Patent ID: 7156445

Claim:
A sealing mechanism for a convertible top of a vehicle, said convertible top including a deployable-and-retractable top frame having a side frame adapted to be disposed along an edge of an door-glass opening of a vehicle body to extend surroundingly from an upper edge to an rear edge of said door-glass opening, and a top fabric covering said top frame from outside, said convertible top being adapted to be selectively moved between a deployed position for closing a passenger-compartment opening and a retracted position for opening said passenger-compartment opening, said sealing mechanism being operable, in said deployed position, to bring a lateral edge of a side zone of said top fabric into contact with a weather strip attached to said side frame of said top frame so as to seal therebetween, said sealing mechanism comprising: a sealing cloth disposed inside the lateral edge of the side zone of said top fabric in such a manner as to be gradually inclined toward the laterally inward side of said convertible top, as going from a front side to a rear side in a deployment direction of said convertible top, said sealing cloth being designed to be brought into contact with said weather strip in said deployed position.