Patent Publication Number: US-2023150347-A1

Title: Vehicle bow top clip

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     In accordance with 37 C.F.R. 1.76, a claim of priority is included in an Application Data Sheet filed concurrently herewith. Accordingly, the present invention claims priority as a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/152,320, entitled “VEHICLE BOW TOP CLIP”, filed Jan. 19, 2021, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/963,821, entitled “VEHICLE BOW TOP CLIP”, filed Jan. 21, 2020. The contents of the above referenced applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is related to vehicle parts; to an automobile bow top clip; and more particularly, to a bow top clip for use with soft tops; and specifically, to a vehicle bow top clip securable to a roll bar cage of a JEEP. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Off road vehicles, such as JEEPs, are popular vehicles for riding in off-road terrains and on traditional modern, paved streets. Such JEEPs have the advantage of being made with a soft top or hard top. While hard tops may have the advantage of being more secure and more durable, one of the main advantages of a soft top is the ease of removal, allowing the user to have an open air top when the weather is nice. In addition, since soft tops are easily removable and foldable, large items may be transported with ease. 
     One of the disadvantages of soft tops is that, due to lack of support, they are subjectable to some form of top flapping at high speeds, such as highway speeds of 55 MPH or greater. While factory installed soft tops tend to experience less top flapping, all soft tops will experience this phenomenon. Many aftermarket soft tops experience this effect more so than factory installed soft tops. The flapping effect may also be more pronounced with “bikini” tops, those covers having materials to cover the top only, no sides. As such, there exists a need to prevent or minimize top flapping for vehicles, such as JEEPs, that use soft tops. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention includes a device or system for use in vehicles, such as JEEPs, having soft tops. The device or system may include a clip which is configured to engage with, mount on, or secure to a portion of the vehicle, such as the roll bar cage. To help prevent the vehicle soft top from flapping, this vehicle clip is configured to receive and hold a crossbar member, referred to as a bow. 
     Accordingly, it is an objective of the invention to provide a vehicle bow top clip. 
     It is yet another objective of the invention to provide a vehicle bow top clip configured to prevent or minimize vehicle soft top flapping when the vehicle is traveling at high speeds. 
     It is a further objective of the invention to provide a bow top clip for use in vehicles that have a soft top. 
     It is yet another objective of the invention to provide a vehicle bow top clip which engages with, mounts on, or secures to at least a portion of a vehicle that has a soft top. 
     It is a still further objective of the invention to provide a vehicle bow top clip which engages with, mounts on, or secures to at least a portion of a vehicle roll cage. 
     It is yet another objective of the instant invention to provide a vehicle bow top clip which engages with, mounts on, or secures to at least a portion of a roll bar cage of a JEEP. 
     Other objectives and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with any accompanying drawings wherein are set forth, by way of illustration and example, certain embodiments of this invention. Any drawings contained herein constitute a part of this specification, include exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and illustrate various objects and features thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
         FIG.  1 A  is a front perspective view of an embodiment of a vehicle bow top clip; 
         FIG.  1 B  illustrates the vehicle bow top clip illustrated in  FIG.  1 A , shown without channels cut across a surface; 
         FIG.  2    is an alternative view of the vehicle bow top clip illustrated in  FIG.  1 A ; 
         FIG.  3    is a back perspective view of the vehicle bow top clip; 
         FIG.  4    is a right side view of the vehicle bow top clip; 
         FIG.  5 A  is a front view of the vehicle bow top clip; 
         FIG.  5 B  is a back view of the vehicle bow top clip; 
         FIG.  6 A  is an illustration of an embodiment of the vehicle bow top clip having a centrally positioned cross member receiving structure; 
