Sliding laminated glazing unit with interior projection

Abstract

An automotive glazing unit includes a glazing and a system for allowing the glazing to be moved translationally with respect to a door of the vehicle. The glazing is curved and laminated and includes an exterior and an interior glass sheet and a plastic sheet between the exterior and interior glass sheets, each sheet having a peripheral edge face. The edge face of the interior glass sheet is located beyond the edge face of the plastic sheet and beyond the edge face of the exterior glass sheet over a portion of the length of the edge face of the interior glass sheet. The edge face of the interior glass sheet includes a protective layer on a portion of the length of that edge face of the interior glass sheet which is located beyond the edge face of the plastic sheet and beyond the edge face of the exterior glass sheet.

Claims

1. An automotive glazing unit of a vehicle, the automotive glazing unit comprising a glazing and a system configured to allow said glazing to be moved translationally with respect to a door of said vehicle, said glazing being curved and laminated and comprising at least an exterior glass sheet, an interior glass sheet and a plastic sheet located between said exterior glass sheet and said interior glass sheet, each sheet having a peripheral edge face, wherein the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet is located beyond the peripheral edge face of said plastic sheet and beyond the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet over at least one portion of a length of the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet and wherein the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet includes a protective layer on at least one portion of the length of that peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet which is located beyond the peripheral edge face of said plastic sheet and beyond the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet, wherein said interior glass sheet is a glass sheet having a thickness comprised between 0.40 and 2.10 mm, wherein the thickness of said interior glass sheet is less than a thickness of the exterior glass sheet, wherein said interior glass sheet is the only glass sheet between said interior and exterior glass sheets that is chemically tempered, wherein said protective layer is a varnish having a thickness of about 0.1 to 3.0 mm, wherein the interior glass sheet has an exterior face that faces the plastic sheet and an interior face that is opposite the exterior face and wherein a thickness of the varnish on the exterior face is at most equal to a thickness of the plastic sheet.

2. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective layer extends over a distance against the exterior face of said interior glass sheet and/or against the interior face of said interior glass sheet, said distance being comprised between 2.0 and 30.0 mm.

3. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the protective layer extends over a distance against the interior face of said interior glass sheet that is larger than a projection distance of the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet with respect to the peripheral edge face of said plastic sheet and to the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet.

4. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet lies beyond the peripheral edge face of said plastic sheet and beyond the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet at least in a top portion of said glazing.

5. The glazing unit as claimed claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet lies beyond the peripheral edge face of said plastic sheet and beyond the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet over one portion only of the length of the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet.

6. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet is aligned with the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet in a bottom portion of the glazing.

7. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet lies beyond the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet so that a centripetal offset of size comprised between 2.0 and 30.0 mm, is formed.

8. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet lies beyond the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet so that a centripetal offset is formed along both the entirety of a top portion and along one portion only of a single lateral edge of the glazing, or so that a centripetal offset is formed along both the entirety of a top portion and along one portion only of each of two lateral edges of said glazing.

9. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet includes the protective layer over the entirety of the length of the peripheral edge face of said interior glass sheet which is located beyond the peripheral edge face of said plastic sheet and beyond the peripheral edge face of said exterior glass sheet.

10. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein said interior glass sheet is a glass sheet having a thickness comprised between 0.40 and 1.60 mm.

11. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said distance is comprised between 3.0 and 20.0 mm.

12. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 2, wherein said distance remains constant on the exterior face of said interior glass sheet and/or the interior face of said interior glass sheet.

13. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the size of the centripetal offset is comprised between 3.0 and 20.0 mm.

