Abstract:
The present invention is directed to a zipper for use with a foldable, stowable roof for a vehicle, where the foldable roof includes one or more windows made of a foldable material. The zipper also changes from being in a two-dimensional plane to a three-dimensional plane around a curved portion of the window, reducing the stress placed on the portion of the zipper connected to the foldable roof, and the portion of the zipper connected to the window.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/337,985 filed on Feb. 12, 2010. The disclosure of the above application is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a zipper type of fastener used for a foldable, stowable roof, for sport utility vehicles. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a zipper which is suited for selectively connecting two curved portions of a foldable, stowable roof. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Foldable stowable roof tops are commonly used in sport-utility vehicles for recreational purposes. The foldable roof is typically moved between a stowed position, and a deployed position. When in the deployed position, the foldable roof protects the occupants of the vehicle from various weather conditions. The foldable roof also includes various sections which are made of a clear material to essentially function as a window, allowing the occupant of the vehicle to see outside of the vehicle. It is also sometimes desirable to open these clear, foldable, window sections when weather conditions are favorable, but the occupant(s) of the vehicle do not desire to change the foldable roof to the stowed position. 
     Because these window sections are also foldable, typical window crank devices and electric motors used for opening and closing a window made of glass (which is rigid and not foldable) are not suitable for use with a foldable roof. Therefore, other methods of opening the foldable window have been developed. One of these methods is a zipper which is typically one continuous zipper that surrounds all sides of the window but one. The one side of the window which is not surrounded by the zipper is the foldable side, allowing the window to be folded from the closed to the open position. 
     One of the drawbacks to this type of design is that most zippers are designed for attaching two portions of material along a substantially straight section of each portion of the material. When these types of zippers are used with a foldable window having various curves, the zipper is difficult to use. More specifically, both sides of the zipper are in the same plane, and the portion of the zipper attached to the foldable window has a shorter radius in relation to the portion of the zipper attached to the remaining portion of the foldable roof. The difference between the radius of the outer window connected to the zipper and the radius of the foldable roof connected to the zipper is typically the width of the zipper. This makes the zipper difficult to use around the corners of the window because there is an imbalanced amount of stress placed on the portion of the zipper connected to the window and the portion of the zipper connected to the foldable roof. A typical zipper is designed for connecting two sheets of material along a substantially straight surface. 
     Accordingly, there exists a need for a zipper which is suitable for providing a selective connection between a foldable roof and a foldable window having various curved areas. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is directed to a fastener or zipper for use with a foldable, stowable roof for a vehicle, where the foldable roof includes one or more windows made of a foldable material. The zipper also changes from being in a two-dimensional plane to a three-dimensional plane around a curved portion of the window, reducing the stress placed on the portion of the zipper connected to the foldable roof, and the portion of the zipper connected to the window. 
     In one embodiment, the present invention is an attachment device used for connecting a foldable, stowable roof and a foldable window for a vehicle. The foldable, stowable roof is connected to a vehicle, and has at least one curved portion and at least one straight portion. Additionally, the foldable window is also connected to the vehicle, and the foldable window has at least one curved portion and at least one straight portion. The curved portion of the foldable, stowable roof corresponds to the shape of the curved portion of the foldable window. The attachment device selectively connects the foldable, stowable roof to the foldable window. The attachment device is disposed in a first plane in the areas of the straight portion of the foldable, stowable roof and the straight portion of the foldable window, and the attachment device is in a second plane in the areas of the curved portion of the foldable, stowable roof and the curved portion of the foldable window. 
     In one embodiment, the attachment device is a fastener or zipper having a first half connected to the foldable, stowable roof, and a second half connected to the foldable window. The zipper includes a slider operable for selectively connecting and disconnecting the first half to the second half as the slider is moved in a first direction or a second direction. 
     The zipper includes a first seam connecting the first half of the zipper to the foldable, stowable roof such that a portion of the first half is disposed in the first plane, and a portion of the first half is disposed in the second plane. The zipper also includes a second seam connecting the second half of the zipper to the foldable window such that a portion of the second half is disposed in the first plane, and a portion of the second half is disposed in the second plane. The change in position of the zipper between the first plane and the second plane reduces the amount of stress on the zipper in the curved portions of the foldable, stowable roof and the foldable window. 
     Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic for a zipper design, according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a vehicle incorporating a zipper used for selectively connecting a foldable roof and a foldable window, according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a top view of a zipper used for selectively connecting a foldable roof and a foldable window, according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of a first half of a zipper connected to a foldable roof, which is part of a zipper used for selectively connecting a foldable roof and a foldable window, according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of a vehicle incorporating a zipper used for selectively connecting a foldable roof and a foldable window, according to the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is a second perspective view of a first half of a zipper connected to a foldable roof, which is part of a zipper used for selectively connecting a foldable roof and a foldable window, according to the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is a greatly enlarged perspective view of a foldable roof incorporating a zipper used for selectively connecting a foldable roof and a foldable window, according to the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses. 
