MOTOR VEHICLE WINDOW ASSEMBLY
A motor vehicle window assembly. One implementation includes a wiper in electrical communication between a defrost grid of a movable window assembly and an elongate conductor of a guide rail assembly having a straight guide portion and an oblique guide portion, and in contact with the elongate conductor when the movable window assembly is in an open position. Another implementation includes an actuator cable including a core having a terminus coupled to a cable connector portion of a movable window assembly, wherein when the actuator cable is actuated, the movable window assembly moves in a direction extending away from an open position along a plane, toward a closed position out of the plane, and into the closed position in another plane such that the terminus of the core is carried out of the plane by the movable window assembly.
This is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/476,430 filed May 12, 2012 and claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Ser. Nos. 61/488,511 filed May 20, 2011; 61/496,014 filed Jun. 12, 2011; and 61/536,664 filed Sep. 20, 2011, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe present disclosure relates to a window assembly for a motor vehicle.
BACKGROUNDVehicle window assemblies come in many different forms.
Examples of vehicle window assemblies are described in the following U.S. Patents and Patent Application Publications: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,551,193; 5,542,214; 5,613,323; 5,613,325; 6,014,840; 6,026,611; 6,223,470; 6,766,617; 7,568,312; 7,765,738; 2008/0122262; 2009/0107052; 2010/0146859; and 2010/0154312.
SUMMARYIn a first implementation a motor vehicle window assembly may include a fixed pane having a first defrost grid, and a guide rail assembly including an elongate guide having a straight guide portion and an oblique guide portion and an elongate conductor in electrical communication with the first defrost grid and having a straight conductor portion and an oblique conductor portion. Also, a movable window assembly is carried by the guide rail assembly to move along an elongate path of travel between a closed position and an open position. The movable window assembly may include a pane having a second defrost grid, and a wiper in electrical communication between the second defrost grid and the elongate conductor of the guide rail assembly. The wiper is in contact with the elongate conductor when the movable window assembly is in the open and closed positions, and the wiper is in contact with the elongate conductor along at least a portion of the elongate conductor when the movable window assembly travels along the elongate path.
A motor vehicle window assembly may include a fixed pane having a first defrost grid, a fixed conductor in electrical communication with the first defrost grid, and a guide rail, wherein the conductor and the guide rail have straight portions and oblique portions. The assembly also may include a movable pane guided by the guide rail for movement between a closed position in a first plane and an open position in a second plane offset from the first plane, and a second defrost grid carried by the movable pane. The assembly further may include a movable conductor electrically communicated between the second defrost grid and the fixed conductor and movable with the movable pane and relative to the fixed conductor when the movable pane is moved between its open and closed positions, and the movable conductor is in contact with and wipes across at least a portion of the fixed conductor during at least a portion of the movement of the movable pane between its open and closed positions.
Further, a motor vehicle window assembly may include a fixed pane having a surface, and a guide rail assembly extending in a direction away from the surface of the fixed pane and including an elongate guide having a straight portion and an oblique portion. Also, a movable window assembly is carried by the guide rail assembly to move along an elongate path of travel between a closed position in a first plane and an open position in a second plane offset from the first plane and spaced apart from the surface of the fixed pane. The movable window assembly may include a pane, and a cable connector portion coupled to the pane. The motor vehicle window assembly further may include an actuator cable including a core having a terminus coupled to the cable connector portion of the movable window assembly, and a sheath covering at least a portion of the core. When the actuator cable is actuated, the movable window assembly moves in a direction extending away from the open position along the second plane, toward the closed position out of the second plane, and into the closed position in the first plane such that the terminus of the core is carried out of the second plane by the movable window assembly.
A motor vehicle window assembly may include a fixed pane having a surface and a first defrost grid, and a guide rail assembly extending in a direction away from the surface of the fixed pane and including an elongate guide having a straight guide portion and an oblique guide portion and an elongate conductor in electrical communication with the first defrost grid and having a straight conductor portion and an oblique conductor portion. Also, a movable window assembly is carried by the guide rail assembly to move along an elongate path of travel between a closed position in a first plane and an open position in a second plane offset from the first plane and spaced apart from the surface of the fixed pane. The movable window assembly may include a pane having a second defrost grid, a cable connector portion coupled to the pane, and a wiper in electrical communication between the second defrost grid and the elongate conductor of the guide rail assembly. The wiper is in contact with the elongate conductor when the movable window assembly is in the open and closed positions, and the wiper is in contact with the elongate conductor along at least a portion of the elongate conductor when the movable window assembly travels along the elongate path. The motor vehicle window assembly further may include an actuator cable including a core having a terminus coupled to the cable connector portion of the movable window assembly, and a sheath covering at least a portion of the core. When the actuator cable is actuated, the movable window assembly moves in a direction extending away from the open position along the second plane, toward the closed position out of the second plane, and into the closed position in the first plane such that the terminus of the core is carried out of the second plane by the movable window assembly.
