GB2442735A

GB2442735A - Sliding window operator comprising frameless glass pane adjustor and associated tool and adjustment method

Info

Publication number: GB2442735A
Application number: GB0615819A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Matt Spalding
Original assignee: Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Current assignee: Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK Ltd
Priority date: 2006-08-08
Filing date: 2006-08-08
Publication date: 2008-04-16
Anticipated expiration: 2026-08-08
Also published as: GB0615819D0; GB2442735B

Abstract

The invention relates to a vehicle door assembly having a regulator 100 for moving a frameless glass pane. The regulator 100 includes a carrier 120 for engaging said pane in a lower region thereof, the carrier 120 having an adjustor 123 for controlling the extension in the z-plane of said pane with respect to the earlier. The assembly has means allowing access to the adjustor 123 when the carder is in a position corresponding to the extended height when the door is in a closed position. The door assembly also includes an inner skin 151. The assembly provides a means to bring the pane into a desired lateral relationship with the roof portion of the vehicle. An engagement means is provided which is accessible via an aperture in the skin 150 in the form of a female part of a quick release fastener for allowing the assembly to be moved to, and secured in, a position corresponding to a position of the desired relationship. While the door is closed, the door includes access means for locking the assembly in said position while the door is open. Also disclosed is a tool 140 and a method of adjusting the class pane.

Description

VEHICLE DOOR

The present invention relates to a vehicle door assembly, to a method of adjusting a frameless glass pane, to a method of bringing a frameless glass pane into a desired relationship and to a tool for use in bringing a frameless glass pane into a desired relationship.

Many so-called "convertible" cars have frameless side windows. Such windows that are capable of being opened and closed require to be correctly aligned at the time of manufacture of the vehicle to ensure that the upper edge of the pane provides a correct seal against a counterpart seal secured to the vehicle roof. It will of course be understood that the invention is not restricted to convertible cars.

In setting up the window there are two available adjustments, firstly the so-called "Z-adjustment" which is to ensure that the maximum vertical extent of the window in the closed position is such as to closely abut the seal on the vehicle roof, and secondly the lateral adjustment, the so-called "Y-adjustment" that ensures that the upper edge of the window when in its fully closed extension neither is disposed outside the roof periphery nor is substantially inside the roof periphery but instead abuts the seal.

Vehicle windows are conventionally carried between the opened and closed position using a window regulator that includes two generally vertical rails upon which carriages ride, the window regulator being within the door that is between an inner skin of the door and the outer skin of the door.

To achieve the Z-adjustment there is provided a threaded stop that can be rotated so as to raise or lower the window with respect to the remainder of the carriage so as to adjust the window in the vertical direction.

To achieve the required Y-adjustment the rails of the window regulator which are secured with respect to the door in their top regions, are moved laterally of the vehicle longitudinal axis to a position in which the window is correctly aligned. Then a clamp nut or similar is secured to lock the rails in the correct position.

In prior vehicles it is necessary to carry out an iterative process of adjustment by trial and error since all of the adjustment must be made through the underside of the vehicle door. Hence it will be understood that the door must be opened so as to obtain access to the necessary adjustment devices and, with the door opened, the window cannot be directly in register with the seals.

Accordingly, the operative will try the door (with the window extended) against the closed roof and will estimate how much vertical adjustment is necessary, then open the door and lower the window until adjustment can be made, followed by making adjustment to the estimated amount. This will need to be done in by the Y-and Z-adjustment directions.

This is a time-consuming procedure and it would be desirable to avoid the necessity for such a process.

According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle door assembly having a support structure for a frameless glass pane and a regulator for moving a said pane between a lowered height and an extended height, the regulator including a carrier for engaging a said pane in a lower region thereof, the carrier having an adjustor for controlling the extension of a said pane with respect to the carrier, wherein the assembly has means allowing access to the adjustor when the carrier is in a position corresponding to the extended height and the door is closed.

