Vehicle glazing comprising a mounting plate for fixing several accessories, mounting plate and fixing method

Abstract

A vehicle glazing includes a glazed element, at least one mounting plate for the reversible attachment of an accessory to the glazed element, the mounting plate having an exterior face which is fixed facing an interior face of the glazed element, and including at least one mount for the reversible attachment of another accessory to the glazed element, wherein the mount is mechanically connected by at least one connecting arm connecting the mount to the mounting plate and the mount having an exterior face which is fixed facing an interior face of the glazed element.

Claims

1. A vehicle glazing comprising a glazed element, at least one mounting plate for the reversible attachment of an accessory to said glazed element, said mounting plate having an exterior face which is fixed facing an interior face of said glazed element, and comprising at least one mount for the reversible attachment of another accessory to said glazed element, wherein said mount is mechanically connected by at least one first connecting arm connecting said mount to said mounting plate, said at least one first connecting arm being adapted to adjust an orientation of said mount relative to said mounting plate when said mount is mechanically connected to said mounting plate with said at least one first connecting arm, and said mount having an exterior face which is fixed facing the interior face of said glazed element.

2. The glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mount is separated from said mounting plate by a slot and said slot has said at least one first connecting arm passing across or straddling it.

3. The glazing as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one baseplate for the reversible attachment of another accessory to said glazed element, said baseplate being mechanically connected by at least one second connecting arm connecting said baseplate to said mounting plate and said baseplate having an exterior face which is fixed facing the interior face of said glazed element.

4. The glazing as claimed in claim 3, wherein said baseplate is separated from said mounting plate by a slot across which said at least one second connecting arm passes.

5. The glazing as claimed in claim 3, wherein said baseplate and/or said mount is or are mechanically connected to said mounting plate by, respectively, several first and second connecting arms.

6. The glazing as claimed in claim 3, wherein said mounting plate, said baseplate and/or said mount are fixed to said interior face of said glazed element by two or even three identical adhesive substances.

7. The glazing as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one first connecting arm is formed as an integral part with said mounting plate and said mount, and said at least one second connecting arm is formed as an integral part with said mounting plate and said baseplate.

8. The glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one first connecting arm is curved.

9. The glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said mounting plate comprises elements for the reversible attachment of an interior cover.

10. The glazing as claimed in claim 1, further comprising accessories selected from a group consisting of a rain sensor, a light sensor, a photographic sensor, an infrared sensor, a camera, a rear-view mirror support, and a display screen support.

11. The glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said glazed element is a curved laminated glazed element.

12. A component for fixing an accessory to the glazing as claimed in claim 1, said component comprising at least the mounting plate and the mount for fixing another accessory, said mount being mechanically connected by the at least one first connecting arm connecting said mount to said mounting plate and said mount having the exterior face which is intended to be fixed facing the interior face of said glazed element.

13. A method for fixing several accessories to the glazing as claimed in claim 1, comprising fixing said mounting plate to said interior face of said glazed element then fixing the mount to said interior face of said glazed element while adjusting a position of said mount with respect to said mounting plate, the adjustment being constrained by the at least one first connecting arm.

14. The glazing as claimed in claim 5, wherein said several first and second connecting arms are arranged, respectively, symmetrically with respect to one another and with respect to an axis passing through a center of said baseplate and/or of said mount respectively, or with respect to a plane passing through a center of said baseplate or of said mount respectively.

15. The glazing as claimed in claim 7, wherein each of said at least one first connecting arm and said at least one second connecting arm has a thickness comprised between 0.5 and 3.0 mm.

16. The glazing as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one first connecting arm is adapted to provide a flexible connection between the mount and the mounting plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) A number of embodiments are described hereinafter by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the attached drawings in which:

(2) FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mounting plate of the prior art for attaching an accessory to a glazed element, chiefly showing the exterior face of this mounting plate, and a mount and a baseplate which are both completely separate from this mounting plate for attaching two other accessories respectively;

(3) FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a mounting plate according to the invention for attaching an accessory to a glazed element chiefly showing the exterior face of this mounting plate, this mounting plate comprising a mount connected to this mounting plate, for the attachment of another accessory;

(4) FIG. 3 is a view in section on AA of FIG. 2, also partially showing in cross section a glazed element and the adhesive substance that fixes on the one hand the mounting plate and, on the other hand, the mount to the interior face of the glazed element;

