Patent ID: 7003916

Claim:
A vehicular rear window assembly for a vehicle comprising: a first fixed window pane having a perimeter edge with upper, lower, outer, and inner perimeter portions; a second fixed window pane having a perimeter edge with upper, lower, outer, and inner perimeter portions, said fixed panes each having an outwardly facing side and an inwardly facing side for facing inwardly in the vehicle when the window assembly is mounted in the vehicle; a sliding window pane; and a support system mounted to said inwardly facing sides of said fixed panes inwardly of said outer perimeter portions of said fixed panes, said support system comprising: an upper horizontal member, a lower horizontal member, and a pair of spaced apart vertical members, said vertical members interconnecting said upper horizontal member and said lower horizontal member, said upper and lower horizontal members being structurally and rigidly interconnected only by said fixed panes and said vertical members, each of said upper and lower horizontal members having opposed first and second ends, said vertical members interconnecting said upper horizontal member and said lower horizontal member at locations of said upper horizontal member and said lower horizontal member inboard and distant from said first and second ends of said upper and lower horizontal members, said fixed panes spaced apart wherein their inner perimeter portions in combination with said horizontal members define an opening, said upper and lower horizontal members directly attached only to said inwardly facing sides of said fixed panes and being attached to said inwardly facing sides of said fixed panes by an adhesive, said vertical members having exposed exterior surfaces substantially coplanar with exterior surfaces of the outwardly facing sides of said fixed panes, said exterior surfaces of said outwardly facing sides adjacent said inner perimeter portions of said fixed panes being free of adhesive, and said sliding pane being supported for horizontal movement in said upper and lower horizontal members between open and closed positions with respect to said opening by said support system.