Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~Z~650~
1 IIINGED VEHICLE WINDOW ASSEMBLY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to vehicle window assem-
blies and, more particularly, to an improved hinged window
assembly wherein the hinges are bonded directly to the
surfaces of the window pane without the necessity of dril-
ling or causing any hinged securing structure to extend
through the window pane.
In recent years, it has been common to provide
pivotally hinged windows in passenger automobiles, trucks or
vans to facilitate ventilation. Such windows are pivoted
either on a vertical or horizontal axis so that they may be
opened from between a few inches to several feet. A common
technique in manufacturing such windows is to drill one or
more holes through the window glass near the peripheral edg~
of the glass and bolt a hinge plate to the glass which can
then be fastened in some manner to a support on the body of
the vehicle. Such holes must be drilled before the glass is
tempered and substantial material loss often results because
of the breakage or chipping which occurs during such
drilling. In addition, such hinged structures are relatively
heavy and provide a substantial structure which must be
covered or trimmed over to maintain the asthetic qualities
in and around the window.
~lore recently, window assemblies have been used
including a window pane bonded to a molding strip of poly-
vinyl chloride and secured in a larger assembly or frame
such as that shown in United States Patent ~,139,23~,
assigned to the assignee of the present invention, wherein
the molding strip provides a "living hinge." With the
recent emphasis on vehicle weight reduction for energy
-- 1 --
.
~2~65~)1
1 conservation purposes, it was desired to provide an al-
ternative to such hinged window assemblies which were
lighter, provided equal or greater reliability to envir-
onmental and wea~her conditions and also could provide anti-
theft and anti-vandalism security for the hinged windows.
Such features were desired in an assembly in which the bulk
of the hinge was kept to a minimum and the attachment of the
assembly to the vehicle could be made substantially entirely
Erom the exterior of the vehicle while keeping any fasteners
concealed from the vehicle exterior after installation of
the assembly.
The present invention was conceived as a solution
to the above problems and as an alternative to the previously
used hinged vehicle window assemblies.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention provides a
hinged window assembly for vehicles adapted to be installed
substantially entirely from the vehicle exterior and char-
acterized by the use of hinges which are secured directly to
the surface of the window pane in the assembly without the
necessity of drilling or extending any hinge securing
structure through or into the window pane.
In one Eorm, the invention is a window assembly
including a window pane having front, back and peripheral
edge surfaces, as well as a hinge means for moving the
window pane between at least an open and a closed position.
The hinge means are secured to at least one of the surfaces
of the window pane at a specified location without any
structure extending to or through the window pane and
include attaching structure for attaching the hinge to a
portion of a vellicle.
--2--
12~SOl
In another form of the invention, the invention
is an assembly including a window pane, hinge means
including a securing structure for securing the assembly
to a vehicle, bonding means intermediate the hinge means
and a surface of the window pane, and sealing means
cooperating with the window pane for attachment to a
portion of the vehicle and forming a weather seal between
the window pane and the said vehicle portion when the
assembly is installed on a vehicle and the window pane is
closed.
In either form of the invention the hinge means
preferably includes flange means for fastening said hinge
means to said window pane, attaching or securing means for
attaching or securing the hinge means to a portion of a
vehicle, and flexible means connecting the flange means
and attaching or securing means for allowing movement of
the flange means and window pane with respect to the
attaching or securing means.
Preferably, the hinge is formed from metal and
the window pane from glass with the bonding means being a
suitable metal to glass adhesive such as that sold under
the trademark ~Tenabond" by Illinois Tool Works, Inc. or
an anerobic polyacrylate cement, a vinyl acetate/phenol
formaldehyde adhesive, or an epoxy cement. Further, the
hinge itself may include a channel extending around the
edge of the window pane, a flexible, resilient portion
allowing pivotal movement of the window pane, and one of
severai types of fasteners. Such fasteners include a clip
with detent means received within the sealing means and
securing the hinge and thus the assembly to a pinch-weld
flange of a vehicle body or, a flange including an
~ -3-
~'
~L2U6iSg~
aperture for receiving a threaded fastener or the likeextending into the vehicle body. Alternately~ a pivot
member may be provided between two portions oE the hinge
in place of the flexible, resilient metal section.
