Abstract:
An improved apparatus for limiting and guiding movement of a window glass panel in a motor vehicle door is provided that minimizes glass contact and drag forces, decouples the material choice between the body portion and guide piece to enable optimization in connection with both the body portion and guide piece, and enables finer tuning of the apparatus merely by incorporating guide pieces of various sizes than by requiring modification or replacement of the entire apparatus. The improved apparatus includes a body portion having a generally U-shaped cross-section, including a base and first and second opposing sides defining a channel. The first side has a pair of longitudinally spaced retaining cavities. The improved apparatus further includes a guide piece having first and second opposing ends that is removably coupled to the body portion by disposing the first and second opposing ends in the pair of retaining cavities, thereby forming an arc for contacting and stabilizing the window glass in a motor vehicle door.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    a. Field of Invention 
         [0002]    The invention relates generally to a moving glass guide structure, and in particular, to a glass guide structure mounted in a door assembly of a vehicle such as an automotive vehicle to guide and limit movement of a window glass within the door assembly. 
         [0003]    b. Description of Related Art 
         [0004]    All automotive door constructions include a lower portion, while most, but not all, applications include an upper portion. The upper portion is the opening that houses the glass in the up position and conversely provides the fresh air opening when glass is in the down position. The lower portion houses the glass in the down position, along with the majority of door system mechanisms and trim. The upper and lower door boundary is defined as the beltline. This is the area and opening where the moving glass travels from the lower to upper door and vice versa. Most automotive doors have a body envelope created by an inner and outer door panel forming the main body of the door. A window regulator is provided for selectively moving the glass panel in and out of the body envelope to open and close the window opening of the door. Retainer assemblies can be disposed spanning above and below the belt line, exclusively above the belt line, or exclusively below the belt line. The retainer assemblies can be interposed between the inner and outer door panels at front and rear positions of the main body of the door and guide the front and rear ends of the glass panel when the glass panel ascends or descends. Retainer assemblies are further provided to limit and dampen glass panel cross car and fore/aft movement. 
         [0005]    Conventional retainer assemblies comprise a main body defining a channel. Contact members can be integral to the inner surface of the main body and extend into the channel or may comprise flexible lips that are applied to the main body and that extend the entire length of the retainer. Conventional retainer assemblies comprise a rigid thermoplastic or metal in order to provide the required support and stability for the main body of the retainer assembly. These conventional integral type retainer assemblies have a number of deficiencies. First, contact members comprising a rigid thermoplastic result in rigid glass contact points. Since both glass and contact points are rigid, a balance between controlling glass movement, while minimizing glass drag forces is difficult, if not impossible to achieve. Moving glass, and indirectly the remaining glass guidance system, may be subjected to these conditions. The potentials are undesirable drag forces, and at the other extreme, rattles. Second, for integrated contact member versions, the material choices for the main body and contact members are necessarily constrained to be the same. Accordingly, the selected material must provide adequate characteristics for both the main body and the contact members and may not be optimized with respect to either piece of the retainer assembly (i.e., compromises must be made). Third, if the extent of projection of a contact member or degree of angling of a contact member has to be modified to provide optimal guidance and damping functions, the entire retainer assembly must be modified or replaced. 
         [0006]    Accordingly, there remains a need for a retainer assembly that minimizes and/or eliminates these deficiencies in the prior art. 
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
       [0007]    The present invention provides an apparatus for limiting and guiding window glass movement in a motor vehicle door. The apparatus may include a body portion extending along a longitudinal axis and having a generally U-shaped cross section. The body portion may include a base and first and second opposing sides each extending from the base defining a channel. The first side may have a pair of longitudinally spaced retaining cavities. The apparatus may further include a guide piece having first and second opposing ends. The guide piece may be removably coupled to the body portion by disposing the first and second ends in the pair of retaining cavities, thereby forming an arc extending into the channel for contacting and stabilizing the window glass. 
         [0008]    An apparatus for limiting and guiding movement of a window glass in a motor vehicle in accordance with the present invention is advantageous as compared to existing apparatuses for limiting and guiding window glass movement in a motor vehicle. First, the inventive apparatus retains the necessary structural characteristics of a rigid thermoplastic apparatus, while minimizing the glass contact and drag forces. Second, because the guide pieces of the inventive apparatus are removable from the body portion, the material chosen for the body portion may be different from the material chosen for the guide pieces, such that the material choice between the body portion and guide pieces is decoupled and may be optimized for the particular functions of each. That is, the apparatus offers a rigid body (retainer) structural characteristics while providing the benefits of localized flexible stabilizing features due to appropriate material selection for the guide piece. Third, multiple variations of guide pieces can be incorporated into the body portion to offer finer tuning of the apparatus, rather than requiring that an entire apparatus be modified or replaced in order to provide optimal guidance and damping functions. Fourth, less lead time may be required to modify tooling when using removable guide pieces for fine tuning. Fifth, less material may be used in connection with the inventive apparatus than with a flexible lip that may extend the entire length of the retainer in some designs, thereby resulting in an overall cost savings. 
