GLASS DEVICE FOR A VEHICLE DOOR WITH A FLUSH-MOUNTED MOUNTED MOUNTED MOUNTING PLATE AND CORRESPONDING DOOR

Description

1. Scope of the invention

[0001] The field of invention is that of motor vehicles.

[0002] More specifically, the invention relates to the equipment of the bays provided in vehicles, and in particular vehicle doors.

[0003] In particular, the invention relates to vehicle doors equipped with at least one glazed panel that is substantially vertically movable, notably to move from a closed position to an open position in which it enters fully or partially into a lower bodywork box (the movable panel can, of course, generally take a plurality of intermediate positions).

[0004] Such a vehicle door may in particular be a side door, but the invention may also apply, for example, to the hinged and / or sliding doors of a vehicle, including rear doors, tailgates... or even a fixed part of the bodywork of a vehicle. 2. Previous art

[0005] Examples of such devices are described in particular in patent documents EP1422091, EP1612072 or EP3647093.

[0006] According to this approach, a frame is provided on the side facing the interior of the vehicle, supporting one or more (typically two) rails, which cooperate with glides attached to the movable glass panel and fixed to its face facing the interior of the vehicle. The frame can, if necessary, be truncated and limited to uprights supporting the rails.

[0007] This technique is interesting because it allows for original designs, due to the removal of the classic door frame, while maintaining effective guidance and support of the moving panel.

[0008] Devices are also known that include a fixed glazed section with an opening that can be opened or closed by a movable panel guided along rails mounted on the inward-facing side of the fixed glazed section. The applicant has filed numerous patents on this approach, the general principle of which is described in patent documents EP778168 and EP857844. In this case, the movable panel typically moves along a horizontal axis with a complex, swaying motion.

[0009] In certain situations, it would be advantageous to combine the two approaches: a fixed glazed section and a vertically movable panel that retracts, at least partially, into a door frame, thus closing an opening whose three sides—two lateral edges and one upper edge—are defined in the fixed section. However, this combination is neither easy nor straightforward. Creating an opening on the lower edge of the fixed glazed panel requires a specific approach to securing and moving the movable panel. It is essential to maximize the clear opening, and therefore to minimize the bulk of the components attached to the fixed section (rails, frame, etc.), while ensuring efficient, reliable, and durable guidance of the movable panel, a watertight seal (even in the presence of a high-pressure jet), and safety.

[0010] US document 2008 / 216410 A1 describes a glazed device comprising a fixed glazed part and a movable glazed panel sliding relative to said fixed part along a substantially vertical axis, capable of selectively closing or opening, at least partially, an opening made in said fixed part.

[0011] Another important aspect is the simplicity of assembly and mounting of the device, and in particular of the mobile panel, when the fixed part is attached to the door frame, whether during the initial installation or for a maintenance operation. 3. Objectives of the invention

[0012] The invention aims in particular to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art.

[0013] More specifically, the invention aims, in at least one embodiment, to provide a glazed device for the production of a vehicle door, which is simple to implement and assemble, for example on an assembly line.

[0014] Another objective of the invention, according to at least one embodiment, is to provide such a glazed device, which can be easily maintained during its assembly or replacement of the movable panel, for example following an accident. 4. Description of the invention

[0015] These objectives, as well as others which will appear subsequently, are achieved using a glazed device intended to be assembled to a door frame to form a vehicle door or to a bodywork element, comprising a fixed glazed part and a movable glazed panel sliding relative to said fixed part along a substantially vertical axis, capable of selectively closing or opening, at least partially, an opening made in said fixed part, said movable panel being guided along rails carried by said fixed part.

[0016] According to the invention, said movable panel carries an overmolding obtained by encapsulation, covering the edge of said movable panel and extending over at least one edge of the surface of said movable panel oriented towards the interior of said vehicle, and of which a lower portion extends over the lower edge of said movable panel and has at least one stop suitable for cooperating with a frame, a central cross member and / or an added piece on a guide rail carried by said fixed part, said stop(s) ensuring a limitation of the movement of said movable panel relative to said fixed part in two directions substantially perpendicular to said substantially vertical axis, at least during the assembly of said movable panel on said fixed part.