The hinged window of the present invention
provides numerous advantages over prior known assemblies
including a significant savings in weight which helps fuel
conservation in modern vehicles, a greater durability and
better security against vandalism and theft due to the
provision of metallic
-3a-
~ZQ6501
I hinges, the elimination of any drilling or machining pro-
cedures on the window glass itself which saves the rejection
of a substantial number of windows by eliminating chipping
and breakage, providing a cleaner more aesthetic appearance
due to the concealment of the fastening apparatus which
secures the assembly to the vehicle, and providing sig-
nificant savings in installation time by allowing installation
substantially entirely from the exterior of the vehicle
during manufacture.
These and other objects, advantages, purposes and
features of the invention will become more apparen~ from a
study of the following description taken in conjunction with
the drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TIIE DRAWINGS
-
Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of
the hinged window assembly of the present invention with
portions broken away and shown in section;
Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a window opening
in the sheet metal body of a typical vehicle over which the
window assembly shown in Fig. 1 is designed to be installed
and illustrating a portion of the hinged window assembly in
its instal]ed position;
Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a
typical vehical body pinch-weld flange and one form of a
hinge member used in the hinged window assembly of the
present invention;
Fig. 3a is a perspective view of the hinge member
shown in Fig. 3 with a window pane secured therein;
Fig. 4 is an exploded, sectional view of the
3n several elements of one form of the hinged window assembly
and a typical vehicle body pinch-weld flange over which the
--4--
~ZU650~
l assembly is designed to be installed;
Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken
along line V-V of Fig. 1 illustrating the several elements
of the hinged window assembly of Fig. 4 as assembled;
Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the
hinged window assembly of Fig. 5 assembled on the pinch-weld
flange of a vehicle body;
Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, sectional side elevation
of another portion of the hinged window assembly taken along
line VII-VII of Fig. 2;
Fig. 8 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a
pivotal latch member used with the hinged window assembly of
the present invention;
Fig. 9 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a
modified form of the hinged window assembly;
Fig. 10 is a fragmentary, sectional view of
another modified form of the hinged window assembly;
Fig. 11 is a fragmentary, sectional view of
another modified form of the hinged window assembly;
Fig. 12 is a fragmentary, sectional view of yet
another modified form of the hinged window assembly;
Fig. 13 is a fragmentary, sectional view of a
further modification of the hinged window assembly;
Fig. 14 is a fragmentary, sectional view of
another modified form of the hinged window assembly; and
Fig. 15 is a fragmentary, sectional view of yet
another modified form of the hinged window assembly of the
present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMIBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawings in greater detail,
Figs. 1-8 illustrate various aspects of one embudiment 10 of
--5-
1~65(1 1
1 the hinged window assembly invention. The hinged window
assembly, like that shown at 10, is generally designed for
use as a hinged side-lite in an automobile, truck, van or
other vehicle and includes a pane of transparent, tempered
glass 12 having an external contour designed to fit over a
window opening such as that shown at 14 in Fig. 2. Window
opening 14 is formed in the rear quarter panel of an auto-
mobile and is defined by the body sheet metal of the vehicle,
specificallyS pinch-weld flange 16 as is seen in Figs. 3, 4,
5 and 7. Pinch-weld flange 16 is formed from parallel
flanges spot welded together and extending from the external
sheet metal 18 and internal sheet metal 20 of the vehicle
body. As explained hereinafter, pinch-weld flange 16
receives the hinge members from the window assembly 10 as
well as a sealing weather strip.
