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 roof insulation material used in convertible vehicles with soft top (fabric base, flexible) structure, the roof insulation material including: a bottom layer whose top surface is formed of woven felt coated with foil or thermoplastic polyurethane; a top layer which is formed of woven felt, and which is located on the bottom layer and is connected to the bottom layer; and polyurethane foam which corresponds to the profiles forming the roof structure when the roof structure is opened or closed, when located on the roof of the vehicle along with its side parts and which is located between the bottom layer and the top layer, except for the parts that contact said profiles.

A fabric top for a convertible vehicle includes, in sequence: an outer cover layer, an insulating layer, an absorber layer and an inner cover layer. The absorber layer at 500 hz has an absorption coefficient of 10 to 65%, at 1000 hz has an absorption coefficient of 15 to 110%, at 2000 hz has an absorption coefficient of 33 to 115%, at 4000 hz has an absorption coefficient of 60 to 110% at 8000 hz has an absorption coefficient of 85 to 120%.

A door rail surround assembly incorporating an anti-rotation feature added to a door rail clamp of the assembly. The anti-rotation feature is a net fit cross vehicle with a hole in the vehicle sport bar thereby eliminating any free movement of the door rail clamp assembly. A second clamp is rotatable for also receiving a fastener of the door rail clamp. A clamp load is applied to the vehicle when the fastener is inserted and torqued to its predetermined value. This clamping load prevents any free movement in the door rail clamp assembly when the door seal load is applied when the vehicle door is closed.

A top of a convertible vehicle having a top linkage displaceable between a closed position, in which the top covers a vehicle interior, and a storage position, in which the vehicle interior is open toward the sky, and which has a linkage arrangement on either side of a vertical longitudinal center plane of the top, the linkage arrangement being covered by a headliner when in the closed position. A fabric deflecting element for the headliner is attached to each of the linkage arrangements, the fabric deflecting element moving relative to a roof side rail when the top linkage is being displaced between the closed position and the storage position, an edge of the headliner being attached to the roof side rail. The headliner slides on a fabric contact surface of the fabric deflecting element when the top linkage is being displaced between the storage position and the closed position.

A convertible top includes an outer layer, a liner and a heating element between the outer layer and the liner. The heating element may comprise a carbon nanotube heating element. A controller is configured to activate the heating element in response to a wireless activation signal received from a remote communication device.

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.

A top of a convertible vehicle, having a foldable top covering and a top linkage, from which the top covering can be displaced between a closed position spanning a vehicle interior and a storage position releasing the vehicle interior to the top and which comprises a linkage arrangement on each of the two sides of the top linkage relative to a vertical longitudinal center plane of the top, panel bows extending between the two linkage arrangements arranged on both sides of the top linkage, said panel bows being arranged flush behind each other in the longitudinal direction of the top when in the closed position and being arranged atop of each other when in the storage position and one of the panel bows forming a backlite bow which accommodates a backlite. The backlite bow is realized as a frame-like composite part which encloses the backlite.

A soft top assembly for SUV/UTV vehicles having connected thereto at least one lighting source, such as a fixed light emitting diode lighting device, a rope/flexible light emitting diode lighting device, a solid fiber optic lighting device, to illuminate the interior of the vehicle. The lighting device has at least one water resistant housing that is low profile. The lighting device is also shock resistant. The lighting device has a predetermined ON/OFF feature and at least one power source is provided such as battery powered, powered by replaceable/rechargeable batteries, via connection to the vehicle by a wired harness or electrical contacts, or solar powered.