Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Let-down type top
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-15
2001-03-27
Dayoan, D. Glenn (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Let-down type top
C296S107110, C296S107160, C296S217000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06206450
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to a motor vehicle in which an open portion is configured by being divided into a sun roof portion on the side of passenger compartment and a deck portion on the side of luggage compartment and, more particularly, to an automotive convertible top attaching construction such that a top fixing panel supporting the tip end of top can be moved with the upper surface thereof facing upward when a top disposed at the sun roof portion is open.
Conventionally, on some convertible automobiles in which a roof portion on the side of passenger compartment and an upper portion of the luggage compartment are open and this open portion is covered with a convertible top, the roof portion on the side of passenger compartment and the upper portion on the luggage compartment are covered with one convertible top collectively.
FIGS. 11 and 12
show a convertible automobile of this type.
This convertible automobile
100
is provided with a passenger compartment
101
at the front part of vehicle body and a luggage compartment
102
at the rear part thereof.
An opening portion
104
is provided at a roof portion
103
of the passenger compartment
101
, thereby forming a sun roof portion
105
.
On this convertible automobile
100
, the sun roof portion
105
of the passenger compartment
101
and a deck portion
106
of the luggage compartment
102
are covered with one convertible top
107
collectively.
This top
107
is made up of a front top
107
a
for covering the sun roof portion
105
and a rear top
107
b
for covering the deck portion
106
. The front top
107
a
is configured so as to be opened by a movable top bow mechanism
108
supported at both sides of the opening portion
104
. This movable top bow mechanism
108
is made up of a panel support frame
109
supported by the roof portion
103
at both sides of the opening portion
104
and a top fixing panel
110
supported at the tip end portion of the panel support frame
109
. The top
107
is installed to the movable top bow mechanism
108
, for example, by connecting hooks
112
at the tip end portion of the front top
107
a
to engagement holes
111
formed on the back surface of the top fixing panel
110
.
The rear top
107
b,
which covers the deck portion
106
of the luggage compartment, is spread by what is called a top bow frame
113
. The top bow frame
113
is provided so as to extend toward the upper rear slantwise by being supported by a vehicle body
114
at both lower ends, and gives a tension to the rear top
107
b
by hooking up the inside surface of the rear top
107
b.
On the above-mentioned convertible automobile
100
, when the front top
107
a
covering the sun roof portion
105
is opened, a lock is released and the panel support frame
109
is turned rearward. Then, the top fixing panel
110
is turned integrally as the panel support frame
109
turns, with the result that the front top
107
a
is opened as shown in FIG.
13
. Thus, the outside air etc. are introduced from the sun roof portion
105
. The top fixing panel
110
is fixed to a roof center pillar portion
115
which separates the sun roof portion
105
from the deck portion
106
of the luggage compartment
102
.
However, when the panel support frame
109
is turned to open the front top
107
a,
the top fixing panel
110
is turned with the turning of the panel support frame
109
, so that the back side of the top fixing panel
110
appears at the top as shown in FIG.
14
. Because the top fixing panel
110
is formed into a curved surface along the roof portion
103
, if the back side thereof faces upward, wind enters the folded front top
107
a
from the gap during the running of vehicle, which causes noise. Also, by the entrance of wind into the front top
107
a
portion, the top cloth is separated from the movable top bow mechanism
108
, and the top cloth is easily subjected to an immoderate force. As the curvature of the roof portion
103
of the vehicle body decreases, that is, as the body is rounded more greatly, the total height of welded portion between the top fixing panel
110
and the panel support frame
109
increases when the sun roof portion
105
is opened by folding the front top
107
a.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention was made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an automotive convertible top attaching construction in which the entrance of wind into the folded top cloth can be prevented when a sun roof portion is open, so that the fluttering of top cloth can be reduced, and also the appearance can be improved.
To achieve the above object, the present invention provides an automotive convertible top attaching construction in which a roof is opened, and an open portion is covered with a top cloth, characterized in that the front end portion of the top cloth is mounted to a top fixing panel, a frame supporting the top fixing panel is pivotally mounted on both sides of the open portion rotatably in the longitudinal direction of vehicle body, and the top fixing panel is mounted to the frame rotatably with respect to the axis in the vehicle width direction.
Also, the present invention provides an automotive convertible top attaching construction in which an open portion is configured by being divided into a sun roof portion on the side of passenger compartment and a deck portion on the side of luggage compartment on opposite sides of a roof center pillar portion connecting center pillar portions, and the sun roof portion and deck portion are covered with a top cloth, characterized in that a frame is provided at both-side roof portion of the open portion composing the sun roof portion so that the base end portion thereof is pivotally mounted rotatably in the longitudinal direction of vehicle body, a top fixing panel to which the front end portion of top cloth is mounted is supported by the frame, and the top fixing panel is mounted to the frame rotatably with respect to the axis in the vehicle width direction.
Further, the present invention provides an automotive convertible top attaching construction in which an open portion is configured by being divided into a sun roof portion on the side of passenger compartment and a deck portion on the side of luggage compartment, and the sun roof portion and deck portion are covered with one top collectively, characterized in that a front top covering the sun roof portion is configured so as to be capable of being opened by a movable top bow mechanism, the movable top bow mechanism comprises a top fixing panel supporting the tip end portion of the front top, a panel support frame rotatably supporting the top fixing panel, and a panel support frame hinge rotatably supporting the panel support frame in the longitudinal direction of vehicle body, and the top fixing panel is rotatably supported by a frame portion between arm portions of the panel support frame via a pivot.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4929015 (1990-05-01), Bauer
patent: 33114 (1928-08-01), None
patent: 943654 (1963-12-01), None
patent: 02151525 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 404078722 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 405058166 (1993-03-01), None
patent: 2528252 (1996-12-01), None
Ide Kuniteru
Kamo Mitsuhiro
Alston & Bird LLP
Dayoan D. Glenn
Murray Mickki D.
Suzuki Motor Corporation
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