TECHNICAL FIELD
The subject matter described herein, in general, relates to affixing a window glass onto a window regulator assembly in automotive vehicles and in particular, relates to a glass holding clip for affixing a window glass onto the window regulator.
BACKGROUND
Automotive vehicles, particularly four-wheeled vehicles require a window regulator assembly to hold a window glass firmly and to regulate the sliding motion of the window glass within a vehicle door. In a typical window regulator assembly, a glass holding assembly is used to attach the window regulator to the window glass.
Conventionally, a glass holding assembly consists of a long channel, a rubber cushion used to align the window glass to the long channel using certain amount of adhesive, and two brackets to mount the long channel on a window regulator. The brackets are welded to the two ends of the long channel for mounting the glass holding assembly onto the window regulator assembly. Bolts are used to fix the window glass assembly onto a window regulator channel of the window regulator assembly.
Thus a number of components are employed in order to mount the window glass onto the window regulator assembly. Moreover, a lot of caution is necessary for positioning of the window glass on the glass holding channel. It must be ensured that the ends of the long channel do not extend beyond the window glass and both the long channel and the window glass are retained in place.

Furthermore, alternately, a fixer may be used to mount the window glass on the window regulator assembly. In such a case, a through hole is provided in the window regulator channel and in the fixer. The through hole in the fixer and in the window regulator channel reduces strength of both the fixer and window regulator channel, thereby making the assembly more prone to risk of failure.
For the above mentioned arrangements, assembling process of the window glass and the window regulator assembly is very complex, failure-prone and time-consuming. Also, it has been noticed that stress, change in temperature, and regular wear and tear are common causes of car window regulator problems, making the window glass fi-agile between the rubber cushions. This results in a scrapping sound and sometimes, even crack on the glass.
Thus, there is a need to provide a means for affixing the window glass with the window regulator assembly that overcomes the shortcomings of the aforesaid
conventional arrangement.
SUMMARY
The subject matter described herein is directed towards a window assembly for a vehicle. The window assembly includes a window regulator with a channel, and a holding mechanism for holding a window glass. The holding mechanism includes a glass holding means having a locking mechanism. The glass holding means has a lower portion that is secured to the channel. In one embodiment, the glass holding means is snap fitted with the channel. In another embodiment, the glass holding means has a supporting member for sliding the glass holding means onto the channel to provide fitment. The

supporting member may include a clamping member for clamping the glass holding means on to the channel. In one embodiment, the glass holding means has two extending members for supporting the glass. In another embodiment, the glass holding means has at least one closed side and the locking mechanism can be disposed either on the closed side or at the center of the glass holding means.
The window assembly provides an efficient mechanism for affixing the window glass onto the window regulator by using the glass holding means, such as a glass holding clip, that can be snap fitted or slid along with the channel (hereinafter, referred to as window regulator channel) associated with the window regulator.
Therefore, the need of having a complicated arrangement to fit the window glass onto the window regulator channel by making a hole inside the window regulator channel and the window glass is eliminated. Also, the number of components used, such as a rubber cushion, adhesive, brackets, etc., to hold the window glass with the window regulator is reduced, thus making the arrangement cost effective and easy to assemble.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present subject matter will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
The above and other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become better understood v«th regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
Fig. 1 (a) illustrates an exemplary window assembly according to one
embodiment of the present subject matter.
Fig. 1 (b) illustrates a window regulator channel of the window assembly of Fig.
1(a).
Fig. 2 (2(a), 2(b), 2(c) and 2(d)) illustrates a front view, a side view, an isometric
view and a rear view respectively of a glass holding clip in one embodiment of
the present subject matter.
Fig. 3 (3(a) and 3(b)) illustrates an exploded view and an assembled view of the
glass holding clip with the window regulator channel.
Fig. 4 illustrates an isomefric view of a glass holding clip in accordance with
another embodiment of the present subject matter.
Fig. 5 (5(a), 5(b) and 5(c)) shows a side view, a front and an isometric view of
the glass holding clip in another embodiment of the present subject matter.
Fig. 6 (6(a), 6(b) and 6(c)) illustrates a left hand side view, a front view, a right
hand side view and an isometric view of a glass holding clip with a double sided
lock.

