WO2020021174A1

WO2020021174A1 - Device for guiding a flush window of a vehicle door having a trim guiding a sliding guide part

Info

Publication number: WO2020021174A1
Application number: PCT/FR2019/051508
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stéphane DIVERRES; Pierre Colin; Luc MALOTAUX; Christophe CHABROLLE
Original assignee: Psa Automobiles Sa
Priority date: 2018-07-24
Filing date: 2019-06-20
Publication date: 2020-01-30
Also published as: FR3084297B1; FR3084297A1

Abstract

A device (DG) is designed for guiding a window (VV) with respect to a frame (CP) of a door (PV) of a vehicle. This device (DG) comprises a guide part (PG) comprising first (E1) and second (E2) ends respectively coupled fixedly to the window (VV) and housed in a sliding manner in a guide housing (LG), and a trim (EP) comprising a front portion (PE1) secured fixedly to the outer face (FE1) of the frame (CP) in order to conceal part of the latter, and a rear portion (PE2) comprising this guide housing (LG). The second end (E2) of the guide part (PG) comprises an outer face (FE2) provided with radial fins (AR) each comprising a free end (EL) having locally at least one contact surface (SC) making contact with an inner face (FI3) delimiting the guide housing (LG).

Description

DEVICE FOR GUIDING A FLUSHING GLASS OF A VEHICLE DOOR, WITH A BEAM GUIDING A SLIDING GUIDING PART

The invention relates to panes which are said to be flush with the door frames of vehicles, possibly motor vehicles, and more precisely the guide devices which guide such panes with respect to their doors.

As those skilled in the art know, certain vehicle doors, generally of the automobile type, include a frame relative to which slides a so-called flush window. Such a window is more precisely flush with respect to a trim which masks a front part of the external face of the door frame. This window is guided relative to the frame via a guide device which can currently be produced in two different ways.

In a first way, for example described in patent document WO 2017/157493, the guide device comprises a rigid guide rail and comprising a rear part fixedly fixed to a rear part of the external face of the door frame and a front part to which is fixedly secured the hubcap. The rear part of the guide rail also includes a housing in which is housed one end of at least one guide part (or shoe), the opposite end of which is fixedly coupled to a part of the glass via a bonded fastening bridge. The guide device also includes a finishing and sealing joint, fixedly fixed to its guide rail at the interface between its front and rear parts and partially masking each guide piece (or pad), and a front slide, secured fixedly at the free end of the rear part of its guide rail and participating in the correct positioning of the window in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

Such a guide device advantageously constitutes a module preassembled and already fixedly coupled to the glass that you only have to adjust before delivering it to an assembly line of vehicles to couple it to a door being assembled. However, such a guide device proves to be very expensive and must be largely modified each time one wishes to equip a door variant (including within the same vehicle model) because of its modular nature. .

In a second way, the guide device comprises a flexible guide rail comprising a housing in which is housed one end of at least one slightly flexible guide piece (or pad) and the opposite end of which is intended to be glued directly part of the glass on the assembly line. Once on an assembly line, this guide rail is fixedly secured to an interface piece which is itself secured to the rear part of the external face of the door frame and to which the hubcap is fixedly secured. Then, this interface piece is coupled with a finishing and sealing joint and a front slide contributing to the correct positioning of the window in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

Such a guide device can therefore be advantageously used without modification in many doors and door variants because it is coupled on the assembly line to an interface part which is chosen according to the door concerned, and that the flexibility of its constituents makes it possible to absorb dimensional and curve variations. However, its use means that many variations of the interface part are required, and it cannot be pre-assembled with the hubcap, the finishing joint and the front runner, before being delivered on an assembly line, which slows the speed of assembly of vehicle doors and therefore increases vehicle production costs.

The invention therefore aims in particular to improve the situation.

To this end, it notably proposes a guiding device, on the one hand, dedicated to guiding a flush window with respect to a frame of a door of a vehicle, and, on the other hand, comprising at least one part. guide comprising first and second opposite ends and intended to be respectively fixedly coupled to this window and housed in a sliding manner in a fixed guide housing.