According to a second aspect there is provided a method of adjusting an extension of a frameless glass plane secured in a vehicle door of a vehicle, the pane being carried by a carrier and the carrier being movable with respect to the vehicle door by a regulator, the method comprising: with a regulator set to a maximum pane height, observing a vertical spacing between a top region of the pane and a portion of the roof of the vehicle with which the top of the pane is intended to cooperate; while the door is closed, operating an adjustment device on the pane carrier via an adjustment access means so that the vertical spacing is at a desired value.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a vehicle door assembly carrying a support structure for a frameless glass pane, the support structure being adjustable to bring the pane into a desired lateral relationship with the roof portion of the vehicle, the support structure having engagement means for allowing the support structure to be moved to, and secured, in a position corresponding to a position of the desired relationship while the door is closed, the door having access means for locking the support structure in said position while the door is open.

The door assembly may have an inner skin, the inner skin having an aperture through which access is possible to the engagement means.

The aperture may be configured to form a female part of a quick release fastener.

The door assembly may have an inner skin, the inner skin having an abutment formation for a tool, the tool having a portion for engaging the engagement means of the support structure and an abutment portion for bringing into abutment with the abutment formation so that the tool is able to apply a force between the inner skin and the support structure.

The abutment formation may include an aperture configured to form a female part of a quarter-turn fastener, and the tool may have a counterpart male part wherein the abutment portion of the tool may be secured to the inner skin.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of bringing a frameless glass plane into a desired lateral relationship with a roof portion of the associated vehicle, the method comprising: with the regulator set to a maximum pane height, observing a lateral spacing between a top region of the pane and the roof portion; while the door is closed, engaging the support structure; while the door is closed, urging the support structure to a * position that corresponds to a desired lateral spacing; and while the door is closed securing the support structure in the said position.

The method may comprise further opening the door and locking the support structure in the said position.

According to yet a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a tool for use in bringing the frameless glass pane of a vehicle door into a desired lateral relationship with the roof portion of an associated vehicle, the tool having an engagement portion for engaging a support structure of the pain, an abutment portion for abutting a portion of the door and an adjustment portion for moving one of the engagement portion and the abutment portion with respect to the other.

The adjustment portion may comprise a screw-thread and a nut portion, whereby rotation of one of the screw-thread and the nut with respect to the other causes spacing between the abutment portion and the engagement portion to vary.

The engagement portion may comprise part of a quarter-turn fastener.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:-Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of a window regulator; Figure 2 shows a partial cutaway view of Z-adjustment of a frameless glass pane; Figure 3 shows a cross-section through a window regulator with a lateral adjustment tool in position; Figure 4 shows an exemplary y-adjustment tool; and Figure 5 shows an exemplary z-adjustment tool.

In the various figures like reference numerals refer to like parts.

Referring to Figure 1 of window regulator 100 has a pair of rails comprising a first rail 101 and a second rail 102 which in use are disposed generally vertically and mutually parallel between the inner and outer skin of a vehicle door (not shown).

The window regulator 100 has an electric motor 104 that operates a drive motor device 105 that engages an endless string (not shown). A first transverse upper guide 107 extends from the drive motor 105 to a top portion of the first rail 101. A second generally diagonal guide 109 connects the bottom portion of the first rail 101 to the top region of the second rail 102 and a third guide 111 extends from the bottom of the second rail 102 back to the drive device 105. The endless string passes from the drive device 105 through the first guide 107 to the top of the first rail 101, down through the first rail 101 to its bottom region, across through the diagonal guide 109 to the top of the second rail 102, down the second rail 102 to the bottom portion thereof and back through the guide 111 to the drive device 105. In use, rotation of a pulley or similar of the drive device 105 -for example, in a clockwise sense as shown -causes a first carriage device (not shown) borne by the first rail 101 to move upwardly and a second carriage (not shown) borne by the second rail 102 to similarly move upwardly. Rotation in the opposite sense causes both carriages to move in the downward direction.

Limit switches (not shown) or similar are provided to sense when the carriage reaches the top or respectively bottom of the rails 101,102.

Turning to Figure 2, a window carriage 120 is shown when at the top of its rail 101. The window itself is engaged by a threaded adjustor 123 with respect to a body portion of the carriage 120.

Returning to Figure 1, it will be seen that the first and second rails 101,102 have through-holes 103,106 in their top regions and the purpose of these, see Figure 2, is to allow a tool 140 to be engaged with the screw adjustor 123. As shown, the tool 140 has a generally elongate bar portion 141 that is in use inserted through the hole 103 and an engagement device 143 that extends generally orthogonal to the bar 141 and that is configure to engage with the adjustor 123. In the arrangement shown in Figure 2, the engagement portion 143 engages within the screw adjustor 123 and has an external hex surface. In other embodiments the screw adjustor 123 is formed with an external hex surface and the portion 143 is formed analogous to a socket of a socket spanner for engagement with the hex surface.

