Cabriolet soft top
A soft top is provided for a cabriolet. The soft top includes, but is not limited to, a monofilament warp thread and a monofilament weft thread. The soft top also includes, but is not limited to, a filling material substantially filling the interstices between the monofilament warp thread and the monofilament weft thread to form a substantially translucent fabric.
1. A soft top for a cabriolet comprising:
a monofilament warp thread;
a monofilament weft thread; and
a translucent filling material substantially filling the interstices between the monofilament warp thread and the monofilament weft thread to form a substantially translucent fabric that is part of a multilayer structure including an infrared (IR) reflective layer laminated on top of the substantially translucent fabric and an opaque layer laminated on top of the substantially translucent fabric around a translucent patch;
wherein the monofilament warp thread and the monofilament weft thread are interwoven and embedded in the translucent filling material; and
wherein each of the monofilament warp thread and the monofilament weft thread comprise a translucent fibre material.
2. The soft top of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer structure further comprises a light-absorbing layer.
3. The soft top of claim 2 , wherein the light-absorbing layer comprises at least one window aperture.
4. The soft top of claim 1 , wherein the multilayer structure further comprises a gel layer, configured to absorb sound.
5. The soft top of claim 1 , wherein the soft top is configured to transition between an unfolded position and a collapsed position.
6. The soft top of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substantially horizontal roof portion;
a rear slope portion having a rear window disposed therein;
wherein the opaque layer is laminated on top of the substantially translucent fabric around the translucent patch and surrounding the rear window; and
a translucent gel layer on an inner side of the substantially translucent fabric;
wherein the substantially translucent fabric provides the translucent patch in the substantially horizontal roof portion; and
wherein the translucent patch extends above front and rear seats of a passenger compartment of the cabriolet.
7. A cabriolet soft top comprising:
a substantially translucent fabric layer including:
a translucent warp thread, interwoven with a translucent weft thread;
a translucent filling material substantially filling the interstices between the translucent warp thread and the translucent weft thread;
an infrared-reflective layer overlying the substantially translucent fabric layer; and
an opaque layer laminated on top of the substantially translucent fabric layer to define a translucent patch comprised of the substantially translucent fabric layer.
8. The cabriolet soft top of claim 7 , further comprising a gel layer situated at an inner side of the substantially translucent fabric layer, wherein the gel layer is configured to dampen outside noise.
9. The cabriolet soft top of claim 7 , wherein the translucent warp thread and the translucent weft thread comprise a translucent synthetic fibre material.
10. The cabriolet soft top of claim 9 , wherein translucent synthetic fibre material comprises polyester.
11. The cabriolet soft top of claim 7 , wherein the translucent filling material comprises a refractive index equal to a refractive index of the translucent warp thread and the translucent weft thread.
12. The cabriolet soft top of claim 11 , wherein the translucent warp thread and the translucent weft thread comprise multifilament threads.
13. The cabriolet soft top of claim 7 , wherein the cabriolet soft top is configured to transition between an unfolded position and a collapsed position.
14. A cabriolet soft top comprising:
a substantially horizontal roof portion;
a rear slope portion having a rear window disposed therein;
a substantially translucent fabric layer configured to transition between an unfolded position and a collapsed position, wherein the substantially translucent fabric layer provides a translucent patch in the substantially horizontal roof portion, and wherein the substantially translucent fabric layer further comprises:
a translucent warp thread;
a translucent weft thread;
a translucent filling material substantially filling the interstices between the translucent warp thread and the translucent weft thread;
an IR-reflective layer overlying the substantially translucent fabric layer;
an opaque layer laminated on the substantially translucent fabric layer around the translucent patch and surrounding the rear window; and
a translucent gel layer on an inner side of the substantially translucent fabric layer; and
wherein the translucent patch extends above front and rear seats of a passenger compartment of the cabriolet.
15. The cabriolet soft top of claim 14 , wherein translucent filling material is configured to render the substantially translucent fabric layer rainproof.
16. The cabriolet soft top of claim 14 , wherein the translucent filling material comprises a refractive index equal to a refractive index of the translucent warp thread and the translucent weft thread.
17. The cabriolet soft top of claim 14 , wherein the translucent warp thread and the translucent weft thread comprise a translucent synthetic fibre material.
18. The cabriolet soft top of claim 17 , wherein translucent synthetic fibre material comprises polyester.
19. The cabriolet soft top of claim 14 , wherein the translucent gel layer is configured to dampen outside noise.