Fixed-pane motor-vehicle window and method of installing same

A rigid window pane having an edge is mounted in a rigid window opening having a rigid border with an annular gasket by first providing on the outer periphery of the gasket a layer of adhesive and fitting the gasket around the edge of the pane. Then the pane carrying the gasket is fitted to the window opening with the adhesive layer engaging the opening border and at the same time the pane carrying the gasket is heated and pressed into this opening to soften the gasket until it externally deforms plastically to complementarily fit the opening border. Subsequently the gasket is cooled and cured so it hardens and retains the shape imparted to it by the heat and pressure. The gasket is formed of a thermoplastic synthetic resin or of a vulcanizable or polymerizable, that is heat-curing, synthetic resin or rubber. The polymerization can include the processes of polycondensation or polyaddition.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to a fixed-pane motor-vehicle window, that is 
a window that does not slide or pivot in its frame. More particularly this 
invention concerns a method of installing such a window in an opening of a 
motor-vehicle body. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
A standard fixed-pane motor vehicle window comprises an appropriately 
shaped pane of glass or like transparent material and an annular at least 
partially U-shaped gasket fitted over the edge of the pane and shaped to 
fit within the border of a window-frame opening in the vehicle body. The 
gasket compensates for the inevitable minor differences in shape between 
the edge of the rigid pane and the border of the window opening. Typically 
an adhesive is used between the gasket and window-pane edge on the inside 
and between the gasket and the window-opening border on the outside. 
In the arrangement of German patent No. 4,477,507 of H. Kunert the U-legs 
of the gasket are secured to the pane by a heat-activatable adhesive. In 
addition a metallic inlay is imbedded in the gasket so that, whereas the 
gasket itself is made of an elastomeric and/or at least partially flexible 
material, the metallic inlay can be plastically deformed in order to 
impart a desired shape to the gasket. This is done by mounting the gasket 
on the pane and then fitting the gasket-pane assembly into a two-part mold 
and plastically deforming the gasket to the desired shape. 
Such a procedure is fairly complex and represents a major additional step 
in the manufacture of a motor vehicle, a mass-production operation that 
can ill afford such additional overhead. In addition such a method does 
not take into account sloppy tolerances in the shape of the window 
opening, so that although the pane-gasket assembly can be set to high 
tolerances, bad tolerances in the window opening still can lead to leaks. 
In another known system described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,609 of S. Denman 
the gasket has a thermosetting core in the center of which is embedded a 
resistance-type heating wire and around which is provided an impervious 
wrap in turn carrying a pressure-sensitive adhesive. This gasket is fitted 
between the pane edge and the frame border and electricity is passed 
through the heating wire as the pane is pressed into the window opening. 
As the core is heated it softens and allows the gasket to assume a shape 
externally complementary to the opening border and internally 
complementary to the pane edge. 
Such an arrangement is fairly complicated, entailing several steps to mount 
the pane. In addition the gasket itself is a complex and expensive item. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved 
fixed-pane assembly for a motor-vehicle window. 
Another object is the provision of such a fixed-pane assembly for a 
motor-vehicle window which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that 
is which is fairly inexpensive to manufacture and assemble, yet which 
provides a solid mounting for the pane and a leaktight seal between the 
window edge and the frame border. 
Yet another object is to provide an improved method of mounting a pane in 
the window opening of a motor-vehicle body. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
A method of mounting a rigid window pane having an edge into a rigid window 
opening having a rigid border with an annular gasket according to this 
invention comprises the steps of first providing on the outer periphery of 
the gasket a layer of adhesive and fitting the gasket around the edge of 
the pane. Then the pane carrying the gasket is fitted to the window 
opening with the adhesive layer engaging the opening border and at the 
same time the pane carrying the gasket is heated and pressed into this 
opening to soften the gasket until it externally deforms plastically to 
complementarily fit the opening border. Subsequently the gasket is cooled 
and cured so it hardens and retains the shape imparted to it by the heat 
and pressure. 
According to this invention the gasket is formed of a thermoplastic 
synthetic resin or of a vulcanizable or polymerizable, that is 
heat-curing, synthetic resin or rubber. The polymerization can include the 
processes of polycondensation or polyaddition. 
In accordance with a further feature of this invention the adhesive is 
heat-activatable and is activated when the gasket is heated. It can also 
be contact-activatable and is activated when the gasket is pressed into 
the window border. Adhesives usable according to this invention can be of 
the thermally or chemically activatable type and can in fact be applied to 
the window opening instead of to the gasket. Standard adhesives made of 
methylmethacrylate, polyamide, polyurethane, or epoxies can be used. In 
addition hot-melt glues formed of styrolbutadiene, 
ethylene-vinyl-actetate, polyamide, polyaminoamide, or copolymers are also 
usable. 
The gasket according to the present invention can be provided on the edge 
of the pane by extruding it directly thereon in accordance with the RIM 
method described in German patent document 3,203,580. It can also be 
adhesively bonded to the pane edge and mechanical clips or trim can be 
provided to secure the gasket in place. 
According to the instant invention, therefore, the fitting of the gasket to 
the window opening can be carried out with no extra steps, and without the 
need of any supplementary forming equipment. The window opening itself 
acts as a mold. 
A window assembly according to this invention has a rigid window pane 
having an edge, a motor-vehicle body formed with a rigid window opening 
having a rigid border, an annular gasket of a heat-softenable material 
having an inner periphery form-fitted by heat and pressure around the pane 
edge and an outer periphery form-fitted by heat and pressure around the 
window border, and means for adhering the outer periphery of the gasket to 
the opening border. The gasket can be of a thermoplastic synthetic resin 
or of a heat-curing vulcanizable synthetic resin. The means is a layer of 
adhesive.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION 
As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 a rigid window pane 1, normally made of tempered 
or laminated safety glass, has an outer edge 2 fitted in a groove 3 in the 
inner periphery of an annular gasket 4. The gasket 4 is here formed of a 
thermoplastic synthetic resin or a vulcanizable, that is thermosetting, 
resin and is free of any inlay. It is provided with fitting elements 5 to 
fit it to the inner border 6 of a window opening 7 of a motor-vehicle 
body. The pane 1 and gasket 4 are fitted to the opening 6 by pressing them 
in place therein and simultaneously heating at least the formations 5 so 
that same are rendered plastic and deform to conform perfectly to the 
shape of this border 6. In addition it is possible to provide an adhesive 
layer 8 between the gasket 4 and the opening 6.