U.S. patent number RE41,502 [Application Number 11/780,028] was granted by the patent office on 2010-08-17 for flush closure device for an opening in bodywork.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Advanced Comfort Systems France SAS-ACS. Invention is credited to Jean-Claude Neaux.
United States Patent |
RE41,502 |
Neaux |
August 17, 2010 |
Flush closure device for an opening in bodywork
Abstract
A device for closing an opening formed through the bodywork of a
vehicle, the device comprising a fixed panel and a panel that
constitutes a moving panel relative to the fixed panel, the moving
panel being connected to the fixed panel by functional elements
providing the required mobility, the functional elements being
fitted to the face of the fixed panel that is directed towards the
inside of the vehicle.
Inventors: |
Neaux; Jean-Claude (Terves,
FR) |
Assignee: |
Advanced Comfort Systems France
SAS-ACS (FR)
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Family
ID: |
9485302 |
Appl.
No.: |
11/780,028 |
Filed: |
July 19, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
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Reissue of: |
08760901 |
Dec 6, 1996 |
05809706 |
Sep 22, 1998 |
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Foreign Application Priority Data
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Dec 8, 1995 [FR] |
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95 14566 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/204.51;
296/88; 296/92; 296/86; 49/489.1; 296/84.1; 49/374; 52/204.597;
52/208 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B60J
1/16 (20130101); B60J 1/14 (20130101); B60J
10/80 (20160201); E05Y 2900/55 (20130101); E05Y
2900/506 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E06B
3/32 (20060101); E06B 3/46 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;52/204.51,208,204.597,204.595
;296/190.1,190.11,146.16,86,88,92,89,84.1
;49/390,413,149,176,177,141,489.1,374 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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358158 |
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Feb 1929 |
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BE |
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3118559 |
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Nov 1982 |
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DE |
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0037097 |
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Mar 1981 |
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EP |
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0449372 |
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Oct 1991 |
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EP |
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0646483 |
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Sep 1994 |
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EP |
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2552483 |
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Mar 1985 |
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FR |
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1 332 212 |
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Oct 1973 |
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GB |
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Primary Examiner: Glessner; Brian E
Assistant Examiner: Figueroa; Adriana
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Shewchuk IP Services, LLC Shewchuk;
Jeffrey D.
Claims
I claim:
1. A movable window apparatus for a vehicle having a low profile
with respect to an outer body surface of said vehicle, wherein
visual discontinuity between the window and the body of said
vehicle is substantially eliminated, said movable window apparatus
comprising: means defining .[.an.]. .Iadd.a body .Iaddend.opening
in an outside surface of a body of a vehicle for insertion of a
window device; .[.a movable closure panel disposed within said
window device that is movable between open and closed positions;.].
a .Iadd.frameless .Iaddend.fixed panel making up a portion of said
window device and disposed in said .Iadd.body .Iaddend.opening,
said fixed panel having .Iadd.unframed .Iaddend.circumferential
edges .Iadd.facing toward the inside of the vehicle .Iaddend.that
are set back .Iadd.toward the inside of the vehicle
.Iaddend.relative to said outside surface of said body .[.to
provide a flush surface for said movable closure panel disposed
within said window device.]. .Iadd., said circumferential edges
comprising a top circumferential edge, a bottom circumferential
edge, and side circumferential edges extending from the top
circumferential edge to the bottom circumferential edge.Iaddend.,
said window device presenting a low profile with respect to said
outside surface, .Iadd.the fixed panel defining a device opening
therein with an upper opening edge, a lower opening edge, and side
opening edges extending between the upper opening edge and the
lower opening edge, the upper opening edge being spaced downward
from the top circumferential edge, the lower opening edge being
spaced upward from the bottom circumferential edge, each of the
side opening edges being spaced toward a center of the fixed panel
from the side circumferential edges;.Iaddend. .[.said fixed panel
having.]. transversely disposed slide supports .[.for supporting
said.]. .Iadd.disposed on said fixed panel, said slide supports
being fitted to a face of the fixed panel that is directed towards
the inside of the vehicle, said slide supports comprising an upper
slide support and a lower slide support, the upper slide support
being spaced downward from the top circumferential edge of the
fixed panel such that the upper slide support is adjacent the upper
opening edge, the lower slide support being spaced upward from the
bottom circumferential edge of the fixed panel such that the lower
slide support is adjacent the lower opening edge, each of the slide
supports having ends extending to the circumferential edges of the
fixed panel; a .Iaddend.movable closure panel .Iadd.that is
moveable between an open position leaving the device opening
uncovered and a closed position covering the device opening, the
movable closure panel being supported by the slide supports
.Iaddend.for slidable movement between said open and closed
positions within said fixed panel.Iadd., the set back of the
circumferential edges of the fixed panel providing a flush surface
for the movable closure panel relative to the outside surface of
the body of the vehicle when in the closed position.Iaddend.; and
attachment means disposed between said fixed panel and said body of
said vehicle, said attachment means comprising a layer of adhesive
disposed about said .Iadd.unframed .Iaddend.circumferential edges
between said fixed panel and said body of said vehicle.Iadd., said
ends of the slide supports at the circumferential edges of said
fixed panel being covered by said layer of adhesive, so that said
ends are adhesively sandwiched in a direction transverse to the
fixed panel between said fixed panel and said body of said
vehicle.Iaddend..
