GB2082662A - Vehicle window clip - Google Patents

Abstract

A member 5 with an h-shaped cross section and having a void in the lower part thereof is provided on the wall of a depression formed in an automobile body for the mounting of a pane of glass. The spacer has a number of appropriately spaced slits communicating with the void 5' provided therein. The insertion part 7a of a clip 7 is inserted through the slit and the clip is thereafter slid in a predetermined direction to attach the clip to the member 5. Finally, the edge of a molding 13 is engaged with an operating part 7b to fix the molding to the automobile body. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Molding clip This invention relates to a clip for attaching a decorative molding around the edge of a pane of glass mounted within a frame-like depression formed in an automobile body to receive a windshield or rear window, the pane of glass being attached to the top surface of an edge projecting into the window opening at the bottom of the depression.

For the purpose of attaching clips for retaning a molding around an automobile windshield or window, of preventing the molding from marrying the paint finish of the automobile body at the time of attachment and of precluding the entry of dirt and water between the molding and the car, it has in the past been common to fix a spacer having a J-shaped cross section with its trough opening upward or a spacer having an h-shaped cross section with an interior void around the vertical wall of the depression in which the windshield or window is to be mounted and to use the trough or void of the spacer to retain a group of clips for attaching the molding, the clips being spaced at intervals along the length of the spacer. The clips used in these conventional arrangements have been of various types. (U.S.

Patent Nos. 4,139,971 and 4,172,000 and Japanese Patent Application Public Disclosure No. 114,786/ 1980).

These conventional clips are attached to the spacer by being inserted into the trough or void of the spacer from above and when a once-attached molding is to be removed, it is necessary to insert a tool between the glass and the molding and then either to extract the clip upwardly or to grasp the clip and pull it forward to release the engagement between the clip and the molding. As this operation requires the worker to use a tool to locate clips which he cannot see because they are covered by the molding, the work is troublesome and inefficient.

The object of the present invention is to provide a clip for attaching a molding to an automobile window which is of simple structure and which permits the clips which retain the molding to be detached from the spacer with ease.

In order to attain this object, the clip according to the present invention is arranged so that the molding can be attached merely by inserting a number of clips into the void of a spacer having an h-shaped cross section which is attached along the vertical wall of a frame-like depression formed in an auto mobile body and then sliding the clips in the longitudinal direction of the spacer and so that when the pane of glass or the molding is to be removed, the clips can be easily detached from the spacer by inserting a tool between the glass and the molding and sliding the clips in the opposite direction.

The other objects and features of the invention will be clearfrom the following detailed explanation made in reference to the attached drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the clip in accordance with the present invention showing the manner in which it is attached to a spacer fixed to a window frame; Figure 2 is a perspective view from behind of the clip shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a molding attached to a window frame by the clip shown in Figure 1; Figure 4 is an explanatory view showing how a molding once attached to a window frame is removed; Figure 5 is a front view of a second embodiment of the clip in accordance with the present invention; Figure 6 is a rear view of the clip shown in Figure 5; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a molding attached to a window frame by the clip shown in Figure 5; and Figure 8 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the clip in accordance with the present invention.

Afirst embodiment of the molding clip according to the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 4.

The car body with which the molding clip is employed is provided with a window surrounded by a frame-like depression 1 having as its bottom wall a projecting edge 1a. A pane of glass is fitted into the frame-like deression 1 and is fixed on the upper surface of the edge la. The depression further has a vertical wall 1 b having a spacer 5 attached over the full length thereof by means of a double-faced tape 4. The spacer 5 used in the present invention is formed of plastic to have an appropriate degree of resilience and is of approximately the same height as the vertical wall 1 b.It is integrally formed of a back member 5a the rear surface of which is attached to the double-faced tape 4 and a stepshaped front member 5b provided so as to form between itself and the front surface of the back member 5a a void 5' which is closed at least at the top. Although, as shown in the drawing, the spacer 5 typically has an h-shaped cross-section with the void 5' being open at the bottom, it can also of course be constructed so that the void 5' is closed at both the top and the bottom. The upper portion of the front member 5b which covers the top of the void 5' forms a step Sc having a number of slits 6 which communicate with the void 5' provided at appropriate intervals therein.A clip 7 is inserted downwardly into each slit 6 and then is slid in the longitudinal direction of the slit to attach the lower half of the clip 7 to the spacer 5.

The clip 7 can be pressed from metal plate material, can be formed from plastic by extrusion molding or can be fabricated in some other way.

