Patent Publication Number: US-2023150343-A1

Title: Vehicular rear window assembly with system status indicator

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application claims the filing benefits of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/266,921, filed Jan. 19, 2022, and U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 63/264,262, filed Nov. 18, 2021, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a rear window assembly for a vehicle and, more particularly, a rear window assembly for a pickup truck or the like. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     It is known to provide a rear slider window assembly for an opening of a vehicle, such as a rear slider window assembly for a rear opening of a pickup truck. Conventional slider window assemblies for rear openings of trucks or the like typically include three or more panels, such as two fixed window panels and a slidable window panel. The slidable window panel is supported by rails and may be moved along the rails to open and close the window. The slidable window panel may be driven or moved by a cable drive system, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,151,519, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A rear window assembly includes an indicating device having one or more strips or rows of light sources, such as a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs), such as micro-LEDs, disposed at or behind or within the fixed glass window panel of the window assembly so as to provide a flush glass window assembly with lighting viewable through the fixed glass window panel. The light sources, when electrically operated to emit light, may emit light through the window panel and exterior of the vehicle (i.e., to be visible or to illuminate a surface exterior of the vehicle) and/or interior of the vehicle (i.e., to be visible or to illuminate a surface interior of the vehicle). The light sources may be operated to indicate a status of a vehicle system, such as a payload weight indication or suspension system status indication. Optionally, the window assembly may include a plurality of indicating devices, or the indicating device may provide other indications. For example, a lighting device of the window assembly may comprise red light-emitting sources for a center high mounted stop lamp (CHMSL) of the vehicle and/or may comprise white light-emitting (or other color) light sources for a truck bed illumination function and/or may comprise white light-emitting (or other color) light sources for an interior cabin illumination function and/or or the like. The indicating device is electrically connected to a wiring harness or circuitry or user input of the vehicle when the window assembly is installed or mounted at the vehicle. The window assembly may include a touch or proximity sensor and may activate the indicating device responsive to detection by the touch or proximity sensor of a person&#39;s hand at or near the window panel or sensor. 
     These and other objects, advantages, purposes and features of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the following specification in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a rear perspective view of a pickup truck having a rear slider window assembly; 
         FIG.  2    is a rear perspective view of a window panel of the rear slider window assembly; 
         FIG.  3    is a rear perspective view of a pickup truck having another rear slider window assembly with a lighting device and a sensor; 
         FIG.  4    is a rear perspective view of a pickup truck having another rear slider window assembly with an indicating device; 
         FIGS.  4 A-C  are perspective views of the pickup truck of  FIG.  4   , showing the indicating device indicating different loads in the truck bed; 
         FIG.  5    is a perspective view of a rear liftgate having a touch or proximity sensor; 
         FIG.  6    is a side view of the vehicle and rear liftgate; 
         FIG.  7    is a perspective view of another vehicle with a rear liftgate having a touch or proximity sensor; 
         FIG.  8    is a perspective view of a vehicle window with an NFC sensor disposed thereat; and 
         FIG.  9    is a perspective view of a vehicle with speakers integrated at the rear window or spoiler of the vehicle. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now to the drawings and the illustrative embodiments depicted therein, a rear slider window assembly  10  of a vehicle  12  (such as a pickup truck or the like) includes a window frame  14 , a fixed window panel  16  having an aperture  18  that separates side window portions and a movable window panel  20  that is movable relative to the window frame  14  and the fixed window panel  16  between a closed position, where the movable window panel  20  is disposed at the aperture  18 , an opened position, where the movable panel  20  is moved away from the aperture  18  and is disposed at least partially along one of the side window portions ( FIGS.  1 - 3   ). The window assembly  10  includes an indicating system having an indicating device  22  disposed at the glass window panel  16 , such as above and along a center region of an upper rail of the frame  14  or vertically along a side region of the window panel  16 , or elsewhere at the window panel  16 . The indicating device  22 , when activated, emits light that is viewable through the window panel  16  at the exterior of the vehicle and/or at an interior cabin of the vehicle. That is, when light sources of the indicating device  22  are