Electrical connector for a vehicle glazing, glazing and vehicle comprising said electrical connector

Abstract

The invention relates to a flexible electrical connection (3) for a vehicle glazing that is translationally mobile relative to a body element of a vehicle, the flexible electrical connection (3) having, along its length, an upstream connector (30) attachable to an internal element fixed to the body and a downstream connector (30') attachable to the glass (2) of the glazing (1). The flexible electrical connection (3) comprises a flexible electrical layer (31) comprising at least one electrically conductive wire and / or at least one electrically conductive strip (32, 32'), and has, at the connections with the upstream connector (30) and with the downstream connector (30'), a curved lateral shape (C, C') on itself.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flexible electrical connector for a vehicle window that is translatably movable relative to a vehicle body component, the flexible electrical connector having an upstream connector that can be attached to an internal component fixed to the vehicle body, and a downstream connector that can be attached to the glass of the window.

[0002] This is called a flexible electrical connector because it moves with the glass window relative to the vehicle body, so the electrical connection exists regardless of the glass window's position relative to the vehicle body: whether it is open, closed, or in between.

[0003] The present invention also relates to a vehicle window comprising glass, means for enabling the glass to have translational mobility relative to a body element of the vehicle, and at least one flexible electrical connection, and to a vehicle equipped with a window comprising glass, means for enabling the glass to have translational mobility relative to a body element of the vehicle, and at least one flexible electrical connection. Background Technology

[0004] As is well known, vehicle windows may require an electrical supply, for example, to allow power to be supplied to window heating devices, such as a very fine network of wires stacked one or more layers, or even to allow changes in the transparency and / or hue of the window.

[0005] International patent applications WO2020 / 114639 and WO2020 / 01949 disclose multilayer thin-film glass windows with electrically switchable optical properties. The applied voltage can be used to control the transmission of visible light through PDLC or SPD functional elements. Therefore, glass windows with such functional elements can be conveniently electrically blocked.

[0006] When such windows are movable relative to the vehicle body, and particularly when windows are movable by translation (or sliding), it is difficult to achieve accurate power supply that follows the movement of the windows relative to the vehicle body or a part of the vehicle body, such as a door (or door). This reliable, constant following is especially difficult to obtain and maintain throughout the entire service life of the vehicle. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a reliable and compact flexible electrical connection arrangement for a vehicle window that can be moved horizontally, a vehicle window arrangement including at least one such flexible electrical connection that can be moved horizontally, and a vehicle including at least one such window.

[0008] This invention is based on the discovery that a specific flexible electrical connector configuration can allow for a reliable electrical connection between fixed body components and movable glass windows, while being particularly compact.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention relates most broadly to a flexible electrical connector for a vehicle window according to claim 1. The window is translatably movable relative to the vehicle body components, and the flexible electrical connector has, along its length, an upstream connector attachable to an internal component fixed to the vehicle body and a downstream connector attachable to the glass of the window. A significant feature of the flexible electrical connector is that it includes a flexible electrical layer comprising at least one conductive wire and / or at least one conductive strip, and has a laterally curved shape at the connection points with the upstream and downstream connectors.

[0010] A flexible electrical layer is a long electrical connection element with width and thickness, wherein the width is greater than the thickness, and it includes two longitudinal ends; a flexible electrical layer is not a cable, because cables typically have a circular outer cross-section.

[0011] The electric layer is flexible because its basic shape can be easily changed, especially by applying a force similar in magnitude to that applied by a human arm.

[0012] A connector is a component that enables the flexible electrical layer to connect and disconnect from the vehicle's electrical system upstream and from the glass downstream at its longitudinal ends.

[0013] The curved lateral shape is the curved shape observed in the lateral or transverse direction (i.e., in the width perpendicular to its length) of the flexible electrical layer.

