Title: Windowpane attaching structure and windowpane removing method
Abstract: A windowpane is supported in a gasket by a support member so that a space for allowing the windowpane to shift therein is ensured between an end surface of the windowpane and a surface in a channel of the gasket facing the end surface, the gasket having the channel for receiving a peripheral edge of the windowpane, and the support member being removable from the gasket. The windowpane can be easily removed from a body panel by removing the support member and shifting the windowpane into the space.
Patent Number: 6,973,754 Issued on 12/13/2005 to Iguchi, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Iguchi; Shigehiko (Chita-gun, JP);
Tamai; Nobuyuki (Chita-gun, JP);
Kojima; Nobutaka (Chita-gun, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Asahi Glass Company, Limited (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
279985 |
| Filed:
|
October 25, 2002 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Apr 27, 2000[JP] | 2000-127817 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
52/208; 52/209; 52/204.51; 52/204.55; 52/204.591; 52/716.1; 52/717.01; 52/214; 52/698; 296/84.1; 296/93; 296/96.13; 296/96.21; 296/96.22; 296/146.1; 296/146.3; 296/154; 296/201; 296/208; 296/213; 49/380; 49/475.1; 49/476; 49/449; 49/490; 49/491 |
| Intern'l Class: |
E06B 003/62 |
| Field of Search: |
52/20451,204.55,204.591,208,209,716.1,717.01,533,534,214,698
296/201,841,146.1,146.3,93,962.1,961.3,962.2,154,208,213
49/476,449,380,475.1,490,491
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
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| |
| 4487448 | Dec., 1984 | Griffin.
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| 4591203 | May., 1986 | Furman.
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| 4700525 | Oct., 1987 | Nieboer et al.
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| 4723809 | Feb., 1988 | Kida et al.
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| 4823511 | Apr., 1989 | Herliczek et al.
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| 4841698 | Jun., 1989 | Gold.
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| 4861540 | Aug., 1989 | Nieboer et al.
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| 4894972 | Jan., 1990 | Endoh et al.
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| 4905432 | Mar., 1990 | Romie.
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| 4974901 | Dec., 1990 | Katayama.
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| 4986595 | Jan., 1991 | Gold.
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| 5083835 | Jan., 1992 | Rossini.
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| 5085021 | Feb., 1992 | Kunert.
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| 5261721 | Nov., 1993 | Conger et al.
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| 5339584 | Aug., 1994 | Ohtake et al.
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| 5442880 | Aug., 1995 | Gipson.
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| 5475956 | Dec., 1995 | Agrawal et al.
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| 5522191 | Jun., 1996 | Wenner et al.
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| 5529366 | Jun., 1996 | Gold.
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| 5635281 | Jun., 1997 | Agrawal.
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| 5707473 | Jan., 1998 | Agrawal et al.
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| 5822932 | Oct., 1998 | Agrawal.
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| 5864996 | Feb., 1999 | Veldman et al.
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| 6089646 | Jul., 2000 | Xu et al.
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| 6293609 | Sep., 2001 | Xu et al.
| |
| 6460917 | Oct., 2002 | De Paoli.
| |
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0 079 839 | May., 1983 | EP.
| |
| 0 618 101 | Oct., 1994 | EP.
| |
| 1-101220 | Apr., 1989 | JP.
| |
| 1-161810 | Nov., 1989 | JP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Friedman; Carl D.
Assistant Examiner: Green; Christy M.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt, P.C.
Parent Case Text
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCTIJP01/03520, filed
on Apr. 24, 2001, which was not published under PCT Article 21(2) in English. This
application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese
Patent Application No. 2000-127817, filed Apr. 27, 2000, the entire contents of
which are incorporated herein by reference.