electrically operated to emit light, the light sources emit light that is viewable at and/or illuminates and/or backlights a surface exterior of the vehicle and/or interior of the vehicle. The indicating device  22  is activated or controlled responsive to a vehicle system status so that the indicating device emits light to indicate the vehicle system status (such as by emitting different color light or activating different numbers of the light sources of the indicating device or activating different light sources to backlight different icons or the like). The indicating device may be activated responsive to a user input of the window assembly (such as responsive to a touch or proximity sensor sensing presence or proximity of a person&#39;s hand). The indicating device and window assembly may utilize aspects of the window assemblies described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,668,868; 10,559,153; 10,427,503 and/or 9,896,026, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     As shown in  FIGS.  2  and  3   , the window assembly  10  may include an integrated lighting device or devices, such as a center high mounted stop lamp (CHMSL)  24  for the vehicle whereby the lighting system may actuate the lighting device  24  as part of a brake light system of the vehicle  12 , or the lighting device may comprise a truck bed illuminating device  26  including a plurality of white light emitting lights, whereby the lighting system may actuate the lighting device as part of a truck bed illumination system, or the lighting device may comprise a plurality of white light emitting lights whereby the lighting system may actuate the lighting device as part of an interior cabin illumination system or the like, as discussed below. Thus, the lighting device, when activated, may emit light visible through the window panel  16  and viewable at the exterior of the vehicle and/or at the interior of the vehicle. Optionally, the emitted light may illuminate an exterior portion of the vehicle and/or an interior portion of the cabin of the vehicle. 
     In the illustrated embodiment, the window assembly  10  comprises a hole-in-glass window configuration, where a single fixed glass panel  16  has an aperture or hole or opening  18  established therethrough to define separate spaced apart fixed window panels or panel portions, such as in a similar manner as the window assemblies described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,881,458, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Optionally, the window assembly may include two fixed window panels that are spaced apart so as to define an opening  18  therebetween. The fixed window panels may comprise two separate spaced apart fixed window panels that define the opening  18  therebetween (and with upper and lower appliqués or trim or filler panels or elements disposed at the upper and lower regions of the opening  18  and between the fixed window panels). Optionally, the window panel and lighting device and/or indicating device construction may be implemented on a full-pane fixed (non-slider) rear window assembly. 
     The frame  14  includes an upper rail and a lower rail, with the upper and lower edge regions of movable window panel  20  movably or slidably received in and along the respective upper and lower rails. The slider or movable window panel  20  is movable along the lower rail and upper rail of the frame portion  14  to open and close the aperture or opening  18 . The slider window panel  20  may be disposed at a lower carrier, which may receive the lower perimeter edge region of the slider window panel  20  therein and may be slidably or movably received in the channel portion of the lower rail of the frame portion  14 . The upper rail may comprise any suitable channel or rail element configured to slidably receive an upper edge portion of the movable window panel  20 , and the upper rail may comprise a unitarily formed upper rail or channel. 
     The indicating device  22  includes a plurality of individual light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), such as micro-LEDs, or such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), or such as electro-luminescent light sources, or the like, arranged in a one or more rows or columns, such as a column of LEDs vertically arranged along a side region of the fixed window panel. The indicating device and corresponding light sources may be mounted or attached or disposed in any suitable manner to emit light (when electrically operated to emit light) that is visible interior and/or exterior the vehicle. For example, the window panel  16  may include a first or inner layer or pane of glass facing the cabin of the vehicle and a second or outer layer or pane of glass facing exterior the vehicle, and the light sources may be disposed between or sandwiched between the inner and outer layers of glass and, when electrically operated to emit light, emit light through the inner layer of glass or the outer layer of glass to emit light visible, respectively, interior or exterior of the vehicle. The indicating device may be disposed at an opaque or darkened or non-light-transmitting portion of the glass panel  16 , such as at or behind an opaque layer disposed at a perimeter region of the glass panel. The light sources may be positioned at locations of the glass panel that correspond to apertures or windows in the opaque layer so that light emitted by the light sources may be visible through the glass panel and wiring and other electric components may be hidden by the opaque layer. 