[0014] This invention is based on the discovery that by applying a specific shape, specifically a lateral bend at each of the two longitudinal ends of the flexible electrical layer (i.e., a bend across the entire cross-section of the flexible electrical layer, perpendicular to its length), a folding of the flexible electrical layer on itself can be achieved between these two longitudinal ends according to the length of the flexible electrical layer. This fold is not thick (the two folds or portions of the flexible electrical layer are close to each other in their superimposed environment). The folding, or refolding, of the flexible electrical layer on itself is movable: its position in the reference frame of the movable glass window varies according to the position of the glass, i.e., according to the position of the downstream connector, while taking into account that the upstream connector is fixed in this reference frame. Even though the position of the fold changes along the flexible electrical layer between the two lateral bends, its basic shape remains the same. Therefore, there are no areas of premature wear, and the reliability of the flexible electrical connector is very high.

[0015] Surprisingly, this fold creates a rigidity in the region where there are curved lateral shapes, and this rigidity allows the flexible electrical layer to fold longitudinally on itself in the portion located between two curved lateral shapes, resulting in a small final thickness, i.e., a small radius of curvature. This fold on itself at a small thickness allows for the creation of a "path" for the flexible electrical layer during the sliding of the glass window, i.e., a very small total volume occupied by the flexible electrical connector during the translation of the glass window. Therefore, the space required for the flexible electrical connector is reduced.

[0016] This reduced volume allows flexible electrical connectors to be positioned in smaller, concealed spaces (e.g., inside a door stile or inside the vehicle roof) while simultaneously preventing premature wear of the flexible electrical layer. In fact, if the flexible electrical layer comes into contact with an edge of the glass (i.e., the angle between the outer or inner surface of one side and the side surface of another), the flexible electrical layer could be damaged by repeated contact with that edge; by considering a configuration where the flexible electrical layer folds itself over itself in a confined space, contact with the glass edge is prevented, thus preventing premature wear of the flexible electrical layer.

[0017] To facilitate this folding of the flexible electrical layer on itself, when the flexible electrical layer is considered planar (without folding), the two bends are preferably in the same direction. For ease of installation, when the flexible electrical layer is considered planar, the two bends are preferably in the same direction (i.e., have the same angle).

[0018] Preferably, the flexible electrical connector comprises the flexible electrical layer, an upstream connector that can be attached to an internal component fixed to the vehicle body, and a downstream connector that can be attached to the glass of the window; there are no connectors or intermediate components between the upstream and downstream connectors. The flexible electrical connector is therefore very simple and very reliable. Furthermore, the flexible electrical connector is very lightweight.

[0019] When in use, when viewed along the length of the flexible electrical layer, the flexible electrical layer thus has two curved lateral shapes (each end of the flexible electrical layer is laterally curved on itself) and a longitudinal fold located between these two curved lateral shapes.

[0020] When the flexible electrical layer is observed to fold (refold) itself, the two bends preferably have planes of symmetry, resembling chiral molecules. Therefore, the folds always have the same shape, reducing the risk of creating weak regions in the flexible electrical layer.

[0021] The fold of the flexible electrical layer is a 180° fold on itself. Preferably, there is only one fold; in use, the fold always exists and does not disappear, regardless of the position of the glass (open, closed, or in between).

[0022] At this longitudinal fold, the flexible electrical layer is generally planar in the lateral direction: its cross-section has a non-curved or planar shape. This planar shape is beneficial to reliability over time: where the flexible electrical layer is planar and longitudinally folded, the internal stress of the flexible electrical layer is oriented only along its length, and there is no internal stress along its width; if the flexible electrical layer is laterally bent on itself at the longitudinal fold, its internal stress will be oriented along both its length and width, and this will lead to fatigue of one or more of the constituent materials of the flexible electrical layer; over time, this fatigue will damage the flexible layer and increase the risk of fracture.

[0023] The flexible electrical layer can be directly configured such that the flexible electrical layer itself has a curved lateral shape at the connection with the upstream connector and the downstream connector, for example, through a specific molding operation of the flexible electrical layer.

[0024] Preferably, to ensure that the flexible electrical layer maintains a curved lateral shape at its connection points with the upstream connector and the downstream connector throughout its service life, each of the upstream and downstream connectors includes a receiving surface that contacts and is laterally curved with respect to the flexible electrical layer; thus, the connector receiving surface applies the curved lateral shape to both ends of the flexible electrical layer.

[0025] Preferably, for ease of connection, the receiving surfaces of the upstream connector and / or the downstream connector (preferably both) are longitudinally curved and terminate near the glass or internal components fixed to the vehicle body via a planar portion. This configuration also contributes to achieving high compactness.

