A soft top assembly which includes lift assist and improved fabric management. The assembly includes front side rails pivotally connected to rear side rails. A plurality of fabric control bows with control linkages provide fabric control to the top material during pivoting of the front side rails. A first and second gas strut are attached to the rear side rails to assist lifting and controlled motion as the top is moved between a closed position and open sunroof position, as one strut is fully loaded and compressed while the other strut is fully loaded and open, for lift assist and dampening.

An articulating slanted back soft top assembly for 4-door and 2-door SUVs. A fabric cover is supported by a frame that is at least partially articulatable from at least a closed position to at least one open air position. The frame includes at least one forward fabric support bow member and at least one rearward fabric support bow member. The rear fabric support bow member being positioned when in the closed position in a manner which allows the fabric to clear a sport bar or “roll bar” member of a vehicle in the closed position such that a rear portion of the top is angled from the vertical when viewing the vehicle from the side.

An articulating slanted back soft top assembly for 4-door and 2-door SUVs. A fabric cover is supported by a frame that is at least partially articulatable from at least a closed position to at least one open air position. The frame includes at least one forward fabric support bow member and at least one rearward fabric support bow member. The rear fabric support bow member being positioned when in the closed position in a manner which allows the fabric to clear a sport bar or “roll bar” member of a vehicle in the closed position such that a rear portion of the top is angled from the vertical when viewing the vehicle from the side.

The present invention is a retractable sunshade assembly that can be connected to an open-top of a vehicle that has roll bars. The sunshade assembly includes one or more clamps, a pair of parallel support beams, and a sunshade panel. The one or more clamps fasten to roll bars on a driver side and on a passenger side, The pair of parallel support beams connect onto the clamps, such that the supports panels are horizontally aligned to the respective roll bars and parallel to each other. The sunshade panel is configured to connect to and span between the pair of support beams which serve as a guide for the sunshade panel to retract and extend within. A latch mechanism connected to a handle can be actuated to hold the sunshade panel in a desired location along the pair of support beams, enabling customized levels of sun shading.

A panel top assembly for a vehicle including a controlled guide roller management system and install/release mechanism. A pivotal portion, that is rotatable between a closed position and open position, is coupled to guide assemblies slidably connected to guide track assemblies. Each guide track assembly includes a forward isolator assembly that restricts undesired movement/rattling of a roller in a guide track. A rearward isolator assembly restricts undesired movement/rattling of the roller in each guide track, and selectively keeps the roller in the track when the panel top assembly is in a down/open position. The rearward isolator assembly also includes an isolator that selectively allows an opening in the track for releasing the guide assembly from the track to move the panel top assembly to an open/stowed position, and, reinstalling the guide assembly to the track.

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.

An articulating slanted back soft top assembly for 4-door and 2-door SUVs. A fabric cover is supported by a frame that is at least partially articulatable from at least a closed position to at least one open air position. The frame includes at least one forward fabric support bow member and at least one rearward fabric support bow member. The rear fabric support bow member being positioned when in the closed position in a manner which allows the fabric to clear a sport bar or “roll bar” member of a vehicle in the closed position such that a rear portion of the top is angled from the vertical when viewing the vehicle from the side.

A power-actuated fabric top for a vehicle includes a fabric top section configured to be adapted between a folded position and an unfolded position, guide rails statically affixed to an existing frame of the vehicle, and a power-actuated displacement mechanism for retracting and advancing the fabric top section between the folded position and the unfolded position. Such a power-actuated displacement mechanism is operably coupled to the guide rails. The fabric top section is configured to have a substantially horizontal travel path along an anterior portion of the guide rails and thereby does not pivot up and away from the guide rails. The fabric top section is operably coupled to the guide rails and responsive to an operating mode of the power-actuated displacement mechanism. The folded position of the fabric top section is piled up inside the existing tailgate portion of the existing vehicle.

A retractable sliding/folding slanted back soft top assembly for 4-door and 2-door SUVs. A fabric cover is supported by a frame that is at least partially articulatable from at least a closed position to an open air position. The frame includes at least one forward fabric support bow member and at least one rearward fabric support bow member. The rear fabric support bow member being positioned when in the closed position in a manner which allows the fabric to clear a sport bar or “roll bar” member of a vehicle in the closed position such that a rear portion of the top is angled from the vertical when viewing the vehicle from the side.

A retractable sliding/folding slanted back soft top assembly for 4-door and 2-door SUVs. A fabric cover is supported by a frame that is at least partially articulatable from at least a closed position to an open air position. The frame includes at least one forward fabric support bow member and at least one rearward fabric support bow member. The rear fabric support bow member being positioned when in the closed position in a manner which allows the fabric to clear a sport bar or “roll bar” member of a vehicle in the closed position such that a rear portion of the top is angled from the vertical when viewing the vehicle from the side.