         FIG.  6 B  is an alternative view of the vehicle bow top clip shown in  FIG.  6 A ; 
         FIG.  6 C  is a side view of the vehicle bow top clip shown in  FIG.  6 A ; 
         FIG.  7 A  illustrates the vehicle bow top clip with the crossbar member housing unit comprising a screw boss feature; 
         FIG.  7 B  illustrates the screw boss feature with the crossbar member; 
         FIG.  7 C  illustrates multiple vehicle bow top clips with the crossbar member housing unit comprising a boss feature, secured to a hang bar; 
         FIG.  8    is a right side view of the vehicle bow top clip, shown with an attachment member; 
         FIG.  9    is a left side perspective view of the vehicle bow top clip, shown with an attachment member; 
         FIG.  10    illustrates the vehicle bow top clip with bow secured thereto; 
         FIG.  11    is an illustrative embodiment of the bow; 
         FIG.  12    is a partial exploded view of the vehicle bow top clip; 
         FIG.  13 A  illustrates a partial view of the vehicle bow top clip secured to a roll bar cage of a JEEP; 
         FIG.  13 B  illustrates a partial view a JEEP, with a first vehicle bow top clip with a cross bow secured to a roll bar cage of the JEEP, along with two additional vehicle bow top clips, with a hang bar, secured to a different section of the JEEP roll bar cage; 
         FIG.  14    illustrates a JEEP with the soft top removed to show two vehicle bow top clips with a crossbar member secured thereto secured to a roll bar cage of the JEEP. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     While the present invention is susceptible of embodiment in various forms, there is shown in the drawings and will hereinafter be described a presently preferred, albeit not limiting, embodiment with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the present invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated. 
     The present invention includes a device or system that addresses the issues related to the use of soft tops in vehicles. While the device or system may be described in relation to use with a vehicle, such as a JEEP, such device or system may be applicable to other vehicles. Referring to  FIGS.  1 A and  2 - 6 C , an illustrative example of a bow top clip for use with vehicle soft tops, referred to generally as a vehicle bow top clip  10 , is illustrated. The vehicle bow top clip  10  comprises a first end  12 , a second opposing end  14 , and a main body  16  extending the distance between the first end  12  and the second end  14 . The vehicle bow top clip main body  16  has an outer surface  18  and an inner surface  20 , see  FIG.  3    or  FIG.  4   . The outer surface  18  is defined as the surface not in contact with a portion of the vehicle, i.e. the roll bar in a JEEP, when the vehicle bow top clip  10  is secured thereto. The inner surface  20  is defined as the surface which is in contact with a portion of the vehicle, i.e. the roll bar in a JEEP, when the vehicle bow top clip  10  is secured thereto. 
     The vehicle bow top clip main body  16  is designed to engage with, mount on, or secure to at least a portion of a vehicle. As such, the vehicle bow top clip main body  16  may be designed to mirror the shape of the portion of the vehicle it engages with, mounts on, or secures to. The vehicle bow top clip main body  16  may be curved, such as having a concave curvature  22 , thus assuming a C-shape or partial C-shape. The curvature  22  of the vehicle bow top clip main body  16  may be designed to have the same shape or curvature of the vehicle portion, such as the roll bar that the top clip main body  16  engages with, mounts on, or secures to. The vehicle bow top clip main body  16  may be made of a flexible or semi-flexible material, such as a plastic material, that can be used with roll bars of different sizes. 
     The top clip main body  16  may contain at least one, but preferably multiple cut outs or channels/grooves  24 . Each of the channels  24  are sized to extend from a first main body side  26  to a second main body side  28  (see  FIG.  3   ). Each of the top clip main body cut outs or channels  24  allow for flexing or extending over large or small roll bars, padded roll bars, or other portions of the vehicle which engage with, mount on, or secure to the vehicle bow top clip  10 . While the vehicle bow top clip  10  is shown having multiple top clip main body cut outs or channels  24 , such embodiment is illustrative only.  FIG.  1 B  shows an embodiment of the vehicle bow top clip  10  without channels cut across the outer surface  18  of the top clip main body  16 . 