     The indicating device  22  is operable to display or indicate a status of a vehicle system (such as by utilizing aspects of the display devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,427,503, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). For example, and such as shown  FIGS.  4  and  4 A -C, the indicating device  22  may include a plurality of light sources that form a status bar along a side or perimeter region of the window panel  16 . The indicating device  22  may energize different ones of the bar elements or indicators to indicate, for example, a payload in the bed of the pickup truck. For example, a fewer number of LEDs or indicators may be energized or illuminated when the payload is light (see  FIG.  4 A ), and more LEDs or indicators may be energized or illuminated when the payload increases to a heavier load (see  FIG.  4 B ), and all of the LEDs or indicators may be energized and may be flashed to indicate an overloaded bed condition (see  FIG.  4 C ). The indicators may be different colors (e.g., the lower ones may be green, the middle ones may be yellow, and the upper one or ones may be orange or red) to indicate lower, higher and overloaded payload conditions. The indicating device  22  may be controlled responsive to an output of a suspension system (indicating amount of compression of the suspension system that is indicative of increase in payload) or a scale system that determines payload at the truck bed or the like. 
     Optionally, the window assembly may also or otherwise include a touch or proximity sensor  28  ( FIG.  5   ) disposed at the window panel  16 , such as at the exterior facing surface of the window panel, and that senses a person&#39;s touch or senses proximity of a person&#39;s hand and actuates the indicating device and/or a lighting device of the window assembly. For example, the touch or proximity sensor  28  may, responsive to sensing a person&#39;s hand, actuate the truck bed illumination lights. Optionally, the touch or proximity sensor  28  may be operable to trigger or actuate the payload indicator or other indicator of the window or vehicle. Optionally, the touch or proximity sensor  28  may be operable to trigger or actuate a door lock mechanism of the vehicle to unlock the vehicle doors or may unlock/lock and/or open/close the movable window panel  20  of the rear slider window, or may provide other control features for the window assembly and/or the vehicle. The sensing region of the window panel (i.e., the location of the window panel at and/or near the sensor  28 ) may be illuminated or backlit (and may have an icon indicative of the sensor) or otherwise demarcated so that a user can readily identify where the user needs to place his or her hand to activate the sensor  28 . Optionally, multiple sensors may be provided at the window assembly that provide different control functions. 
     Optionally, and such as shown in  FIGS.  5 - 7   , the touch or proximity sensor  28  may be incorporated or integrated in a rear liftgate  29  of a vehicle, such as integrated with or disposed at the rear window panel of the rear liftgate  29 . Thus, responsive to touch or proximity of a person&#39;s hand at the sensor  28  (see  FIG.  5   ), the liftgate may be opened or closed (see  FIG.  6   ). 
     Optionally, the sensor  28  may include gesture sensing capabilities so that the device can detect an authorized user&#39;s (such as a person carrying a key fob for the vehicle) hand wave or other gesture, and can unlock/lock the liftgate or open/close the liftgate accordingly (and/or generate other outputs to perform other functions responsive to recognition of the user&#39;s gesture). For example, the sensing device may include one or more other sensors (such as proximity sensors or radar sensors or imaging sensors or the like) that are disposed behind and view or sense through an aperture or window of the non-light-transmitting layer, so as to sense the presence and movement of a person&#39;s hand or the like at or near the door or window. The sensor  28  may be disposed at a different or remote window of the opaque layer different than the window corresponding to the light sources of the indicating device  22 . The sensor or sensing device may utilize aspects of the devices described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,559,153 and/or U.S. Publication No. US-2018/0094471, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     Optionally, the window assembly may include a near field communication (NFC) device or sensor  30  ( FIG.  8   ), so that a user may place a smart phone or other transmitting device at or near the sensor  30  to unlock/lock the vehicle doors or to provide any other function at the window assembly and/or vehicle. The NFC sensor  30  may be disposed at the rear window or at a rear liftgate window or at a side window of the vehicle, where it is readily accessible by a user when the user approaches the vehicle. The NFC sensor may unlock the door upon detecting presence of an authorized device (e.g., the vehicle owner&#39;s smartphone) at or near the NFC sensor. 
