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US 7,690,716 B2Granted
Convertible roof
AssigneeSpecialty Vehicle Acquisition Corp.
InventorChristopher J. Dilluvio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A convertible roof for an automotive vehicle is provided. In another aspect of the present invention, an in-folding convertible roof is employed. A further aspect of the present invention includes at least a partially self-covering convertible roof system which includes at least one side rail that moves in a generally cross-vehicular direction when the roof is raised or lowered.
Claims39
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- a number one roof bow;
- a front side rail movable in an in-folding manner during retraction;
- a front link coupling the front side rail to the number one roof bow, the front link having a front section rotatable in a substantially cross-vehicle direction relative to the number one roof bow;
- a rear side rail located adjacent to and aligned with the front side rail when in a raised orientation;
- a balance link;
- at least one intermediate link pivotably coupled to the front side rail, the rear side rail and the balance link;
- a main pivot bracket, a pivot of the rear side rail coupled to the main pivot bracket and a pivot of the balance link coupled to the main pivot bracket;
- and
- a ball-and-socket connector;
- the main pivot bracket, the rear side rail, the balance link and the at least one intermediate link acting as a four-bar mechanism;
- the ball-and-socket connector transferring in-folding motion to the front side rail from the balance link;
- the number one roof bow and front side rail clam-shell folding relative to the rear side rail during retraction;
- an exterior surface of the number one roof bow facing upwardly in both raised and retracted orientations;
- and
- a rigid cover automatically movable from a closed orientation at least partially covering a roof storage area to an open orientation to allow at least portions of the side rails to move into the roof storage area, the rigid cover only covering a rear portion but not a front portion of the number one roof bow at a vehicular centerline when the number one roof bow is retracted and the cover is in its closed orientation.
12 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- an outer roof movable between a raised position and a stowed position, the roof including an exterior roof surface;
- at least one side rail movable in a substantially cross-vehicular direction when operably moved between the raised and stowed positions;
- at least a front portion of the exterior roof surface being externally visible and substantially horizontal when the roof is clam-shell folded into the stowed position;
- an elongated balance link located substantially rearward of the side rail when in the raised position;
- a coupling link coupling the side rail to the balance link;
- and
- a roof bow stationarily attached to and movable with the coupling link.
4 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- an outer roof movable between a raised position and a stowed position, the roof including an exterior roof surface;
- at least one side rail movable in a substantially cross-vehicular direction when operably moved between the raised and stowed positions;
- at least a front portion of the exterior roof surface being externally visible and substantially horizontal when the roof is clam-shell folded into the stowed position;
- and
- a rear roof rail;
- wherein the side rail is substantially aligned with the rear roof rail in a fore-and-aft manner when in the raised position, and the side rail is angularly offset from the rear roof rail along at least two different planes when in the stowed position;
- and
- wherein the side rail operably rotates in the substantially cross-vehicular direction relative to the rear roof rail and there are only the two side rails carrying side window weatherstrips on each side of the roof.
5 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- an outer roof movable between a raised position and a stowed position, the roof including an exterior roof surface;
- at least one side rail movable in a substantially cross-vehicular direction when operably moved between the raised and stowed positions;
- at least a front portion of the exterior roof surface being externally visible and substantially horizontal when the roof is clam-shell folded into the stowed position;
- a rear roof rail, wherein the side rail is substantially aligned with the rear roof rail in a fore-and-aft manner when in the raised position, and the side rail is angularly offset from the rear roof rail along at least two different planes when in the stowed position;
- and
- at least one link rotatably coupled to the rear roof rail by a substantially cross-vehicle-elongated pivot axis, and the link being rotatably coupled to the side rail by a substantially vertical-elongated pivot axis.
3 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- an outer roof movable between a raised position and a stowed position, the roof including an exterior roof surface and a soft-top cover;
- at least one side rail movable in a substantially cross-vehicular direction when operably moved between the raised and stowed positions;
- at least a front portion of the exterior roof surface being externally visible and substantially horizontal when the roof is clam-shell folded into the stowed position;
- and
- a number one roof bow externally covered by the soft-top cover, the portion of the soft-top cover above the number one roof bow being the front portion of the exterior roof surface that is externally visible and substantially horizontal when in the stowed position, the number one roof bow being enlarged in a fore-and-aft direction to cover at least the front third of the side rail.
