Windshield wrapped vehicle pillar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10703178-B2
Application number	US-201615344873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2016
Priority date	Nov 7, 2016
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle includes a driver side pillar extending between a door and a roof. The pillar forms a face having an outer edge adjacent the driver side door and an inner edge. Similarly, a passenger side pillar extends between a door and the roof and forms a face having an outer edge adjacent the door and inner edge. A windshield supported by a cowl and the roof has a driver side edge that extends beyond the inner edge of the driver side face and substantially covers the driver side pillar and a passenger side edge that extends beyond the inner edge of the passenger side face and substantially covers the passenger side pillar. The vehicle further includes a frit bonded around a periphery of the windshield. The frit substantially covers and is bonded to the driver and passenger side pillars making them appear to be a dark or black color.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A vehicle, comprising:
a door;
a roof;
a pillar;
a windshield supported along a lower edge by a cowl, an upper edge by the roof, and a side edge by the pillar; and
an end treatment bonded to the side edge of the windshield,
wherein the side edge of the windshield substantially covers and is bonded to a face of the pillar, and wherein a gap is formed between the side edge of the windshield and the face of the pillar, and the end treatment seals the gap.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the face of the pillar includes an outer edge adjacent the door and an inner edge.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the side edge of the windshield is bonded to the face of the pillar adjacent the inner edge of the pillar.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a frit around a periphery of the windshield.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the frit is sufficient in width to substantially cover the face of the pillar.

6. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the frit is bonded to the windshield.

7. The vehicle of claim 4 wherein the windshield includes an outer ply, an inner ply, and a polymer between the inner and outer plies, and the frit is bonded to an inner surface of the outer ply.

8. A vehicle, comprising:
a windshield bonded to a face of a first pillar extending between a first door and a roof and to a face of a second pillar extending between a second door and the roof, wherein a first side edge of the windshield extends around the first pillar and a second side edge of the windshield extends around the second pillar; and
a first end treatment bonded to the first side edge of the windshield and a second end treatment bonded to the second side edge of the windshield.

9. The vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the face of the first pillar includes an outer edge adjacent the first door and an inner edge, and the face of the second pillar includes an outer edge adjacent the second door and an inner edge.

10. The vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first side edge of the windshield is bonded to the face of the first pillar adjacent the inner edge of the first pillar and the second side edge of the windshield is bonded to the face of the second pillar adjacent the inner edge of the second pillar.

11. The vehicle of claim 10 , further comprising a frit around a periphery of the windshield.

12. The vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the frit covers the first face of the first pillar and the second face of the second pillar.

13. A vehicle, comprising:
a driver side pillar extending between a driver side door and a roof, the driver side pillar forming a face having an outer edge adjacent the driver side door and an inner edge;
a passenger side pillar extending between a passenger side door and the roof, the passenger side pillar forming a face having an outer edge adjacent the passenger side door and an inner edge;
a windshield having a driver side edge extending beyond the inner edge of the driver side face and substantially covering the driver side pillar and a passenger side edge extending beyond the inner edge of the passenger side face and substantially covering the passenger side pillar; and
a driver side end treatment bonded to the driver side edge of the windshield and a passenger side end treatment bonded to the passenger side edge of the windshield,
wherein the driver side edge of the windshield is bonded to the face of the driver side pillar and the passenger side edge of the windshield is bonded to the face of the passenger side pillar.

14. The vehicle of claim 13 , further comprising a frit bonded on a first side to the windshield and substantially covering at least the driver side pillar and the passenger side pillar and bonded on a second side to the face of the driver side pillar and the face of the passenger side pillar.

15. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein the windshield includes an outer ply, an inner ply, and a polymer between the inner and outer plies, and the frit is bonded to an inner surface of the outer ply.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 , wherein the windshield is less than 3.7 mm in thickness.

17. The vehicle of claim 13 , wherein a gap is formed between the driver side side edge of the windshield and the face of the driver side pillar, and the driver side end treatment seals the gap.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Boettger Thomas F
• Musleh Michael A
• Reed Patrick
• Gauthier Jennifer Ann
• Allen David C

Classifications

• B60J1/02

  arranged at the vehicle front {, e.g. structure of the glazing, mounting of the glazing (on windscreen mounted antenna wire H01Q1/1271)} · CPC title

• B60J1/006

  characterised by fixation means such as clips, adhesive, etc. (incorporated in seal B60J10/70) · CPC title

• B62D25/04

  Door pillars {; windshield pillars} · CPC title

• B60J10/34

  using adhesives · CPC title

• B60J1/008 Primary

  of special shape, e.g. beveled edges, holes for attachment, bent windows, peculiar curvatures such as when being integrally formed with roof, door, etc. · CPC title