14. The glazing unit as claimed in claim 7, wherein the centripetal offset is constant along its length.

Description

(1) The present invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description below of nonlimiting embodiments and the appended figures:

(2) FIG. 1 illustrates an exterior face-on view of a front automotive glazing unit according to the invention, equipped with two glazing holders;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a vertical transverse cross-sectional view of a glazing holder of FIG. 1;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates a profile view of a front automotive glazing unit equipped with two glazing holders according to the invention during the operation of installation of a glazing holder;

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates a partial vertical transverse cross-sectional view of the glazing unit of FIG. 1 between the two glazing holders and without these glazing holders, this glazing unit comprising a projection in the top portion thereof but no projection in the bottom portion thereof; and

(6) FIG. 5 illustrates a partial vertical transverse cross-sectional view of a variant of FIG. 4; the glazing unit including a projection in the top portion thereof and also in the bottom thereof.

(7) It will be noted that the various elements shown in the figures have not been drawn to scale for the sake of readability.

(8) FIG. 1 illustrates a right-hand side glazing unit 1 of a vehicle, according to the invention, drawn as seen from the exterior of the vehicle.

(9) It is in particular a side glazing unit of a door of a motor vehicle that is translationally movable with respect to this door substantially vertically between an open position in which the glazing unit is located entirely or almost entirely in the interior of the door and a closed position in which the glazing unit closes an opening of the door.

(10) Thus, when closed, this glazing unit forms a vertical separation between an interior space I that is in the interior of the vehicle and an exterior space E that is on the exterior of the vehicle.

(11) The notions “exterior” and “interior” are therefore considered in the present document with respect to this exterior space E and this interior space I, respectively.

(12) As it is a question of a side glazing unit, the latter for the most part extends along the axis generally called the “X-axis” of the vehicle, which is the central longitudinal axis of advance of the vehicle equipped with the glazing unit according to the invention as a side glazing unit on the right-hand side of the vehicle and which corresponds to the horizontal axis in the plane of the paper in FIG. 1.

(13) In the context of the present document, the notions “centripetal” and “centrifugal” are considered, in the plane of the paper in FIG. 1, to be expressed with respect to the center of the glazing unit, along the X and Z axes; the centrifugal direction points in the direction of this center whereas the centripetal direction is away from this center.

(14) In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the glazing unit 1 is unitarily formed.

(15) In the example embodiment illustrated, the glazing unit 1 includes a glazing 2 that is curved (i.e. not flat) and laminated. However, for greater simplicity, in the drawings of FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 the glazing 2 is considered to be flat.

(16) The glazing 2 of the glazing unit 1 is a laminated glazing that includes, from the exterior to the interior, at least, in this order: an exterior glass sheet 3, a plastic interlayer sheet 4 then an interior glass sheet 5; however, it is possible for at least one other sheet to be inserted between the exterior glass sheet 3 and the plastic interlayer sheet 4 or between the plastic interlayer sheet 4 and the interior glass sheet 5.

(17) The exterior glass sheet 3 has an exterior face 30 that is oriented toward the exterior E, an interlayer face 32 that is oriented toward the plastic interlayer sheet 4, and a peripheral edge face 31 that is located between these two faces.

(18) The interior glass sheet 5 has an interlayer face 50 that is oriented toward the plastic interlayer sheet 4, an interior face 52 that is oriented toward the interior I and a peripheral edge face 51 located between these two faces.

(19) The plastic interlayer sheet 4 has an exterior interlayer face 40 that is oriented toward the interlayer face 32 and that here makes contact with this interlayer face 32, an interior interlayer face 42 that is oriented toward the interlayer face 50 and that here makes contact with this interlayer face 50, and a peripheral edge face 41 that is located between these two interlayer faces 40, 42.

(20) The exterior glass sheet 3 is for example a glass sheet having undergone a thermal bending operation before the manufacture of the laminated glazing 2 and having a thickness e.sub.3 comprised between 1.20 and 4.50 mm and for example of 2.10 mm.

(21) The plastic interlayer sheet 4 is for example a sheet made of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) having a thickness e.sub.4 comprised between 0.50 and 1.50 mm and for example of 0.78 mm. This plastic sheet 4 preferably has the same length dimension along the X-axis and height dimension along the Z-axis as the exterior glass 3.