     While the vehicle bow top clip  10  may be designed to be friction fit or snap fit onto a portion of the vehicle, other mechanisms may be used.  FIGS.  8  and  9    illustrate the vehicle bow top clip  10  with a securing member  30 . The securing member  30  is illustrated as a strip of material  32  having loop  34  and hook  36  fastening members, such as VELCRO, see  FIG.  8   . Two portions of the strip of material  32  may be held together with the use of a slotted clasp  38 , see  FIG.  9   . Cut into the top clip main body  16  are two securing member receiving slots,  40  and  42 , see  FIG.  1   ,  FIG.  5 A , or  FIG.  5 B . The securing member receiving slots,  40  and  42 , are sized and shaped to receive and hold in place portions of the securing member  30 . In an illustrative embodiment, the securing member receiving slot  40  is positioned above a cross member receiving structure  44  and the securing member receiving slot  42  is positioned below the crossbar receiving structure  44 , see  FIG.  1 A . While the strip of material  32  is described as using loop  34  and hook  36  fastening members, other fastening members such as buttons/slots, snaps, or clasps, or mechanisms known to one of skill in the art. 
     To help prevent the soft top from flapping, the vehicle bow top clip  10  is configured to receive and hold a crossbar member  46 , illustrated herein as a bow  48 , see  FIGS.  10 - 12   . The bow  48  has a first end  50 , a second opposing end  52 , and a bow main body  54 . While the bow  48  is illustrated as having a rectangular shape, other shapes may be used, such as but not limited to having a round shape. The bow main body  54  has a length defined by the distance between or separating the bow first end  50  and the bow second end  52 . The crossbar member  46  is configured to fit into and rest within the cross member receiving structure  44 . Referring to  FIG.  2   , the cross member receiving structure  44  comprises a cross member housing unit  56  which extends outwardly or away from the outer surface  18 . The crossbar member housing unit  56  comprises a slotted opening  58  sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of the crossbar member  46 . The crossbar member  46  is received and held within an interior region  60 . The crossbar member  46  is preferably made of a flexible or bendable material. 
     Referring to  FIGS.  6 A- 6 C , the vehicle bow top clip  10  is shown having a centrally positioned cross member receiving structure  44 . The vehicle bow top clip  10  illustrated in  FIGS.  6 A- 6 C  includes all the same features as described above, differing in the positioning of the cross member receiving structure  44 , off-center vs. centered. In this orientation, the center positioning may be defined by a longitudinal axis  81  of the cross member receiving structure  44  being positioned on the vehicle bow top clip so the distance between D 1  (axis  83  extending from the first end  12 ) and D 2  (axis  85  extending from the second end  14 ) is the same, see  FIG.  6 C . Alternatively, the center positioning may include the cross member receiving structure  44  being positioned within the vehicle bow top clip main body  16  so that the distance D 3  (distance from an upper surface  87  of the cross member receiving structure  44  to the axis  83  extending from the first end  12 ) is the same as the distance D 4  (distance from a lower surface  89  of the cross member receiving structure  44  to the axis  85  extending from the second end  14 ). The vehicle bow top clip main body  16  illustrated in  FIGS.  6 A- 6 C  includes multiple channels  24 . Preferably, the number of channels  24  placed within the area defined by D 1  or D 3  would be the same number of channels  24  placed within the area defined by D 2  or D 4 . Alternatively, the number of channels  24  placed within the area defined by D 1  or D 3  could be less than or greater than the number of channels  24  placed within the area defined by D 2  or D 4 . In certain embodiments, the bow top clip  10 , having a centrally positioned cross member receiving structure  44 , may be constructed without channels  24 . 
