Vehicle door upper assembly

A vehicle door upper assembly is provided for removable mounting on a vehicle door lower assembly, and comprises a body subassembly, a window subassembly and a connecting subassembly. The body subassembly includes outer and inner panels interconnected by a panel spacer and includes a window opening bounded by a window pocket. The window subassembly includes a track mounted within the window pocket and outer and inner windowpanes slidably received in the window pocket. The connecting subassembly includes a structural rod mounting L-shaped pins with legs depending downwardly from the body subassembly and removably received in pin receivers or stake pockets formed in the vehicle door lower assembly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates generally to vehicle doors, and in particular 
to a vehicle door upper assembly for removable mounting on a vehicle door 
lower assembly. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Various types of vehicles are designed for use with their doors, or parts 
thereof, removed during operation. Moreover, the tops of such vehicles are 
often removable. For example, vehicles intended for off-road and 
sport/utility use are often designed with removable doors and tops to 
facilitate ingress and egress. 
However, such vehicles are normally equipped with doors and windows for use 
in inclement weather. Conventional vehicle doors with roll-up and power 
windows are generally unsuited for such convertible operation because they 
tend to be relatively heavy and thus difficult to remove and replace. 
Moreover, complete door-and-window units could be susceptible to damage if 
frequently removed and replaced. 
A partial solution to these problems is to provide flexible side curtains 
in lieu of door-and-window combinations. Side curtains can be used in 
conjunction with "soft" tops. However, removable hard tops can provide 
significant advantages. The vehicle door upper assembly of the present 
invention addresses the need for a separately removable door upper 
assembly which provides superior weather protection and durability as 
compared to side curtains made of flexible material and which is adapted 
for use with removable hard tops. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
In the practice of the present invention, a vehicle door upper assembly is 
provided for removable mounting on a vehicle door lower assembly, and 
generally comprises body, window and connecting subassemblies. The body 
subassembly includes inner and outer panels interconnected by a panel 
spacer. A window opening is formed in the body subassembly and is 
surrounded by a window pocket formed between the panels and the spacer. 
The window subassembly includes a track mounted in the window pocket and 
outer and inner windowpanes slidably received in the track. The connecting 
subassembly includes a structural rod mounted between the outer and inner 
panels and a plurality of L-shaped pins. Each pin includes a generally 
horizontal leg mounted on the structural rod and vertical leg depending 
downwardly from the body subassembly. The vehicle door lower assembly 
includes pin receivers or stake pockets which receive the vertical legs of 
the pins for mounting the vehicle door upper assembly on the lower 
assembly. The window and body subassemblies include drain passages for 
draining water therefrom. 
OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION 
The principal objects and advantages of the present invention include 
providing a vehicle door upper assembly for removable mounting on a 
vehicle door lower assembly; providing such an assembly which can be 
designed with an appearance consistent with that of the vehicle door lower 
assembly; providing such an assembly which can provide a relatively 
weather-tight enclosure for the vehicle cab; providing such an assembly 
which is relatively easy to remove; providing such an assembly which is 
adapted for use with a hard top; and providing such an assembly which 
includes windowpanes which are independently slidable with respect to each 
other. 
Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from 
the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying 
drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, 
certain embodiments of this invention. 
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary 
embodiments of the present invention and illustrate various objects and 
features thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed 
herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are 
merely exemplary of the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. 
Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are 
not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims 
and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to 
variously employ the present invention in virtually any appropriately 
detailed structure. 
I. Introduction and Environment 
Certain terminology will be used in the following description for 
convenience in reference only and will not be limiting. For example, the 
words "upwardly", "downwardly", "rightwardly" and "leftwardly" will refer 
to directions in the drawings to which reference is made. The words 
"inwardly" and "outwardly" will refer to directions toward and away from, 
respectively, the geometric center of the embodiment being described and 
designated parts thereof. Said terminology will include the words 
specifically mentioned, derivatives thereof and words of a similar import. 
Referring to the drawings in more detail, the reference numeral 2 generally 
designates a vehicle door upper assembly embodying the present invention 
and adapted for mounting on a vehicle door lower assembly 4 to form a door 
6 for a vehicle 8 (FIG. 1). The door upper assembly 2 generally comprises 
a body subassembly 10, a window subassembly 12 and a connecting 
subassembly 14. 
II. Body Subassembly 10 
The body 10 includes outer and inner panels 16, 18 each having a respective 
panel opening 20, 22. The panel openings 20, 22 are generally aligned to 
form a window opening 24. 
