Land vehicles: bodies and tops – Tops – Standing
Reexamination Certificate
1997-12-24
2001-09-11
Pedder, Dennis H. (Department: 3612)
Land vehicles: bodies and tops
Tops
Standing
C052S222000, C160S382000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286888
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of tailgate sealing arrangements and more particularly to the field of tailgate sealing arrangements for vehicles with flexible tops and tailgates having flat, upper surfaces.
2. Discussion of the Background
Providing effective sealing arrangements between vehicle tailgates and the rear portions of vehicle tops has always presented challenging design problems. These problems are particularly prevalent in sport utility and other vehicles which have removable, flexible tops of fabric-like material such as canvas or vinyl. Co-owned U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,235 taught a very commercially successful approach to sealing a tailgate with a vertically extending lip or surface against a rigid crossbar attached to the flexible top. In subsequent modifications, the seal of this patented system was vertically mounted on the crossbar. The vertically extending lip of the tailgate then closed against the vertically extending seal. This patented arrangement had the distinct, commercial advantage that the flexible top did not have to be attached or otherwise secured to the tailgate to be held in place or to form an effective seal. The tailgate could then be opened and closed without disturbing the top. In this manner, the user could move objects into and out of the vehicle by simply opening just the tailgate without having to manipulate or otherwise disturb the flexible top.
In this light, the present invention was developed. With it, the commercially attractive feature of being able to operate the tailgate without disturbing the flexible top was successfully adapted to a vehicle having a tailgate with a horizontally extending, flat, upper surface rather than the vertically extending lip of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to tailgate sealing arrangements for sport utility and other vehicles having removable, flexible tops. The sealing arrangement includes an elongated, rigid member attached to the lower section of the rear portion of the flexible top. The rigid member is removably mounted to extend across the tailgate opening and has a flexible seal depending downwardly from it. The tailgate in the preferred embodiment is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis and has a horizontally extending, flat, upper surface. In operation and as the tailgate is closed, the depending seal contacts and wipes across the flat, upper surface of the tailgate to form an effective sealing arrangement. All of this is done without having to disturb or otherwise manipulate the top.
In the preferred embodiment, the rigid member or crossbar is removably mounted at its ends to clips secured to the vehicle on either side of the tailgate opening. Each clip has a horizontally extending flange which is slideably received between the legs of a U-shaped channel on each end of the rigid member. Each U-shaped channel is slightly oversized relative to the flange and the channel and flange of each clip are provided with a mating protuberance and recess arrangement to lock the two pieces in place. In operation, the rigid member with the flexible top attached to it is manually manipulated to slide its U-shaped channels onto the flanges of the respective clips. In doing so, the flexible top is drawn taut and placed under tension. Upon releasing the rigid member, the resilient force of the stretched top and compressed seal causes the oversized U-shaped channels to cock or rotate on the clips. This seats the protuberance in the mating recess and helps to lock the rigid member in place. Also, as the tailgate is closed and compresses the remaining portion of the resilient seal suspended over the tailgate opening, additional force is applied to the rigid bar by this compressed portion of the seal to further enhance this cocking and locking of the U-shaped channels on the respective clip flanges.
REFERENCES:
patent: 654993 (1900-07-01), Martin
patent: 1294879 (1919-02-01), Davis
patent: 1367928 (1921-02-01), Stolp
patent: 1538759 (1925-05-01), Thomas
patent: 1601443 (1926-09-01), Haver
patent: 1894527 (1933-01-01), Yengst
patent: 2020451 (1935-11-01), Atwell
patent: 2325500 (1943-07-01), Fosberg
patent: 2352609 (1944-07-01), Bates
patent: 2460399 (1949-02-01), Schassberger
patent: 2463646 (1949-03-01), Schassberger
patent: 2537611 (1951-01-01), Walton
patent: 2610086 (1952-09-01), Shield
patent: 2711342 (1955-06-01), Selzer
patent: 2936195 (1960-05-01), Schutte
patent: 3053566 (1962-09-01), Allen
patent: 3160436 (1964-12-01), Duddleston
patent: 3167349 (1965-01-01), Young et al.
patent: 3177501 (1965-04-01), Kwake
patent: 3186712 (1965-06-01), Kessler
patent: 3201171 (1965-08-01), Wickard
patent: 3211492 (1965-10-01), Wozena et al.
patent: 3354473 (1967-11-01), Schwarz et al.
patent: 3373464 (1968-03-01), Ausnit
patent: 3391724 (1968-07-01), Charlesworth
patent: 3404914 (1968-10-01), Stengel
patent: 3405489 (1968-10-01), Frisk
patent: 3406483 (1968-10-01), Mitchell
patent: 3606448 (1971-09-01), Walker
patent: 3719013 (1973-03-01), Blick
patent: 3765717 (1973-10-01), Garvert
patent: 3768540 (1973-10-01), McSwain
patent: 3774959 (1973-11-01), Brudy
patent: 3958826 (1976-05-01), Upton
patent: 4036521 (1977-07-01), Clenet
patent: 4061394 (1977-12-01), Vodin
patent: 4093302 (1978-06-01), Adams
patent: 4179152 (1979-12-01), Kent, Jr.
patent: 4188764 (1980-02-01), Gode
patent: 4233765 (1980-11-01), O'Mullan et al.
patent: 4272119 (1981-06-01), Adams
patent: 4285539 (1981-08-01), Cole
patent: 4289346 (1981-09-01), Bourgeois
patent: 4505512 (1985-03-01), Schmeichel et al.
patent: 4600235 (1986-07-01), Frederick et al.
patent: 4639033 (1987-01-01), Wheatley et al.
patent: 4647103 (1987-03-01), Walblay
patent: 4757854 (1988-07-01), Rippberger
patent: 4792179 (1988-12-01), Stevens
patent: 4807921 (1989-02-01), Champie, III et al.
patent: 5029422 (1991-07-01), Scherrer
patent: 5033787 (1991-07-01), Takada
patent: 5058652 (1991-10-01), Wheatley et al.
patent: 5230377 (1993-07-01), Berman
patent: 5301447 (1994-04-01), Lotter et al.
patent: 5385377 (1995-01-01), Girard
patent: 5398388 (1995-03-01), Coleman
patent: 5467546 (1995-11-01), Kovalak, Jr.
patent: 5517779 (1996-05-01), Coleman
patent: 1132168 (1982-09-01), None
patent: 464490 (1968-12-01), None
patent: 28378 (1959-09-01), None
patent: 2306749 (1973-08-01), None
patent: 2264596 (1974-07-01), None
patent: 3136897 (1983-03-01), None
patent: 3200083 (1983-07-01), None
patent: 0043466 (1982-02-01), None
patent: 569039A2 (1993-05-01), None
patent: 1214421 (1970-12-01), None
patent: 2198396 (1988-06-01), None
patent: 255373 (1994-09-01), None
patent: 625537A (1994-09-01), None
patent: 884624 (1981-11-01), None
patent: 992249 (1983-02-01), None
Bestop, Inc.
Carson W. Scott
Pedder Dennis H.
LandOfFree
Removable retainer arrangements for flexible, vehicle tops does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Removable retainer arrangements for flexible, vehicle tops, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Removable retainer arrangements for flexible, vehicle tops will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2437710