Soft top for a motor vehicle

1. Soft top for a motor vehicle, comprising longitudinal struts ( 7 to 11 ) that span a roof opening ( 2 ) and a flexible roof skin ( 6 ) that spans, when mounted, the width of the vehicle and is fastened to a windshield frame ( 3 ) in the front and a bar ( 4 ) spanning the width of the vehicle in the rear, with the roof skin ( 6 ) and the longitudinal struts ( 7 to 11 ) being connected into a preassembled unit that can be folded or rolled in transversal direction of the vehicle for removing the top, characterized in that each respective longitudinal strut ( 7 , 8 ) that delimits the roof skin ( 6 ) in the transversal direction of the vehicle is embodied as a lateral rail which can be connected to at least one lateral vehicle element ( 4 A, 4 B, 16 , 18 ), with the pre-assembled unit being placeable across the roof opening ( 2 ) by fastening a first lateral rail ( 7 ) to its associated lateral vehicle elements ( 4 A, 16 ) above a lateral window and by placing the second lateral rail ( 8 ) in transversal direction of the vehicle over the roof opening ( 2 ) up to a connecting point with the assigned lateral vehicle elements ( 4 B, 18 ) above a lateral window ( 15 ) and attaching it to the same, and that one or more longitudinal struts are formed as longitudinal convertible top bows ( 9 , 10 , 11 ) that stabilize the roof skin ( 6 ), and are arranged for engagement with aligned receptacles ( 12 , 13 ) which are formed in a groove-like fashion in the frame of the windshield ( 3 ) and at the rear bar ( 4 ) and at least one receptacle ( 13 ) for at least one longitudinal convertible top bow ( 10 ) is formed with a locking means ( 24 ) that holds the longitudinal convertible top bow ( 10 ) in assembled condition, wherein the locking means ( 24 ) is formed by an at least approximately L-shaped cross-section of the receptacle ( 13 ) and a hook element ( 25 ) designed to engage with the associated longitudinal convertible top bow.

2. Soft top in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that at least one longitudinal convertible top bow ( 10 ) held by the locking means ( 24 ) is arranged in an area in the center of the vehicle.

3. Soft top in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the roof skin ( 6 ) encloses each respective longitudinal convertible top bow ( 9 , 10 , 11 ) in a loop- or pocket-like fashion.

4. Soft top in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that when tensioning the preassembled unit over the roof opening ( 2 ), at least one of the longitudinal convertible top bows ( 9 , 10 , 11 ) engages with an assigned receptacle ( 12 , 13 ).

5. Soft top in accordance with claim 4 , characterized in that the first lateral rail ( 7 ) can be attached to its assigned lateral vehicle elements ( 4 A, 16 ) by means of a catch-slot connection.

6. Soft top in accordance with claim 4 , characterized in that the second lateral rail ( 8 ) can be rotatably mounted to rotate around a pivot axis ( 17 ) at the assigned lateral elements of the vehicle ( 4 B, 18 ) to tension the roof skin ( 6 ), and it can be connected to the lateral elements of the vehicle ( 4 B, 18 ) through a latch connection ( 20 ).

7. Soft top in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the frame of the windshield ( 3 ) forms a lateral element of the vehicle which can be connected to the lateral rail ( 7 , 8 ) in the front in the area of an A-column ( 16 , 18 ) and the rear bar ( 4 ) forms an element of the vehicle that can be connected to the lateral rails ( 7 , 8 ) in rear area.

8. Soft top in accordance with claim 1 , characterized in that the preassembled unit, when placed on the roof opening ( 2 ), forms an unrolled rolling body, with one of the lateral rails ( 7 ) constituting an outer roll end of the roll body.

9. Soft top for a motor vehicle, comprising longitudinal struts ( 7 to 11 ) that span a roof opening ( 2 ) and a flexible roof skin ( 6 ) that spans, when mounted, the width of the vehicle and is fastened to a windshield frame ( 3 ) in the front and a bar ( 4 ) spanning the width of the vehicle in the rear, with the roof skin ( 6 ) and the longitudinal struts ( 7 to 11 ) being connected into a preassembled unit that can be folded or rolled in transversal direction of the vehicle for removing the top, characterized in that each respective longitudinal strut ( 7 , 8 ) that delimits the roof skin ( 6 ) in the transversal direction of the vehicle is embodied as a lateral rail which can be connected to at least one lateral vehicle element ( 4 A, 4 B, 16 , 18 ), with the pre-assembled unit being placeable across the roof opening ( 2 ) by fastening a first lateral rail ( 7 ) to its associated lateral vehicle elements ( 4 A, 16 ) above a lateral window and by placing the second lateral rail ( 8 ) in transversal direction of the vehicle over the roof opening ( 2 ) up to a connecting point with the assigned lateral vehicle elements ( 4 B, 18 ) above a lateral window ( 15 ) and attaching it to the same, and that one or more longitudinal struts are formed as longitudinal convertible top bows ( 9 , 10 , 11 ) that stabilize the roof skin ( 6 ), and are arranged for engagement with aligned receptacles ( 12 , 13 ) which are formed in the frame of the windshield ( 3 ) and at the rear bar ( 4 ), characterized in that the roof skin ( 6 ) has a tensioning rope ( 26 ) in a contact area to the frame of the windshield ( 3 ) and/or at the rear bar ( 4 ), which engages and acts as a seal with a sealing means ( 27 ) arranged at the frame of the windshield ( 3 ) and/or at the rear bar ( 4 ) in assembled condition.