         [0009]    Additional features, advantages, and embodiments of the invention may be set forth or apparent from consideration of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims. Moreover, it is to be understood that both the foregoing summary of the invention and the following detailed description are exemplary and intended to provide further explanation without limiting the scope of the invention as claimed. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention and together with the detailed description serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a cross-sectional view of a body portion with the guide pieces installed taken substantially along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a side view of a guide piece in an unflexed position for use in an apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a side view of a guide piece in a flexed position suitable for installation and use in an apparatus in accordance with the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 5A-5B  are side views, with portions broken away and cross-sectioned, of exemplary embodiments of an apparatus in accordance with the present invention showing a glass panel that may be stabilized by the apparatus. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,  FIG. 1  illustrates the inventive apparatus  10  for limiting and guiding window glass movement in a motor vehicle door. The inventive apparatus  10  comprises a body portion  12  and a guide piece  14 . Although the invention is described in connection with limiting and guiding window glass movement in a motor vehicle door, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the inventive apparatus may also have uses in numerous other applications. For example, the apparatus may be used in the aerospace industry (e.g., window) or in connection with the transportation of fragile components (i.e., fragile component may be stabilized laterally by the use of the invention during transport), or any other application in which shock absorption and vibration dampening features are advantageous. 
         [0017]    Body portion  12  may provide a rigid structure for attachment of apparatus  10  to a vehicle door. Body portion  12  may comprise a rigid, molded thermoplastic. For example only, body portion  12  may comprise polypropylene or nylon. Although these materials are mentioned in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various other materials may be used for body portion  12  and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. It should be understood that the configuration of body portion  12  may be adapted to accept varying curved or straight arrangements of window glass panels or other objects. Body portion  12  extends generally along a radius designated  13 , having a length  15 , taken relative to point  17 . As best viewed in  FIGS. 1-2 , body portion  12  has a generally U-shaped cross section, including base  16  and first and second opposing sides  18 ,  20  each extending from base  16  at generally right angles. Base  16  and first and second opposing sides  18 ,  20  define a channel  22 . 
         [0018]    Body portion  12  may further include an integrally formed first member  24  for upper attachment of body portion  12  to the motor vehicle door. First member  24  may comprise a curved, longitudinally extending hook in an exemplary embodiment. Body portion  12  may further include an integrally formed second member  26  for lower attachment of body portion  12  to the motor vehicle door. Second member  26  may comprise parallel transversely extending projections connected by a bridge in an exemplary embodiment. Although these first and second attachment members  24 ,  26  are described in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various other attachment members may be provided and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. 
         [0019]    An inner surface of first and second opposing sides  18 ,  20  (i.e., facing channel  22 ) may include openings at various longitudinal points as shown in  FIG. 1 . In alternative embodiments, first and second opposing sides  18 ,  20  may also extend continuously in the longitudinal direction. First and second opposing sides  18 ,  20  may also include at least a portion of sides  18 ,  20  extending continuously in the longitudinal direction with openings at various longitudinal points. Although these configurations are described in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various configurations may be used for first and second opposing sides  18 ,  20  and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. As will be described in greater detail below, the spaced openings, in the illustrated embodiment, provide a window through which the flexible, convex arc shaped guide pieces extend into channel  22 . 
         [0020]    First side  18  includes generally cylindrical shaped projections  38  having associated therewith a corresponding pair of longitudinally spaced, centrally disposed retaining cavities  28 ,  30 , which may be provided to receive guide piece  14 . Although described as a cylindrical projection, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that projection  28  may comprise any number of various shapes and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. Each retaining cavity  28 ,  30  may comprise a bore  32  extending a predetermined depth from a first longitudinal edge  34  of first side  18  to a second longitudinal edge  36 . Retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may be located on first side  18  proximate a first end of apparatus  10  in an exemplary embodiment. Retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may also be located on second side  20  proximate a first end of apparatus  10  in an exemplary embodiment. Retaining cavities  28 ,  30  located on first side  18  and on second side  20  may be directly opposite to each other in an exemplary embodiment in order to provide comparably equal and opposing guiding forces on the glass panel. First side  18  may include a plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  in an exemplary embodiment. For example,  FIG. 1  shows three pairs of longitudinally spaced retaining cavities  28 ,  30  located on first side  18 . Second side  20  may include a corresponding plurality of longitudinally spaced pairs of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  in an exemplary embodiment. For example,  FIG. 1  shows three pairs of longitudinally spaced retaining cavities  28 ,  30  located on second side  20 . Again, each pair of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  located on a first side  18  and on second side  20  may be directly opposite to each other in an exemplary embodiment. Each pair of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may be located at pre-selected locations on first side  18  of body portion  12 . Each pair of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may be located at pre-selected locations on second side  20  of body portion  12 . Although these numbers and configurations of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  are described in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that any number of pairs of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  or configuration of pairs of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may be used and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. The number and configuration of pairs of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may be modified in order to accommodate objects of various sizes and shapes. As shown, the pairs are substantially equally spaced. 
