Patent ID: 8201367

Claim:
In combination, a garage door and window frame assembly, the combination comprising: an overhead garage door having front and rear exposed surfaces separated by a door thickness, and at least one window opening therein; a front and rear frame members which cooperate, upon assembly, to securely grip a transparent pane sandwiched there between, the front window frame member having a periphery sized to circumscribe the window opening from the front exposed surface of the door, the front frame member also having an inner peripheral portion which circumscribes the transparent pane once the pane is installed in the assembly; wherein the rear frame member also circumscribes the window opening from the rear exposed surface of the door, the rear frame member having an inner peripheral region which forms a plurality of honeycomb regions each of which forms an enclosed space fully bounded by four walls, at least one of the enclosed spaces being made up of the combined inner peripheral portion of the front frame member and the inner peripheral region of the rear frame member upon assembly of the front and rear frame members, and wherein the inner peripheral region of the rear frame member has a circumferential rib provided thereon which is received within a mating groove provided about an outer periphery of the transparent pane on an interior side thereof; whereby impact forces transmitted to the transparent pane are absorbed in the honeycomb regions of the assembled frame while the cooperating rib and groove arrangement securely grips the transparent pane between the front and rear frame members; wherein the inner peripheral portion of the front frame member comprises a flange region which overlays an outer periphery of the transparent pane, and wherein an internal wall extends perpendicularly from the inner peripheral portion generally perpendicular thereto, thereby creating a right-angled cavity in the interior of the frame assembly; wherein the internal wall also forms one side of an internal baffle, and wherein the right-angled cavity which is formed by the internal wall and the flange region together form a positive stop region for the outer periphery of the transparent pane, holding it securely in position; and wherein a selected one of the honeycomb regions of the rear frame member has an interior wall portion arranged perpendicular to the outer periphery of the transparent pane, the selected honeycomb region also being provided with the outer circumferential rib which is received within the mating groove provided on the transparent pane, and wherein the front frame member internal wall is arranged coincident with and fully contacting the interior wall portion of a honeycomb region of the rear frame member upon assembly, whereby the pane is securely retained in the frame assembly.