Claims
1. A windowpane attaching structure, wherein a windowpane has a peripheral edge
received in a channel of a gasket having a C-character shape in section, the windowpane
has the gasket fitted thereto, and the windowpane is attached to an edge defining
a window opening of an automobile through the gasket;
a space defined by an end surface of the windowpane and a surface in the channel
facing the end surface at at least a portion of an entire periphery of the channel,
the space allowing the windowpane to shift in the channel; a support member fastened
to the gasket and contacting the end surface of the windowpane in the channel and
precluding the windowpane from shifting therein, the support member being removable
from the gasket.
2. The windowpane attaching structure according to claim 1, wherein the windowpane
has an outline, which is larger than an outline formed by an inner periphery of
the gasket and smaller than an outline around the surface in the channel in a projected view.
3. The windowpane attaching structure according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral
edge of the windowpane, the support member and the space are provided in an order
of the peripheral edge of the windowpane, the support member and the space from
an inner periphery of the channel toward the surface in the channel as seen in
a surface direction of the windowpane.
4. The windowpane attaching structure according to claim 1, wherein a plurality
of support members are fastened in the gasket at intervals around the entire periphery
of the windowpane.
5. The windowpane attaching structure according to claim 1, wherein the support
member comprises a support pin having a shaft extending substantially parallel
with the end surface of the windowpane, the support pin is fastened in the gasket
so as to pass through the gasket in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the
windowpane, and the shaft of the support pin contacts the end surface of the windowpane
to support the windowpane.
6. A windowpane removing method for removing a windowpane from a windowpane attaching
structure, wherein a windowpane has a peripheral edge received in a channel of
a gasket having a C-character shape in section, the windowpane has the gasket fitted
thereto, and the windowpane is attached to an edge defining a window opening of
an automobile through the gasket; the method comprising:
configuring a windowpane attaching structure so as to support the windowpane
in the gasket by a support member so as to ensure a space between an end surface
of the peripheral edge of the windowpane and a surface in the channel, the support
member being removable from the gasket; and
removing the support member from the gasket, properly moving the windowpane so
as to be shifted into and out of the channel, and removing the windowpane from
the window opening.
7. The windowpane removing method according to claim 6, further comprising forming
the support member by use of a plurality of support members, the one or more support
members of the plurality of support members being placed along an edge of the windowpane;
removing one or more support members of the plurality of support members from the
gasket; then, shifting the edge of the windowpane corresponding to the removed
support member or members toward the surface in the channel facing the end surface
of the edge of the windowpane; and removing the remaining support member or members
from the gasket to remove the windowpane from the window opening.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates a windowpane attaching structure for a window opening
of an automobile and a method for removing a windowpane from a window opening of
an automobile.
BACKGROUND ART
As shown in FIG. 9, an automobile 70 has a body panel 70
a formed
with a plurality of window openings 75. The window openings 75 are
closed by windowpanes, which comprise transparent glass sheets 72.
In Description, the upper edge of a glass sheet (windowpane) 72 refers
to an edge along the roof 79 of the automobile 70, and the lateral
edges of the glass sheet 72 refer to edges along pillars 77 of the
automobile 70.
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X—X of FIG. 9.
The upper edge as a part of the peripheral edge of the glass sheet 72 is
firmly attached, by an adhesive 71, to an attachment flange 76, which
is provided at the peripheral edge around a window opening 75 of the body
panel 70
a and on an interior side behind the body panel 70
a.
The attachment flange 76 and the body panel 70
a are connected
by an opening side wall 75
a. The attachment flange 76 extends
along the peripheral edge of the window opening 75 of the body panel 70
a.
The attachment flange 76 has the upper edge and the lateral edges of the
glass sheet 72 bonded thereto.
If a bonded portion can be seen from an exterior side through the transparent
glass sheet 72, or if the adhesive 71 or the like is seen, the appearance
degrades. If a bonded portion is irradiated by sunshine from the exterior side
through the transparent glass sheet 72, the adhesive 71 is deteriorated
by the ultraviolet in the sunshine.
