Method of making a window assembly

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention relates to a window assembly and a method of making the same including a mold structure for forming a gasket around a predetermined portion of a sheet of generally transparent frangible material, such as glass, to produce a unitary window assembly.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the gasket is formed by curing a multi-constituent polymeric gasket forming material in situ on the glass sheet to encapsulate the marginal peripheral edge portion of the sheet.
The gasket is typically formed by a reaction injection molding process.
More specifically, the mold structure includes at least two cooperating mold sections each having a recessed portion formed therein in facing relationship to one another.
The recessed portions cooperate to define a sheet receiving chamber for receiving a sheet of transparent material such as glass.
A compressible seal means is positioned about at least a portion of the periphery of the chamber and functions to resiliently support the glass sheet within the chamber.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each mold section includes a metallic main body portion, and the seal means maintains the glass sheet in spaced-apart relationship with the main body portions of the mold sections to prevent any glass-to-metal contact between the glass sheet and the metallic mold sections.
Also, the seal means cooperates with predetermined portions of the glass sheet and the mold sections for defining a gasket cavity having a configuration corresponding to the gasket to be formed on the glass sheet.
In accordance with the present invention, the facing surfaces of mold sections disposed outwardly of the gasket forming cavity are in metal-to-metal contact with one another.
This enables the amount the seal means is compressed and the dimensions of the gasket to be precisely controlled.
Inlet means or gates are provided for introducing a flowable gasket forming material into the gasket cavity.
The window assembly also includes a metal bracket for connection to a scissor linkage for raising and lowering the window assembly in a vehicle door