Patent Publication Number: US-2012025564-A1

Title: Flush Glass System Module

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a window surround assembly for an automotive vehicle door. More particularly, the invention relates to a flush glass system module including an extruded hidden appliqué. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A conventional automotive vehicle door assembly typically includes a door frame having a window opening and a glass window. The window can be selectively raised to close the window opening and lowered to open the window opening. A window surround assembly is commonly used around the window opening to seal any gaps around the raised window and to guide the window as it is raised and lowered. The seal is required to prevent the outside elements from entering the passenger compartment and contacting either the passenger or the interior of the vehicle. 
     The window surround assembly includes a header molding (also referred to as an upper reveal) mounted to the door frame and extending along an upper edge of the window opening; a belt molding (also referred to as a belt line) mounted to the door frame and extending along a lower edge of the window opening; and front and rear vertical moldings (also referred to as glass run channels) mounted to the door frame and extending along front and rear vertical edges of the window opening. The glass run channels engage the front and rear vertical edges of the window during movement of the window between the raised and lowered positions. Often, decorative covers or appliqués are attached to the glass run channels to improve the exterior appearance of the glass run channels. However, the decorative covers may project beyond an outer surface of the window creating aerodynamic drag, detracting from the vehicle&#39;s aesthetics, and limiting vehicle styling. 
     It is desirable, therefore, to provide a flush glass system module for a door of a motor vehicle including an appliqué´ that is hidden behind a window in a raised position allowing the window to mount flush with surrounding features on the vehicle. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a flush glass system module is provided for a motor vehicle door frame defining a window opening. The flush glass system module includes a header molding that is mounted to the door frame and extends along an upper edge of the window opening. A belt molding is mounted to the door frame and extends along a lower edge of the window opening. A hidden appliqué extends between the header molding and the belt molding. The hidden appliqué is extruded and includes a guidance channel having a pair of first sealing lips. A slider is mounted to an inner surface of a window and is received in the guidance channel for guiding the window between raised and lowered positions. The pair of first sealing lips sealingly engages with the slider as the window moves between the raised and lowered positions. The hidden appliqué is disposed entirely on the inner surface side of the window when the window is in the raised position. The hidden appliqué may also include a second sealing lip sealingly engaging with the inner surface of the window as the window moves between the raised and lowered positions. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention will be readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a fragmentary, side view of a motor vehicle including a flush glass system module for front and rear doors; 
         FIG. 2  is a side view of the flush glass system module; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view taken through lines  3 - 3  in  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a cross-sectional view taken through lines  4 - 4  in  FIG. 2 ; and 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view taken through lines  5 - 5  in  FIG. 2 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a flush glass system module, generally shown at  10 , is provided for front and rear doors of a motor vehicle. The flush glass system module  10  for the front door includes a header molding  12 , a belt molding  14 , an A-pillar appliqué  16 , and a forward B-pillar appliqué  18 . The header molding  12  is adapted to be mounted to an upper flange of the front door and extends along an upper edge of a front window opening, as is well known in the art. The header molding  12  extends between a front end  20  and a back end  22 , and conforms to the curvature of the upper edge of the front window opening. The belt molding  14  is adapted to be mounted to a lower flange of the front door along a lower edge of the front window opening, as is well known in the art. The belt molding  14  is generally linear and extends between a front end  24  and a back end  26 . The A-pillar appliqué  16  extends between the front end  20  of the header molding  12  and the front end  24  of the belt molding  14 . The A-pillar appliqué  16  extends downwardly into the interior of the front door below the belt molding  14 . The forward B-pillar appliqué  18  extends between the back end  22  of the header molding  12  and the back end  26  of the belt molding  14 . The forward B-pillar appliqué  18  extends downwardly into the interior of the front door below the belt molding  14 . 
     A retractable front window  28  is guided by the A-pillar appliqué  16  and the forward B-pillar appliqué  18  between raised and lowered positions. With the front window  28  in the raised position and the front door in a closed position, the A-pillar appliqué  16  is disposed or hidden behind the front window  28  such that the A-pillar appliqué´  16  is not exposed along an exterior of the vehicle. In contrast, with the front window  28  in the raised position and the front door in the closed position, the forward B-pillar appliqué  18  is disposed adjacent to a rear edge of the front window  28  such that the forward B-pillar appliqué  18  is exposed along the exterior of the vehicle. A decorative cover  30  is fixedly secured to the forward B-pillar appliqué  18  for aesthetic purposes, as is well known in the art. The cover  30  is an elongated one-piece stamped member that extends along the length of the forward B-pillar appliqué  18  between the header molding  12  and the belt molding  14 . The cover  30  may be formed from any of numerous materials, including, but not limited to, stainless steel, aluminum, and a molded material having a high gloss black with film. It is contemplated that the forward B-pillar appliqué´  18  could be replaced with an appliqué´ similar to the A-pillar appliqué´  16  such that it would be disposed behind the front window  28  when the front window  28  is in the raised position and the front door is in the closed position, without varying from the scope of the invention. In such an arrangement the cover  30  would not be required. 
     The flush glass system module  10  for the rear door of the motor vehicle includes the header molding  12 , the belt molding  14 , a rearward B-pillar appliqué´  32 , and a C-pillar appliqué  34 . The rearward B-pillar appliqué´  32  extends between the front end  20  of the header molding  12  and the front end  24  of the belt molding  14 . The rearward B-pillar appliqué  32  extends downwardly into the interior of the rear door below the belt molding  14 . The C-pillar appliqué  34  extends between the back end  22  of the header molding  12  and the back end  26  of the belt molding  14 . The C-pillar appliqué´  34  extends downwardly into the interior of the rear door below the belt molding  14 . 