(5) FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of FIG. 2 illustrating the mount and chiefly showing the interior face of this mount;

(6) FIG. 5 is a detailed perspective view of FIG. 2 illustrating a connecting arm achieving a mechanical connection between the mount and the mounting plate;

(7) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another mounting plate according to the invention for the attachment of an accessory to a glazed element chiefly showing the interior face of this mounting plate, a mount being connected to this mounting plate for the attachment of another accessory; and

(8) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of another mounting plate according to the invention for the attachment of an accessory to a glazed element chiefly showing the interior face of this mounting plate, a mount and a baseplate each being connected to this mounting plate, for the attachment of two other accessories.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(9) In these figures, the various elements are drawn to scale within each figure but background elements are generally not depicted, in order to make the figures easier to understand.

(10) FIG. 1 illustrates three means of reversible attachment of accessories of the prior art. These means are fixed against the interior face of a glazed element (not illustrated in this figure) so that each allows the attachment of one accessory.

(11) These three means are, respectively, in this instance: a mounting plate 3 for the reversible attachment of an accessory, such as an interior rear-view mirror for example, to said glazed element, said mounting plate 3 having an exterior face 31 which is intended to be fixed to an interior face of a glazed element, facing this interior face of the glazed element; a baseplate 4 for the reversible attachment of another accessory, such as a camera for example, to said glazed element, the baseplate 4 having a hole 40 for the passage of part of this accessory and an exterior face 41 which is intended to be fixed to an interior face of the glazed element, facing this interior face of the glazed element; and a mount 5 for the reversible attachment of another accessory, such as a rain sensor for example, to said glazed element, said mount 5 having a hole 50 for the passage of part of this accessory and an exterior face 51 which is intended to be fixed to an interior face of the glazed element, facing this interior face of the glazed element.

(12) These three means (or components) are independent of one another: they are not in direct contact with one another and there is no mechanical connection element between them.

(13) These three means are fixed via their respective exterior face 31, 41, 51 to the interior face of the glazed element independently: the mounting plate 3 is fixed to the glazed element with respect to its frame of reference R3 which is specific to it; the baseplate 4 is fixed to the glazed element with respect to its frame of reference R4 which is specific to it and independent of that of the mounting plate; and the mount 5 is fixed to the glazed element with respect to its frame of reference R5 which is specific to it and independent of that of the mounting plate and of the baseplate.

(14) These three means may be fixed by three independent adhesive substances to the interior face of the glazed element; they may also be fixed using the same adhesive substance. This substance or these substances may be a double-sided sticky tape or a glue.

(15) Of course, this adhesive substance is applied to the exterior face of the mounting plate, of the baseplate and of the mount in such a way that the holes in each of these three means which are used for attaching the accessories are free of adhesive substance.

(16) The present invention relates to glazing 1, notably vehicle glazing like that which can be seen, in partial section, in FIG. 3.

(17) As with glazing of the prior art, each piece of vehicle glazing 1 according to the invention comprises, as may be seen in FIG. 3, a glazed element 2 and at least one mounting plate 3 for the reversible attachment of an accessory (not illustrated) to said glazed element 2, said mounting plate 3 having, as in the prior art, an exterior face 31 fixed facing an interior face 22 of said glazed element 2.

(18) The glazing 1 is intended to close an opening that forms the division between an interior space of the vehicle and a space external to the vehicle. The glazed element 2 thus has an exterior face 21 intended to face toward the exterior space, an interior face 22 intended to face toward the interior space, and a peripheral edge face.

(19) Thus, when reference is made to the ideas of interior and exterior in the present document, it is always with reference to this consideration.

(20) The glazed element may be a monolithic element, which means to say one made up of a single sheet of material or may be composite, which means to say made up of several sheets of material between which sheets is inserted at least one layer of adhesive substance in the case of laminated glazed elements/glazings. The sheet(s) of material may be mineral, notably made of glass, or organic, notably made of plastic.

(21) In the case of vehicle glazing, the glazing generally has at least partially at its periphery, all around the edge of the interior face 22, a trim strip (not illustrated). This trim strip is generally the result of applying enamel to the interior face of the glazed element in the case of a monolithic element or to an interlayer face of the glazed element in the case of composite glazings, but may also be the result of partial and/or peripheral coloration of a sheet of material used, notably a sheet of organic material.