(22) The interior glass sheet 5 is a glass sheet having undergone thermal bending and thermal tempering and having a thickness e.sub.5 comprised between 0.40 and 2.10 mm, or even between 0.40 and 2.00 mm, or even between 0.40 and 1.80 mm, or even between 0.40 and 1.60 mm, and for example of 1.60 mm. a chemical tempering operation and having a thickness e.sub.5 comprised between 0.40 and 2.10 mm, or even between 0.40 and 2.00 mm, or even between 0.40 and 1.80 mm, or even between 0.40 and 1.60 mm and for example of 1.00 mm; in this case, preferably, the interior glass sheet 5 is not curved before the manufacture of the laminated glazing 2; it is this lamination that will give it its curved shape, by making it conform to the shape of the exterior glass sheet 3. This is made possible by virtue of the small thickness of the interior glass sheet.

(23) In the case where the glazing 2 includes one or more other sheets in addition to the aforementioned three, the interior glass sheet 5 is the sheet of the laminated glazing that is interiormost.

(24) The glazing unit 1 includes, apart from the glazing 2, along at least one portion of at least one bottom edge, means for allowing the glazing 2 to be move translationally with respect to a door of the vehicle. These means comprise at least one and preferably at least two glazing holders 6, 6′ for example having, in transverse cross section, a substantially upside-down h shape.

(25) FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed view of the glazing holder 6 of FIG. 1. This glazing holder 6 thus has: a first portion consisting of two parallel walls 63, 64 that are connected at their base and forming a longitudinal groove, i.e. forming a U shape in transverse cross section; and a second portion consisting of a tail 65 extending away from the parallel walls 63, 64 with respect to the base connecting these walls.

(26) In the illustrated version, assembly is carried out so that said parallel walls 63, 64 of said h shape clasp the lower portion of said glazing 2, the tail 65 then being located substantially in the extension of the glazing 2.

(27) This h shape of the glazing holder is particularly advantageous because it allows forces to be transmitted between the glazing holder and the glazing over a large area corresponding to the sum of the interior areas of the parallel walls 63, 64; however, it is entirely possible to use a single platen, this platen for example having at least two portions: a first portion for interacting with the glazing and a second portion for interacting with the mechanism for driving (raising/lowering) the glazing.

(28) In FIG. 2, the glazing 2 is curved and the parallel walls 63, 64 and the tail 65 are planar; however, it is possible for the parallel walls 63, 64 and/or the tail 65 to be curved. The tail 65 extends approximately from the midpoint of the base connecting the parallel walls 63, 64, but it is also possible to position the tail 65 in the extension of either one of the parallel walls 63, 64.

(29) In FIG. 2, the tail 65 is not parallel to the walls 63, 64. The axis A illustrates the midplane of the glazing unit 1 at its lower end when the latter is correctly positioned with respect to the glazing holder 6; the tail 65 is oriented with a nonzero angle with respect to the axis A, which angle depends on the curvature of the glazing 2.

(30) The tail 65 is intended to be connected to a motorized driving system (not illustrated) in order to allow the glazing unit 1 to be raised and lowered in the door of the vehicle.

(31) The glazing holders 6, 6′ and the glazing 2 are assembled on a template allowing tolerances in the glazing holder 6/glazing 2 assembly to be controlled.

(32) Before the glazing holders are positioned and fastened in place, the glazing 2 is first correctly positioned (“focused”) in a mounting template 11 (shown in FIG. 3) comprising a plurality of positioning abutments, according to the isostatism in Z1, Z2, Y1, Y2, Y3 and X4 illustrated in FIG. 1.

(33) The point Y3 is, preferably, positioned on the line of a window seal 7 illustrating the position of this bottom contact seal with the door when the glazing unit is closed.

(34) A matrix 12, illustrated in dotted lines, and which is securely fastened to the reference system of the glazing 2, accommodates the tail 65 of each glazing holder 6.

(35) Lower 13 and upper 14 movable jaws then clamp the tail 65.

