TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device intended to

facilitate mounting of a window in a vehicle door frame and a method for mounting of a window in a vehicle door frame .

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In production of vehicles today it is of great interest and importance to facilitate the mounting and

construction procedure such that all steps may be done fast and efficient in order to keep down the costs without doing a hasty work risking damages to the product or a poor quality of the mounted product. The mounting shall also be performed such that the persons working there will be able to perform their work with a minimized risk for injuries, either due to sudden accidents or as a result of repeating a monotone and heavy or inconvenient work.

One step in the process of manufacturing a vehicle is the step of producing a door and fitting a window glass into the frame of the vehicle door. Due to

considerations made concerning the overall efficiency in the manufacturing process, the window could be added at different stages of the process. However, the addition of a window into the door frame is generally performed at a rather late stage of the door production and assembling process, partly due to the fact it is easier to handle the door without a window mounted in it, e.g. painting of the door. Hence, the window is in many cases fitted into the door when essentially most of the assembling work has been done, at least

concerning the frame work and load bearing structures. One way of mounting a glass window into a vehicle door frame is disclosed in US 2009/0241316 wherein a glass window is installed by the aid of a robot which is programmed to make the necessary turns and movements of the glass window in order to fit it into the door frame at the desired location. By using a robot for the mounting of the window glass, the risk for injuries as a result of a repeated work cycle, which may be heavy or implying inconvenient working positions, may be considerably improved. However, a robot is rather costly and it is also required accurately positioned doors in order to mount the glass window and this kind of mounting is best for mounting on a moving assembly belt or the like where the full capacity of a robot may be used. If the door is intended to be mounted at one location where several operations are made and

essentially the complete door is assembled at one location, it may be even more costly and even less efficient to use a robot for mounting the glass window. Likewise, if there is a need to change the glass window at a car work shop, there will be no robot available and the change of window glass must be made manually. Hence, there is a desire for facilitating the mounting or changing of a glass window in a vehicle door.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a device and method for facilitating mounting of a glass window in a vehicle door. The invention is in particular suitable for aiding untrained persons when manually mounting a glass window .

When mounting the glass window in the door frame, it is usually needed to rotate the window somewhat (compared to its intended position when mounted in the door) and fit one edge of the window into a rail when the window surface is inclined compared to the surface defined by the opening in the door. The reason for doing this is that the window, and consequently the frame into which the window is fitted, for most car doors is not

rectangular but having a wedge shaped side of the window. When the window is in its rotated position, it may be lowered while the first edge, which was fitted into one of the rails, follows the rail and the window is lowered to a position where it may be possible to rotate the window and/or straighten up the window such that the window no longer is inclined with respect to the surface defined by the opening and the other side of the window may also be fitted into a corresponding rail. When the window has been repositioned accordingly it may be lowered and attached appropriately to the door .

When mounting the door, it may be hard to know how much the window must be lowered before it is possible to rotate and straighten up the window such that both ends of the window may be fitted into the rails on each respective side of the window. If the worker tries to rotate and straighten up the window too early it may not be possible and if the window is lowered too far it may be difficult to straighten up the window. To find the right position for adjustment of the window may be hard and to keep the window in the desired position may be rather heavy and rotating and fitting of the window into the rails at the same time may therefore be hard to do .

It is therefore suggested to mount at least one guiding rail providing a stop or indication when the window is lowered to a position where it is desired to rotate and fit the window into the window opening. The stop indication is preferably designed such that the window may securely rest on it while the window is

repositioned to be ready to be mounted and attached properly. The stop indication is furthermore preferably provided with guiding means for guiding the window to the stop indication. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 A vehicle door provided with a rail comprising a stop and a guide

Fig. 2 An isometric view of a rail provided with a

stop and a guide

Fig. 3 An enlarged view of the stop and guide portion of figure 2

Fig. 4a A vehicle door and a window glass resting in a premounting position

Fig. 4b A vehicle door and a window glass rotated and fitted in the front and rear frame sealings of the door

Fig. 4c A vehicle door and a window glass lowered in the frame to rest in a repositioning location

Fig. 4d A vehicle door and glass window repositioned and ready to be lowered to be attached to attachment clamps Fig. 4e A vehicle door and glass window mounted and attached in the vehicle door

