Donnelly Corporation

Clarion Technologies, Inc.

Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.

David E Nestell

Niall R Lynam

Loren Brent Renkema

Peter John Whitehead

Douglas R Swanson

James T Ainsworth

Qihua Xu

Darin J Snider

R Scott Repp

Alan D Picken

Jim Galer

William Beckman

Kevin J Schroeder

Steven C Dubay

Grant A Gerig

Alan D Clarion Technologies Inc Picken

A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator includes a glass panel having a central region and a perimeter region, with the perimeter region having an upwardly turned spill prevention lip. The upwardly turned spill prevention lip is upwardly turned relative to the central region via a glass forming process. The upwardly turned spill prevention lip includes upwardly turned lip portions at the front, rear, left and right sides of the glass panel. The central region of the glass panel includes a storage portion. The upwardly turned spill prevention lip circumscribes the periphery of the central region to limit spillage of liquid over the sides of the glass panel. The shelf assembly may include a pair of support rails bonded at lower surfaces of the left and right sides of the glass panel and having attachment elements configured to mount the shelf assembly at the refrigerator.

Refrigerator shelf assembly

A shelf assembly for use in a refrigerator includes a shelf panel and a pair of opposite support rails. The shelf panel has upwardly angled perimeter regions and may comprise a strengthened glass material, such as a transparent strengthened glass material, such as tempered glass. Each of the support rails includes a base portion and an angled portion that extends at an angle from the base portion. The angled portions of the support rails are bonded along the lower surface of the upwardly angled side perimeter regions of the shelf panel.

A mirror assembly includes a reflective element portion and a molded portion formed of a multi-void, lightweight structure. The multi-void, lightweight structure may be formed by injecting a gas into an injection mold while the molded portion is being molded, resulting in a multi-void aerated molded structure having multiple-voids introduced during the molding step. A window assembly for a vehicle may include an outer frame portion, an inner frame portion hingedly attached to the outer frame portion, and at least one sealing element established along a sealing portion of the outer and/or inner frame portions. The outer frame portion may be pivoted relative to the inner frame portion and about the hinge portions to a closed position. The outer frame portion may be connected to the inner frame portion when in the closed position to secure the at least one sealing element therebetween.

Window assembly for vehicle

An exterior accessory assembly or module for a vehicle door assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror and/or door cap assembly, which may further include a cover member, a door handle, window frame, window seal and/or an exterior rearview mirror assembly. The exterior rearview mirror and/or the cap assembly may mount to the modular door and provide an exterior rearview mirror, a window frame and/or door handle. The latch and/or mirror connectors provide for connection to the handle and/or mirror assembly, respectively, of the accessory module as the accessory module is affixed to the door frame. Preferably, the exterior mirror and/or cap assembly and door frame include corresponding electrical connectors for connecting electrical accessories of the accessory module to a door wiring or harness.

Exterior accessory module for vehicular modular door

An exterior accessory assembly or module for a vehicle door assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror and/or door cap assembly, which may further include a cover member, a door handle, window frame, window seal and/or an exterior rearview mirror assembly. The vehicle door assembly includes a door frame, which includes a cap and/or mirror mounting region, a lock and/or latch mechanism, trim pieces, and/or the like, and is mountable to a vehicle at the vehicle assembly plant as a single unit. The exterior rearview mirror and/or the cap assembly may mount to the modular door and provide an exterior rearview mirror, a window frame and/or door handle. The cap assembly and door frame may include corresponding electrical connectors for connecting electrical accessories of the cap assembly to a door wiring or harness. The cap assembly may include a window seal for slidably engaging a movable window panel of the cap assembly or door assembly.

A vehicular rear window assembly for a vehicle comprises a first fixed pane, a second fixed pane, and a sliding pane, which is supported for horizontal movement between open and closed positions. The window assembly includes a support system with an upper horizontal member, a lower horizontal member, and a pair of spaced apart vertical members, which interconnect the upper horizontal member and the lower horizontal member to define a central opening. The fixed panes adhesively mount to the upper and lower horizontal members. The vertical members have exposed exterior surfaces that are preferably generally flush with the exterior surface of the fixed panes.

Horizontal slider window assembly

An exterior accessory assembly or module for a vehicle door assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror and/or door cap assembly, which may further include a cover member, a door handle, window frame, window seal and/or an exterior rearview mirror assembly. The vehicle door assembly includes a door frame, which includes a cap and/or mirror mounting region, a lock and/or latch mechanism, a mirror connector, electronic controls, regulators, trim pieces, and/or the like, and is mountable to a vehicle at the vehicle assembly plant as a single unit. The exterior rearview mirror and/or the cap assembly may mount to the modular door and provide an exterior rearview mirror, a window frame and/or door handle. The exterior mirror and/or cap assembly and door frame may include corresponding electrical connectors for connecting electrical accessories of the accessory module to a door wiring or harness.

The present invention provides a vertical slider window system which integrates fixed panes and one and more sliding panes into an integrated unit that is easier to handle and install in an opening of a vehicle (such as the rear window or backlite of a pickup truck or similar style light truck vehicle) and, further, which seals the sliding pane.

