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US 2009/0212591 A1Published application
Vehicle slider assembly
AssigneePilkington North America, Inc.
InventorsShane C. Seiple, Charles E. Ash, H. Richard Voght
Life of this patent
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AssigneePilkington North America, Inc.
InventorsShane C. Seiple, Charles E. Ash, H. Richard Voght
Estimating the term…
A vehicle slider assembly has a frame, upon which a fixed panel and an upper and a lower track are attached, and a slider panel assembly that moves in the tracks. The frame defines a window opening that the moving slider panel assembly opens and closes. The interior surfaces of the frame provide constant sealing surfaces for seals attached to the outwardly directed slider panel surfaces. The lower horizontal portion of the frame is adjacent to the lower track and has drain holes through it. The lower track has a reservoir channel defined in it, such that, moisture that is interior to the vehicle slider assembly accumulates in the reservoir channel and flows through the drain holes to the exterior of the vehicle slider assembly. An appliqué may be disposed over the exterior of the lower frame portion so that the flow of the moisture is hidden in an unencumbered and aesthetically pleasing manner.
1-2. (canceled)
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, further comprising a lower appliqué disposed over the lower horizontal frame portion in a plane that is exterior to the lower horizontal frame portion and offset to the plane of the frame and wherein each of the frame drain holes are in fluid communication with a vertically oriented channel disposed on the exterior of the lower horizontal frame portion and/or on the exterior of the lower appliqué to drain moisture to a bottom edge of the vehicle slider assembly, thereby providing drainage of moisture in a hidden, unencumbered, and aesthetically pleasing manner, and reducing noise entering a vehicle compartment.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the fixed panel is disposed over the lower horizontal frame portion in a plane that is exterior to the lower horizontal frame portion and offset from the plane of the frame and wherein each of the frame drain holes are in fluid communication with a vertically oriented channel disposed on the exterior of the lower horizontal frame portion and/or the fixed panel to drain moisture to a bottom edge of the vehicle slider assembly, thereby providing drainage of moisture in a hidden, unencumbered, and aesthetically pleasing manner, and reducing noise from entering a vehicle compartment.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the lower track is disposed on the lower horizontal frame portion by way of an adhesive positioned below the bottom of the frame drain holes.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame and the lower track are a unitary part.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame and the upper track are a unitary part.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the fixed panel comprises glass or a plastic material.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame and the upper and lower tracks comprise a plastic material.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the lower appliqué comprises a polycarbonate compound, an acrylic material, or a painted surface.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame has an interior surface that is adapted to provide continuous sealing between the interior frame surface and seals disposed on an outwardly directed surface of the slider panel.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame is secured to the fixed panels by way of another adhesive that is disposed therebetween.
The vehicle slider assembly of claim 16, wherein the frame is secured to the fixed panels by way of an encapsulating seal.
A vehicle slider assembly for draining moisture near the interior of the slider assembly to the exterior of a vehicle, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.