Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
296121000 | Joints and couplings | 22 |
20080231073 | CLAMPING ARRANGEMENT FOR A SOFT TOP HEADER FOR A SPORT UTILITY OR OTHER VEHICLE - A clamping arrangement for removably securing an elongated header for a vehicle soft top to the windshield frame of a sport utility or other vehicle. The arrangement includes first and second clamp sections. The first section is fixedly attached to the header and the second section is pivotally mounted or otherwise movable relative to the first. The first clamp section includes a downwardly open hook portion that is positionable over a catch member of a footman loop mounted to the main body of the windshield frame. In operation of the preferred embodiment, the second clamp section engages the main body of the windshield wherein the first section and attached header are then rotated forwardly about the axis of the catch member. This forces or drives the header downwardly against the sealing cap on the top of the windshield frame where it is then secured in place. | 09-25-2008 |
20080258492 | Convertible Vehicle - A convertible vehicle is provided with at least two roof elements that are separated from each other at a joint when the roof is in the closed position and arranged one after the other relative to the direction of travel, and in order to open the roof a rear roof element can move at least essentially rearward and downward, and a front roof element can swivel toward the rear roof element. When the roof is open, the C pillars can be swiveled inward in relation to a center section comprising to mediate the swiveling, at least one shaft, which when the roof is closed has at least one component in the direction of travel and one upwardly directed component, and whose rotary movement in the region of the joint between the roof elements can be translated into a swivel movement between them. | 10-23-2008 |
20080258493 | Locking Device for a Convertible Top - A locking device ( | 10-23-2008 |
20080290688 | Convertible Roof that Latches to an Upper Transverse Frame Part of the Windshield Frame - A convertible vehicle according to the present invention includes a vehicle body with a windshield frame with an upper transverse frame part. A convertible roof for the vehicle has a front end. At least one hook part is disposed in the upper transverse frame part and is linearly movable in the upper transverse frame part | 11-27-2008 |
20080309117 | Convertible Vehicle - A convertible car includes a mobile roof which can be retained on a windshield frame when closed. For retaining the roof, at least two mobile engaging elements and at least one actuating element for the same are provided. The actuating element is operatively coupled with the engaging elements via respective force transmitters which project with one component in the vehicle transverse direction. At least inward pointing ends of the force transmitters, for the purpose of force transmission, are movable in a purely translational manner and in parallel to their projecting component. | 12-18-2008 |
20090091156 | Latch Mechanism For Convertible Tops - A latch mechanism for releasably locking at least a portion of a convertible top of a motor vehicle in the closed position. The latch mechanism has a locked position in which the latch mechanism is lockingly engaged with the receiver to lock at least a portion of the top in the closed position and an unlocked position in which the latch mechanism is disengaged with the receiver and allows movement of the at least portion of the top between the closed and open positions. The latch mechanism has a memory metal element operative for actuating the latch mechanism between the locked and unlocked positions. | 04-09-2009 |
20090102229 | Retractable Hardtop with Two-Piece Rear Section and Removable Front Roof Panels - A top for a vehicle that has a stationary support disposed between removable panels forward of the support and a multiple section retractable hardtop rearward of the support. The detachable roof panels are provided in front of the stationary support and extend across the vehicle laterally and to the windshield header when installed. A two piece retractable hardtop is provided rearward of the stationary support that has a back light that is disposed to cover a back light opening in an extended position and is detached from the back light opening in a retracted position. | 04-23-2009 |
20090179453 | CLOSURE FOR A MOVABLE ROOF - A closure assembly for a vehicle includes a hook movable between locked and unlocked positions. An actuator is connected to the hook and is linearly movable to move the hook between the locked and unlocked positions. First and second rotatable gears are engaged with one another such that either gear rotates as the other gear rotates. First and second levers are respectively connected between the gears and the actuator. The levers move as the gears rotate in response to the first gear rotating in a first rotary direction and thereby cause the actuator to move linearly in a first direction to thereby move the hook to the locked position. The levers move as the gears rotate in response to the first gear rotating in a second rotary direction and thereby cause the actuator to move linearly in a second direction to thereby move the hook to the unlocked position. | 07-16-2009 |
20100171335 | Device for Fixing the Position of a Lid - A device for fixing the position of a lid of a motor vehicle in the closed position, the lid being moveable between an open position and a closed position, in particular the position of the cover of a convertible top compartment, having a component attached to the body of the vehicle, and a component which is attached to the lid and which, when the component attached to the body assumes the closed position, is guided at least in one direction. The component attached to the lid or the component attached to the body has a base plate for connection to the lid or the body and an insertion element connected to the base plate. The base plate can be moved by means of a cam pivoted on the plate relative to the lid or the body. The movement of the cam is limited by two stop elements which are attached to the base plate and which are essentially opposite one another. | 07-08-2010 |
20100219659 | LOCKING MECHANISM FOR A MOVABLE TOP OF A PASSENGER VEHICLE - A locking mechanism for latching a convertible top to a cross-member of a windshield frame of a vehicle. The locking mechanism includes a support element, a locking hook, and a pin having a retaining section and a shaft connected together. The support element is mountable to a front portion of the convertible top. The locking hook is pivotably connected to the support element to be movable between resting and operating positions. The retaining section of the pin is fixedly mounted to the support element. The shaft of the pin is projectable along a direction into a corresponding recess of a receptacle in the cross-member of the windshield frame. The pin is of a plastic material that is rigid in shape and plastically deformable and the shaft is constricted in the direction in which the shaft is projectable into the corresponding recess of the receptacle in the cross-member. | 09-02-2010 |
20100289292 | SOFT TOP FOR A MOTOR VEHICLE, PARTICULARLY A CONVERTIBLE, COMPRISING A FOLDING ROOF - A top for a convertible vehicle includes a folding roof which can be moved by a top linkage between a closed position in which it can be fixed to a windshield frame and an open position in which it is stowed in a rear side stowage position. | 11-18-2010 |
20120086231 | LOCKING APPARATUS WITH TWO-BAR LINKAGE FOR A FOLDING TOP - A locking apparatus for a folding top of a vehicle includes a housing, a locking hook, a coupling device, and a driving apparatus. The locking hook has a gripping end and a bearing end. The coupling device is movably mounted in the housing to be horizontally adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the locking hook. The bearing end is mounted to the coupling device such that the bearing end is movably mounted in the housing to be horizontally adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the locking hook such that the locking hook is movable between closed and opened positions. The driving apparatus is for driving the locking hook to move between the closed and opened positions and includes a first two-bar linkage, a driving arm connected with the two-bar linkage, and an actuating drive for actuating the driving arm. | 04-12-2012 |
20120086232 | LOCKING APPARATUS WITH COUPLING DEVICE FOR A FOLDING TOP - A locking apparatus for a folding top of a vehicle includes a housing, a locking hook having a gripping end and a bearing end, a coupling device, and a driving apparatus. The coupling device is movably mounted in the housing to be horizontally adjustable in a longitudinal direction of the locking hook. The bearing end is pivotably mounted to the coupling device around a pivot axis oriented horizontally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the locking hook such that the locking hook is horizontally adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the locking hook between closed and opened positions. The driving apparatus is connected with the bearing end through the coupling device for driving the locking hook to move between the closed and opened positions. | 04-12-2012 |
20130026780 | Roof Attachment Apparatus for A-Frame Style Trailers - The present invention is a roof attachment means for an A-Frame style trailer which has two roofs that fold atop one another when the A-Frame trailer is not in use. The two roofs raise to create a peak for use. There are securing straps attached to the outer front corners of the front roof and along the top outer edged of the rear roof such that as the roofs are being raised by the operator the securing straps maintain the relationship between the front and rear roofs by an elastic component of the securing straps which provides tension and a fixed length component of the securing straps does not allow the roofs to extend beyond the peak of the A-Frame trailer. | 01-31-2013 |
20140117703 | Cabriolet top with closure unit - A cabriolet top having a top linkage which can be adjustable between a closed position, in which it spans a vehicle interior space, and an open position having at both sides of a vertical vehicle longitudinal central plane, in each case one link arrangement assigned a closure unit which can be adjusted by means of an actuating device between a locking and unlocking position and which, in its locking position in the closed position of the top linkage, secures a front bow, which connects the two link arrangements to one another, to a front cowl of the vehicle by means of a locking hook. The locking hook can be connected via a first joint to a first locking link pivotable about an axle fixed to the front bow and via a second joint to a second locking link pivotable about an axle fixed to the front bow. | 05-01-2014 |