2. A movable window apparatus for a vehicle having a low profile
with respect to an outer body surface of said vehicle, wherein
visual discontinuity between the window and the body of said
vehicle is substantially eliminated, said movable window apparatus
comprising: means defining an opening in an outside surface of a
body of a vehicle for insertion of a window device; a movable
closure panel disposed within said window device that is movable
between an open and a closed position; a .Iadd.frameless
.Iaddend.fixed panel making up a portion of said window device and
disposed in said opening, said fixed panel having .Iadd.unframed
.Iaddend.circumferential edges that are set back relative to said
outside surface of said body to provide a flush surface for said
movable closure panel disposed within said window device, said
window device presenting a low profile with respect to said outside
surface, said fixed panel having a transversely disposed
cross-member for supporting said movable closure panel for
articulate movement between said open and closed position within
said fixed panel; and attachment means disposed between said fixed
panel and said body of said vehicle, said attachment means
comprising a layer of adhesive disposed about said .Iadd.unframed
.Iaddend.circumferential edges between said fixed panel and said
body of said vehicle.
3. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with
claim 2, further comprising masking means disposed adjacent said
cross-member and about said periphery of said fixed panel, for
covering caps and fasteners used to install said fixed panel to the
body of said vehicle.
4. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle in accordance with
claim .[.2.]. .Iadd.3.Iaddend., wherein said masking means
comprises a silkscreened pattern.
.Iadd.5. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle according to
claim 1, further comprising masking means disposed adjacent to said
slide supports and about said circumferential edges of said fixed
panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.6. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle according to
claim 5, wherein said masking means comprises a silkscreened
pattern..Iaddend.
.Iadd.7. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle according to
claim 1, wherein said ends of the slide supports have a reduced
thickness..Iaddend.
.Iadd.8. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle according to
claim 1, wherein said fixed panel and said movable closure panel
are glass panels..Iaddend.
.Iadd.9. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle according to
claim 1, wherein said fixed panel is a one-piece
element..Iaddend.
.Iadd.10. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle according to
claim 1, wherein said fixed panel is built up of a plurality of
preassembled parts..Iaddend.
.Iadd.11. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle according to
claim 10, wherein said slide supports cooperate in assembling said
preassembled parts of the fixed panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.12. The movable window apparatus for a vehicle according to
claim 1, wherein said slide supports are stuck with adhesive to the
inside face of said fixed panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.13. A movable window device for a vehicle having a low
profile with respect to an outer body surface of said vehicle,
wherein visual discontinuity between the window and the body of
said vehicle is substantially eliminated, wherein said movable
window device is defined to be mounted in an opening of an outside
surface of a body of said vehicle, and wherein said movable device
comprises: a mobile panel disposed within said window device that
is movable between open and closed positions; a frameless fixed
panel making up a portion of said window device and to be disposed
in said opening, said frameless fixed panel having its unframed
periphery set back relative to said outside surface of said body to
provide a flush surface for said mobile panel disposed within said
window device, said window device presenting a low profile with
respect to said outside surface, said fixed panel having
transversely disposed sliding supports for supporting said mobile
panel for slidable movement between said open and closed positions
within said fixed panel, said sliding supports comprising
extensions extending to the periphery of said fixed panel; and
attachment means to be disposed between said fixed panel and said
body of said vehicle, said attachment means comprising a layer of
adhesive to be disposed about said periphery between said fixed
panel and said body of said vehicle, so that said extensions are
sandwiched in a direction transverse to the fixed panel between
said fixed panel and said body..Iaddend.
