The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 31, 1988
Filed:
Mar. 02, 1987
John J Wagner, Howell, MI (US);
Cars & Concepts, Inc., Brighton, MI (US);
Abstract
A vehicle body convertible top (20) disclosed has a soft top whose sail flaps (36) are free to move with respect to the vehicle body and an associated foldable frame (22) but are connected to tensioners (40) that secure the sail flaps in the upper raised position of the convertible top. Each tensioner (40) includes a guide (42) preferably embodied by a curved tube (62) and an elongated flexible member (44) that extends through the guide tube (62) for attachment to both the associated sail flap (36) and the foldable frame (22). Upon raising of the convertible top, the tensioners (40) resiliently pull on the sail flaps (36) through a springs (49) disposed along the elongated flexible members (44) to provide the sail flap tensioning without any operator manipulation specifically directed thereto such as the snapping and unsnapping previously necessary with convertible tops.