Display systems releasably attached to a windshield assembly and processes thereof

An automotive vehicle comprising:

• a front windshield assembly comprising an exterior-facing curved glass surface and an interior-facing curved glass surface, wherein the interior-facing curved glass surface comprises at least two pins adhesively bonded to the interior-facing curved glass surface, wherein each of the at least two pins comprise a bottom planar surface coplanar with the interior facing glass surface, a stem portion extending from the bottom planar surface to a terminal head portion, and the interior-facing curved glass surface comprises a closeout that is injection molded on the interior facing glass surface and the closeout is formed of a compressible thermoplastic elastomer;
• and
• a display system releasably attached to the interior facing glass surface comprising a display mounted to a rigid bracket and a decorative housing overlying the rigid bracket in its entirety, the rigid bracket comprising flanges extending outwardly relative to the mounted display on each side thereof, the flanges comprising a keyhole-shaped opening including an opening portion configured to accommodate dimensions of the terminal head portion of the pin and a slot opening portion configured to accommodate dimensions of the stem portion, and a molded snap fit feature including a flexible portion overlying the opening portion configured to upwardly flex upon insertion of the terminal head portion of the pin, wherein the rigid bracket can be slidingly and lockingly engaged in the keyhole opening at a detent position at a terminal end of the slot opening portion, and wherein the rigid bracket can be slidingly disengaged from the at least two pins upon manual upward flexure of the molded snap fit feature and sliding engagement of the rigid bracket away from the terminal end to the opening portion, wherein the closeout compresses at least 25 percent upon the sliding engagement of the rigid bracket.

A process of releasably attaching a display system to a front windshield assembly comprises:

• bonding at least two metal or plastic datum retention features onto an interior facing glass surface of the front windshield assembly, wherein the interior facing glass surface comprises a closeout that is injection molded on the interior-facing glass surface and the closeout is formed of a compressible thermoplastic elastomer;
• releasably attaching the display system to the datum retention features, wherein the display system comprises a rigid bracket comprising flanges outwardly extending on each side of a display mounted to the rigid bracket, each of the flanges comprising a keyhole-shaped opening including an opening portion, a slot opening portion, and a molded snap fit feature overlying the opening portion, wherein the attaching of the display system comprises lockingly engaging the datum retention features at a detent position at a terminal end of the slot opening portion upon engagement with the molded snap fit feature and wherein the closeout compresses upon sliding engagement of the rigid bracket to form a sealed cavity between the display and the interior facing glass surface, and wherein the closeout compresses at least 25 percent upon the sliding engagement of the rigid bracket;
• and
• releasing the display system comprises upward flexure of the molded snap fit feature and sliding engagement of the rigid bracket away from the terminal end of the slot opening portion to the opening portion, wherein the rigid bracket can be completely disengaged from the datum retention features.