Assembly 10 also includes at least one and preferably
a pair of hinge members 25 bonded securely around one edge
13 of the window pane 12, and in certain embodiments, a
closed length of sealing weather strip 40 which cooperates
with the hinge members and the window pane and is adapted to
be secured on the pinch-weld flange 16. In the assemblies
herein, a pair of hinges are secured to the forward portion
of pinch-weld flangc 16 of window opening 14 so that pane 12
pivots about an essentially vertical axis. Of course, other
assemblies within the scope of the invention may be positioned
for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis or axes of
other orientations. Also, only one or no more than two
hinge members may be used.
As is best seen in Figs. 1, 3, 3a and 4, the
preferred form 25 of the hinge members used in the present
assembly is stamped from flexible resilient sheet metal such
--6--
:~2(~650~
l as spring steel having a gauge of .030-.060 inches. Each
hinge member 25 preferably includes a fastening flange 26,
preferably rectangular in shape, integrally connected and
extending into flexing area 28 of the hinge member. Flexing
area 28 allows pivotal movement of the hinge and window and
extends into a generally U-shaped attaching cup portion 30
formed by the bending of another portion of hinge 25 back on
itself. Flexing portion 28 extends generally perpendic-
ularly to fastening flange 26 and attaching clip portion 30
which are generally parallel to one another. Stamped and
bent outwardly generally parallel to fastening flange 26 is
a second, smaller fastening flange 32 which is spaced behind
the main fastening flange 26 by a distance equivalent to the
width of preferred glass window pane 12 as shown in Fig. 4.
Together flange 26 and 32 form a channel which receives an
edge of the window pane 12 which is secured directly to
those flanges by a suitable bonding adhesive layer 34. ~Figs.
3 and 4). Bonding adhesive is preferably applied directly
to the inside surfaces of flanges 26, 32 during manufacture
of the hinge member 25 such that, during later manufacture
of the window assembly, the window pane 12 need merely be
placed within the hinge member and the adhesive activated by
heat or another means to securely bond the hinge member to
the glass in the desired location. No drilling or machining
of the window pane is necessary for receipt of the hinges.
Thus no hinge structure extends through pane 12.
The doubled back flanges of attaching clip portion
30 are preferably spaced apart by a distance slightly less
than the width of the pinch-weld flange 16. The clip is
then expanded to provide a friction fit of flange 16.
--7--
~ 2(.~GS(~
Lanced out of one of the flanges of attaching clip portion
30 is a sl~ring metal dctent tab 36 which extends inwardly
toward tile center of the attaching clip. Detent tab 36 is
designed to engage the edge of an aperture 17 formed through
pinch-weld flange 16 in a desired location corresponding to
the location of the hinge in assembly 10 as shown in Figs.
2, 3 and 4. Once hinges 25 are secured ~o the window
assembly, they need only be installed by sliding the
attaching clip portions 30 over the edge o-f the pinch-weld
flange 16 such that detent tabs 36 are in alignment with
aperture 17. Such sliding action cams detent tabs 36
outwardly until they are received within the recess or
aperture 17 and prevent the removal of hinge members 25 from
the pinch-weld flange.
Also attached directly to a surface of the window
pane or glass 12 is a pivot latch assembly 37 including a
metallic base member 38 secured to the glass by bonding
adhesive layer 39 as shown in Figs. 1 and 8. The metal-to-
glass bond for pivot latch assembly 37 is the same as that
for the metal-to-glass bond for hinge members 25. Pivot
latch assembly 37 is of the type disclosed in United States
Patent 4,139,234 and is designed to provide an over-
center-type toggle latch to retain the window in the closed
position against sealing weather strip 4() or to open the
window by moving it to its open pOsitioll shswn in Fig-. 1 and
in phantom in Fig. 6. Pivot latch assemb]y 37 may be
secured to the glass other than with a bonding adhesive such
as by a generally U or J-shaped flange 39a (shown in phantom
in Fig. 8) which would extend around the edge of one portion
of the window pane 12, or by means of a bolt or other
}~5~
1 fasteller extending througll a hole drilled through the glass
as is SllOWII in prior United States Patent 4,139,234. T}le
opposite end of pivot latch assembly 37 may be secùred to
pincll-weld flange 16 such as at aperture 19 generally
adjacent the position of the assembly on the window pane.
A preferred adhesive system -found suitable for
attachment of either hinge members 25 or base 38 of pivot
latch assembly ~7 directly to a surface of the glass window
palle 12, and especially to tempered glass, is that marketed
under the tradelllark "TenabGnd" by .llinois Tool l~Jorks, Inc.
of ~lgin, Illinois. Such adhesive system includes an epoxy
adhesive layer 34 or 39, typically applied directly in tape
form on the metal hinge member 25 or pivot latch assembly
stud 3~ and between that hinge mermber or stud and the glass
surface. The stud or hinge member is pressed against the
adhesive and rapidly hcated using an induction heating
apparatus of the type S]lOWn in any one o-f IJnited States
Patent .`~os. 3~ol6~G90~ 4,032~740~ 4~163~4 or 4,167,259.
Such heating apparatus activates the adhesive and causes the
hinge member or stud to be rigidly and securely bonded by
what is believed to be a mechanical bond directly to the
glass surface. Such induction heated adhesives more securely
bond metal to glass thall do cold, unheated adhesives.
Moresver, the induction heating system provides localizecl
heat which is sufficiently intense to properly activa-te the
adhesive without affecting the temper of the glass to which
tlle hinge member or stud is being applied. Accordingly, the
strength and integrity of the glass to which the hinge
member or stud is bonded is not affected by the heating and
the resultant metal-glass assembly is stronger and more
dllrable than with other adhesives.
12(;~6S~L
1 Other suitable adhesives for metal-to-glass bonds
useful in the present invention include anaerobic polyacry-
late cement such as that disclosed in United States Patent
3,885,072, vinyl acetate/phenol formaldehyde containing
adhesives such as that disclosed in United States Patent
2,502,970, or epoxy containing cement such as that disclosed
in Canadian Patent 702,578.
Tests performed on a hinge member such as that
shown at 25 herein and having a flange 26 of .75 by .75
inches bonded directly to a sheet of tempered glass with the
above-described Tenabond adhesive system, specifically
adhesive product No. TP-8051 showed that the hinge could
withstand 563 p.s.i. in shear and 1000 p.s.i. in tension
without separating from the glass surface after exposure to
hot and cold temperature cycling, high humidity soaking and
hot water soaking, and ultraviolet light ~simulated sunlight).
Such environmental testing of the Tenabond adhesive securing
metal to glass in such conditions indicates such bonds exhibit
strengths in excess of those required for proper retention
of vehicles.
With reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 4-6, the preferred
form of sealing weather strip 40 is provided in the outline of
pinch-weld flange 16 around window aperture 14 in the vehicle
body. Sealing weather strip 40 is preferably molded in strips
which are glued or otherwise secured together with corner
pieces 41 (Fig. 1) to form the closed outline. It is preferably
molded from flexible, resilient, sealing material such as synthetic
rubber, foam rubber or the like. One suitable synthetic rubber
is EPDM (a terpolymer elastomer made from ethylene-propylene
terpolymer). Channel-shaped, resilient metal, reinforcing insert
42 is molded within the channel portion 44 of the
-10-
i2~6S~
1 strip. Channel portion 44, like the reinforcing metal
insert 42, is generally U-shaped and has a pair of slightly
converging legs 46, 48 which fit over both the attaching
clip portion 30 of hinge member 25 and the pinch-weld
flange 16. Converging legs 46, 48 press against pinch-weld
flange 16 to hold the weather sealing strip 40 in place and
also help to secure hinge members 25 in their proper location.
