Patent ID: 8757185

Claim:
A canopy apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an outer support frame having a first elongate outer support member and a second elongate outer support member, each of said first and second outer support members having two (2) distinct points of connection with said vehicle to form four (4) distinct points of connection between said canopy apparatus and said vehicle, said first and second outer support members having longitudinal extents that are oblique to each other; an off-center intersection or crossing point between said first outer support member and said second outer support member, said first and second outer support members being secured to one another at a spaced distance above their corresponding points of connection to said vehicle; a resilient cross connector that secures said first elongate outer support member and said second elongate outer support member to each other at said intersection or crossing point, said cross connector having a first channel that receives said first elongate outer support member and a second channel that receives said second elongate outer support member, said first channel and said second channel having an inherent bias toward being disposed in parallel relation to each other, said second channel capable of twisting relative to said first channel such that said first and second elongate outer support members can be positioned oblique to one another, said second channel having a length shorter than a length of said first channel; an inner transverse frame extending between said first and second outer support members at a position proximal to an apex of said canopy apparatus with said intersection or crossing point being distal to said apex of said canopy apparatus, said inner transverse frame coupling said first outer support member to said second outer support member; and a canopy cover capable of attachment to said outer support frame.