Window panel position regulating assembly

A window panel position regulating means for a vehicle door which will accommodate a doubly irregularly curved window panel and will guide the window panel through the slot at the belt line of the door in such a manner that the width of the belt line slot can be maintained at absolute minimum so as to improve the oveall appearance of the door assembly and the functional rigidity of the assembly. The regulating assembly includes a pair of guide channel members mounted within the door panel cavity at the front edge of the door and a third guide channel member mounted within the door panel cavity at the rear edge of the door. Guide follower members are mounted to the window and guided within the respective guide channel members to thereby guide the window through the belt line slot. Each guide channel member is generally curved in the direction of the curve of the window panel and has a substantially continuously variable rate of curvature distinct from that of any other guide channel member to provide that the window panel will be continuously pivoted about several axes as it is raised and lowered to allow it to pass through the belt line slot of minimum width.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
The present invention relates to a window panel position regulating 
assembly, and more particularly a regulating mechanism for raising and 
lowering a vehicle window. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
In recent years, vehicle window glass has undergone significant evolution 
in that increasingly dramatic styling changes have brought about the 
evolution of cylindrically curved door window panes including most 
recently, doubly curved door window panes. 
The introduction of cylindrically curved windows led to significant changes 
in the window position regulating assemblies, particularly the window 
guiding system. Typical systems for raising and lowering cylindrical 
window panels are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,844,405, 3,808,743, 4,094,100, 
4,550,529, 4,730,414 and 4,785,582. Each such U.S. patent shows a vehicle 
window guiding system comprising at least a single guide channel, and in 
some instances a pair of guide channels for guiding the raising and 
lowering of the window pane along a curvlinear path. 
With the coming of doubly curved vehicle window panels greater design 
demands are to be placed on the regulating assemblies for raising and 
lowering such panels. 
The term "doubly curved" refers to a window panel which is not only curved 
in the direction about the horizontal axis of the vehicle being primarily 
apparent in the front and rear views of the vehicle, but also curved in 
the third dimension i.e. about a somewhat vertical axis of the vehicle 
being primarily apparent in the plan view of the vehicle. 
Stated otherwise, a doubly curved window pane is one which is generally 
convex to the vehicle exterior axis parallel to the centerline of the 
vehicle and a somewhat vertical axis approximately parallel to the 
tumblehome in front view of the vehicle. In the truest sense, this 
invention concerns a window which should be referred to as doubly 
irregularly curved to provide a truly aerodynamically shaped vehicle. In 
irregularly curved glass, the degree of convexity of the window is not 
uniform along any axes. In other words, the rate of curvature is not 
constant. For example, to produce an aerodynamically advantageous 
continuous surface, the instantaneous radius of curvature on both the 
vertical and horizontal sections will be greatest at the upper and 
forwardmost edges of the window pane. 
Were the aforesaid previously known systems to be employed to raise and 
lower such a window panel, the slot at the belt line of the door through 
which the window must pass would have to be extremely wide. 
In other words, a slot within the door panel at the belt line for passing 
the window from the fully raised condition to a fully open position must 
accommodate the depth of the window pane as defined by the degree of 
convexity as well as the overall uniform cross-sectional thickness of the 
window pane itself. The task is similar to getting a chair through a 
doorway. If one were to try and pass a chair straight-on through the 
doorway, the doorway would have to at least equal the width of the chair. 
On the other hand, were one to tilt or rotate or pivot the chair as it is 
passing through the slot defined by the doorway, one could pass a chair of 
greater width than the width of the doorway. It is upon this general 
principle that the present invention is based. 
An improvement over the aforesaid prior art systems is offered by the 
system shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,205 wherein the front and rear 
vertically oriented guide channels are each provided with a different 
radius of curvature. That is, the front guide channel has a sharper radius 
of curvature than the rear. Consequently, a cylindrically curved window 
having a very modest degree of curvature about the somewhat vertical axis 
of the vehicle can be reasonably accommodated. 