     The indicating device  22 , lighting devices  24 ,  26  and/or sensors  28 ,  30  includes an electrical lead or wire or conductive trace that extends from the window assembly  10  for electrical connection to a vehicle wire harness when the window assembly  10  is installed at a vehicle  12 . For example, a surface of the inner glass panel may have electrically conductive traces established thereat, whereby electrical connection of the indicating device  22  to the electrically conductive traces is made when the indicating device  22  is disposed at the glass panel, with the electrically conductive traces extending along the glass panel to a perimeter region of the window panel  16  for electrical connection to a vehicle wire harness or the like. The indicating device may utilize aspects of the lighting devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 10,559,153 and/or 10,427,503, and/or U.S. Publication No. US-2021/0296530, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     The indicating device and lighting device(s) and sensor(s) are integrated in the window panel  16 , such that the window panel  16  (with the devices integrated therein) is installed at the vehicle as a unit, whereby the devices are electrically connected to a vehicle wire harness or the like for power and control (such as by an electronic control module or the like of the vehicle at which the window assembly is installed). When the indicating device  22  or lighting devices are not activated, the devices are covert and not readily discernible at the window panel  16  (due to the tint or darkening of the window panel or due to a transparent characteristic of the device itself when it is not energized). Optionally, the sensor may be demarcated via an icon or symbol at the window, such as a glass etching or film or adhesive, and may not be readily discernible unless the icon or demarcation is illuminated or backlit (such as via energizing a light source of the sensor assembly). 
     Therefore, the rear window assembly for a pickup truck has one or more devices integrated therein. The rear window assembly thus has a smooth exterior appearance and avoids use of a lens on the sheet metal and an applique on the glass panel. The window assembly provides a single modular system that eliminates the need for two or more separate assemblies in the assembly plant. The window assembly provides a reduction of labor and complexity of installation at the vehicle assembly plant, and may eliminate labor at the assembly plant for installing a separate center high mounted stop lamp (CHMSL). 
     Optionally, the rear window assembly (or a spoiler of the vehicle at the rear window assembly) may include one or more speakers, such as audio speakers that generate sound responsive to an audio system of the vehicle. For example, and with reference to  FIG.  9   , a spoiler  132  at a vehicle  112  (shown as a spoiler along an upper region of a rear slider window assembly  110  of a pickup truck) includes a pair of waterproof, low-profile speakers  134 . The spoiler may be part of the vehicle cab or may be integrated with the rear window assembly  110  (such as by utilizing aspects of the window assemblies and spoilers described in U.S. Publication No. US-2022/0097495, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety). 
     The speakers  134  may be electrically connected to an audio system of the vehicle and/or may wirelessly connect (such as via BLUETOOTH® connection) to the audio system of the vehicle or to a user&#39;s mobile device. In the illustrated embodiment, the speakers are integrated in the spoiler  132  and along a rearward and downward facing side or surface of the spoiler so as to emit sound downward and rearward of the cab of the vehicle. Optionally, the speakers may be otherwise arranged to emit sound in other directions. Optionally, the speakers may be disposed at the fixed window panel  116  of the window assembly  110  (such as attached at the exterior side of the fixed window panel or otherwise attached and protruding partially through an aperture through the fixed window panel). Optionally, the speakers may be disposed at a perimeter frame or encapsulation that extends at least partially around the fixed window panel. Optionally, the window assembly (or spoiler or rear truck bed panel or other exterior part of the vehicle) may include a user actuatable device that controls the sound system and speakers so that a user can control volume and track selection or tuning of the sound system at the rear of the vehicle. For example, a touch or proximity sensor disposed at the glass window panel may be operable to control operation of the sound system and speakers of the vehicle. 