[0026] Preferably, to facilitate folding the flexible electrical layer on itself (to facilitate the manufacture of folds), at least one of the curved lateral shapes, and preferably each curved lateral shape, has a generally V-shaped form in a cross-sectional view (with only one bending point, preferably located in the middle of the width of the flexible electrical layer), and the angle between the two wings of the V-shape is between 60° and 120°, or even between 80° and 100°; preferably 90°.

[0027] The present invention also relates to a vehicle window comprising glass, means for enabling the glass to have translational mobility relative to body elements of the vehicle, and at least one flexible electrical connector according to the invention, wherein the downstream connector is attached to the glass.

[0028] This attachment can be achieved by clamping the upstream connector onto the glass or by manufacturing the upstream connector in situ on the glass.

[0029] As the reliability of flexible electrical connections increases, the reliability of glass windows also increases over time.

[0030] Preferably, for the glass window, the flexible electrical layer has two curved lateral shapes (each end of the electrical layer is laterally curved on itself) and a generally planar fold, the fold being longitudinally located between the two curved lateral shapes.

[0031] The glass has a ligne de vision that, when considered vertically, forms a separation between a hidden portion of the glass located below the ligne de vision and intended to remain concealed within the body section regardless of the glass's position relative to the body section, and a visible portion of the glass located above the ligne de vision. The hidden portion of the glass includes at least one fixing area for securing the glass to the means for making it movable.

[0032] Therefore, the glass window includes a visual line. Although the visual line serves as a relevant reference for the use of the glass, it still belongs to the glass window itself, and the visual line is quite different from the final use of the glass window because the visual line is data set at the beginning of the glass window design; the visual line is visible on the design and manufacturing drawings of the glass window.

[0033] "Side" or "boundary" refers to the narrow side of a sheet, which is generally located laterally between the two main surfaces of the sheet.

[0034] The attachment of the downstream connector to the glass is preferably achieved near the edge of the glass; more preferably, it is achieved in a hidden portion of the glass.

[0035] Preferably, the glass includes electrical devices, such as devices for heating the glass and / or devices for brightening and darkening the glass and / or for changing the tint of the glass.

[0036] To facilitate the manufacture of glass windows, the downstream connector can be attached to a device that allows the glass to have translational mobility.

[0037] The device that enables the glass to move, in the sense of the present invention, may include one or more window frames, one or more holders, one or more guide rails, or slides.

[0038] Preferably, the device for enabling the glass to have vertical translational movement relative to the door of the vehicle includes a window frame having a U-shaped portion surrounding a part of the glass.

[0039] The means that enable the glass to move may include one or more holes that pass through the glass, either partially or entirely (i.e., a portion of the thickness of the member in the fixed region or the entire thickness of the member in the fixed region).

[0040] The glass can be entirely monolithic (composed of a single glass sheet or a single plastic sheet), entirely multi-sheet (composed of multiple glass sheets or multiple plastic sheets), or even partially multi-sheet in a portion, such as in the visible portion, and partially monolithic, such as in the hidden portion. The concept of "multi-sheet glass" specifically refers to laminated glass, i.e., glass having at least three sheets: an outer glass sheet, an inner glass sheet, and an intermediate sheet of adhesive material between the two sheets.

[0041] When the glass is partially or fully laminated, in its laminated portion, from the outside in, the glass comprises, in the following order: at least one outer glass sheet, at least one adhesive interlayer sheet, and then at least one inner glass sheet; however, at least one other sheet may be inserted between the outer glass sheet and the adhesive interlayer sheet, or between the adhesive interlayer sheet and the inner glass sheet. As a modification, the glass may consist of an outer glass sheet, an adhesive interlayer sheet, and an inner glass sheet, without any other sheets.

[0042] Advantageously, the thickness of the outer glass sheet can be between 2.85 mm and 4.85 mm. Preferably, for the outer glass sheet with a thickness between 2.85 mm and 4.85 mm, the outer glass sheet has a surface stress of 80-200 MPa.

