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US 6,695,385 B1Granted
Vehicle convertible roof
AssigneeASC Incorporated
InventorEric W. Lange
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A convertible roof system for an automotive vehicle include a roof bow that is operable between extended and retracted positions to vary tension of the roof cover and is actuated by a link that travels along a camming surface when the folding mechanism supporting the cover moves between the raised and stowed position.
Claims12
A convertible roof system for an automotive vehicle, the system comprising:
- (a) a roof cover;
- (b) a camming surface;
- and
- (c) a folding mechanism supporting at least a potion of said cover, said mechanism being moveable between a raised position and a stowed position, said mechanism comprising:
- (i) at least two roof rails coupled together and moving relative to one another when said mechanism moves between said raised and stowed positions;
- (ii) a plurality of roof bows, at least a tensioning one of said roof bows being operable between extended and retracted positions to vary tension of said roof cover even when the remainder of said folding mechanism is substantially stationary;
- and
- (iii) a cam follower moving along said camming surface during a portion of movement of said mechanism between said raised and stowed positions, said cam follower being operable to cause said tensioning roof bow to move between said extended and retracted positions as said cam follower moves along said camming surface.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.