     The movable or slider window panel may be movable such as via manual pushing or pulling at the window panel and preferably is movable in response to actuation of a drive motor of the drive motor assembly or system, which may move cables or wires of cable assemblies relative to the sheath of the cable assemblies to impart horizontal movement of the carrier and slider window panel along the upper and lower rails. Optionally, the drive motor assembly and rail configurations may utilize aspects of the drive assemblies of the types described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,920,698; 4,995,195; 5,146,712; 5,531,046; 5,572,376; 6,955,009; 7,073,293; 8,151,519 and/or 8,938,914, and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2019/0383084; US-2017/0356231; US-2004/0020131 and/or US-2008/0127563, which are all hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     Optionally, the fixed window panel or panels may include an electrically conductive heater grid or other heating element or electrically operable element established at the window panel or panels (such as at or on an interior surface of the window panel) and the movable window panel may include an electrically conductive heater grid or other heating element or electrically operable element established at the movable window panel (such as at or on an interior surface of the movable window panel). Optionally, the heater grids may also be laminated within the fixed window panel and/or the movable window panel, such as by utilizing aspects of the window assemblies described in U.S. Pat. No. 10,524,313, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. The heater grids are electrically conductively connected to (or are otherwise in electrical conductive continuity with) a power source of the vehicle and may be powered (such as responsive to a user actuatable input or switch or button of the vehicle or responsive to a sensor or accessory of the vehicle) to heat or defrost or defog the fixed window panels. The movable panel heater grid is electrically connected to the power source (and may be electrically connected to electrical terminals or elements at one of the heater grids of the fixed window panels) and may be electrically powered to heat or defrost or defog the movable window panel. The heater grids comprise a plurality of electrically conductive traces that extend across the respective window panels between respective busbars to provide enhanced and more uniform heating and defrosting/defogging of the window panel. The heater grid of the movable window panel may be powered in a manner that allows for heating or defogging or defrosting of the movable window panel irrespective of whether the movable window panel is opened or partially opened or closed. For example, the electrical connections may be made via a flexible electrical connector or wire or cable or the like, such as by utilizing aspects of the rear slider window assemblies described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 9,579,955, 8,938,914, 8,881,458 and/or 8,402,695, and/or U.S. Publication No. US-2018/0079379, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. Optionally, the heater grid of the movable window panel may be powered only when in its closed position and/or via any suitable powering means. Optionally, a lighting device or indicator device or sensor may be integrated in or at the movable sliding window panel and electrically powered via similar or shared electrical connection as that used to electrically power the heater grid of the movable window panel, such as a flexible or sliding electrical connector. 
     The benefits of embodiments of the window assemblies described herein may also be realized in vehicular movable window assemblies other than a rear window assembly for a pickup truck or the like, such as (for example) a slider window assembly suitable for use as a movable side window for a vehicle such as a van or a bus or other vehicular window assembly. The window construction with indicator and/or lighting device and/or sensor may provide brake lighting, cargo lighting and/or interior lighting, and/or may provide other exterior lighting, such as puddle lamps or the like, via light sources (such as LEDs, micro-LEDs, OLEDs or electro-luminescent light sources or the like) at a fixed or movable glass window panel of a vehicle, such as for a rear window or rear liftgate or side window or other window of a vehicle. 
     Optionally, the window assembly or assemblies may utilize aspects of the window assemblies described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,915,018; 8,881,458; 8,402,695; 7,073,293; 7,003,916; 6,119,401; 6,026,611; 5,996,284; 5,799,444 and/or 6,691,464, and/or U.S. Publication Nos. US-2014/0047772; US-2006/0107600; US-2008/0127563; US-2004/0020131 and/or US-2003/0213179, all of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. 
     Changes and modifications to the specifically described embodiments may be carried out without departing from the principles of the present invention, which is intended to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims, as interpreted according to the principles of patent law.