[0043] Advantageously, the thickness of the inner glass sheet is between 0.30 mm and 2.60 mm. The thickness of the inner glass sheet can particularly be between 0.70 mm and 2.10 mm, or even between 1.0 mm and 1.60 mm.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the inner glass sheet is between 1.00 mm and 1.20 mm.

[0045] Advantageously, for the inner glass sheets with thicknesses of approximately 1.1 mm, approximately 1.6 mm, and approximately 2.1 mm, the maximum surface stresses of the inner glass sheets are 20 MPa, 30 MPa, and 40 MPa, respectively. The term "approximately" herein refers to a value considered standard by those skilled in the art, even if that value may locally vary within a range of plus or minus 10%.

[0046] The adhesive interlayer sheet is, for example, a polyvinyl butyral (PVB) sheet with a thickness between 0.30 and 1.50 mm, such as 0.78 mm.

[0047] In cases where the glass includes one or more other sheets besides the three sheets mentioned above, the outer glass sheet is the outermost sheet of the laminated glass.

[0048] The present invention also relates to a vehicle equipped with a glass window comprising glass according to the invention, means for enabling the glass to have translational mobility relative to a body element of the vehicle, and at least one flexible electrical connector according to the invention, wherein the upstream connector is attached to an internal element fixed to the body, and the downstream connector is attached to the glass.

[0049] The improved reliability of flexible electrical connections enhances vehicle reliability over time. Furthermore, the reduced size of flexible electrical connections increases the usable space inside the vehicle.

[0050] The flexible electrical layer preferably has folds along its length with a radius of curvature between 0.2 and 20.0 mm, and more preferably between 5.0 and 15.0 mm.

[0051] In this vehicle, the glass preferably includes means for heating the glass and / or for brightening and darkening the glass and / or for changing the tint of the glass.

[0052] In this vehicle, preferably the flexible electrical layer, and more preferably each flexible electrical layer extends along its length in a direction parallel to the principal component of the translational direction of the glass; that is:

[0053] - If the glass is essentially translated or slid vertically (entirely vertical, with no or very small component in the horizontal direction), then the flexible electrical layer extends vertically; and

[0054] - If the glass translates or slides substantially horizontally (completely horizontally, with no or very little component in the vertical direction), then the flexible electrical layer extends horizontally.

[0055] In this vehicle, the internal element is preferably an internal guide of the flexible electrical layer to prevent it from moving further inward; the internal element may be a glass window for integration into the vehicle.

[0056] In this vehicle, preferably, the upstream connector is fixed in the reference frame of the movable glass window.

[0057] The present invention has been developed for use in glass windows fitted inside vehicle doors, the vehicle doors having side pillars and an upper pillar located at the glass window when the glass window is closed.

[0058] Advantageously, this invention allows for the manufacture of reliable and compact flexible electrical connections for vehicle windows. Furthermore, this connection is lightweight and easy to manufacture. The window itself is also lightweight and easy to manufacture. Vehicles equipped with such flexible electrical connections or windows are also lightweight and easy to manufacture; the smaller size of the electrical connection increases the interior space of the vehicle.

[0059] Advantageously, the glass of the window according to the invention is not flat; the flexible electrical connector according to the invention is particularly efficient when the glass sliding activity is complex (with translational components in two directions in space).

[0060] Advantageously, the glass window according to the invention is not a glass window that can rotate relative to the vehicle body. Attached Figure Description

[0061] The invention will be better understood by reading the following detailed description and accompanying drawings of non-limiting embodiments:

[0062] - Figure 1 An exterior schematic diagram of a motor vehicle rear door (rear door) that opens by rotation relative to a horizontal axis is shown. The door includes a glass window that can move in vertical translation and includes two fixed areas and flexible electrical connections.

[0063] - Figure 2 A transparent perspective view of the flexible electrical connector is shown;

[0064] - Figure 3 A vertical cross-sectional view of the rear door is shown, with the glass window in the upper position (closed) and in the lower position (open) (end of reference numeral "b").

[0065] - Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A partial sectional view, showing only the glass window in its lower, open position; and

[0066] - Figure 5 A perspective view of the downstream connector is shown.