In order to cope with this problem, the peripheral edge of the glass sheet 72
has a rear side (interior side) provided with a coating member 73 in a dark
color. The adhesive 71 is interposed between the coating member 73
and the attachment flange 76. When seen from the exterior side, the adhesive
71 is concealed by the coating member 73. For example, a black coating
member, which comprises, e.g., a fired product made of ceramic paste, has been
used as the coating member 73 in a dark color.
In recent years, the glass sheet 72 for an automobile has been demanded
to be configured so as to be capable of easily and rapidly removed from the body
panel 70
a on the assumption that the glass sheet would be recycled.
However, the glass sheet has been unable to be removed in simple fashion
in the prior art stated earlier since the glass sheet 72 is firmly fixed
to the body panel 70
a by the adhesive 71. In order to remove
the glass sheet in the prior art, a thread-shaped cutter or a bar-shaped cutter
has been passed through the adhesive shown in FIG. 10 in right and left directions
in this figure and is moved along the peripheral edge of the window opening (in
a direction perpendicular to the sheet showing this figure) to cut the adhesive
71. This operation has been troublesome, placed a great deal of burden on
the operator and required a long period for the operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a windowpane attaching structure
and a windowpane removing method capable of easily removing a windowpane from the
body panel of an automobile.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
In order to attain the object, the present invention provides a windowpane attaching
structure, wherein a windowpane has a peripheral edge received in a channel of
a gasket having a C-character shape in section, the windowpane has the gasket fitted
thereto, and the windowpane is attached to a window opening of an automobile through
the gasket, characterized in that the windowpane has a space formed between an
end surface thereof and a surface in the channel facing the end surface at at least
a portion of an entire periphery thereof, the space allowing the windowpane to
shift in the channel; and a support member is fastened to the gasket so as to get
in contact with the end surface of the windowpane for supporting the windowpane
in the channel without shifting therein, the support member being removable from
the gasket.
In order to attain the object, the present invention also provides a windowpane
removing method for removing a windowpane from a windowpane attaching structure,
wherein a windowpane has a peripheral edge received in a channel of a gasket having
a C-character shape in section, the windowpane has the gasket fitted thereto, and
the windowpane is attached to a window opening of an automobile through the gasket;
characterized in that the windowpane attaching structure is configured to support
the windowpane in the gasket by a support member so as to ensure a space between
an end surface of the peripheral edge of the windowpane and a surface in the channel,
the support member being removable from the gasket; and the support member is removed
from the gasket, the windowpane is properly moved so as to shift into and out of
the channel, and the windowpane is removed from the window opening.
Examples of the windowpane are a transparent or translucent glass sheet
and a transparent or translucent resin sheet. A chromatic glass sheet or a chromatic
resin sheet is also applicable as long as the sheet has enough transparence. Examples
of the glass sheet are a single layer glass sheet and a laminated glass sheet.
The glass sheet may be tempered or have a functional coating, such as an infrared
reflection film, applied thereto.
Examples of the gasket are a hard molding having a C-character shape in
section and a metallic member having a C-character shape in section and covered
by proper buffer material.
In the windowpane attaching structure and the windowpane removing method according
to the present invention, the gasket is fitted to the peripheral edge of a windowpane,
and the gasket is firmly fixed to the window opening of an automobile by use of,
e.g., an adhesive. When the windowpane is removed, the support member is removed
from the gasket first. Thus, the windowpane can be shifted into and out of the
space formed between the peripheral end surface of the windowpane and the surface
in the channel. The windowpane is properly shifted in a surface direction thereof
and is removed from the window opening.
In accordance with the present invention, the windowpane can be removed from
the
body panel of the automobile in extremely easy fashion and in a short period of time.
In the windowpane attaching structure according to the present invention, it
is
preferable that the windowpane has an outline, which is larger than an outline
formed by an inner periphery of the gasket and smaller than an outline around the
surface in the channel in a projected view. By this arrangement, the windowpane
can be stably retained in the window opening so that the windowpane is removable.
The outline of the windowpane in the projected view means a shape formed by the
periphery of the windowpane that is seen from a direction perpendicular to the
surface direction of the windowpane when the windowpane is projected on a projected
plane. The outline of the windowpane in the projected view is indicated by symbol
P in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8.
The outline formed by the inner periphery of the gasket means a shape formed
by the inner periphery of an annular gasket fitted to the entire periphery of the
windowpane or a shape of the inner periphery of a combined gasket formed by smoothly
connecting the inner edges of plural gasket sections provided at intervals around
the peripheral edge of the windowpane in the peripheral direction when the windowpane
is seen from a direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the windowpane.
The outline formed by the inner periphery of the gasket is indicated by symbol
I in FIG. 2 and FIG. 8.
The outline around the surface in the channel means a shape formed by the surface
provided in the channel of an annular gasket fitted to the entire periphery of
the windowpane and facing the end surface of the peripheral edge of the windowpane
or a shape of the inner periphery of a combined gasket formed by smoothly connecting
the inner edges of plural gasket sections provided at intervals around the peripheral
edge of the windowpane in the peripheral direction when the windowpane is seen
from a direction perpendicular to the surface direction of the windowpane. The
outline around the surface in the channel is indicated by symbol G in FIG. 2
and FIG. 8.
The phrases "inner periphery" and "outer periphery" mean a periphery closer to
the center of the windowpane and a periphery away from the center in the surface
direction of the windowpane, respectively.
The phrase "C-character shape in section" with respect to the shape of the gasket
covers a shape similar to a C-character having no angular corners in section and
a shape similar to a substantially C-character having angular corners in section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the essential parts of a
first mode of the windowpane attaching structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a front view showing a first mode of the windowpane removing method
according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a front view showing the first mode of the windowpane removing method
according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a front view showing the first mode of the window pane removing method
according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the essential parts of a second mode
of the windowpane attaching structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing the essential parts of a third mode
of the windowpane attaching structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the essential parts of a fourth mode
of the windowpane attaching structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the essential parts of a fifth mode
of the windowpane attaching structure according to the present invention;
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an automobile; and
FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X—X of FIG. 9.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Now, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail in reference
to the accompanying drawings. In explanation of the embodiments stated below, parts
having the same structure or function as the parts previously stated will be indicated
by the same or corresponding reference numerals or symbols in the drawings, and
explanation of these parts will be omitted.
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first mode of the windowpane
attaching structure according to an embodiment of the present invention. The windowpane
attaching structure
10 is applicable to a windowpane, such as the windshield
glass or the backlite of an automobile
70 as shown in FIG.
9.
A glass plate (windowpane)
72 has a peripheral edge received in a channel
11a of a gasket
11, which comprises a hard molding having
a substantially C-character shape in section. The gasket
11 includes an
outside section
11b for pressing an exterior surface (outside surface)
72a of the glass sheet
72 from the exterior surface of an
automobile, an inside section
11c for pressing an interior surface
(inside surface)
72b of the glass sheet
72 from the interior
surface of the automobile, and a connecting section
11d for connecting
the outside section
11b and the inside section
11c.
The outside section
11b, the inside section
11c and
the connecting section
11d define the channel
11a,
which is formed in a rectangular shape in section. The connecting section
11d
has a surface opposite to a surface (channel bottom)
12 facing the glass
sheet
72 formed with a lip section
11e, which is adapted for
close contact with a body panel
70a.
Although the glass sheet
72 has the peripheral edge received in the
channel
11a of the gasket
11, the glass sheet
72 has
an end surface
72c of the peripheral edge placed out of contact with
the channel bottom
12 facing the end surface
72c. The gasket
11 has support pins
15 fastened therein from the exterior surface
of the automobile. In the shown mode, the plural support pins
15 are fastened
in the gasket
11 at intervals along the peripheral direction of a window
opening
75.
The outline of the glass sheet
72 in a projected view (surrounded by a
dotted line P in FIG. 2) is larger than the outline formed by an inner periphery
of the gasket
11 (surrounded by edges of the outside section
11b
and the inside section
11c closer to an inner periphery of the
glass sheet
72 along a surface direction of the glass sheet
72, i.e.,
a leftmost edge in FIG. 1, and designated by a solid line I). The outline I formed
by the inner periphery of the gasket
11 is included within the outline P
of the glass sheet
72 in the projected view.
