Glass guide

Details Glass guide Glass guide

2001-06-26

2002-08-13

Redman, Jerry (Department: 3634)

Movable or removable closures

With means mounting closure for reciprocation

With distinct biasing means for slide or guide

C049S414000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06430878

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a glass guide, and more particularly, to a glass guide mounted in a door panel to guide a vertical movement of a window glass.
2. Description of the Related Art
With reference to
FIGS. 12
,
13
,
14
(
a
),
14
(
b
), and
14
(
c
), a door panel of a vehicle includes a guide mechanism
101
for guiding the vertical movement of a door window glass. The guide mechanism
101
is divided into a glass run
102
and a glass guide
103
. The glass run
102
is attached along a periphery of an inner side of a door frame
104
of the door panel. The glass guide
103
is also mounted extending along the glass run
102
in the door panel.
The glass run
102
, which is made of rubber, has a main body and sealing and guiding lips. The lips guide the front and rear sides of the window glass at the peripheral portion of the window glass and seal the upper end portion of the window glass by the upper portion of the glass run
102
. Further, the main body of the glass run
102
is attached in the door frame
104
, which is made of metal and has a generally U-like cross-section.
The glass guide
103
includes a metal frame
104
A, which has a generally U-like cross-section and is mounted in the door panel, and another rubber glass run
105
, which is attached in the metal frame
104
A. A main body of the glass run
105
has a generally U-like cross-section that corresponds with the shape of the bottom wall of the metal frame
104
A. The glass run
105
has a bottom wall
108
and two side walls
106
. A seal lip
107
extends from the distal end of each side wall
106
toward the bottom wall
108
of the main body of the glass run
105
. The seal lips
107
deform elastically and pressure contact with the inner and outer surfaces of the peripheral portion of the window glass to guide the vertical movement of the window glass.
In the guide mechanism
101
of the related art, the glass guide
103
may not mount along vertical plane V in
FIG. 15
, which extends vertically from the lower end of the glass run
102
. Further, a door lock device
109
may be located directly beneath the lower end of the glass run
102
in the door panel. In this case, water in the space between the window glass and the bottom wall
108
of the glass run
102
or water in the space between the glass run
102
and the door frame
104
may fall on the door lock device
109
.
To solve this problem, a guide mechanism provided with a connector that connects the lower end of the glass run
102
to the upper end of the glass guide
103
has been proposed. However, in this case, the additional connector is need and would increase the weight of the guide mechanism. Further, when connecting the lower end of the glass run
102
to the upper end of the glass guide
103
, the connector would have to be positioned in the door panel where the field of view is narrow. Accordingly, it would be very difficult to assemble the guide mechanism.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a glass guide mechanism that facilitates assembly, provides a light weight glass guide, and prevents water from falling on a door lock device.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a glass guide for guiding vertical movement of a window glass. The glass guide is mounted in a door panel of a vehicle at a location separated from a glass run that is attached to a door frame of the door panel. The glass guide includes a guide portion for guiding the window glass. A cover is arranged on an upper end of the guide portion. The cover includes an inclined surface. The inclined surface is inclined with respect to and intersects an imaginary vertical plane that is located at a lower end of the glass run.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the invention.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4910914 (1990-03-01), Asoh
patent: 5524388 (1996-06-01), Chowdhury et al.
patent: 5771637 (1998-06-01), Oikawa et al.
patent: 5943823 (1999-08-01), Yoshida et al.
patent: 6305125 (2001-10-01), Nozaki et al.
patent: 385855 (1990-09-01), None
patent: 2 309 993 (1997-08-01), None
patent: 8282299 (1996-10-01), None

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