(36) Whatever the orientation of the glazing holders 6 in the Y direction, the movable jaws 13, 14 trapp the glazing holder 6 without deteriorating the isostatism described above.

(37) The one (or more) glazing holder(s) 6, 6′ is(are) adhesively bonded using an adhesive, for example polyurethane, then “wedged” onto the glazing 2, i.e. it is (they are) positioned so that the glazing is present in the U shape, optionally in abutment, by inserting between said parallel walls 63, 64 and the glazing 2 inserts 66 made of plastic, such as for example of polypropylene.

(38) In one variant, it is proposed to replace the phase of positioning added inserts 66 with a phase of injection molding in-situ adhesive material intended to form the inserts 66, made of thermoplastic hotmelt resin, for example based on polyamide.

(39) The injection of the inserts when the glazing and the glazing holders are correctly positioned with respect to one another thus guarantees the position of the glazing holder, whatever the curvature of the glazing.

(40) The hotmelt resin used has an elastic limit of about 5.5 N/mm.sup.2 and a yield strength of 11 N/mm.sup.2, calculated according to standard DIN 53455. It must be used at a temperature of about 220° C. and has at this temperature a viscosity of about 5000 mPa.Math.s, measured according to standard ASTM D 3236.

(41) During the implementation of this solution, it is also possible to use an additional adhesive to perfectly fasten the insert to the parallel walls and the glazing.

(42) The inserts 66, which are added or manufactured in situ by injection molding, thus serve to hold the glazing 2 in place relative to the parallel walls 63, 64 with respect to lateral forces.

(43) The glazing holders used are, preferably, made of aluminum alloy. By way of example, with a 6060 aluminum alloy (AGS), a vertical compressive force of 30 to 50 tonnes is enough, i.e. divided by the size of the glazing holders, pressures of about 150 GPa for h-shape glazing holders of overall size of about 40×30 mm and of about 450 GPa for h-shape glazing holders of overall size of about 60×60 mm.

(44) The glazed element 2 has an exterior face 20 that is formed by the exterior face 30 of the exterior glass sheet 3, an interior face 22 that is formed by the interior face 52 of the interior glass sheet 5 and a peripheral edge face 21 located between these two faces, corresponding to the peripheral edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3, to the peripheral edge face 41 of the plastic sheet 4 and to the peripheral edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5.

(45) According to the invention, the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 is located beyond, in a centripetal direction, the edge face 41 of said plastic sheet 4 and beyond the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3 over at least one portion of the length of the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5, i.e. along at least one portion of the length of the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5.

(46) Thus, the interior glass sheet 5 has at least a height along the Z-axis and/or a length along the X-axis that is (are) larger than that (those) of the exterior glass sheet 3.

(47) Preferably, the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 is located, in a centripetal direction, beyond the edge face 41 of the plastic sheet 4 and beyond the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3, at least in the top portion of the glazing unit.

(48) The edge face 51 of said interior glass sheet 5 is thus located beyond, in a centripetal direction, the edge face 31 of said exterior glass sheet 3 (and beyond the edge face 41 of the plastic sheet 4) so that a centripetal offset 9, or projection, is formed.

(49) This offset may be comprised between 2.0 and 30.0 mm, or even between 3.0 and 20.0 mm, and for example here is 2.85 mm; this offset 9 is preferably constant along its length.

(50) In FIG. 1, the window seal 7 marks the top of the cavity of the door, into the interior of which cavity the glazing unit 1 slides when the glazing is closed. In this closed glazing-unit position, all that portion of the glazing unit which is located under this window seal 7 may have no offset: in this portion under the window seal 7, in the interior of the cavity of the door when the glazing unit is closed, it is possible for the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 over one (or more) portion(s) of its length, or even over the entirety of its length, to be aligned with the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3.

(51) It is for example possible for the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 to be aligned with the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3 only in the places where the means for allowing the glazing 2 to be moved translationally with respect to a door of the vehicle are located.

