IP Library Granted Patent US 9,114,690
Granted Patent B1
US 9,114,690 · App. 14/178,010 · Granted Aug 25, 2015

Modular roof assemblies for vehicles

Inventors: Jason Bowles (Owosso, MI); Magnus Sviberg (Deggendorf, DE); Georg Kopp (Plattling, DE); Alexander Haimerl (Bogen, DE)
Assignee: WEBASTO-EDSCHA CABRIO GMBH
B60J7/02B60J7/061B60J7/11B60J7/20B60R21/13
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,114,690
App. No.
14/178,010
Granted
Aug 25, 2015
Kind
B1
Abstract

A modular roof assembly includes a pair of side rails configured for attachment to longitudinal roll bar members of a vehicle frame by at least one fastener. The side rails extend a direction along a length of the vehicle frame and include at least one guideway to slidably receive transverse tensioning bows and a track car for a soft top and include at least one attachment member adapted to latchably receive at least one hard top panel.

Claims (19)

1. A modular roof assembly, comprising:

a pair of side rails configured for attachment to a pair of longitudinal roll bar members of a vehicle frame by at least one fastener, the side rails extending from a wind screen frame in a rearward direction along an entire length of the vehicle roof;

the side rails having at least one inboard guideway to slidably receive transverse tensioning bows and a track car for a soft top; and

the side rails further adapted to receive at least one hard top panel.

2. The modular roof assembly of claim 1 , wherein the rear assembly comprises a cassette adapted to be sealingly coupled to rearward ends of the side rails and including a motive force to drive the track car and tensioning bows along a predetermined travel path within the at least one guideway.

3. The modular roof assembly of claim 2 , wherein the soft top is attached to the tensioning bows providing a weather tight seal for the vehicle roof when the tensioning bows are in an extended position.

4. The modular roof assembly of claim 2 , wherein the rear assembly is operable to lower a retracted soft top and rear cassette to a sill of the vehicle frame, whereby the roof is retracted to the sill of the vehicle frame.

5. The modular roof assembly of claim 2 , wherein the rear cassette comprises a soft top rear panel having a backlite.

6. The modular roof assembly of claim 2 , wherein the rear cassette comprises a soft top rear panel having a backlite providing a weather tight seal with a sill of the vehicle frame.

7. A modular roof assembly, comprising:

a pair of side rails configured for attachment to a pair of longitudinal roll bar members of a vehicle frame by at least one fastener, the side rails extending from a wind screen frame in a rearward direction along an entire length of the vehicle roof;

the side rails having at least one inboard guideway to slidably receive transverse tensioning bows and a track car for a soft top; and

the side rails further adapted to receive at least one hard top panel;

wherein a weather tight seal with a sill of the vehicle frame is an upwardly pivoting hatch.

8. The modular roof assembly of claim 1 , further comprising at least one rigid roof panel, releasably attached to at least the side rails.

9. A modular roof assembly, comprising:

a pair of side rails configured for releasable attachment above a pair of longitudinal roll bar members of a vehicle frame by at least one fastener, the side rails extending along at least an entire length of a vehicle roof frame;

the side rails having at least one inboard guideway along its entire length to slidably receive transverse tensioning bows and a track car for a soft top; and

the side rails further adapted to receive at least one hard top panel.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2024
From: WEBASTO CONVERTIBLES GMBH
To: WEBASTO SE
Reel/Frame 069562/0364 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 7, 2014
From: BOWLES, JASON; SVIBERG, MAGNUS; KOPP, GEORG; HAIMERL, ALEXANDER
To: WEBASTO-EDSCHA CABRIO GMBH
Reel/Frame 032376/0105 →