Patent ID: 6050621
Filing Date: 2000-04-18
Classification: E05B,Y10T

Abstract:
A sliding window system comprising, in combination:a vehicular window assembly including a frame with a rectangular configuration defined by an elongated top portion, an elongated bottom portion, and a pair of short side portions formed therebetween, the window assembly further including stationary glass panes mounted between side extents of the top portion and the bottom portion of the frame for defining a central opening, the window assembly further having a pair of sliding glass panes each slidably mounted within grooves formed in the top portion and the bottom portion of the frame for being slid between a first orientation in front of one of the stationary glass panes and a second orientation covering the central opening, the groove in the bottom portion having upstanding spaced side walls and a bottom wall extending therebetween, wherein the sliding glass panes each have an inboard edge with a handle strip mounted along a length thereof;a strip having a planar rectangular configuration defined by a first side face which is smooth and planar along its entire extent, a second side face which is smooth and planar along its entire extent, and a periphery formed therebetween defined by an elongated linear top edge, an elongated linear bottom edge, and a pair of short linear end edges, wherein a thickness of the strip is equal to that of the groove of the window assembly, the strip being removably insertable into the groove to restrict sliding of the glass panes within the grooves such that the side and bottom walls of the groove support the strip in position until removal of the strip;a handle portion including a lower extent having a planar rectangular configuration defined by a first face, a second face and a periphery defined by an elongated linear top edge, an elongated linear bottom edge, and a pair of short linear end edges, wherein the bottom edge of the lower extent of the handle portion is integrally formed on the top edge of the strip such that the first face of the lower extent of the handle portion is in coplanar relationship with that of the strip and the second face of the lower extent of the handle portion is in coplanar relationship with that of the strip, wherein a height of the lower extent of the handle portion is equal to that of the strip and a length of the lower extent of the handle portion is about 1/8 that of the handle, the handle portion further including an upper extent with a semicylindrical configuration defined by a pair of semicircular end edges and a pair of linear side edges one of which is integrally formed along the top edge of the lower extent of the handle portion such that the side edges of the upper extent of the handle portion reside in a plane perpendicular with respect to that of the strip, wherein the upper extent of the handle portion has an inverted U-shaped cross-section along an entire length thereof and has a diameter equal to the height of the lower extent of the handle portion; anda plurality of spaced lines positioned on one of the faces of the strip and extending between the top edge and the bottom edge thereof, the spaced lines defining a variety of predetermined strip length dimensions therebetween such that cutting of the strip at a pair of lines spaced at selected distances allows a length of the strip to be reduced to an amount sufficient to allow the strip to be positioned within the groove of the lower portion of the frame of the window assembly and between one of the side portions of the frame of the window assembly and one of the sliding glass panes of the window assembly for blocking sliding movement of the glass pane out of the second orientation.