However, such a system is not well suited to accommodate a doubly curved 
window, especially a doubly irregularly curved window having vertical 
sections along the window where the window curvature is not a radius. The 
guide channels described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,205 do not induce the 
window to oscillate in plan view side-to-side at different rates at the 
front and rear as it is raised or lowered, which as explained in detail 
below is the key to maneuvering a doubly curved cylindrical window panel 
within a door panel slot of minimum dimension. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention contemplates a window panel position regulating means 
for a vehicle door which will accommodate a doubly irregularly curved 
window panel and will guide the window panel through the slot at the belt 
line of the door in such a manner that the width of the belt line slot can 
be maintained at absolute minimum so as to improve the overall appearance 
of the door assembly and the functional rigidity of the assembly. 
More specifically, the invention contemplates a vehicle body door 
including: 
an interior door panel and an external door panel joined together in spaced 
relation and providing a door cavity therebetween which terminates at the 
upper edge of each such door panel in an elongated slot, 
a window panel adapted to be raised and lowered within the door cavity and 
through the slot, 
guide means within the door cavity for guiding said window panel through 
the slot as the window panel is raised or lowered, 
the guide means including means for tilting the window panel at variable 
rates and/or in varying direction (i) along a somewhat vertical axis 
(primarily apparent in the plan view of the vehicle) throughout any part 
of the extent of travel from a fully raised position to a fully lowered 
position, and (ii) along a substantially longitudinal axis at variable 
rates and/or in varying direction throughout any part of the extent of 
travel from a fully raised position to a fully lowered position, whereby 
said window panel will be substantially continuously pivoting about at 
least one of several axes as it is raised and lowered, thereby adjusting 
the plane of the window panel at the slot so as to pass through a slot of 
minimum width. 
Additionally, the present invention contemplates means for causing the 
bottom edge portion of said window panel to appear substantially flush 
with said outer door panel upon reaching a substantially fully raised 
position. 
The present invention further contemplates a vehicle door and window panel 
construction wherein a doubly irregularly curved window panel is 
substantially flush with the outer door panel at the belt line and the 
other edges could be perfectly flush with the remainder of the window 
panel opening as defined by the surrounding surface of door, window frame 
or vehicle body. 
The above objects and other objects, features, and advantages of the 
present invention are readily apparent from the following detailed 
description of the best modes for carrying out the invention when taken in 
connection with the accompanying drawings.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION 
In FIG. 1, there is shown a motor vehicle, designated generally at 10, of 
basic design illustrating the aerodynamic enhancement of the vehicle that 
is provided by doubly irregularly contoured glass in at least the vehicle 
front side door 12. The doubly irregularly curved window pane 14 
incorporated into the side door assembly is shown in cross section at 
FIGS. 2 and 3 at specific sections taken along the section lines 
indicated. While not readily apparent from FIGS. 2 and 3, it is to be 
known that the rate of curvature through each cross section varies 
continuously as with a compound curve. 
In FIG. 4, 5 and 6, the general assembly of the vehicle side door 12, the 
window panel 14 and the regulating means, designated generally at 16, for 
raising and lowering the window panel within the door is shown in detail. 
As seen in FIGS. 5 and 6, the window panel 14 is guided to pass through a 
slot 18 defined by outer and inner door panels 20 and 22, respectively. 
The longitudinal extent of slot 18 is known a the "belt line" and will 
hereafter be referred to as such. The window is supported and guided by a 
pair of guide channel members 24 and 26 located generally at the front 
edge of the window panel and a rear guide channel member 28 located at the 
rear edge of the window panel. Each of the guide channel members 24, 26 
and 28 are located within the door cavity 30 as defined by the outer and 
inner door panels 20 and 22, respectively. The window panel includes a 
plurality of guide followers in the form of track rollers 32, 34, and 36 
affixed to the window panel by an appropriate means, as described in 
detail with respect to FIGS. 7-9. 
The regulating means -6 shown is an apertured tape-type window regulator 
drive including a drive motor 38 which powers a continuous tape (not 
shown). The tape is operatively associated with the bottom edge portion of 
the window pane, in a manner not shown, to raise or lower the window pane 
dependent on the direction of the drive motor 38. Window regulator 16 
forms no part of the present invention and could be of any other 
construction including a hand crank mechanism. 
