Vehicle window assembly with louvered window

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440379-B2
Application number	US-202016949165-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 16, 2020
Priority date	Dec 17, 2012
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A method for forming a vehicular window assembly includes providing a plurality of window panels and arranging the window panels relative to one another with adjacent edge portions of adjacent window panels being non-coplanar. Adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels are fixedly joined via a joining element at the adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels. The joining element may be at least partially overmolded and fixedly joined at the adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels. The vehicular window assembly may comprise a vehicular side window assembly configured to mount at a side portion of a vehicle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for forming a vehicular window assembly, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of window panels;
arranging the window panels relative to one another with adjacent edge portions of adjacent window panels being non-coplanar; and
fixedly joining the adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels by molding a joining element at the adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels, wherein the molded joining element is at least partially overmolded and fixedly joined at the adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjacent edge portions are curved.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the molded joining element at least partially circumscribes at least one of the adjacent window panels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adjacent window panels comprise an outboard window panel and an inboard window panel, and wherein the window panels are arranged such that the outboard window panel is offset outwardly relative to the inboard window panel at least at the adjacent edge portions.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the molded joining element at least partially circumscribes the inboard window panel.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the adjacent window panels comprise two inboard window panel portions and one outboard window panel, and wherein outer exposed surfaces of the inboard window panel portions are separated by a portion of the outboard window panel.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising molding an encapsulation that at least partially receives a perimeter edge portion of at least one of the adjacent window panels.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the window panels comprise glass window panels.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicular window assembly comprises a vehicular side window configured to mount at a side portion of a vehicle.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein providing a plurality of window panels comprises providing first and second window panels, and wherein arranging the window panels relative to one another comprising arranging the first window panel relative to the second window panel with a rear edge portion of the first window panel being non-coplanar with a front edge portion of the second window panel, and wherein molding the joining element at the adjacent edge portions of the adjacent window panels comprises molding the joining element at the rear edge portion of the first window panel and at the front edge portion of the second window panel to fixedly join the rear edge portion of the first window panel and at the front edge portion of the second window panel.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein molding the joining element at the rear edge portion of the first window panel and at the front edge portion of the second window panel comprises molding the joining element at least partially at the rear edge portion of the first window panel so that the molded joining element does not overlap an outer surface of the first window panel.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein molding the joining element at the rear edge portion of the first window panel and at the front edge portion of the second window panel comprises molding the joining element at the front edge portion of the second window panel so that the molded joining element at least partially receives the front edge portion of the second window panel.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein each window panel of the plurality of window panels has an outer surface and an inner surface separated by a thickness of the window panel, and wherein the window panels are arranged relative to one another with the outer surfaces of the adjacent edge portions of adjacent window panels being non-coplanar.

14. A method for forming a vehicular side window assembly configured to mount at a side portion of a vehicle, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of window panels at least comprising (i) a forward window panel having a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion and (ii) a rearward window panel having a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion;
arranging the forward and rearward window panels relative to one another with the trailing edge portion of the forward window panel being adjacent to and offset from and non-coplanar with the leading edge portion of the rearward window panel; and
fixedly joining the adjacent trailing and leading edge portions of the adjacent forward and rearward window panels via fixedly attaching a joining element at the adjacent trailing and leading edge portions of the adjacent forward and rearward window panels.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the adjacent trailing and leading edge portions are curved.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the joining element at least partially circumscribes at least one selected from the group consisting of the forward window panel and the rearward window panel.

17. The method of claim 14 , further establishing a perimeter frame at least partially along perimeter edge portions of the forward and rearward window panels.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein establishing the perimeter frame comprises fixedly joining the perimeter frame at the perimeter edge portions of the forward and rearward window panels.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the window panels comprise glass window panels.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein fixedly attaching the joining element at the trailing edge portion of the forward window panel and at the leading edge portion of the rearward window panel comprises fixedly attaching the joining element at least partially at the trailing edge portion of the forward window panel so that the joining element does not overlap an outer surface of the forward window panel.

21. The method of claim 14 , wherein fixedly attaching the joining element at the trailing edge portion of the forward window panel and at the leading edge portion of the rearward window panel comprises fixedly attaching the joining element at the leading edge portion of the rearward window panel so that the joining element at least partially receives the leading edge portion of the rearward window panel.

22. The method of claim 14 , wherein providing a plurality of window panels comprises providing a second rearward window panel having a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion, and wherein the method further comprises arranging the second rearward window panel relative to the rearward window panel with the trailing edge portion of the rearward window panel being adjacent to and offset from and non-coplanar with the leading edge portion of the second rearward window panel, and wherein the method further comprises fixedly joining the adjacent trailing and leading edge portions of the adjacent rearward and second rearward window panels via fixedly attaching a joining element at the adjacent trailing and leading edge portions of the adjacent rearward and second rearward window panels.

23. The method of claim 14 , wherein fixedly attaching the joining element comprises overmolding the joining element at the adjacent trailing and leading edge portions of the adjacent forward and rearward window panels.

24. The method of claim 14 , wherein each of the forward and rearward window panels has an outer surface and an inner surface separated by a thickness of the respective window panel, and wherein the forward and rearward window panels are arranged relative to one another with the outer surface o

Assignees

• Magna Mirrors Of America Inc

Inventors

• Tooker Troy F
• Johnson David K
• Quinones Julie L

Classifications

• B32B17/10018

  comprising only one glass sheet · CPC title

• B32B17/10779

  containing polyester · CPC title

• B32B2307/402

  Coloured · CPC title

• B32B2307/41

  Opaque · CPC title

• B60J10/70

  specially adapted for windows or windscreens · CPC title