Abstract:
A glass panel attachment bracket for a vehicle includes a receiver for receiving at least a portion of a glass panel. The receiver includes at least one adjustable fastener adapted for impinging on a surface of the portion of the glass panel received in the receiver. Motor vehicle door window glass mounting assemblies and methods for assembling a glass panel and a glass panel attachment bracket incorporating the glass panel attachment bracket are described.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    This disclosure relates generally to glass panels for motor vehicles. More particularly, the disclosure relates to an adjustable attachment bracket for a glass panel, the bracket including a retainer for preventing unwanted movement of the glass relative to the bracket during adhesive curing. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    In, for example, motor vehicle door assemblies including movable motorized windows, it is common to provide window mounting and regulator assemblies which are raised and lowered within a door cavity by a variety of motorized mechanisms to open and/or close a window glass panel. Typically an attachment bracket (having a variety of known designs) is provided to attach the window glass panel to the window glass mounting and regulator assembly. 
         [0003]    Conventional glass and bracket designs, for example for motor vehicle door glass panels, locate the attachment bracket to the glass panel by surface contact for inboard/outboard location (Y-datum) and assembly fixture location for up/down location (Z-datum). In the assembly process, adhesive is applied to the bracket prior to locating the bracket to the glass panel. Typical adhesives used in the automotive industry for securing glass panels to attachment brackets require an extended curing time (for example, 72 hours). However, during manufacture the typical process is to remove the glass/attachment bracket assembly from the assembly fixture prior to full curing of the adhesive. This undesirably allows the bracket and glass to shift or move relative to one another during subsequent processing and packaging steps. Such shifting or movement results not only in a part of poor quality, but also may compromise fit and function of the glass panel in the motor vehicle environment, for example during assembly of a vehicle door including the glass panel. 
         [0004]    One possible solution to this problem that has been considered is to provide additional or alternative means for attaching the attachment bracket to the glass panel. For example, one possible alternative is to provide one or more apertures in the glass panel for receiving a fastener associated with the attachment bracket, to maintain the relative positions of the attachment bracket and the glass panel during adhesive curing. However, such apertures weaken the structure of the glass panel, risking damage to the panel during subsequent assembly processes. As a result, a need exists for improvements to glass panel attachment brackets. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    In accordance with the purposes and benefits described herein, an adjustable attachment bracket for a glass panel is provided. The attachment bracket includes a retainer for preserving a relative position of the glass panel and the bracket, allowing a precise location and retention of the attachment bracket to the glass panel and to glass datums during assembly of the attachment bracket to the glass panel. In turn, this retainer providing precise location and retention preserves the location of the attachment bracket to the glass panel during adhesive curing, even as the glass panel/bracket proceed through subsequent processing and packaging steps. 
         [0006]    In one aspect of the present disclosure, an adjustable glass panel attachment bracket is described. The bracket includes a receiver for receiving at least a portion of a glass panel. The receiver in turn includes at least one adjustable fastener adapted for impinging on a surface of the portion of the glass panel received in the receiver. The receiver includes a bottom and may include two opposed walls defining a slot configured to receive the portion of the glass panel therein. One of the opposed walls includes at least one aperture for receiving the at least one adjustable fastener therethrough. In embodiments, the at least one adjustable fastener engages the at least one aperture by an interference fit, a friction fit, a press fit, a snap fit, a ratcheting surface, or a screwthread. The other of the opposed walls may include at least one aperture for receiving a glass panel support boss therethrough. In embodiments, the receiver is carried by an arm including at least one aperture therethrough. 
         [0007]    In another aspect of the disclosure, a motor vehicle door window glass mounting assembly is described. The assembly includes a base adapted for raising and lowering within a cavity defined in the motor vehicle door. At least one adjustable glass panel attachment bracket as described above is mounted to the base, thereby providing a mechanism for securing a glass panel to the vehicle door. 