The tool 140 has a handle portion 145 which can be manipulated so as to turn the engagement portion 143 both clockwise and anticlockwise.

In use, and with glass plane forming a window engaged in the carriage, the screw adjustor 123 is wound down to its lowest adjustment level with the window at its lowest position in the carriage on the rails 101,102 and then the motor 104 is operated so that the window moves up until the limit switches are tripped. Then, with the door closed, adjustments may be made through the holes 103,106 to bring the window into the desired vertical relationship with seals on the roof of the vehicle.

To do this, the engagement portion 143 of the tool 140 is introduced through a hole 150 in the inner structure 151 of the door and through the hole 103 to engage with the screw adjustor 123. The handle portion 145 is operated to raise the window.

Returning to Figure 1, it will be seen that in the lower regions of the rails 101,102 there are two keyholes 110,112.

Now referring to Figure 3, the figure shows the inner skin 160 of the door which is formed to have an aperture 161 that is generally aligned with the keyhole 110 of the rail 101.

The rail 101 has an L-shaped lower region 170. The rail can be moved to and fro in the Y-direction shown figuratively as Ill-Ill'. A hex-headed bolt 171 passes through a slotted hole in a bracket 173 and a circular threaded hole in lower region 170 of rail 101 such that when bolt 171 is tightened, the rail 101 is locked in relation to the bracket 173. In other embodiments there is no bracket and this sloued hole is fixed in the door inner. In said sites the rail 101 may carry the slotted hole.

A second tool 200 is seen in a perspective view in Figure 4 and in a cross-sectional view in Figure 3.

The tool 200 has a keyed end region 201 that is secured to a shaft 203 via a ball and socket joint 204. A securing and alignment member 210 has a generally-curved inner surface 211 to cooperate with the ball 213 of an adjustment member 220. The alignment member 210 has end projections 212 that engage with the inner skin 160 in the manner of a so-called quarter-turn fastener. The shaft 203 extends through the adjustment member 220 to a handle 230.

Extended portion 215 of ball 213 is externally threaded and the inner portion of the member 220 is internally threaded so that rotation of the adjustment member 220 causes translation of the end region 201 with respect to the alignment member 210.

In use, the end region 201 is passed into the keyhole 110 of the rail 101 and is rotated so that the two key members 190,191 grip on both sides of the rail 101.

Then the alignment member 210 is engaged using the quarter-turn fastener securing with the inner skin 160.

With the door closed and the frameless window in its highest position on the window regulator 100, the adjustment member 220is turned so as to either cause the rail 101 to be drawn towards the inner skin 160 or to cause the rail 101 to be further spaced from the inner skin 160 until such time as the top of the window is in the desired orientation with respect to the seals of the window.

The arrangement is then left undisturbed and the door is opened. Then a suitable hex socket is introduced in the direction B from the bottom of the door through a hole in the bottom of the door until it engages on the hex head of the bolt 171. The bolt 171 is then tightened to the locking position. Thereafter the alignment member 210 is released from its engagement in the quarter-turn fastener portion of the inner skin 160 and the tool 200 is rotated until the key portion 190,191 can be removed from the key aperture 110 of the hole in the rail 101.

It will of course be understood that alignment of both of the rails at once is likely to be necessary so that two second tools 200 are used.

An exemplary z-adjustment tool 140 is shown in Figures 5a and 5b. The tool has a generally elongated bar portion 141 with a distal end that attaches to an engagement device 143 via a 90 spur gear arrangement 149. Gear arrangement 149 comprises two orthogonal gears 147/148. The first gear 147 is fixed to the distal end of bar 141 and has a plane of rotation substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of bar 141. The second gear 148 has a plane of rotation substantially orthogonal to that of the first gear 147. The second gear 148 engages the first gear 147 such that rotation of one induces rotation of the other. The second gear 148 is fixedly attached to engagement member 143.

Member 143 is arranged such that it has a plane of rotation substantially parallel to that of second gear 148. In an embodiment, the engagement member is a "hex socket".

