Slider window assembly
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
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.
207 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A slider window assembly for a vehicle, said slider window assembly comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A slider window assembly for a vehicle, said slider window assembly comprising:
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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.
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12. A slider window assembly for a vehicle, said slider window assembly comprising:
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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.
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13. A slider window assembly for a vehicle, said slider window assembly comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification