Wilhelm Karmann Gmbh

Mytop Ip, LLC

Valmet Automotive Oy

Joachim Maass

Frank Lehnig

Winfried Bunsmann

Karl Rothe

Sven Hollenbeck

Heiko Schonhorst

Christoph Koslowski

A sliding soft-top convertible roof is provided. In another aspect, a convertible roof apparatus including rollers which sandwich a fore-and-aft elongated guide rail therebetween. A further aspect includes roof bow mounted brackets extending between an elongated and stationary guide rail and channels within which move cables for raising and lowering a roof cover, with the brackets being moveably coupled to the guide rail. Still another aspect includes a sport utility vehicle having a passenger compartment and a rear cargo compartment, where a sliding soft-top convertible roof is retractable to a position rear of the passenger compartment, lower than a nominal closed roof surface and above only a forward portion of the cargo compartment.

Sliding soft-top convertible roof

A convertible device of a vehicle comprises a convertible top () movable between a closed position and a folded-together, lowered open position and a separating wall () separating the convertible top at least in its folded-together open position at least partially from the interior of a luggage space () of the vehicle when the convertible device is mounted thereon. At least a portion of the separating wall is formed by a rear shelf part () that separates the passenger compartment from the luggage space in the closed position of the convertible top and during movement of the folding top into its open position moves downwardly together with the lower, rear edge portion of the convertible top, so that the folded-together convertible top is disposed above the rear shelf part. A sensor apparatus detects an object located in the luggage space and hindering a lowering of the rear shelf part.

Convertible device for a vehicle

Apparatus suitable for use in convertible vehicles may include a convertible top comprising a substantially rigid front portion that moves downwardly towards and releaseably engages a windshield frame of the vehicle in order to close the convertible vehicle. At least one dampening device may be disposed at a rear portion of the convertible top and may be operably coupled to the front portion in order to slow downward movement of the front portion during a final phase of a convertible top closing operation. Further, the dampening device may be operably coupled between two pivotably connected linkages provided within the rear portion of the convertible top. The two pivotably connected linkages are preferably arranged and constructed so that the opening distance between the two linkages increases when the front portion is moving downwardly towards the windshield frame.

Foldable convertible vehicle tops

Convertible vehicle with a roof which can be folded up and is provided with a rear window and two lateral clamping collars at the rear. The rear window is movably in a guideway defined by a roof frame part on the roof and a car body frame part on the car body. In a closed position of the roof, the rear window is movable from a closed normal position into a lowered position. The roof is constructed so that the clamping collars are connected firmly with one another over a transverse connecting part and, between the roof frame part and the car body frame part, a space is provided in the guideway for the passage of the transverse connecting part during the folding up of the roof.

Convertible car with a rear windshield movable in a guide track

For a convertible vehicle with a foldable at least partially flexible roof where longitudinal side support components and between these, cross-connecting supports are arranged for the support of at least the flexible roof section, at least one bow is arranged in a longitudinally moveable fashion with regard to the longitudinal side support components and in a movable fashion subject to the opening or closing of the roof via at least one control device.

Convertible vehicle with an at least partially flexible roof and at least one cross-connecting support

A convertible vehicle ( ) with an unfoldable roof ( ), which can be placed under a cover ( ) in the open position and has at least one rear bracket ( ), which rests on the cover ( ) in the closed position of the roof ( ), and is constructed in such a way that the opening motion of the roof ( ) includes a combined lift/rotation motion ( ) of the bracket ( ).

Convertible vehicle with a foldable roof

A convertible vehicle with a roof, which can be stowed in the rear region of the vehicle and comprises at least one front roof part, which faces a windshield frame in the closed position, and a rear roof part, which extends backward and downward at the rear and has, at its side edge regions, frame parts, which are held at their rear end regions so that they can be swiveled about a horizontal axis. In such a vehicle, in order to increase the headspace for the passengers, especially in the case of four-seater convertible vehicles for the passengers on the rear seat, and to improve the optics in the connecting region of the folding top, without significantly enlarging the stowage space for the open folding top, provisions are made so that the axis mentioned lies above the window parapet in the closed position of the roof and, for this purpose, over connecting frame parts, which are linked to the rear end regions of the rear frame parts so that they can be swiveled, are at a distance from the main bearing, which is on the car body and about which the roof can be swiveled, at least one part region of the connecting frame part, lying above the window parapet, enclosing an obtuse angle with the window parapet in the driving direction.

Convertible vehicle

The invention relates to a convertible vehicle with a roof, which can be folded up and is provided with a rear window, it being possible, in the closed position of the roof, to lower the rear window at least regionally from a normal position into a lowered position below a window parapet line forming the upper boundary of the car body. In order to simplify the installation of a movable rear window for such an embodiment, provisions are made so that the rear window, in the lowered position as well as in the normal position, is held in a frame, which is firmly connected with the roof, as a result of which special adjustment of the rear window or of a different component with respect to the roof is superfluous.

Convertible vehicle with a rear window which can be lowered

A convertible vehicle with a roof, which can be folded up, is provided with a rear window, can be stowed in a rear region of the vehicle and is braced over at least one tension bracket in the closed state with respect to the car body, the tension bracket being pivotable in the forwards direction for opening the roof and hereby bringing about a forward displacement of the rear window. In the case of such a construction, in order to be able to carry out the forward shifting of the rear region of the folding top, comprising the rear window, without being obstructed by upright parts, such as the rear head supports or roll bars, provisions are made so that the rear window is held in a frame which, on the folding top side, is opened downward and, during the opening and closing of the roof, can be swiveled up with respect to this frame.

A foldable top for a convertible includes a vehicle body, a windshield frame on the vehicle body, a rear region on the vehicle body disposed rearwardly of the windshield frame, a foldable-rod linkage supportable on the windshield frame, a main power operated device mounted on the vehicle body for moving the foldable-rod linkage between closed and open positions, and a rear roof clamping member at the rear region of the vehicle body. Rail members are pivotably connected to each other and are also pivotably connected to the foldable-rod linkage and to the clamping member. A tensioning linkage is pivotably connected to one of the rail members and pivotably connected to the vehicle body. A drive mechanism mounted on the vehicle body is pivotably connected to the tensioning linkage and is operable to pivot the tensioning linkage which in turn pivots the rail members.

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Bissendorf, Germany

Joachim Maass