Profiled Bead Glazing with Polymeric Ribbon for Sealing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle glazing systems with profiled beads suffer from reduced clear view due to wide cover pieces and masking strips, and challenges in maintaining precise positioning and sealing, especially with laminated glazed elements having dispersive dimensions.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle glazing system featuring a profiled bead with a groove for clipping, incorporating a polymeric tape between the groove and the edge of the inner substrate, and an inner wing with a hole for flexibility and water evacuation, allowing precise adaptation and enhanced sealing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If the inner wing is made wide to ensure strong adhesion and forceful clipping, then the mechanical strength and adhesion are improved, but the view through the glazed element is reduced due to the need for wider cover pieces and masking strips

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadhesion strengthVSAvoidclear view area
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The profiled bead is segmented into distinct functional zones: the lip (61) for positioning against the outer substrate edge, the groove (60) for clipping the cover piece, and the inner wing (65) for adhesion. This segmentation allows each element to be optimized independently, enabling the inner wing to be narrower while maintaining adhesion strength through proper geometric design and material selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The profiled bead incorporates local quality variations through its cross-sectional geometry, with the lip providing positioning stability, the groove providing mechanical interlocking for the cover piece, and the inner wing providing adhesion surface. This localized functional differentiation allows the inner wing to be optimized for adhesion without requiring excessive width, thereby preserving clear view area.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If the groove is positioned accurately in space relative to the glazed element edge, then the clipping precision is improved, but this becomes more difficult when the edge has small radius of curvature and when accounting for dimensional dispersion of laminated glass elements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegroove positioning precisionVSAvoidpositioning complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The lip (61) is designed to be positioned against the edge (31) of the outer substrate (3) before the clipping operation, establishing a predetermined reference position for the groove (60). This preliminary positioning action compensates for dimensional variations in laminated glass elements and ensures consistent groove placement relative to the glazed element edge, even when the edge has small radius of curvature.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If the seal between the groove and the edge of the glazed element is enhanced to prevent water penetration, then the sealing performance is improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesealing performanceVSAvoidsealing structure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sealing function is merged with the positioning and clipping functions in the profiled bead design. The lip (61) positioned against the outer substrate edge and the groove (60) configured for clipping the cover piece work together to create a sealed assembly that prevents water penetration without requiring separate sealing components, thereby enhancing sealing performance while avoiding increased device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3297861B1Laminated glazing comprising a profiled bead for snap-fitting with an additional polymer ribbon and profiled bead
Publication Date: 2021.02.17 SAINT GOBAIN VITRAGE SA
  • EP3297861B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3297861B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3297861B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention relates to glazing (1), in particular vehicle glazing, comprising a laminated glass element (2), said glazing (1) comprising a profiled bead (6) including a groove (60) for snap-fitting a covering part (7), characterised in that it also comprises a polymer ribbon (64) located between said groove (60) and an edge (51) of an inner substrate (5), or else between a peripheral edge of an inner surface (52) and an inner flange (65).