Abstract:
A clamping system for securing a sheet of automotive glass exterior to a window opening in a vehicle door includes first and second clamping units adapted for, respectively, securely supporting therebetween the sheet of automotive glass. The first clamping unit is supporting from a frame of the vehicle door and the second clamping unit is supported on an outside panel of the door. Each of the clamping units includes inner and outer clamping bars adjustably holding the sheet of automotive glass therebetween, the first clamping unit being adapted to hold the sheet adjacent an upper edge thereof and the second clamping unit being adapted to hold the sheet adjacent a lower edge thereof. The system is used in training exercises for emergency measures personnel who need to be able to break automotive glass to gain entrance to a vehicle.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/740,243 filed Nov. 29, 2005. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to a clamping system for securing a sheet of automotive glass over existing window opening in a vehicle door.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Emergency Response Teams (ERT) are trained in numerous rescue and/or take-down manoeuvres wherein the ERT officers are required to remove and/or stun the occupants of an automobile or vehicle. These manoeuvres often require breaking the automobile side windows in order to gain access-to the occupants. Therefore, during training exercises a vehicle can be used a maximum of four times (for standard four-door vehicles) to recreate the exercise. Once the windows have been destroyed, the officers participating in the training can no longer practice destroying the window as they approach the vehicle. At this point, the training becomes unrealistic and less effective since the officers are unable to complete the exercise. Therefore, once all the windows in the vehicle have been destroyed, the vehicle essentially becomes obsolete since it can no longer serve as an effective training unit. Accordingly, during the course of training, multiple vehicles are required in order to stage appropriate drills. Furthermore, once all of the existing windows have been destroyed, the vehicle can no longer be used for any other outdoor training exercises in poor weather conditions since the interior of the vehicle cannot be protected from the elements as there are no windows left to roll-up. Therefore, once the windows have been destroyed, the vehicle becomes unsuitable for training purposes rendering the training process costly wasteful and inefficient.  
         [0004]     In view of the foregoing, it is desirable to develop a technology that enables ERT officers to be able to repeatedly practice vehicle take-downs that involve the breaking of vehicle windows, without destroying the original windows on the vehicle rendering the vehicle obsolete.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,119 to Chacon, Sr. discloses a window retaining apparatus used to hold the rear window of a truck in place in the window frame while the urethane seal therebetween is curing. The apparatus disclosed comprises a telescoping body portion made up of inner and outer tubular sections so that the unit can be adjusted to suit various sizes of windows. Suction cups are used to engage the glass window panel, while tie-down clamps, located at opposite ends of the unit are used to engage the window frame. In use, the apparatus allows for the glass window panel to be held in place and to be pressed against the window frame while the urethane seal therebetween cures. The apparatus is advantageous in that the glass window panel no longer needs to be held in place manually during the curing process.  
         [0006]     While Chacon, Sr. discloses a type of clamping unit that is adjustable to suit different sized windows and employs suction cups and hook-type fasteners to secure the clamping unit to the automobile when in use, the unit is not suitable or easily adaptable for use as a training unit. The clamping unit disclosed by Chacon, Sr. holds the window panel in the actual opening of the doorframe; therefore the original window panel would have to be removed and the vehicle would not remain in a usable condition. Accordingly, the unit disclosed by Chacon Sr. does not meet the needs that are addressed by the present invention.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention provides a clamping system for securing a sheet of automotive glass over an existing window opening in a vehicle door. The system provides first and second clamping units adapted for securely supporting the sheet of automotive glass therebetween. First means associated with the first clamping unit supports the first clamping unit from a frame of a vehicle door and second means associated with the second clamping unit supports the second clamping unit on an outside panel of the door. Each clamping unit includes inner and outer clamping bars which adjustably hold the sheet of automotive glass therebetween, the first clamping unit being adapted to hold an upper portion of the sheet adjacent an upper edge thereof and the second clamping unit being adapted to hold a lower portion of the sheet adjacent a lower edge thereof. Once the sheet of automotive glass has been broken as part of a training exercise the broken remnants of the sheet are removed from the clamping units and replaced with a new sheet of glass so that training can continue. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]     The present invention will be better understood with reference to the detailed description taken in combination with the drawings in which:  
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a vehicle showing the clamping system of the present invention in use thereon;  
         [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the upper clamping unit of the clamping system according to a preferred embodiment;  
         [0011]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the lower clamping unit of the clamping system according to a preferred embodiment.  
         [0012]      FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the manner in which the upper clamping unit is suspended on a vehicle door frame; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 5  is a view similar to  FIG. 3  showing an alternate means for securing the suction cups to the lower clamping unit. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     Referring to the drawings, there is shown in  FIG. 1  the clamping system  10  according to a preferred embodiment of the invention in use on a vehicle  1 . The clamping system  10  comprises an upper clamping unit  12  adapted to engage the upper portion of the doorframe  2  of the vehicle  1 , and a lower clamping unit  14  adapted to be secured to the outer surface of the door  3  of the vehicle  1  below the lower portion of the window opening. The clamping system  10  serves to hold a sheet W of automotive window glass in place over where the original window is located in the vehicle door. Therefore, the glass sheet W can easily be replaced multiple times during training exercises without damaging the original vehicle windows.  