(22) When the glazed element is made of organic material, it is manufactured prior to implementation of the invention by molding the material of which the glazed element is made in a molding device comprising a mold having at least one fixed mold part and one moving mold part capable of moving with respect to the fixed mould part, said mould parts collaborating when the mold is closed, during the molding step, to form a molding cavity which in cross section has the cross-sectional shape of the glazed element. Often, the glazed element made of organic material is not flat but curved.

(23) When the glazed element is made of a mineral material, it is manufactured prior to implementation of the invention by melting mineral substance in a flat sheet, then by cutting and possibly bending and/or annealing this sheet.

(24) When the glazed element is a composite glazed element, it is manufactured according to the well known technique for the manufacture of multiple or laminated curved glazing.

(25) In FIG. 3, the glazed element 2 is a curved laminated glazing. In this particular instance, it is a windshield of a motor vehicle.

(26) The mounting plate 3 comprises, on the one hand, an exterior face 31 intended to face toward the exterior space and which is intended to be fixed indirectly to an interior face of the glazed element facing this interior face of the glazed element and, on the other hand, an interior face 32 intended to face toward the interior space.

(27) The mounting plate 3 having a hole 30 for the passage of part of an accessory and for the reversible attachment of this accessory.

(28) The mounting plate 3 according to the invention differs from the mounting plate of the prior art illustrated in FIG. 1 in that it comprises, as may be seen in FIG. 2, at least one mount 5 for the reversible attachment of another accessory to said mounting plate 3, said mount 5 being mechanically connected by at least one connecting arm 55 to said mounting plate 3 and having an exterior face 51 which is fixed facing an interior face 22 of said glazed element 2, as visible in FIG. 3.

(29) The mount 5 has a hole 50 for the passage of part of the accessory, an exterior face 51 which is intended to be fixed indirectly to an interior face of the glazed element facing this interior face of the glazed element, and an interior face 52 that is intended to face toward the interior space.

(30) Thus, the mounting plate 3 and the mount 5 are not two distinct means each for the reversible attachment of one accessory, but are two means connected to one another by at least one connecting arm, and preferably several connecting arms (in particular two, three or four arms) for the reversible attachment by each of these means of an accessory while at the same time allowing the orientation of the mount (especially the exterior face 52 thereof) to be modified/adjusted with respect to the mounting plate (and especially the exterior face 32 thereof) by movement of the mount which is guided and controlled by the connecting arm, or preferably arms, 55.

(31) In the case of FIG. 2, these two means are fixed by their exterior face 31, 51 to the interior face 22 of the glazed element 2 in a dependent manner: the mounting plate 3 is fixed to the glazed element with respect to its frame of reference R3, and the mount 5 is fixed to the glazed element with respect to its frame of reference R5,

(32) the two frames of reference being connected to one another in order to form a single frame of reference R, by virtue of the connecting arm(s) 55.

(33) These two means may be fixed respectively by two independent adhesive substances 63, 65 to the interior face 22 of the glazed element; they may also be fixed using the one same adhesive substance. This substance or these substances may be a double-sided sticky tape or a glue.

(34) Of course, this adhesive substance is applied to the exterior face of the mounting plate and of the mount in such a way that the holes in each of these means which are used for attaching the accessories are free of adhesive substance.

(35) In FIG. 2, the mount 5 is attached to the mounting plate 3 by three connecting arms 55.

(36) The mount is separated from the mounting plate by a slot 56 and this slot has the connecting arms 55 passing across it. This slot 56 could be situated all around the mount, but because the mount is situated along a lateral edge of the mounting plate, the slot does not go all the way around the mount.

(37) These three connecting arms 55 are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another and with respect to a plane P passing through a center of said mount 5 and passing through an upper connecting arm 55. This plane of symmetry P is the plane of section A-A illustrated in FIG. 2.

(38) The other two connecting arms which are not in the plane P are arranged symmetrically with respect to the plane P and at an angle of around 30 with respect to the center of the mount.

(39) As is visible more particularly in FIGS. 4 and 5, each connecting arm 55 is formed as an integral part of, on the one hand, the mounting plate 3 and, on the other hand, the mount 5; each connecting arm 55 preferably has a thickness e comprised between 0.5 and 3.0 mm, such as 2.0 mm for example.

(40) The connecting arms are more slender than the mounting plate and the mount so as to give them a certain degree of flexibility and are curved inward; they are in the form of an arch and thus extend above the mean plane of the mounting plate embodied by the interior face 32 of the mounting plate.