Bar 141 is partially housed by a radial main body 142. The proximal end of an L-shaped bracket 146 is fixedly attached to body 142. The distal end of bracket 146 is arranged to support the second gear 148 and member 143 thereby maintaining engagement between the gears.

Proximal end of bar 141 is splined to an elongated handle 145 such that the plane of rotation of handle 145 is also generally orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of bar 141. A portion of bar 141, extending from the proximal end, is housed by an ergonomic main body 144 arranged to be gripped by a user.

Referring to Fig. 5a, rotation of handle 145 in the direction of arrow A causes rotation of engagement device 143 in the direction of arrow B. The planes containing arrows A and B are generally orthogonal.

The invention is not restricted to the features of the embodiments described.

Claims

Claims 1. A vehicle door assembly having a regulator for moving a

frameless glass pane between a lowered height and an extended height, the regulator including a carrier for engaging a said pane in a lower region thereof, the carrier having an adjustor for controlling the extension of a said pane with respect to the carrier, wherein the assembly has means allowing access to the adjustor when the carrier is in a position corresponding to the extended height when the door is in a closed position
2. A vehicle door assembly according to claim 1, wherein the regulator comprises a pair of rails each arranged to allow a respective carrier to move therealong, and the rails have apertures corresponding to the said position of the carrier, the apertures arranged to permit access to the adjustor of the respective carrier.
3. A vehicle door assembly according to claim 1 or 2, having a support structure for the regulator, the support structure having at least one aperture affording access to the apertures of the rails.
4. A method of adjusting an extension of a frameless glass plane secured in a vehicle door of a vehicle, the pane being carried by a carrier and the carrier being movable with respect to the vehicle door by a regulator, the method comprising: with a regulator set to a maximum pane height, observing a vertical spacing between a top region of the pane and a portion of the roof of the vehicle with which the top of the pane is intended to cooperate; while the door is closed, operating an adjustment device on the pane carrier via an adjustment access means so that the vehicle spacing is at a desired value.
5. A vehicle door assembly carrying a support structure for a frameless glass pane, the support structure being adjustable to bringing the pane into a desired lateral relationship with the roof portion of the vehicle, the support structure having engagement means for allowing the support structure to be moved to, and secured, in a position corresponding to a position of the desired relationship while the door is closed, the door having access means for locking the support structure in said position while the door is open.
6. A vehicle door assembly according to claim 5, wherein the support structure comprises a window regulator having a pair of rails.
7. A vehicle door assembly according to claim 5 or 6, having an inner skin, the inner skin having an aperture through which access is possible to the engagement means.
8. A vehicle door assembly according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the aperture is configured to form a female part of a quick release fastener.
9. A vehicle door assembly according to claim 5, 6, 7 or 8, having an inner skin, the inner skin having an abutment formation for a tool, the tool having a portion for engaging the engagement means of the support structure and an abutment portion for bringing into abutment with the abutment formation so that the tool is able to apply a force between the inner skin and the support structure.
10. A vehicle door assembly according to claim 9, wherein the abutment formation includes an aperture configured to form a female part of a quarter-turn fastener, and the tool may have a counterpart male part wherein the abutment portion of the tool may be secured to the inner skin.
11. A method of bringing a frameless glass plane into a desired lateral relationship with a roof portion of the associated vehicle, the method comprising: with the regulator set to a maximum pane height, observing a lateral spacing between a top region of the pane and the roof portion; while the door is closed, engaging the support structure; while the door is closed, urging the support structure to a position that corresponds to a desired lateral spacing; and while the door is closed securing the support structure in the said position.
12. A method according to claim 11, comprising further opening the door and locking the support structure in the said position.
13. A tool for use in bringing the frameless glass pane of a vehicle door into a desired lateral relationship with the roof portion of an associated vehicle, the tool having an engagement portion for engaging a support structure of the pain, an abutment portion for abutting a portion of the door and an adjustment portion for moving one of the engagement portion and the abutment portion with respect to the other.
14. A tool according to claim 13, comprising a screw-thread and a nut portion, whereby rotation of one of the screw-thread and the nut with respect to the other causes spacing between the abutment portion and the engagement portion to vary.
15. A tool according to claim 13 or 14, comprising part of a quarter-turn fastener.