US 12,270,240 B2Granted

Automotive door and window systems, devices, and methods

AssigneeVia Fortuna, LLC

InventorsPablo Kunz Arrache, Jean Pierre Pinsonneault, Jason Castriota

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

Disclosed embodiments may include a vehicle without a B-pillar that has barn doors and partially frameless windows. The barn doors may include a window seal system having a primary seal for creating a watertight barrier when the window is in a first closed position. Upon the vehicle exceeding a predetermined speed threshold, the vehicle may automatically raise the window from the first closed position to being in a second closed position in which a secondary seal secures the window to prevent buffeting of the window. Disclosed embodiments may further include a seal and door structure that provides a pair of seals (an inner seal and an outer seal) between the front and rear barn doors that provide a watertight barrier when the doors are closed together and that also allows for each of the front and rear doors to be independently opened and closed in a barn-door fashion.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a vehicle door comprising:
a door body comprising a framing portion;
and
a window configured to be vertically repositioned to open and close the window, the window comprising a frameless portion and a framed portion, wherein the framed portion of the window corresponds to the framing portion of the door body;
and
a vehicle body comprising:
a primary seal configured to compress against an internal face of the framed portion and frameless portion of the window to create a watertight seal when the window is in a first closed position and a second closed position;
and
a secondary seal configured to secure at least the frameless portion of the window in place when the window is in the second closed position, the secondary seal comprising a pillow and a lip, the pillow comprising an internal indentation on a wall of the pillow that is proximate the lip,
wherein, in response to the window being placed in the second closed position, the pillow is configured to compress around a top portion of the window and the lip is configured to bend towards the window at least in part at the internal indentation of the pillow and press against an outer portion of the window to secure the window in place.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 18/758,338Filed 28 Jun 2024 · us provisional application
Priority: 30 Jun 2023
Published: US 2025/0003280 A12 Jan 2025
Granted: 8 Apr 2025
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification24 codes

E05F 15/695
Specially adapted for vehicle windows: control circuits therefor
B60J 1/17
Slidable: vertically
B60J 5/0479
With two doors opening in opposite direction: without B-pillar or releasable B-pillar, i.e. the pillar is moving with door
B60J 10/24
Characterised by the shape: having tubular parts