The outline P of the glass sheet
72 in the projected view is smaller than
the outline around the channel bottom
12 of the gasket
11 (designated
by a dotted line G in FIG.
2). The outline P of the glass sheet
72
in the projected view is included within the outline G around the channel bottom
12 of the gasket
11.
Each of the support pins
15 is formed with a head
15a having
a larger diameter than a shaft thereof. Each of the support pins
15 has
the shaft passing through the outside section
11b of the gasket
11
and crossing over the channel
11a. Each of the support pins
15
has a leading edge of the shaft received in the inside section
11c of
the gasket
11. Each of the support pins
15 may have the shaft screwed
in at least one of the outside section
11b and the inside section
11c.
Each of the support pins
15 has the shaft gotten in contact with the
end surface
72c of the glass sheet
12. In other words, the
support pins
15 support the glass sheet
72 in the gasket
11,
ensuring a space (shift-allowable space) S between the end surface
72c
of the glass sheet
72 and the channel bottom
12 facing the end
surface
72c. Thus, the peripheral edge of the glass sheet
72,
the support pins
15 and the space S are provided in the order of the peripheral
edge of the glass sheet
72, the support pins
15 and the space S at
the locations of the support pins
15 from an inner periphery toward an outer
periphery of the glass sheet
72 in the channel
11a as seen
in the surface direction of the glass sheet.
The outside section
11b of the gasket
11 has recesses
13
formed thereon to accommodate the heads
15a of the support pins
15.
The head
15a of each of the support pins has an end surface (exterior
surface) flush with an exterior surface of the outside section
11b of
the gasket.
The gasket
11 has an adhesive
71 interposed between an attachment
flange
76 and the inside section
11c. The gasket
11
is firmly fixed to the attachment flange
76 at the inside section
11c
by the adhesive
71.
Now, an example of the windowpane removing method for removing the glass sheet
72 from the windowpane attaching structure
10 will be described in
reference to FIG.
2 through FIG.
4. In FIG.
2 through FIG.
4, the gasket
11 is shown in enlargement for easy understanding.
In the shown mode, the gasket
11 is formed in a substantially rectangular
frame shape in a plan view (as seen in a direction perpendicular to the surface
direction of the glass sheet
72) and covers the entire peripheral portion
of the glass sheet
72 as shown in FIG.
2. The glass sheet
72
has a rectangular shape with corners canted off (substantially rectangular shape)
in the plan view. The glass sheet
72 in a substantially rectangular shape
has long edges and short edges supported by a pair of support pins
15, respectively.
In other words, all main edges of the glass sheet
72 are positioned by at
least one of the support pins
15.
The shape of the gasket
11 and the shape of the glass sheet
72
are shown as examples. For example, the outline of the gasket
11 or the
glass sheet
72 may be curved. As long as the curved outline of the gasket
or the glass sheet can be microscopically regarded as including a side forming
a polygonal shape in the latter case, that sort of outline is also called in the
phrase "side".
The gasket
11 is fixed to the window opening. As shown in FIG. 2, the
dimensions of the outline P of the glass sheet
72 in the projected view
(the dimensions in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction in FIG.
2) is larger than the dimensions of the outline I formed by the inner periphery
of the gasket
11. The dimensions of the outline G around by the channel
bottom
12 of the gasket is larger than the dimensions of the outline P of
the glass sheet
72 in the projected view.
First, the pins
15 that have supported the glass sheet
72 at
an edge on the right side in FIG. 2 (right edge of the glass sheet) are removed
from the gasket
11 toward the exterior side (forwardly with respect to the
sheet showing FIG.
2). Next, the glass sheet
72 is shifted so as
to have the right edge brought near to the channel bottom
12 in a right
side portion (right side) of the gasket
11 with the pins
15 removed
as seen in FIG. 2, or to have the right edge filled in the shift-allowable space
S shown in FIG.