(41) The material of the mounting plate 3, of the mount 5 and of the connecting arms 55 may for example be: polyamide (notably PA 66), ABS or polyethylene.

(42) The entirety of the component thus formed by the mounting plate 3, the mount 5 and the three connecting arms 55 may be manufactured for example by molding, in a single operation, and with very high precision.

(43) By virtue of the connecting arms 55, the mount 5 can be oriented in its frame of reference R5 and with respect to the rest of the mounting plate 3, which means to say that it can be pushed in to a greater or lesser extent toward the glazed element and with a suitable orientation a with respect to the interior surface of the glazed element which is not necessarily a right angle.

(44) Each connecting arm 55 is also curved inward in order to give a greater range of insetting.

(45) FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a mounting plate 3 similar to the mounting plate 3 of FIG. 2 except that it comprises elements 36 (clip-fastening holes) for the reversible attachment of an interior cover.

(46) The mount 5 is separated from the mounting plate 3 by a slot 56 and the connecting arms 55 pass across this slot. This slot 56 could be situated all around the mount, but because the mount is situated along a lateral edge of the mounting plate, the slot does not go all the way around the mount.

(47) The mounting plate 3 of FIG. 6 thus allows reversible attachment of: an accessory to the mounting plate using the hole 30 another accessory to the mount 5 using the hole 50 an interior cover using the elements 36.

(48) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a mounting plate 3 similar to the preceding one, except that: the mount 5 is separated from the mounting plate 3 by a slot 56 across which the connecting arms 55 pass but this slot 56 is situated all around the mount because the mount is not situated along a lateral edge of the mounting plate; the mount 5 further comprises a rain sensor 59, which is an accessory and which is attached reversibly to the mount 5 according to the frame of reference R5 of this mount; there is also a baseplate 4 for the reversible attachment of another accessory, such as a camera (not illustrated) for example to said glazed element, the baseplate 4 having a hole 40 for the passage of part of this accessory and an interior face which is fixed to the interior face of the glazed element facing this interior face of the glazed element using adhesive substance.

(49) This baseplate 4 is mechanically connected by at least one connecting arm 45 to the mounting plate 3 and in this instance by three connecting arms 45.

(50) This baseplate 4 is fixed to the glazed element with respect to its frame of reference R4 which is specific to it and which is dependent on that of the mounting plate 3 by virtue of the connecting arms 45.

(51) These three connecting arms 45 are arranged symmetrically with respect to one another and with respect to a plane S passing through a center of said baseplate 4 and passing through a lower connecting arm 45.

(52) The other two connecting arms which are not in the plane S are arranged symmetrically with respect to the plane S and at an angle of around 45 with respect to the center of the baseplate.

(53) The baseplate 4 is separated from the mounting plate 3 by a slot 46 across which the connecting arms 45 pass and this slot 46 is situated all around the baseplate 4 because the baseplate is not situated along a lateral edge of the mounting plate.

(54) The mounting plate 3 of FIG. 7 thus allows reversible attachment of: an accessory to the mounting plate via the hole 30 another accessory to the baseplate 4 via the hole 40 another accessory (the rain sensor 59) to the mount 5 via the hole 50 an interior cover via the elements 36.

(55) The reversibly attachable accessories may be selected from a list comprising: a rain sensor, a light sensor, a photographic sensor (apparatus for capturing a fixed image in the visible domain; analog or digital), an infrared sensor, a camera (apparatus for capturing a moving image in the visible domain; analog or digital), a rear-view mirror support, a display screen support.

(56) The single component which comprises at least the mounting plate 3 and the mount 5, or even at least the mounting plate 3, the baseplate 4 and the mount 5, is fixed to the interior face 22 of the glazed element by an automatic, semi-automatic or manual method.

(57) The mounting plate 3 is first of all fixed to the interior face 22 via its exterior face 31, then the mount 5 is fixed to the interior face 22 via its exterior face 51, adjusting the position of the mount 5 with respect to the mounting plate 3, this adjustment being constrained by the connecting arms 55, then the baseplate 4 is fixed to the interior face 22, adjusting the position of the baseplate 4 with respect to the mounting plate 3, this adjustment being constrained by the connecting arms 45. In absolute terms, if there is a baseplate 4 it can be fixed before the mount 5.