Window Overmold for Co-Planar Vehicle Glass Assembly
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle windows, particularly those with electro-optic elements, face challenges due to their weight, complex shapes, and the difficulty in cutting and drilling, which can compromise their durability and functionality.
Innovation Solution
A window assembly comprising a window and an overmold, where the overmold provides a co-planar interface with the window, reduces weight by using lower density materials, allows for easier manufacturing of complex shapes, and includes notches or channels for enhanced contact and protection of electro-optic elements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If thick glass is used for vehicle windows, then the window provides sufficient strength and durability, but the weight of the window increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The window assembly is divided into two main segments: a thinner glass window pane and a separate overmold component. The overmold is attached to the window and provides additional structural support and strength, allowing the glass itself to be thinner and lighter while maintaining overall structural integrity. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by distributing the strength function across multiple components rather than requiring the glass to bear all loads alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The window assembly combines different materials: glass for the transparent pane and a polymer or plastic material for the overmold. This composite structure leverages the strengths of each material - glass provides optical clarity and basic strength, while the overmold material provides additional structural support, impact resistance, and weight reduction compared to using thick glass alone. The composite approach allows achieving sufficient strength with reduced overall weight.
2Shape
If complex cuts are made in glass for window shape and fit, then the window achieves proper form and installation compatibility, but the manufacturing difficulty and risk of compromising window function increase
Solution Approach 1:
The complex shaping function is segmented between the window pane and the overmold. The glass window can maintain a simpler, more standard shape that is easier to manufacture, while the overmold component is designed with the complex contours, cuts, and geometries needed for proper fit and form. This segmentation allows the glass to be manufactured with fewer complex operations, reducing the risk of compromising its function or durability.
Solution Approach 2:
The overmold acts as an intermediary component that bridges the gap between the simpler glass window and the complex installation requirements. Instead of cutting complex shapes directly into the glass, the overmold is manufactured with the necessary complex geometry and then attached to the glass, serving as a mediator that provides the required shape and fit without subjecting the glass to difficult manufacturing operations.
3Adaptability or versatility
If holes are drilled in glass for actuators, then the window allows actuator integration for raising and lowering, but the durability and function of the window are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The overmold serves as an intermediary component that provides the interface for actuator integration. Instead of drilling holes directly through the glass window pane, actuators can be mounted to or integrated with the overmold, which then interfaces with the glass edge or surrounding structure. This approach allows actuator integration while preserving the integrity and durability of the glass itself, as the glass is not subjected to hole-drilling operations that create stress concentrations and potential failure points.
4Reliability
If the overmold extends onto the first side of the first substrate, then the overmold provides enhanced protection and sealing, but the overall assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The overmold is designed to extend onto the first side of the first substrate, merging the protective and sealing functions into a single integrated component rather than requiring separate protective layers or sealing elements. This extension allows the overmold to simultaneously provide structural support, protection, and sealing in one piece, reducing overall assembly complexity despite the extended geometry. The single-component approach simplifies manufacturing and assembly compared to multiple separate protective elements.
Data Source
AI summary
An overmold is disclosed, wherein the overmold may be incorporated into a window assembly. The overmold comprises a base portion and a receiving portion. The receiving portion may comprise a notch or a channel operable to receive a window. The window may be such that when coupled with the overmold, the sides of the overmold and the window are substantially co-planar. Accordingly, window may comprise a first and a second substrate, wherein the second substrate is coupled to a first side of the first substrate. Further, the first substrate may extend beyond the second substrate. Therefore, the overmold, when in abutting contact with the window, may extend onto the first side of the first substrate up to the second substrate.