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 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 panel structure 30 includes a panel 40 having a first insertion hole 42, a reinforcement 50 having a second insertion hole 52, and a fixing member 70 having a shaft 71 inserted in the first and second insertion holes 42 and 52, and sandwiching and fixing the panel 40 and the reinforcement 50 in their thickness direction. The panel 40 has a higher thermal expansion coefficient than the reinforcement 50. A diameter of the second insertion hole 52 in a direction of thermal expansion of the panel 40 is larger than a diameter of the first insertion hole 42 in the direction.

Disclosed herein are embodiments of a folding top assembly for use with a vehicle and methods for using a folding top assembly on a vehicle. The folding top assembly can be used to create openings on the top of the vehicle by folding a rear panel segment of the folding top assembly forward to expose a space over a rear seating area of the vehicle and/or folding a front panel segment of the folding top assembly rearward to expose a space over a front seating area of the vehicle. The assembly can be designed and shaped to improve the ability to store the folding top assembly on the vehicle and/or to improve aerodynamics when the vehicle is moving.

A retractable canopy for a vehicle, the retractable canopy moving independently of a vehicle roll bar being retracted or raised. Canopies for weather protection both from excessive exposure to the sun and from precipitation are commonly used on many types of vehicles, which in many cases may be motorized. For safety reasons, and often also legal requirements, these vehicles may be equipped with a roll bar or similar structure to protect the operator of the vehicle from injury in the event that the vehicle rolls over. When the vehicle encounters a low-lying obstruction, the canopy may be quickly lowered to enable the vehicle to travel underneath and past the obstruction, after which the canopy may be quickly raised again. Raising or lowering of the canopy is independent of whether the roll bar is raised or lowered, and raising or lowering of the roll bar is independent of the canopy position.

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 frame and soft top assembly which includes lift assist and improved fabric management. The assembly includes a pair of front arms pivotally attached to rear side rails and are attached to the vehicle roll bar. A plurality of fabric control bows connected with pivot links provide fabric control to the top material during pivoting of the front side rails. A pair of bow pivot links are pivotally connected to the rear side rail. A rear gas strut and a front gas strut are attached longitudinally to either side of the pair of bow pivot links, one providing lift assistance at the start of the pivotal opening of the sunroof while the other of the struts gets loaded as the top is deployed and buffers the closing of the roof which also loads the strut to provide assistance in the closing direction when it is time to close the sunroof.

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.

Convertible top linkage arrangements on both of its two sides relative to the top's vertical longitudinal center plane pivotally mounted on a fixed main bearing, fastenable to a vehicle front wind apron by a front bow, connecting the arrangements to each other, both arrangements having a roof link whose front end reaches to the front wind apron in a closing position, the front bow fastenable to a deployment link on each side, the deployment link pivotally mounted on the respective roof link so that a fold section, which can be pivoted between a closing position, in which the deployment links extend along the roof links, and an opening position, in which the deployment links are pivoted with respect to the roof links, is formed by the front bow and the deployment link, the fold section taking its closing position with respect to the roof links when pivoting the top linkage.

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.