Window assembly with a movable pane and a defrost assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9920560-B2
Application number	US-201615075737-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2016
Priority date	Mar 21, 2016
Publication date	Mar 20, 2018
Grant date	Mar 20, 2018

Abstract

In at least some implementations, a motor vehicle window assembly includes a guide rail, a movable pane movable along the guide rail between open and closed positions and a defroster. First and second guide rail conductors are carried by the guide rail and adapted to be connected to a power source. First and second movable conductors are each electrically communicated with a respective one of the first and second guide rail conductors, each electrically coupled to the defroster and each movable with the movable pane relative to guide rail when the movable pane is moved between the open and closed positions. To provide power to the defroster, the movable conductors are in contact with the guide rail conductors when the movable pane is in the closed position and during movement of the movable pane between the open and closed positions.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A motor vehicle window assembly, comprising:
a guide rail including a guide track
a movable pane movable along the guide rail between a closed position and an open position;
a defroster carried by the movable pane;
first and second guide rail conductors carried by the guide rail, each adapted to be connected to a power source and each having a contact surface that faces away from the movable pane and downwardly, in the direction of the force of gravity; and
first and second movable conductors each electrically communicated with a contact surface of a respective one of the first and second guide rail conductors, each of the first and second movable conductors is electrically coupled to the defroster and each is movable with the movable pane relative to guide rail when the movable pane is moved between the open and closed positions, the movable conductors being in contact with the guide rail conductors when the movable pane is in the closed position and during movement of the movable pane between the open and closed positions, and wherein the guide track faces upwardly, opposite to the direction of the force of gravity and the contact surface of each guide rail conductor is located below the movable pane relative to the direction of the force of gravity.

2. The window assembly of claim 1 wherein the contact surface of each guide rail conductor is engageable by a respective one of the movable conductors and wherein the contact surface of each guide rail conductor is separated from the guide track by a flange of the guide rail.

3. The window assembly of claim 2 wherein the flange is oriented so that liquid within the guide rail must move at least some distance in a direction against the direction of the force of gravity to engage the guide rail conductors.

4. The window assembly of claim 2 wherein the contact surface of each guide rail conductor is located above a bottom of the flange relative to the direction of the force of gravity.

5. The window assembly of claim 2 wherein the guide rail conductors are positioned within an inverted U-shaped conductor chamber that is covered on three sides by surfaces of the guide rail where one of said surfaces includes the flange.

6. The window assembly of claim 5 wherein the conductor chamber is open in a direction that is between and may include perpendicular to the force of gravity and parallel to and in the direction of the force of gravity.

7. The window assembly of claim 3 wherein the movable conductors are yieldably biased into contact with the guide rail conductors.

8. The window assembly of claim 7 wherein the biasing force is opposite to the direction of the force of gravity.

9. The window assembly of claim 1 wherein the guide rail includes a guide track that controls direction of movement of the movable pane, and the guide track has a contoured portion that is not linear and causes movement of the movable pane between a first plane and a second plane as the movable pane moves between the open position and closed position, and wherein the guide rail conductors are linear.

10. The window assembly of claim 9 which also includes a trolley received within the guide rail and coupled to the movable pane so that the trolley moves relative to the guide rail as the movable pane moves, and wherein the guide track includes a linear portion, the trolley moves along the linear portion and the first and second movable conductors are carried by the trolley for linear motion relative to the guide rail conductors as the window moves to and between the open position and the closed position.

11. A motor vehicle window assembly, comprising:
a guide rail including a guide track that faces upwardly against the direction of the force of gravity and a flange that defines at least part of a conductor chamber;
a movable pane guided by the guide track for movement between a closed position and an open position;
a defroster carried by the movable pane;
a first guide rail conductor carried by the guide rail within the conductor chamber that has a contact surface that faces downwardly, in the direction of the force of gravity and wherein the contact surface of the first guide rail conductor is located below the movable pane relative to the direction of the force of gravity;
a power supply coupled to the guide rail conductor; and
a first movable conductor electrically communicated with the defroster and coupled to the movable pane for movement with the movable pane, wherein the movable conductor is in contact with the contact surface of the guide rail conductor when the movable pane is in the closed position and during movement of the movable pane between the open and closed positions, and wherein the guide rail conductor is located in a portion of the conductor chamber that is separated from a liquid flow path in the guide rail by the flange.

12. The window assembly of claim 11 which also includes a wire coupled at one end to the defroster and at another end to the movable conductor, and wherein the guide rail conductor is adapted to be coupled to a power source to provide power from the power source to the defroster through the guide rail conductor, movable conductor and the wire.

13. The window assembly 13 which also includes a second guide rail conductor with one of the guide rail conductors coupled to the power source and the other of the guide rail conductors coupled to ground, and wherein the assembly also includes a second movable conductor with one movable conductor engaged with the guide rail conductor that is coupled to the power source and the other movable conductor engaged with the guide rail conductor that is coupled to ground, and two wires are provided with one wire extending between the defroster and said one movable conductor and the other wire extending between the defroster and said other movable conductor.

14. The window of claim 11 wherein the flange extends downwardly, relative to the direction of gravitational force, below the location of the guide rail conductor.

15. The window of claim 14 wherein the guide rail conductor includes a contact surface that faces downwardly.

16. The window of claim 11 wherein the conductor chamber is defined by at least three surfaces of the guide rail.

17. The window assembly of claim 11 wherein the guide track and conductor chamber share a common wall.

18. The window assembly of claim 1 wherein the guide rail includes a lower surface, and wherein the movable pane is spaced from the lower surface and the first and second guide rail conductors are positioned above the lower surface of the guide rail, and the first and second movable conductors are received between the lower surface and the first and second guide rail conductors.

19. The window assembly of claim 2 wherein the guide track is offset from the guide rail conductors in a direction transverse to the direction of gravity.

Assignees

• Dura Operating Llc

Inventors

• Gipson Ronnie G
• Keck Ii Kenneth E

Classifications

• B60J1/1853 Primary

  horizontally in direction transverse to vehicle longitudinal axis · CPC title

• H05B3/84

  Heating arrangements specially adapted for transparent or reflecting areas, e.g. for demisting or de-icing windows, mirrors or vehicle windshields · CPC title

• H05B3/03

  Electrodes · CPC title

• E05Y2900/50

  for vehicles · CPC title

• E05D15/0691

  Top guides · CPC title