As is best seen in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, the sealing
weather strip 40 also includes a protruding integral sealing
strip 50 which includes a sealing leg or flange 52 extending
along the entire length of the channel portion 44 and generally
parallel to channel legs 46, 48. Sealing leg 52 has an out-
side surface which abuts against the inside surface of window
pane 12, as weli as portions of the hinge member 25, such as
securing flange 32, when the window is pivoted to its closed
position. Such engagement effectively seals out any moisture,
dirt or other foreign particles which might enter between the
window and the body pinch-weld flange. Such sealing may be
enhanced by including extended sealing lips such as those
shown in phantom at 52a, 52b in Fig. 7 and extending from the
free ends of channel legs 46, 48. Lips 52a, 52b facilitate
the overall sealing function of the sealing strip 40 at lo-
cations spaced from the hinged members 25. ~5inges 25 extend
through such lips through appropriate apertures provided in
the sealing strip.
Referring now to Fig. 9, a modified embodiment 55
of the hinged window assembly is shown. Embodiment 55 is
similar in all respects to embodiment 10 or the window
assembly, wherein like numerals indicate like parts, except
for the flexing area and attaching portions of hinge member
56. Hinge member 56 includes channel-like fastening flanges
-11 -
650~
1 56, 58 similar in all respects to flanges 26, 32 in em-
bo~iment 10. These flanges are secured to the front and
back surfaces of glass window pane 12 with a suitable
ad'nesive bonding layer 34 as described above. ~Iinge member
56 provides a single attaching flange 60 extending generally
parallel to flanges 57, 5S and including a formed aperture
62 designed to mate with the threads of a threaded fastener
G4 extending through aperture 17 in pinch-weld flange 16.
Aperture 66 is provided through leg 48 of sealing member 40'
which otherwise is exactly similar to sealing member 40
described above. Tihe channel ~ortion of the sealing member
40' is thus placed over flange 60 with fastener 64 extending
through aperture 66 such that the sealing strip 40' is in
the proper location to seal against the inside surface of
window pane 12 as shown in Fig. 9. Flange 68, extending
from securing flange 60, is riveted at two spaced locations
on either side of central fastening flange 58 to the flange
59 extending from the channel portions 57, 58 with rivets
69. Thus, when window assembly 55 is pivoted, the entire
window pane will move via the flexing which occurs in flange
68 adjacent its corner with securing flange 60, while the
window pane and securing portions of the hinge member 56 are
held thereto by means of rivets 69.
As shown in Fig. 10, another embodiment 70 of the
hinged window assembly includes both a modified hinge member
72 and a modified sealing weather strip 80. Iiinge member 72
includes a single fastening flange 74 which extends along
and is bonded to the front surface of glass window pane 12
by a suitable adhesive layer 34 as described above. IIinge
member 72 does not include any central, opposing fastening
flange on the back surface of the glass, however. The hinge
-12-
12(~6SO~
1 member includes a flexing portion 76 extending at a slightly
acute angle to fastening flange 74 which extends into an
attaching clip portion 78 having depressed detent areas 79a,
79b adapted to be received in aperture 17 of pinch-weld
flange 16. Depressed, detent areas 79a, 79b are not lanced
out of the sheet metal clip portion 78 but rather are offset
and connected continuously with clip portion 78. These
detent areas provide a double, positive lock on the pince-
weld flange.
Strip sealing member 80, which is preferably
formed from synthetic rubber-like strip member 40, includes
a generally U-shaped channel portion formed by legs 82, 84
reinforced by an internal, resilient metallic, reinforcing
insert 86 formed in a U-shape and molded therewithin. The
inside surfaces of legs 82, 84 include lips or flanges 87a,
b, c, d and e which provide a sealing function and engage
the exterior surfaces of attaching clip portion 78 and the
pinch-weld flange 16 as indicated in Fig. 10. A hollow or
bulbous, flexible sealing portion 88 extends integrally from
the exterior side of weather strip 80 against the inside
surface of glass pane 12 to complete the sealing of the
assembly between the glass and pinch-weld flange 16.