         [0015]     The upper or first clamping unit  12 , as shown in  FIG. 2 , comprises first (inner) and second (outer) clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b  which cooperate in order to engage an upper portion W! of the sheet W of automotive window glass. The first clamping bar  12   a  comprises an elongated body  16  having an inner surface  18  and an outer surface  20  which is most proximal to the vehicle doorframe  2  when the clamping system  10  is in use. The second clamping bar  12   b  also comprises an elongated body  22  having an inner surface  24 , which is opposite to the inner surface  18  of the first clamping bar  12   a . The outer surface  26  of the second clamping bar  12   b  is located most distal to the vehicle doorframe  2  when the clamping system  10  is in use. Each of he inner surfaces  18 ,  24  of the first and second clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b  is preferably equipped with a strip of cushioning material  27  along the length of the respective elongated bodies  16 ,  22  so as to protect the glass window panel W when the upper clamping unit  12  is secured thereto. The cushioning material  27  prevents premature cracking of the glass window panel W from the hard surface of the bodies  16 ,  22  of the first and second clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b.    
         [0016]     The upper clamping unit  12  includes an adjustable locking means  28  for bringing the first and second clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b  into engagement with the upper portion W 1  of the glass window panel W adjacent the upper edge thereof. Preferably, the locking means  28  comprises an elongated threaded member (or bolt)  30  which is inserted into corresponding annular receiving brackets or bosses  32 ,  33  each of which is mounted on the respective upper surface  34 ,  35  of the first and second clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b . The receiving boss  32  located on the first clamping bar  12   a  is threaded internally for receiving and engaging with the threads on the elongated threaded member  30 . The receiving boss  33  located on the second clamping bar  12   b  does not require internal threading as the elongated threaded member  30  is intended to rotate freely within the receiving boss  33 . Once the elongated threaded member  30  engages with the threads on the inside surface of the receiving boss  32 , rotation of the elongated threaded member  30  draws the first and second clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b  towards each other and eventually into contact with the glass window panel W.  
         [0017]     In order to prevent the first and second clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b  from twisting with respect to each other as the threaded member  30  is screwed into the receiving boss  32 , aligning means  36  are provided which serve to both align and stabilize the clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b  with respect to each other. The aligning means  36  are located on either side of the locking means  28  and are disposed towards the ends of the clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b . The aligning means  36  preferably comprise corresponding first and second bracket elements or annular bosses  38 ,  39  positioned on the respective upper surfaces  34 ,  35  of the first and second clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b . An aperture  40 ,  41  extends through each of the first and second bosses  38 ,  39 , the aperture  40 ,  41  being sized to receive an aligning rod  42 . The aligning rod  42  is inserted through the apertures  40 ,  41  in the first and second bosses  38 ,  39 , thereby ensuring that the first and second clamping bars  12   a ,  12   b  remain in a substantially parallel relationship when in use. The aligning rod  42  can be formed from any suitable means such as a wooden dowel, or a metal or plastic rod.  
         [0018]     The upper clamping unit  12  is preferably affixed to the door frame by means of tether straps  44  positioned on either side of the centrally located locking means  28 . The straps  44  are attached at a first end  45  to the first clamping bar  12   a  between the adjustable locking means and aligning means by means of screws that are hidden behind the strip of cushioning material  27 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , the second end  46  of said straps wrap or loop around the upper portion of the doorframe D, and are secured in place by means of snaps  47  or any other suitable means thereby attaching the upper clamping unit  12  to the vehicle. The straps  44  can be made of nylon or any other suitable materials, and are of a standard width. The straps  44  also have sufficient length to allow for vertical adjustment by means of a plastic clip system (not shown), similar to the straps found on conventional backpacks. In use, the snaps  47  (or other locking means) at the second end  46  of the straps  44  are opened and the second end  46  is looped around the upper portion of the doorframe. The second end  46  is then snapped shut and the length of the straps  44  is adjusted using the plastic clips. The glass window panels that are used in conjunction with the clamping system  10  are not very heavy; therefore additional reinforcing means are not required. The maximum weight that has been used for the glass window panel has been about 5 lbs.  