[0067] For ease of reading, it should be made clear that the elements shown in the accompanying drawings are strictly in proportion. Detailed Implementation

[0068] Figure 1The rear door 4 of the motor vehicle is shown in views from the front, rear, and outside of the vehicle. This door, or rear door, is rotatable relative to a horizontal axis located at the top; this rotatability is achieved by acting on a handle 10. The door includes a glass window 1, which is translatable substantially vertically between an open position and a closed position, in which the glass window is wholly or almost entirely inside the door, and in the closed position, the glass window closes the door window.

[0069] The position of the glass window 1 in the back door 4 is merely illustrative, and the fact that the glass window 1 can rotate relative to the horizontal axis is also merely illustrative.

[0070] Door 4 can be a side door or a vehicle door, and the glass window can be a vehicle side glass window (which can be moved relatively vertically between an open position and a closed position relative to the vehicle door. In the open position, the glass window is entirely or almost entirely located inside the vehicle door, and in the closed position, the glass window closes the window of the vehicle door).

[0071] Therefore, the glass window 1 can be a glass window that can move relative to a part of the vehicle body, and that part of the vehicle body itself can also move, such as a door.

[0072] The glass window 1 can also be a glass window that can move relative to fixed parts of the vehicle body, such as side pillars or roof.

[0073] Therefore, glass window 1 can be:

[0074] - The glass window of the rear door (or "backlite"), or

[0075] - Side door glass window; the side door itself opens by rotating or sliding; or

[0076] - A glass window with an operable skylight (English: "sunroof").

[0077] Therefore, vehicles can be equipped with various types of glass windows according to the present invention. The vehicle can be a car, a truck, or any other type of transportation.

[0078] Therefore, when the glass window 1 is in the closed position, it achieves vertical separation between the interior space I inside the vehicle and the exterior space E outside the vehicle.

[0079] Therefore, "external" and "internal" in this paper are relative to the external space E and the internal space I, respectively.

[0080] Since the accompanying drawings refer to the rear window, which generally extends along an axis commonly referred to as the vehicle's "Y-axis," this axis is a transverse horizontal axis perpendicular to the longitudinal horizontal axis of the vehicle when it is moving forward, and this transverse horizontal axis corresponds to... Figure 1 The horizontal axis in the plane where the sheet material is located.

[0081] In this article, the concepts of "centripetal" and "centrifugal" are... Figure 1 The view observed in the sheet plane, or in the overall plane of the glass window when it is laid flat, is expressed along the Y and Z axes, relative to the center of the glass window; the centripetal direction is the direction toward the center of the glass window, while the centrifugal direction is the direction away from the center of the glass window.

[0082] The movement of the glass window 1 relative to the door 4 is roughly vertical. In this direction, this movement occurs along the Z-axis, and has a small component along the longitudinal horizontal axis, such as... Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown.

[0083] Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, glass 2 has an outer surface 20 oriented toward the external space E, an inner surface 22 oriented toward the internal space I, and a peripheral side surface 21 located between the two surfaces.

[0084] exist Figure 1 , Figure 3 and Figure 4 In the diagram, the dashed line VL, referred to as the "visual line" or "visual line boundary," represents the top of the door frame through which the glass window 1 slides. When the glass window is viewed vertically, the visual line VL divides the glass into a hidden portion HP and a visible portion VP. Regardless of the glass's position relative to the door, the hidden portion is always below the visual line VL to be concealed within the door, while the visible portion is above the visual line VL.

[0085] In the concealed portion of the glass window, below the straight line LV, the glass window has one, preferably two, fixed areas F, F', each area designed to accommodate a device that allows the glass to have the mobility to move vertically relative to the vehicle door. In the finished glass window, each fixed area F, F' includes a window frame 6, 6' fixed to the glass.

[0086] In the illustrated embodiment, the glass window 1 comprises curved (i.e., not flat) and laminated glass 2, which makes its translational movement more complex.

[0087] Glass 2 can be entirely monolithic (composed of a single glass sheet or a single plastic sheet) or entirely multisheet (composed of multiple glass sheets or multiple plastic sheets), or even partially multisheet in a certain part, such as in the visible part VP, and partially monolithic, such as in the hidden part HP.

[0088] Glass 2 has a first side 23 on the left, a second side 24 on the right, a top edge 25, and a bottom edge 26. The top edge 25 and the bottom edge 26 of the glass are respectively located in the portion of the glass facing the roof and the portion of the glass facing the floor.

