Automotive glazing

• US 9,259,994 B2
• Filed: 11/26/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pilkington Group Limited
• Original Assignee: Pilkington Group Limited
• Inventors: Erner, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHENEVERT, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US14/360,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20140367989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,177 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/004 Mounting of windows
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/006 characterised by fixation means such as clips, adhesive, etc. incorporated in seal B60J10/70
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/02 arranged at the vehicle front , e.g. structure of the glazing, mounting of the glazing on windscreen mounted antenna wire H01Q1/1271
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 10/34 using adhesives
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24777 Edge feature

Abstract

An elongate glazing component such as a water-tray mounting profile is attached to an automotive glazing adjacent an edge thereof to extend along at least part of the edge. At least one small, generally flat reinforcing member is bonded by adhesive to the inner face of the glazing adjacent the glazing component, each reinforcing member having a contact area for bonding to the inner face of the glazing, and a flange which extends over part of the elongate glazing component and is in contact with it. The flange may be generally parallel to the inner face of the glazing. Preferably the adhesive is cured by ultraviolet light and shrinks on curing. This property may be used to compress an attachment limb of the water-tray mounting profile, thereby holding it more securely. The arrangement may be used to attach a water-tray to a vehicle windscreen without support from the vehicle bodywork.

Claims

1. An automotive glazing for a vehicle, the glazing having two major faces, comprising an inner face which faces the interior of the vehicle when the glazing is installed in the vehicle, and an outer face which faces outwardly, the glazing further having at least one edge,

wherein an elongate glazing component is bonded to the inner face of the glazing adjacent the edge of the glazing so that the elongate glazing component extends along at least part of the edge, and at least one reinforcing member, which is small in relation to the elongate glazing component, is bonded to the inner face of the glazing adjacent the elongate glazing component,

and wherein each reinforcing member has a contact area, wherein the reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing, and a flange which extends over part of the elongate glazing component and is in contact with the elongate glazing component, thereby holding the elongate glazing component in position relative to the glazing.

2. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the flange of each reinforcing member extends generally parallel to the inner face of the glazing, and is offset from the contact area by a step so that the flange is not continuous with the contact area, thereby defining a space which accommodates part of the elongate glazing component.

3. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive, and the adhesive bond between each reinforcing member and the inner face of the glazing withstands a pulling force of at least 200 N.

4. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each reinforcing member does not protrude beyond the edge of the glazing.

5. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein the glazing is installed in an aperture in the bodywork of a vehicle, and the elongate glazing component is a water-tray mounting profile which is spaced from the bodywork of the vehicle, so that the water-tray mounting profile is not in contact with the bodywork.

6. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive, and the adhesive bond between each reinforcing member and the inner face of the glazing withstands a pulling force of at least 250 N.

7. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive, and the adhesive bond between each reinforcing member and the inner face of the glazing withstands a pulling force of at least 300 N.

8. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive which is cured by application of heat or light.

9. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive which is cured by an activation process.

10. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 9, wherein the adhesive is cured by ultraviolet light, and each reinforcing member allows ultraviolet light to pass therethrough.

11. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein each reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive which shrinks on curing.

12. An automotive glazing as claimed in claim 11, wherein the elongate glazing component is a water-tray mounting profile which is attached to the glazing by an attachment limb of the water-tray mounting profile over which the flange of the reinforcing member extends, the attachment limb being accommodated in a space between the flange and the inner face of the glazing, wherein the shrinkage of the adhesive on curing causes the attachment limb of the mounting profile to be clamped between the flange and the inner face of the glazing.

13. A method of attaching an elongate glazing component to an automotive glazing, the glazing having two major faces, comprising an inner face which faces the interior of the vehicle when the glazing is installed in the vehicle, and an outer face which faces outwardly, the glazing further having at least one edge, the method comprising:

bonding the elongate glazing component to the inner face of the glazing adjacent the edge thereof so that the elongate glazing component extends along at least part of the edge,

bonding at least one reinforcing member, which is small in comparison with the elongate glazing component, to the inner face of the glazing adjacent the elongate glazing component, each reinforcing member having a contact area for bonding to the inner face of the glazing, and a flange which extends over part of the glazing component and is in contact with the elongate glazing component,

so that the reinforcing member holds the elongate glazing component in position relative to the glazing.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive which shrinks on curing, and the elongate glazing component is a water-tray mounting profile, the method comprising:

bonding an attachment limb of the water-tray mounting profile to the inner face of the glazing before bonding the plurality of reinforcing members thereto,

curing the adhesive so that the adhesive shrinks, thereby compressing the attachment limb between the flange of each reinforcing member and the inner face of the glazing.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the adhesive bond between the reinforcing member and the inner face of the glazing withstands a pulling force of at least 200 N.

16. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the adhesive bond between the reinforcing member and the inner face of the glazing withstands a pulling force of at least 250 N.

17. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the adhesive bond between the reinforcing member and the inner face of the glazing withstands a pulling force of at least 300 N.

18. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive which is cured by application of heat or light.

19. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the reinforcing member is bonded to the inner face of the glazing by an adhesive which is cured by an activation process.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the adhesive is cured by ultraviolet light, and the reinforcing member allows ultraviolet light to pass through it therethrough.