Patent ID: 7029052
Filing Date: 2006-04-18
Classification: B60J

Abstract:
1. 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 front portion having an upstanding windshield and 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 front and rear bow members, each 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 the side legs of said front bow member being respectively mounted to the side legs of said rear bow member for pivotal movement relative to said safety bar portion and said rear bow member about a second pivotal axis, said second pivotal axis being substantially parallel to and spaced from said first, fixed pivotal axis, the side legs of said front bow member being movable with the respective side legs of said rear bow member about the first, fixed pivotal axis, said front bow member further being movable between a collapsed position with the base of the inverted U-shape thereof adjacent the rearward panel and the collapsed position of the base of the rear bow member and a raised position with the base of the front bow member adjacent the windshield of the front portion of the vehicle body.