Windshield stop for cowl vent grille attachment

#A windshield stop, such as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,824, issued to Hans-Jurgen Lesser, et al on Jun. 1, 1993, is used to support the lower edge of a windshield on an automobile. Such a windshield stop is well known in the automotive industry and is used by multiple manufacturers. The sole function of this disclosed windshield stop is to support the lower edge of the automobile windshield. No other automobile structure is known to be attached to the windshield stop.

#In U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,845, issued to Heinz Detampel on Jul. 14, 1987, the windshield is adhesively secured to the body of the automobile with the lower edge of the windshield extending below the adhesive connection. A windshield cowl plate is formed with a groove that receives the lower edge of the windshield and is also mounted to the body structure to hide the engine compartment from view.

#In U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,953, issued to Mary Bell on Dec. 2, 1997, and in U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,54.1, issued to Paul S. Razgunas on Apr. 10, 2001, the cowl assembly is depicted as incorporating a screen or grill portion that is connected to the underlying cowl member in a manner to permit limited relative movement therebetween. In Bell, a push pin connects the cowl member and the cowl screen to permit relative movement. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,636, issued to Theodore Kolar, Jr. on Jun. 4, 1996, an elastomeric member is pinned to the cowl assembly and engages the lower edge of the windshield. This member is not supportive of the lower edge of the windshield and also does not support any other structural component of the automobile, including the cowl.

#The advantages of this invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed disclosure of the invention, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

#FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the windshield stop incorporating the principles of the instant invention;

#FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the windshield stop depicted in FIG. 1;

#Referring to FIGS. 1-6, a windshield stop incorporating the principles of the instant invention can best be seen. The windshield stop 10 is of the type described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,824, issued to Hans-Jurgen Lesser, et al on Jun. 1, 1993 and incorporates a plurality of fingers 12 projecting outwardly from a base portion 13 to be positionable for supporting the lower edge of the windshield W at a desired orientation while the adhesive (not shown) securing the windshield W to the body of the automobile cures. The windshield stop 10 is also formed with a mounting tab 15 that is insertable into an appropriate opening in the body of the automobile to mount the windshield stop 10 at an appropriate location for supporting the lower edge of the windshield W.

#The base portion 13 of the windshield stop 10 is also formed with a rigid cowl mounting bracket member 20 that is oriented to mate with the cowling assembly 25 when the windshield stop 10 is mounted on the body of the automobile. An opening 22 extends transversely along substantially the entire width of the bracket member 20 on the top surface 23 thereof. The opening 22 is sized to receive a conventional push pin 30 to secure the cowling 25 to the windshield stop 10. The top surface 23 is shaped to register with the cowling assembly 25 for a secure attachment of the cowling member 25 on the windshield stop 10. The cowl mounting bracket 20 extends from said base portion 13 in the opposite direction from the extension of said finger members 12 with said mounting tab 15 being located between the finger members 12 and the cowl mounting bracket 20.

#Thus, the windshield stop 10 provides a secondary function of providing a mounting support for the cowling C in addition to the primary function of supporting the lower edge of the windshield W. Utilization of the windshield stop 10 for this secondary function eliminates the need for the body or chassis of the automobile to be re-designed to require a mount for the attachment of the cowling 25 and provides a consistent and substantial location for the attachment of the cowling assembly 25. The cowl mounting portion 20 of the windshield stop 10 further provides strength and rigidity for the windshield stop 10 in support of the primary function for the stop 10 in supporting the windshield W.