This guiding device is characterized by the fact:

- that it includes a hubcap comprising a front part intended to be fixedly secured to an external face of the frame in order to mask part of the latter, and a rear part comprising the guide housing, and

- that the second end of its guide part comprises an external face provided with at least two radial fins each having a free end having locally at least one contact surface contacting an internal face delimiting the guide housing.

Thus, there is a module, simple and inexpensive, which is delivered preassembled on the assembly line of vehicles in order to be coupled to the frame and to the glass of a door being assembled.

The guide device according to the invention may include other characteristics which can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:

- The external face of the second end of the / each guide piece can be provided with three radial fins spaced from each other by an angular sector of 120 °;

- Each radial fin may include two contact surfaces separated by a concave intermediate surface;

- The second end of the / each guide piece may comprise a closed wall comprising the external face (provided with radial fins) and an internal face delimiting a central recess;

the closed wall may have a circular cylindrical shape;

- The guide housing can have a circular section. In this case, the radial fins can have the same radial extension up to each contact surface;

- It may include two guide parts having their second ends housed at different levels in the guide housing and their first ends intended to be fixedly coupled to two areas of the glass respectively located at different levels; - It may include a finishing joint fixedly attached to its hubcap, at the interface between its front and rear parts, and partially masking its guide part while ensuring sealing in a vertical direction of the vehicle between this front part and the window W, and / or a front slide fixedly attached to its hubcap, at a free end of its rear part and participating in a good positioning of the window in a transverse direction of the vehicle.

The invention also provides a door intended to equip a vehicle and comprising, on the one hand, a frame with respect to which slides a flush window, and, on the other hand, a guide device of the type of that presented above and fixedly coupled to this frame and to this window.

The invention also provides a vehicle, possibly of the automobile type, and comprising at least one door of the type presented above.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear on examining the detailed description below, and the appended drawings (some obtained in CAD / CAD ("Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Drawing"), d 'where the apparently discontinuous character of certain lines), on which:

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates, in a front view, a part of a motor vehicle door fitted with a flush window,

- Figure 2 schematically illustrates, in a sectional view along the axis ll-ll of Figure 1, the door frame and an embodiment of a guide device according to the invention associated with the flush glass of this door frame, and

FIG. 3 schematically illustrates, in a perspective view, the guide part of the guide device of FIG. 2.

The object of the invention is in particular to propose a guiding device DG dedicated to guiding a flush window W with respect to a frame CP of a PV door of a vehicle.

In what follows, it is considered, by way of nonlimiting example, that the vehicle is of the automobile type. For example, it is a car. But the invention is not limited to this type of vehicle. It relates in fact to any type of vehicle comprising at least one door having a frame with respect to which a window can slide. Consequently, the invention relates to land vehicles, boats and aircraft.

FIG. 1 schematically shows part of a PV door of a motor vehicle (here a car). This PV door comprises in particular a frame CP defining a housing in which a flush-fitting window W can slide while being guided by a guide device DG (only visible in FIG. 2). As will be seen below, such a guide device DG is fixedly coupled in part to a part of the frame CP, located (here) partially next to a middle upright of the vehicle structure and partially in front of this middle upright, and partly to the window W. The internal face of this part of the frame CP (oriented towards the passenger compartment of the vehicle) is masked by a door lining DP (lining associated with covering, for example in fabric or leather).

As illustrated without limitation in FIG. 2, a guide device DG, according to the invention, comprises at least one hubcap EP and a guide piece PG.

The EP hubcap includes a front part PE1 and a rear part PE2 which extend mutually.

The front part PE1 of the hubcap EP is intended to be fixedly secured to an external face FE1 of the frame CP, opposite its internal face FE1 which is oriented towards the passenger compartment, in order to hide a front part PC1 of this frame CP. It (PE1) is therefore visible from the outside of the vehicle, substantially flat and located in the extension of a “vertical” edge of the window W which is flush (that is to say located in the same plane as it , substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle (which is parallel to the PV doors)). This front part PE1 of the hubcap EP extends at least over the entire height of the frame CP.

