Mazda Motor Corporation

Masaya Hamamoto

Jiro Maebayashi

Naomune Moriyama

Keiichiro Shibata

A windshield supporting structure which is to be employed in combination with an open cowl structure having an opening which opens upward includes a windshield supporting portion which is provided at the rear end portion of the opening. The windshield is bonded to the windshield supporting portion. The windshield supporting portion is positioned so that it supports the windshield at an intermediate portion thereof as viewed in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and so that the windshield extends forward and downward beyond the windshield supporting portion.

Windshield supporting structure for a vehicle

An open top automobile body including a rigid roof panel extending between the front windshield section and a hoop member of a substantially inverted U-shape mounted at the opposite leg portions to the rear fenders for fore-and-aft swinging movements between an erected position and a retracted position. A foldable hood is provided between the hoop member and the rear body section to provide a rear windshield section. The roof panel is connected at the rear edge through a hinge mechanism with the hoop member so that the roof panel can be retracted into the rear body section together with the hoop member. A locking member prevents a relative rotation of two links of the hinge mechanism with respect to each other when the hoop member is in the erected position and the roof panel is placed between the front windshield and the hoop member.

Open top type automobile body structure

An open top automobile body having a hoop member which is mounted for swinging movement between an erected position and a retracted position. A rigid roof panel is removably mounted to extend between the front windshield and the hoop member. A foldable rear hood having a rigid transparent glass is provided to cover the rear body section. The rear hood is secured to the rear body section at a position below the upper edge of the rear body section. A peripheral hood tensioning link is provided to force the hood against the upper edge of the rear body section substantially over an entire outer periphery of the hood link.

A motor vehicle having a rotary piston engine located at a front part of the vehicle with the engine output shaft extending in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. A speed changing transmission and a center differential gear unit are arranged in this order from the engine so that the center differential gear unit drives the rear propeller shaft and the front differential gear unit. The front differential gear unit is located beneath the engine and driven through a transfer shaft by the center differential gear unit. The front differential gear unit is mounted on the oil pan of the engine which is attached to the lower part of the engine casing.

Growing community of inventors

Hiroshima, Japan

Masaya Hamamoto