초록 ▼

Disclosed is a window assembly for use in mass transit vehicles which allows the quick and easy removal and replacement of transparent sacrificial glazing panels which protect the glazing of the window from vandalism and wear. The window assembly utilizes a sacrificial protective panel and mounting

Disclosed is a window assembly for use in mass transit vehicles which allows the quick and easy removal and replacement of transparent sacrificial glazing panels which protect the glazing of the window from vandalism and wear. The window assembly utilizes a sacrificial protective panel and mounting arrangement which allows quick and easy replacement of protective panels on one or both sides of the window assembly, but inhibits removal by non-maintenance personnel such as vandals. The frame of the window assembly incorporates one or more retainers which fit into slots along the interior sides of the window frame and sandwich the glazing between the frame and the retainers. In turn, the retainers are essentially "locked" into position in the frame by an inner protective panel, which significantly inhibits the removal of the retainers from the window assembly when the protective panel is in its desired position against the windowpane. Once the inner protective panel is removed from the window assembly, however, the retainers and glazing can quickly and easily be removed from the frame, allowing the glazing and any remaining protective panels to be quickly and easily removed from the frame.

대표청구항 ▼

What is claimed is: 1. A window assembly for a mass transportation vehicle, the assembly comprising; a piece of glazing having an inner and an outer side; a first protective panel having a first and a second edge; a frame having a first and a second section and defining an aperture wherein the fr