~mbodiment 90 of the window assembly is shown in
Fig. 11 and includes modified hinge member 92 and a modified
weather sealing strip 100. ~linge member 92 is similar in
most respects to hinge member 25 except for the inclusion of
a hinge pivot formed by mating, rolled cylindrical hinge
plate portions 94, 96 extending from the opposing, glass
window pane retaining section 95 and the attaching clip
sections 99 of the hinge member. A pivot pin 98 is inserted
through the mating rolled portions to allow pivotal movement
-13-
~za~s~
1 of the glass pane 12 to wllich the retaining hinge section 95
is secured. Attaching clip portion 99 is substantially
simil2r to attaching clip portion 30 of member 25.
Sealing strip 10n is similar to strip 40 except
for the inclusion o-f series of three, generally parallel,
curved sealing strips 102, 104 and 106 having free ends
which engage the inside surface of the window pane adjacent
its peripheral edge for sealing purposes. These sealing
flanges are curved for resiliency against the inside surface
of glass 12 and to provide clearance room for the pivot
hinge portion as shown in Fig. 11.
~mbodiment 110 of the hinged window assembly,
wnere like numerals indicate like parts to those embodiments
described above, also includes a modified hinge member 112
which is similar in all respects to hinge member 25 except
that it is formed in two parts with the glass window pane
retaining section 114 having flanges 116 spaced on either
side of retaining flange 115 and riveted to flange 11~ of
the attaching clip portion 117. Clip portion 117 includes a
detent member ~19 for retention in aperture 17 of the pinch-
weld flange 16. The sealing weather strip member used in
this embodiment is the same as strip 40 used in embodiment
10 .
In Fig. 13, embodiment 120 of the hinged window
assembly includes both a modified hinge member 122 and a
modified sealing weather strip 135. ~linge member 122 in-
cludes a generally rectangular retaining flange 124 which is
bonded to the front surface of glass window pane 12 by means
of adhesive layer 34 in the manner described above. Offset
toward the back surface of the hinge from the center of the
flange 124 is a spaced retaining flange 126. ~n adhesive
-14-
~ Z ~6 ~ ~
l layer is also included on the inside surface of flange 126.
Flanges 124, 126 merge into an attaching flange 128 which
includes an aperture therethrough receiving a sheet metal
bolt 129 extending into the body sheet metal of the vehicle.
In this case, the body sheet metal is formed from exterior
sheet 18a and interior sheet 20a forming a pinch-weld flange
16a which does not include any aperture therethrough.
Molded around the entire peripheral edge of window
glass 12, and about hinge member 122, is an edge trim or
casing 130 molded from a suitable resinous plastic such as
polyvinyl chloride to provide a finished trim around the
entire periphery of the window pane. Trim or casing 130
includes an exterior or front -flange 132, a rear or interior
flange 133, and a peripheral edge portion 134, all of which
directly engage the glass surfaces and are bonded thereto in
a molding process for permanent retention.
Sealing weather strip 135 is similar to strip 40
except that in place of the sealing flange 52, a solid,
flexible, bulbous sealing portion 136 which engages the
inside surface of glass window pane 12 is included inte-
grally with the channel-like portion 137 which secures the
strip over pinch-weld flange 16a.
