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US 6,438,843 B1Granted
Removable hard top for an automotive vehicle and method of making a composite removable hard top
AssigneePatent Holding Company
InventorSassan Tarahomi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A removable hardtop including inner and outer roof panels made of molded fiber reinforced sheet molding compound. An integral roll bar is formed in the inner roof panel. A hold down clamp and bracket having horizontal, vertical and transverse flanges mounted on a horizontal edge, vertical surface and transverse surface of a B pillar of a vehicle. A method of molding the inner and outer roof panels and assembling component parts to the inner and outer roof panels is also disclosed.
Claims8
A method of making a removable roof for a vehicle comprising:
- heating a first mold for forming an outer panel of the roof;
- placing a first sheet of thermoset plastic resin having fiber reinforcement material distributed in the resin in the first mold;
- forming the sheet in the first mold to net size and shape of a roof outer panel;
- trimming the roof outer panel;
- heating a second mold for forming an inner panel of the roof;
- placing a second sheet of thermoset plastic resin having fiber reinforcement material distributed in the resin in the second mold;
- forming the sheet in the second mold to net size and shape of a roof inner panel;
- trimming the roof inner panel;
- assembling mounting brackets and locking assemblies to the roof inner panel to secure the removable top to the vehicle;
- bonding the roof outer panel and roof inner panels together to form the removable roof for a vehicle.
7 more elements
A method of making a removable roof for a vehicle comprising:
- heating a first mold for forming an outer panel of the roof;
- placing a first charge of plastic resin having fiber reinforcement material distributed in the resin in the first mold;
- forming the charge in the first mold to net size and shape of a roof outer panel;
- trimming the roof outer panel;
- heating a second mold for forming an inner panel of the roof;
- placing a second charge of plastic resin having fiber reinforcement material distributed in the resin in the second mold;
- forming the charge in the second mold to net size and shape of a roof inner panel;
- trimming the roof inner panel;
- assembling mounting brackets and locking assemblies to the roof inner panel to secure the removable top to the vehicle;
- bonding the roof outer panel and roof inner panels together to form the removable roof for a vehicle.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.