.Iadd.14. The movable window device for vehicle according to claim
13, further comprising masking means disposed adjacent to said
sliding supports and about said periphery of said fixed
panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.15. The movable window device for vehicle according to claim
14, wherein said masking means comprises a silkscreened
pattern..Iaddend.
.Iadd.16. The movable window device for vehicle according to claim
13, wherein said extensions end in a reduced
thickness..Iaddend.
.Iadd.17. The movable window device for vehicle according to claim
13, wherein said fixed panel and said mobile panel are glass
panels..Iaddend.
.Iadd.18. The movable window device for vehicle according to claim
13, wherein said fixed panel is a one-piece element..Iaddend.
.Iadd.19. The movable window device for vehicle according to claim
13, wherein said fixed panel is built up of a plurality of
preassembled parts..Iaddend.
.Iadd.20. The movable window device for vehicle according to claim
19, wherein said sliding supports cooperate in assembling said
preassembled parts of the fixed panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.21. The movable window device for vehicle according to claim
13, wherein said sliding supports are stuck with adhesive to the
inside face of said fixed panel..Iaddend.
.Iadd.22. A movable window device for a vehicle, to be inserted in
a body opening in a body of the vehicle, designed to present a low
profile with respect to an outer body surface of said vehicle,
wherein visual discontinuity between the window and the body of
said vehicle is substantially eliminated, said movable window
device comprising: a frameless fixed panel making up a portion of
said window device and to be disposed in said body opening, said
fixed panel having unframed circumferential edges, comprising a top
circumferential edge, a bottom circumferential edge, and side
circumferential edges extending from the top circumferential edge
to the bottom circumferential edge, the fixed panel defining a
device opening therein with an upper opening edge, a lower opening
edge, and side opening edges extending between the upper opening
edge and the lower opening edge, the upper opening edge being
spaced downward from the top circumferential edge, the lower
opening edge being spaced upward from the bottom circumferential
edge, each of the side opening edges being spaced toward a center
of the fixed panel from the side circumferential edges;
transversely disposed slide supports disposed on said fixed panel,
said slide supports being fitted to a face of the fixed panel that
is directed towards the inside of the vehicle, said slide supports
comprising an upper slide support and a lower slide support, the
upper slide support being spaced downward from the top
circumferential edge of the fixed panel such that the upper slide
support is adjacent the upper opening edge, the lower slide support
being spaced upward from the bottom circumferential edge of the
fixed panel such that the lower slide support is adjacent the lower
opening edge, each of the slide supports extending to
circumferential edges of the fixed panel, on the face of the fixed
panel that is directed towards the inside of the vehicle, so that
said ends are adhesively sandwiched in a direction transverse to
the fixed panel between said fixed panel and said body of said
vehicle with attachment means disposed between said fixed panel and
body of said vehicle, said attachment means comprising a layer of
adhesive disposed about said circumferential edges between said
fixed panel and said set back edges of the body of said vehicle,
said ends of the slide supports at the circumferential edges of
said fixed panel being covered by said layer of adhesive; and a
movable closure panel that is moveable between an open position
leaving the device opening uncovered and a closed position covering
the device opening, the movable closure panel being supported by
the slide supports for slidable movement between said open and
closed positions within said fixed panel, the slide supports
providing for swinging motion of the movable closure panel over the
device opening, so as to provide a flush surface for the movable
closure panel relative to the fixed panel..Iaddend.
Description
The present invention relates to a flush closure device for an
opening in bodywork.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The best-known method of placing window glass in an opening of a
vehicle such as a car, a bus, a truck, or even a rail vehicle,
consists in providing a frame for connecting the window glass to
the edges of the opening, the frame having an inside portion and an
outside portion that are urged towards each other to grip
simultaneously the edges both of the window glass and of the
opening, via a sealing gasket.
Since taste concerning appearance has changed, the present trend is
to eliminate if not the presence then at least the visual
impression of an interruption that such a frame would generate, so
that the window glass appears to be a transparent portion of the
bodywork without any gaps therebetween.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention proposes a solution for closing an opening in
a vehicle with a flush panel that is provided with a moving portion
for performing a ventilation function.
To this end, the invention provides a device for closing an opening
formed through the bodywork of a vehicle, the device comprising a
fixed panel and a panel that constitutes a moving panel relative to
the fixed panel, the moving panel being connected to the fixed
panel by functional elements providing the required mobility,
wherein the functional elements are fitted to the face of the fixed
panel that is directed towards the inside of the vehicle.
The device for closing the opening does not possess any outside
frame projecting from the bodywork, unlike present devices
comprising two-portion panels, i.e. panes including a portion that
is movable relative to a fixed portion to ventilate or air a
vehicle cabin or compartment.
One of the ways in which the functional elements can be fixed to
the inside face of the panel is by means of adhesive. It is also
possible to use fastening means that pass through the portion
situated on the outside of the panel and which can be covered by a
relatively flat mask.
The fixed panel may include an opening having a closed outline and
itself closed by the moving panel. In a cheaper variant embodiment,
the fixed panel may be built up from a plurality of parts about an
opening, with the junction zones between the parts being masked by
flush linking section members and by patterns placed on said parts,
e.g. by silkscreen printing. The functional elements may also
co-operate in assembling the component parts of the fixed
panel.
In a variant embodiment, the inside face of the fixed panel, i.e.
its face on the inside of the vehicle, includes a frame secured by
adhesive and at a distance from the edge of the panel. This makes
it possible to receive the fixed panel in a setback relative to the
outside surface of the bodywork, with the edges of the opening in
the bodywork being located therein, the stuck-on frame penetrating
into the inside of the vehicle and forming a support for any
appropriate means for coupling the fixed panel, e.g. a backing
frame or fixing flanges.
In a second embodiment, the fixed panel is merely stuck to the
setback edges of the opening in the bodywork.
In this case in particular, if the functional elements include at
least one cross-member, the cross-member extends to the edges of
the panel so that the ends of the cross-member are sandwiched
between the panel and the edges of the opening in the bodywork.
This disposition serves to satisfy certain standards requirements
relating to breakage of vehicle glass.
The moving panel which constitutes the element enabling the desired
ventilation to be performed may be pivotally or slidably mounted.
With a pivotally-mounted element, the cross-member constitutes the
fixed portion of a longitudinally hinge whose moving element
carries the moving panel by adhesive running along the edge of said
panel.
For a sliding ventilation panel, the functional elements include
two parallel cross-members supporting guide rails for the panel,
the rails optionally being shaped so as to enable the moving panel
to perform swinging movement relative to the fixed panel.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Other characteristics and advantages of the invention appear from
the following description of various embodiments.
Reference is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a face view of a first embodiment of the device of the
invention;
FIG. 2 is a section on plane II--II of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a section view on plane III--III of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a section view of a second embodiment of the
invention;
FIG. 5 is a sectional view of a third embodiment of the invention;
and
FIG. 6 is an overall view of a fourth embodiment of the
invention.
MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In the figures, reference 1 corresponds to a panel of the bodywork
of a vehicle in which an opening 2 is formed. The edges of the
opening are set back slightly relative to the outside surface of
the bodywork so as to be capable of receiving a closure panel which
comes flush with the outside surface of the bodywork panel 1. These
edges are given reference 3 in the figures.
The opening is closed by a panel 4 received in the hollows whose
bottoms are formed by the edges 3 of the opening 2 and the panel is
stuck via its periphery to said edges 3. The panel 4 is cut so as
to include an opening 5 (FIG. 1) or 6 (FIG. 6) suitable for being
closed by a moving secondary panel 7 (FIG. 1) or 8 (FIG. 6). The
panel 7 of FIG. 1 is hinged by means of a cross-member 9 which is
itself stuck to the inside face of the panel 4, e.g. in the
immediate vicinity of the edge of the opening 5. One of the
features of the embodiment shown is that this cross-member 9
extends to beneath the edge of the panel which is stuck to the edge
3 of the bodywork opening 2. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, each end 9a
of the cross-member 9 is sandwiched between the edge 3 and the
panel 4.
FIG. 4 illustrates the fact that the cross-member 9 is in fact
one-half of a hinge 10 whose pivot axis extends parallel to the
longer edge of the opening 5, the other half 11 of the hinge 10
forming a support for the panel 7. The panel 7 is stuck to the half
11 in a zone adjacent to the bottom edge of the panel. The top edge
of the panel may include an abutment 12 for co-operating with the
bodywork or with the top portion of the panel 4 to hold the panel 7
in its closed position and to make the opening waterproof by
elements that are not shown.