Fig. 7(7(a) and 7(b)) illustrates an exploded view and an assembled view of the
assembly of the glass holding clip with the window regulator channel in another
embodiment of the present subject matter.
Fig. 8 illustrates a glass holding clip of flg.5 having an upward support to slide
the glass holding clip along the window regulator chaimel.
Fig. 9 (9(a) and 9(b)) illustrates an exploded view and an assembled view of the
assembly of the glass holding clip with the window regulator channel
respectively.
Fig. 10 illustrates a glass holding clip of Fig.5 having both bottom support and
upward support.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The subject matter described herein is directed towards a window assembly for a vehicle. The window assembly discussed herein reduces the number of components employed and is cost effective. The present window assembly eliminates the need of components like rubber cushion, glue and brackets employed for holding a window glass. Further, the current subject matter achieves compactness of the window assembly.
The window assembly includes a glass holding means, such as glass holding clip, for affixing a window glass to a window regulator. The glass holding means is provided with a locking mechanism to hold the window glass. The lower portion of the glass holding means is secured to the window regulator and is affixed at any desired location on the window regulator channel of the window regulator. Further, the glass holding means is be fixed with the window regulator channel without making a hole in the glass

holding means to affix them. Such an assembly further results in making the window glass assembly robust.
Fig. 1(a) illustrates an exemplary view of a window assembly 100 depicting a glass holding means, in accordance with one embodiment of the present subject matter. For example and in no way limiting the scope of the subject matter, the glass holding means is a glass holding clip 102 that has a locking mechanism (not shown in Fig. la) to hold a window glass 104. The glass holding clip 102 is fixed with a window regulator channel 106. Thus, the glass holding clip 102 is an intermediary element between the window glass 104 and the window regulator channel 106 to secure the window glass 104 with window regulator channel 106. The window regulator channel 106 is assembled with a window regulator 108 so as to regulate the sliding of the window glass 104.
Fig. 1(b) illustrates an enlarged view of the window regulator channel 106 of the window assembly 100. As shown herein, the lower portion of the glass holding clip 102 is attached to the window regulator charmel 106.
Fig. 2 (2(a), 2(b), 2(c) and 2(d)) illustrates front view, side view, isometric view and a rear view respectively of the glass holding clip 102 in accordance with one embodiment of the current subject matter. The glass holding clip 102, with respect to the present embodiment, has two extending members 202 at one side of the glass holding clip 102 to provide support to the window glass 104. The glass holding clip 102 has a locking mechanism, such as a center lock 204 to hold the window glass 104. Fig. 2(a), Fig. 2(b) and Fig. 2(c) shows different views of the glass holding clip 102 depicting the center lock 204. In the present embodiment, the window glass 104 is provided with a hole at the lower ends and the center lock 204 gets engaged within the holes provided in the window

glass 104 to lock the window glass 104 with the window regulator 106. The glass holding clip 102 of the present embodiment, has a pair of connecting members 206, (in Figs. 2(a) and 2(b)), for snap fitting of the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator channel 106.
Fig.3 (3(a) and 3(b)) illustrates an exploded view and an assembled view respectively of the glass system 100 depicting the assembly of the glass holding dip 102 with the window regulator channel 106. As shown herein, the glass holding clip 102 is fixed with the window regulator channel 106 through the connecting member 206 to fit the glass holding clip 102 inside the window regulator channel 106.
Fig. 3(a) illustrates an exploded view of the assembly of the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator chaimel 106. The window regulator channel 106 is provided with a pair of holes 308 on the top for accommodating the cormecting members 206 of the glass holding clip 102.
Fig. 3(b) illustrates the assembled position of the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator channel 106 through snap fitting.
Fig. 4 illustrates an isometric view of a glass holding clip 102 in accordance with another embodiment of the present subject matter. In this embodiment, the glass holding clip 102 is formed box-shaped with one side 402 of the glass holding clip 102 being closed and another side 404 of the glass holding clip 102 being open so that the window glass 104 slides into the glass holding clip 102. The window glass 104 is provided with a hole at each of the comers at the bottom and a central lock 406 of the glass holding clip 102 gets engaged with the holes. The glass holding clip 102, of the present subject matter.

