB2168741A

GB2168741A - Window trim

Info

Publication number: GB2168741A
Application number: GB08432603A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ronald Frank Tressler
Original assignee: Rover Co Ltd
Current assignee: Rover Co Ltd
Priority date: 1984-12-22
Filing date: 1984-12-22
Publication date: 1986-06-25
Also published as: GB8432603D0; GB2168741B

Abstract

Window trim comprising a retainer member (4) for mounting in a window rebate (2) of a motor vehicle and a finisher member (6) for clipping into the retainer member (4) so as to overlap an edge of a window pane (3) mounted in the rebate (2). The finisher member (6) is located with respect to the rebate (2) rather than the window pane (3). <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Window trim This invention relates to window trim, for instance window trim used around the periphery of a windscreen of a motor vehicle.

Known window trim used in the motor industry comprises a border strip which is secured around the edge of a window pane before it is installed in a window rebate, and a finisher strip which is attached to the border strip after the window pane carrying the border strip has been secured into a window rebate. With such an arrangement the window strip is located with respect to the window pane and is thus subject to the same positioning tolerences as the window pane. These tolerences are typically of the order of several millimetres and this makes it difficult to ensure that the finisher strip provides a good seal with the window pane and the vehicle body and that it provides a neat and attractive finish to the window.

According to a first aspect of this invention there is provided window trim comprising a retainer member for mounting in and being located by a window rebate and a finisher member for overlapping an edge of a window pane to be installed in the rebate, the finisher member being attachable to the retainer member so as to be located and retained with respect thereto.

According to a second aspect of this invention there is provided a method of fitting window trim comprising the steps of: mounting a retainer member in a window rebate so as to be located thereby; securing a window pane in the window rebate; and attaching a finisher member to the retainer member so as to be located and retained with respect thereto and to overlap an edge of the window pane.

Preferred features of this invention will be apparent from the subordinate claims of the specification.

This invention will now be described, merely by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a crosssection of a preferred embodiment of window trim according to this invention fitted into a window rebate into which a window pane has been secured.

The drawing shows a portion of a body panel 1 of a motor vehicle, for instance a roof panel where it approaches the top of a windscreen, and a rebate 2 into which a glass pane 3 is fitted. The rebate 2 comprises a portion 2A which is a continuation of the panel 1 and which is bent over to extend towards the interior of the vehicle, and a flange 2B which is a continuation of the portion 2A and lies approximately parallel with the plane of the glass 3.

A retainer member 4 is located in the corner of the rebate, between the portion 2A and the flange 2B, and is held in position by a double-sided adhesive foam tape 5. Afinisher member 6 is attached to the retainer member 4 by a snap-fit mechanism 7. The finisher member 6 has a first resilient extension 8 which provides a seal against a glass 3 and a second resilient extension 9 which provides a seal against the rebate 2 for the panel 1. The glass 3 is secured to the rebate 2 by polyurethane adhesive 10 between the glass 3 and the flange 2B. The adhesive 10 also spreads over the retainer member 4 to assist in securing this to the rebate 2.

The retainer member 4 and the finisher member 6 would normally extend around the entire periphery of the glass 3. The retainer member 4 is formed of a relatively stiff plastics material, eg modified PVC, but is sufficiently flexible laterally to allow it to follow the shape of the rebate 2 around the periphery of the glass 3. The retainer member 6 has a constant cross-section along its entire length and can thus be formed by an extrusion process. The finisher member 6 is a dual density PVC extrusion, the two extensions 8 and 9 being softer and more flexible than the remainder of the finisher member 6 so that they provide a good seal with the glass 3 and the panel 1 respectively.

The snap-fit mechanism 7 comprises a male member 7A extending from the finisher member 6 into a female member 7B formed in the retainer member 4. The female member 7B should, of course, be sufficiently flexible to admit the male member 7A but sufficiently rigid to securely hold the male member 7A once it has been pressed home.

The arrangement could, of course, be reversed with the female member formed in the finisher member and the male member extending from the retainer member. Other snap-fit mechanisms could also be used.

A raised portion 6A of the finisher member 6 which faces the exterior of the vehicle may be provided with a bright finish. This can bea separate component clipped onto the raised portion 6A but is preferably co-extruded with the finisher member 6.

The window trim described above has several advantages over the prior art. The main advantage is that the retainer member 4 is located by the rebate 2. The retainer member 4 is positioned in the corner of the rebate 2 and is located in the direction from the exterior towards the interior of the vehicle by the flange 2B and in the lateral direction by the member 2A. As the finisher member 6 is attached to the retainer member, it is also located with respect to the rebate 2. The dimensions of the retainer member 4 and the finisher member 6 can thus be designed so that when the finisher member 6 is attached to a retainer member4 positioned in a window rebate the finisher member 6 lies substantially flush with the adjacent panel 1 of the motor vehicle.The body of the finisher member 6 and its extension 8 are of sufficient length to overlap the edge of the glass 3 even if the glass is shifted laterally by a few millimetres from the position iliustrated. Thus, as the finisher member 6 is located entirely independently of the position of the glass 3, it is not subject to the same positioning tolerences as the glass and can be accurately positioned to ensure that a good seal is provided with the panel 1 and the glass 3 and that it provides a neat and attractive finish to the window.

A preferred method of fitting the window trim will now be described. The retainer member 4 is first positioned in the rebate 2 and held in place by the adhesive tape 5. A bead of Polyurethane adhesive is then extruded onto the glass 3 to form a bead of adhesive having a cross-section as shown bythe dashed lines in thefigure around the periphery ofthe glass 3. The glass 3 is then positioned in the rebate 2 and secured in place by the adhesive which is pressed into a shape as indicated by the reference numeral 10 in the figure. The adhesive 10 spreads over part ofthe retainer member 4to assist in securing this to the rebate 2. Afterthe glass 3 has been secured to the rebate 2, the finisher member 6 is attached to the retainer member 4.This is achieved by simply laying the finisher member 6 overthe retainer member 4 and pressing the raised portion 6Aso that the male member 7A is pressed into and makes a snap-fit with the female member7B. As the retainer member4 is secured to the rebate, the glass 3 is not disturbed when the finisher member 6 is installed.

The shape of the bead of adhesive illustrated in the drawing by the dashed line is chosen as ittendsto assist in spreading the adhesive towards the corner of the rebate 2 and overthe retainer member 4. The bead of adhesive may be applied to the glass by a robot. A robot may also be used to install the glass in the window rebate. Afterthe glass 3 has been secured to the rebate 2 by the adhesive 10, the joint thus formed can be tested for leaks before the finisher member 6 is fitted. The joints may betested by placing a signal gas in the vehicle interior, pressurising the vehicle interior and detecting for leaks of signal gas reaching the exterior of the vehicle. Apparatus for such a method of leaktesting is described in European Patent Specification Number 00064880. Another advantage of the window trim described above is that it enables this leak testing to be conducted at the site at which the vehicle is assembled rather than atthefinisher station where the finisher member and othertrim is fitted. The absence ofthe finisher member during the leaktesting also avoids any problems with leaking signal gastravelling along the channel formed between the edge of the glass 3 and the retainer member 4 and emerging into the external atmosphere at a position remote from that at which it leaked through the joint between the glass 3 and the rebate 2.

This invention also relates to a motorvehiclefitted with window trim as described above.

Window trim per-se comprising a member adapted to be clamped orto be a push-fit onto the edge of a window pane is hereby disclaimed.

Claims

1. Window trim comprising a retainer memberfor mounting in and being located by a window rebate and a finisher memberfor overlapping an edge of a window paneto be installed in the rebate,thefinisher member being attachable to the retainer member so asto be located and retained with respectthereto.

2. Window trim as claimed in claim 1 in which the retainer member is shaped to fit into the corner of a rebate having a substantially L-shaped cross-section and comprises attachment meansforsecuring to the finisher member.

3. Windowtrim as claimed in claim 1 or2 in which the finisher member comprises a firstflexible extension for providing a seal against an edge ofthe window pane, a second flexible extension for providing a seal against a side wall of the rebate, and attachment means for securing to the retainer member.

4. Windowtrim as claimed in any preceding claim in which the finisher member is a snap-fitwith the retainer member.

5. Windowtrim as claimed in any preceding claim in which either or both ofthe retainer member and finisher member are of a shape suitablefor production by an extrusion process.

6. Windowtrim as claimed in any preceding claim in which the retainer member is located in and secured to a window rebate and the finisher member is attached to and located by the retainer member so asto overlap an edge of a window pane secured in the rebate.

7. Window trim as claimed in claim 6 in which the retainer member is located in at leasttwo perpend:cular directions by the window rebate.

8. Window trim as claimed in claim 6 or7 in which the retainer member is attached to thewindow rebate by means of a double sided adhesive tape.

9. Windowtrim as claimed in any of claims 6 to 8 in which the window pane is secured to the rebate by adhesive which also assists in securing the retainer membertothe rebate.

10. Window trim substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

11. A method of fitting window trim comprising the steps of: locating a retainer member in a window rebate; securing a window pane in the window rebate so as to be located thereby; and attaching a finishermembertothe retainermembersoastobe located and retained with respect thereto and to overlap an edge ofthewindow pane.

12. A motor vehicle fitted with window trim as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9.

12. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

13. A motor vehicle fitted with window trim as claimed in any of claims 1 to 10.

Amendments to the claims have been filed, and havethefollowing effect: Claims 1 to 13 above have been deleted ortextually amended.

New ortextually amended claims have been filed as follows:-

1. Window trim comprising: an elongate retainer member having a constant cross-section along its length for mounting in and extending around window rebate having two inclined faces; and an elongate finisher member having a constantcross- section along its length for overlapping and extending around an edge of a window pane to be installed in the rebate, the retainer member having two faces extending along its length for locating against the faces of the rebate and the finisher member being attachable to the retainer member so as to be located and retained with respect thereto.

2. Window trim as claimed in claim 1 in which the retainer member comprises: two elongate limbs arranged substantially at right angles to each other to fit into the corner of a rebate having a substantially L-shaped cross-section; and means for attaching it to the finisher member

3. Window trim as claimed in claim 1 or 2 in which the finisher member comprises: a first elongate flexible extension for providing a seal against a window pane; a second elongate flexible extension for providing a seal against a rebate; and means for attaching it to the retainer member.

4. Window trim as claimed in claim 3 in which the first-and second extensions are formed of softer and more flexible material than the remainder of the retainer member.

5. Window trim as claimed in any preceding claim in which the finisher member is a snap-fit with the retainer member.

6. Window trim as claimed in any preceding claim in which the retainer member is located in and secured to a window rebate and the finisher member is attached to and located by the retainer member so as to overlap an edge of a window pane secured in the rebate.

7. Window trim as claimed in claim 6 in which the retainer member is held in position in the window rebate by means of a double sided adhesive.tape.

8. Window trim as claimed in claim 6 or 7 in which the window pane is secured to the rebate by adhesive which also assists in securing the retainer member to the rebate.

9. Window trim substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

10. A method of fitting window trim as claimed in claim 1 comprising the steps of: locating the retainer member in a window rebate; securing a window pane in the window rebate so as to be located thereby; and attaching the finisher member to the retainer member so as to be located and retained with respect thereto and to overlap an edge of the window pane.

11. A method substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.