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 discloses a vehicle door 1 which in its upper part have been provided with a frame 2 defining a hole 3 in the door 1 for mounting of a window glass 4. The door further comprises a lower part 5 which normally is provided with sheet metal or cover plates. The frame 2 for fitting of a window glass 4 therein has an upper part or upper beam 2a provided with a slot 6a wherein an upper edge 7a of the window glass is intended to fit. Likewise, there are front part or beam 2c and rear part or beam 2d provided with slots 5c, 5d for fitting of the respective front and rear edges 7c, 7d of the window glass 4 in the frame 2. In the lower part or beam 2b of the frame 2 is also provided a slot 5b for receiving an lower edge 7b and the door 1 is configured to allow a window glass 4 to be raised and lowered such that the glass is lowered into the lower part 5 of the door 1. It is also disclosed that the lower part 5 of the vehicle door 1 comprises a rail 8. The rail is further provided with a stop indication 9 which shall indicate that a turning, rectification or rotation of the window glass shall be performed during mounting of a window glass in the door 1. The stop indication 9 is arranged such that when the window glass 4 is lowered to a certain position, it is indicated that this is an appropriate position for performing a certain

operation. The stop indication 9 may for example be a physical stop which prevents the window glass 4 to be further lowered or a mark on the rail 8 cooperating with some mark or distinguished feature on the window glass 4.

In this figure, the rail 8 is completely contained in the lower part 5 of the door but it could also stretch further upwards and partly be contained in the frame 2, in this instance in the rear part 2d of the frame.

Hence, the stop indication 9 must not be located at or close to the upper part of the rail 8. In figure 2 is disclosed an isometric view of a rail 8 provided with a stop indication 9 and a guide 11 according to an embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment is the upper portion of the guide rail 8 wedge shaped or funnel shaped. Hence, the sidewalls 12a, 12b are constructed such that they are deflected outwards at the upper end of the guide rail 8 and the width of a slot 13 defined by the sidewalls 11a, lib is thus widening in the upwards direction, as defined when the rail 8 is mounted in a door 1 (see fig 1) .

An enlargement of the upper portion of the rail 8 seen from the side facing the opening of the slot 13 is shown in figure 3. In this view, it can easily be seen that the side walls 12a, 12b extend beyond the backing plate 10. The stop indication 9 is formed by the upper edge of the backing plate 10. When a window glass is mounted in the vehicle door , an edge of the glass may easily fit into the guide 11 formed by the widening of the slot 13 at the upper part of the rail 7 by the deflection of the sidewalls 12a, 12b outwards. The window glass may after that be lowered until contact is made between an edge of the window glass and the upper edge of the backing plate 10 forming the stop indication 9. While the window glass is resting on the upper edge of the backing plate 10, the window glass may be rotated and oriented correctly to be further lowered into the lower part of the door and thereafter being securely attached to a window regulator for lifting and lowering the window glass.

Figures 4a - 4e displays a sequence of how a fitting of a window glass 4 into a hole 3 in a frame 2 in a vehicle door 1 may be done.

In fig. 4a is shown how the mounting procedure is started by fitting the junction of the rear edge 7d and lower edge 7b of the window glass 4 into the rear slot 6d of the rear frame 2d. In this figure, the surface of the window glass 4 is of course inclined with respect to the surface defined by the frame 2 since only one part of the window glass is fitted into a slot, in this case the rear slot 6d, of the frame 2. The window is also rotated somewhat in the counterclockwise

direction, as compared to when finally mounted in the frame 2, at this stage of the mounting procedure.

In fig. 4b, the window glass 4 has been lowered

somewhat when compared to figure 4a and the lower edge 7b of the window glass 4 has been fitted into the lower slot 6b of the frame 2. In figure 4b, the window glass 4 has been lowered sufficiently in order to be turned such that the surface of the window glass 4 will overlap the surface defined by the frame 2. Hence, after this operation, the window glass 4 is aligned with the surface defined by the frame 2 and the window glass may be further manipulated within the frame 2. In figure 4c, the window glass 4 has been further lowered into the lower slot 6b of the frame 2 while fitting the junction of the upper and front edges 7a, 7c of the window glass into the front slot 6c of the front frame 2c and the junction of lower and rear edges 7b, 7d of the window glass into the rear slot 6d of the rear frame 2d. The window glass 4 has during this mounting phase been guided by a guide portion 11 of a rail 8 until it has reached a stop indication 9. This stop indication 9 indicates that it is possible and suitable to rotate the window glass 4 clockwise until it has been straightened up to its intended position for fitting in the frame and being able to be lowered and raised within the door as shown in fig. 4d.

In fig. 4e has the window glass 4 been lowered in order to be finally mounted and attached to fastening

elements for an adjustment mechanism for raising and lowering the window.

The invention may be modified and the rail may for example be in the front of the door if the geometry so allows or demands.

The stop may also be differently designed, as well as the design of the rail, e.g. an L-shaped, V-shaped or T-shaped rail instead of an U shaped rail even though an U-shaped rail seems to be most useful for fitting the edge of a window glass.