is snap fitted onto the window regulator channel 106 with the help of the connecting members 206 provided at the bottom of the glass holding clip 102.
Fig. 5 (5(a), 5(b) and 5(c)) shows a side view, a front view and an isometric view of the glass holding clip 102 respectively in another embodiment of the present subject matter. In this embodiment, the glass holding clip 102 has the construction similar to that of Fig. 4. However, a lock 502 is provided at the closed side 402 of the glass holding clip 102. The window glass 104 is slid into the glass holding clip 102 in order to lock the window glass 104 into the glass holding clip 102. The glass holding clip 102, of the present subject matter, is snap fitted to the window regulator channel 106 through the connecting members 206 provided at the bottom of the glass holding clip 102.
Fig. 6 (6(a), 6(b), 6(c) and 6(d)) illustrates front view, a side view, a rear view and an isometric view respectively of a glass holding clip 102 with a double sided lock 602. In this embodiment of the current subject matter, the double sided lock 602 is provided at the closed side 402 of the glass holding clip 102. The double sided lock 602 performs locking by way of initial compression and subsequent release to original shape inside the side profile cut of the glass. The glass holding clip 102 of this embodiment shows the connecting members 206 to make it snap fit with the window regulator channel 106.
Fig 7(a) illustrates an exploded view of a window assembly 100 depicting the assembly of the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator channel 106 in another embodiment of the present subject matter. The present embodiment shows fixing of the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator channel 106. In this embodiment, the glass holding clip 102 has a downward extending portion 702 having an upward support

704, such that the glass holding clip 102 slides along a window regulator channel 106. The downward extended portion 702 has a clip projection 706 that gets clamped in a slot 708 of the window regulator channel 106. The clip projection 706 of the glass holding clip 102 gets clamped with the window regulator channel 106, when the glass holding clip 102 slides along the window regulator channel 106.
Fig 7(b) shows the assembled view of the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator channel 106. The glass holding clip 102, having the upward support 704, gets fitted with a window regulator channel 106 after sliding onto the window regulator channel 106. The locking mechanism of the glass holding clip 102 is same as the embodiment described in Fig. 2.
Fig. 8 illustrates the glass holding clip 102 of Fig. 4 to hold the window glass 104. The glass holding clip 102 shows the clip projection 706 to fit the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator channel 106 (as mentioned above in the description of Figs. 7a and 7b).
Fig. 9 (9(a) and 9(b)) illustrates an exploded view and an assembled view respectively of the window assembly 100 depicting the assembling of the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator channel 106. In this embodiment, the glass holding clip 102 has a downward extended portion 702 with both a bottom support 902 and the upward support 704. The glass holding clip 102 is constructed in such a way that the glass holding clip 102 slides along the window regulator channel 106. The downward extended portion 702 has the clip projection 706 that is clamped in the slot 708 of the window regulator channel 106 when slid along the window regulator channel 106.

Fig. 10 illustrates a glass holding clip 102 (explained in Fig.4) to hold the window glass 104 and the downward extended portion 702 with both the bottom support 902 and the upward support 704 of the glass holding clip 102 is used to fit the glass holding clip 102 with the window regulator channel 106 (mentioned in Fig. 9).
Although the subject matter has been described in considerable detail with reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, other embodiments are also possible. As such, the spirit and scope of the appended claims should not be limited to the description of the preferred embodiment contained therein.

I/We claim:
1. A window assembly 100 for a vehicle, said window assembly 100 comprising:
a window regulator 108 having a channel 106; and
a holding mechanism for holding a window glass 104;
characterized in that,
said holding mechanism comprises at least one glass holding means 102,
said glass holding means 102 having at least one locking mechanism;
wherein a lower portion of said glass holding means 102 is secured with
said channel 106.
2. The window assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein said lower portion of said glass holding means 102 comprises at least one connecting member 206 for securing said glass holding means 102 with said channel 106, preferably by snap fitting,
3. The window assembly 100 as claimed in claim 1, wherein said glass holding means 102 comprises at least one supporting member 702, 902 for sliding said glass holding means 102 onto said channel 106.
4. The window assembly 100 as claimed in claim 3, wherein said at least one supporting member 702, 902 comprises a clamping member 706 for clamping said glass holding means 102 on said channel 106.
5. The window assembly 100 as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said glass holding means 102 is a glass holding clip.
6. The window assembly 100 as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said glass holding means 102 comprises at least two extending members 202 for supporting said window glass 104.

7. The window assembly 100 as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein
said glass holding means 102 comprises at least one closed sides 402.
8. The window assembly 100 as claimed in claim 9, wherein said locking
mechanism is disposed on at least one closed side 402 of said glass holding means
102.
9. The window assembly 100 as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein
said locking mechanism is disposed at the center of said glass holding means 102.
10. The window assembly 100 as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein
said locking mechanism is a double sided lock 602.