Furthermore, this front part PE1 and the front part PC1 of the frame CP

(with the DP door lining) are intended to be placed in front of the external face of a center pillar of the vehicle when the PV door is closed. The rear part PE2 of the hubcap EP extends the front part PE1 in the direction of the passenger compartment and is almost invisible from the outside. It (PE2) is housed in a recess defined by a rear part PC2 of the frame CP which extends its front part PC1 in the direction of the passenger compartment. Furthermore, this rear part PE2 of the hubcap EP comprises a guide housing LG which is delimited by an internal face FI3 and to which we will return later.

This rear part PE2 of the hubcap EP extends over a height which depends on the vertical distance over which the window P can slide. Consequently, its height is greater than that of the frame CP when the window slides over the entire height of this CP frame.

The hubcap can, for example, be produced by molding a rigid plastic or synthetic material, such as for example polyethylene (or PE) or polyamide (or PA).

The guide piece PG comprises first E1 and second E2 opposite ends.

The first end E1 of the guide piece PG is intended to be fixedly coupled to the window W. For example, and as illustrated without limitation in FIG. 2, it (E1) can be directly bonded to an upper part of the internal face from the vertical edge of the window W (oriented towards the passenger compartment). In a variant, it could be fixedly coupled to the window W via a fixing bridge glued to the latter (W).

The second end E2 of the guide piece PG is slidably housed in the guide housing LG which is fixed relative to the frame CP because the rear part PE2 of the hubcap EP of which it is a part is fixedly secured to this CP frame. In order to allow this sliding, the LG guide housing is open in the vertical direction thanks to the definition of an opening OP in the rear part PE2 of the hubcap EP.

In addition, this second end E2 of the guide piece PG comprises an external face FE2, oriented towards the internal face FI3 delimiting the guide housing LG, and provided with at least two radial fins AR. Each radial fin AR comprises a free end having locally at least one contact surface SC contacting the internal face FI3 delimiting the LG guide housing.

This second end E2 advantageously makes it possible to absorb the dimensional and curve variations of the rear part P2 of the rigid EP hub cap and of the frame CP. We then have a module, simple and inexpensive, which is delivered preassembled on the vehicle assembly line in order to be coupled to the CP frame and to the window W of a PV door during assembly. In addition, we now only have to adapt the EP hubcap to door variants, because the guide piece PG can a priori be used for many door variants.

The guide piece PG can, for example, be produced by molding a relatively rigid plastic or synthetic material, such as for example polyethylene (or PE) or polyamide (or PA).

Note that in the example illustrated without limitation in Figures 2 and 3 the outer face FE2 of the second end E2 of the guide piece PG is provided with three radial fins AR spaced from each other by an angular sector of 120 °. However, this external face FE2 could be provided with two radial fins AR spaced 180 ° apart, or else more than three radial fins AR, and for example four spaced 90 ° apart.

It will also be noted, as illustrated without limitation in FIG. 3, that the free end of each radial fin AR may include two contact surfaces SC separated by an intermediate surface SI concave. This makes it possible to define on each radial fin AR two supports at two different levels in the vertical direction, so that there are somehow at these two levels two almost annular supports which ensure precise guidance of the window W.

However, the free end of each radial fin AR could comprise only a single contact surface SC, preferably substantially at its center. In this case, there is in a way a single, almost annular support.

It will also be noted, as illustrated without limitation in the figures

2 and 3, that the second end E2 of the guide piece PG may comprise a closed wall PF comprising the external face FE2 and a face internal FI2 delimiting a central recess EC. The latter (EC) offers a kind of deformable buffer zone which makes it possible to appreciably increase the capacity of the second end E2 to absorb dimensional and curve variations of the rear part P2 of the rigid EP hubcap and of the frame CP. As a variant and / or in addition, the radial fins AR could be slightly deformable to contribute more to the abovementioned absorption.

