Slider window assembly

• US 8,915,018 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2011
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Magna Mirrors of America Incorporated (Magna International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Snider, Darin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mitchell, Katherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): REPHANN, JUSTIN B
• Application Number:
  US13/992,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20130255156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• Field of Search: 492/13, 492/16, 493/60, 493/80, 494/08, 494/13, 296/201, 296/146.16
• US Class Current: 49/413
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/16 slidable
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/1853 horizontally in direction transverse to vehicle longitudinal axis
• CPC Class Codes: E05D 15/0621 Details, e.g. suspension or supporting guides E05D15/0604, E05D15/08 - E05D15/14 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E05F 15/60 using electrical actuators

Abstract

A vehicular slider window assembly (10) includes upper and lower rails (22, 24), at least one fixed window panel (16, 18) and a movable window panel (20). The lower rail comprises a channel (26) and a guide element (28) received in and secured to the channel. The guide element extends at least partially along the fixed window panel and the opening and the channel extends at least partially along the fixed window panel and beyond an end of the guide element and receives a carrier (30) of the movable window therein during loading of the movable window. The movable window is received in the channel at a first depth during the loading process and is raised to a second depth to generally align the carrier with the guide portion (28a) of the guide element for insertion of the carrier into the guide portion for movement along the guide portion.

Claims

1. A slider window assembly for a vehicle, said slider window assembly comprising:

a frame portion having an upper rail and a lower rail;

at least one fixed window panel that is fixed relative to said frame portion, said at least one fixed window panel defining an opening;

a movable window panel that is movable along said upper and lower rails, wherein said movable window panel is movable between a closed position where said movable window panel is disposed at said opening and an opened position where said movable window panel is disposed at least partially along said first fixed window panel;

wherein said lower rail comprises a channel that extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and said opening;

wherein said lower rail comprises a guide element that is formed in a forming operation that is separate and distinct from a forming operation used to form said channel of said lower rail, and wherein said guide element is secured to said channel so that said guide element extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and said opening;

wherein a carrier is established at a lower portion of said movable window panel and is configured to be received in and to move along an inner surface of a guide portion of said guide element; and

wherein said channel extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and a portion of said channel extends beyond an end of said guide element such that said portion of said channel has a length dimension that is at least as long as a length dimension of said carrier, wherein said portion of said channel is configured to receive said carrier at said at least one fixed window panel during loading of said movable window panel in said upper and lower rails, and wherein said portion of said channel is configured to receive said movable window panel at a first depth during loading of said movable window panel and wherein said guide portion is configured to receive said movable window at a second depth, and wherein said movable window panel is raised to said second depth to generally align said carrier with said guide portion of said guide element for insertion of said carrier into said guide portion for movement along said inner surface of said guide portion.

2. The slider window assembly of claim 1, wherein said channel is generally U-shaped and comprises a lower wall and a pair of spaced apart generally vertical walls extending from said lower wall, and wherein said lower wall of said channel is below said inner surface of said guide portion of said guide element.

3. The slider window assembly of claim 2, wherein said generally vertical walls have substantially flat inner surfaces.

4. The slider window assembly of claim 3, wherein said channel is insert molded into a mounting element of said slider window assembly.

5. The slider window assembly of claim 1, wherein a length dimension of said guide element is less than a length dimension of said channel by at least a length dimension of said carrier.

6. The slider window assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one fixed window panel comprises first and second fixed window panels defining an opening therebetween.

7. The slider window assembly of claim 6, wherein, when said guide element is received in said channel, said guide element is secured and fixed to said channel so that said guide element extends at least partially along said first fixed window panel and said opening, and wherein said channel extends at least partially along said second fixed window panel and beyond an end of said guide element so as to receive said carrier therein at said second fixed window panel during loading of said movable window panel in said upper and lower rails.

8. The slider window assembly of claim 1, wherein said at least one fixed window panel comprises a single fixed window panel, and wherein said opening is established through said single fixed window panel.

9. The slider window assembly of claim 1, wherein said guide portion of said guide element comprises a generally U-shaped guide channel, and wherein said generally U-shaped guide channel of said guide portion of said guide element is at a level above a lower wall of said channel of said lower rail.

10. The slider window assembly of claim 1, wherein, when said movable window panel is at said first depth, an upper portion of said movable window panel is movable to align with a channel of said upper rail, and wherein, when said movable window panel is at said second depth, said upper portion of said movable window panel is received in said channel of said upper rail.

11. A slider window assembly for a vehicle, said slider window assembly comprising:

a frame portion having an upper rail and a lower rail;

at least one fixed window panel that is fixed relative to said frame portion, said at least one fixed window panel defining an opening;

a movable window panel that is movable along said upper and lower rails, wherein said movable window panel is movable between a closed position where said movable window panel is disposed at said opening and an opened position where said movable window panel is disposed at least partially along said first fixed window panel;

wherein said lower rail comprises a channel that extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and said opening;

wherein said lower rail comprises a guide element that is formed in a forming operation that is separate and distinct from a forming operation used to form said channel of said lower rail, and wherein, when said guide element is received in said channel, said guide element is secured and fixed to said channel so that said guide element extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and said opening;

wherein a carrier is established at a lower portion of said movable window panel and is configured to be received in and to move along an inner surface of a bottom wall of a guide portion of said guide element;

wherein said channel extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and beyond an end of said guide element so as to receive said carrier therein at said at least one fixed window panel during loading of said movable window panel in said upper and lower rails, and wherein said movable window panel is received in said channel at a first depth during loading of said movable window panel and is raised to a second depth to generally align said carrier with said guide portion of said guide element for insertion of said carrier into said guide portion for movement along said inner surface of said bottom wall of said guide portion;

wherein said guide portion of said guide element comprises a generally U-shaped guide channel, and wherein said guide element is configured so that, when said guide element is received in said channel of said lower rail, said generally U-shaped guide channel is at a level above a lower wall of said channel of said lower rail; and

wherein said guide element comprises at least one leg element that engages said lower wall of said channel of said lower rail and spaces said generally U-shaped guide channel above said lower wall of said channel of said lower rail.

12. A slider window assembly for a vehicle, said slider window assembly comprising:

a frame portion having an upper rail and a lower rail;

at least one fixed window panel that is fixed relative to said frame portion, said at least one fixed window panel defining an opening;

a movable window panel that is movable along said upper and lower rails, wherein said movable window panel is movable between a closed position where said movable window panel is disposed at said opening and an opened position where said movable window panel is disposed at least partially along said first fixed window panel;

wherein said lower rail comprises a channel that extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and said opening;

wherein said lower rail comprises a guide element that is formed in a forming operation that is separate and distinct from a forming operation used to form said channel of said lower rail, and wherein, when said guide element is received in said channel, said guide element is secured and fixed to said channel so that said guide element extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and said opening;

wherein a carrier is established at a lower portion of said movable window panel and is configured to be received in and to move along an inner surface of a bottom wall of a guide portion of said guide element;

wherein said channel extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and beyond an end of said guide element so as to receive said carrier therein at said at least one fixed window panel during loading of said movable window panel in said upper and lower rails, and wherein said movable window panel is received in said channel at a first depth during loading of said movable window panel and is raised to a second depth to generally align said carrier with said guide portion of said guide element for insertion of said carrier into said guide portion for movement along said inner surface of said bottom wall of said guide portion;

wherein said guide portion of said guide element comprises a generally U-shaped guide channel, and wherein said guide element is configured so that, when said guide element is received in said channel of said lower rail, said generally U-shaped guide channel is at a level above a lower wall of said channel of said lower rail; and

wherein said guide portion of said guide element comprises at least one tab element at an upper region of said generally U-shaped guide channel to limit upward movement of said carrier when said carrier is received in said generally U-shaped guide channel of said guide element.

13. A slider window assembly for a vehicle, said slider window assembly comprising:

a frame portion having an upper rail and a lower rail;

at least one fixed window panel that is fixed relative to said frame portion, said at least one fixed window panel defining an opening;

a movable window panel that is movable along said upper and lower rails, wherein said movable window panel is movable between a closed position where said movable window panel is disposed at said opening and an opened position where said movable window panel is disposed at least partially along said first fixed window panel;

wherein said lower rail comprises a generally U-shaped channel that extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and said opening;

wherein said lower rail comprises a guide element that is formed in a forming operation that is separate and distinct from a forming operation used to form said channel of said lower rail;

wherein said guide element is secured and fixed relative to said channel so that said guide element extends at least partially along said at least one fixed window panel and said opening;

wherein said movable window panel includes a carrier established at a lower portion of said movable window panel and wherein said carrier is configured to be received in and to move along said guide element;

wherein a length of said channel of said lower rail is greater than a length of said guide element and wherein a length of said guide element is greater than a length of said carrier, and wherein said length of said channel is greater than said length of said guide element by at least a distance generally corresponding to said length of said carrier; and

wherein a portion of said channel of said lower rail extends beyond an end of said guide element and is unoccupied by said guide element, and wherein said carrier is received in said portion of said channel during loading of said movable window panel in said upper and lower rails, and wherein said carrier of said movable window panel is received in said portion of said channel at a first depth during loading of said movable window panel and is raised to a second depth to generally align said carrier with said guide element for insertion of said carrier into said guide element for movement along said guide element.

14. The slider window assembly of claim 13, wherein, when said movable window panel is at said first depth, an upper portion of said movable window panel is movable to align with a channel of said upper rail, and wherein, when said movable window panel is at said second depth, said upper portion of said movable window panel is received in said channel of said upper rail.

15. The slider window assembly of claim 13, wherein said at least one fixed window panel comprises spaced apart first and second fixed window panels with said opening therebetween, and wherein said guide element is secured and fixed to said channel so that said guide element extends at least partially along said first fixed window panel and said opening, and wherein said channel extends at least partially along said second fixed window panel and beyond said end of said guide element so as to receive said carrier therein at said second fixed window panel during loading of said movable window panel in said upper and lower rails.

16. The slider window assembly of claim 13, wherein said at least one fixed window panel comprises a single fixed window panel and wherein said opening is established through said single fixed window panel.

17. The slider window assembly of claim 13, wherein said guide element is generally U-shaped for receiving said carrier therein.

18. The slider window assembly of claim 17, wherein said generally U-shaped guide channel of said guide element is at a level above a bottom wall of said channel of said lower rail.

19. The slider window assembly of claim 18, wherein said guide element comprises at least one leg element that engages said bottom wall of said channel of said lower rail and spaces said generally U-shaped guide channel above said bottom wall of said channel of said lower rail.

20. The slider window assembly of claim 17, wherein said guide element comprises at least one tab element at an upper region of said generally U-shaped guide channel to limit upward movement of said carrier when said carrier is received in said generally U-shaped guide channel of said guide element.