     A retractable rear window  36  is guided by the rearward B-pillar appliqué  32  and the C-pillar appliqué´  34  between raised and lowered positions. With the rear window  36  in the raised position and the rear door in a closed position, the rearward B-pillar appliqué´  32  and the C-pillar appliqué´  34  are disposed behind the rear window  36  such that the rearward B-pillar appliqué´  32  and the C-pillar appliqué´  34  are not exposed along the exterior of the vehicle. The flush glass system module  10  for each of the front and rear doors is a modular assembly that can be pre-assembled away from the motor vehicle and then shipped as a single piece for installation to the respective front and rear doors. 
     Each of the A-pillar appliqué´  16 , the rearward B-pillar appliqué´  32 , and the C-pillar appliqué  34  are substantially similar in design and method of fabrication and only the A-pillar appliqué  16  will be described in detail. Referring to  FIG. 3 , the A-pillar appliqué  16  is formed using an extrusion process and includes a main body portion  38  extending between a first end  40  and a second end  42 . The main body portion  38  may be formed from any of numerous materials, including, but not limited to, thermoplastic vulcanisate (TPV), ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polypropylene or other plastic material. A carrier  44  may be embedded within the main body portion  38  to provide added structural support therefor. In one embodiment, the carrier  44  is a metal material. The first end  40  of the main body portion  38  includes a generally U-shaped portion  45  defining a guidance channel  46  for receiving a front slider  48  that is bonded to an inner surface of the front window  28 . The front slider  48  is generally L-shaped and includes a first portion  47  extending generally perpendicularly to the inner surface of the front window  28  and a second portion  49  extending generally parallel to the inner surface of the front window  28 . A pair of first sealing lips  50  is formed in the guidance channel  46  for sealingly engaging with the front slider  48  as the front window  28  moves between the raised and lowered positions. More specifically, the pair of first sealing lips  50  directly engage the second portion  49  of the front slider  48 . The pair of first sealing lips  50  is co-extruded with the A-pillar appliqué  16  and may be formed from any of numerous materials, including, but not limited to, TPV, EPDM, PVC, and polypropylene or other plastic material. It is appreciated that the composition of the pair of first sealing lips  50  may be different than the composition of the main body portion  38  to allow for the desired flexibility and sealing characteristics of the pair of first sealing lips  50 . A surface on the pair of first sealing lips  50  directly engaging the front slider  48  may include a low friction slip coating or film  52  that is applied by any of numerous methods, including, but not limited to extrusion, spraying, and flocking. It is contemplated that controlling the thickness of the U-shaped portion  45  near the main body portion  38  during the extrusion process will establish a curvature of the A-pillar appliqué  16  in the vertical plane that corresponds to the curvature of the front window  28 . 
     A plurality of clips  56  is disposed along the second end  42  of the main body portion  38  to secure the A-pillar appliqué´  16  to a flange  58  of the front door adjacent an A-pillar (not shown) of the vehicle. The A-pillar appliqué´  16  further includes a second sealing lip  60  extending from the main body portion  38  for sealingly engaging the front window  28  when the front window  28  is in the raised position. More specifically, the second sealing lip  60  directly engages the inner surface of the front window  28 . The second sealing lip  60  is co-extruded with the A-pillar appliqué  16  and may be formed from any of numerous materials, including those listed above with respect to the pair of first sealing lips  50 . Similarly, a surface of the second sealing lip  60  directly engaging the front window  28  may also include the low friction slip coating or film  52  that is applied by any of numerous methods, including, but not limited to extrusion, spraying, and flocking. The front slider  48  and the A-pillar appliqué´  16  are adapted such that the front window  28  is offset laterally from the guidance channel  46  of the A-pillar appliqué´  16  in a cross-car direction thereby positioning an outer surface of the front window  28  generally flush or in the same plane with a forward window or forward body panel  54 , shown in  FIG. 1 , that is fixed to the vehicle. A rear slider  62  and the forward B-pillar appliqué´  18  are disposed adjacent a B-pillar  63  of the vehicle and are adapted such that the front window  28  is offset laterally from the guidance channel  46  of the forward B-pillar appliqué´  18  in the cross-car direction thereby positioning the outer surface of the front window  28  generally flush or in the same plane with the forward B-pillar appliqué´  18  or the cover  30  affixed thereto, as shown in  FIG. 4 . 
     Referring to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , a front slider  64  and the rearward B-pillar appliqué  32  are disposed adjacent the B-pillar  63  and are adapted such that the rear window  36  is offset laterally from the guidance channel  46  of the rearward B-pillar appliqué´  32  in the cross-car direction thereby positioning an outer surface of the rear window  36  generally flush or in the same plane with the forward B-pillar appliqué  18  or the cover  30 . A rear slider  66  and the C-pillar appliqué  34  are adapted such that the rear window  36  is offset laterally from the guidance channel  46  of the C-pillar appliqué´  34  in the cross-car direction thereby positioning the outer surface of the rear window  36  generally flush or in the same plane with a rearward window or rearward body panel  68 , shown in  FIG. 1 , that is fixed to the vehicle. 
     The invention has been described in an illustrative manner. It is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used, is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation. Many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Therefore, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described.