         [0021]    Guide piece  14  may be provided to limit and dampen window glass panel cross car movement (i.e., movement within channel  22  between sides  18 ,  20 ) and also to guide and stabilize a window glass panel as it moves vertically in a motor vehicle door. Guide piece  14  may comprise a molded or extruded flexible or elastomeric material. For example only, guide piece  14  may comprise neoprene, rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoplastic vulcanizate (TPV), or ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM). Although these materials are mentioned in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various other materials may be used for guide piece  14  and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. In another embodiment, guide piece  14  may comprise a rigid material. In another exemplary embodiment, guide piece may comprise a dual durometer material, such that first and second opposing ends  40 ,  42 , as referenced below, may comprise a higher durometer material, while the remainder of guide piece  14  may comprise a lower durometer material, in order to facilitate assembly of apparatus  10 . In an exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of at least one face of guide piece  14  may be smooth. In another exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of at least one face of guide piece  14  may include a coating with a low coefficient of friction to reduce friction between guide piece  14  and glass window panel. For example only, the coating may comprise flocking. In other exemplary embodiments, at least a portion of at least one face of guide piece  14  may include grooves, ridges, or texturing to further improve performance of apparatus  10  by reducing friction between guide piece  14  and glass window panel, by reducing material as a cost savings, and by providing a visual means of identifying various types of guide pieces  14  that may be utilized in connection with apparatus  10 . 
         [0022]    As best viewed in  FIG. 3 , guide piece  14  may be generally rectangular in shape and generally flat before being flexed and coupled to body portion  12 . In another embodiment, guide piece  14  may be curved before coupling to body portion  12  in order to ease assembly of apparatus  10 . The degree of curvature of guide piece  14  may vary depending upon the desired amount of contact between guide piece  14  and the glass window panel. Guide piece  14  includes first and second opposing ends  40 ,  42 . First and second ends  40 ,  42  may each include a raised lip  44 . Raised lip  44  may extend along an entire edge of first end  40  or second end  42 . Raised lip  44  may be configured in shape to engage bore  32  of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  that is defined by projection  38 . As shown in FIGS.  1  and  3 - 5 , lips  44  may be hemispherical in shape or profile to correspond with the shape or profile of retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . Although a hemispherical lip  44  is mentioned in detail, it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that lip  44  could comprise any number of shapes or profiles, including but not limited to, square, triangular, flanged, or tapered shapes or profiles and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is also understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the corresponding retaining cavities  28 ,  30  of body portion  12  could comprise any number of shapes or profiles, including but not limited to, square, triangular, flanged, or tapered shapes or profiles and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. The length of guide piece  14  from first end  40  to second end  42  may be modified in order to provide more or less contact between guide piece  14  and the glass window panel. Accordingly, the inventive apparatus may provide extensive versatility for adjusting the amount of contact between the inventive apparatus  10  and the glass window panel for fine tuning of the apparatus  10 . 
         [0023]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3-4 , guide piece  14  may be configured to be flexed or formed into a convex arc by applying pressure to first and second ends  40 ,  42  toward the center of guide piece  14 . Referring again to  FIG. 1 , guide piece  14  may be removably coupled to body portion  12  by disposing first and second ends  40 ,  42  in retaining cavities  28 ,  30 , respectively, such that guide piece  14  forms a convex arc that extends into channel  22 . A guide piece  14  may be disposed in more than one pair of retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a guide piece  14  is shown disposed in two pairs of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  on first side  18 . One of the pairs of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  is shown without guide piece  14 .  FIGS. 3-4  illustrate guide piece  14  that may be configured to be disposed in the empty retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . Referring again to  FIG. 1 , a guide piece  14  is shown disposed in three pairs of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  on second side  20 . The convex arcs may be configured to contact a window glass panel disposed in the motor vehicle door to provide both shock absorbing and guidance features for apparatus  10 . Guide piece  14  may be prevented from moving within retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . For example, longitudinal wall  35  may retain guide piece  14  within retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . Further, a ridge disposed within retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may retain guide piece  14  within retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . In an exemplary embodiment, ends  40 ,  42  of guide piece  14  may be compressed for insertion into retaining cavities  28 ,  30  in an interference fit. In another exemplary embodiment, projection  38  defining bore  32  may be spread apart for receiving guide piece  14  in an interference fit. 
