Glazing panel with a hole

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a glazing panel able to be attached.

Background Art

[0002] To attach an element to a glazing panel, it is known to encapsulate fixing parts with the edge of the panel and to fix the element such as a car body to said encapsulated parts. With this solution, it is impossible to keep edges of the panel visible.

[0003] Another way to attach an element to a glazing panel is to glue fixing parts on the surface of the panel. This lead to an increase of the global space mandatory to incorporate the fixation to the glazing panel.

[0004] On top of that, fixations are often made of different elements which

complicates the process of manufacture of a glazing panel and also complicates the process of assembly.

[0005] These fixation solutions request generally complex systems with several step of assembly and high cost.

Summary of invention

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to alleviate these problems, and to provide a glazing panel which leads to a reduction of mandatory space needed around the glazing panel for the fixation, to an increase of stiffness and a cost reduction.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention, the invention relates to an improved a glazing panel comprising at least a hole thought the panel and at least one fixing mean able to attach an element.

[0008] The invention relates also to a method to produce a glazing panel

according to a first aspect of the invention.

[0009] The solution as defined in the first aspect of the present invention is based on the at least one fixing mean is encapsulated into the hole by a plastic material and the plastic material fills the said hole at least partially.

[0010] The glazing panel can be a flat or curved panel to fit with the design of the car. The glazing panel can be processed, ie annealed, tempered,... to respect with the specifications of security and anti-thief requirements. A heatable system, for example a coating or a network of wires, can be applied on the glazing panel to add a defrosting and/or a demisting function for example.

[0011] In one embodiment, the glazing panel is a glass panel. The glass panel comprises at least one glass sheet.

[0012] In another embodiment, the glazing panel can be a laminated glass panel to reduce the noise and/or to give a glazing panel safer. The laminated glazing comprises glass sheets maintained by one or more interlayers positioned between glass sheets. The interlayers employed are typically polyvinyl butyral (PVB) or ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) for which the stiffness can be tuned. These interlayers keep the glass sheets bonded together even when broken in such a way that they prevent the glass from breaking up into large sharp pieces.

[0013] The glass sheet can be a clear glass or a coloured glass, tinted with a specific composition of the glass or by applying a coating or a plastic layer for example.

[0014] In the case of a laminated glass panel, it could be advantageous to have varying thicknesses of glass sheets to reduce weight and noise. Due to of induced deformations on the glazing panel, thin glass sheets with a thickness less than 1 mm can be used without be bent or deformed. Thus, such thin glass sheet can keep the desired design.

[0015] In one embodiment, the glazing panel comprises more than one hole to fix different elements or to fix with more than one fixing point an element.

[0016] The plastic material can be any material able to maintain the fixing mean.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment, the plastic material is a rigid material and more preferably a polypropylene based material. Other hard materials, with a young modulus higher than 1000 MPa, as polyamide, styrenic and others can be also used.

[0018] In another embodiment, the plastic material can be a soft material

preferably a thermoplastic elastomer based material. Styrenic based and vulcanized thermoplastics elastomer can also be used. The soft material is in another embodiment a soft polyvinyl chloride or a poly-urethane based material. [0019] In case of a poly-urethane based material, a gluing of the fixing mean is preferred.

[0020] The plastic material fills the said hole at least partially. The plastic material is injected into the hole around the fixing mean but can fill only a part of the hole to keep a space in the hole without plastic material.

[0021] To be flush on the opposite surface of the injection, preferably the plastic material can fill at least 10% of the height of the hole preferably at least 30% and more preferably at least 50%. In this embodiment, the fixing element can be hidden in the space of the hole without plastic material and then the fixing element is not visible and the element is protected by the glazing panel itself.

[0022] In some embodiments, the plastic material fills totally the hole to ensure tightness and a totally flush design of the surface of the glazing panel. The fixing element fix the glazing panel by the opposite surface of the flush design.

[0023] In some embodiments, the plastic material can be injected on one surface of the glazing panel to have the other surface of the glazing panel without plastic material around the hole.

[0024] In another embodiment, the plastic material can be injected on the two surfaces of the glazing panel to add another fixing element and/or to have plastic material in the two surfaces for any other reasons.

[0025] In a preferred embodiment, the fixing mean is an insert comprising either a male part able to be coupled with a female part of the element or a female part able to be coupled with a male part of the element.

[0026] In some embodiments, the insert can be made with a plastic material or a metallic material depending of fixation needed.

[0027] In some embodiments, the fixing mean can be made with the plastic

material of the encapsulation in a single injection. Then a fixing element can penetrate the plastic material into the hole to be fix. Such fixing element can be screw, rivet,...

[0028] It is noted that the invention relates to all possible combinations of features recited in the claims. [0029] The following description relates to an automotive window unit but it’s understood that the invention may be applicable to others fields like architectural windows which have to be attached.

Brief description of drawings

[0030] This and other aspects of the present invention will now be described in more detail, with reference to the appended drawings showing various exemplifying embodiments of the invention which are provided by way of illustration and not of limitation. The drawings are a schematic

representation and not true to scale. The drawings do not restrict the invention in any way. More advantages will be explained with examples.