1. As a result, the glass sheet
72 has a left edge
located at a position inside a left side portion (left side) of the gasket
11
as shown in FIG.
3.
Then, the support pins
15 are removed from an upper side portion (upper
side) of the gasket toward the exterior side as seen in FIG.
3. The glass
sheet
72 is shifted so as to have the upper edge brought near to the channel
bottom
12. As a result, the glass sheet
72 has a lower edge located
at a position inside a lower side portion of the gasket
11 as shown in FIG.
4. The glass sheet
72 has a left edge continuously held inside the
left portion of the gasket
11.
Next, the glass sheet
72 is shifted in a direction toward a corner between
the left side and the lower side of the gasket
11 (direction indicated by
an arrow A in FIG.
4), having a corner between the left edge and the lower
edge thereof lifted toward the exterior side (forwardly with respect to the sheet
showing FIG.
4). Thus, the glass sheet
72 is removed from the window
opening by having the right edge and the upper edge removed from the right side
and the upper side of the gasket
11
In accordance with the windowpane attaching structure
10 and the windowpane
removing method as stated earlier, the glass sheet
72 can be removed from
the body panel
70a of the automobile in extremely easy fashion and
in a short period of time.
As shown in FIG. 1, the adhesive
71 (working as a fastener for the glass
sheet
72) is concealed by the gasket
11 on the exterior side, and
the surface of the peripheral edge of the glass sheet
72 is covered by the
outside section
11b of the gasket
11, offering good appearance
without using a separate decorative member, such as a garnish, or a coating member
in a dark color.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a second mode of the windowpane
attaching structure according to the embodiment of the present invention. The glass
plate
72 has the peripheral edge received in a channel
21a of
a gasket
21, which comprises a hard molding having a substantially C-character
shape in section. The gasket
21 includes an outside section
21b,
an inside section
21c and a connecting section
21d,
which define the channel
21a, which is formed in a rectangular shape
in section. The gasket
21 has a plurality of support pins
15 fastened
therein from the interior side at intervals along the peripheral direction of the
window opening
75. The support pins
15 may be the same as those in
the first mode as stated earlier. Each of the support pins
15 has the shaft
passing through the inside section
21c of the gasket
21 and
crossing over the channel
21a. Each of the support pins
15
has the leading edge of the shaft received in the outside section
21b
of the gasket
21. Each of the support pins
15 has the shaft gotten
in contact with the end surface
72c of the glass sheet
72
to position the glass sheet
72 in a proper location and to ensure a shift-allowable
space S between the end surface
72c of the glass sheet
72
and the channel bottom
22 facing the end surface
72c.
In the shown mode, the window opening
75 has a peripheral edge provided
with an attachment flange
26, which is placed on the interior side with
respect to an outside surface of the body panel
70a, and which has
removal holes
26a for allowing the support pins
15 to be removed
toward the interior side. The gasket
21 is firmly fixed to the attachment
flange
26 at the inside section
21c by the adhesive
71.
The gasket
21 is fixed at such a location that the support pins
15
can be removed from the interior side of the attachment flange
26 through
the removal holes
26a. In the shown mode, the removal holes
26a
are provided in alignment with imaginary lines extending from of the shafts
of the support pins
15, and the heads
15a of the support pins
15 can be fully seen from the interior side of the attachment flange
26.
In the shown mode, the gasket
21 has a seal
29a interposed
between a side wall
75a of the window opening and the connecting
section
21d. The gasket
21 also has a seal
29b interposed
between the attachment flange
26 and the inside section
21c at
a location closer to the outer periphery thereof than the removal holes
26a.
When the glass sheet
72 is removed from the windowpane attaching structure
20, the glass sheet
72 can be shifted into and out of the shift-allowable
space S by removing the support pins
15 from the gasket
21 through
the removal holes
26a.