20140361574 | LOCK ARRANGEMENT FOR A CONVERTIBLE TOP OF A CABRIOLET - A convertible top of a cabriolet adjustable between a closed position spanning a vehicle interior and a storage position opening the vehicle interior toward the top includes a forward rigid roof element. The roof element extends in the transverse direction of the convertible top and can be secured to a forward cowl by at least one lock arrangement in a closed position of the convertible top. The lock arrangement includes a locking hook adjustable between a locked position and an open position and which is engaged with a corresponding locking element in the locked position. A holding device ensures that the locking hook and the corresponding locking element remain engaged in the closed position of the convertible top and in the locked position of the locking hook if the cowl is offset with regard to the rigid roof element. | 12-11-2014 |
20150330439 | Articulated Device Between Linkage Assembly Support Arms of a Collapsible Roof - An articulated device includes a rivet assembly for connecting first and second linkage assembly support arms together at common ends thereof. The rivet assembly includes a blind rivet having a rivet sleeve and a mandrel shaft with a mandrel head. The rivet sleeve and the mandrel shaft extend through first and second bearing holes in the common ends with the mandrel head being on the first arm adjacent to the first bearing hole. The rivet sleeve has a rivet sleeve head on the second arm adjacent to the second bearing hole. The rivet assembly includes a bearing sleeve extending between the rivet sleeve and the bearing holes. The bearing sleeve has a collar-type stop and a shoulder-type shaft stop with the collar-type stop lying against the first arm and the shoulder-type shaft stop lying against the mandrel head. The bearing sleeve has a ring-shaped stop adjacent the rivet sleeve head. | 11-19-2015 |
20160059683 | REAR VEHICLE-BODY STRUCTURE OF VEHICLE - A holding device to hold an openable roof when the openable roof is stored is provided at a front portion of a storage partition. There is provided a changing member to change a hook having an open position from its open position to its pre-lock position by being pressed down by the hook taking the open position when the openable roof is operated for storage in the storage partition. The changing member is provided adjacently to the holding device. Thereby, a rear vehicle-body structure of a vehicle which can surely change the hook from its open position to its pre-lock position can be provided. | 03-03-2016 |
20160101676 | Top Stack Seal with Tensioning Strap - A support strap for holding a seal strip of a convertible top against one or more body panels of the vehicle. The seal strip has a body panel engaging portion and an attachment portion. A tensioner is operatively attached to the support strap to reduce the flexibility of the support strap and apply pressure to the seal strip to improve the effectiveness of the seal strip. | 04-14-2016 |
296122000 | Brace and bow pivots | 3 |
20100072776 | CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE BODY - A vehicle body includes, but is not limited to a frame and a roof held above the frame so as to be movable between a closed configuration in which it covers a passenger compartment and an open configuration in which the passenger compartment is uncovered. The passenger compartment has at least one door. At least one pair of pillars is mounted to the frame to the rear of the door for supporting the roof in its closed configuration. The roof is adapted to assume an intermediate configuration between its open and closer configurations in which the roof is spaced apart from said pillars. | 03-25-2010 |
20100109375 | Convertible Top Stack Having a Triple Pivot for a Pivot Link, Center Rail, and Rear Rail - A convertible top stack linkage is provided that is formed, in part, in a thixotropic magnesium molding process. Many structural parts of the convertible top stack linkage may be thixotropically molded. A pivot link of the top stack linkage is pivotally connected to two bows, for example, the three and four bows of the top stack. A five bow extends between and is attached to right and left pivot links by right and left pressure links, respectively. A pivot link is provided that has a triple pivot connection to a tensioning link, a center rail and a rear rail. A main spring is secured to a pivot pin and connected to a main pivot bracket on the vehicle to provide a counterbalancing force on the balance link that assists in lifting the top stack linkage as the convertible top is retracted and extended. | 05-06-2010 |
20140339851 | Manual Soft Top with Spring Assist Mechanism - A spring assist mechanism is disclosed for aiding manual deployment of a collapsible soft top that has a frame incorporating a back bow that includes spaced side struts joined at upper ends by a crossbar. The spring assist mechanism includes a bracket securable to the body of the vehicle on one side thereof. A pivot pin extends from the bracket to a distal end and a pivot plate is rotatably supported on the pivot pin. An attachment feature is fixed to the pivot plate displaced from the pivot pin and the pivot plate forms an attachment arm configured to be fixed to a lower end of one of the side struts. The pivot plate thus facilitates pivotal movement of the side strut and back bow between a generally vertical deployed configuration and a generally horizontal stowed configuration. A biasing member, which can be a coil spring, has a first end fixed relative to the bracket and a second end coupled to the attachment feature. The biasing member is configured to urge the pivot plate and an attached side strut and back bow toward the deployed configuration thereby aiding manual deployment of the soft top. Spring assist mechanisms may be disclosed on both sides of the vehicle if desired. | 11-20-2014 |