[0089] Therefore, in addition to the glass, at least a portion of at least one bottom edge 26 of the glass window sill also includes at least one window frame 6, 6', which can accommodate connecting parts (not shown) for connecting the window frame to a moving system for raising and lowering the glass window. Some documents refer to this as an "adjuster" system.

[0090] Therefore, in the configuration of the glass window, the glass window preferably includes two window frames 6 and 6', with one window frame in each fixed area F and F'.

[0091] Figure 3 Glass 2 is shown in two locations:

[0092] - When glass window 2 closes the window that opens onto the door, glass 2a, corresponding to the "glass closed" position, ...; and

[0093] - When the window on the door is opened, the glass 2b corresponds to the "glass open" position.

[0094] Figure 4 This shows that when the window on the door is opened, glass 2 is only in the "glass open" position.

[0095] like Figure 1 , 3 As shown in Figures 4 and 4, the glass window 1 includes at least one flexible electrical connector 3, 3a, 3b, such as... Figure 2 As shown, it is used to provide current and / or electrical signals to the glass window 1.

[0096] The glass window 1 includes a single flexible electrical connector 3 located at the center of the glass window 1 and the center of the door 4. The glass window 1 may include multiple flexible electrical connectors, for example, to provide current and / or electrical signals to multiple different areas of the glass window.

[0097] When the glass window 1 is installed in the vehicle, this (or these) flexible electrical connectors 3 extend only in the hidden portion HP of the glass; for aesthetic reasons, it (or they) does not extend at all in the visible portion VP of the glass. It (or they) is located entirely below the visual line VL.

[0098] This (or these) flexible electrical connectors 3 are preferably separate from the means that enable the glass to move within the finished glass window; however, it is possible that this (or these) flexible electrical connectors 3 are in direct contact with the means that enable the glass to move within the finished glass window, or integrated into the means that enable the glass to move within the finished glass window.

[0099] like Figure 3 As shown, regardless of the position of the glass 2, the flexible electrical connector 3 extends between the inner surface 22 of the glass and the adjacent body element located further inward; the flexible electrical connector 3 does not extend below the lower side 26 or further outward than the outer surface 20 of the glass 2.

[0100] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the flexible electrical connector 3 has an upstream connector 30 that can be attached to an internal component 42 fixed to the vehicle body and a downstream connector 30' that can be attached to the glass 2 of the window 1. The flexible electrical connector 3 includes a flexible electrical layer 31, which includes at least one conductive wire and / or at least one conductive strip 32, 32', and has curved lateral shapes C, C' at the connection with the upstream connector 30 and the downstream connector 30'.

[0101] The conductive strips 32 and 32' are made of copper, and there are two in this case, but more may be used. The conductive strips are embedded in a flexible plastic material 31 made of polyimide or polyethylene naphthalate.

[0102] The upstream connector 30 and the downstream connector 30' each include receiving surfaces S and S', which are in contact with the flexible electrical layer 31 and are laterally bent to create a bent lateral shape of the flexible electrical layer.

[0103] The receiving surfaces S, S' of the upstream connector 30 and the downstream connector 30' are longitudinally curved and terminate near the proximal end (near the glass or near the internal components fixed to the vehicle body) through a planar portion.

[0104] From the cross-sectional view, the curved lateral shapes C and C' are basically V-shaped, with only one bending point, preferably located in the middle of the width of the flexible electrical layer, and the angle α between the two wings of the V is between 60° and 120°; in this case, it is 90°.

[0105] like Figure 5As shown, the downstream connector 30' (or upstream connector 30, not shown in detail) is a plastic material component, for example, formed by molding, and it houses the downstream end of the flexible electrical layer 31 (and also the upstream end of the flexible electrical layer 31). The curved lateral shape C' (or curved lateral shape C) is generated by the V-shaped walls 35' and 36' of the connector side, where the angle of the V gradually increases, eventually becoming a flat wall 37'; thus, it is a pyramid shape. Opposite to the curved lateral shape C', when the flexible electrical connection is attached to the glass 2, the bottom 38' contacts the glass 2.

