Patent ID: 7438015

Claim:
Folding top assembly for a vehicle, comprising a pair of main struts pivotally mounted for pivotal movement relative to one another and relative to the vehicle, a covering supported by said struts, an actuator for moving said struts from a retracted position to an open position in which the covering is deployed to cover at least a portion of the vehicle, a double acting shuttle, said shuttle being connected to each of said struts and movable in one direction to move the folding top assembly into the open position, said shuttle being movable in the other direction to move the folding top assembly into the retracted position, a control means switchable from a first condition causing said shuttle to be moved in said one direction to a second condition moving said shuttle in said other direction, said control means including signal receiving means for receiving a control signal switching said control means between said first and second conditions, and a control signal generating means operable distanced from said vehicle for generating said control signal, and an obstruction-responsive switch mounted on one of said struts, said obstruction-responsive switch being responsive to engagement of said one strut with an obstruction as said one strut moves toward said retracted position, said control means being responsive to said obstruction-responsive switch to reverse movement of said one strut from movement toward the retracted position to movement toward the open position.