[0017] Indeed, the flexibility of the guidance system must be taken into account, particularly before the movable panel is attached to window regulators, which are generally fixed to the lower part of the movable panel. The panel itself has guide pads on its upper part. Consequently, the movable panel can move in an X direction (depending on the vehicle's length) and / or in a Y direction (depending on the vehicle's width). To control this movement, according to the invention, one or two stops are formed directly into the overmolding, also referred to hereafter as encapsulation, in order to provide simple and effective means of guiding and / or holding the movable panel during its installation and, if necessary, for maintenance.

[0018] According to a particular embodiment, said encapsulation comprises two stops, extending in the vicinity of said rails and / or said frame.

[0019] In particular, said stops can cooperate with a housing formed in said frame, said cross member and / or said part attached to a guide rail.

[0020] This approach is simple to implement and effective.

[0021] According to one particular aspect, said lower portion of the encapsulation may further include a linking element with a window lift mechanism.

[0022] This facilitates the connection to the window regulator and does not require any special added components.

[0023] In particular, said connecting element may have at least one slot allowing it to be secured to said window regulator mechanism. This slot advantageously incorporates a flexible play compensation piece.

[0024] According to another particular aspect, the lower portion of the encapsulation may extend into two lateral portions, each carrying at least one pad capable of sliding in one of the rails, or a pad support receiving the pad.

[0025] Again, this simplifies the manufacturing and assembly of the device, as the encapsulation is carried out in a single operation and provides several distinct functions.

[0026] According to a particular embodiment, these skates have a substantially C-shaped cross-section, a first end of said skate being taken in said lateral portion of said encapsulation and a second end of said skate, carrying a guide element in said rail, extending substantially above said first end.

[0027] This C-shaped section helps to reduce the overall size of the skate.

[0028] According to another particular embodiment, these skates have a substantially S-shaped cross-section, a first end of said skate being taken in said lateral portion of said encapsulation and a second end of said skate, carrying a guide element in said rail, extending beyond the edge of said movable panel and above the corresponding edge of the fixed part.

[0029] This approach, combined with a suitable rail, also allows for a reduced footprint, and therefore an optimized bay window area.

[0030] According to another particular aspect, said encapsulation has, in section, on at least one of its edges, an extension extending outwards from said movable panel and into the interior of the vehicle.

[0031] This allows, where appropriate in combination with other elements such as a sealing gasket, to optimize the management of sealing and water drainage.

[0032] According to another particular aspect, said encapsulation has a top portion, connecting said lateral portions, so as to extend over the entire periphery of said movable panel.

[0033] The various specific aspects described above can of course be combined, in whole or in part, to optimize the use of encapsulation.

[0034] The invention also relates to a motor vehicle comprising at least one glazed device as described above.

[0035] In particular, in such a vehicle, said sealing device may be mounted in the upper part of a door of said vehicle, said movable panel moving at least partially in a lower part of said door. 5. List of figures

[0036] The invention, and its various advantages, will be more easily understood from the following description, given by way of illustration only and not limitation, with reference to the attached figures, among which: there figure 1 and the figure 2 are schematic perspective views of an embodiment of a glazed vehicle door device according to the invention, respectively viewed from the side facing outwards and inwards towards the vehicle; the figure 3 is an exploded view of the main components of the device figures 1 and 2 ; there figure 4 is a schematic view of the device figures 1 and 2 , revealing the location of the section of the figure 5 ; there figure 5 is a section of the frame and rail of the device figure 4 , according to a first embodiment; the figure 6 is a simplified view of the device figures 1 and 2, seen from the inside, revealing the location of the section of the figure 7 ; there figure 7 is a section of the upper part of the device frame figure 6 , according to the first embodiment; the figure 8 is a section of the frame and rail of the device figure 4 , according to a second embodiment; the figure 9 is a section of the upper part of the device frame figure 6 , according to the second embodiment; the Figure 10 is another view of the device figures 1 and 2 illustrating the potential for the mobile panel to shift unexpectedly, particularly during assembly; the figure 11 is another view of the device of the Figure 10 showing the location of the stops according to the invention; the figure 12 is an enlarged view of one of the stops of the device of the figure 11 , revealing axis A of the section of the figure 13 ; there figure 13illustrates the section along axis A of the figure 12 ; there figure 14 illustrates the section along axis B of the figure 13 ; there figure 15 illustrates the movable panel of the device figure 11 ; there figure 16 presents a variant of the movable panel of the figure 15 , in which the encapsulation includes means for connection with a window regulator; the figure 17 presents a variant of the movable panel of the figure 15 , in which the encapsulation includes guide pads; the figure 18 presents a variant of the movable panel of the figure 15 in which the encapsulation includes an upper portion. 6. Detailed description of an embodiment of the invention 6.1 General structure