What is claimed is: 1. A window assembly for a mass transportation vehicle, the assembly comprising; a piece of glazing having an inner and an outer side; a first protective panel having a first and a second edge; a frame having a first and a second section and defining an aperture wherein the frame is adapted to receive the piece of glazing so that the piece of glazing is retained in the aperture; and a first and a second retainer disposed respectively on the first and the second sections of the frame wherein the first and second retainers respectively define a first and a second recess having a lip and a recessed surface into which the first and second edges of the first protective panel are positioned to thereby retain the first protective panel such that the first protective panel is positioned inward of the inner side of the piece of glazing, wherein the first edge rests on the recessed surface of the first recess when positioned inward of the inner side of the piece of glazing and wherein the protective panel is movable into the second recess a distance selected such that the first edge of the protective panel is exposed from the first recess to thereby permit removal of the first edge of the first protective panel from the first retainer. 2. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein the removal of the first edge of the first protective panel from the first retainer allows the removal of the second edge of the first protective panel from the second retainer thereby allow the first protective panel to be removed from the first and second retainers for replacement purpose. 3. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second sections of the frame defines an opening adapted to receive the corresponding retainer. 4. The window assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the first and second retainers defines a leg that is positioned in the opening defined by corresponding section of the frame. 5. The window assembly of claim 4, wherein the first edge of the first protective panel positioned inward of the inner side of the piece of glazing inhibits removal of the first retainer from the opening defined by the first section of the frame. 6. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein the first protective panel is positioned adjacent the inner side of the piece of glazing. 7. The window assembly of claim 6, wherein the first protective panel is positioned in contact with the inner side of the piece of glazing. 8. The window assembly of claim 1, wherein the first and second sections of the frame correspond to bottom and top of the frame respectively such that gravity urges the first edge of the protective panel against the recessed surface of the first recess. 9. A method of using a protective panel positioned inward of an inner side of a piece of glazing mounted in a frame of a mass transit vehicle window to protect the piece of glazing, the method comprising: positioning a first edge of the protective panel into a first void defined by a first retainer located at a first section of the frame such that a second edge of the protective panel is positioned adjacent a lip of a second retainer; positioning the second edge of the protective panel past the lip of the second retainer; and moving the second edge of the protective panel into a second void at least partially defined by the second retainer until the second edge of the protective panel rests on a recessed surface and so that the first edge of the protective panel is retained in the first void by the first retainer. 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising acts of: moving the protective panel, when the protective panel is positioned in inward of the piece of glazing, such that the first edge of the protective panel is urged into the void so that the second edge of the protective panel is exposed with respect to the lip of the second retainer; extracting the exposed second edge of the protective panel from the opening defined by the second retainer to thereby remove the protective panel for replacement purposes. 11. The method of claim 10, further comprising mounting the first and second retainers in the frame of the window. 12. The method of claim 11, wherein mounting the first and second retainers in the frame of the window comprises mounting the retainers such that the protective panel is positioned adjacent the inner surface of the piece of glazing. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein mounting the first and second retainers in the frame of the window further comprises mounting the retainers such that the protective panel is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the piece of glazing. 14. The method of claim 11, wherein mounting the first and second retainers in the frame of the window comprises positioning the retainers in openings defined in the frame. 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the first and second retainers are disposed at top and bottom of the frame respectively such that gravity urges the second edge of the protective panel against the recessed surface. 16. A window assembly for a mass transportation vehicle, the assembly comprising: a piece of glazing having an inner and an outer side; a first protective panel having a first and a second edge; a frame having a first and a second section and defining an aperture wherein the frame is adapted to receive the piece of glazing so that the piece of glazing is retained in the aperture; and one or more retainers disposed on the first and the second sections of the frame so as to define a first and a second recess having a lip and a recessed surface into which the first and second edges of the first protective panel are positioned respectively to thereby retain the first protective panel positioned inward of the inner side of the piece of glazing, wherein the second edge of the protective panel is movable into the second recess a distance sufficient to allow the first edge of the protective panel to be removed. 17. The window assembly of claim 16, wherein the removal of the first edge of the first protective panel from the first recess allows the removal of the second edge of the first protective panel from the second recess thereby allow the first protective panel to be removed from the one or more retainers for replacement purpose. 18. The window assembly of claim 16, wherein each of the first and second sections of the frame defines an opening adapted to receive the corresponding retainer. 19. The window assembly of claim 18, wherein each of the one or more retainers defines a leg that is positioned in the opening defined by corresponding section of the frame. 20. The window assembly of claim 19, wherein the first edge of the first protective panel positioned inward of the inner side of the piece of glazing inhibits removal of the corresponding retainer from the opening defined by the first section of the frame. 21. The window assembly of claim 16, wherein the first protective panel is positioned adjacent the inner side of the piece of glazing. 22. The window assembly of claim 21, wherein the first protective panel is positioned in contact with the inner side of the piece of glazing. 23. The window assembly of claim 16, wherein the first and second sections of the frame correspond to bottom and top of the frame respectively such that gravity urges the first edge of the protective panel into the first recess. 24. The window assembly of claim 16, wherein the one or more retainers comprise first and second retainers that are separate pieces and corresponding to the first and second sections of the frame. 25. The window assembly of claim 16, wherein the first edge of the first protective panel rests on the recessed surface of the first surface when the first protective panel is positioned and retained inward of the inner side of the piece of glazing. 26. The window assembly of claim 16, wherein the movement of the protective panel that allows the removal of the first edge of the protective panel from the first recess comprises a movement that exposes the first edge from the first recess. 27. A method of using a protective panel positioned inward of an inner side of a piece of glazing mounted in a frame of a mass transit vehicle window to protect the piece of glazing, the method comprising: positioning a first edge of the protective panel into a first void defined by a first retainer located at a first section of the frame such that a second edge of the protective panel is positioned adjacent a lip of a second retainer; positioning the second edge of the protective panel past the lip of the second retainer; and allowing the second edge of the protective panel to move into a second void at least partially defined by the second retainer until the second edge of the protective panel is retained in the second void by the second retainer and so that the first edge of the protective panel is retained in the first void by the first retainer. 28. The method of claim 27, further comprising acts of: moving the protective panel, when the protective panel is positioned in inward of the piece of glazing, such that the first edge of the protective panel is urged into the first void by a distance sufficient to allow removal of the second edge of the protective panel from the second void; extracting the second edge of the protective panel from the second void to thereby remove the protective panel for replacement purposes. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein moving the protective panel by the distance sufficient to allow removal of the second edge of the protective panel comprises moving the protective panel so as to expose the second edge of the protective panel with respect to the lip of the second retainer. 30. The method of claim 28, further comprising mounting the first and second retainers in the frame of the window. 31. The method of claim 30, wherein mounting the first and second retainers in the frame of the window comprises mounting the retainers such that the protective panel is positioned adjacent the inner surface of the piece of glazing. 32. The method of claim 31, wherein mounting the first and second retainers in the frame of the window further comprises mounting the retainers such that the protective panel is positioned in contact with the inner surface of the piece of glazing. 33. The method of claim 30, wherein mounting the first and second retainers in the frame of the window comprises positioning the retainers in openings defined in the frame. 34. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second retainers are disposed at top and bottom of the frame respectively such that gravity urges the second edge of the protective panel into the second void. 35. The method of claim 27, wherein the first and second retainers comprise separate pieces. 36. The method of claim 27, wherein allowing the second edge of the protective panel to move into the second void so as to be retained therein comprises allowing the second edge of the protective panel to rest on a recessed surface of the second void.