Individual windows and complete glazing
Windows are an important part of the driver's workplace and increasingly shape the appearance of the vehicle. Cleff develops and manufactures vehicle windows in all functions – from functional glazing and individual windows to the complete glazing of entire trains, mechanical or electromechanical, flush-mounted as Flush Window on request.
Product solutions
Technology explained
One sash runs horizontally in the frame guide. The opened sash stays within the window contour, so nothing protrudes into the interior or into the structure gauge.
Typical application: City and coach buses where passengers control ventilation themselves – for example the MAN Lion's City and the EvoBus Citaro.
The sash opens about a horizontal axis. This releases the full width of the opening rather than a gap, making the window a single component for both ventilation and emergency exit.
Typical application: Rail vehicles with emergency exit requirements – for example the Stadler Vario tram and the FLIRT 3.
The pane finishes flush with the outer skin, with the frame behind it. The surface stays smooth, which reduces soiling and drag and gives the vehicle a continuous window band.
Typical application: Vehicles with a designed exterior surface – rail vehicles, motorhomes such as the Morelo Palace.
When opening, the sash is first lifted clear of the seal and then transferred – in the Soft Elevation System it is guided gently rather than over a hard stop. The seal is not dragged across on every movement.
Typical application: Rail vehicles where the seal has to stay tight over many years.
During pressure changes – entering a tunnel, trains passing – a brief overpressure acts on the pane. Two sealing planes in series carry the pressure difference instead of loading a single seal.
Typical application: Pressure-sealed rail vehicles and driver's cabs.
Not the individual window, but the complete glazed area of a vehicle as one coordinated system – fixed and opening fields, frames, seals and add-on parts from a single design.
Typical application: Vehicle projects where one supplier is responsible for the entire glazing scope – for example the Berlin underground.
Overview
Which design fits comes down to three questions: how much opening cross-section is needed, must the window serve as an emergency exit, and do pressure changes act on the pane?
| Design | Movement | Free cross-section | Typical application |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sliding window | horizontal in the guide | partial area | Bus, public transport |
| Hopper window | about a horizontal axis | full opening | Rail vehicle, emergency exit |
| Flush window | flush, fixed or opening | depends on version | designed exterior surface |
| Transfer window (SES) | lift and transfer | partial area | Rail vehicle, seal-friendly |
| Pressure-tight hinged window | about a vertical axis | partial area | Driver's cab, tunnel operation |
| Fixed glazing | none | — | Side window, partition |
References
Frequently asked questions
A flush-mounted vehicle window: glass and frame finish flush with the outer skin. Cleff offers the Flush Window in a wide range of versions – as fixed, hopper or sliding window, mechanical or electromechanical.
Yes. We manufacture customer-specific windows in small and large quantities, including niches such as heritage trains, excursion boats or special vehicles.
Send enquiry
Window, door or partition – customised, tested, delivered on schedule. We reply within one working day.