In accordance with the windowpane attaching structure
20 stated earlier,
good appearance is offered since the support pins
15 are not exposed on
the exterior side of the gasket
21 and since the outside section
11b
of the gasket
21 has an even surface.
FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a third mode of the windowpane
attaching structure according to the embodiment of the present invention. The glass
plate
72 has the peripheral edge received in the channel
11a of
a gasket
11, which comprises a hard molding having a substantially C-character
shape in section. The gasket
11 is the same as that in the first mode as
stated earlier.
The gasket
11 has a plurality of support clips
35 fastened therein
at intervals along the peripheral direction of the window opening
75. Each
of the support clips
35 has an end closer to the exterior side provided
with a head
35a having a larger diameter than the shaft thereof and
has the other end closer to the interior side provided with a retainer
35b
projecting from the outer periphery of the shaft. As the retainers are adopted
conical ones in the shown mode. Each of the support clips has the shaft passing
through the outside section
11b of the gasket
11, crossing
over the channel
11a, passing through the inside section
11c
of the gasket
21 and passing through a corresponding through hole
36a
formed in an attachment flange
36. Each of the retainers
35b
has the peripheral edge of the bottom of the conical structure engaged with
the open edge of the corresponding through hole
36a.
Each of the support clips
35 has the shaft gotten in contact with the
end surface
72c of the glass sheet
72 to ensure the shift-allowable
space S between the end surface
72c of the glass sheet
72
and the channel bottom
12 facing the end surface
72c.
In the shown mode, the gasket
11 has the seals
29a and
29b
interposed between the side wall
75a of the window opening and
the connecting section lid and between the attachment flange
26 and the
inside section
11c at a location closer to the outer periphery thereof
than the through holes
36a. The gasket
11 is firmly fixed
to the attachment flange
36 at the inside section
11c by the
adhesive
71.
When the glass sheet
72 is removed from the windowpane attaching structure
30, the glass sheet
72 can be shifted into and out of the shift-allowable
space S by, e.g., cutting off the retainers
35b of the support clips
35 from the shafts toward the interior side and then removing the support
clips
35 toward the exterior side.
In accordance with the windowpane attaching structure
30 stated earlier,
the gasket
11 can be firmly fixed to the attachment flange
36 by
the retainers
35b of the support clips
35 and the adhesive
71, allowing the glass sheet to be stably retained in the window opening
75.
FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth mode of the windowpane
attaching structure according to the embodiment of the present invention. The glass
plate
72 has the peripheral edge received in a channel
41a of
a gasket
41, which be formed by covering a metallic member
41f
having a C-character shape in section with a hard molding. The channel
41a
is defined by the inner surface of the C-character shaped member
41f
and is formed in a rectangular shape in section. The C-character shaped member
41f has the outer surface on an exterior side wall covered by an
outside section
41b of the molding. The C-character shaped member
41f has the outer surface on an interior side wall covered by an
inside section
41c of the molding. The C-character shaped member
41f has the outer surface on a connecting wall (surface opposite
to the bottom
42 of the channel) covered by a connecting section
41d
of the molding.
The gasket
41 has a plurality of support pins
45 fastened therein
from the exterior side at intervals along the peripheral direction of the window
opening
75. Each of the support pins
45 is formed with a head
45a
having a larger diameter than a shaft thereof. Each of the support pins
45
has the shaft threaded. Each of the support pins
45 has the shaft passing
through the outside section
41b of the gasket
41, passing
through the outside wall of the C-character shaped member
41f, crossing
over the channel
41a and screwed in the interior side wall of the
C-character shaped member
41f.
Each of the support pins
45 has the shaft gotten in contact with the
end surface
72c of the glass sheet
72 to ensure the shift-allowable
space S between the end surface
72c of the glass sheet
72
and the channel bottom
42 facing the end surface
72c.
The inside section
41c of the molding has ends (heads) of attaching
bolts
48 embedded therein, and the other ends (leading edges) of the attaching
bolts
48 project toward the interior side from the inside section
41c
of the molding. The leading edges of the attaching bolts
48 pass through
holes
46a formed in an attachment flange
46. The leading edges
of the attaching bolts
48 have nuts
48b screwed thereon. Thus,
the gasket
41 is firmly fixed to the attachment flange
46 by the
attaching bolts
48 and the nuts
48b in the shown mode.
In the shown mode, the gasket has a seal
29b interposed between
the attaching flange and the inside section
41c of the molding at
a location closer to the outer periphery thereof than the holes
46a.
When the glass sheet
72 is removed from the windowpane attaching structure
40, the glass sheet
72 can be shifted into and out of the shift-allowable
space S by removing the support pins
45 from the gasket
41 from the
exterior side.
In accordance with the windowpane attaching structure
40 stated earlier,
the glass sheet
72 can be stably retained in the window opening
75
since the glass sheet
72 has the peripheral edge received in the channel
41a of the C-character shaped member
41f made of metallic
material having a higher rigidity than plastic material and supported by the support
pins
45 screwed through the C-character shaped member
41f.
The C-character shaped member
41f, which is made of metallic material,
can be easily subjected to machining, such as threading.
The present invention is not limited to the modes stated earlier, and proper
modifications or improvement are possible.
The windowpane attaching structure according to the present invention may be
applied to a portion of the peripheral edge of a glass sheet. For example, the
windowpane attaching structure
40 shown in FIG. 7 or one of the other windowpane
attaching structures may be applied to only a liner section of the peripheral edge
of a glass sheet
82 in a substantially semi-elliptical shape in a plan view
as shown in FIG.
8. The gasket
51 shown in FIG. 8 is formed in such
a shape that a gasket
61 having a substantially U-character shape in the
plan view is connected to both ends of a gasket
41 having a substantially
linear shape in the plan view. The linear gasket
41 has a channel bottom
42 out of contact with a peripheral end surface of the glass sheet
82.
The U-character shaped gasket
61 has a channel bottom
62 gotten in
slidable contact with the peripheral end surface of the glass sheet
82.
As shown in FIG. 8, the outline P of the glass sheet
82 is larger than
the outline I formed by the inner periphery of the gasket
51 in a projected
view. The outline P of the glass sheet
82 is smaller than the outline G
around by the channel bottoms
42,
62 of the gasket
51 in a
projected view.
When the glass sheet
82 is removed from the gasket
51, a support
pin
45 is removed first. Next, the glass sheet
82 is shifted toward
the channel bottom
42 of the gasket
41, in which the support pin
45 was fastened before removal. As a result, the glass sheet
82 has
a rear edge in the shifting direction (lower edge in FIG. 8) located inside the
gasket
61, and the glass sheet
82 can be removed toward the exterior
side from the rear edge.
The number of the support member(s) is properly determined so that a windowpane
can be supported without being shifted. In other words, the number of the support
member(s) is determined depending on the shape or the dimensions of a windowpane.
Specifically speaking, in the case of a big windowpane having a substantially rectangular
shape, a plurality of support members are assigned to each of the four edges of
the windowpane accordingly. The windowpane is supported so as to have the four
edges sandwiched between the support members. In the case of a small windowpane,
a single support member may be assigned to each of the four edge of the windowpane
accordingly. In the case of a small windowpane having a substantially triangular
shape, a single support member can be used to support the windowpane without the
windowpane being shifted.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
As explained, in accordance with the present invention, a windowpane can be removed
from the body panel of an automobile in extremely easy fashion and in a short period
of time. Additionally, the windowpane can dispense with, e.g., several sorts of
adhesives or a coating member since the windowpane can be attached to the body
panel and be mechanically supported by a gasket by fixing the gasket to the body
panel through an adhesive. Thus, the windowpane, which has been removed from the
body panel, can be supplied into a materials vessel for windowpanes as it is, facilitating recycling.
The entire disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-127817 filed on
Apr. 27, 2000 including specification, claims, drawings and summary is incorporated
herein by reference in its entirety.
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