[0106] Opposite to the connection with the flexible electrical layer, the front connector includes two cylindrical wires 33 and 34 extending from the connector.

[0107] The flexible electrical layer 31 has a flat width of 20.0 mm and a thickness of 25 μm. The length of the flexible electrical layer depends on the path that the downstream connector 30' needs to complete between the glass open and closed positions.

[0108] In the vehicle, the upstream connector 30 is attached to the internal component 42 fixed to the door 4, and the downstream connector 30' is attached to the glass 2 to achieve electrical connection. Therefore, the upstream connector 30 is fixed within the reference frame of the movable glass window 1.

[0109] The glass window 1 may include a device designed to protect one or more flexible electrical connectors 3 after its manufacture and before its installation in the vehicle, so that one or more flexible electrical connectors are not damaged after the glass window 1 is manufactured and before its installation in the vehicle.

[0110] These devices can be temporary components made of plastic or cardboard, which are removed when the glass windows are installed in the vehicle.

[0111] Preferably, in order to effectively protect one (or more) flexible electrical connectors 3 without using disposable temporary components, the upstream connector 30 and the downstream connector 30' are configured to be temporarily attached to each other. Thus, after the glass window is installed in the vehicle, it is only necessary to remove the upstream connector 30 to attach it to the electrical connection device located near the internal component 42.

[0112] The flexible electrical connector 3 has a distinctive fold P along its length, with a radius of curvature r between 0.2 and 20.0 mm, preferably between 5.0 and 15.0 mm; in this case, it is 10.0 mm.

[0113] The fold P is disposed in the flexible electrical layer. When the glass window moves relative to the vehicle body, the fold P changes position along the flexible electrical layer.

[0114] When glass 2 is closed, the folded part P is in position Pa, close to the upstream connector 30. Figure 3 (Position of glass 2a), when glass 2 is opened, the fold is in position Pb, near the downstream connector 30' or 30'b ( Figure 3 The position of glass 2b in the middle and Figure 4 (Position of middle glass 2).

[0115] like Figure 2 As shown, at the position of the longitudinal fold P, the conductive strip does not have a curved lateral shape: the conductive strip is generally laterally planar.

[0116] At these two positions of the fold: Pa and Pb, and at all intermediate positions between these two extreme positions, the fold has a thickness that is the same as or twice the radius of curvature r, i.e., the thickness of the fold P is 20.0 mm.

[0117] At the two extreme positions of the glass: closed position 2a and open position 2b, and in all intermediate positions between these two extreme positions, the flexible electrical layers 31a and 31b are located further inward than the side positions of the lower 26a and 26b; the flexible electrical layer 31 never contacts the side or the inner surfaces 22a and 22b of the glass 2a and 2b, and of course, it does not contact the edge located between the inner surface and the side: therefore, there is no risk of the flexible electrical layer 31 being damaged.

[0118] The internal element 42 is an internal guide for the flexible electrical connector 3; the internal element prevents the flexible electrical connector from moving further inward. The internal element is a rectangular plastic plate, elongated and positioned in the height direction, allowing the flexible electrical layer 31 to slide easily on its surface.

[0119] For example, in a cross section along the vertical axis, the window frame has a generally U-shaped shape that surrounds the longitudinal portion of the bottom edge 26.

[0120] Therefore, window frames 6 and 6' can have:

[0121] The U-shaped section consists of two parallel walls that connect at their bottom and form a longitudinal groove at the bottom of the U-shape facing the glass side 21. The window frame is used to connect a motorized drive system (not shown) so that the glass window can be raised and lowered within the door. The U-shaped section surrounds the bottom edge 26.

[0122] exist Figure 1 In the middle, window frames 6 and 6' do not include fixing holes, but it is possible that one or each window frame includes fixing holes.

[0123] One or more window frames 6, 6' are bonded together using an adhesive such as polyurethane and then "mounted" onto the glass. That is, by inserting a plastic material, such as polypropylene, between the parallel walls and the glass, one or more window frames are positioned such that the glass is in a U-shape with or without obstruction.

[0124] In one modification, an in-situ injection of an adhesive material is proposed to form an insert material, which is, for example, a thermoplastic hot melt resin based on polyamide.

