USOO6866325B2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 6,866,325 B2 Willard (45) Date of Patent: Mar. 15, 2005 (54) HARD-TOP CONVERTIBLE ROOF SYSTEM 2,768,025 A 10/1956 Spear, Jr. et al. 2.812,975 A 11/1957 Warner ....................... 296/117 (75) Inventor: Michael T. Willard, Harrison Township, Macomb County, MI (US) (List continued on next page.) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS (73) Assignee: ASC Incorporated, Southgate, MI (US) BE 493260 5/1950 CH 65098O 8/1985 (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this DE 646.381 5/1937 patent is extended or adjusted under 35 DE 1505474 7/1969 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. DE 3416286 A1 10/1984 DE 3635373 A1 4/1988 (21) Appl. No.: 10/643,714 DE 3635887 A1 5/1988 DE 3733892 A 4/1989 (22) Filed: Aug. 19, 2003 DE 3816060 A 11/1989 (65) Prior Publication Data DE 9108242 12/1992 US 2004/0041437 A1 Mar. 4, 2004 (List continued on next page.) OTHER PUBLICATIONS Related U.S. Application Data Alfa Romeo Proteo Or Alfa Romeo 164 Proteo / 1991 (62) Division of application No. 09/930,739, filed on Aug. 15, (believed to have been offered for sale, publicly used, and/or 2001, now Pat. No. 6,659,534. published prior to the filing date of this application). Alfa Romeo Spider Rht / 2001. (51) Int. Cl.................................................... B60, 7/08 Audi Quattro Roadster / 1984-1987 (believed to have been (52) U.S. Cl. .............. 296/108; 296/107.16; 296/107.17 offered for sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the (58) Field of Search ................................. 296/108, 109, filing date of this application). 296/117, 107.07, 107.11, 107.15, 107.16, 107.17, 136, 76, 107.08 (List continued on next page.) Primary Examiner Patricia L. Engle (56) References Cited (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Harness, Dickey & Pierce, U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS P.L.C. 404,405 A 6/1889 Haughey (57) ABSTRACT 1,184,734 A 5/1916 Freeman 1,784.279 A 12/1930 Ellerbeck A convertible roof System includes a front roof Section, a 1988,346 A 1/1935 Wagner rear roof Section, an automatically power actuator and a 2007.873 A 7/1935 Paulin linkage mechanism. In another aspect of the present 2,076.243 A 4/1937 Marshall et al. invention, the front and/or rear roof Sections are rigid, 2,322,839 A 6/1943 Falcon ....................... 296/117 hard-top roofs. A further aspect of the present invention 2,564,446 A 8/1951 Parsons 2,580,486 A 1/1952 Vigmostad provides that the outside Surfaces of the roofs have a 2,596,355 A 5/1952 Ackermans generally vertical orientation when in their open and 2,704,225 A 3/1955 Anschuetz et al. retracted positions. 2,747,928 A 5/1956 Olivier et al. 2,768,024. A 5/1956 Spear, Jr. 32 Claims, 18 Drawing Sheets US 6,866.325 B2 Page 2 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS 6,592,169 B2 7/2003 Obendiek 6,666,495 B2 12/2003 Nania 2.841,441 7/1958 Evans 6,682,125 B2 1/2004 Guilez et al. 2,856.231 10/1958 Zeman 2001/0006297 A1 7/2001 Dintner et al. 2.869,923 1/1959 Mulichak 2001/0019213 A1 9/2001 Eberle 2.919,156 12/1959 Dodge 2001/0020793 A1 9/2001 Eberle 2.939,742 6/1960 Dardarian et al. 2001/0024050 A1 9/2001 Schutt et al. 2.997,337 8/1961 Day et al. 2001/0045759 A1 11/2001 Russke .................. 296/107.17 3,059,962 10/1962 Harms et al. 2002/0185886 A1 12/2002 Obendiek 3,357.738 12/1967 Bourlier 2004/0041436 A1 3/2004 Guillez et al. .............. 