The folding top of convertible automobiles and roadsters should be able to be closed and opened as easily as possible. In the open position, it should take up as little space as possible, since the space required to stow the folding top reduces the space available in the trunk.
Although a simple tarpaulin would be the most favorable solution with regard to the space taken up, opening a tarpaulin roof requires a relatively large amount of work. Folding tops with roof frames, which ensure that the folding top is automatically made taut during closure and that the cover is laid down in a more or less correct arrangement during opening are significantly more favorable from the handling aspect.
However, the ease of handling should not be at the expense of an excessive weight, because this, conversely, would make the ease of handling worse.
Irrespective of how the roof frame is designed, it is necessary to ensure that even in the event of careless handling it is impossible for any parts of the cover to become clamped in moving parts of the roof frame and cut through.
A roof-frame structure which is particularly favorable with regard to the technical complexity and operation consists in dividing the lateral roof frames into a plurality of pieces which are connected to one another by pivots. This pivoted connection is particularly advantageous, in the case of kinematic folding tops of convertibles, if each of the two lateral roof frames is divided into four pieces. When opening the folding top, the roof would fold together in the manner of a concertina, that section of the folding top which, in the closed position, is adjacent to the windshield lying on the top of the stack when the folding top is open, specifically in such a way that the outside of the roof also faces outward. As a result, in the folded-down position, the top section of the folding top automatically protects those parts of the roof lining or the roof inner side which are situated beneath it and are relatively sensitive to contamination.
In this type of kinematic folding top, the outer side of the roof remains on the outside of the folding top assembly even in the open position, and as a result effectively precludes undesirable contamination of the roof lining.
To this extent, kinematic folding tops in which the roof frames have only three sections are disadvantageous. In the case of such a folding top, during opening the front section, which is adjacent to the windshield, moves onto the folded-down folding top assembly with the roof lining side on the outside. In this case, contamination of the roof lining in the front region, corresponding to the front section of the kinematic folding top, is inevitable. It is certain that this section of the roof lining will become discolored more quickly than the remaining part. When the folding top is closed, a dirty strip will soon become visible on the roof lining. This contamination is promoted or accelerated by the user neglecting to pull the safety hoods over the folding top assembly when the folding top is open, since this represents additional work.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds