Movable or removable closures – Stored in housing – Reciprocates vertically in and out of housing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-12-18
2003-05-13
Strimbu, Gregory J. (Department: 3634)
Movable or removable closures
Stored in housing
Reciprocates vertically in and out of housing
C049S374000, C049S372000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06560930
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a guide device for a trapezoidal window which is movably supported for opening on a body part of a motor vehicle. More particularly, the invention is directed to a guide device wherein an engagement means of the window is movably supported on a side guide rail of the window, the side guide rail being pivotally supported in a pivot bearing so as to pivot on the body part to the outside in a closed position of the window relative to a path of motion of the engagement means. When the window is opened, the side guide rail is matched to the respective position of the engagement means which moves away from the pivot bearing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, movable or lowerable vehicle windows are opened by movably guiding the respective window on two opposing parallel sides on parallel guides of the vehicle body. For example, when a window such as a rear window that is tapered upward and thus formed to be trapezoidal, its two oblique sides cannot be guided by parallel guides on the sides of the window. Rather, there must be parallel guides within the areas of the trapezoidal sides of the window which then run through a transparent window area, and thus, adversely affect the optical appearance. The area of the trapezoidal sides of the window which is colored for example black toward the respective guide does optically cover the guide, but reduces the size of the transparent area of the rear window.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to devise a guide device for a window of a motor vehicle which provides additional guidance in the displacement for opening and closing the window, even for a window having opposing sides which are not parallel, for example trapezoidal windows.
The object is achieved in accordance to the present invention by providing a guide device wherein an engagement means of the window is movably supported on one side guide rail for the window, the guide rail being pivotally supported in a pivot bearing for pivoting on the body part of the motor vehicle such that it is pivoted to the outside in a closed position of the window relative to the path of motion of the engagement means of the opening window, and when the window is opened, the guide rail is matched by pivoting to the respective position of the engagement means which is moving away from the pivot bearing. Thus, the guide rail moves essentially only then into the transparent region of the window and into the window opening within the window frame when the window is being opened. With the window opened the guide rail is almost in parallel to the direction of lengthwise displacement of the window. Windows are defined as motor vehicle parts which can be opened by displacement, such as side and rear windows, and also encompasses sliding window for roofs. Instead of designations such as top edge and bottom edge which are dependent on the installation position of the window or the cover, designations such as the front edge and rear edge or the like are pertinent.
Feasibly, there are two pivoting guide rails, especially in a symmetrical arrangement on the opposing sides of the window. But also only one pivoting guide rail can be combined with another guide, for example a parallel guide, in an asymmetrical shape of a window having one straight side, i.e. a side parallel to the displacement direction, and one trapezoidal side. In addition, the guide rail on its end opposite the pivot bearing is guided on the body part. In this way the guide rail has high stability. Supporting the guide rail only in the pivot bearing with the corresponding dimensioning can be sufficient, but higher stability for the window guide can be made available by bilateral support.
In a preferred embodiment, the guide rail is pre-loaded into its outer pivot position by a force applying means, such as a spring, when opening the window the engagement means pivoting the guide rail against the force of the tensioning means. The force applied makes the guidance by the guide rail free of play. At the same time higher guidance stiffness is achieved. An alternative to pivoting the guide rail by the moving engagement means, there can be a pivoting drive which moves the guide rail into its pivot position which is matched to the position of the engagement means. The pivoting means is controlled via a control means which undertakes the pivoting motion depending on the respective position of the engagement means, for example, via an electric motor.
Preferably, there is a parallel guide means for the window essentially hidden in the body part; it is connected to the lower edge of the window which can be lowered into the body part. In doing so a drive means can be coupled to the window and the latter moved to open and close via the parallel guide means. One such parallel guide means contains two parallel guide ways on which slide elements mounted on the lower edge of the window are movably guided. Feasibly, the guide ways each have an initial section bent toward the window. Thus the window when opening is initially raised from the window seal and when closing is pressed again into the seal. In a comparable manner, the pivoting guide rail can have an initial section which is bent toward the window so that the upper edge of the window can also be raised from the seal when opening from the inside. As previously mentioned, the window can be the window pane of a motor vehicle such as a lowerable rear window as well as the cover of a sliding roof of a motor vehicle.
In the following, one embodiment of the invention is detailed with reference to the drawings.
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Nixon & Peabody LLP
Safran David S.
Strimbu Gregory J.
Webasto Vehicle Systems International GmbH
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