Vehicle liftgate window assembly with heater grid
First Claim
1. A rear liftgate window assembly for a vehicle, said rear liftgate window assembly comprising:
- a glass window panel configured to be pivotally mounted at a rear portion of a vehicle so as to be pivotable between a closed position, where said glass window panel is disposed at a rear opening of the vehicle and against a seal that circumscribes the rear opening of the vehicle, and an opened position, where said glass window panel is raised to a generally horizontal orientation;
wherein, with said glass window panel pivotally mounted at the rear portion of the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position, the seal contacts at least one perimeter region of an inner surface of said glass window panel;
a heater grid disposed at said inner surface of said glass window panel, said heater grid comprising a plurality of electrically conductive traces established at said inner surface of said glass window panel inboard of said at least one perimeter region, wherein said plurality of electrically conductive traces terminate at busbars disposed inboard of said at least one perimeter region;
a pair of busbar connecting portions established at said inner surface of said glass window panel, wherein said busbar connecting portions extend from the respective busbars, across said at least one perimeter region of said inner surface of said glass window panel that contacts the seal at the vehicle when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position, to respective locations at said inner surface that are outboard of said at least one perimeter region of said inner surface of said glass window panel;
electrical connectors electrically connected to said busbar connecting portions at the respective locations outboard of said at least one perimeter region; and
wherein said electrical connectors are configured to electrically connect to a power source of the vehicle when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A rear liftgate window assembly for a vehicle includes a glass window panel configured to be pivotally mounted at a rear portion of a vehicle so as to be pivotable between a closed position and an opened position. A heater grid includes a plurality of electrically conductive traces established at the inner surface of the glass window panel. A pair of busbars are established at the inner surface of the glass window panel and extend outboard of at least one side region of the inner surface of the window panel that contacts a seal at the vehicle when the glass window panel is in the closed position. Electrical connectors are electrically connected to the busbars outboard of the side region. The electrical connectors are configured to electrically connect to a power source of the vehicle when the rear liftgate window assembly is mounted at the vehicle.
30 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A rear liftgate window assembly for a vehicle, said rear liftgate window assembly comprising:
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a glass window panel configured to be pivotally mounted at a rear portion of a vehicle so as to be pivotable between a closed position, where said glass window panel is disposed at a rear opening of the vehicle and against a seal that circumscribes the rear opening of the vehicle, and an opened position, where said glass window panel is raised to a generally horizontal orientation; wherein, with said glass window panel pivotally mounted at the rear portion of the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position, the seal contacts at least one perimeter region of an inner surface of said glass window panel; a heater grid disposed at said inner surface of said glass window panel, said heater grid comprising a plurality of electrically conductive traces established at said inner surface of said glass window panel inboard of said at least one perimeter region, wherein said plurality of electrically conductive traces terminate at busbars disposed inboard of said at least one perimeter region; a pair of busbar connecting portions established at said inner surface of said glass window panel, wherein said busbar connecting portions extend from the respective busbars, across said at least one perimeter region of said inner surface of said glass window panel that contacts the seal at the vehicle when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position, to respective locations at said inner surface that are outboard of said at least one perimeter region of said inner surface of said glass window panel; electrical connectors electrically connected to said busbar connecting portions at the respective locations outboard of said at least one perimeter region; and wherein said electrical connectors are configured to electrically connect to a power source of the vehicle when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A rear liftgate window assembly for a vehicle, said rear liftgate window assembly comprising:
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a glass window panel configured to be pivotally mounted at a rear portion of a vehicle so as to be pivotable between a closed position, where said glass window panel is disposed at a rear opening of the vehicle and against a seal that circumscribes the rear opening of the vehicle, and an opened position, where said glass window panel is raised to a generally horizontal orientation; wherein, with said glass window panel pivotally mounted at the rear portion of the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position, the seal contacts a first side region of an inner surface of said glass window panel and a second side region of said inner surface of said glass window panel; a heater grid disposed at said inner surface of said glass window panel, said heater grid comprising a plurality of electrically conductive traces established at said inner surface of said glass window panel; said heater grid further comprising a first busbar established at said inner surface of said glass window panel at a first end of said electrically conductive traces of said heater grid; a first busbar connecting portion established at said inner surface of said glass window panel outboard of said first side region of said inner surface of said glass window panel that contacts the seal at the vehicle when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position, wherein a portion of said first busbar connecting portion spans said first side region so as to electrically conductively connect said first busbar connecting portion to said first busbar of said heater grid; said heater grid further comprising a second busbar established at said inner surface of said glass window panel at a second end of said electrically conductive traces of said heater grid; a second busbar connecting portion established at said inner surface of said glass window panel outboard of said second side region of said inner surface of said glass window panel that contacts the seal at the vehicle when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position, wherein a portion of said second busbar connecting portion spans said second side region so as to electrically conductively connect said second busbar connecting portion to said second busbar of said heater grid; a first protective covering element disposed at said portion of said first busbar connecting portion to limit or preclude the seal contacting said portion of said first busbar connecting portion when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position; a second protective covering element disposed at said portion of said second busbar connecting portion to limit or preclude the seal contacting said portion of said second busbar connecting portion when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle and when said glass window panel is in the closed position; a positive connector electrically conductively connected to said first busbar connecting portion outboard said first side region of said inner surface of said glass window panel; a negative connector electrically conductively connected to said second busbar connecting portion outboard said second side region of said inner surface of said glass window panel; and wherein said positive and negative electrical connectors are configured to electrically connect to a respective wire of the vehicle when said glass window panel is pivotally mounted at the vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification