Folding slanted back soft top assembly for SUV

• US 10,583,720 B2
• Filed: 01/03/2018
• Issued: 03/10/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bestop Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bestop Incorporated
• Inventors: Haberkamp, William H., Getzschman, Eric D., Vigil, Jose N., Waite, Andy, Troeger, Rick H., Jensen, Blake A., Robertson, James A., Manzanares, Ronald, Stickles, George C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dayoan, D Glenn
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonifazi, Melissa Ann
• Application Number:
  US15/861,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20180141419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/08 arranged at vehicle sides
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/085 removably mounted
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 1/1815 non-adjustably mounted in and moving with the soft-top cover
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/061 sliding and folding
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/1204 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 Class Codes: B60J 7/1226 Soft tops for convertible vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/1265 characterised by kinematic movements, e.g. using parallelogram linkages B60J7/126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60J 7/1291 Soft tops for closed vehicle bodies

Abstract

An articulating slanted back soft top assembly for 4-door and 2-door SUVs. A fabric cover is supported by a frame that is at least partially articulatable from at least a closed position to at least one open air position. The frame includes at least one forward fabric support bow member and at least one rearward fabric support bow member. The rear fabric support bow member being positioned when in the closed position in a manner which allows the fabric to clear a sport bar or “roll bar” member of a vehicle in the closed position such that a rear portion of the top is angled from the vertical when viewing the vehicle from the side.

Claims

1. A folding/slanted back soft top assembly for a sport utility vehicle, comprising:

a pivotal portion operably coupled to the sport utility vehicle and selectively pivotal between a closed position and at least one open position;

a cover including a top deck operably coupled to the pivotal portion, wherein said top deck closes off an opening of the vehicle when in the closed position, and selectively pivoting the pivotal portion uncovers said opening of the vehicle;

a rear window operably selectively coupled to the top deck and operably coupled to the vehicle;

a rearward fabric support assembly positioned toward the rear underside of the top deck and providing adjustment for tensioning the cover.

2. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rearward fabric support assembly includes at least one tensioning device that is adjustable to tension the top deck when desired.

3. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rearward fabric support assembly includes at least one tensioning device that is an air bladder that is inflatable/deflatable when desired.

4. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 3, wherein the air bladder includes a cross car portion that rests upon at least a rear cross car sport bar.

5. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 3, wherein the air bladder includes a pair of leg extensions that rest upon respective fore/aft sport bars.

6. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 3, wherein the air bladder includes a pair of downward extensions that rest upon respective sport bars.

7. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 3, wherein the air bladder is operably connected to the underside of the top deck.

8. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 7, wherein the air bladder is radio frequency welded to the top deck.

9. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one tensioning device includes at least one inflation pump to inflate the bladder to increase tensioning on the top deck as desired.

10. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 9, wherein the inflation pump is an electric pump.

11. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 9, wherein the inflation pump is an inflation hand pump.

12. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 3, wherein the at least one tensioning device includes at least one air valve to deflate the air bladder to decrease tensioning on the top deck as desired.

13. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rearward fabric support assembly includes at least one tensioning device that operably moves fore/aft to increase/decrease tensioning on the top deck when desired.

14. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rearward fabric support assembly includes a rear bow and at least one tensioning device, said rear bow selectively attached to the top deck and operably connected to said at least one tensioning device, said tensioning device operably moves the rear bow fore/aft to increase/decrease tensioning on the top deck when desired.

15. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rearward fabric support assembly includes a rear bow selectively attached to the top deck and operably connected to at least one tensioning device that includes a threaded tube and a jack screw nut to move the rear bow fore/aft to increase/decrease tensioning on the top deck when desired.

16. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rearward fabric support assembly includes a rear bow selectively attached to the top deck and operably connected to at least one tensioning device that includes a rotatable cam with a plurality of recesses to move the rear bow fore/aft to increase/decrease tensioning on the top deck when desired.

17. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rearward fabric support assembly includes a fixed pin received within a respective one of said plurality of recesses as the cam is turned to said recess by an operator to retain the tensioned position until the cam is again rotated to another recess to increase/decrease the tension to the top deck, as desired.

18. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rearward fabric support assembly is positioned to set the height of the top deck and rear window.

19. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, wherein the rear window is slanted downward and rearward to the vehicle at an angle of at least about 15 degrees.

20. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly of claim 1, further comprising a pair of quarter windows operably connected to the top deck and to the rear window.

21. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly claim 20, wherein the rear window and pair of quarter windows are selectively slideably connected to the top deck.

22. The folding/slanted back soft top assembly claim 1, further comprising a tailgate bar slideably connected to the rear window, said tailgate bar operably connected to the vehicle adjacent a tailgate.

23. A folding/slanted back soft top assembly for a sport utility vehicle, comprising:

a pivotal portion operably coupled to the sport utility vehicle and selectively pivotal between a closed position and at least one open position;

a cover including a top deck operably coupled to the pivotal portion, wherein said top deck closes off an opening of the vehicle when in the closed position, and selectively pivoting the pivotal portion uncovers said opening of the vehicle;

a rear window operably selectively coupled to the top deck and operably coupled to the vehicle;

a rearward fabric support assembly positioned toward the rear underside of the top deck and including a tensioning device for adjustment and tensioning of the top deck as desired.

24. A folding/slanted back soft top assembly for a sport utility vehicle, comprising:

a pivotal portion operably coupled to the sport utility vehicle and selectively pivotal between a closed position and at least one open position;

a cover including a top deck operably coupled to the pivotal portion, wherein said top deck closes off an opening of the vehicle when in the closed position, and selectively pivoting the pivotal portion uncovers said opening of the vehicle;

a rear window operably selectively coupled to the top deck and to the vehicle;

a pair of quarter windows selectively coupled to the top deck and to the vehicle;

a rearward fabric support assembly positioned toward the rear underside of the top deck and including a tensioning device for adjustment and increased/decreased tensioning of the top deck and rear window as desired after the folding/slanted back soft top assembly is installed on the vehicle.