Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Bodies – Door or window with specified vehicle feature
Reexamination Certificate
1998-05-27
2001-11-06
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Bodies
Door or window with specified vehicle feature
C296S178000, C049S394000, C049S399000, C049S400000, C049SDIG001
Reexamination Certificate
active
06312043
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to vehicle windows and, especially to windows for motor coaches and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Conventional vehicle windows which may be fixed or openable generally consists of a window panel mounted to the vehicle to fit in and close an aperture or window opening in the vehicle body. The opening is defined by portions of the vehicle body which may be structural members or body portions connected therewith. The panel normally consists of a transparent or semi-transparent sheet of glass or plastic which is held in and mounted to the vehicle by way of a frame.
Window constructions of this type require the use of a large number of parts and the exact fitting of the panel to the outline of the opening. This increases manufacturing costs for windows having a curved or asymmetric shape. Furthermore, the use of a frame increases the weight of the window which is undesirable for situations where the window is intended to be swung out to function as an escape door and as such must be held open during an emergency. Moreover, the appearance of vehicles having a series of framed windows adjacent to one another is not particularly aesthetically appealing, since adjacent windows are respectively separated by an intermediate window post or jamb which is clearly visible and protrudes from the common plane of the windows.
Canadian Patent No. 1,057,796 by Niesser discloses a window sash construction for motor coaches wherein a glazing sheet is fitted into the window opening and is mounted to the vehicle wall by hinges and latches that are bolted to the glazing sheet and spaced inwardly from edges of the sheet. In other words, the hinges and latches are clearly visible from within the vehicle, interfere with visibility and reduce the field of view for each window. The seals for the window are mounted to the edges of the opening and also intrude into the window opening which further reduces the field of vision. Moreover, the window panel is reset in the vehicle wall which is not aesthetically appealing and increases problems with cleaning of the vehicle and wind noise.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,638,598 by Gold describes a window construction for a vehicle including a window pane which is fitted into the window opening and recessed from an outer surface of the vehicle body. The hinge and latch members are affixed to the window pane within the visual field. This construction does also not overcome the above-described drawbacks of reduced visual field, wind noise and cleaning problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,534,501 by Carlsson et al., teaches a frame molding for a vehicle window. The window includes inner and outer sheets which abut each other along their edges and are clamped together along an edge by the molding in a way allowing the window panels to change dimensions and slide relative to each other in the molding. The issue of fitting the window into the window opening and the sealing of the window to the vehicle are not addressed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is now an object of the invention to provide a window construction overcoming the above-described drawbacks of prior art constructions.
It is a further object to provide a window construction with a window panel overlapping on the exterior of the vehicle body, at least one of the vehicle body edge portions defining the window opening.
It is another object of the invention to provide a window having a window panel which is mounted to the vehicle body and on the exterior thereof at least partly covers the edges of the vehicle body which define the window opening, especially the window jambs. Mounting the panel to an exterior surface of the vehicle body facilitates installation and sealing of the window and allows placement of draft seals between the exterior surface of the vehicle body and the panel so that they do not protrude into the window opening.
It is a further object to provide a closure system for a vehicle having at least two adjacent window openings separated by a vehicle body member generally adjacent jamb of the openings, including a closure panel for each opening wherein adjacent panels cooperatively cover an outside surface of the vehicle body member. With this construction, the panels provide a smooth substantially continuous outer surface uninterrupted by window jambs or posts. This not only provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance from the outside of the vehicle, but also facilitates cleaning of the vehicle. Furthermore, the airflow along the vehicle in the window area is substantially less turbulent which reduces wind noise, contrary to conventional window constructions wherein the window jambs of the vehicle body protrude above the outer surface of the window panels, thereby protruding into the airflow and causing turbulence.
Accordingly, the invention provides a closure for a vehicle with a vehicle body having an interior, an exterior and an exterior surface and a window opening defined by vehicle body edge portions forming the header, jamb and sill portions of the opening. The closure includes a panel for closing the opening and means for mounting the panel flush with the exterior surface of the vehicle body, the panel having a first portion for substantially covering the window opening and a marginal portion integral with and extending outwardly from the first portion for covering at least one of the jamb portions.
In another aspect of the invention, there is provided a closure system for a vehicle with a vehicle body having an interior, an exterior and an exterior surface and a pair of adjacent window openings defined by vehicle body edge portions forming the header, jambs and sill portions of the openings and being separated by an intermediate vehicle body element. The closure system includes a closure in accordance with the invention for each window opening, wherein the marginal portions of the panels of the respective adjacent closures are shaped and constructed for cooperatively and substantially completely covering an exterior surface of the intermediate body member.
Preferably at least one of the closures of the vehicle is mounted to the vehicle body for movement between an open position permitting use of the window as an escape hatch and a closed position wherein the panel completely closes the opening.
The marginal portion preferably extends completely about the first portion and overlaps at least part of the vehicle body edge portions defining the window opening. The panel is preferably made of a transparent sheet, an opaque sheet, a semi-transparent sheet, or a tinted transparent sheet. Most preferably, the panel is made of tempered glass, laminated glass or clear plastic.
In a preferred embodiment, the invention provides a closure wherein the first portion of the panel includes spaced apart parallel inner and outer glazing sheets which are maintained in the spaced apart condition by a spacer extending around the first portion and which are sealed to each other at the spacer to form a thermopane unit. In that embodiment, the marginal portion is an integral part of the outer glazing sheet and edges of the inner glazing sheet are inwardly spaced from the vehicle body portions defining the window opening.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2509362 (1950-05-01), Miller
patent: 2787348 (1957-04-01), Goodemote et al.
patent: 3534501 (1970-10-01), Carlsson et al.
patent: 3794373 (1974-02-01), Manning
patent: 3913265 (1975-10-01), Ehret et al.
patent: 4638598 (1987-01-01), Gold
patent: 1057796 (1979-07-01), None
patent: 3428506 (1986-02-01), None
patent: 1544 (1979-04-01), None
patent: 2667109 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 203482 (1988-08-01), None
Beauregard Rejean
Blackburn Raymond
Carrier Serge
Pedder Dennis H.
Pendorf & Cutliff
Prevost Car Inc.
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