GB2347962A

GB2347962A - Window glass receiving and guiding channel

Info

Publication number: GB2347962A
Application number: GB9906032A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Philippe Durand; Sylvain Robillard
Original assignee: Draftex Industries Ltd
Current assignee: Laird Holdings Ltd
Priority date: 1999-03-16
Filing date: 1999-03-16
Publication date: 2000-09-20
Anticipated expiration: 2019-03-16
Also published as: GB9906032D0; GB2347962B

Abstract

A window pane receiving and guiding channel arrangement, such as for mounting in a vehicle door carrying a slidable window pane, comprises a relatively rigid support channel (30) having a base (32) and side walls (34,36). The side walls (34,36) have holes (38) to receive subsequently over-moulded resilient supports (41) with externally overlapping heads integrally carrying guides (40) of relatively rigid material. Upon entry of the window pane into the channel (30), it makes contact with the guides (40), causing the supports (41) to flex resiliently outwardly so as to secure the window pane against rattling. Resilient abutments (42) receive the window pane in the event of a sudden shock to the support channel (30), such as on sudden closing of the vehicle door or sudden movement of the vehicle according to the road profile, and prevent the window pane from noisily contacting a side wall (34 or 36) of the support channel.

Description

WINDOW GLASS RECEIVING AND GUIDING CHANNEL ARRANGEMENTS AND METHODS OF MAKING THEM The invention relates to window glass receiving and guiding channel arrangements and methods of making them. Window glass receiving and guiding channel arrangements embodying the invention, and to be described below by way of example only, may be used for receiving and guiding window panes in vehicle bodies, such as movable window panes carried by vehicle doors.

According to the invention, there is provided a window pane receiving and guiding channel arrangement, comprising a relatively rigid support channel, and a plurality of guides resiliently and independently mounted on the support channel to extend into the channel from opposite side walls thereof and at intervals therealong, for supportingly contacting opposite sides of the window pane.

According to the invention, there is further provided a method a method of making a window pane receiving and guiding channel, comprising the steps of moulding a relatively rigid support channel, moulding a plurality of relatively rigid guides, and overmoulding a plurality of resilient supports on to the guides and the support channel so that the guides resiliently support the guides and so that the guides extend into the channel from opposite sides thereof and at intervals therealong for supportingly and resiliently contacting opposite sides of the window pane. Window glass receiving and guiding channel arrangements embodying the invention, and for use in motor vehicle bodies, and methods according to the invention for making such arrangements, will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a side view of a vehicle door, carrying a movable window pane; Figure 2 is a plan view of one of the channel arrangements; Figure 3 is an enlarged section on the line III-III of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a side view looking in the direction of the arrow IV of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a view corresponding to part of Figure 2 but showing the window glass in position; Figure 6 corresponds to Figure 4 but shows the channel at an intermediate stage during its manufacture; and Figures 7A and 7B show modifications to Figure 6.

Figure 1 shows a side view of a vehicle door 10 having a window frame 12 in which is mounted a window pane 14. The frame 12 carries a window guide channel (not shown) along its sides and top, in which slides the window pane 14. The window pane 14 can be lowered into and raised from the lower part 10A of the vehicle door, by means of an operating mechanism shown merely diagrammatically at 16. The mechanism may be operated by an electric motor or manually. The pane 14 carries a support 18 which is fixed to the lower edge of the pane 14 and is also fixed to a slider 20. By means of a suitable interconnection 21, the operating mechanism 16 raises and lowers the slider 20 which, in turn, raises and lowers the window pane 14. As the window pane 14 is lowered into the lower part 10A of the door, it enters a guide channel arrangement 22 (and possibly a similar guide channel arrangement located to receive its opposite edge). The guide channel arrangement 22 slidably receives the window pane 14 and, in a manner to be explained in more detail below, resiliently secures the window glass to minimise or prevent rattling of the window pane in the guide channel in response to opening and shutting of the door 10 and in response to movement of the vehicle body as it is driven along the road surface.

Referring to Figures 2,3 and 4, the guide channel arrangement 22 comprises channelshaped rigid material 30 comprising a base 32 and side walls 34 and 36. The rigid material may be rigid thermoplastics material. As shown in Figure 3, the rigid material 30 is moulded to provide regularly spaced holes 38 which, in this example, are rectangularly shaped and are positioned along both side walls 34 and 36. In a manner to be explained in more detail below, rigid guides 40 made of relatively hard thermoplastic material (similar to the material 30 of the channel 22) are resiliently supported at intervals along the length of the channel by over-moulded supports 41 made of resilient and flexible thermoplastic material such as Santoprene (Trade Mark). The material of the supports 41 overlaps the edges of holes 38 (shown dotted in Figure 2) and extends through the holes to support the guides 40. The over-moulding operation which produces the supports 41 also produces resilient abutments 42 positioned at intervals along the length of the channel 22 on the inside surfaces of the side walls 34,36. As shown in Figure 3, each abutment 42 can extend for the full height of the channel.

In use, the window glass is normally slidably supported by the rigid guides 40. Because the guides are rigid, they allow easy sliding of the window glass. However, because they are resiliently supported by the supports 41, they are substantially dynamically decoupled from the window channel and will automatically adjust their positions to take account of tolerances or variations in the contour and thickness of the window glass.

Figure 5 shows an enlarged view of part of the wall 34 of the support channel 22 and illustrates the configuration which is adopted by the guides 40 upon entry of the window pane 14 into the channel arrangement. The window pane 14 presses against the guides 40, causing the supports 41 to flex outwardly. In this way, the guides 40 are urged firmly but resiliently into contact with the window pane, thus securing it against rattling. The curved surfaces of the guides 41, which face the incoming window pane 14, ensure smooth entry for the window pane. In the event of a sudden shock to the door 10, such as if it is abruptly closed, or in the event of sudden vehicle movement because of the road profile, the window pane 14 may be impelled sideways. In that event, its movement will be resiliently arrested by the abutments 42 on the appropriate side of the channel 22. The abutments 42 will thus prevent the window pane 14 coming into noisy contact with the more rigid wall 34 or 36 on the side of the window channel.

Figures 6,7A and 7B illustrate how the guides 40 may be integrally moulded with the material 30 of the channel 22 and supported within the holes 38 by one or more integrally moulded connecting links 43. There may be one such arm 43 (Fig. 6), two links 43 (Figure 7A) or four links 43 (Figure 7B). Clearly, other link arrangements are possible.

The construction shown in Figures 6 (or Figure 7A or 7B) is then subjected to an overmoulding operation to over-mould the resilient supports 41 onto the side walls of the channel and onto the guides 40 and the links 43. As shown in Figure 3, the material 30 may be arranged with holes 44 positioned at intervals along the base 32 of the channel. These holes match the size and shape of the guides 40 to allow entry and removal of mould core members (not shown) which, in combination with another mould core member (also not shown), defines mould volumes for respectively moulding the guides 40.

Alternatively, an injection-moulding machine with two injection units can be used, one for the relatively rigid material including the guides 40 and the other for the resilient supports 41. There are thus two moulding steps, but only one step of de-moulding.

Claims

1. A window pane receiving and guiding channel arrangement, comprising a relatively rigid support channel, and a plurality of guides resiliently and independently mounted on the support channel to extend into the channel from opposite side walls thereof and at intervals therealong, for supportingly contacting opposite sides of the window pane.

2. A channel arrangement according to claim 1, in which the guides are made of relatively rigid material.

3. A channel arrangement according to claim 2, in which the guides are mounted on the support channel by respective resilient supports.

4. A channel arrangement according to claim 3, in which the supports are formed on the support channel by over-moulding.

5. A channel arrangement according to claim 4, in which the support channel is provided with holes in its side walls, and in which the supports are over-moulded into these holes.

6. A channel arrangement according to claim 5, in which each guide is moulded within a respective one of the holes and integrally with the material of the respective side wall.

7. A channel arrangement according to claim 5 or 6, in which each support comprises a resilient head portion which overlaps the edge of the respective hole on the outside of the respective side wall.

8. A channel arrangement according to claim 7, in which each resilient head portion has a support surface on the inside of the support channel which, in the relaxed condition of the support, is substantially flush with the inside surface of the respective wall of the support channel and from which the respective guide integrally extends into the channel, the head portion resiliently flexing outwardly in response to entry of the window pane into the support channel.

9. A channel arrangement according to any preceding claim, for use where the window pane slidably moves into and out of the support channel, in which each guide has a surface which is inclined to the direction of approach of the window pane as it moves into the support channel.

10. A channel arrangement according to claim 8, in which each inclined surface is a curvi-planar surface.

11. A channel arrangement according to any preceding claim, including a plurality of resilient abutments mounted on the side walls of the support channel and normally not in contact with the window pane in the support channel but resiliently receiving a surface of the window pane in the event of its sideways movement within the support channel, and arresting such movement.

12. A door for a motor vehicle and on which is supported a slidably movable window pane, the door including a channel arrangement according to any preceding claim for receiving and guiding that window pane.

13. A motor vehicle, including a door according to claim 12.

14. A method of making a window pane receiving and guiding channel, comprising the steps of moulding a relatively rigid support channel, moulding a plurality of relatively rigid guides, and over-moulding a plurality of resilient supports on to the guides and the support channel so that the guides resiliently support the guides and so that the guides extend into the channel from opposite sides thereof and at intervals therealong for supportingly and resiliently contacting opposite sides of the window pane.

15. A method according to claim 14, in which each guide is integrally and supportingly attached to the support channel by at least one flexible link during the step of moulding the rigid support channel and prior to the over-moulding step.

16. A method according to claim 15, in which the support channel is moulded to define a plurality of through holes in its side walls, and in which the flexible links extend inwardly of the periphery of the holes to attach the guides.

17. A method according to claim 16, including the step of removing the support channel with the integral links and the guides from a first mould after the moulding of them, transferring them to a second mould, and there carrying out the over-moulding step.

18. A window pane receiving and guiding channel arrangement, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

19. A method of making a window pane receiving and guiding channel arrangement, substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.