VEHICULAR REAR SLIDER WINDOW ASSEMBLY WITH WIRELESS ELECTRICAL POWERING OF MOVABLE PANEL HEATER GRID

A vehicular rear slider window assembly includes a fixed window panel, a movable window panel, and a frame portion fixed relative to the fixed window panel. The fixed window panel has an opening, and the movable window panel is movable along upper and lower rails of the frame portion between a closed position and an opened position. Electrically conductive traces are established at a surface of the fixed window panel, and electrically conductive traces are established at a surface of the movable window panel. Electrical power to the electrically conductive traces of the movable window panel is provided wirelessly throughout all positions of the movable window panel between and including the opened position and the closed position.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to movable or slider window assemblies for vehicles and, more particularly to a side or rear slider window assembly for a vehicle having a heating element or feature.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is known to provide a slider window assembly for an opening of a vehicle, such as a rear slider window assembly for a rear opening of a pickup truck. Conventional slider window assemblies for rear openings of trucks or the like typically include three or more panels, such as two fixed window panels and a slidable window panel. The slidable window panel is supported by rails and may be moved along the rails to open and close the window. It is also known to provide a heating element at the window assembly to defog or defrost the window panels. The window panels typically include respective heater grids that are electrically connected to a power source and are heated responsive to actuation of a user input.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A vehicular rear slider window assembly provides for defogging or defrosting of the window panel or panels of the rear slider window assembly via electrically conductive traces or heater grids at one or more window panels of the rear slider window assembly. The heater grids are disposed at a surface of the fixed and movable window panels and comprise electrically conductive traces or busbars at which electrical connectors are disposed for electrically connecting the busbars and heater grids to a wire harness of the vehicle. Electrical power to the electrically conductive traces of the movable window panel is provided wirelessly throughout all positions of the movable window panel between and including the opened position and the closed position.

For example, a transmitter may be disposed at the frame portion and a receiver may be disposed at the movable window panel. The transmitter, when operated, generates a magnetic field at or near the receiver, and the receiver, responsive to the magnetic field, generates electrical voltage for powering the electrically conductive traces of the movable window panel. The transmitter may include a plurality of transmitting elements disposed along the lower rail of the frame portion, and the receiver may include a plurality of receiving elements disposed along a lower perimeter region of the movable window panel. The plurality of transmitting elements may be embedded or integrated into the lower rail, and the plurality of receiving elements may be embedded or integrated into a carrier at the lower perimeter region of the movable window panel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a rear slider window assembly10of a vehicle12(such as a pickup truck or the like) includes a window frame14(having an upper rail14aand a lower rail14b), a pair of side fixed window panels16,18and a movable window panel20that is movable relative to the frame14and the fixed window panels16,18between an opened position and a closed position (FIGS.1and2). The fixed window panels16,18may be spaced from one another to define an opening or aperture between the fixed window panels16,18. Optionally, the window assembly includes a single fixed window panel having an opening between opposing sides or portions of the fixed window panel. In the closed position, the movable window panel20is disposed at the opening between the fixed window panels16,18(or at the opening between the sides or portions of the singular fixed window panel). In the opened position, the movable window panel20is disposed at least partially along one of the fixed window panels16,18(or along one side or portion of the singular fixed window panel).

The fixed window panels16,18each include an electrically conductive heater grid22,23or other heating element or electrically operable element established at the window panels16,18(such as at or on an interior surface of the window panels), and the movable window panel20includes an electrically conductive heater grid or other heating element or electrically operable element24established at the window panel20(such as at or on an interior surface of the movable window panel). In other words, one fixed window panel16includes an electrically conductive heater grid22, the other fixed window panel18includes an electrically conductive heater grid23, and the movable window panel20includes an electrically conducive heater grid24, where the heater grids may be disposed at the respective interior surfaces of the window panels.

The heater grids22,23at the fixed window panels16,18are electrically conductively connected to (or are otherwise in electrical conductive continuity with) a power source of the vehicle and may be powered (such as responsive to a user actuatable input or switch or button of the vehicle or responsive to a sensor or accessory of the vehicle) to heat or defrost or defog the fixed window panels16,18. The movable panel heater grid24is electrically powered via the vehicle power source and is electrically powered to heat or defrost or defog the movable window panel20. The movable panel heater grid24is electrically powered via non-contacting wireless power transfer from a transmitter at the frame portion or fixed window panel to a receiver at the movable window panel20.

As shown inFIG.2, the lower channel or rail14bincludes a transmitter26and the movable window panel includes a receiver28. The transmitter26, when electrically powered, generates a magnetic field via a plurality of transmitter elements disposed along the lower rail or channel14b. When the receiver28is exposed to the magnetic field, the generated magnetic field induces a voltage in the receiver28to generate electrical power at the movable window panel20for powering the heater traces. The transmitter elements or electrodes may be disposed along and within the lower rail14b(e.g., along a slider channel15(FIG.5) within the lower rail14b) so that the receiving elements or electrodes28aof the receiver28(FIG.3) of the movable panel20are at or alongside a portion of the transmitter elements at all locations of the movable window panel20between the closed position and the opened position. Thus, electrical powering of the movable panel heater grid24is provided and maintained at any position of the movable window panel20between the closed position and the opened position.

Put another way, the transmitter26includes one or more transmitter elements or electrodes spaced from one another along the lower rail14bso that, when the transmitter26is electrically operated, the magnetic field generated by the transmitter26spans a region configured to overlap or include at least one receiving element or electrode28aof the receiver28throughout the range of motion of the movable window panel20. As the movable panel20moves between the closed position and the opened position, the receiving elements28amay move relative to the transmitting elements and within the generated magnetic field. When at least one receiving element28aof the receiver28is disposed within the magnetic field of the transmitter26, the receiver28generates electrical power for energizing the heater grid24at the movable panel20. Thus, the receiver28is able to generate electrical power responsive to the magnetic field generated by the transmitter26with the movable window panel20moved to any position between the closed position and the opened position. The transmitter26may include a surface resonator and the receiver28may include a resonator to increase the transmission coefficient and thus the quality of the transmission.