Other implementations can be derived from combinations of the above and those from the implementations shown in the drawings and the descriptions that follow.
The following detailed description of preferred implementations and best mode will be set forth with regard to the accompanying drawings, in which:
In general, this description includes various example implementations of a motor vehicle window assembly. In a first implementation, electricity can be communicated to a defrost grid of a pane of a movable window assembly when the movable window assembly is in open and closed positions and when travelling along a path between the open and closed positions. In a second implementation, a movable window assembly moves in a direction extending away from an open position along a second plane, toward a closed position out of the second plane, and into the closed position in a first plane such that a terminus of a core of an actuator cable is carried out of the second plane by the movable window assembly. In a third implementation, the first and second implementations are combined.
The example implementations will be described with reference to use in a frameless, one-piece fixed pane type of backlight of a pickup truck. However, it will be appreciated as the description proceeds that the claimed invention is useful in many different applications and may be implemented in many other implementations. For example, the claimed invention may be used in a backlight having a frame carrying a plurality of the fixed panes. In another example, the claimed invention may be used in a side vent of a minivan or car, or in any other location of any other type of motor vehicle.
Referring in more detail to the drawings,
The movable window assembly 18 may be moved in any suitable manner by any suitable means. For example, the window assembly 10 also may include an actuator 20 and one or more actuator cables 21, 22 coupled to the actuator 20 and to the movable window assembly 18 to open and close the movable window assembly 18. In one implementation, as illustrated in
As shown in
The movable window assembly 18 also may include a pane 28 having a second defrost grid 30. The pane 28 may be composed of glass, plastic, or any other suitable material. The second defrost grid 30 may include a first bus 30a at one side of the pane 28 as shown in
As used herein, the terminology “defrost grid” includes any suitable device to defrost a window pane. In the illustrated implementation, the defrost grids 14, 15 may include terminal buses 14a, 15a, intermediate buses 14b, 15b, and defrost elements 14c, 15c extending between the buses 14a, 14b, 15a, 15b. Suitable connectors or terminals 14d, 15d may be brazed, adhered, or coupled in any other suitable manner to the terminal buses 14a, 15a. The terminal 14d may be a positive terminal coupled in any suitable manner to a positive feed of any suitable vehicle power source and the terminal 15d may be a negative terminal coupled in any suitable manner to a negative feed of the vehicle power source, or vice-versa. Accordingly, the defrost grids 14a, 14b, and 30 may be arranged in series as exemplified by the drawing figures. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also recognize that the defrost grids 14a, 14b, and 30 could be arranged in parallel via use of jumper wires, or the like.
Referring to
Also, the guide 24 may include non-straight or oblique portions 24c, 24d to establish non-linear paths, and straight portions 24e, 24f to establish linear paths extending from or in communication with the non-linear paths. The portions 24c, 24d, 24e, 24f may be used to guide the movable window assembly 18 between its closed and open positions. In particular, the oblique portions 24c, 24d may be used to guide the movable window assembly 18 out of a first plane P1 that may be parallel to the first axis A and into a second plane P2 that may be parallel to the first axis A. The oblique portions 24c, 24d may be obliquely disposed with respect to the straight portions 24e, 24f and may be angled and/or curved. Also, the straight portions 24e, 24f may guide the movable window assembly 18 along the second plane P2 toward and away from the open position of the movable window assembly 18.