Regardless of how it is formed, however, it is required to have an insertion member 7a to be inserted downwardly through the slit 6 and positioned inside the void 5', an upper engagement and operation member 7b to be positioned above the step Sc and having on its rear surface opposing the back member 5a of the spacer 5 a claw 8 for catching a hook-shaped edge of the molding and on its front surface one or more operation parts 9 projecting from the front surface so as to be catchable by a tool, a slot 10 located between the insertion member 7a and the operating member 7b which is open at one end and of about the same thickness as that of the step 5c, and a connecting portion 7c connecting the other ends of the insertion member and the operating member The clip 7 of the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4 is press-formed from steel sheet to have the claw 8 formed by deformation of the sheet material and the operating parts 9 formed by bending both ends of the operating member 7b at right angles.

The insertion member 7a is further provided along its bottom edge with a rearwardly bent portion 11 and at its upper edge with one or more oblique lugs 12 so that when the insertion member is positioned within the void 5' of the spacer 5, its front face will come into contact with the inside surface of the front member 5b whiie the leading edge of the bent portion 11 and the tips of the oblique lugs 12 come into contact with the inside surface of the back member 5a. This arrangement compensates for the thinness of the sheet material from which the clip 7 is pressed and assures that the insertion member 7a will be pevented from moving back and forward within the void 5'.The position of the rearwardly bent portion 11 is not limited to the bottom edge of the insertion member nor is the position of the oblique lugs 12 limited to the top edge, and the position of these members may be reversed or both the top and bottom edges may be provided with bent members or lugs members.

The length of the slits 6 in the longitudinal direction of the spacer 5 is made great enough to permit the insertion member 7a and the connecting portion 7c to be inserted therein from above, and the width thereof is made equal to that the void 5', that is, to the space between the back member 5a and the front member 5b of the spacer 5.

The insertion member 7a of the so constructed clip 7 is inserted into the slit 6 will the operating member 7b left projecting above the step 5c. Next, the clip is slid toward the open end of the slot 10 (in the drection of the arrow in Figure 1) causing the insertion member 7a to move within the void 5' and the insertion member 7a and the operating member 7b to clamp the step Sc which is now caught within the slot 10. This sliding operation can be continued until the connecting portion 7c of the clip abuts against one end of the slit 6. A clip is inserted in every one of the slits 6 provided at intervals along the step Sc and all of the clips are slid in the same direction to attach them firmly to the spacer 5.If necessary, the slot 10 of the clip can be made progressively narrower from its open end inward so that as the clip is slid, the insertion member 7a and the operating member 7b will gradually exert a stronger clamping force on the step 5c.

When the clip is attached to the step of the spacer as described above, the claw 8 projecting from the back of the operating member 7b assumes a position opposite the front surface of the back member Sc of the spacer 5. Therefore, it is possible to force the hooked edge 13' of a molding 13 between the back member 5a and the claw 8 of the clip 7 to bring the hooked edge into engagement with the clip and thereby attach the molding 13 along the edge of the pane of glass. When, at some later time, it becomes necessary to remove the molding, a tool 14 is inserted between the glass and the front edge of the molding as shown in Figure 4.The tip of the tool is then used to catch one of the operating parts on each of the clips to slide it in the opposite direction from that in which it was slid during the attachment operation (in the direction of the arrow in Figure 4).

This causes the clip to return to the position it was in when first inserted into the slit 6 from above and allows the insertion member 7a to be extracted from the void 5' of the spacer. Therefore, the clips can be extracted and the molding 13 removed simply by pulling the molding 13 upward. As all clips are attached to the spacer by sliding them in the same direction, it is not necessary to search out the clips with the tool one by one. All that need be done is to insert the tool between the glass and the molding and then to move the tool in the direction opposite the direction in which the clips were slid during attachment. This is an extremely simple operation which allows not only the molding but also the clips to be recovered without any damage whatsoever.

Figures 5 to 7 show an embodiment of the clip according to the present invention which is extrusion molded from plastic. The thickness of the insertion member 7a is made approximately equal to the width of the void 5' and its upper edge is provided with teeth 15. The claw 8 and the operating parts 9 are formed on the operating member 7b as thick portions projecting from the back and front faces thereof, respectively. Therefore, as in the case of the clip made from steel sheet material described above, this plastic clip can be attached to the spacer 5 by catching the step Sc in the slot 10 between the insertion member 7a and the operating member 7b.

