Canopy for lightweight vehicle

A canopy system for a lightweight vehicle, said canopy system comprising:

• a hollow front canopy downspout-strut comprising:
• a header comprising at least one water ingress opening in a connection face of the header such that the water ingress opening is fluidly connected with an internal lumen of the front canopy downspout-strut;
• a first downspout leg extending from a first end of the header and mountable to at least a first portion of a body of the vehicle such that a distal end of the first leg is directed away from a passenger compartment of the vehicle;
• a second downspout leg extending from a second end of the header and mountable to at least a second portion of a body of the vehicle such that a distal end of the second leg is directed away from the passenger compartment of the vehicle;
• and
• a canopy, the canopy comprising:
• a canopy main panel mountable to the front canopy downspout-strut, wherein the main panel comprises
• a first main longitudinal water channel extending along a first longitudinal edge portion of the canopy main panel;
• a second main longitudinal water channel extending along a second longitudinal edge portion of the canopy main panel;
• a forward lateral water channel extending along a forward lateral edge portion of the canopy main panel and integrally and fluidly connected to a forward end of the first main longitudinal water channel and a forward end of the second main longitudinal water channel;
• at least one water egress orifice formed in a bottom of an intermediate portion of the forward lateral water channel;
• and
• at least one spout extending from a perimeter of the at least one egress orifice, the at least one spout integrally formed with and extending from an underside of the canopy main panel, wherein the at least one spout is structured and operable to extend into the water ingress opening in the header of the front canopy downspout-strut of the vehicle when the canopy main panel is mounted to the front canopy downspout-strut such that water flowing through the forward lateral water channel will flow through the at least one water egress orifice and into the internal lumen of the front canopy downspout-strut header whereafter the water will through the first and second downspout legs and be discharged from the distal ends thereof.

A lightweight vehicle, said vehicle comprising:

• a chassis;
• a body mounted to the chassis;
• a passenger compartment supported by the chassis, the passenger compartment comprising:
• a dash console;
• a floorboard;
• and
• a passenger seating structure;
• and
• a canopy system mounted to the body and disposed above at least the passenger compartment, said canopy system comprising:
• a hollow front canopy downspout-strut comprising:
• a header comprising at least one water ingress opening in a connection face of the header such that the water ingress opening is fluidly connected with an internal lumen of the front canopy downspout-strut;
• a first downspout leg extending from a first end of the header and mountable to a first portion of the body such that a distal end of the first leg is directed away from the passenger compartment;
• a second downspout leg extending from a second end of the header and mountable to a second portion of a body such that a distal end of the second leg is directed away from the passenger compartment;
• and
• a canopy, the canopy comprising:
• a canopy main panel mountable to the front canopy downspout-strut, wherein the main panel comprises:
• a first main longitudinal water channel extending along a first longitudinal edge portion of the canopy main panel;
• a second main longitudinal water channel extending along a second longitudinal edge portion of the canopy main panel;
• a forward lateral water channel extending along a forward lateral edge portion of the canopy main panel and integrally and fluidly connected to a forward end of the first main longitudinal water channel and a forward end of the second main longitudinal water channel;
• at least one water egress orifice formed in a bottom of an intermediate portion of the forward lateral water channel;
• and
• at least one spout extending from a perimeter of the at least one egress orifice, the at least one spout integrally formed with and extending from an underside of the canopy main panel, wherein the at least one spout is structured and operable to extend into the water ingress opening in the header of the front canopy downspout-strut of the vehicle when the canopy main panel is mounted to the front canopy downspout-strut such that water flowing through the forward lateral water channel will flow through the at least one water egress orifice and into the internal lumen of the front canopy downspout-strut header whereafter the water will through the first and second downspout legs and be discharged from the distal ends thereof.