[0125] The elastic limit of the hot melt resin used is approximately 5.5 N / mm. 2 The fracture strength is 11 N / mm. 2 This is calculated according to DIN 53455 standard. It must be used at a temperature of around 220°C, at which temperature the viscosity is approximately 5000 mPa·s, measured according to ASTM D 3236 standard.

[0126] The window frames used are preferably made of plastic materials, such as polyamide, especially PA66 filled with glass fiber; the window frames can also be made of aluminum alloy. For example, when using 6060 (AGS) aluminum alloy, a vertical pressing force of 30 to 50 tons is sufficient, that is, a U-shaped window frame with an overall size of about 40x30mm requires a force of approximately 150GPa, and a U-shaped window frame with an overall size of about 60x60mm requires a force of approximately 450GPa.

[0127] The foregoing description is an exemplary description of the present invention. Note that various modifications can be made to the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the patent scope defined by, for example, the claims.

Claims

1. A flexible electrical connector (3) for a glass window (1) of a vehicle for translational movement relative to a body component of the vehicle, the flexible electrical connector (3) having, along its length, an upstream connector (30) capable of being attached to an internal component (42) fixed to the body and a downstream connector (30') capable of being attached to the glass (2) of the glass window (1), characterized in that... The flexible electrical connector includes a flexible electrical layer (31) comprising at least one conductive wire and / or at least one conductive strip (32, 32'), and having a curved lateral shape (C, C') on itself at the connection with the upstream connector (30) and the downstream connector (30'), wherein the curved lateral shape (C, C') is a curved shape observed in the lateral or transverse direction of the flexible electrical layer (31), i.e., in a width perpendicular to its length.

2. The flexible electrical connector (3) according to claim 1, wherein the upstream connector (30) and the downstream connector (30') each include receiving surfaces (S, S') that are in contact with the flexible electrical layer (31) and are laterally bent.

3. The flexible electrical connector (3) according to claim 2, wherein the receiving surfaces (S, S') of the upstream connector (30) and / or the downstream connector (30') are longitudinally curved and terminate at the proximal end via a planar portion.

4. The flexible electrical connector (3) according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the curved lateral shapes (C, C') has a generally V-shaped shape in a cross-sectional view, and the angle (α) between the two wings of the V-shape is between 60° and 120°.

5. The flexible electrical connector (3) according to claim 4, wherein each curved lateral shape (C, C') has a generally V-shaped shape in a cross-sectional view, and the angle (α) between the two wings of the V-shape is between 60° and 120°.

6. The flexible electrical connector (3) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the angle (α) is between 80° and 100°.

7. The flexible electrical connector (3) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the angle (α) is 90°.

8. A glass window (1) for a vehicle, the glass window comprising glass (2), means for enabling the glass to have translatability relative to the body elements of the vehicle, and at least one flexible electrical connector (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the downstream connector (30') is attached to the glass (2).

9. The glass window (1) according to claim 8, wherein the glass (2) includes means for heating the glass (2) and / or means for brightening and darkening the glass (2) and / or for changing the tint of the glass (2).

10. A vehicle equipped with a glass window (1), the glass window comprising glass (2), means for enabling the glass (2) to have translatability relative to the body elements of the vehicle, and at least one flexible electrical connector (3) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the upstream connector (30) is attached to an internal element (42) fixed to the body, and the downstream connector (30') is attached to the glass (2).

11. The vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the flexible electrical layer (31) has a fold (P) along its length direction, the radius of curvature (r) of which is between 0.2 and 20.0 mm.

12. The vehicle according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the glass (2) includes means for heating the glass (2) and / or means for brightening and darkening the glass (2) and / or for changing the tint of the glass (2).

13. The vehicle according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the flexible electrical layer (31) extends along its length in a direction parallel to the principal component of the translational direction of the glass (2).

14. The vehicle according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the internal element (42) is an internal guide of the flexible electrical layer (31).

15. The vehicle of claim 11, wherein the radius of curvature (r) is between 5.0 and 15.0 mm.

16. The vehicle according to claim 13, wherein each flexible electrical layer (31) extends along its length in a direction parallel to the principal component of the translational direction of the glass (2).

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