Magna Mirrors of America, Inc.

Donnelly Corporation

Michael J Hulst

Darin J Snider

Troy F Tooker

David K Johnson

Linh H Pham

Drew C Pretzer

David L Guillozet

Peggy L Gustafson

A vehicular window assembly includes a window panel having an inner side and an outer side separated from the inner side by a thickness of the window panel. The window panel has a perimeter edge that spans between the inner side and the outer side. A perimeter frame includes a plastic inner frame portion and a polymeric outer frame portion disposed at an outer surface of the inner frame portion. The inner frame portion has an attaching element that is adhesively bonded at the inner side of the window panel to attach the perimeter frame to the window panel. With the attaching element adhesively bonded at the inner side of the window panel, the outer frame portion receives and seals against the perimeter edge of the window panel.

Vehicle window assembly with bonded perimeter frame

A vehicular rear slider window assembly includes a movable window panel that is movable along upper and lower rails of a fixed window panel. A first heater grid is disposed at a first fixed panel, a second heater grid is disposed at a second fixed panel, and a third heater grid disposed at the movable window panel. A jumper electrical connector electrically connects between the first and second fixed panels, and a flexible electrical connector electrically connects between the first or second fixed panel and the movable window panel. The first fixed panel has positive and negative terminals configured to electrically connect to at least one electrical connector of a vehicle wire harness when the vehicular rear slider window assembly is installed at a vehicle. When the positive and negative terminals are electrically powered, electrical current may flow in a single direction across the first and second heater grids.

Rear slider window assembly

A rear slider window assembly for a vehicle includes a movable window panel that is movable along upper and lower rails of a fixed window panel. The lower rail includes a water drainage element having (i) a hole established through the lower rail and (ii) a drainage receiving conduit attached at the fixed window panel beneath the hole of the lower rail and spaced from the lower rail. The drainage receiving conduit includes a receiving portion disposed below the opening to receive water from the opening and a guiding portion to guide received water toward an exit of the drainage receiving conduit. The drainage receiving conduit provides a passageway for water to flow from the lower rail, through the hole of the lower rail, and into the drainage receiving conduit, which drains the water exterior the rear slider window assembly.

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.

Window assembly for vehicle

A slider window assembly for a vehicle includes a movable window panel that is movable at a fixed window panel between closed and opened positions. A lower end region of the movable window panel moves along a channel portion of a lower rail and an end stop is disposed at an end of the channel portion. The end stop includes a rigid base portion attached at the lower rail and a resilient elastomeric stop portion attached at the base portion and configured to engage an end portion of the movable window panel when the movable window panel is moved to its fully opened or fully closed position. The base portion and the stop portion are separately formed in separate forming processes. When the base portion of the end stop is attached at the lower rail, the stop portion is fixedly attached at the base portion and is not removable therefrom.

Slider window assembly with two piece end stop

A rear slider window assembly for a vehicle includes a movable window panel that is movable along channels of a fixed window panel via guide pins. A first guide pin moves along a first channel, which as a slot established therealong and therethrough. An electrical connector electrically connects electrical terminals at the fixed window panel to electrical terminals at the movable window panel, and includes a pin follower that extends through the slot of the first channel to electrically connect to a flexible cable connected to terminals at the fixed window panel and to electrical terminals at the movable window panel. The lower rail may include a water drainage element including (i) a hole established through the lower rail and (ii) a drainage receiving conduit attached at the fixed window panel beneath the hole of the lower rail and spaced from the lower rail.

A method of forming a unitary perimeter seal for attachment at a fixed window panel of a slider window assembly of a vehicle includes forming upper, lower and side sealing portions each having elongated body portions and sealing lips extending substantially therealong. The upper and lower sealing portion are arranged with first ends adjacent a respective end of a first side sealing portion and second ends adjacent a respective end of a second side sealing portion. The sealing portions are arranged so as to result in a perimeter frame that circumscribes an opening for the slider window assembly. Corner regions are molded at and partially over adjacent ends of the elongated body portions of the sealing portions, such that the corner regions include a curved sealing lip that provides a transition between the sealing lips of the adjacent ends of the sealing portions.