[0037] The invention therefore relates to a new technique for manufacturing and / or maintaining a glazed device for a door (side door, rear door, tailgate, cab door, etc.), or even for a fixed part of the body of a motor vehicle. The glass, or movable panel, is aligned and flush with at least one edge of the body, meaning that no frame or frame element protrudes outwards from the plane of this glazed part, and is guided so as to enter the door frame (or an equivalent body element) in a vertical direction.

[0038] THE figures 1 and 2 These diagrams schematically illustrate such a device, viewed from the side corresponding to the exterior, respectively the interior, of the vehicle. This device is intended to be secured, via the fixed part, to a door frame or to the vehicle body, not shown, extending below the device.

[0039] The main components of the device are shown in the exploded view of the figure 3 The device thus comprises a fixed part 1, which may, in particular, be a single pane of glass whose outer edges correspond to the edges of the upper part of the door. An opening 11 is cut into this fixed part, defined by an upper edge 111 and two vertical lateral edges 112 and 113 of the fixed part. The lower part of the opening is not delimited within the fixed part but formed in its lower edge, to allow movement of the movable panel 2.

[0040] This movable panel 2, which can also be glazed, is therefore designed and sized to fit into the opening 11 in its closed position, and to slide downwards, typically inside the door frame, in its open position. This movement can, for example, be achieved by an electric motor and a suitable transmission (not shown) connecting the lower part of the movable panel 2 to the motor.

[0041] The movable panel 2 receives an encapsulation 3, extending over one or more edges of the movable panel, as illustrated below in various embodiments. This encapsulation 3 may, in particular, extend over the edge of the movable panel and its periphery, on the face facing the interior of the vehicle, over a few millimeters or centimeters, as illustrated in the Figures 5 And 8 commented on later.

[0042] The fixed part 1 carries a frame 4, on its face facing the interior of the vehicle, at least along the upper edge 111 and the vertical side edges 112 and 113. The lateral portions 41, 42 of the frame carry and / or are carried by rails 5, enabling the retention and guidance of the movable panel 2. As shown in particular on the figure 2 , the frame and / or rails extend below the fixed part 1 (parts 411 and 421).

[0043] A sealing gasket 6 is mounted in the frame 4, along its lateral and upper portions.

[0044] The movable panel 2 is equipped with guide pads 7, suitable for cooperating with the rails 5. In particular, they can be attached directly to the encapsulation, or via an intermediate support.

[0045] The frame and rails are secured to the fixed part by a main bead of glue, referenced 8 on the Figures 5 And 8 . 6.3 Rail and frame assembly - first approach

[0046] There figure 4 is a simplified view of the device, specifying the location of the section of the figure 5 On this figure 5 We present a first example of the design of the frame, rails and skates.

[0047] According to this approach, the frame 4 is bonded to the fixed part 1 via a bead of adhesive 8 that fits into the housing 4a provided for this purpose. The frame 4 carries a guide rail 5, a guide portion 5a of which is adapted to cooperate with a substantially spherical portion 7a of the pad 7.

[0048] The sealing gasket 6, which has three lips, is attached on one side to the frame 4, via the attachment portion 4b, and on the other side to the rail 5, via the attachment portion 5b.

[0049] The movable panel 2 carries an encapsulation 3, a portion 3a of which extends inwards towards the vehicle away from the movable panel, and forms a lateral surface and a superior surface cooperating with the lips of the sealing gasket. This portion 3a also covers the edge of the movable panel.

[0050] A portion 3b extends around the periphery of the movable panel 5, on its face facing the interior of the vehicle, and receives an end 7b of the pad 7, so as to hold it.