     While the vehicle bow top clip  10  is illustrated with the crossbar receiving structure crossbar member housing unit  56  having a slotted opening  58  sized and shaped to receive at least a portion of the crossbar member  46 , other structural components known to one of skill in the art may be used as well.  FIG.  7 A  illustrates the vehicle bow top clip  10  with the crossbar member housing unit  56  comprising a boss feature, illustrated herein as a screw boss  55  with one or more screw channels  57 . The screw boss screw channels  57  may be sized and shaped to receive screws  59  (or other fastening structures) that are part of the crossbar member  46 , see  FIG.  7 B . Other structural components may include, for example, a twist lock feature. In addition to the crossbar member  46 /bow  48 , other structures, such as a grab handle  61  with corresponding screws  63 , a fire extinguisher  65  with a fire extinguisher mount  67  having corresponding screws  69 , or a hook  71  with corresponding screw  73 , may be secured to the vehicle bow top clip  10  as well. Such additional structures may also be configured to fit or mate with the crossbar member housing unit  56  having the slotted opening  58  as described above. 
       FIG.  7 C  illustrates multiple vehicle bow top clips  10  with the crossbar member housing unit  56  comprising a boss feature. In this embodiment, the crossbar member housing unit  56  uses a boss feature having a single screw channel. In use, a hang bar  51  can be secured to each of the crossbar member housing units  56  of the two vehicle bow top clips  10  via screws  53 . 
       FIG.  13 A  is a partial view of the vehicle bow top clip  10  secured, via securing member  30 , to a JEEP roll bar  62 A. As shown, the bow main body  54  is inserted into the crossbar member housing unit  56  and held within slotted opening  58  of the cross member receiving structure  44 , resting within the cross member receiving structure interior region  60 . In this position, the bow main body  54  is in contact with or pushing up against a JEEP soft top  64 . Preferably, the size of the bow main body  54  is sufficient so that, when inserted, it flexes or bows upwardly against the soft top  64 . 
       FIG.  13 B  illustrates a partial view of the vehicle bow top clip with a cross bow (along the roof top) secured to a roll bar cage of a JEEP, along with additional vehicle bow top clips with a hang bar secured to a different section of the roll bar cage. As shown, the bow main body  54  is inserted into the crossbar member housing unit  56  and held within slotted opening  58  of the cross member receiving structure  44 , resting within the cross member receiving structure interior region  60 . In this position, the bow main body  54  is in contact with or pushing up against a JEEP soft top  64 . Preferably, the size of the bow main body  54  is sufficient so that, when inserted, it flexes or bows upwardly against the soft top  64 . Two additional vehicle bow top clips  10  (with the crossbar member housing unit  56  comprising a boss feature, see  FIG.  7 C ) are secured to a different section of the JEEP roll bar  62 A. Hang bar  51  is secured to the two-additional vehicle bow top clips  10  via screws  53 . 
       FIG.  14    illustrates a JEEP  66  with the soft top  64  removed. In use, two of the vehicle bow top clips  10  are used and engage with, mount on, or secure to roll bar  62 A and roll bar  62 B. The bow main body  54  is placed so the first end  50  is inserted into the cross member receiving structure  44  secured to roll bar  62 A and the second end  52  is inserted into the cross member receiving structure  44  secured to roll bar  62 B. In a preferred embodiment, the bow main body  54  has a length that is longer than the distance between roll bars  62 A and  62 B so as to promote bending or flexing in order to bow upwardly. 
     It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and any drawings/figures included herein. 
     One skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the present invention is well adapted to carry out the objectives and obtain the ends and advantages mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The embodiments, methods, procedures and techniques described herein are presently representative of the preferred embodiments, are intended to be exemplary, and are not intended as limitations on the scope. Changes therein and other uses will occur to those skilled in the art which are encompassed within the spirit of the invention and are defined by the scope of the appended claims. Although the invention has been described in connection with specific preferred embodiments, it should be understood that the invention as claimed should not be unduly limited to such specific embodiments. Indeed, various modifications of the described modes for carrying out the invention which are obvious to those skilled in the art are intended to be within the scope of the following claims.