The present invention relates to the assembly of a windshield/backglass for a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus to make an electrical connection to an electrical device mounted to the windshield/backglass during the assembly of the windshield/backglass to a vehicle.
In today""s automotive assembly operations, AM radio, FM radio, cellular telephone antennas and heating grids may be incorporated into a piece of automotive glass such as a windshield/backglass or window glass assembly. The electrical connections between the antenna and/or heating grid to the electrical infrastructure of the vehicle are typically made with wiring harnesses through connectors that resemble xe2x80x9csnapsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cblade terminals xe2x80x9d, as is known in the art. These snaps or blade terminals must be manually connected and may be difficult for an operator to reach and manipulate. The mating connectors for these electrical connectors are typically located at the header or upper portion of the window glass assembly near the roof panel inner or, in the case of the rear window, above and behind the rear seat, requiring a long and often awkward reach for an operator to make a proper connection. This manual connection of the antenna located on a window glass assembly is an awkward assembly step that may result in error.
Presently, a window glass assembly is installed in vehicles using plastic posts that serve as guides and aid in correctly locating the window glass assembly to the window opening. These posts are attached to the window glass assembly and are inserted into metal tabs or flanges at the roof corners of a vehicle. The window glass assembly is permanently bonded to the vehicle window aperture with an adhesive such as urethane located on the border of the window glass assembly. The manual electrical connection previously described cannot be made for a number of hours until the adhesive has cured to prevent dislodging the window glass assembly.
Accordingly, the manual electrical connection is a postprocess that in certain cases must be done at a dealer. This may lead to quality issues and electrical problems in the vehicle.
The present invention is a method and apparatus for ensuring a proper connection between a vehicle electrical system and an electrical device located on or within the window glass assembly installed in the vehicle. The present invention utilizes the posts or guides on the window glass assembly and the metal locating tabs located on a vehicle to make an electrical connection for the electrical device located on the window glass assembly. The posts or guides are substantially similar to the plastic posts or guides of the prior art but are now made of a conductor such as aluminum. The posts or guides now double in purpose as positioners and terminals for the window glass assembly electrical component.