Back to results
US 6,659,534 B2Granted
Hard-top convertible roof system
AssigneeASC Incorporated
InventorMichael T. Willard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A convertible roof system includes a front roof section, a rear roof section, an automatically power actuator and a linkage mechanism. In another aspect of the present invention, the front and/or rear roof sections are rigid, hard-top roofs. A further aspect of the present invention provides that the outside surfaces of the roofs have a generally vertical orientation when in their open and retracted positions.
Claims42
A convertible roof system comprising:
- a front hard-top roof movable from a closed position to an open position;
- a rear hard-top roof movable from a closed position to an open position;
- an automatic actuator;
- a top stack mechanism coupling the actuator to the hard-top roofs and each other, the top stack mechanism including a single link attached adjacent each outboard side of the front roof and rearwardly extending from the front roof, the remainder of top stack mechanism and the rear roof only being coupled to the front roof by each single link;
- and
- at least one vehicle body-mounted bracket;
- the top stack mechanism further including at least first and second rear links coupling the rear roof to the at least one bracket, ends of the first and second rear links being mounted to the at least one bracket and being offset from each other, opposite ends of the first and second rear links being attached to structure affixed to and always moving with the rear roof;
- outside surfaces of the roofs having a substantially vertical orientation when in the open positions.
5 more elements
A convertible roof system for use on an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body, the system comprising:
- a first roof section movable from a closed position to an open position;
- a second roof section movable from a closed position to an open position, a majority of at least one of the roof sections being substantially rigid;
- at least a first four-bar linkage assembly coupling the first roof section to the second roof section;
- and
- at least a second four-bar linkage assembly coupling the second roof section to the vehicle body, a structure always moving with the second roof section defining one of the bars in the second four-bar linkage assembly;
- wherein external surfaces of the roof sections are oriented in a substantially parallel and rearwardly facing direction when in their open positions.
3 more elements
A convertible roof system for use on an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body, the system comprising:
- a first roof section movable from a closed position to an open position;
- a second roof section movable from a closed position to an open position, a majority of at least one of the roof sections being substantially rigid;
- at least a first four-bar linkage assembly coupling the first roof section to the second roof section;
- and
- at least a second four-bar linkage assembly coupling the second roof section to the vehicle body, a structure always moving with the second roof section defining one of the bars in the second four-bar linkage assembly;
- and
- a roof storage compartment and a second storage compartment, the roof sections being stored in the roof storage compartment without encroaching upon the ace of the second storage compartment when the roof sections are in their open positions;
- wherein the second storage compartment is a pickup truck bed.
5 more elements
A convertible roof system for use on an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body, the system comprising:
- a first roof section movable from a closed position to an open position;
- a second roof section movable from a closed position to an open position, a majority of at least one of the roof sections being substantially rigid;
- at least a first four-bar linkage assembly coupling the first roof section to the second roof section;
- and
- at least a second four-bar linkage assembly coupling the second roof section to the vehicle body, a structure always moving with the second roof section defining one of the bars in the second four-bar linkage assembly;
- a roof storage compartment and a second storage compartment, the roof sections being stored in the roof storage compartment without encroaching upon the space of the second storage compartment when the roof sections are in their open positions;
- wherein the second storage compartment is a trunk.
4 more elements
A convertible roof system for use on an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body, the system comprising:
- a first roof section movable from a closed position to an open position;
- a second roof section movable from a closed position to an open position, a majority of at least one of the roof sections being substantially rigid;
- at least a first four-bar linkage assembly coupling the first roof section to the second roof section;
- at least a second four-bar linkage assembly coupling the second roof section to the vehicle body, a structure always moving with the second roof section defining one of the bars in the second four-bar linkage assembly;
- and
- an automatically powered actuator coupled to the second four-bar linkage assembly;
- wherein the roof sections are oriented in a substantially vertical direction when in their open positions.
4 more elements
A convertible roof system for use on an automotive vehicle having a vehicle body, the system comprising:
- a first roof section movable from a closed position to an open position;
- a second roof section movable from a closed position to an open position, a majority of at least one of the roof sections being substantially rigid;
- at least a first four-bar linkage assembly coupling the first roof section to the second roof section;
- and
- at least a second four-bar linkage assembly coupling the second roof section to the vehicle body, a structure always moving with the second roof section defining one of the bars in the second four-bar linkage assembly;
- wherein for each side of the vehicle, the first four-bar linkage assembly includes a front roof link mounted to the first roof section, the front roof link being the only member drivably coupling each side of the first roof section to the second roof section.
3 more elements
An automotive vehicle comprising:
- a front hard-top roof having an external surface;
- a rear hard-top roof having an external surface;
- a first linkage assembly coupling the front roof to the rear roof;
- an automotive vehicle body having a roof storage area and a second storage area;
- a second linkage assembly coupling the rear roof to the vehicle body without the use of a slide and track device mounted to the vehicle body;
- at least one control link coupling the first linkage assembly to the second linkage assembly;
- a rigid tonneau cover automatically movable from a closed position, substantially flush with the adjacent vehicle body and covering at least a portion of the roof storage area, to an open position allowing access of the front and rear roofs to the roof storage area;
- and
- a tonneau cover linkage mechanism movably coupling the tonneau cover to the vehicle body;
- the external surfaces of the front and rear roofs being automatically retracted to substantially vertical positions facing substantially the same direction in a nested relationship, when stowed in the roof storage area;
- a rear edge of the front roof being located adjacent a forward edge of the rear roof when the front and rear roofs are in closed positions;
- and
- the second storage area being externally accessible for miscellaneous storage even when the front and rear roofs are located in the roof storage area.
10 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- a substantially rigid front roof section;
- a substantially rigid rear roof section coupled to the front roof section;
- at least one substantially stationary bracket having at least two spaced apart pivot axes;
- a first linkage assembly coupled to the rear roof section, the first linkage assembly including a first link coupling a first of the pivot axes to the rear roof section and a second link coupling a second of the pivot axes to the rear roof section;
- an automatically powered actuator attached to the second link at a point substantially between the second pivot axis and the rear roof section;
- the rear roof section being retractable to a substantially vertical position;
- and
- a substantially rigid tonneau cover movable from a closed position to an open position, the tonneau cover having an external middle surface which is substantially horizontal when in its closed position, the tonneau cover operably covering at least a portion of at least one of the roof sections when the roof sections are retracted.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.