Four-sided flush glass assembly

Abstract: A gasket system (30) has a gasket adapted to be secured about an opening. The gasket includes a mechanism for retaining and sealing a window (14) or the like. The gasket (30) is positioned about the opening such that when the window (14) is positioned within the opening, the window (14) substantially conceals the gasket (30) and is flush at its perimeter with the opening.

Description: The present invention relates to weather stripping gasket assemblies and, more particularly, to a weather stripping gasket assembly that, when positioned on a vehicle, provides the vehicle window panes with a peripheral flush appearance with the vehicle body. In the automotive industry, it is desirable to have movable window panes which are flush with the vehicle body roof, door and side pillars. This flushness, while providing an aesthetic appearance, also provides aerodynamic characteristics and reduces drag. When providing movable window panes that are peripherally flush with the vehicle body, the sealing of the window pane must be taken into consideration. In a peripheral or four-sided flush movable window pane system, the weather stripping is substantially behind or on the interior of the window pane concealed from view from the outside of the vehicle (see e.g. figure 3 of EP-A-0061027). Such strips are known on vehicle doors having a frame wherein a large part of the strip is concealed behind the frame. Weather stripping currently utilized by the automotive industry for movable window panes has a U-shaped glass run channel. The U-shaped channel sandwiches the window pane periphery between the legs and web of the U-shaped channel to retain and seal the window (see e.g. FR-A-2551826). These types of glass run channel systems also have a portion of the weather stripping or a moulding on the exterior or outside of the window pane. DE-A-3236168 discloses a sealing system for a door without a window frame having retaining means to retain the weather strip on a flange and means for sealing and spacing of the window pane from the surrounding body. Accordingly, the present invention provides the art with a weather stripping system for movable vehicle window panes which enable the windows to be peripherally flush with the vehicle body. The present invention provides the art with a weather stripping system that is substantially concealed from view by the movable window panes in a closed position. According to the present invention, there is provided a sealing system intended to support and seal a window pane of a vehicle door in which the door is not provided with a window frame, the sealing system comprising a side weather strip having: retaining means adapted to retain the weather strip on a flange extending about an opening on the vehicle in a direction generally parallel with the window pane, said retaining means including a flange-receiving channel adapted to receive the flange, a window pane-retaining means adapted to retain and seal a window pane, said window pane-retaining means including a window member-receiving channel adapted to receive a window member secured to the window pane; and sealing means for providing sealing and spacing between the perimeter of the window pane and the opening to prohibit contact of the window pane and the opening, characterised in that: said window member-receiving channel is positioned generally perpendicularly to said flange-receiving channel and the plane of said window pane such that said window pane-retaining means is substantially concealed from view when coupled with the window pane in a closed position; and in that the sealing means comprises a bead adapted to surround the perimeter of the window pane in a first position in which the vehicle door is closed but no longer surrounds the perimeter when the pane is outwardly moved to a second position in which the vehicle door is opened. Further developments in line with the invention as defined in claim 1 are referred to in the dependent claims 2 to 5. For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Figure 1 is a side elevation view of a vehicle embodying a weather stripping gasket system in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section view through a plane defined by line 2-2 of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section view through a plane defined by line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is an enlarged view of Figure 3 within circle 4; Figure 5 is a vertical cross-section view through the plane defined by line 5-5 of Figure 1; Figure 6 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through the plane defined by line 6-6 of Figure 1. Turning to the figures, particularly Figure 1, a vehicle 10 is illustrated with the weather stripping gasket assembly of the present invention. The vehicle 10 includes doors 12 and 13, windows 14 and 15, and roof 16. As can be seen from Figures 1-3, the windows 14 and 15 are substantially flush with the vehicle doors 12, 13, roof 16 and side and mirror panels 18 and 19. A small elastomeric bead 20, secured to the weather stripping gasket assembly, defines an outline of the periphery of the windows 14 and 15, provides an elastomeric seal and spaces the windows 14 and 15 from the sheet metal of the doors 12 and 13, roof 16 and the side and mirror panels 18 and 19. The weather stripping gasket assembly 30 is adapted to be secured about an opening in the vehicle 10. The weather stripping gasket assembly 30 is generally comprised of four separate and distinct portions forming the gasket system 30. The portions are side pillar members 32 and 34, top header member 36 and bottom member 38. The side members 32 and 34, top member 36 and bottom member 38 may be integrally formed as a single unit or nay be positioned individually onto the vehicle 10. The side members 32 and 34 are substantially identical and the following discussion will relate to both. Turning to Figure 4, a cross-section view of the side pillar members 32 and 34 is illustrated. The side pillar member weather strip 32, 34 includes a metallic reinforcement member 40 surrounded by an integral elastomeric skin 41. In cross-section, the reinforcement member 40 includes a first U-shaped channel 42 having elastomeric fingers 44 extending from skin 41 into the interior of the channel 42. The fingers 44 secure the weather stripping 32, 34 onto a flange 46 about the opening on the vehicle 10. A second U-shaped channel 48 of the reinforcement member 40, positioned transverse to the first U-shaped channel 42, is adapted to receive a member 50 secured to the window 14. The second U-shaped channel 48 generally has a pair of fingers 52 and 54 projecting from the skin 41 into the channel 48 to sealably contact member 50, as seen in Figure 4. A sealing flange 56 extends from the skin 41 at the end of one of the legs 55 of the U-shaped channel 48 to enhance the seal of the weather stripping 32, 34 with the vehicle opening. The member 50 is ordinarily elastomeric and adhesively secured or the like to the windows 14 and 15. The member 50 is generally T-shaped or L-shaped, having its vertical tail 60 received in the U-shaped channel 48 of the weather stripping 32, 34. A second elastomeric T-shaped member 62 is adhesively secured to the side panel 18 or the mirror panel 19, as seen in Figures 3 and 4. The T-shaped member 62 includes a member 68 which forms a portion of the peripheral bead 20. The vertical tail 70 of the T-shaped member 62 abuts the vehicle opening and is contacted by the sealing flange 56 to provide further sealing of the windows 14 and 15 with the vehicle body. The above-described system is generally used on a hard top type vehicle. The hard top vehicles enable the window members 50, and thus the windows 14 and 15, to be removed from the U-shaped receiving channels 48 of side members 32 and 34 when the doors 12 and 13 are opened. Thus, the windows 14 and 15 would extend freely from the doors 12 and 13 when the doors 12 and 13 are open. A clip mechanism 134 is utilized to retain the windows 14 and 15 in a sealed position when the doors 12 and 13 are closed. Turning to Figures 5 and 6, a pin 136 is illustrated traversing the U-shaped channel 48 of the side member 32 near the junction of the side member 32 and top member 36. A cutout portion 138 is formed in the T-shaped member 50 at its upper end. The cutout portion 138 includes a tail 140 at the free extending end of the member 50. The tail 140 resiliently deflects to enable the tail 140 to be positioned behind the pin 136 when the window is in a closed position, as seen in Figure 5. The tail 140 deflects, enabling the window 14 to be moved away from the pin 136 when the door is opened and deflects upon returning to its first position, as seen in phantom in Figure 5. Also, as the vehicle travels, the pin 136 retains the tail 140 in position so that the window does not blow out or move away from a sealing contact with channel 48 during travel of the vehicle. Alternatively, tail 140 can be a rigid member which is adjusted into position by a camming up action during door closure.