[0051] In this embodiment, the skid has a generally C-shaped cross-section. It is folded back on itself, with the two ends 7a and 7b substantially overlapping, one above the other (along an axis perpendicular to the plane defined by the movable panel). This reduces the width X1 of the frame and thus provides a significant opening (X2).

[0052] With the same objective, and as illustrated by the figure 6 It is possible that the frame is narrower (Z1) at the top, which does not contain a rail. Depending on the section of the figure 7 We can thus see that the width of the encapsulation 3 is reduced, as is that of the frame 4, which holds the sealing gasket 6 on both sides.

[0053] According to this embodiment, the frame is glued to the fixed part around its entire periphery. 6.4 Rail and frame assembly - second approach

[0054] However, it is desirable to further reduce the frame width. The approach illustrated by the figure 8 (section at the location defined on the figure 4 ) allows us to achieve this goal.

[0055] The movable panel 2 carries an encapsulation 3, a portion 3a of which extends towards the fixed part away from the movable panel, and forms a lateral surface cooperating with a lip of a first sealing joint 6a. This portion 3a also covers the edge of the movable panel.

[0056] A portion 3b of the encapsulation extends over the periphery of the movable panel on its face facing the interior of the vehicle, and receives an end 7b of the pad 7, so as to hold it.

[0057] In this embodiment, the skate has a generally S-shaped cross-section, the guide end 7a, which is essentially cylindrical, being offset beyond the movable panel 2, at least partly above the fixed part 1. Other cross-sections are however conceivable in this embodiment, including the C-shaped cross-section.

[0058] According to this second approach, the rail 5 is bonded, via its portion 5a which forms a housing for the adhesive bead 8, to the fixed part. This rail 5 supports the frame 4, for example by interlocking, for the lateral portions of the frame. It also supports the sealing gasket 6a, via a housing 5b. This effectively reduces the overall width of the frame, and thus optimizes the window opening.

[0059] The end 4b of the frame facing the opening carries a second sealing gasket 6b, coming into contact with the upper part of the encapsulation 3.

[0060] There figure 9 This illustrates the cross-section of the upper portion of the frame, according to this second embodiment. Since there is obviously no rail on this upper portion, the frame 4 is bonded directly to the fixed part 1, via the bead of adhesive 8 placed in the housing 4a. A single sealing gasket 6c, with a cross-section substantially different from that of gasket 6b, is supported by the frame.

[0061] Thus, on the lateral parts, it is the rails 5 which are glued to the fixed part, while it is the frame 4 which is glued to the fixed part in its upper part, by the same bead of glue 8, circulating in the housings 5a, 4b respectively. 6.5 Locking the lower part of the movable panel

[0062] The movable panel 2 being guided by two glides 7 which are located on its upper part, its lower part can be subjected, as illustrated on the Figure 10 , to untimely movements along the X (arrow F1) and Y (arrow F2) axes, due to the flexibility of the guidance, particularly during assembly, before the window lift mechanism is fixed.

[0063] To avoid, or at least reduce, these untimely movements in X and Y, one or two stops can be provided.

[0064] As illustrated on the figures 11 to 14 , the encapsulation of the movable panel 3 directly integrates one or two stops 35, 36, cooperating with the rails and / or the frame.

[0065] There figure 11 presents a general view of the device, the part of which carrying the stop 35 is enlarged on the figure 12The encapsulation 3 of the movable panel has a stop 35, cooperating with a complementary element 45 attached to the fixed part, and in particular to the lower portion 411 of the frame, to a central crossbar connecting the two lateral parts of the frame or to a piece attached to the rail or to the frame.

[0066] As can be seen in section AA of the figure 13 , the locking of the movable panel along the Y axis is ensured by the groove 351 formed in the stop 35, cooperating with a portion 451 of the fixed part, penetrating into the groove.

[0067] The blocking of the movable panel along the X-axis is illustrated by section BB of the figure 14 The stop 35 formed in the encapsulation is held in the fixed part 451. 6.6 Connection to the window regulator

[0068] There figure 15 illustrates the movable panel, with two stops 35, 36.

[0069] As illustrated on the figure 16The encapsulation of the lower part can further integrate connecting means 91, 92 with a window regulator (not shown). Here, these connecting means comprise two projections, each carrying a light 911, 921. Of course, it can also be a single element, presenting two lights.