Referring to
In another implementation, exemplified in
The elongate guide 24 may be carried by the guide rail 17. For example, the elongate guide 24 may be carried by the second rail 17c as exemplified in
The elongate conductors 26 may be carried by the guide rail 17. For example, the elongate conductors 26 may be carried between a portion of the reinforcement rail 17a and a portion of the second rail 17c, as illustrated in
Referring to
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As exemplified in
Referring generally to
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In
In
As shown in
As shown in
The movable window assembly 218 includes one or more followers 232 coupled between the pane 28 and the elongate guides (not shown) of the guide rail assembly 16 to facilitate movement of the movable window assembly 218 along its elongate path of travel. The followers 232 may be carried by a structural support 246. For example, the followers 232 may include posts 233 that may have fixed ends 233a that may be coupled to the structural support 246 by press fit, fastening, adhering, welding, or in any other suitable manner. The followers 232 may be carried in and may be concentric with conductor passages 248 of the structural support 246. The posts 233 of the followers 232 may include free ends (not shown) about which follower hubs 236 may be coupled in any suitable rotatable manner. The posts 233 may include conductor apertures 244 therethrough.
The movable window assembly 218 also may include one or more conductors 234 that are in contact with the elongate conductors 26 when the movable window assembly 218 is in its open and closed positions, and are in contact with the elongate conductors 26 along at least a portion of the elongate conductors 26 when the movable window assembly 218 travels along its elongate path of travel. For example, the conductors 234 may be carried by the followers 232 and may be concentric therewith.
In one implementation, the conductors 234 may include fixed portions 234a that may be carried in the posts 233 of the followers 232, and also may include movable portions or wipers 234b carried in the conductor apertures 244 and extending therefrom and having free ends in contact with the elongate conductors 26. The conductors 234 further may include springs 234c between the fixed and movable portions 234a, 234b to bias the movable portions 234b into contact with the elongate conductors 26. The movable portions 234b may be cylindrical as exemplified in the figures, or spherical, or of any other suitable shape and may include balls, pins, or any other suitable type of components.
The conductors 234 are in electrical communication between the second defrost grid 30 and the elongate conductors 26. In one implementation, electrical couplings or conductors 235 may include wires 35a connected at first ends to their respective conductors 234 and connected at second ends to respective buses 30a of the grid 30 via wire brackets 35b. The first ends of the wires 35a may be coupled directly to the conductors 234 or, as in the illustrated implementation, may be coupled via additional components. For example, the wires 35a may be coupled to a bracket 35c, which may be supported by the structural support 246 and may be coupled to the fixed portions 234a of the conductors 234 that, in turn, may be in electrical communication with the movable wipers 234b of the conductors 234 via the springs 234c of the conductors 234.
The window assembly 410 includes the fixed pane 12, a guide rail assembly 416, and a movable window assembly 418 carried by the guide rail assembly 416 along an elongate path of travel between closed and open positions. The window assembly 410 also may include another, lower guide rail assembly 416′ that also may be used to carry and/or guide the movable window assembly 418. The guide rail assembly 416 may include a guide rail 417 of any suitable type and construction, and an elongate conductor assembly 419 carried by the guide rail 417.
Referring to
The elongate base 452 may be unitary or may be constructed of several separate components, and may be composed of plastic or any other suitable material. The elongate base 452 may include elongate conductor guides 424a, 424b. The guides 424a, 424b may include oblique portions 424c, 424d and straight portions 424e, 424f extending from or in communication with the oblique portions 424c, 424d. The oblique portions 424c, 424d may be obliquely disposed with respect to the straight portions 424e, 424f and may be angled and/or curved.
The elongate conductors 426 are carried by the elongate conductor guides 424a, 424b of the base 452 and may include portions corresponding to the paths 424c, 424d, 424e, 424f of the guides 424a, 424b. The conductors 426 may be identical, and may be spaced apart in a direction generally parallel to the transverse axis C and may substantially overlap one another in a direction generally parallel to the sliding axis A. The conductors 426 may include strips or bands of conductive metal, or any other suitable conductive material of any suitable shape. The conductors 426 may be adhered, fastened, integrally interengaged, or coupled in any other suitable manner to the base 452.
Referring again to
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The movable window assembly 418 also includes conductors 434, 435. The conductors 434, 435 may be carried by the structural support 446 in any suitable manner. For example, in one implementation, the conductors 434, 435 may include cantilevered wipers having fixed ends 434a, 435a, free ends 434b, 435b, and intermediate portions 434c, 435c. The fixed ends 434a, 435a may be adhered, brazed, or coupled in any other suitable manner to their respective buses 430a, 430b. The intermediate portions 434c, 435c may extend over corresponding portions of the structural support 446 and may be clipped to edges of the structural support 446 with integral clips 434d, 435d, and/or may be adhered, fastened, and/or coupled in any other suitable manner to the structural support 446. The free ends 434b, 435b may be biased into contact with their respective elongate conductors 426. For example, the free ends 434b, 435b may be cantilevered from the intermediate portions 434c, 435c and toward the conductors 426, and may be curved or dished for good surface contact with and smooth traversing of the conductors 426.
