Granted Patent B1

US 12,734,867 · App. 18/680,260 · Granted Sep 15, 2026

Inventor: Eric Andrew Baier (Oshkosh, WI)

B60J7/165B60J1/1823B60J7/106

Abstract

Claims (79)

1 . A bracket for use with a hinge of a hardtop, the hinge having a stationary piece and a pivoting piece, the stationary piece having a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a bottom plate, the bottom plate being secured to the hardtop with a fastener having a shaft, the hardtop having a protrusion above the hinge, the bracket comprising:

an upper piece, said upper piece having an upper piece passage; and

a lower piece; said lower piece having a lower piece first side, a lower piece second side and a lower piece passage with an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper piece being angled with respect to said lower piece, said lower piece being connected to the hinge by placing the lower piece between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and tightening the fastener when the shaft is positioned within the lower portion of the lower piece passage and the protrusion is within the upper portion of the lower piece passage.

2 . The bracket of claim 1 wherein said upper piece is angled with respect to said lower piece by 125 degrees, wherein said upper piece passage is offset from a lower piece plane of said lower piece.

3 . The bracket of claim 1 wherein said lower portion of said lower piece passage is centrally aligned with said upper portion of said lower piece passage.

4 . The bracket of claim 3 wherein said lower portion is a slot open to said upper portion, wherein lifting of the hardtop reinforces a position of the fastener within the lower portion.

5 . The bracket of claim 3 wherein:

said upper piece passage has an upper piece passage width;

said upper portion of said lower piece passage has and upper portion width; and

said upper portion width is less than said upper piece passage width.

6 . In combination,

a hardtop having:

a shell;

a protrusion;

a window; and

a hinge pivotally securing the window to the shell, said hinge having;

a stationary piece having a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a bottom plate, the bottom plate being secured to the shell with a fastener having a shaft, said hinge having a hinge width between said first sidewall and said second sidewall, and said shaft being equidistant between said first sidewall and said second sidewall; and

a pivoting piece; and

a bracket, said bracket comprising:

an upper piece, said upper piece having an upper piece passage; and

a lower piece; said lower piece having a lower piece first side, a lower piece second side and a lower piece passage with an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper piece being angled with respect to said lower piece, said lower piece first side and said lower piece second side having a bracket width therebetween, said bracket width being smaller than said hinge width, said lower piece being connected to the hinge by placing the lower piece between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and tightening the fastener when the piece is positioned within the lower portion of the lower shaft passage and the protrusion is within the upper portion of the lower piece passage.

7 . The combination of claim 6 wherein:

said hinge is a first hinge and said bracket is a first bracket; and

said hardtop further comprises a second hinge; and

said combination further comprises as second bracket.

8 . The combination of claim 7 wherein said second bracket is the same as said first bracket.

9 . The combination of claim 6 wherein said upper piece is angled with respect to said lower piece by 125 degrees, wherein said upper piece passage is offset from a lower piece plane of said lower piece.

10 . The combination of claim 6 wherein said lower portion of said lower piece passage is centrally aligned with said upper portion of said lower piece passage, and said lower portion is a slot open to said upper portion, wherein lifting of the hardtop reinforces a position of the fastener within the lower portion.

11 . A method of attaching a bracket to a hardtop to facilitate removal of the hardtop, said method comprising the steps:

providing a vehicle with the hardtop, the hardtop having:

a shell;

a protrusion;

a window; and

a hinge pivotally securing the window to the shell, said hinge having;

a stationary piece having a first sidewall, a second sidewall and a bottom plate, the bottom plate being secured to the shell with a fastener having a head and a shaft;

a pivoting piece connected to the window;

providing the bracket, said bracket comprising:

an upper piece, said upper piece having an upper piece passage; and

a lower piece; said lower piece having a lower piece first side, a lower piece second side and a lower piece passage with an upper portion and a lower portion, said upper piece being angled with respect to said lower piece;

at least partially unfastening the fastener;

placing the lower piece between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, wherein the head passes through the upper portion of the lower piece passage;

raising the bracket with respect to the hinge wherein the shaft of the fastener is within the lower portion of the lower piece passage and the protrusion is through the upper portion of the lower piece passage; and

tightening the fastener to secure the bracket to the hinge.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein said upper piece is angled with respect to said lower piece by 125 degrees, wherein said upper piece passage is offset from a lower piece plane of said lower piece.

13 . The method of claim 11 wherein said lower portion of said lower piece passage is centrally aligned with said upper portion of said lower piece passage.

14 . The method of claim 13 wherein said lower portion is a slot open to said upper portion, wherein lifting of the hardtop reinforces a position of the fastener within the lower portion.

15 . The method of claim 13 wherein:

said upper piece passage has an upper piece passage width;

said upper portion of said lower piece passage has and upper portion width; and

said upper portion width is less than said upper piece passage width.

16 . A method of removing a hardtop of a vehicle, said method comprising the steps:

providing the vehicle with the hardtop, the hardtop having:

a shell;

a window;

a first hinge pivotally securing the window to the shell;

a second hinge pivotally securing the window to the shell;

a first protrusion adjacent the first hinge; and

a second protrusion adjacent the second hinge;

providing a first bracket comprising:

a first bracket upper piece, said first bracket upper piece having a first bracket upper piece passage; and

a first bracket lower piece with a first bracket lower piece passage;

providing a second bracket comprising:

a second bracket upper piece, said second bracket upper piece having a second bracket upper piece passage; and

a second bracket lower piece with a second bracket lower piece passage;

attaching the first bracket to the first hinge wherein the first protrusion is received through the first bracket lower piece passage;

attaching the second bracket to the second bracket hinge wherein the second protrusion is received through the second bracket lower piece passage;

providing a lifting mechanism;

attaching the lifting mechanism to the first bracket upper piece passage and to the second bracket upper piece passage; and

having the lifting mechanism lift the hardtop.

17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the first bracket upper piece is angularly offset from the first bracket lower piece by 125 degrees.

18 . The method of claim 16 wherein the first bracket lower piece passage comprises an upper portion and a lower portion, the lower portion being centrally aligned with the upper portion.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein:

the first protrusion is received within the upper portion;

the first hinge has a fastener with a shaft; and

the shaft is received through the lower portion.

20 . The method of claim 16 wherein:

the first hinge has a first sidewall and a second sidewall;

the first bracket has a first side and a second side; and

the bracket is received between the first sidewall and the second sidewall.

Continuity (1)

References Cited (32)