As seen in FIG. 5, the front guide channel members 24 and 26 define a 
certain travel path for the window pane 14 beginning at the position 
indicated in phantom line. In this position, the lower front track roller 
32 which is affixed to the lower front edge of the window panel -4 is 
located at the bottom of guide channel member 24. Upper front track roller 
34, which is affixed to the front edge of the glass panel 14 at a point 
above the belt line when the window is in the fully raised condition, is 
operatively associated with guide channel member 26. The fully raised 
condition of the window panel is indicated in solid line in FIG. 5. 
Similarly, in FIG. 6, it is to be noted that the window panel in its 
lowermost position is indicated in phantom line and in its fully raised 
position in solid line. 
Each guide channel member 24, 26 and 28 is seen to be generally the shape 
of an arc scribed about the horizontal center line of the vehicle. 
However, the rate of curvature for each of the guide channel members 24, 
26 and 28 is not equal or constant throughout the window panel travel 
path. Nor does the rate of curvature at any one point of elevation or 
travel of one guide channel member necessarily equal that of the remaining 
guide channel members. Any such equality would be coincidental for reasons 
explained below. Further, it will be noted that the guide channel members 
24, 26 and 28 are inversely curved at points a, b, c, and d for reasons 
which are also explained more fully below. 
Looking now at FIGS. 7-9, there is shown the details of the construction of 
the respective track roller and guide channel member assemblies. 
Each guide channel member 24, 26 and 28 is generally identically 
constructed. For example, looking at FIG. 8, guide channel member 26 is 
substantially U-shaped and includes a base wall 40 and side walls 42 and 
44, each of which are turned over at their ends inwardly as shown at 46 
and 48 to contain track roller member 34. Track roller member 34 comprises 
a pair of tapered track rollers 50 mounted on a common rotational axes. 
Track rollers 50 are carried by bracket member 52 affixed to the window 
panel. The remaining guide channel members 24 and 28 and respective track 
roller members 32 and 36 are similarly constructed. The guide channel 
members 26 and 28 are connected to intermediate strengthening member 54 
extending from the front edge of the door to the rear edge of the door. 
Similarly, guide channel member 24 is connected to a further 
longitudinally extending strengthening member 56 within the door cavity 
30. Any other means of mounting the guide channel members to the door 
structure would also be acceptable. 
In operation, and looking particularly at FIGS. 4-6, it will be noted that 
as the window panel 14 is raised from its lowermost position, the 
difference in the degree of curvature at any one point in the upward 
travel of the window panel is constantly varied. Thus, the lateral 
distance between the axis defined by track roller 34 and that defined by 
track roller 32 is constantly varying. This then causes the window panel 
to pivot about the axes of each track roller, including the axes of track 
roller 36 at the rear edge of the window panel. There is sufficient 
freedom in the track roller and guide channel assembly that a limited 
degree of pivoting or tilting as determined by the rate of curvature of 
the guide channel members can be accommodated. Thus, the window panel will 
be tilted in a generally lateral plane at the vehicle door belt line as 
the window panel is passing through the slot. This lateral tilting will 
cause the window panel to be, in effect, tilted so that the curvature of 
the glass panel at that particular point will be presented in a manner 
representing the minimum depth of the glass panel, thus allowing the slot 
to be designed at the minimum width necessary to pass the glass panel. 
Track rollers 34 and 32 also define a vertical tilt axis relative to track 
roller 36 within rear guide channel member 28. Since the rate of curvature 
between front guide channel member 26 and rear guide channel member 28 is 
variable, the degree of variance will determine the amount that the window 
panel will tilt about the vertical axis defined by track rollers 32 and 
34. 