Claims: A sealing system intended to support and seal a window pane (14, 15) of a vehicle door (12, 13) in which the door (12, 13) is not provided with a window frame, the sealing system comprising a side weather strip (32, 34) having: retaining means adapted to retain the weather strip on a flange extending about an opening on the vehicle in a direction generally parallel with the window pane (14, 15), said retaining means including a flange-receiving channel (42) adapted to receive the flange (46), a window pane-retaining means adapted to retain and seal a window pane (14), said window pane-retaining means including a window member-receiving channel (48) adapted to receive a window member (50) secured to the window pane (14); and sealing means (20) for providing sealing and spacing between the perimeter of the window pane (14) and the opening to prohibit contact of the window pane (14) and the opening, characterised in that: said window member-receiving channel (48) is positioned generally perpendicularly to said flange-receiving channel (42) and the plane of said window pane (14) such that said window pane-retaining means is substantially concealed from view when coupled with the window pane (14) in a closed position, and in that the sealing means (20) comprises a bead adapted to surround the perimeter of the window pane (14) in a first position in which the vehicle door (12, 13) is closed but no longer surrounds the perimeter when the pane (14) is outwardly moved to a second position in which the vehicle door (12, 13) is opened. A sealing system according to claim 1, wherein the retaining means is adapted to retain the weather strip (32, 34) on a single end flange (46), and wherein the retaining means includes a single flange receiving channel (42). A system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a reinforcement member (40) and an elastomeric skin (41) surrounding said reinforcement member (40), said reinforcement member (40) and elastomeric skin (41) forming said flange receiving channel (42) and said window member receiving channel (48). A system according to claim 3, wherein said retaining means comprises one or more fingers (44) extending from said skin (41) of said flange-receiving channel (42), said fingers (44) adapted to contact said flange (46) to retain said weather strip on said flange (46). A system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein said window member-receiving channel (48) comprises a pair of fingers (52, 54) extending from said skin (41) from opposing sides of said channel (48), said fingers (52, 54) being adapted to contact and seal the member (50).

Inventors: BELSER JOHN WILLIAM, KEYS JAMES FREDERICK, VAUGHAN ROBERT ALBERT, BELSER, JOHN WILLIAM, KEYS, JAMES FREDERICK, VAUGHAN, ROBERT ALBERT
Applicants: STANDARD PRODUCTS CO, THE STANDARD PRODUCTS COMPANY
Application year: 1989
Main classification: B60J10
IPC codes: B60J10, B60J1