Once the molding has been attached to the clips retained by the spacer, the clips can thereafter be slid in the opposite direction to the direction in which they were slid during attachment and both the molding and the clips can be removed by pulling the clips out of the slits.

The claw 8 can be provided at the center of the operating member 7b or at any other position between its opposite ends. However, when, as in this embodiment, it is provided at one end of the operating member (at the end toward which the slept 10 opens), an advantage is obtained in that the spring action of the operating member 7b at the time the hooked edge 13' of the molding is forced into engagement with the hook 8 can be utilized to the optimum. Moreover, it is possible to provide one or more protuberances 16 on the rear face of the operating member 7b for the purpose of pessing against the hooked edge of the molding in order to hold the molding snugly against the front face of the back member 5a of the spacer. The protuberance(s) 16 is preferably provided on one or both sides of the claw 8 when the claw is formed at the center of the operating member 7b. On the other hand, when, as in this embodiment, the claw is provided toward one end, it is preferable to form the protuberance 16 at the other end and to have it project less than the claw 8. In the case of the embodiment depicted in Figures 1 to 4, the protuberance 16 is formed by deformation of the metal sheet material from which th clip is made, and in the case of the embodiment shown in Figures 5 to 7 it is formed by increasing the thickness of the plastic material.

Also, as shown in Figure 7, it is possible to close the bottom of the spacer to fully enclose the void 5'.

With this arrangement, any water leaking through the slits 6 is prevented from reaching the edge 1a, thus protecting the edge 1 a from rust.

Further, as shown in Figure 8, it is possible to provide on the connecting portion 7c of the clip a flange 7' which is extended rearwardly (with respect to the sliding direction of the clip at the time of attachment) and is positioned so that when the insertion member 7a is inserted through the slit 6 and the clip is slid during the attaching operation, it will slide along the top of step Sc to come into a position where it covers the slit 6. The operating member 7b is provided on the flange 7' when the clip is in the fully attached state so that water is prevented from leaking into the interior through the slit.

When the clip 7 is formed of plastic, the flange 7' can easily be formed integrally therewith.

It goes without saying the optimum rust preventin will be obtained when both of the foregoing measures are used together, i.e., when the clip is provided with the flange 7' and the void 5' is fully enclosed.

As is clear from the foregoing explanation, a spacer having an h-shaped cross section and possessing a void in its lower part is attached to the vertical wall of a frame-like depression for mounting a pane of glass, the step of the spacer being provided with a plurality of appropriately spaced slits. The insertion members of clips according to the present invention are inserted through these slits and are then attached to the spacer by a sliding operation. One edge of a molding is forced between the clips and the spacer to complete attachment of the molding. When the molding is to be detached, a tool is inserted between the glass and the molding and moved in the direction opposite to that in which the clips were slid during attachment. As a result, the clips are freed from the spacer and the molding can be easily detached.

Claims (6)

1. In a molding clip used in combination with a spacer provided along the vertical wall of a framelike depression formed such as in an automobile body for mounting a pane of glass, the spacer being formed of a back member and a step-shaped front member integrally connected to the back member at the center of the front thereof to give the spacer a generally h-shaped cross section and to form a void between the lower front surface of the back member and the front member, having the rear surface of its back member attached to the vertical wall of the frame-like depression and having a plurality of slits extending in its longitudinal direction provided in the stepped part of the front member, said slits communicating with said void, the improved molding clip comprising: an insertion member to be inserted through one of said slits from above and positioned within said void; an operational member which is positioned above said stepped part when said insertion member is positioned within said void, said operating member having at least one operating part projecting from its front surface and a claw for catching the edge of a molding projecting from is rear surface; a slot provided between said insertion member and said operating member, said slot being of a width approximately equal to the thickness of said stepped part of said spacer and being open at one end; and a connecting portion connecting the other ends of said insertion member and said operating member.

2. A molding clip according to claim 1, wherein all parts are made from steel sheet material and said insertion member is provided with contact members which come into contact with the front surface of said back member and the rear surface of said front member when said insertion member is positioned within said void.

3. A molding clip according to claim 1, wherein all parts are made from plastic and said insertion member has a thickness causing it to come into substantial contact with said front surface of said back member and the rear surface of said front member when it is positioned within said void.

4. A molding clip according to any of claims 1,2 or 3, wherein the rear surface of said operating member is further provided with at least one protuberance which projects less than said claw.

5. A molding clip according to claim 1,further comprising a flange provided on said connecting portion at a position where it slidingly contacts the top of said stepped part of said front member of said spacer.

6. A mold clip as claimed in claim 1, substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.