Looking at FIGS. 5 and 6, for example, it will be noted that rear guide 
channel member 28 is inversely curved at a point d at the lowermost 
position. Front guide channel member 24 includes no similar inverse 
curvature. Thus, as the window panel is raised from this lowermost 
position, the front edge of the window panel will remain at a constant 
lateral position, whereas the rear edge will follow the track roller as it 
traverses laterally inwardly along the inverse curvature d. This in turn 
will cause the rear edge to pivot about the vertical axis defined by track 
rollers 34 and 32 thus presenting a certain minimum cross-sectional 
curvature of the window panel at the slot 18. As the window continues to 
traverse upwardly along the guide channel member 28, it is seen that the 
track roller 36 again moves laterally outwardly thus causing the window 
panel to pivot back in the opposite direction laterally outwardly about 
the aforesaid vertical axis. This again adjusts the cross-sectional 
envelope or shape of the window panel as it is passing through the slot 18 
so as to accommodate the minimum width through which the glass panel at 
that particular point in time can be passed. 
In FIG. 10, there is shown a means by which the rear edge of the window 
panel is forced laterally outwardly to a position stabilizing the window 
relative to the outer door panel. Attached at the lower edge portion of 
the window panel is an annular member 60 in the form of an elastomeric 
ball having a stem portion 62 passing through the window panel member and 
a deflectable head portion 64 at the other side of the window panel which 
holds the elastomeric ball fixed to the window panel. Mounted on the 
intermediate reinforcement member 54 in the door cavity is a bracket 
member plate 66. The plate is inclined in the direction of the outer door 
panel from its lowermost portion to its upwardmost portion. Thus, when the 
window panel approaches its uppermost position as the window is being 
raised, the elastomeric ball 60 will engage and slide upon the lowermost 
portion of plate 66 and laterally transfer the lowermost edge of the 
window panel towards the outer door panel inducing a torque about the belt 
area into the window to assure sealing engagement with the upper 
weatherstrip seal 68. This firmly stabilizes the window relative to the 
vehicle. 
In FIGS. 11 and 12, there is shown the continuous weatherstrip member 
designated generally at 70 surrounding the window opening from the front 
and rear edges thereof as shown in FIG. 12 and across the roof panel as 
shown in FIG. 11. The details of the weatherstrip member are shown and 
described in copending patent application Ser. No. 457,035, filed Dec. 26, 
1989 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, the disclosure 
of which is incorporated herein by reference. Generally, weatherstrip 
member 70 includes a seal body portion 72 and a flexible elongated lip 
portion 74. The seal body portion includes a slot along one edge for 
fitting it over a flange 76 extending outwardly from the vehicle body 
member (or door window opening for framed door application) for purposes 
of securing the weatherstrip to the vehicle body member. The seal lip 
member, in its uncompressed state, extends radially outwardly from the 
seal body portion 72 in a manner as shown in phantom line in FIGS. 11 and 
12. The seal lip is relatively thin in cross-section such that at its 
juncture with the seal body portion, it defines a flex joint. As the 
window panel is raised, it will first engage the seal lip 74 at its 
outermost extremity thereafter forcing it bend about the flex joint and 
come into contact with the window panel along its full length extending 
from the flex joint to the tip of the seal lip member. Thereafter, the 
window panel engages the locator portion 78 of the seal member and then 
the top edge of the window panel engages the bulbed gap-filling seal 
portion 79. The point at which the window panel 14 engages the locator 
portion of the seal provides additional support for the window panel, thus 
stabilizing it at the fully raised condition, as well as providing a 
positive location to assure a flush appearance. 
Looking at FIGS. 13-20, the dynamics of the tilting of the window panel as 
it passes through the slot 18 can be observed What is shown as the slot 18 
is the width between the outer and inner door panels 20 and 22, 
respectively, at the belt line as bounded by respective weatherstrips 68 
and 80 as each is in a fully compressed state. In the fully relaxed state, 
i.e. when the window is fully dropped, the weatherstrips 68 and 80 on 
either side of the slot tend to contact each other. Thus, the line 82 
represents the fully compressed condition of exterior weatherstrip 68 and 
the line 84 represents the fully compressed state of interior weatherstrip 
80. Window 14 must pass through these boundaries 82 and 84 and a principal 
object of the present invention as stated earlier is that the slot width 
between these boundaries be maintained to the absolute minimum required to 
accomplish this task. This, in turn, is assured by the fact that the guide 
channels are designed so that the doubly irregularly curved window panel 
will tend to be force balanced between the weatherstrips on either side of 
slot 18. 
