Other

Chrysler Corporation

Daimlerchrysler Corporation

Bestop, Inc.

Stephen K Tebbutt

Louis D DeLellis

William A Grabowski

Michael E Hilliard

Robert D Worley

Mark Alan Hickey

Leonard F Bores

A method for attaching a soft top to a motor vehicle body tensions the soft top without a separate tensioning device. The method includes the general steps of attaching a support member to the motor vehicle for pivotal movement about a transverse pivot axis, supporting an upper rear corner of the top with the support member, and tensioning the top by upwardly and rearwardly biasing the upper rear corner of the top with the support member. The support member functions to provide a spring load for tensioning the top. In the preferred method, the support member is elastically deformed for tensioning the top.

Method for attaching a soft top to a motor vehicle body

A removable door frame assembly for a motor vehicle includes a first portion pivotally interconnected to a second portion. The first portion is adapted to be oriented horizontally and releasably attached to a sport bar assembly of the motor vehicle. The second portion is adapted to be oriented vertically and releasably engage the body of the vehicle. The first portion is configured to releasably retain a retaining element attached to a top section of the soft top and thereby retain the soft top in a cross-car direction. Similarly, the second portion is adapted to releasably retain a retaining element attached to a side section of the soft top and longitudinally retain the side section.

Removable door frame assembly for a motor vehicle

A top system includes a hard top which may be operatively installed over a folded soft top. The top system allows delivery of both the hard top and the soft top to the customer. Additionally, the top system allows for an expanded range of uses of the associated motor vehicle. The owner/user can have the hard top on for greater comfort and less noise on long trips and on arrival, take the hard top off and have the soft top for local use with the benefit of open air driving. The soft top is ready to be moved to its operative position or retained in the stored position for available protection from the element from adverse weather conditions. The ability of the top system to allow the hard top to be operatively installed over the folded soft top is made possible largely in part due to the several unique aspects. For example, the soft top folds back and is contained within the boundaries of the body side of the motor vehicle and the tailgate area while having a low stack height. The hard top has formations to allow the stored soft top to nest within the hard top. Additionally, retainer members welded onto the body side section allow the hard top and soft top to function interchangeable.

Top system for a motor vehicle

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West Bloomfield, MI, United States of America

Stephen K Tebbutt