Top for vehicles, particularly passenger cars

For a top of a passenger car, a noise/thermal insulating intermediate layer and an interior ceiling are arranged inside an exterior top covering of the top for muffling noise and for achieving an effective thermal protection against heat and coldness. So that an inflating of the top covering is avoided during a driving operation at speed, the top covering, supporting layers of the intermediate layer and the interior ceiling are attached to a plurality of transversely extending bows of the top.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention generally relates to a top for vehicles, particularly 
passenger cars. 
U.S. Pat. No. 2,040,680 discloses an exterior top covering which rests 
against the exterior side of transversely extending bows without being 
fastened thereto and is tightened by the bows. This arrangement has the 
disadvantage that, when the top is closed during a driving operation, the 
top inflates in the shape of a balloon which is found to be annoying. In 
addition, in the case of an unlined top of this type, the noises occurring 
outside the vehicle are transmitted into the passenger space of the 
vehicle by way of the top covering almost at their full volume. 
Furthermore, a top of this type offers little protection from heat and 
cold. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a top that 
reduces the noise transmitted to a passenger space as a result of the 
operation of the vehicle and avoids an inflating effect when the top is 
closed as well as providing efficient thermal protection with respect to 
heat and cold. 
According to preferred embodiments of the present invention, this object 
and other objects are achieved by providing the top with a sound/thermal 
insulating intermediate layer and an interior ceiling which are affixed to 
a plurality of transverely extending bows of a frame of the top. 
Main advantages achieved by preferred embodiments of the present invention 
are that, by means of the arrangement of the interior ceiling and of the 
sound/thermal insulating intermediate layer, the noise in the passenger 
space is reduced considerably. Further, an inflating of the top covering 
is largely avoided by fastening the top covering, the ceiling and 
supporting layers of the intermediate layer at a pluarlity of transversely 
extending bows. Locally arranged, shaped air cushions located on the 
interior side of the top covering or under the intermediate layers, assure 
that the top has a round shape without any sink points.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
An embodiment of the present invention is shown in the drawings and will be 
explained in detail in the following. 
FIG. 1 shows a passenger car 1, a body 2 of which comprises a top 4 above a 
belt line 3, this top 4, in a closed position A, extending between a 
windshield frame 5 and a rear area 6. In the closed position A, the top 4 
is held in position at the windshield frame 5 by means of fastening 
devices which are not shown in detail. After a release of the fastening 
devices, the top 4 can be folded back into a cargo space on the rear side 
which is not shown. 
The top 4, which is preferably constructed as folding top, is composed of a 
top structure 7 and an exterior top covering 8, this top covering 8, 
adjacent to the rear area 6, being provided with a flexible or rigid 
window 9. According to FIG. 2, the top structure 7 comprises a front top 
frame 10, a rear top frame 11, a parallelogram linkage 12 engaging at the 
rear top frame 11 as well as bows 13, 14, 15, 16 extending transversely to 
the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Bow 13 is Pivotally connected 
to the front top frame 10, whereas bow 14 is assigned to the rear top 
frame 11. The stationary bow 15 forms an upper part of a main top pillar 
17, and the swivelling bow 16 is pivotally connected to the main top 
pillar 17 and extends above the window 9. 
According to FIG. 6, the top 4, on the side facing a passenger space 18, is 
provided with a ceiling 19 and a noise/thermal insulating intermediate 
layer 20 which is arranged between the ceiling 19 and the top covering 8. 
The intermediate layer 20, which is made of a nonwoven material consisting 
of polyester fiber, rubberized-hair fabric or the like, extends between an 
upper and a lower supporting layer 21 and 22 and is fastened, for example 
by gluing to both supporting layers 21, 22. The intermediate layer 20 has 
the effect of a equalization of temperatures; i.e., that it does not 
become too warm in the summer and too cool in the winter. In addition, by 
means of the intermediate layer 20, noises occurring outside the vehicle 
are transmitted into the passenger space 18 in an effectively muffled 
manner. 
