Sliding window assembly for a vehicle

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring to the drawings, FIG.
1, the present flush mounted sliding window assembly generally indicated at 11 is mounted within an elongated generally rectangular window opening 15, FIG.
2, within the side or rear of the vehicle body 13 including trucks, vans and autos.
An elongated continuous frame is nested within the opening 15 and is peripherally sealed and retained within the body 13.
The frame includes an upper frame section or element 17 and a lower frame section or element 19 preferably constructed of a reinforced thermoplastic material.
The frame sections 17-19 when assembled and secured provide a unit frame 17-19 within which the present sliding window 37 is adjustably mounted.
As designated at the lines A--A on FIG.
1, there are shown joint lines 21 at diametrically opposed opposite ends of the window frame 17-19.
At either of the joint lines 21, shown in FIGS.
1A and 1B, a downwardly extending portion of the upper frame section 17 is in vertical registry with the corresponding upstanding portion of the lower frame section 19.
Within one of the registering upwardly and downwardly extending portions of the frame elements 17 and 19, at the joint line 21, there is formed tongue 23 of irregular shape, such as W-shape shown in dash lines in FIG.
1A, which is in cooperative snug registry with the correspondingly shaped groove 25 located within the other of the aligned registering portions of the upper and lower frame elements, shown separated in FIG.
1D and shown snugly assembled end to end in FIG.
1C.
Each of the aligned registering portions of the upper and lower frame elements 17 and 19 has formed therein a semi-circular boss element 27 and 29 which when in snug registry at the joint line 21, FIGS.
1A and 1B, form a circular boss over which is positioned and snugly secured a heat treated spring steel ring 31.
The ring 31 secures together the corresponding aligned elements of the upper and lower frame sections 17 and 19.
The steel ring 31 has upon its interior a series of radially extending barbs 33 which are adapted to bite into adjacent portions of the corresponding boss elements 27 and 29 for effectively securing those portions of the upper and lower frame sections 17-19 together at the joint lines A--A, FIG