[0070] These lights (911 and 921) allow for secure attachment, for example by screwing, to the window regulator. To prevent any play in the mounting, the lights can accommodate a flexible intermediate piece. 6.7 Encapsulation of the skates

[0071] As illustrated on the figure 17 The encapsulation can also extend over the lateral edges of the moving panel. In this case, the encapsulation can carry the pads 7 which slide in the rails 5, or pad supports, suitable for receiving the pads themselves.

[0072] There figure 8 , already discussed, presents an example of a section at the level of a lateral edge of the device. 6.8 Encapsulation of the entire periphery of the moving panel

[0073] In addition to the lower and side sections, the encapsulation can also extend along the upper part of the movable panel, as illustrated in the figure 18 In this case, the encapsulation can extend over the entire periphery of the moving panel, possibly incorporating all or part of the functions described above.

[0074] There figure 9 , already discussed, is an example of a section of the device along this upper edge. The width of encapsulation 3 can be reduced, compared to the lateral edges ( figure 8 ) as well as that of frame 4, which holds the sealing gasket 6 on both sides, which improves the window opening.

Claims

1. Glazed device intended to be mounted on an inner door shell to form a vehicle door or on a bodywork element, comprising a glazed fixed part (1) and a mobile glazed panel (2) that can slide relative to the glazed fixed part along a substantially vertical axis, and can selectively at least partially cover or uncover an opening (11) in the glazed fixed part, the mobile glazed panel being guided along rails (5) supported by the glazed fixed part, wherein the mobile glazed panel (2) supports an overmoulding (3), which is obtained by encapsulation, covering a rim of the mobile glazed panel and extends over at least one edge of a surface of the mobile glazed panel oriented towards the inside of the vehicle, and of which a lower portion extends on a lower edge of the mobile glazed panel, characterised in that the lower portion of said overmoulding has at least one stop (35, 36) capable of cooperating with a frame (4, 45), a central crosspiece and / or an attachment part on one of the rails supported by the glazed fixed part, said at least one stop (35, 36) ensuring that movement of the mobile glazed panel (2) is limited relative to the fixed part (1) in two directions substantially perpendicular to the substantially vertical axis, at least while said mobile panel is mounted on the glazed fixed part.

2. Glazed device according to claim 1, wherein said encapsulation comprises two stops (35, 36), which extend close to the rails and / or the frame.

3. Glazed device according to claim 2, wherein said stops cooperate with a recess formed in the frame, said crosspiece and / or said attachment part on a guide rail.

4. Glazed device according to claim 1, wherein said lower portion of the encapsulation comprises an element (91, 92) for connecting with a window lifting mechanism.

5. Glazed device according to claim 4, wherein said connecting element (91, 92) has at least one hole (911, 921) for securing it with said window lifting mechanism, and supporting a flexible adjustment part.

6. Glazed device according to claim 1, wherein said lower portion of said encapsulation extends by two side portions each supporting at least one pad (7) capable of sliding in one of said rails, or a pad support receiving said pad.

7. Glazed device according to claim 6, wherein said pads (7) have a substantially C-shaped section, a first end (7b) of said pad being engaged in said side portion of said encapsulation and a second end (7a) of said pad, supporting a guide element (7a) in said rail (5), which extends substantially above said first end.

8. Glazed device according to claim 6, wherein the pads have a substantially S-shaped section, a first end (7b) of said pad being engaged in said side portion of said encapsulation (3) and a second end (7a) of said pad, supporting a guide element in said rail (5), which extends beyond an edge of said mobile panel (2) and above a corresponding edge of said glazed fixed part (1).

9. Glazed device according to claim 1, wherein said encapsulation has, sectionally, on at least one of its edges, an extension which extends towards the outside of said mobile glazed panel and towards the inside of the vehicle.

10. Glazed device according to claim 1, wherein said encapsulation has an upper portion, connecting said side portions, so as to extend around the entire periphery of said mobile glazed panel.

11. Motor vehicle characterised in that it comprises at least one glazed device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. Vehicle according to claim 11, characterised in that said glazed device is mounted in an upper part of a door of said vehicle, the mobile panel moving at least partially in a lower part of said door.