In order to avoid an inflating of the exterior top covering 8, the exterior 
top covering 8, the interior ceiling 19 and the two supporting layers 21, 
22 of the intermediate layer 20 are fastened to a pluarlity of 
transversely extending bows 13, 14, 15, 16. The fastening takes place 
continuously, specifically over a significant part of the width of the 
bows 13, 14, 15, 16. It is only at the laterally exterior upright sections 
of the bows 13, 14, 15, 16 that the top covering 8 rests on them loosely 
on the outside. In the area of these bows, 13, 14, 15, 16, the 
intermediate layer 20 adapts itself to their shape and vanishes in the 
area of the fastening of the supporting layers 21, 22 and of the top 
covering 8. The exterior top covering 8, the two supporting layers 21, 22 
which are placed locally against one another, and an interior holding 
strip 23 are sewn or welded together with one another above the bows 13, 
14, 15, 16. The interior holding strip 23 is guided around the bow 13, 14, 
15, 16 and is glued or screwed together with it. 
Locally, tensioning strips 24 are sewn, glued or welded to the interior 
ceiling 19, these tensioning strips 24 being bent upwards to the bow 13, 
14, 15, 16 and, by means of a saucer-type element 25 and a fastening screw 
26 or a rivet, being fixed at the bow 13, 14, 15, 16. In cross-sectional 
view, the saucer-type elements 25 are bent approximately in the shape of a 
quarter circle. At the bow 16, which is farthest in the rear, the tension 
strip 24 is not required because the ceiling 19, in sections, is guided 
directly around the bow 16 and is fixed by means of a saucer-type element 
25 and a fastening screw 26 (FIG. 7). 
In order to avoid sink points at the exterior top contour, shaped 
inflatable air cushions 27, as seen in FIG. 1, 3 and 4, are arranged at 
least in sections beneath the top covering 8, the air cushions being 
controlled, for example, pneumatically or electrically. For example, 
during the locking of the top 4 at the windshield frame 5, the air 
cushions 27 are inflated automatically and are evacuated again during the 
unlocking. However, it is also possible to inflate or evacuate the air 
cushions 27, which are connected with a pump by way of hoses, by means of 
an actuating switch. As a result of such an evacuation, the cargo space 
for housing the top 4 can have a lower overall height than if the air 
cushions 27 were inflated permanently. 
Sink points at the top 4 occur mainly in the edge area of the rear-side 
window 9 so that the air cushions 27 are preferably arranged above and 
laterally of this window 9. According to FIG. 2, the air cushions 27 
extend over the whole longitudinal and transverse course of the top 4. 
Each air cushion 27 consists of two parts 28, 29 which, on the edge side, 
are airtightly connected with one another (FIG. 3). The air cushions 27 
are located directly under the exterior top covering 8 or under the 
intermediate layer 20. A narrow tightening belt 30, on which the air 
cushion 27 rests, extends under the air cushion 27. 
The tightening belt 30, according to FIG. 2, extends over the whole length 
of the top 4 and is fixedly connected with the individual bows 13, 14, 15, 
16. For the fixing of the air cushion 27 in transverse direction, a 
two-part holding strap 31 is provided which is connected with the air 
cushion 27 and reaches under the tightening belt 30. The two parts 32, 33 
of the holding strap 31 are connected with one another by means of a 
velcro-type closure so that an easy exchange of air cushions 27 is 
ensured. The velcro-type closure 34 consists of a fleece strip 35 and a 
gripping strip 36, the fleece strip 35 being mounted at one part (for 
example, 32) and the gripping strip 36 being arranged at the other part 
(for example, 33) of the holding strap 31. Instead of the velcro-type 
closure, a zipper-type closure or another fast-closing device may also be 
used. 
In order to avoid sink points at the top 4, padding materials may also be 
used. 
Although the present invention has been described and illustrated in 
detail, it is to be clearly understood that the same is by way of 
illustration and example only, and is not to be taken by way of 
limitation. The spirit and scope of the present invention are to be 
limited only by the terms of the appended claims.