Embodiment 140 of the hinged window assembly is
shown in Fig. 14 and includes modified hinge members 142 and
sealing weather strip 150. Hinge members 142 include a
channel-like glass window pane retaining section having
front flange 144 and rear flange 146. Rear flange 146 is
bent upwardly out of an attaching flange 148 to form an
aperture through flange 148. Ilange 148 doubles back on
itself in a generally U-shape and receives a securing screw
129 through the aperture in that flange and through flange
-15-
;S~ll
1 portion 149 into the sheet metal of the vehicle body to
r~taill the glass and hinge member assembly thereto. Tlle
proximity of tlle edge of the window pane retaining section
of hillge 142 to sheet metal 18a effectively conceals screw
129 from sight after installation and prevents its removal
unless weather strip is removed or assembly 140 is flexed
inwardly beyond its normal position. Also the U-shaped bend
between flanges 148, 149, together with the clearance open-
ing through flange 1~8 for the 'head of bolt 129, allow greater
movement than in other hinge members. Glass pane 12 is also
bonded to the retaining portions of the hinge member by a
suitable adhesive layer 34 as described above.
Sealing weather strip 150 includes a hollow
central attaching portion 152 and bulbous sealing members
154, 156 on either side. Sealing flange 156 is substan-
tially similar to sealing flange 52 in strip ~0. The
central attaching portion 152 inc~udes a modified metallic
reinforcing insert 58 centered within molded attaching legs
159, 160 which extend downwardly and curve back upon them-
selves to retain and clamp pinch-weld flange 16a there-
between as shown in Fig. 14.
A final embcdiment 165 of the hinged window
assembly is shown in Fig. 15 and includes a substantially
rectilinear hinge member 166 which includes a retaining end
168 bonded to the front surface of glass window pane 12 by
a suitable adhesive layer 34 as described above and an
opposing retaining end 169 having an aperture therethrough
which receives a retaining screw 129 extending into the
vehicle body sheet metal. Seated over pinch-weld flange 16a
is a sealing weather strip 170 which is substantially
similar to strip 150 shown in Fig. 14 except for the inclusion
of a continuous exterior sealing flange 172 which forms a
-16-
lZ(~651~
l closed bulbous portion engaging both the inside surface of
glass window pane lZ as well as the shoulder of ~he reccss
leacling to pinch-weld flange 16a on exterior shee~ metal
body portion 18a. In order to conceal fastener 129 for
hinge 166, a metal covering 174 extending from the roof or
another portion of the vehicle may extend over the fastener
129 and a substantial portion of hinge member 166 to a
position substantially equivalent to the end of pinch-weld
flange 16a as S}lOWIl in Fig. 15.
As will now be understood, hinged window assemblies
10, 55, 70, 90, 110, 120, 140, and 165 all provide concealed
fastening of the assembly to a vehicle body because the
attaching portions of the hinge members are concealed behind
the assembly, or are covered by an adjoining body portion
when the assembly is secured in a vehicle body. Viewing of
the assembly from the exterior side 18 or 18a of the vehicle
does not reveal how the hinge members are secured to the
vehicle. In addition, the assemblies provide a complete
seal around the entire window opening and, when the window
is in its closed postion, an effective seal around the
entire periphery of the glass is provided. ~loreover, the
metal hinges provide security against vandalism and theft
because the window cannot be removed merely by cutting away
the weather strip. In addition, the assembly provides
distinct assembly advantages during manufacture of the
vehicle since it can be applied substantially entirely from
the exterior of the vehicle with perhaps only a final
fastening step being required from the vehicle interior.
For example, in Fig. 9 screws 64 are applied from the
vehicle interior as a final step. Also, the assembly is
substantially finished when installed and need not be
-17-
~26~iS~
1 provided with any additional, separate pi.eces of trim.
Accordingly, various embodiments including mod-
ifications of tlle flexible resilient hinge members and the
cooperating sealing weather strips may be used within the
concept of this invention. It will be appreciated that
other modifications of both the hinges and the sealing
strips could be made within the spirit of the invention.
~hile several forms of the invention have been
shown and described, other forms will now be apparent to
those skilled in the art. I'herefore, it will be understood
that the embodiments shown in the drawings and described
above are merely for illustrative purposes, and are not
intended to limit the scope of the invention wllich is
defined by the claims which follow.
-18-