Vertical slider window assembly

An exterior accessory assembly or module for a vehicle door assembly comprises an exterior rearview mirror and/or door cap assembly, which may further include a cover member, a door handle, window frame, window seal and/or an exterior rearview mirror assembly. The vehicle door assembly includes a door frame, which includes a cap and/or mirror mounting region, a lock and/or latch mechanism, a mirror connector, electronic controls, regulators, trim pieces, and/or the like, and is mountable to a vehicle at the vehicle assembly plant as a single unit. The exterior rearview mirror and/or the cap assembly may mount to the modular door and provide an exterior rearview mirror, a window frame and/or door handle. The latch and/or mirror connectors provide for connection to the handle and/or mirror assembly, respectively, of the accessory module as the accessory module is affixed to the door frame. Preferably, the exterior mirror and/or cap assembly and door frame include corresponding electrical connectors for connecting electrical accessories of the accessory module to a door wiring or harness. Preferably, the exterior accessory module and the and the connectors for the door assembly are correspondingly formed to easily snap or otherwise secure together, such that the mirror and/or cap assembly may be snapped to the modular door, with the components of the cap assembly, such as an exterior mirror assembly, window frame and seals, and/or door handle, also being snapped or otherwise easily attached to their respective mounts or connectors. Preferably, the door assembly is assembled at a door assembly plant remote from a vehicle assembly plant or optionally on a door assembly line adjacent to and coordinated with the vehicle assembly line within the vehicle assembly plant, while the exterior mirror and/or cap assembly is assembled remote from the door assembly plant and affixed to an appropriate door at the door or vehicle assembly line or plant, before or after the door assembly is mounted at the vehicle as the vehicle moves along the assembly line.

A method of preparing a vehicle panel assembly for attaching the panel to a vehicle is disclosed which provides a &ldquo;ready-to-install&rdquo; panel assembly. The panel assembly includes first and second spaced sides, with the bead of heat activated adhesive provided on the second side of the panel. The panel and bead are heated preferably by applying shortwave and longwave infrared radiation, with the shortwave infrared radiation being applied to an adhesive free side of the panel to heat the panel and, thereby, indirectly heat the bead of the heat activated adhesive. The longwave infrared radiation is applied to the adhesive side of the panel to directly heat the bead and thereby activate the adhesive. The ready-to-install adhesive may be applied on or adjacent to a gasket, such as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) molding, a urethane molding, or the like. Optionally, either during or after heating, the substrate is cooled in order to ease handling of the panel assembly after the bead of adhesive is activate and ready for installation.

Vehicle assembly line-side heat activation of a &ldquo;Ready-To-Install&rdquo; window fixing adhesive for attachment of a vehicle window to a vehicle

A method of and apparatus for activating a ready-to-install heat activated adhesive for attaching a vehicle panel to a vehicle is disclosed which provides a &ldquo;ready-to-install&rdquo; panel assembly. The panel assembly includes first and second spaced apart surfaces, with the bead of heat activated adhesive provided on the second surface of the panel. The panel and bead are heated preferably by applying shortwave and longwave infrared radiation, with the shortwave infrared radiation being applied to an adhesive free side of the panel to heat the panel and, thereby, indirectly heat the bead of the heat activated adhesive. For example, where the window panel is such as a laminated windshield or side window or backlite comprising two glass sheets laminated with a polymer inner layer, such as plasticized polyvinyl butyral, or silicone or the like, it is preferable that the heat activation temperature of the adhesive be less than or equal to about 125&deg; C., more preferably less than or equal to about 115&deg; C., and most preferably less than or equal to about 105&deg; C. Also, when a ready-to-install adhesive is applied on or adjacent to a gasket such as a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) molding, a urethane molding, or the like, it is preferable that the heat activation temperature of the adhesive be about less than or equal to about 125&deg; C., more preferably less than or equal to about 115&deg; C., and most preferably less than or equal to about 105&deg; C. The longwave infrared radiation is applied to the adhesive side of the panel to directly heat the bead and thereby activate the adhesive. The apparatus includes a first heating component and a second heating component, with the first heating component including a source of shortwave infrared radiation, such as one or more lamps, which is adapted to heat the adhesive free side of the panel for indirectly heating the bead of adhesive. The second heating component includes a source of longwave radiation, for example a quartz emitter, which is applied the second side of the panel to directly heat the bead of adhesive.

Vehicle assembly line-side heat activation of a &ldquo;ready-to-install&rdquo; window fixing adhesive for attachment of a vehicle window to a vehicle

A vehicle component assembly includes a hard coated polymeric element with a resinous polymeric molded element or gasket integrally molded to a predetermined area thereof. Preferably, the element is a polycarbonate optical lens, such as a headlight lens, which is coated with a protective coating or hard coat which provides abrasion resistance and optionally includes ultraviolet radiation absorbers to protect the resinous polymeric molded element from UV radiation degradation. Adhesion is improved by priming the area of the polycarbonate element which receives the gasket with a primer coating. Preferably, the area to be gasketed is primed with a first adhesion promoting primer followed by a second adhesion promoting primer, wherein the first adhesion promoting primer improves the adhesion of the second primer to the protective coating, while the second primer, in turn, improves the adhesion of the molded element or gasket to the first primer and the hard coated element. The gasket is preferably molded on a peripheral portion of the element which may include grooves or other formed portions for mechanical interlocking the gasket with the polymeric element. Preferably, the gasket is formed from a melt-processible gasket material, such as polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic urethane, or an ethylene-styrene polymer.

Vehicular component assembly with hard coated element

A vehicular window assembly adapted to close an opening in a vehicle body includes a window panel of glass or plastic in the form of a sheet, a primer layer, and at least one polymeric gasket preferably formed from a polymer resin comprising an olefin and bonded to the panel on the primer layer which also comprises an olefin. The primer preferably has a transition temperature above which improved adhesion characteristics are exhibited, and the panel and primer are preferably preheated above the transition temperature prior to molding or other application of the gasket. Alternately, the primer can be cross-linkable and is preferably cured after application of the gasket through ambient moisture and/or post heating. The gasket may also be preformed and applied to the window panel with pressure and heat.

Growing community of inventors

Spring Lake, MI, United States of America

David E Nestell