Sealing system for movable window of rear window assembly

A rear slider window assembly for a vehicle includes a fixed window panel, a frame portion and a movable window panel that is movable along the frame between a closed position and an opened position relative to an opening of the fixed window panel. A first heater grid is disposed at the first panel portion, a second heater grid is disposed at the second panel portion, and a third heater grid is disposed at the movable window panel. A first busbar is disposed at the fixed window panel and extends at least partially across an upper or lower panel portion of the fixed window panel. The rear slider window assembly includes an electrical connector for electrically conductively connecting the third heater grid to one of (i) the first heater grid, (ii) the second heater grid and (iii) the first busbar.

Slider window assembly

A slider window assembly for a vehicle includes a frame portion having an upper rail and a lower rail, with at least one fixed window panel fixed relative to the frame portion and defining an opening. A movable window panel is movable along the upper and lower rails between a closed position and an opened position. A perimeter seal is disposed at the at least one fixed window panel. The perimeter seal includes a single continuous sealing element that circumscribes the opening and that is configured to substantially seal against a surface of the movable window panel about a periphery of the movable window panel when the movable window panel is in its closed position.

A slider window assembly for a vehicle includes a frame portion having an upper rail and a lower rail, at least one fixed window panel that is fixed relative to the frame portion, and a movable window panel that is movable along the upper and lower rails. The movable window panel is movable between a closed position and an opened position. The movable window panel may include a panel portion and a carrier element integrally formed with the panel portion, with the carrier portion slidably received in the lower rail and movable along the lower rail as the movable window panel is moved between its closed and opened positions. The window assembly may include conductive heater grids that are electrically powered without use of jumper wires that electrically connect between heater grids of the fixed window panel at opposite sides of the movable window panel.

A slider window assembly for a vehicle includes a frame portion having upper and lower rails, at least one fixed window panel fixed relative to the frame portion, and a movable window panel that is movable along the rails between a closed position and an opened position. The lower rail may comprise a unitarily formed rail having (i) a channel portion that extends at least partially along the fixed window panel and an opening and (ii) a cable guide formed at each end region of the channel portion. A carrier is at a lower portion of the movable window panel and is configured to move along the channel portion of the lower rail. The cable guides are configured to engage or receive a respective sheath of a cable assembly of a cable drive system, with a cable of the cable assembly being attached at the respective end of the carrier.

Slider window assembly with cable guides

A slider window assembly for a vehicle includes a frame portion having an upper rail and a lower rail, at least one fixed window panel that is fixed relative to the frame portion, and a movable window panel that is movable along the upper and lower rails. The movable window panel is movable between a closed position and an opened position. The movable window panel may include a panel portion and a carrier element integrally formed with the panel portion, with the carrier portion slidably received in the lower rail and movable along the lower rail as the movable window panel is moved between its closed and opened positions.

A vehicular window assembly includes a frame, a fixed window panel bonded to a lower frame portion and a movable window assembly. The side frame members of the movable window include upper and lower guide elements that are slidably received in respective channels along opposite portions of the frame. The channels are configured to move the movable window along the fixed window panel when the movable window assembly is at least partially opened and to move the movable window to a position where the movable window panel is generally coplanar with the fixed window panel when the movable window assembly is closed. When the movable window is in its closed position, a seal sealingly engages an inboard surface of the side frame members and an inboard surface of the upper frame member and an inboard portion of an upper perimeter region of the fixed window panel.

A window module for a school bus includes a frame, a fixed window panel affixed to a portion of the frame, a perimeter panel secured to another portion of the frame and defining an opening at the other portion of the frame, and a movable window panel. The movable window panel is slidably positioned at the frame and movable along channel members and interiorly of the fixed window panel when opened and interiorly of and generally at the perimeter panel when at least partially closed. The exterior surfaces of the fixed window panel and of the perimeter panel may form a generally flush surface at an exterior of the school bus when the window assembly is installed at the school bus.

Growing community of inventors

Holland, MI, United States of America

Michael J Hulst