     A schematic of a zipper used for a foldable, stowable roof according to the present invention is shown in  FIG. 1 , generally at  10 . The schematic  10  showing the zipper of the present invention depicts the path of the zipper in a three dimensional plane. There are two lines shown in  FIG. 1 , the first line  12  represents the connection (or “seam”) between the zipper and the corner portion of the foldable roof, the second line  14  represents the connection (also a “seam”) between the zipper and a corner portion of a foldable window. The length of the first line  12  and second line  14  is substantially the same. Also, the distance  16  between the first line  12  and the second line  14  is also substantially the same through the entire arc, generally shown at  18 , as the zipper is manipulated around a curved area. 
     Because the length of the lines  12 , 14  is substantially the same, and the distance  16  between the lines  12 , 14  is substantially the same, the lines  12 , 14  change position throughout the length of the arc  18 , which represents the change in position of the seams throughout the arc  18 . At the portion of the arc  18  which is most pronounced, the two lines  12 , 14  cross over, representing the area where the zipper moves substantially ninety degrees, and changes from being located in the X-Y plane (essentially a two-dimensional plane), to extending out of the X-Y plane in a direction parallel to the Z-axis (essentially a three-dimensional plane), as shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 2-7 , a zipper, shown generally at  20  is connected to a foldable roof  22  and a foldable window  24 . The zipper  20  is connected to the roof  22  by a first seam  26  (represented by the first line  12  in  FIG. 1 ) and is connected to the foldable window  24  through the use of a second seam  28  (represented by the second line  14  in  FIG. 1 ). More specifically, the zipper  20  has a first half  34  connected to the roof  22  by the first seam  26 , and a second half  36  connected to the foldable window  24  by the second seam  28 . 
       FIGS. 2-7  show the curved portions, generally shown at  30 , of the roof  22  and the window  24 , as well as the roof  22  and window  24  attached to a vehicle, generally shown at  32 . The zipper  20  lies substantially in a first plane (the X-Y plane) in areas where the roof  22  and the window  24  are not curved, generally shown as straight portions  38 , and is repositioned substantially ninety-degrees (extending into a second plane, or a direction parallel to the Z-axis) in the areas of the curved portions  30  of the roof  22  and window  24 , best seen in  FIGS. 6-7 . 
     When it is desired to open or close the window  24 , the slider, generally shown at  42 , of the zipper  20  is moved in a first direction or a second direction such that the halves  34 , 36  of the zipper  20  are either connected or separated, depending upon whether the window  24  is being closed or opened. In either case, as the slider  42  is moved towards one of the curved portions  30 , both halves  34 , 36  of the zipper  20  rotate about ninety-degrees, best shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  6 , and  7 . The halves  34 , 36  of the zipper  20  change from being located in the X-Y plane, to extending in a direction parallel to the Z-axis, best shown in  FIG. 1 . Essentially, the halves  34 , 36  are perpendicular to the foldable roof  22  and the foldable window  24  along the curved portions  30 . 
     To facilitate the repositioning of the halves  34 , 36  of the zipper  20 , the first half  34  of the zipper  20  is attached to the roof  22  such that the portion of the half  34  connected along the straight portions  38  is stitched such that the first seam  26  positions the first half  34  of the zipper  20  to lay flat, in the X-Y plane, best shown in  FIGS. 1 and 6 . The first half  34  of the zipper  20  connected along the curved portions  30  is stitched such that the first seam  26  positions the first half  34  of the zipper  20  to extend substantially perpendicularly to the foldable roof  22  (along the Z-axis), best shown in  FIGS. 6-7 . The second half  36  of the zipper  20  is attached to the foldable window  24  such that the portion of the second half  36  connected to the window  24  along the straight portions  38  is stitched such that the second seam  28  positions the second half  36  of the zipper  20  to lay flat, in the X-Y plane, shown schematically in  FIG. 1 . The second half  36  of the zipper  20  connected along the curved portions  30  is stitched along the curved portions  30  such that the second seam  28  positions the second half  36  of the zipper  20  to extend substantially perpendicularly away from the foldable window  24  (along the Z-axis), as shown in  FIGS. 6-7 . 
     The zipper  20  having the cornering design of the present invention facilitates the opening and closing of the foldable window  24 , without placing an imbalanced amount of stress of the zipper  20 . While it has been described in the present invention that the zipper  20  rotates to an angle of substantially ninety degrees, the rotation of the zipper  20  provides a reduction in stress on the zipper  20 , the window  24 , and roof  22  when the zipper  20  is positioned in a range of generally about forty-five degrees to about one-hundred eighty degrees, typically from about sixty degrees to about one-hundred twenty degrees, and preferably about ninety degrees. Therefore, there is a benefit to the positioning of the zipper  20  at angles other than ninety degrees. 
     The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and, thus, variations that do not depart from the essence of the invention are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.