A panel spacer 26 generally surrounds the window opening 24 and 
interconnects the outer and inner panels 16, 18 in spaced relation (FIG. 
3). The panel spacer 26 includes outer and inner flanges 28, 30 at spacer 
outer and inner faces 29, 31 interconnected by a spacer web 32. 
As shown in FIGS. 2, 4 and 5, the body 10 generally has the configuration 
of a five-sided frame enclosing the window opening 24 and defining front, 
rear, upper, lower front and lower rear sections 34a-e respectively, which 
sections have respective edges 36a-e. 
Along the lower rear body section 34e, the panel spacer 26 includes a 
stiffener flange 38 mounted on the outer panel 16 and a stiffener web 40. 
The body 10 is provided with an outer gasket 42 which interconnects the 
outer and inner panels 16, 18 along the front, rear, and upper edges 36a-c 
and with an inner gasket 44 mounted on the inner panel 18 along the lower 
front and lower rear edges 34d and 34e for engaging the vehicle door lower 
assembly 4. 
The panels 16, 18 and the spacer subassembly 26 form a window pocket 46 
which generally surrounds the window opening 24 and is open thereto. 
The panels 16, 18 and the panel spacer 26 can be connected to each other by 
any suitable means, such as mechanical fasteners or suitable adhesive, the 
latter being shown at 48. The adhesive 48 can comprise, for example, 
urethane, cryogenic adhesive, pressure sensitive adhesive (e.g., 
double-sided tape), fiber reinforced plastic or any other adhesive 
suitable for bonding the respective materials. 
III. Window Subassembly 12 
The window subassembly 12 includes a track 52 generally surrounding the 
window opening 24 and mounted on the spacer 32 within the window pocket 
46. The track 52 forms outer and inner channels 54, 56 which open towards 
the window opening 24 and are lined with respective sliding gasket means 
58, which can comprise, for example, felt. 
Outer and inner windowpanes 60, 62 are slidably received in the outer and 
inner channels 54, 56 respectively. A latch assembly 64 is mounted on the 
inner windowpane 62 and selectively engages a catch 66 for locking the 
window subassembly 12 in a closed position thereof (FIG. 2). A window pull 
68 is mounted at the front of the outer windowpane 60 which facilitates 
sliding same. 
The window track 52 can comprise any suitable material, such as vinyl, 
rubber or steel, and can be mechanically or adhesively fastened to the 
body subassembly 10 by any suitable means, including the exemplary 
adhesives discussed above. 
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the windowpanes 60, 62 permit a degree of 
independent, sliding adjustment. In their closed positions (FIG. 2), the 
outer windowpane 60 is positioned forward and the inner windowpane 62 is 
positioned rearward. The outer windowpane can be slid rearwardly (FIG. 4) 
and the inner windowpane 62 can be slid forwardly (FIG. 5). 
IV. Connecting Subassembly 14 
The connecting subassembly 14 removably interconnects the vehicle door 
upper and lower assemblies 2, 4, and generally comprises a structural 
member 70 which can comprise, for example, a steel pipe or rod mounting a 
plurality of plates 73 which are suitably fastened to the outer panel 16 
by flexible adhesive 48, such as urethane. The structural rod 70 extends 
in directions which are generally parallel to the lower front and lower 
rear edges 36d, 36e. The structural rod 70 has upturned end sections 71 
which extend partway into the body front and rear sections 34a, 34b. 
A plurality (e.g., three are shown) of L-shaped pins 72 each includes an 
upper, generally horizontal leg 74 fixedly attached to the structural rod 
70 and a lower, generally vertical leg 76 depending downwardly from the 
lower edges 34d, 36e and removably received in pin receivers or stake 
pockets 78 formed in the door lower assembly 4. With the door upper 
assembly 2 mounted on the door lower assembly 4, the flexible adhesive 48 
can resiliently retain the door upper assembly 2 in place in the vehicle 
door opening and can dampen shocks and vibrations associated with vehicle 
travel. 
The door upper assembly 2 is designed for self-draining by means of a 
series of drain passages 80 formed in the track 52 in each channel 54, 56 
thereof, in the spacer webs 32, 40 and in the outer panel 16 along the 
lower front and lower rear edges 36d, 36e thereof. 
It is to be understood that while certain forms of the present invention 
have been illustrated and described herein, it is not to be limited to the 
specific forms or arrangement of parts described and shown.