2 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- an outer roof movable between a raised position and a stowed position, the roof including an exterior roof surface;
- at least one side rail movable in a substantially cross-vehicular direction when operably moved between the raised and stowed positions;
- at least a front portion of the exterior roof surface being externally visible and substantially horizontal when the roof is clam-shell folded into the stowed position;
- and
- a rigid cover automatically movable from a closed orientation at least partially covering a roof storage area to an open orientation to allow the roof to move into the roof storage area during roof retraction;
- the front portion of the roof at a centerline of the vehicle being visible and covering part of the roof storage compartment when the roof is in its stowed position and the rigid cover is in its closed orientation.
3 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- a top stack mechanism further comprising a number one roof bow, a balance link and a side rail, the top stack mechanism further comprising an elongated member rotatably coupled to the side rail and the balance link by ball joints;
- the side rail moving in an in-folding manner when the top stack mechanism moves between a raised position and a stowed position;
- the side rail rotating relative to the number one roof bow when moving in the in-folding manner;
- and
- the top stack mechanism collapsing in a clam-shell manner when moved from the raised position to the stowed position.
2 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- a top stack mechanism further comprising a number one roof bow and a side rail;
- the side rail moving in an in-folding manner when the top stack mechanism moves between a raised position and a stowed position;
- the side rail rotating relative to the number one roof bow when moving in the in-folding manner;
- the top stack mechanism collapsing in a clam-shell manner when moved from the raised position to the stowed position;
- and
- a soft-top roof attached to and covering an upper surface of the number one bow when in the raised position, the soft-top roof at the upper surface of the number one bow being externally visible and upwardly facing when the top stack mechanism is in the stowed position.
3 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- a top stack mechanism further comprising a number one roof bow and a side rail;
- the side rail moving in an in-folding manner when the top stack mechanism moves between a raised position and a stowed position;
- the side rail rotating relative to the number one roof bow when moving in the in-folding manner;
- the top stack mechanism collapsing in a clam-shell manner when moved from the raised position to the stowed position;
- a rigid cover movable from a closed orientation at least partially covering a roof storage area to an open orientation to allow the top stack mechanism to move into the roof storage area during retraction of the top stack mechanism;
- and
- a front portion of a roof outer surface at a centerline of the vehicle covering part of the roof storage compartment when the roof is in its stowed position and the rigid cover is in its closed orientation.
4 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- a pliable roof cover;
- a forwardmost roof bow having an upper surface covered by the pliable roof cover when in a raised position;
- a first side window weatherstrip;
- a first elongated member rotatably coupled to the forwardmost roof bow, the first elongated member being rotatable in a substantially cross-vehicle direction, and the first side window weatherstrip being attached to the first elongated member;
- a main pivot bracket;
- a second side window weatherstrip;
- a second elongated member rotatably attached to the main pivot bracket, the first elongated member being rotatably coupled to the second elongated member, the elongated members being adjacent to and substantially aligned with each other when in the raised position, and the second weatherstrip being attached to the second elongated member;
- and
- an inside of the forwardmost roof bow substantially facing an inside of the second elongated member when in a stowed position.
6 more elements
An automotive vehicle convertible roof system comprising:
- a top stack mechanism movable from a raised position to a stowed position, the top stack mechanism further comprising a forwardmost roof bow and an elongated member;
- the elongated member being elongated in a substantially fore-and-aft direction when the top stack mechanism is in the raised position;
- the elongated member being coupled to the forwardmost roof bow;
- the elongated member being rotatable in a substantially cross-vehicle direction relative to the forwardmost roof bow when the top stack mechanism is moved from the raised position to the stowed position;
- a front header latch coupled to the forwardmost roof bow;
- and
- a contacting arm movable at least partially simultaneously with the header latch, the contacting member operably rotating from an inboard position disengaged from the elongated member to an outboard position engaging the elongated member.
4 more elements
A method of operating a convertible roof in an automotive vehicle, the method comprising:
- (a) moving the convertible roof from a raised position to a stowed position;
- (b) in-folding a front side rail relative to a forwardmost roof bow during step (a);
- (c) clam-shell folding the convertible roof during step (a);
- (d) causing an exterior surface of the convertible roof above the forwardmost roof bow to be upwardly facing when in both the raised and stowed positions;
- (e) moving a rigid storage area cover from an open orientation to a closed orientation;
- (f) hiding only a rear portion of the exterior surface of the convertible roof above the forwardmost roof bow with the storage area cover at a vehicular centerline when the convertible roof is in its stowed position and the storage area cover is in its closed orientation;
- and
- (g) allowing a front portion of the exterior surface of the convertible roof to be visible from outside the vehicle after step (b).
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.