For example, and as illustrated without limitation in FIG. 3, the closed wall PF can have a circular cylindrical shape. But other forms can be envisaged.

Also for example, and as illustrated without limitation in Figure 2, the LG guide housing may have a circular section. In this case, the radial fins AR have the same radial extension up to each of their contact surfaces SC. Note that the LG guide housing follows the curve of the frame CP in the vertical direction. Consequently, it has a cylindrical shape only in the absence of a curve in the part of the frame CP to which its hubcap EP is fixedly secured.

It will also be noted, as illustrated without limitation in FIG. 2, that the guide device DG can comprise a finishing joint JF, fixedly fixed to its hubcap EP, at the interface between its front parts PE1 and rear PE2. This JF finishing joint is arranged so as to partially mask each guide part PG while ensuring sealing in the vertical direction between this external front part PE1 and the vertical edge of the window W. This JF finishing joint is preferably pre-assembled to the EP hub cap when it is delivered on the assembly line with each associated PG guide piece.

It will also be noted, as illustrated without limitation in FIG. 2, that the guide device DG can comprise a front slide CV, fixedly fixed to its hubcap EP, at the free end of its rear part PE2. This front slide CV participates in the correct positioning of the window W in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This front slide CV is preferably preassembled with the hubcap EP when it is delivered on the assembly line with each associated guide piece PG. It will also be noted, although this does not appear in the figures, that the guide device DG may possibly comprise two guide pieces PG having their second ends E2 housed at different levels in the guide housing LG of the hubcap EP and their first ends E1 intended to be fixedly coupled to two zones of the vertical edge of the window W, respectively, located at different levels.

Claims

1. Guide device (DG) for guiding a window (W) relative to a frame (CP) of a door (PV) of a vehicle, said device (DG) comprising i) at least one guide piece (PG) comprising first (E1) and second (E2) opposite ends intended to be respectively fixedly coupled to said window (W) and housed in a sliding manner in a fixed guide housing (LG), characterized in that it comprises a cover ( EP) comprising a front part (PE1) intended to be fixedly secured to an external face (FE1) of said frame (CP) in order to mask part of the latter (CP), and a rear part (PE2) comprising said guide housing (LG), and in that said second end (E2) of the guide piece (PG) comprises an external face (FE2) provided with at least two radial fins (AR) each comprising a free end locally having at least one contact surface (SC) contacting an internal face (FI3) delimiting said guide housing (LG).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said external face (FE2) of the second end (E2) of said guide piece (PG) is provided with three radial fins (AR) spaced from one another by 120 ° angular sector.

3. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that each radial fin (AR) comprises two contact surfaces (SC) separated by an intermediate surface (SI) concave.

4. Device according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that said second end (E2) of the guide piece (PG) comprises a closed wall (PF) comprising said external face (FE2) and an internal face ( FI2) delimiting a central recess (EC).

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that said closed wall (PF) has a circular cylindrical shape.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said guide housing (LG) has a circular section, and in that said radial fins (AR) have the same radial extension up to each contact surface (SC).

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises two guide parts (PG) having their second ends (E2) housed at different levels in said guide housing (LG) and their first ends (E1) intended to be fixedly coupled to two zones of said window (W) situated at different levels, respectively.

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it comprises a finishing joint (JF) fixedly secured to said hubcap (EP), at the interface between said front (PE1) and rear (PE2) parts ), and partially masking said guide piece (PG) while ensuring a seal in a vertical direction of said vehicle between this front part (PE1) and said window W, and / or a front slide (CV) fixedly secured to said hubcap (EP ), at a free end of said rear part (PE2) and participating in correct positioning of said window (W) in a transverse direction of said vehicle.

9. Door (PV) intended to equip a vehicle and comprising a frame (CP) relative to which slides a window (W), characterized in that it further comprises a guide device (DG) according to one of claims above and fixedly coupled to said frame (CP) and to said window (W).

10. Vehicle, characterized in that it comprises at least one door (PV) according to claim 9.