(52) Above the window seal 7 the door of the vehicle may include at least one portion with no jamb(s). Thus, it is possible for the door: to not include a front lateral jamb and for it to be the adjacent body portion, also called “the A pillar”, that guides the glazing unit; and/or to not include a rear lateral jamb and for it to be the adjacent body portion, also called “the B pillar”, that guides the glazing unit.

(53) The edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 preferably includes a protective layer 8 over at least one portion of the length of that edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 which is located, in a centripetal direction, beyond the edge face 41 of the plastic sheet 4 and beyond the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3.

(54) Also preferably, this protective layer 8 is present over the entirety of the length of that edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 which is located beyond the edge face 41 of the plastic sheet 4 and beyond the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3.

(55) The protective layer 8 furthermore preferably extends over a distance d.sub.8, d.sub.8′ against an exterior face 50 of the interior glass sheet 5 and/or respectively against an interior face 52 of the interior glass sheet 5; this distance is preferably comprised between 2.0 and 10.0 mm, or even between 3.0 and 8.0 mm and is furthermore preferably constant on the exterior face 50 of the interior glass sheet 5 and/or on the interior face 52 of the interior glass sheet 5.

(56) Thus, the protective layer preferably has an exterior face 80 that is oriented toward the exterior E, an interior face 82 that is oriented toward the interior I and a peripheral edge face 81 located between these two faces.

(57) The exterior face 80 of the protective layer is preferably substantially parallel to the exterior face 50 of the interior glass sheet 5 in the portion that it covers, the interior face 82 of the protective layer is preferably substantially parallel to the interior face 52 of the interior glass sheet 5 in the portion that it covers and the edge face 81 of the protective layer is preferably substantially parallel to the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 in the portion that it covers.

(58) Here, the protective layer 8 extends over a distance d.sub.8 against an exterior face 50 of the interior glass sheet 5 that is identical to the height of the offset D. Thus, the protective layer makes contact with the edge face 41 of the plastic sheet and also protects this edge face.

(59) The aim of the protective layer 8 is both to protect the edge (i.e. at least one portion of the projection, or even all the projection, or even more than the projection) of the interior glass sheet 5 in order to prevent its degradation and, at the same time, to protect users because of the potentially sharp character of the edge of the interior glass sheet, in particular in case of a flush breach level with a ridge.

(60) The protective layer 8 may be a varnish having a thickness of about 0.1 to 3.0 mm, or even 0.2 to 2.0 mm and for example of 0.5 mm; it may also instead or furthermore be a part made of plastic or of metal or metal alloy. It may be manufactured beforehand then wedged onto or adhesively bonded to the exterior glass sheet or be manufactured in-situ when it is made of plastic, for example using an in-situ extrusion technology or encapsulation between two mold portions closed on themselves or even a hybrid extrusion technology guided between two mold portions that are not completely closed on themselves.

(61) The protective layer is here a profile made of plastic having a total thickness e.sub.8 equal to at least twice the thickness e.sub.5 of the interior glass sheet 5.

(62) The protective layer is fastened to the glazing 2 before or after the glazing holders 6, 6′ are fastened in place, but in any case before the glazing unit 1 is fastened to the door of the vehicle. This fastening is preferably irreversible in the sense that the protective layer can then not be removed without damaging the glazing unit.

(63) The protective layer may also participate in the aesthetics of the glazing unit by having a suitable (identical) color with respect to the color of the body of the vehicle or by having a chrome-coated appearance.

(64) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the edge face 51 of said interior glass sheet 5 is located beyond both the edge face 41 of the plastic sheet 4 and beyond the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3, over only one portion of the length of the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5. In this instance, the projection is present along the lateral edges and the top edge of the glazing, but is not present along the bottom edge of the glazing.

(65) Thus, as may be seen in FIG. 4, these three edge faces 31, 41, 51 are aligned with one another along the Y-axis in the bottom portion of the glazing, but are not aligned with one another along the Y-axis in the top portion of the glazing: the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 is offset in the centripetal direction, i.e.: along the Z-axis at least along the top edge of the glazing; and preferably furthermore along the X-axis at least along the lateral edge of the glazing, or even preferably along the two lateral edges of the glazing.