         [0008]    In yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method is described for securing one or more glass panel attachment brackets according to the present disclosure to a glass panel. The method includes applying a first adhesive is applied to an interior of the attachment bracket receiver. A second adhesive is applied to a surface of the adjustable fastener that will impinge on a mating surface of the glass panel. The second adhesive curing time is less than the curing time of the first adhesive. One or more glass panel attachment brackets are disposed at predetermined positions on an edge of the glass panel, and the at least one adjustable fastener of each bracket is advanced to impinge on the glass panel. The predetermined bracket positions may be determined by a template defined by one or more glass panel attachment bracket datums defining the glass panel attachment bracket predetermined positions, a plurality of glass panel datums defining a predetermined orientation of the glass panel, and a plurality of glass panel support bosses. 
         [0009]    In the following description, there are shown and described several preferred embodiments of the described adjustable attachment bracket for a glass panel. As it should be realized, the device is capable of other, different embodiments and its several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the adjustable attachment bracket for a glass panel as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES 
         [0010]    The accompanying drawing figures incorporated herein and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the adjustable attachment bracket for a glass panel and together with the description serve to explain certain principles thereof. In the drawing figures: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1A  is a sectional side view of an adjustable glass panel attachment bracket according to the present disclosure, secured to a window glass panel; 
           [0012]      FIG. 1B  shows the adjustable glass panel attachment bracket of  FIG. 1A  in isolation; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  shows an alternative embodiment of the adjustable glass panel attachment bracket of  FIGS. 1A and 1B ; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  shows a template for assembling an adjustable glass panel attachment bracket according to the present disclosure to a window glass panel; and 
           [0015]      FIG. 4  shows a motor vehicle door having a door window glass mounting assembly including the adjustable glass panel attachment bracket according to the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
       [0016]    Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the adjustable attachment bracket for a glass panel, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing figures. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    Reference is now made to  FIG. 1A  illustrating an adjustable glass panel attachment bracket  10  according to the present disclosure, secured to a curved glass panel  12 .  FIG. 1B  shows the adjustable glass panel attachment bracket  10  of  FIG. 1A  in isolation. The adjustable bracket  10  includes an arm  14  carrying a receiver  16 . The receiver  16  is defined by a bottom  18  and may include two opposed walls  20 ,  22  defining a slot or channel  24  therebetween for receiving a portion of a glass panel  12  therein. Arm  14  may include an aperture  26 , the purpose of which will be described in greater detail below. 
         [0018]    As shown in  FIG. 1B , wall  20  includes an aperture  28  configured to receive at least one fastener  30  therethrough. The opposed wall  22  may include at least one aperture  32  configured to receive a glass panel support boss  34  therethrough. The depicted embodiment of fastener  30  includes a ratcheting surface  36  for interacting with a cooperating lip  38  associated with aperture  28 . As will be appreciated, this structure allows advancing fastener  30  through aperture  28  in one direction only (see arrow), to impinge on a surface of glass panel  12  held within receiver  16 . In turn, glass support boss  34  provides a contact point for a surface of glass panel  12  opposite to that impinged on by fastener  30 , thus keeping glass panel  12  substantially centered within receiver  16 . 
         [0019]    It will be appreciated that a variety of configurations of fastener  30  are contemplated for engaging the aperture  28 , including without intending any limitation an interference fit, a friction fit, a press fit, a snap fit, a ratcheting surface, and a screwthread. For example, as shown in  FIG. 2 , an alternative embodiment of fastener  30  may include a screwthreaded surface  40  which engages a cooperating screwthreaded interior surface  42  of aperture  28  for advancing the fastener  30 . In turn, while the drawings depict an embodiment of adjustable glass panel attachment bracket  10  having a single fastener  30 , it will be appreciated that alternative embodiments may include one or more fasteners  30  in accordance with a size of bracket  10 , a weight of glass panel  12 , etc. All such alternative embodiments are contemplated for use herein. 
         [0020]    In use, one or more beads  44  of a suitable glass adhesive are applied to an interior of receiver slot  24 , and glass panel  12  is inserted therein. Any number of suitable glass adhesives are known in the art and are contemplated for use herein. Next, a layer  46  of a suitable bond or other adhesive is applied to a surface of fastener  30  that will impinge on glass panel  12 . Any number of suitable bond adhesives are known in this art and are contemplated for use herein. A caveat is that a bond adhesive is selected having a rapid curing time. Then, fastener  30  is advanced such as by pressing ( FIGS. 1A, 1B ) or turning ( FIG. 2 ) to advance the fastener through aperture  28  to impinge on a portion of glass panel  12  held within receiver  16 . 