         [0024]    Referring now to  FIGS. 5A-5B , retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may be defined by a generally flat section  27  and a hemispherical section  29 . Lips  44  of guide piece  14  may be shaped in a way that is complementary to retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . For example, a first side of guide piece  14  may be generally flat and mate with flat section  27 . A second side of guide piece  14  may include lips  44  that are hemispherical in shape and mate with hemispherical section  29 . The shape of lips  44  of guide piece  14  may assist in ensuring that guide piece  14  is only installed in body portion  12  in a particular orientation. Because retaining cavities  28 ,  30  and lips  44  of guide piece  14  are complementary, lips  44  serve to retain and define the orientation of guide piece  14  relative to body portion  12  of apparatus  10 . Although a generally flat section  27  and a hemispherical section  29  for retaining cavities  28 ,  30  are mentioned in detail, as described above it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that retaining cavities  28 ,  30  may comprise any number of shapes and profiles and remain within the spirit and scope of the invention. Similarly, although a flat side and hemispherical lip  44  for guide piece  14  are mentioned in detail, as described above it is understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that guide piece  14  may comprise any number of shapes and profiles and remain with the spirit and scope of the invention, so long as the shape and profile of retaining cavities  28 ,  30  and guide piece  14  are complementary. In another exemplary embodiment, guide piece  14  may be color coded to ensure installation in body portion  12  in a particular orientation relative to body portion  12  of apparatus  10 . 
         [0025]    In an exemplary embodiment, the retaining cavities  28 ,  30  defined by projection  38  of body portion  12  may be configured to receive guide pieces  14  in the orientation illustrated in  FIGS. 1 and 5A  (i.e., lips  44  of opposing guide pieces  14  each extending inwardly toward channel  22 ). In another exemplary embodiment, the retaining cavities  28 ,  30  defined by projection  28  of body portion  12  may be configured to receive guide pieces  14  in an alternate orientation illustrated in  FIG. 5B  (i.e., lips  44  of opposing guide pieces  14  each extending outwardly away from channel  22 ). 
         [0026]    Referring to  FIGS. 5A-5B , when guide piece  14  is seated in retaining cavities  28 ,  30 , the convex arc contacts the window glass panel  33  at point  31 . The convex arc, thus formed and installed, provides a resilient member, like a stiff spring, to control lateral forces that the window glass panel imposes on the convex arc. The ends  40 ,  42  of the guide piece  14  are anchored due to the shape of retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . Accordingly, the guide piece  14  may be locked into the retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . The guide piece  14  may also be relatively immune to longitudinal forces applied by the window glass panel since the distal ends of the ends  40 ,  42  dead head into the corner of retaining cavities  28 ,  30 . 
         [0027]    An apparatus for limiting and guiding window glass movement in a motor vehicle door in accordance with the present invention has many advantages as compared to conventional apparatuses for limiting and guiding movement of a window glass in a motor vehicle. First, the inventive apparatus retains the necessary structural characteristics of a rigid thermoplastic apparatus, while minimizing the glass contact and drag forces. Second, because the guide pieces of the inventive apparatus are removable from the body portion, the material chosen for the body portion may be different from the material chose for the guide pieces, such that the material choice between the body portion and guide pieces is decoupled and may be optimized for the particular functions of each. Third, multiple variations of guide pieces can be incorporated into the body portion to offer finer tuning of the apparatus, rather than requiring that an entire apparatus, including the body portion, be removed and modified or replaced in order to provide optimal guidance and damping function. For example, different size guide pieces can be used to accommodate different thickness window glass panel. Different material for guide pieces can provide a different degree of resiliency. Fourth, the use of the inventive apparatus may decrease the time and expense associated with modifying tooling to accommodate modified apparatuses. Fifth, the use of the inventive apparatus may result in overall cost savings by avoiding the use of a flexible lip that may extend the entire length of a retainer both above and below a belt line of a vehicle. 
         [0028]    Although particular embodiments of the invention have been described in detail herein with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to those particular embodiments, and that various changes and modifications may be effected therein by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.