Window assembly for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10167664-B2
Application number	US-201615259155-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2016
Priority date	Sep 9, 2015
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A window assembly for a vehicle includes a fixed frame having a pair of opposite side frame members, an upper frame member and a lower frame member. A fixed window panel is disposed at a lower portion of the side frame members and at the lower frame member. A movable window panel is movable relative to the fixed window panel and the frame between an opened position and a closed position. Each of the side frame members includes a lower channel for receiving a side perimeter edge region of the fixed window panel and an end region of the lower frame member. An elastomeric seal is overmolded along the lower channel of the side frame member and is configured to receive and seal against (i) the side perimeter edge region of the fixed window panel and (ii) the end region of the lower frame member.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a window assembly for a vehicle, said method comprising:
providing a fixed frame configured to mount to the vehicle, said fixed frame comprising a pair of opposite side frame members, an upper frame member and a lower frame member;
overmolding an elastomeric seal along a channel portion of each of said side frame members;
providing a fixed window panel;
providing a movable window panel movable relative to said fixed window panel and said fixed frame between an opened position and a closed position;
receiving a side perimeter edge region of said fixed window panel in said elastomeric seal along said channel portion of a respective one of said side frame members, wherein said elastomeric seal receives and seals against said side perimeter edge region of said fixed window panel; and
wherein overmolding said elastomeric seal comprises overmolding said elastomeric seal to form a sealing channel for receiving and sealing against (i) said side perimeter edge region of said fixed window panel and (ii) an end region of said lower frame member.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing a fixed frame comprises molding opposite side frame members.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein molding opposite side frame members comprises molding opposite side frame members via an injection molding process.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein said side frame members and said elastomeric seal are molded via a two shot molding process that molds said side frame members in a first molding process and molds said elastomeric seal at said side frame members in a second molding process.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said sealing channel of said elastomeric seal has a wider dimension at a first portion of said sealing channel for receiving said end region of said lower frame member than the width of a second portion of said sealing channel for receiving said side perimeter edge region of said fixed window panel.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein a center frame member is disposed along an upper edge region of said fixed window panel, and wherein said elastomeric seal is configured to receive and seal against an end region of said center frame member.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein overmolding said elastomeric seal comprises overmolding said elastomeric seal in said channel portion of each of said side frame members and wherein said channel portion of said side frame members comprises a constant width dimension along its length.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein said sealing channel has a wider dimension at a third portion of said sealing channel for receiving said end region of said center frame member than the width of said second portion of said sealing channel for receiving said side perimeter edge region of said fixed window panel.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said movable window panel is vertically movable relative to said fixed frame and said fixed window panel when said window assembly is mounted at the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein providing said fixed frame comprises providing a plurality of stop elements that function to retain said movable window assembly in a selected one of a plurality of positions between the opened and closed positions.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said movable window panel is circumscribed by a movable frame having opposite side frame portions and upper and lower generally horizontal frame portions.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said upper frame portion of said movable frame is movably received in an upper channel of said side frame members of said fixed frame.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said side frame portions of said movable frame are received in a movable window channel of said side frame members of said fixed frame, and wherein said movable window channel is parallel to said upper channel and said lower channel of said side frame member.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said window assembly is configured to mount at a side of a bus.

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Pretzer Drew C
• Hulst Michael J
• Pham Linh H

Classifications

• E06B3/4407 Primary

  Single-hung, i.e. having a single vertical sliding panel · CPC title

• B60J1/007

  received in frames to be attached to vehicle · CPC title

• E06B2003/4461

  Plastics · CPC title

• B60J1/17

  vertically · CPC title