To illustrate, beginning at the representation of FIG. 13, it is seen that 
the window panel is close to its lowermost position. The length of the 
window panel, shown in cross-section, from the front edge 86 to the rear 
edge 88, is seen to be minimal. Further, it will be noted that the point 
of maximum force F exerted on the window is located very near the front 
edge 86 of the window panel. Weatherstrip 68 can be compressed no further. 
Also, it will be noted that the rear edge 88 of the window panel is fairly 
close to the inboard compression line 84 of the slot, as represented by 
the distance l, thereby indicating that the slot 18 is at the minimum 
width required to allow the window to pass through. 
In FIG. 14, the window panel is shown in a slightly higher position. Due to 
the convexity of the window panel, the front edge 86 has now fully 
compressed inboard weatherstrip 80 and the outer surface of the window has 
fully compressed the outboard weatherstrip 68 at contact point F. 
Further, it will be noted that the distance of the window rear edge 88 from 
the inboard compression line 84 of the slot has increased to a dimension 
t. The distance at which the rear edge of the window panel 14 is 
maintained from the inboard compression line 84 is controlled in part by 
the convexity of the glass and in part by the difference in rate of 
curvature between the rear guide channel member 28 relative to the front 
guide channel member 24 and the resultant degree of lateral displacement 
of the rear edge of the panel about the vertical axis defined by the front 
guide channel members. These adjustments are made constantly as the window 
panel passes through the slot as it continues to be raised as shown in 
FIGS. 14 through 19. 
In FIG. 19, it can be seen that the window panel is very nearly in its 
raised position whereby the front edge 86 of the window panel is nearing 
the end 90 of the slot. At this point, the window front edge is the one 
point bearing the greatest load as it bears against weatherstrip 80. 
Throughout the remainder of the window cross-section, the load induced on 
the window by the both weatherstrips 68 and 80 is fairly uniformly 
dispersed. 
Finally, in FIG. 20, the window panel is shown in the position very close 
to the fully raised position and very near a flush condition with the 
outer door panel. At this point, the front track rollers 32 and 34 have at 
least begun to traverse the inversely curved portions b and c (FIG. 5) of 
the respective guide channel members 24 and 26, thus displacing the window 
panel laterally outwardly towards outer door panel 20. 
Also, the slide member 60 positioned at the rear lower edge of the window 
panel has at least begun to traverse the door mounted inclined surface of 
the door mounted plate 66, forcing the rear edge of the window panel 
laterally outwardly a slight distance in the direction of the outer door 
panel and firmly stabilizing the window against weatherstrip seal 68 at 
the belt line and around the entire window opening against weatherstrip 
70. 
The window shapes or curves to be accommodated by the present invention are 
those ranging from a No. 1 true sweep to a 500 millimeter (mm) radius in 
plan view as shown in FIG. 2, and from a No. 1 true sweep to an irregular 
radius as small as 50 mm in rear view as shown in FIG. 3. Briefly, in 
automobile body design, the sweep number is the number of eighths of an 
inch between a constant radius arc and its chord when the chord length is 
60 inches. 
While the best mode for carrying out the invention has been described in 
detail, those familiar with the art to which this invention relates will 
recognize alternative designs and embodiments for practicing the 
invention. For example, the invention has been described most particularly 
relative to a vehicle door window regulating system whereas it is equally 
applicable to other non-fixed vehicle windows, such as tailgate windows. 
Furthermore, it need not be limited to use on vehicles, and would have 
application anywhere a doubly curved window panel is to be raised and 
lowered through an enclosing panel structure slot of minimum dimension. 
Thus, the above described preferred embodiment is intended to be 
illustrative of the invention which may be modified within the scope of 
the following appended claims.