         [0019]     The lower clamping unit  14 , shown in  FIG. 3 , is similar in structure to the upper clamping unit  12  in that it too comprises first (inner) and second (outer) clamping bars  14   a ,  14   b . Each of the first and second clamping bars  14   a ,  14   b  comprises an elongated body  48 ,  50 , and is adapted to cooperate in order to engage a lower portion W 2  of the automobile glass window panel W adjacent a lower edge thereof. Similar to the upper clamping unit  12 , the elongated body  48  of the first clamping bar  14   a  of the lower clamping unit  14  has an inner surface  52  adapted for receiving the lower portion W 2  of the window panel W, and an outer surface  54  which is most proximal to the vehicle door  3  when the clamping system  10  is in use. The elongated body  50  of the second clamping bar  14   b  of the lower clamping unit  14  also has an inner surface  56 , which corresponds to the inner surface  52  of the first clamping bar  14   a  for receiving the lower portion of the window panel. The outer surface  58  of the second clamping bar  14   b  is located most distal to the vehicle door  3  when the clamping system  10  is in use.  
         [0020]     As with the upper clamping unit  12 , the lower clamping unit  14  also includes adjustable locking means  60  comprising a pair of annular receiving brackets or bosses  62 ,  63 , and an elongated threaded member  64  (or bolt). The receiving bosses  62 ,  63 , however, are instead mounted on the bottom surface  65 ,  66  of each of the first and second clamping bars  14   a ,  14   b . The receiving boss  62  that is mounted on the first clamping bar  14   a  is threaded internally for engaging with the threads on the elongated threaded member  64  as it is inserted into the receiving bosses  62 ,  63 . Once the elongated threaded member  64  engages with the threads on the inside surface of the receiving boss  62 , rotation of the elongated threaded member  64  draws the first and second clamping bars  14   a ,  14   b  towards each other and eventually into contact with the glass window panel W. The lower clamping unit  14  also include aligning means  67  identical to the aligning means  36  provided on the upper clamping unit  12 . Accordingly, the aligning means  67  comprises corresponding first and second bracket elements or bosses  68 ,  70  positioned on the bottom surfaces  65 ,  66  of the clamping bars  14   a ,  14   b . An aperture  72 ,  73  extends through each of the first and second bracket elements  68 ,  70 , the apertures  72 ,  73  being sized to receive an aligning rod  74 . The aligning rod  74  is inserted through the apertures  72 ,  73  in the first and second bracket elements  68 ,  70 , thereby ensuring that the first and second clamping bars  14   a ,  14   b  remain in a substantially parallel relationship when the lower clamping unit  14  is in use.  
         [0021]     The lower clamping unit  14  differs from the upper claming unit  12  in that it is preferably secured to the door of the vehicle by means of suction cups  76 . The suction cups  76  are positioned on either side of the centrally located locking means  60  equidistant from locking means  60  and the aligning means  67 . The suction cups  76  are attached to the outer surface  54  of the first clamping bar  14   a  with a hinge mechanism (not visible in  FIG. 3 ) so that the suction cups  76  can be angled to ensure a proper seal with the surface of the vehicle door  3 . The size of the automobile glass window panel W used will determine the exact position of the lower clamping unit  14  on the surface of the door; therefore the hinge mechanism is desirable in order to ensure that the suction cups  76  can be adjusted to accommodate variations in door panel structures.  
         [0022]     According to another embodiment of the invention, as seen in  FIG. 5 , the lower clamping unit  14  is designed so that the suction cups  76  are secured to the bottom surface  65  of the first clamping bar  14   a . In this embodiment, the suction cups  76  each include a mounting bracket  78  that incorporates the hinge mechanism  80 . A screw is used to secure the mounting bracket  78  to the bottom surface  65  of the first clamping bar  14   a.    
         [0023]     As mentioned above, the glass window panel W used with the clamping system  10  is not very heavy. Nevertheless, it is preferable to design the lower clamping unit  14  to be able to carry additional weight to ensure that the clamping system  10  is secure. Accordingly, the suction cups  76  used on the lower clamping unit  14  are adapted to be able to support a load of up to 25 lbs, even although the glass window panel does not usually exceed 5 lbs.  
         [0024]     When the clamping system  10  is in use, the automobile glass window panel W is first secured in the upper and lower clamping units  12 ,  14 . The clamped window panel is then lifted towards the vehicle door where the original window has been rolled downwards into its retracted position, exposing the vehicle interior via the window opening. With the door  3  of the vehicle in the open position, the straps  44  are then affixed to the upper portion D of the doorframe  2  thereby positioning the upper clamping unit  12  and the glass window panel W in place over the original window opening in the door. The lower clamping unit  14  is then secured to the outer surface of the vehicle door panel by applying pressure to the suction cups  76  which then adhere to the door panel surface. Once the clamping system  10  and the glass window panel W are in place over the original window opening in the vehicle door, the training exercise can begin and the glass window panel can be broken without damaging the original window. Once the training exercise is complete, a new automobile glass window panel can be inserted into the clamping system  10  and the training exercise can be repeated. Once training has been completed, the vehicle remains completely usable as the clamping system  10  can easily be removed from the vehicle  1  and the original windows can be raised or rolled-up into their closed position.  
         [0025]     While the present invention has been described with respect to certain preferred embodiments, it will be understood by persons skilled in the art that variations or modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as described herein.