The transmitter elements may be disposed along or integrated into a wall of the lower channel or rail14b, while the receiver elements28amay be disposed along the lower part of the movable panel20(e.g., and such as shown inFIG.5, receiver elements28amay be disposed along or integrated in a carrier or lower strip along the lower edge of the movable window panel20). The transmitter26is electrically connected to control circuitry that operates to power the transmitter26when the movable panel heater grid24is to be powered (e.g., responsive to actuation of a user input in the vehicle). The receiver28is electrically connected to circuitry at the movable panel20, with the circuitry electrically connected to the ends of the electrically conductive heater grid traces. Thus, when the transmitter circuitry is controlled to heat the movable panel20, the transmitter26operates to generate the magnetic field and the receiver28generates voltage responsive to the generated magnetic field.

Accordingly, the heater grid24at the movable window panel20may be electrically powered without a wired connection between components at the movable window panel20and components at the fixed window panel. This allows for electrical power to be delivered to the movable window panel20without needing to accommodate for movement (e.g., extension and retraction) of a wired connection.

The movable or slider window panel may be movable such as via manual pushing or pulling at the window panel or in response to actuation of a drive motor of a drive motor assembly or system, which may move cables or the like to impart horizontal movement of the slider window panel along the rails. As shown inFIGS.2and5, a power drive system30operates to move (e.g., push or pull) the movable window panel in either direction along the upper and lower channels via respective cables32. Optionally, the drive motor assembly may utilize aspects of the drive assemblies of the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,920,698; 4,995,195; 5,146,712; 5,531,046; 5,572,376; 6,119,401; 6,955,009; 7,073,293 and/or 10,501,977, and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2019-0383084; US-2008-0127563 and/or US-2004-0020131, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

Optionally, a lower edge region of the movable window panel20may be received within one or more carriage elements slidably received along the lower rail14bof the window frame14. When the power drive system30operates to move the window panel20between the closed position and the opened position, the cables are moved to pull or push the carriage and movable window panel along the lower rail14b. The receiving elements28aof the receiver28may be disposed along and/or integrated with the carriage. Further, the transmitter26may be slidably received along the lower rail14band movable with the movable window panel20between the closed position and the opened position. For example, the transmitter26may be connected to or attached to the cable of the power drive system30(such as between an end of the cable and the carriage attached to the movable window panel). Thus, the transmitter26and the receiver28may stay within wireless communication range of one another throughout the range of motion of the movable window panel20between the closed position and the opened position. Aspects of the cable drive system may utilize characteristics of the window assemblies described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 18/775,303, filed Jul. 17, 2024 (Attorney Docket DON02 P5163), which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The heater grid of the movable window panel is powered in a manner that allows for heating or defogging or defrosting of the movable window panel irrespective of whether the movable window panel is opened or partially opened or closed. The heater grids (and heating connections at the fixed and movable window panels) may utilize aspects of the rear slider window assemblies described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,579,955; 8,881,458 and/or 8,402,695, and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2023-0084191 and/or US-2022-0295603, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

The window assembly includes two fixed window panels that are spaced apart so as to define an opening therebetween. The slider or movable window panel is movable along the lower rail and the upper rail of the frame portion to open and close the opening. Optionally, the slider window panel may be disposed at the lower carrier or carriage that receives the lower perimeter edge region of the slider window panel therein and that is slidably or movably received in the lower rail of frame portion. The two fixed window panels may comprise two separate panels with upper and lower appliques disposed above and below the aperture, or the two fixed window panels may be part of a single hole-in-glass window panel with the aperture formed therethrough (such as shown inFIGS.2,4and5).

Optionally, the window assembly or assemblies may utilize aspects of the window assemblies described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 11,331,984; 10,501,977; 8,938,914; 8,915,018; 8,881,458; 8,402,695; 8,322,073; 7,838,115; 7,332,225; 7,073,293; 7,003,916; 6,846,039; 6,691,464; 6,319,344; 6,068,719; 5,853,895 and/or 5,799,444, and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2021-0355737; US-2014-0047772; US-2013-0174488; US-2011-0056140; US-2006-0107600; US-2008-0127563; US-2004-0020131 and/or US-2003-0213179, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Although shown and described as a horizontally movable center window that moves relative to a pair of opposite side windows (such as for applications at the rear of a cab of a pickup truck or the like), it is envisioned that the electrical connections described herein are applicable to other types of movable window assemblies, such as horizontally movable window panels that move relative to a single fixed window panel and/or frames (such as for a rear or side opening of a vehicle or the like), and/or such as vertically movable window panels that move relative to one or more fixed panels and/or frames (such as for a rear or side opening of a vehicle or the like).

Although shown and described as a rear slider window assembly, such as for a pickup truck, aspects of the rear slider window assembly are suitable for use on other vehicular window assemblies, such as rear window assemblies of vehicles that are fixed window panels (having mounting structure that is configured to mount or attach or bond at an opening at a rear of a vehicle) or that are openable window panels (such as hinged liftgates or the like). For example, the window assembly may comprise a fixed rear window or backlite for a pickup truck or sedan or SUV or the like, or may comprise a movable side window or a fixed side window or a quarter window or the like, with the electrical connectors providing electrical connection to electrically conductive elements at the window panel (such as electrically conductive traces for heater grids or electrically conductive traces for electrically powering other elements at the window panel(s), such as lights or cameras or the like), without use of solder.