Accessory support device for vehicle windshield and method of installing

Attached onto a windshield of laminated safety glass for an automobile in the upper region of its face inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle is a shaped panel extending preferably over its entire width, which serves as a support and/or casing for various functional elements such as sun visors, a rear view mirror, speakers and/or automobile clock. This shaped panel, which is equipped with these functional elements, is attached to windshield before mounting it onto the body of the vehicle. In this way, the work done on the vehicle assembly line is simplified.

TECHNICAL FIELD 
This invention relates to the design and arrangement of the passenger 
compartment of a motor vehicle and specifically to the location and 
installation of various accessory features directly upon the front 
windshield of the vehicle. 
BACKGROUND ART 
The passenger compartment of a motor vehicle is usually equipped with 
various functional elements such as adjustable sun visors, interior 
lighting switches, rear view mirror, speakers and a clock. These elements 
are generally arranged such that they may be operated by either the driver 
or an adjacent passenger. 
Conventionally, several of these functional elements are installed in or on 
the dashboard while other elements, such as the sun visors and interior 
lights, are installed on the body of the vehicle, above the windshield, in 
which case openings, specifically for this purpose, must be provided in 
the body for attachment of these elements during final mounting on the 
chassis. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
This invention relates primarily to the front windshield, but it is 
entirely possible to provide the rear window or the side panes with a 
panel of this type which will then be equipped with elements of another 
type. 
The object of this invention is to simplify the design of the passenger 
compartment of a motor vehicle and to reduce the assembly time of the 
vehicle. 
For this purpose, the invention proposes to place a shaped panel, having a 
top side, a bottom side, two lateral sides and a front face which features 
two lateral portions and a central protruding portion, onto the inside 
passenger compartment face of the windshield along the upper edge and 
preferably extending over its entire width. This shaped panel will serve 
as a support and/or casing for various functional elements. In particular 
sun visors, rear view mirrors, interior lights with their switches, an 
automobile clock and speakers. 
In one embodiment of the invention, the panel can be connected, by a 
corresponding connecting vent, to the heating and ventilating system of 
the vehicle. The panel may be provided with appropriate blowing vents that 
can be directed toward the windshield which serves to improve the speed of 
the defrosting and defogging of the windshield. If applicable, auxiliary 
vents can also be placed on the face of the panel adjacent to the roof to 
improve the circulation of the air in the passenger compartment by 
directing air current toward the roof of the vehicle contributing to 
improved comfort. 
The panel may, if desired, be fastened to the windshield, as a preassembled 
part, before installing the windshield on the body of the car. The 
connections corresponding to the electrical system and, if applicable, to 
the ventilation system will have to be made during installation of the 
panel. The conduits necessary for the connection are to be provided at the 
desired position in the body of the vehicle, for example, along or inside 
pillars which connect the roof to the body of the vehicle. 
The use of such a preassembled panel by the automobile manufacturer will 
save preparation and assembly work on the body and the interior equipment. 
Die stampings normally necessary to form the pieces of sheet metal and the 
insertion of bolts for the fastening of sun visors, of various knobs and 
of the interior light may be eliminated. During assembly of the vehicle an 
entire series of assembly work is eliminated, such as the mounting of the 
sun visors, the installation of the interior lighting, clock, speakers and 
various switches. All of these parts are already mounted on the panel and 
consequently, do not have to be introduced on the assembly line as 
isolated parts. 
Attaching the pre-equipped panel to the windshield makes use of fastening 
brackets which are glued to the windshield by the windshield manufacturer. 
The panel is attached to these brackets before the installation of the 
windshield onto the automobile body. The attaching can be done by bolts or 
other ordinary means such as clips or interlocking holding devices. 
The windshield consists of laminated glass which will maintain a 
considerable cohesion in case one of the sheets of glass is broken, so 
that the panel remains securely attached, even if the windshield is broken 
.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Windshield 1 comprises two sheets 2 and 3 of silicate glass glued to one 
another having a thermoplastic interlayer 4 over their entire surface. 
Along its peripheral edge, windshield 1 is provided with an opaque coating 
5 forming a frame. Opaque coating 5 comprises a layer of colored enamel, 
baked onto the surface of the glass during the heat treatment for bending 
of the glass sheet. Along the upper edge of the windshield at 5', the 
coating is wide enough to hide panel 6 from direct view from outside the 
vehicle. 
Panel 6 is attached to the inner face of windshield 1 along its upper edge 
while maintaining a distance A relative to the edge of the windshield and 
extends substantially over the entire width of windshield 1. Distance A is 
measured so that windshield 1 and panel 6 can be mounted in the frame of 
the window without interfering with the attachment edge of the body. 
Panel 6 is constructed as a single piece and comprises a hollow body of 
plastic, produced by a known process of pressing and deep drawing. Panel 6 
is provided with all the openings and reinforcements necessary for the 
mounting of various elements on its surface or in its interior. 
Panel 6, as illustrated, has two lateral portions and a protruding central 
portion 8 directed toward the interior of the passenger compartment. In 
panel 6, various elements can be placed, such as a digital clock 10 and 
two speakers 11 and 12. A mirror support 13 and a rear view mirror 14 are 
also mounted on the protruding portion 8 of the panel. 
On the two lateral portions of panel 6, adjacent to the protruding portion 
8, may be attached two sun visors 15 using pivot part 17 and holding pin 
18. The pivot part 17 is an integral part of panel 6. 
On one of its lateral sides, panel 6 may be provided with an opening 20 for 
connection to the ventilation system of the vehicle. Opening 20 is 
operatively associated with the conduits or recesses through which air is 
conducted to slot-shaped vents 22 and 23. Vents 22 are directed toward the 
windshield surface and vents 23 toward the roof of the vehicle. Suitable 
registers and/or flaps can also be mounted in panel 6 to regulate the flow 
and direction of the air current through the vents. 
Panel 6 is configured on its under surface to be mounted upon brackets 25. 
For this purpose, mounting brackets 25 are attached to the surface of the 
windshield on opaque layer 5', using appropriate layers of glue 26. To 
obtain a particularly good attachment of mounting brackets 25 on the 
layers of glue 26, said brackets 25 are provided with holes 27 through 
which a portion of glue mass 26 flows. Mounting brackets 25 have upper and 
lower notched projecting parts 28 which engage a corresponding notched 
projecting part 29 on the inner surface of panel 6. 
Mounting brackets 25 may be glued to the windshield 1 in the windshield 
production workshop. Also, windshield 1 can, as is seen in FIG. 2, be 
provided in this shop with a spacer 31, which exhibits in cross section 
two peripheral portions 32 that taper to a wedge. These peripheral 
portions 32 are used to delimit the glue layer 33 with which the 
windshield 1 is glued to attachment edge 34 of the body. 
While it is apparent that the invention herein disclosed is well calculated 
to fulfill the objects above stated, it will be appreciated that numerous 
modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art, 
and it is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications 
and embodiments as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present 
invention.