Convertible top cover and headliner interconnected by bows
AssigneeMagna Car Top Systems GmbH
InventorJan Just
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A convertible top having a cover and a headliner interconnected by transverse bows having fore and aft slots that are connected to either the cover or the headliner by flexible welts. A method of making a convertible top with welts that are assembled to the bows by sliding first and second welts lengthwise into fore and aft slots formed on the bows. The bows are assembled to the top stack after the cover and headliner are attached to the bows. One or more bows may include a central portion and two end portions that are assembled to opposite ends of the central portion in a range of predetermined positions. A method is disclosed for making a bow by extruding the central portion of the bow and molding the right and left end portions of the bow in a thixotropic molding process.
Claims16
A convertible top for a vehicle comprising:
- top stack linkage having a right side and a left side;
- a plurality of bows extending transversely between the right and left sides of the top stack linkage, at least one of the bows having a front slot on a forwardly facing edge and a back slot on a rearwardly facing edge;
- a cover spanning between the right and left sides of the top stack linkage and over the bows, the cover having a first flexible welt with a first head portion and a first body portion, the first flexible welt being received in one of the front slot and the back slot;
- a headliner spanning between the right and left sides of the top stack linkage and below the bows, the headliner having a second flexible welt with a second head portion and a second body portion, the second flexible welt being received in the other of the front slot and the back slot;
- and
- wherein the first and second flexible welts exert oppositely directed forces on the front and back edges of the bows.
A method of making a convertible top comprising:
- providing a top stack including a plurality of articulated links on a right side and a left side of the convertible top;
- providing a plurality of bows wherein at least one of the bows has a fore slot and an aft slot at spaced locations on the bow;
- assembling a cover having a first welt to at least one of the plurality of bows by sliding the first welt lengthwise into one of the fore and aft slots;
- assembling a headliner having a second welt to the at least one of the plurality of bows by sliding the second welt lengthwise into the other of the fore and aft slots;
- and
- assembling the bows to the plurality of articulated links on the right and left sides of the top stack, wherein the cover and headliner are aligned with the bows and the plurality of articulated links by the first and second welts.
A top stack for a convertible top having right and left sets of articulated links that are interconnected by a plurality of bows, wherein at least one of the bows comprises:
- a central portion;
- two end portions secured to opposite ends of the central portion, respectively, the end portions each being secured to the central portion a range of predetermined positions to provide a bow of a specified length depending upon the position in which the end portions are secured to the central portion.
A method of making a bow for a top stack of a convertible top, comprising:
- extruding a central portion of the bow;
- molding right and left end portions of the bow;
- and
- assembling the right and left end portions of the bow to the center portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.