In addition to the conductor paths 424c, 424d, 424e, 424f, the movable window assembly 418 may be guided between its closed and open positions by the guides of the previously described implementations and any suitable corresponding devices of the movable window assembly of the previously described implementations. Such corresponding devices may include the followers of the previously described implementations, or posts, pins, or any other suitable devices.
The conductors 426 may have a shape that corresponds to the shape of the guides 24 to allow the wipers 434, 435 to maintain contact with the conductors 426 over the elongate path of travel of the movable window assembly 418. However, the conductors 426 may be spaced apart from the elongate guides 24 in a direction extending away from the fixed pane 12.
Also, the conductors 426 may be oriented generally orthogonally with respect to the elongate guides 24. Accordingly, the conductors 426 are oriented differently with respect to the guides 24 than the conductors 26 of
Referring now to
The motor vehicle window assembly 10 also may include a cable mount 104 extending in a direction away from a surface of the fixed pane 12 and including a retainer portion 106 to retain the cable 22. The retainer portion 106 may include one or more features integral to the rest of the mount 104 or one or more separate retainer components or both. As will be described in further detail below, the cable mount 104 may facilitate the non-linear movement of the movable window assembly 18, wherein a cable pull vector is not linear but planar over complete travel of the assembly 18.
The cable 22 includes a core 108 having a terminus 110 coupled to the cable connector portion 102 of the window assembly structural support 46, and a sheath 112 covering at least a portion of the core 108 and being retained to the cable mount 104 by the retainer portion 106. The terminus 110 may be of any suitable size and shape and may be considered to be that portion of the cable 22 that is coupled to the window assembly 18. For example, as shown in
The cable mount 104 includes a cable support surface 114 disposed between the fixed pane 12 and a longitudinal axis 116 of the cable 22. As shown in
In any case, the cable mount 104 may be coupled to the lower guide rail assembly 16′ in any suitable manner by any suitable configuration. For example, the mount 104 may be releasably snap fit to a portion of the lower guide rail assembly 16′ and/or may be coupled thereto with a tongue and groove connection therebetween. The mount 104 also or instead may be coupled to the assembly 16′ via fasteners, adhesive, or in any other suitable manner.
With reference to
With reference to
Referring now to
In the illustrated implementation, the cable connector portion 102 may include a base surface 134, an end surface 136 extending from the base surface 134, and a relief 138 in the base and end surfaces 134, 136. The base surface 134 may include a bottom surface of the support 46, and the end surface 136 may include a side surface of the support 46. The relief 138 accepts the core terminus 110 (
In general, the components of the window assemblies described herein can be manufactured according to techniques known to those skilled in the art, including molding, machining, stamping, and the like. Also, the window assemblies can be assembled according to known techniques. Likewise, any suitable materials can be used in making the components, for example metals, composites, polymeric materials, and the like.
While the forms of the invention herein disclosed constitute presently preferred implementations, many others are possible. It is not intended herein to mention all the possible equivalent forms or ramifications of the invention. It is understood that the terms used herein are merely descriptive, rather than limiting, and that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.
Claims
1. A motor vehicle window assembly, comprising:
- a fixed pane having a surface;
- a guide rail assembly extending in a direction away from the surface of the fixed pane and including an elongate guide having a straight portion and an oblique portion; and
- a movable window assembly carried by the guide rail assembly to move along an elongate path of travel between a closed position in a first plane and an open position in a second plane offset from the first plane and spaced apart from the surface of the fixed pane, and including: a pane, and a cable connector portion coupled to the pane, and
- an actuator cable including a core having a terminus coupled to the cable connector portion of the movable window assembly, and a sheath covering at least a portion of the core,
- wherein when the actuator cable is actuated, the movable window assembly moves in a direction extending away from the open position along the second plane, toward the closed position out of the second plane, and into the closed position in the first plane such that the terminus of the core is carried out of the second plane by the movable window assembly.
2. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 1, further comprising a cable mount extending in a direction away from the surface of the fixed pane and including a retainer portion, wherein the sheath is retained to the cable mount by the retainer portion, and wherein the cable mount includes a cable support surface disposed between the fixed pane and a longitudinal axis of the cable as retained to the cable mount.
3. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 2 wherein the cable mount is joined to a portion of the guide rail assembly with a tongue and groove slidable connection and is releasably snap fit to a portion of the guide rail assembly.
4. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 3 wherein the portion of the guide rail assembly includes a mounting surface to support the cable mount, an end surface extending from the mounting surface, and a bayonet extending longitudinally from the end surface, and the cable mount includes a base surface in contact with the mounting surface and a portion trapped between a barb of the bayonet and the end surface.
5. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 3 wherein the portion of the guide rail assembly includes a mounting surface to support the cable mount with an elongate T-shaped feature in the mounting surface, and the cable mount includes a base surface to rest on the mounting surface with an elongate T-shaped feature, wherein the cable mount is slidably mounted to the portion of the guide rail assembly by interengagement of the T-shaped features.
6. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 1 wherein the movable window assembly also includes a structural support coupled to the pane and including the cable connector portion, wherein the cable connector portion includes a base surface, an end surface extending from the base surface, and a relief in the base and end surfaces that accepts the core terminus and an adjacent portion of the core and accommodates relative movement of the terminus and the adjacent portion of the core as the movable window assembly moves toward the closed position from the second plane to the first plane.
7. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 6 wherein the relief includes a base aperture in the base surface spaced from the end surface, an end aperture in the end surface spaced from the base surface, and an elongate T-shaped slot in the base surface having one end in communication with the base aperture and another end in communication with the end aperture, wherein the core terminus is retained in the base aperture and the adjacent portion of the core extends through the T-shaped slot and out of the end aperture.
8. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 1, wherein the movable window assembly also includes a follower coupled between the pane and the elongate guide of the guide rail assembly to facilitate movement of the movable window assembly along the elongate path.
9. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 8, wherein the follower includes a hub and a cam spaced from the hub along the elongate guide, wherein the follower also includes an intermediate portion between the hub and the cam, and wherein the hub has a hub width, the cam has a cam width, and the intermediate portion has an intermediate width less than the width of the hub and less than the width of the cam, and wherein as the movable window assembly moves along the elongate path of travel and into the closed position, the cam cooperates with the elongate guide to facilitate holding the movable window assembly in the closed position.
10. The motor vehicle window assembly of claim 9 wherein the oblique portion of the elongate guide includes a first curvate section having a first radial center on one side of the elongate guide, a second curvate section having a second radial center on another side of the elongate guide, and an inflection section between the curvate sections, wherein when the movable window assembly is in the closed position the hub is disposed in the second curvate section and the cam is disposed in the first curvate section to facilitate holding the movable window assembly in the closed position.
11. A motor vehicle window assembly, comprising:
- a fixed pane having a surface and a first defrost grid;
- a guide rail assembly extending in a direction away from the surface of the fixed pane and including an elongate guide having a straight guide portion and an oblique guide portion and an elongate conductor in electrical communication with the first defrost grid and having a straight conductor portion and an oblique conductor portion; and
- a movable window assembly carried by the guide rail assembly to move along an elongate path of travel between a closed position in a first plane and an open position in a second plane offset from the first plane and spaced apart from the surface of the fixed pane, and including: a pane having a second defrost grid, a cable connector portion coupled to the pane, and a wiper in electrical communication between the second defrost grid and the elongate conductor of the guide rail assembly, and being in contact with the elongate conductor when the movable window assembly is in the open and closed positions and in contact with the elongate conductor along at least a portion of the elongate conductor when the movable window assembly travels along the elongate path, and
- an actuator cable including a core having a terminus coupled to the cable connector portion of the movable window assembly, and a sheath covering at least a portion of the core,
- wherein when the actuator cable is actuated, the movable window assembly moves in a direction extending away from the open position along the second plane, toward the closed position out of the second plane, and into the closed position in the first plane such that the terminus of the core is carried out of the second plane by the movable window assembly.
Type: Application
Filed: May 22, 2017
Publication Date: Sep 7, 2017
Inventors: Ronnie G. Gipson (Metamora, MI), Scott S. Sharron (LaSalle), Kenneth E. Keck, II (Clinton Township, MI), Walter J. Steiner (Rochester, MI), Ramakrishna Putumbaka (Farmington Hills, MI)
Application Number: 15/601,144