296/108 3,375,037 3/1968 Hunt, Jr. 3,377,099 4/1968 Podolan FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS 3,575,464 4/1971 Himka et al. 3,994,524 11/1976 Lehmann DE 4316485 A1 11/1994 4,168,859 9/1979 Breitschwerdt et al. DE 43 20 603 A1 1/1995 4,634,171 1/1987 McKeag DE 43 24 708 A1 1/1995 4,712,828 12/1987 Albrecht DE 4438 191 C1, 7/1995 4,729,592 3/1988 Tuchiya et al. DE 4438 190 C1 11/1995 4,746,163 5/1988 Muscat DE 44 31 656 C1 12/1995 4,854,634 8/1989 Shiraishi et al. DE 4445580 C1 12/1995 4,895.409 1/1990 Konishi et al. DE 4445941 C1 3/1996 4.950,022 8/1990 Pattee DE 4445944 C1 4/1996 5,033,789 7/1991 Hayashi et al. DE 4446483 A1 6/1996 5,067,768 11/1991 Fischbach DE 19517 O63 C1 6/1996 5,078.447 1/1992 Klein et al. DE 44 45 920 A1 7/1996 5,090,764 2/1992 Kogawa et al. DE 195 14022 C1 9/1996 5,161,852 11/1992 Alexander et al. DE 19518071 A1 11/1996 5,195,798 3/1993 Klein et al. DE 1953.2568 C1 11/1996 5,207,474 5/1993 Licher et al. DE 1953.2567 C1 12/1996 5,225,747 7/1993 Helms et al. DE 19714 139 A1 8/1998 5,429,409 7/1995 Corder et al. EP O261379 A2 4/1987 5.490.709 2/1996 Rahn EP O494366 A2 7/1992 5,520.432 5/1996 Gmeiner et al. FR 1049026 12/1953 5.533,777 7/1996 Kleeman et al. GB 413467 7/1934 5,542,735 8/1996 Furst et al. GB 455769 9/1936 5,593.202 1/1997 Corder et al. GB 756531 9/1956 5,649,733 7/1997 Seel et al. GB 97.8738 12/1964 5,743,587 4/1998 Alexander et al. JP 62-12O222 6/1987 5,746,470 5/1998 Seel et al. JP 2-51925 4/1990 5,769,483 6/1998 Danzl et al. JP 2-144226 4/1990 5,785.375 7/1998 Alexander et al. JP 3-273977 A 12/1991 5,806,912 9/1998 Ramaciotti et al. OTHER PUBLICATIONS D406.792 3/1999 Alexander et al. 5,979.970 11/1999 Rothe et al. 6,019,416 2/2000 Beier Bently Retractable Hardtop / 1999 (believed to have been 6,030,023 2/2000 Guillez offered for sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the 6,033,008 3/2000 Mattila filing date of this application). 6,033,009 3/2000 Ritter et al. Bérard Roadster / 2001. 6,033,012 3/2000 Russke et al. BMW Klapp Top / 2000 (believed to have been offered for 6,053,560 4/2000 Rothe Sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date D427,138 6/2000 Alexander et al. of this appliation). 6,123,381 9/2000 Schenk 6,168.224 1/2001 Henn et al. Buick Blackhawk / 2000 (believed to have been offered for 6,193,300 2/2001 Nakatomi et al. Sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date 6,217,104 4/2001 Neubrand of this application). D442,541 5/2001 Alexander et al. Cadillac Allanté Charisma / 1994 (believed to have been 6,273,492 8/2001 Schroder et al. offered for sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the 6,299,234 10/2001 Seel et al. filing date of this application). 6,312,041 11/2001 Queveau et al. 6,312,042 11/2001 Halbweiss et al. Cadillac Evoq / 1999 (believed to have been offered for sale, 6,315,349 11/2001 Kinnanen publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date of this 6,318,793 11/2001 Rapin et al. application). D452,675 1/2002 Alexander et al. C&C Intrigue / 1990 (believed to have been offered for sale, 6,336,673 1/2002 Rothe et al. publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date of this 6,347,828 2/2002 Rapin et al. application). 6,352.298 3/2002 Hayashi et al. Chevrolet SSR / 2000 (believed to have been offered for 6.425,621 7/2002 Miklosi et al. ............. 296/108 Sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date 6,478,362 11/2002 Obendiek 6,497.447 12/2002 Ward of this application). 6,502,891 1/2003 Russke Chevrolet Corvette Retractable Hardtop / 1958 (believed to 6,502,892 1/2003 Eberle have been offered for sale, publicly used, and/or published 6,505,881 1/2003 Kinnanen prior to the filing date of this application). US 6,866.325 B2 Page 3 Chrysler Thunderbolt / 1941 (believed to have been offered Heuliez. Retractop 10 / 2001. for Sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing Honda Argento Vivo / 1995 (believed to have been offered date of this application). for Sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing Chrysler Dart / 1957 (believed to have been offered for sale, date of this application). publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date of this Hudson Super Six / 1922 (believed to have been offered for application). Sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date Chrysler Phaeton / 1997 (believed to have been offered for of this application). Sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date Hudson Super Six / 1923 (believed to have been offered for of this application). Sale, publicly used, and/or published prior to the filing date Citroën 15 Six / 1950 (believed to have been offered for sale, of this application).