Front top assembly for SUV

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11712951-B2
Application number	US-202117220629-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 1, 2021
Priority date	Apr 2, 2013
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

An articulating front top cover assembly adapted for connecting to a vehicle in sealing engagement with a hard top portion of a roof of the vehicle. A pivotal portion includes a multi-bar over-center linkage arrangement. The pivotal portion is movable between at least a closed position over the front vehicle compartment and an open position with a passive lock from the multi-bar linkage assembly for an open air feel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An articulating front top cover assembly adapted for a vehicle having a hard top roof and an opening in the roof extending back from behind a vehicle windshield, the front top cover assembly comprising:
a rear header member adapted for being coupled at the opening opposite the vehicle windshield to form a sealing engagement with a hard top roof portion of the vehicle to provide a weatherproof seal between the rear header member and the hard top roof portion when installed;
a front header adapted to selectively connect to the vehicle adjacent the vehicle windshield;
two pairs of side rails extending from the front header and adapted to be pivotally supported at the roof opening on opposite sides of the opening;
two integrated side rails, each respectively adapted for attachment at the roof opening of the vehicle on opposite sides of the opening, each integrated side rail adapted to be connected to the rear header member and extending from the rear header member; and
a cover including a front edge, the front edge connected to said front header;
wherein pivoting the at least two pairs of side rails allows said cover to move between a deployed position for covering the roof opening of the vehicle and an open position for uncovering the roof opening of the vehicle.

2. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the two pairs of side rails are pivotally supported to brackets.

3. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least two pairs of side rails are pivotally supported to brackets fixed relative to the integrated side rails.

4. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least two integrated side rails each further comprise at least one seal adapted for window glass of front doors of the vehicle.

5. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the front edge of the cover wraps around a front edge of the front header, is operably secured to the front header and covers at least an outward portion of the front header.

6. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein a rear edge of the cover is operably secured to the rear header and covers at least an outward portion of the rear header.

7. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the two pairs of side rails are operably coupled to the front header, wherein pivoting the at least two pairs of side rails allow said front header to maintain a substantially horizontal orientation as the cover is moved between the deployed position and open position.

8. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a bow member extending from two of the two pairs of side rails on opposite sides of the opening.

9. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 8 , wherein the at least two pairs of side rails are each part of a 4-bar link arrangement creating an over-center linkage action as the cover is moved between the deployed position to the open position adapted to provide a passive lock in the open position.

10. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least two lift assists, each respectively adapted for attachment at the roof opening of the vehicle on opposite sides of the opening.

11. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 1 , wherein the at least two integrated side rails and rear header form a cassette insert adapted for being coupled at the opening.

12. A vehicle roof system for inserting into an open space in the roof created by removing at least one front panel of the roof and defined by a windshield frame, over oppositely-disposed driver side and passenger side vehicle doors extending back therefrom, and a cross member opposite the open space from the windshield frame and behind the doors, the vehicle roof system including:
a rear header member adapted to install over the remaining portion of the roof and extending across the open space, the rear header member including a surface adapted to abut the roof adjacent the cross member and to provide a weatherproof seal; bottom surface of the cross member causing the rear header member and the seal to press against the roof;
two integrated side rails each adapted for attachment at respective opposite sides of the roof opening of the vehicle, with each side rail presenting a sealing surface for sealing with a vehicle door;
a cover of flexible material attached to the rear header at one end;
a first bow member attached to the cover at the cover's other end opposite the rear header, the first bow member including at least one latch being adapted to selectively connect the first bow member to the windshield frame;
the first bow member further including pivoting attachments for attaching the first bow member pivotally on either side of the open space whereby, when the system is installed on a vehicle, the first bow member can pivot about the attachments from a closed position in which the bow can be attached to the windshield frame and the cover is extended to cover the open space, to an open position in which the first bow member pivots back while being maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation about the pivoting attachments, and over-center to an open position, where the first bow member is disposed over the rear header, and passively held in the open position, and the cover is folded.

13. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 12 , wherein the pivoting attachments are fixed relative to the two integrated side rails once installed in the roof opening of the vehicle.

14. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 12 , wherein the two integrated side rails are adapted to be operably coupled to the rear header member, each extending from oppositely-disposed sides of the rear header member.

15. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 12 , wherein the at least two integrated side rails each further comprise at least one seal adapted to be flush to window glass of front doors of the vehicle.

16. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 12 , wherein a front edge of the cover wraps around a front edge of the first bow member and covers at least an outward portion of the first bow member.

17. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 12 , wherein a rear edge of the cover is operably secured to the rear header member and covers at least an outward portion of the rear header member.

18. The articulating front top cover assembly of claim 12 , wherein the two pairs of side rails are each part of a 4-bar link arrangement creating over-center linkage as the cover is moved between the deployed position to the open position and operably adapted to provide the passive lock in the open position.

19. A front top cover assembly adapted for a vehicle having a hard top roof and an opening in the roof extending back from behind a vehicle windshield, the front top cover assembly comprising:
a rear header member adapted for being coupled at the opening opposite the vehicle windshield to form a sealing engagement with a hard top roof portion of the vehicle to provide a weatherproof seal between the rear header member and the hard top roof portion when installed;
a front header adapted to selectively connect to the vehicle adjacent the vehicle windshield;
two pairs of side rails extending from the front header and adapted to be pivotally supported at the roof opening on opposite sides of the opening;
two integrated side rails, each respectively adapted for attachment at the roof opening of the veh

Assignees

• Bestop Inc

Inventors

• Moore Jonathon G
• Smith David A
• Turney Charles C
• Lewis Stephen J
• Haberkamp William H

Classifications

• B60J7/1291 Primary

  Soft tops for closed vehicle bodies · CPC title

• B60J7/1204

  Control devices, e.g. for compensating tolerances, for defining movement or end position of top, for tensioning the top or for switching to an emergency mode · CPC title

• B60J10/90

  specially adapted for non-fixed roofs, e.g. foldable roofs or removable hard-tops · CPC title