         [0021]    This process can be performed using a jig or template  48  as shown in  FIG. 3 . At least one glass datum  50  is included for preserving glass panel  12  in a desired orientation/position. In turn, one or more bracket datums  52  are included to provide predetermined fixed positions at which adjustable glass panel attachment brackets  10  are desired to be positioned. Bracket datums  52  pass through apertures  26  of the adjustable glass panel attachment bracket arms  14 . As will be appreciated, the specific positioning of the glass datums  50  and bracket datums  52  will be determined by specific shapes/configurations of glass panels  12  and by specific window glass mounting assemblies (not shown in this view) into which the assembled glass panel  12 /adjustable glass panel attachment bracket  10  will be incorporated. Thus, the specific positioning of glass datums  50 /bracket datums  52  shown in  FIG. 3  is not to be taken as limiting. 
         [0022]    As is known, glass adhesives required an extended curing time. As a non-limiting example, many glass adhesives commonly in use in this art require up to 72 hours to fully cure. However, it is often the case during manufacturing that one or more glass panel attachment brackets will be secured to a glass panel by a suitable adhesive, and then immediately the assembly will be removed to a different area of the manufacturing facility for subsequent processing and or packaging. As will be appreciated, because often this occurs before the glass adhesive has had time to cure, shifting of the bracket relative to the glass panel may occur resulting in a poor quality part and/or problems in fit and function of the glass panel/attachment bracket assembly, for example in a vehicle door. 
         [0023]    The present disclosure solves this problem. By use of the fastener  30  and bond adhesive layer  46  and template  48  as described above, one or more adjustable glass panel attachment brackets  10  may be attached to a glass panel  12 . Once the bond adhesive  46  has cured, the assembly may be removed from the template  48 . Because the bond adhesive layer  46  cures rapidly, fastener  30  retains the relative positioning of adjustable glass attachment bracket  10  and glass panel  12  even though glass adhesive  44  has not yet cured. Thus, shifting and/or movement of the adjustable glass panel attachment bracket  10  relative to the glass panel  12  is prevented, thus allowing for movement of the bracket  30 /panel  12  assembly for subsequent processing/packaging prior to full curing of the glass adhesive  44 . 
         [0024]      FIG. 4  depicts an assembled glass panel  12 /adjustable glass panel attachment bracket  10  assembly incorporated into a vehicle door assembly  54  and a window glass mounting assembly  56 . It will be appreciated that a wide variety of vehicle door assemblies and window glass mounting assemblies are known in the art. Likewise, a variety of mechanisms for raising and lowering a vehicle door window are known. All such embodiments are contemplated for use herein, and as will be seen by the skilled artisan, the mechanisms described below will readily incorporate into such embodiments. 
         [0025]    As shown, the door assembly  54  includes a window glass mounting assembly  56  having at least a base  58  and a mechanism (depicted generally in the embodiment shown as arms  60 ) for raising and lowering the base  58  and so a glass panel  12  attached thereto within an interior cavity of door assembly  54 . Of course, such mechanisms for raising and lowering window glass in a vehicle door include additional features such as motors, gearing, guide rails, guide brackets, pulleys, cables, window crank arms, etc. Such features are well known in the art and do not require extensive description herein. The adjustable glass panel attachment brackets  10  may be attached to base  58  by fasteners (not shown in this view) passing through apertures  26  of arms  14 . 
         [0026]    As will be appreciated, the above-described features provide a simple, reliable system for preparing an assembled glass panel  12 /attachment bracket  10  for subsequent incorporation into a vehicle, for example into a vehicle door assembly  54  as described above. The skilled artisan will appreciate that by use of the adjustable glass panel attachment bracket  10  described herein, advantageously the manufacturer need not await a full curing time for a glass adhesive before the assembled glass panel  12 /attachment bracket  10  can be moved down the manufacturing line for additional processing and/or packaging. Thus, manufacturing and labor costs are reduced, while preserving quality, fit, and function of the assembled part. 
         [0027]    The foregoing has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form disclosed. Obvious modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally and equitably entitled.