Dual fold tower
AssigneeRoswell Canada Inc.
InventorsDarrick J. Wilson, Matt Lane
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus (100), including: a support assembly (200), the support assembly including: a lower endcap (240), an upper endcap (252), a strut (242), a lower pivot joint (244) between the lower endcap and a lower end (248) of the strut, and an upper pivot joint (254) between the upper endcap and an upper end of the strut (246). The support assembly is configured to selectively move an upper structure (400) relative to a motor vehicle (500) between an upper position via rotation at each pivot joint which increases a distance (270) between respective endcap centroids (272, 274), and a lower position via rotation in an opposite direction at each pivot joint which decreases the distance (276) between the respective endcap centroids.
Claims15
An apparatus, comprising a support assembly, the support assembly comprising:
- a lower endcap, an upper endcap, a strut, a lower pivot joint between the lower endcap and a lower end of the strut, and an upper pivot joint between the upper endcap and an upper end of the strut;
- wherein the support assembly is configured to selectively move an upper structure relative to a motor vehicle between an upper position via rotation at each pivot joint which increases a distance between respective endcap centroids, and a lower position via rotation in an opposite direction at each pivot joint which decreases the distance between the respective endcap centroids.
An apparatus, comprising a support assembly, the support assembly comprising:
- an endcap, a strut, and a pivot joint between the endcap and an associated end of the strut;
- wherein the pivot joint comprises a discrete guide arrangement comprising sliding contact between the strut and the endcap that is configured to maintain a rotational alignment therebetween as the endcap rotates about the pivot joint;
- wherein the support assembly is configured to selectively move an upper structure of a motor vehicle between an upper position and a lower position by rotating the strut;
- wherein the guide arrangement comprises an endcap contact surface in the sliding contact with a strut contact surface;
- and
- wherein one of the endcap contact surface and the strut contact surface comprises an arcuate shape centered on a pivot axis of the pivot joint.
An apparatus, comprising a support assembly, the support assembly comprising:
- an endcap, a strut, and a pivot joint between the endcap and an associated end of the strut;
- wherein the pivot joint comprises a discrete guide arrangement comprising sliding contact between the strut and the endcap that is configured to maintain a rotational alignment therebetween as the endcap rotates about the pivot joint;
- wherein the support assembly is configured to selectively move an upper structure of a motor vehicle between an upper position and a lower position by rotating the strut;
- wherein the guide arrangement comprises an endcap contact surface in the sliding contact with a strut contact surface;
- wherein the guide arrangement comprises a tongue and groove arrangement comprising the endcap contact surface and the strut contact surface;
- and
- wherein the strut comprises a tongue of the tongue and groove arrangement on which the strut contact surface is disposed, and wherein the endcap comprises a groove of the tongue and groove arrangement on which the endcap contact surface is disposed.
An apparatus, comprising a support assembly, the support assembly comprising:
- an endcap, a strut, and a pivot joint between the endcap and an associated end of the strut;
- wherein the pivot joint comprises a discrete guide arrangement comprising sliding contact between the strut and the endcap that is configured to maintain a rotational alignment therebetween as the endcap rotates about the pivot joint;
- wherein the support assembly is configured to selectively move an upper structure of a motor vehicle between an upper position and a lower position by rotating the strut;
- wherein the guide arrangement comprises an endcap contact surface in the sliding contact with a strut contact surface;
- wherein the guide arrangement comprises a tongue and groove arrangement comprising the endcap contact surface and the strut contact surface;
- and
- wherein the tongue comprises a shape of at least a circumferential portion of a disk.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.