[0031] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a glazing panel according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a portion of a naked glazing panel with a hole according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a portion of a naked glazing panel with a hole and a fixing mean according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a portion of a glazing panel according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a portion of a glazing panel according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 6 is a sectional view of a portion of a glazing panel according to an exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] FIG. 7 is a schematic view of a portion of a naked glazing panel with a hole according to another exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] FIG. 8 is a schematic view of a portion of a naked glazing panel with a hole and a fixing mean according to another exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a portion of a glazing panel according to another exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] FIG. 10 is a schematic view of a portion of a glazing panel according to another exemplifying embodiment of the present invention. [0041] FIG. 1 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a glazing panel according to another exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a glazing panel according to another

exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] FIG. 13 is a sectional view of a glazing panel according to another

exemplifying embodiment of the present invention.

Description of embodiments

[0044] With reference to FIG. 1 , a first embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0045] FIG. 1 shows a glazing panel 101 comprising at least a hole 102 thought the panel 101 and at least one fixing mean 103 able to attach an element. In this particular embodiment, the element is a part of a vehicle. The fixing mean 103 is encapsulated into the hole 102 by a plastic material 104 and the plastic material 104 fills the said hole 102 at least partially.

[0046] The fixing mean 103 is a metallic insert placed in the middle of the hole 102.

The metallic insert 103 is overmolded with thermoplastic material 104 (hard or soft material) or RIM material (polyurethane) on the glazing panel 101.

[0047] The glazing panel 101 is a glass panel.

[0048] In a particular embodiment, the glazing panel has a thickness of 3mm. Thus, the hole has a height of 3mm and a diameter of 20mm. The glass can be tempered.

[0049] In a particular embodiment, the glazing panel is a laminated glazing panel and more particularly with a thickness of at least 3mm and more preferably more than 3.96 mm.

[0050] To ensure the tightness and to ensure the link between the glass and the encapsulation, primer can be used.

[0051] FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 show a method to manufacture a glazing panel according to the first embodiment.

[0052] A naked glazing panel (FIG. 2) comprising a hole is inserted into a encapsulation mold, then a fixing mean is placed in the hole (FIG. 3).

[0053] The mold is closed and the plastic material 104 is injected into the mold and especially around the fixing mean 103 into the hole 102. [0054] FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 show a part of a glazing panel after the encapsulation. One surface of the glazing panel is free of plastic material (FIG. 4) and the hole is fully filled with plastic material. The plastic material 104 and this surface of the glazing panel 101 are slightly flush.

[0055] FIG. 5 shows the opposite surface of the surface shown in FIG. 4. The surface shown in FIG. 5 has plastic material 104 on it.

[0056] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a hole 102 with a fixing mean 103 according to the first embodiment. The fixing mean 103 in a form of an insert encapsulated into the hole 102. The insert 103 is longer than the height of the hole 102. The plastic material 104 encapsulates the insert 103 into the hole 102 and a surface of the glazing panel 101. The second surface has no plastic material on it at least around the hole 102 to ensure the flush design of the glazing panel 101.

[0057] FIG. 7 to FIG. 12 show a glazing panel 201 of a second embodiment

according to the invention.

[0058] FIG. 7 shows a part of a naked glazing panel 201 with three holes 202.

[0059] FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 show the glazing unit of FIG. 7 with fixing means 203 into holes 202. FIG. 8 shows a first surface where fixing means 203 are not going out the hole from this surface. FIG. 9 shows the opposite surface where, in a particular embodiment, fixing means 203 are going out of the hole to ensure the fixation of this said surface.

[0060] FIG. 10 shows a particular design of the plastic material 204. To optimize the injection, the plastic material 204 is injected in a single piece.

[0061] In a particular embodiment, the plastic material comprises also fixing parts 205 in addition of fixing means 203.

[0062] In another embodiment, the plastic material 204 can be injected locally around each hole 202 with fixing mean 203

[0063] In the second embodiment, the glazing panel 201 with the hole 202 is

place into a encapsulation mold with fixing means 203 then the plastic material 204 is injected into the hole and over the portion going out the hole of the fixing means 203 as shown in FIG. 11. [0064] FIG. 12 shows a glazing panel 201 according of a second embodiment where each hole 202 with fixing mean 203 are injected separately with plastic material 204.

[0065] In this second embodiment, fixing mean 203 comprises a metallic core with a thermoplastic hard material around. This hard material is a polypropylene based material.

[0066] A thermoplastic elastomer material, a the plastic material 202, is used to block the fixing means 203 on the hole 202 of the glazing panel 201

[0067] The plastic surrounding of the fixing means ensure a good chemical

bonding with the plastic material used.

[0068] To ensure the tightness and to ensure the link between the glazing panel

201 and the encapsulation, primer can be used.

[0069] This fixing mean 203 is then placed in an encapsulation mold in the hole

202 of the glazing panel 203.

[0070] The glazing panel 201 can be a glass panel made of single glass sheet or a laminated glazing.

[0071] FIG. 13 shows a part of glazing panel 301 of a third embodiment according to the invention.

[0072] The glazing panel 301 has at least one hole 302. The fixing mean 303 is a part of the plastic material 304 and a screw 306 is inserted into the fixing mean 303.

[0073] In this embodiment, the plastic material is a hard plastic material and

preferably a polypropylene based material. The plastic material 304 is injected into the hole and on the two surface of the glazing panel 301.