(66) For example, the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 may be offset in the centripetal direction, along the top edge of the glazing and along the lateral edge of the glazing that is toward the rear of the vehicle, on the right in FIG. 1, also called “the B pillar”.

(67) Each sheet 3, 4, 5 has a peripheral perimeter P.sub.3, P.sub.4, P.sub.5: the perimeter of the interior glass sheet 5 lies beyond the perimeter P.sub.4 of the plastic sheet 4 and the perimeter P.sub.3 of the exterior glass sheet 3 over at least one portion of the length of the perimeter P.sub.5 of the interior glass sheet 5.

(68) The perimeter P.sub.5 of the interior glass sheet 5 is not aligned with the perimeter P.sub.3 of the exterior glass sheet 3 in a top portion of the glazing unit, which is present on the exterior of the panels of the door when the glazing unit is closed: the projection is thus present along the entirety of the periphery of the glazing that is visible from the exterior when the glazing unit is closed.

(69) The perimeter P.sub.5 of the interior glass sheet 5 is in lateral alignment with the perimeter P.sub.3 of the exterior glass sheet 3 only in a bottom portion of the glazing unit: in the portion of the glazing unit that remains in the interior of said door when the glazing unit is closed, in order to participate in the reinforcement of the glazing in this location with a view to increasing the reliability of the attachment of the glazing holders to the glazing.

(70) This perimeter P.sub.5 of the interior glass sheet 5 that is offset in the centripetal direction with respect to the perimeter P.sub.3 of the exterior glass sheet 3 and P.sub.4 of the plastic sheet 4 makes it possible to use this perimeter P.sub.5 to guide the glazing unit 1 in corresponding profiles located facing in the opening of the door when the door includes jambs or in the opening of the body that accommodates the door with respect to which the glazing unit may slide when the door includes partial glazing jambs or includes no glazing jamb(s).

(71) In particular, this perimeter may slide into a U-shaped profile provided in the top portion of the door or the opening when the glazing unit is completely closed.

(72) In one variant, the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 lies beyond the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3 so that the centripetal offset 9, or protrusion, is formed along both the entirety of a top portion and along the entirety of an upper edge of the glazing unit and along only one portion of a single lateral edge, or even so that a centripetal offset 9, or projection, is formed along both the entirety of a top portion and along only one portion of two lateral edges of said glazing unit.

(73) In one embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the edge face of the interior glass sheet is located beyond the edge face of the plastic sheet and the edge face of the exterior glass sheet over the entirety of the length of the edge face of the interior glass sheet.

(74) Thus, these three edge faces are not aligned with one another, either along the Y-axis in the bottom portion of the glazing, or along the Y-axis in the top portion of the glazing, or along the Y-axis on the sides.

(75) In this embodiment, the centripetal projection is peripheral: it is present along the entirety of the periphery of the glazing; the distance D is preferably constant all the way around the glazing 2.

(76) In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the protective layer 8 is also completely peripheral: it is present along the entirety of the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5; it is however possible to interrupt the protective layer 8 in the zone, or even in each zone, in which the means for allowing the glazing 2 to be moved translationally with respect to the door of the vehicle are located.

(77) Moreover, in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5, the protective layer 8 extends over a distance d.sub.8′ against the interior face 52 of the interior glass sheet 5 that is larger than the projection distance D of the edge face 51 of the interior glass sheet 5 with respect to the edge face 41 of the plastic sheet 4 and to the edge face 31 of the exterior glass sheet 3. This distance d.sub.8′ may be comprised between 3.0 and 40.0 mm, or even between 4.0 and 30.0 mm, and may for example be 15.0 mm.

(78) The present invention was described above by way of example. It will be understood that a person skilled in the art will be able to produce various variants of the invention without however departing from the scope of the patent such as defined by the claims.