Most of the elements described above are included with the same
references in the variant embodiment shown in FIG. 5. In this case
the panel 4 has a frame 13 on its inside face 4a forming a closed
structure inside the panel and offset from the peripheral edge of
the panel by a distance that is sufficient to ensure that the panel
can be put into place by means of adhesive engaging the edges 31 of
the opening 2 in the bodywork. The frame 3 may constitute the
support for various accessories, in particular for fixing the panel
to the bodywork, e.g. by means of clamps 14. It would be observed
in FIG. 1 that in order to mask the zones of adhesive, the fixed
panel 4 includes silkscreened patterns around its periphery and
over the cross-member 9. Such printing, which is known per se for
vehicle windows, also serves to mask the caps covering the heads of
the screws or rivets that may have been used for fixing the
cross-member 9 to the panel 4 either instead of adhesive or in
association with adhesive.
Finally, in FIG. 6 it can be seen that the panel 4 is made up of a
plurality of portions (in this case two portions 4a and 4b which
define an opening 6 (the portion 4a possessing three sides of the
opening and the portion 4b possessing the fourth side thereof). The
panels are connected together by any appropriate means disposed on
the inside face and optionally co-operating with a frame and the
functional cross-members for connecting the moving panel. The
junction zones between the parts forming the fixed panel lie in the
silkscreen printed zones. In this figure, the panel 8, which is to
close the opening 6 formed in the panel 4, is slidably mounted
between two cross-members 15 and 16, with the ends of the
cross-members 15 and 16 optionally being disposed like the end 9a
of the cross-member 9 shown in FIG. 2. In this case, the
cross-members 15 and 16 are represented in simplified form and the
panel 8 slides in a plane which is different from that of the panel
4, on the inside thereof. It would not go beyond the ambit of the
invention to provide in conventional manner for the slides 15 and
16 to be fitted with ramps so as to enable the panel 8 to perform
swinging motion over the opening 6 so as to enable it to be placed
in the same plane as the panel 4.
.Iadd.As best shown in FIG. 6, the fixed panel 8 defines a device
opening 6 therein. The device opening 6 has an upper opening edge,
a lower opening edge, and side opening edges extending between the
upper opening edge and the lower opening edge. The upper opening
edge of the device opening 6 is spaced downward from the top
circumferential edge of the fixed panel 8. The lower opening edge
of the device opening 6 is spaced upward from the bottom
circumferential edge of the fixed panel 8. Each of the side opening
edges of the device opening 6 are spaced toward a center of the
fixed panel 8 from the side circumferential edges of the fixed
panel 8.
The slide supports 15, 16 are disposed on the fixed panel 4, with
the slide supports 15, 16 being fitted to a face of the fixed panel
4 that is directed towards the inside of the vehicle. As shown in
FIG. 6, the upper slide support 15 is spaced downward from the top
circumferential edge of the fixed panel 4 such that the upper slide
support 15 is adjacent the upper opening edge of the device opening
6. The lower slide support 16 is spaced upward from the bottom
circumferential edge of the fixed panel 8 such that the lower slide
support 16 is adjacent the lower opening edge of the device opening
6.
The exact construction of the ramps to enable panel 8 to be in
plane with panel 4 when in the closed position is conventional and
not part of the present invention. In the identical manner as shown
in FIG. 2, the ends of the slide 15 extend to the circumferential
edges of the fixed panel 4 and are sandwiched between the edge 3
and the panel 4. The ends of the slide 16 are similarly sandwiched
between the edge 3 and the panel 4. At the circumferential edges of
the fixed panel 4, the ends of the slides 15, 16 are covered by the
layer of adhesive, so that the ends of the slides 15, 16 are
adhesively sandwiched between the fixed panel 4 and the body of the
vehicle..Iaddend.
In preferred manner, the panels 4, 7, and 8 are glass panels, which
glass panels, in spite of the fact that they are fitted with moving
elements for enabling the vehicle cabin to be ventilated, are
nevertheless flush relative to the bodywork of the vehicle. The
advantage in the appearance of such a disposition is due to the
lack of any discontinuity, at least any visual discontinuity,
between the bodywork and the glass.
It would not go beyond the ambit of the invention to provide for
the elements of the panel 4 (when it comprises a plurality of
parts) to be made of some material other than glass. A fixed panel
of the invention must behave like a one-piece element for fitting
to the bodywork of the vehicle, which element may be built up of a
plurality of preassembled parts and carrying a moving panel
together with functional elements linking it therewith.
* * * * *