Convertible soft top for a sport utility or similar vehicle

A soft top for a vehicle, the vehicle having a body with front and rear portions spaced from each other along a longitudinal axis, said front portion having an upstanding windshield, said soft top including:

• a frame and a flexible fabric attached thereto, said frame including at least a front bow member with side legs and a base extending substantially horizontally between the side legs and
• the base of the front bow member including a header section and at least one clamp assembly pivotally mounted to said header section and releasably securable to the windshield, said pivotally mounted clamp assembly further being releasably securable to said header section in a fixed position relative thereto wherein each of the respective side legs of the front bow member has a section extending substantially horizontally and each section has first and second segments, said first segment being mounted to the base of the front bow member and being attached to the second segment of the respective side leg for pivotal movement about a second axis, said base being selectively pivotable about said second pivotal axis between a closed position with the base of the front bow member substantially adjacent the windshield and an open position with said base spaced from said windshield and adjacent the second segments of the side legs to create an open portion in said soft top adjacent the windshield, said clamp assembly being selectively securable to said windshield with said base in said closed position and to the header section of said base with said base in said open position.

A convertible soft top for a vehicle, the vehicle having a body with front and rear portions spaced from each other along a longitudinal axis, said rear portion having side panels and a rearward panel, said vehicle further having a safety bar arrangement with a portion thereof having an inverted, substantially U-shape with the side legs of said inverted U-shape extending substantially vertically upward from the vehicle body adjacent the rear portion thereof and the base of the inverted U-shape extending between the side legs substantially horizontally across the vehicle body and the longitudinal axis adjacent the rear portion of the vehicle body, said convertible soft top including:

• a foldable, collapsible frame and a flexible fabric attached thereto, said frame including at least a rear bow member having an inverted, substantially U-shape with side legs and a base extending substantially horizontally between the side legs, the side legs of the rear bow member being respectively mounted to the side legs of said safety bar portion for pivotal movement relative thereto about a first, fixed pivotal axis between a collapsed portion with said base adjacent the rearward panel and a raised portion with said base spaced from and above said rearward panel, and
• wherein said frame further includes an additional bow member having an inverted, substantially U-shape with side legs and a base extending substantially horizontally between said side legs, the side legs of said additional bow member being respectively mounted to the side legs of the rear bow member for pivotal movement about a second pivotal axis, said second pivotal axis being substantially parallel to said first pivotal axis and being positioned along the respective side legs of said rear bow member substantially between said first axis and the base of said rear bow member, said additional bow member being movable about said second pivotal axis between a collapsed position with the base of the inverted U-shape thereof adjacent the base of the collapsed rear bow member and a raised position with the base of the additional bow member spaced from the base of the raised rear bow member toward the front portion of the vehicle body.