Canvas top attaching structure

Details Canvas top attaching structure Canvas top attaching structure

1999-07-13

2001-08-07

Pape, Joseph D. (Department: 3612)

Land vehicles: bodies and tops

Tops

Let-down type top

C296S107040, C296S102000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06270145

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION AND RELATED ART STATEMENT
The present invention relates to an attaching structure for a canvas top attached to a vehicle body to cover an open portion etc. on the rear side of an automobile. More particularly, it relates to a structure for fixing an end portion of a canvas top used for a four-wheeled automobile.
FIGS. 15
to
19
show a conventional canvas top attaching structure. In these figures, a canvas top
30
is attached to a rear portion R of a vehicle body to cover an open portion on the rear side of a four-wheeled automobile. This canvas top
30
is made up of a top deck (rear deck)
31
which covers an upper open portion on the rear side of the four-wheeled automobile and right and left corner portions at the rear end, a rear window
33
mounted to the top deck
31
using a fastener
32
(see
FIG. 15
) to cover an open portion formed at the rear of the top deck
31
, and side windows (quarter windows)
34
mounted to the top deck
31
to cover an open portion formed at right and left side portions of the top deck
31
.
Conventionally, the top deck
31
and the rear window
33
are attached to each other at the rear end portion of the canvas top
30
as follows: A depending portions
31
a
depending at the right and left side portions on the rear end side of the top deck
31
and a right side portion (not shown) and a left side portion
33
a
of the rear window
33
are connected to each other using the fastener
32
, and a canvas
35
at the lower end portion of the depending portion
31
a
(the lower portion at the rear end of the top deck
31
) is lapped on the outside of a canvas
36
at the lower portion of the right and left side portions
33
a
of the rear window
33
.
Also, a conventional structure for attaching the top deck
31
to the rear portion R of the vehicle body at the front end portion of the canvas top
30
is as follows: As shown in
FIGS. 18 and 19
, one retainer
37
extending lengthways along the front edge of the top deck
31
is attached to the front edge of the top deck
31
, and the right and left end portions of the retainer
37
are extendedly provided so as to turn to the upper portion of the side window
34
, that is, to the side portion of the vehicle body upper part. Thus, after the top deck
31
is mounted on the vehicle body, the side windows
34
are disposed at the sides of the top deck
31
and mounted to the vehicle rear part (not shown in FIGS.
18
and
19
), and an upper edge
34
a
of the side window
34
is intruded to the back side of the top deck
31
mounted beforehand to the vehicle body rear side. In
FIG. 19
, reference numeral
39
denotes a retainer for attaching the front end portion of the side window
34
.
However, the conventional canvas top attaching structure as described above has the following problems. First, regarding the attaching structure for the rear end portion of the canvas top
30
, since the canvas
35
of the top deck
31
and the canvas
36
of the rear window
33
are lapped on each other, there arises a problem in that water
38
flowing down along the fastener
32
(see
FIGS. 15 and 16
) or water from the lower side of the vehicle body is liable to enter the cabin side through a gap between the canvas
36
and a garnish
41
above a rear gate
40
. Also, since a ceiling portion
31
b
of the top deck
31
is subjected to a tension directed to the vehicle body front as indicated by the arrow mark &agr; in
FIG. 17
when the canvas top
30
(top deck
31
) is assembled to the vehicle body rear portion R, there arises a problem in that the canvas top
30
is mounted in such a manner that the depending portion
31
a
of the top deck
31
is pulled toward the vehicle body front side and the rear end portion of the canvas top
30
is shifted forward as indicated by the dash-and-dot line in
FIG. 17
, and moreover wrinkles are produced on the canvas top
30
.
Also, regarding the attaching structure for the front end portion of the canvas top
30
, since only one retainer
37
is provided at the front edge of the top deck
31
and extends in series to a portion where it turns to the upper part of the side window
34
, so that a corner portion
37
a
(see
FIG. 19
) at right and left end portions of the retainer
37
performs a function as a shape holding member at the right and left side portions of the top deck
31
, it is actually difficult to perform work for intruding the upper edge
34
a
of the side window
34
to the back side of the top deck
31
mounted beforehand to the vehicle body rear portion R. Moreover, since even if the top deck
31
and the side window
34
are assembled to each other in a state in which the upper edge
34
a
of the side window
34
is intruded to the back side of the top deck
31
, a gap is produced between the front end side portion of the ceding portion
31
b
of the top deck
31
and the front end upper portion of the side window
34
at a joining portion P of the top deck
31
and the side window
34
as shown in
FIGS. 18 and 19
, there is the possibility of water
42
or other liquids entering the cabin through a gap at the aforesaid joining portion P of the top deck
31
and the side window
34
as indicated by the arrow mark &bgr;.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and accordingly an object thereof is to provide a canvas top attaching structure which can prevent the entrance of water or other liquids into the inside of a canvas top, can prevent the occurrence of wrinkles and a positional shift at the time of assembling the canvas top, can prevent wind noise generated at the time of vehicle running, and can increase the work efficiency for assembling the canvas top.
To achieve the above object, in the present invention, a flap provided with a hook is attached to the rear end portion of a canvas covering an open portion of an automobile, and the rear end portion of the canvas is attached to a vehicle body in a state in which the hook is engaged with an engagement portion provided on the vehicle body side.
Also, in the present invention, the flap is disposed at a portion corresponding to a fastener provided at the rear end portion of the canvas.
Also, in the present invention, in a canvas top attaching structure having at least a top deck for covering an upper portion of an open portion of an automobile and side windows attached to the side of the top deck, in which a retainer attached to the front edge of a canvas constituting the top deck is engaged with a vehicle body to attach the top deck to the vehicle body, the retainer is divided at a portion corresponding to a joining portion of the top deck and the side window.
Also, in the present invention, when the side portion of the divided retainer is engaged with the vehicle body, the side portion at the front edge of a ceiling portion of the top deck and the upper end portion at the front edge of the side window are lapped on each other.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5992917 (1999-11-01), Hilliard et al.
patent: 2 176 155 (1986-12-01), None
patent: 1-169428 (1989-11-01), None
patent: 1-169429 (1989-11-01), None
patent: 2-147318 (1990-12-01), None
patent: 4-31125 (1992-02-01), None
patent: 4-10102 (1992-03-01), None
patent: 8-132881 (1996-05-01), None

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