EP0189649A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Open top type automobile body structure
Assignee: Mazda Motor Corp
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Filing: 1985-11-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2005-11-29
Abstract
Abstract An open top automobile body has a hoop member (13) which is mounted for swinging movement between an erected position and a retracted position. A rigid roof panel (14) is removably mounted to extend between the front windshield (7) and the hoop member. A foldable rear hood (15) having a rigid transparent glass (16) is provided to cover the rear body section. The rear hood is secured to the rear body section at a position below the upper edge of the rear body section. A peripheral hood tensioning link (30) is provided to force the hood against the upper edge of the rear body section.
Inventors
- 👤 Jiro Maebayashi
- 👤 Masaya Hamamoto
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 16:08
CPC Classifications
B; B60; B60J; B60J7/00; B60J7/08; B60J7/12; B60J7/1226; B60J7/123; B60J7/10; B60J7/106; B60J7/108; B60J7/1234; B60J7/1247
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
303 words
An open top automobile body including a body structure having a front windshield section (7), a rear body section comprising opposite side panels (10) and a rear section (17), the rear body section (17) having an upper edge portion defining an open top, a hoop member (13) of a substantially inverted U-shape having a pair of leg portions swingably mounted respectively on the opposite side panels (10) for movement between an erected position wherein the hoop member (13) extends substantially upright and a retracted position wherein the hoop member is retracted into the rear section (17), a rigid roof panel (14) adapted to be placed between the front windshield section (7) and the hoop member (13) in the erected position, foldable rear hood means (15) having a front edge portion (15c) secured to the hoop member and side and rear edge portions (15b,15c) secured to the rear body section of the body structure, characterized in that the side and rear edge portions (15b,15c) of the rear hood section (15) are secured to the rear body section (17) at portions below the upper edge of the rear body section, a substantially U-shaped peripheral hood tensioning link (30) being provided for movement between an operative position wherein it cooperates with the upper edge of the rear section (17) of the body structure to hold the rear hood means (15) between the link and the upper edge of the rear body section, and an inoperative position wherein the link is below the upper edge of the rear body section to release the ,rear hood means, means (9,41,42) being provided for moving the hood tensioning link (30) to the operative position when the hoop member (13) is moved to the erected position and to the inoperative position when the hoop member is moved to the retracted position.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
303 words
An open top automobile body including a body structure having a front windshield section (7), a rear body section comprising opposite side panels (10) and a rear section (17), the rear body section (17) having an upper edge portion defining an open top, a hoop member (13) of a substantially inverted U-shape having a pair of leg portions swingably mounted respectively on the opposite side panels (10) for movement between an erected position wherein the hoop member (13) extends substantially upright and a retracted position wherein the hoop member is retracted into the rear section (17), a rigid roof panel (14) adapted to be placed between the front windshield section (7) and the hoop member (13) in the erected position, foldable rear hood means (15) having a front edge portion (15c) secured to the hoop member and side and rear edge portions (15b,15c) secured to the rear body section of the body structure, characterized in that the side and rear edge portions (15b,15c) of the rear hood section (15) are secured to the rear body section (17) at portions below the upper edge of the rear body section, a substantially U-shaped peripheral hood tensioning link (30) being provided for movement between an operative position wherein it cooperates with the upper edge of the rear section (17) of the body structure to hold the rear hood means (15) between the link and the upper edge of the rear body section, and an inoperative position wherein the link is below the upper edge of the rear body section to release the ,rear hood means, means (9,41,42) being provided for moving the hood tensioning link (30) to the operative position when the hoop member (13) is moved to the erected position and to the inoperative position when the hoop member is moved to the retracted position.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
61 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 1, in which the means for moving the hood tensioning link (30) includes means (9) for pivotably connecting leg portions (32) of the hood tensioning link to the leg portions of the hoop member and flexible belt means (41,42) connecting an intermediate portion of the link to an intermediate portion of the hoop member.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
54 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2, in which the rear hood means (15) includes a transparent panel (16) and a flexible part around the transparent panel, said hood tensioning link being provided with means (31a) for receiving a rear edge portion of the transparent panel in the inoperative position.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
27 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 3, in which the receiving means includes deck means (31a) formed in an intermediate portion of the hood tensioning link.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 3, in which the receiving means includes at least one forward projection (31b) formed in an intermediate portion of the hood tensioning link.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
58 words
An automobile in accordance with any of claims 1 to 5, in which the rear hood means includes a transparent panel (16) and a flexible sheet around the transparent panel, an upper hood tensioning link (20) being provided for engagement with the flexible sheet between the hoop member (13) and the transparent panel to tension the flexible sheet.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
35 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 6, in which the upper hood tensioning link (20) is of an inverted U-shape having a pair of leg portions (21) pivotably connected with the rear body section.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
32 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 7, in which the leg portions (21) of the upper hood tensioning link (20) are connected to the rear body section through lower links (23).
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
57 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 8, in which the leg portions (21)' of the upper hood tensioning link are pivotably connected with upper ends of the lower links (25) which are pivotably connected with the rear body section, the leg portions of the upper hood tensioning link being pivotably connected with the hoop member (13).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 9, in which the leg portions (21) of the upper hood tensioning link are connected with the lower link at a rearwardly offset position (25).
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
47 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 7, in which the leg portions (21) of the upper hood tensioning link are connected to the rear body section at points lower than points where the leg portions of the hoop member are connected with the rear body section.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
69 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 7, in which the link moving means includes means for pivotably connecting leg portions of the hood tensioning link (30) to the leg portions of the hoop member (13) and flexible belt means (41,42) connecting an intermediate portion of the link to an intermediate portion of the hoop member, the flexible belt means being passed through the upper hood tensioning link (20).
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
68 words
An automobile body in accordance with any of claims 1 to 12, in which the peripheral hood tensioning link (30) includes a rear link member (31) of a substantially U-shape having a pair of forwardly extending legs and a pair of front link members (32) having rear ends pivotably connected with the legs of the rear link member and forward ends pivotably connected with the hoop member (13).
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
87 words
An automobile body in accordance with any of claims 1 to 13, in which each leg portion of the hoop member has a first plate (8) which is secured to the leg portion at an upper end and an intermediate portion of the first plate, a substantially planar second plate (9) being secured at an upper end and a lower end with upper and lower ends of the first plate, the lower ends of the first and second plates being pivotably connected to the rear body section.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
60 words
An automobile body in accordance with claim 13, in which the legs of the rear link member (31) are connected with the front link members (32) through pivot connecting means which allows the front link members to be folded downward but prevents them from being folded upward from a position wherein the front and rear link members extend substantially straight.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
105 words
An automobile body in accordance with any of claims 1 to 15, in which the rear section of the rear body section includes a substantially transversely extending structure comprising an outer panel (51) and an inner panel (52) which are connected together to form a structure of closed cross-section, the rear edge portion of the rear hood means being connected to a lower surface of the inner panel, the structure of closed cross-section having an upper edge which defines a part of the upper edge portion of the rear body section and carrying seal means (53) for cooperation with the peripheral hood tensioning link (30).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
74 words
An automobile in accordance with claim 16 in, which the side panels comprises an outer panel (56) and inner panel (58) which are connected together at the upper edges thereof, the side edge portions (15b) of the rear hood means being connected to the inner panel (58) of the side panel, and the upper edges of the outer and inner panels carrying seal means (63) for cooperation with the peripheral hood tensioning link (30).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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