Did You Know...
...that one person who claimed to be the inventor of the television is Russian emigre Vladimir Zworykin? In 1929 David Sarnoff, founder of RCA, asked Zworykin what it would take to develop TV for commercial use. He said: a year and a half and $100,000. In reality, it took 20 years and $50 million! Before his death in 1982 at the age of 92, Zworykin said of his invention: "The technique is wonderful. It is beyond my expectations. But the programs! I would never let my children even come close to this thing."
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7850223 | Folding top with a top cloth which is connected to a frame link A folding top for a vehicle comprises a roof frame which comprises at least one front frame part and one rear frame part, a top cloth and a frame link, which is coupled kinematically to the roof frame, for moving the roof frame from a storage position, in which the ... | 12/14/2010 |
| 7819460 | Serviceable fabric assembly for convertible of a motor vehicle The present invention is a serviceable fabric assembly for a convertible roof of a motor vehicle having a retainer connected to a fabric cover and slidably engaged within a channel formed in a first bow member. The first bow member has an upper panel and a lower pan... | 10/26/2010 |
| 7661750 | Bow for a convertible vehicle The invention relates to a convertible vehicle (1) comprising a roof (2) provided with a flexible roof covering (4) in at least certain areas, said roof covering being gripped from below by one or several bows (6, 7) which are arranged in... | 02/16/2010 |
| 7392873 | Hood compartment cover for a cabriolet vehicle with a retractable hood A convertible vehicle has a carbody and a foldaway top connected to the carbody. A top compartment receives the foldaway top when folded open. A top compartment lid is provided for closing the top compartment. A hinge device is connected to the carbody and to the to... | 07/01/2008 |
| 7240952 | Vehicle fitted with a permeable passenger compartment canopy A convertible vehicle having a movable roof is fitted with a passenger compartment canopy that has an air permeable structure. This vehicle, whose roof, such as a foldaway rigid roof, hard-top or soft-top, is movable in relation to its structure, comprises releasabl... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7172235 | Roof and decklid having a common supporting linkage and actuator A passenger car having a roof opening and a rear opening that are selectively covered by a segmented dimensionally stable roof and a rear lid, respectively. A linkage and actuator drive are common to the roof and rear lid. A supporting structure of the rear lid is c... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7144063 | Convertible roof fabric attachment A vehicle convertible roof fabric attachment system provides a cross-car elongated member having a first channel and a second channel located parallel with the first channel, a fastener engaging and fully recessed within the channels, and a convertible roof inner la... | 12/05/2006 |
| 7104587 | Joint locking device for a convertible roof system A joint locking device for a convertible roof system is provided. In another aspect of the present invention, an outfolding convertible roof employs a device for deterring member-to-member movement when fully raised. A further aspect of the present invention employs... | 09/12/2006 |
| 7021695 | Convertible top system for vehicle A retractable soft top system includes a support frame with a forward end and a rearward end. The rearward end is detachably and pivotably interconnected with the vehicle body at the rear of the passenger compartment. The support frame includes a latching member ext... | 04/04/2006 |
| 6950012 | Protective cover assembly A protective cover assembly is provided. The protective cover assembly includes a flexible cover and an alarm assembly. The flexible cover includes an outer layer of flexible material, an inner layer of flexible material, and at least one layer of tear resistant mat... | 09/27/2005 |
| 6935677 | Backlite retention system A backlite retention system for a motor vehicle convertible roof includes a roof canopy defining an opening therein, an outer ring disposed along an edge of the opening and adjacent an outer side of the canopy, and a transparent backlite adhesively bonded to an oute... | 08/30/2005 |
| 6659534 | Hard-top convertible roof system A convertible roof system includes a front roof section, a rear roof section, an automatically power actuator and a linkage mechanism. In another aspect of the present invention, the front and/or rear roof sections are rigid, hard-top roofs. A further asp... | 12/09/2003 |
| 6543837 | Fastening device for a folding-top covering A fastening device for a folding-top covering of a folding top of an open motor vehicle, having a plug-in profile. The plug-in profile is fastened to the folding-top covering of the folding top. The fastening device also has a folding-top frame part and a... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6340196 | Motor-vehicle convertible top A motor-vehicle convertible top has a flexible and waterproof outer layer defining a roof having edges and an inner surface, a pair of sides joined at the edges to the roof, and a rear wall extending between the sides and a rear edge of the roof. A heat- ... | 01/22/2002 |
| 6340197 | Insulation-lined motor-vehicle convertible top with integral connecting elements A motor-vehicle convertible top has a foldable and waterproof cover having an inner face, a framework having a plurality of rigid struts juxtaposed with the inner face, a foam-plastic layer unitarily bonded to the inner face, connecting elements integral ... | 01/22/2002 |
| 6338522 | Mesh fabric vehicle top system A vehicle top system comprising a soft top composed of a mesh material to thereby block out a portion of sunlight but allow the passage of a portion of air therethrough. The soft top may include a top section to cover at least the driver and front passeng... | 01/15/2002 |
| 6305734 | Folding sliding roof arrangement The invention relates to a folding roof arrangement for a convertible type motor vehicle comprising a folding covering having a front section, a front crossmember, the front end section being fastened to the front crossmember, a plurality of lateral roof ... | 10/23/2001 |
| 6302471 | Insulating layer secured to struts by connecting elements in a motor vehicle folding convertible top A motor-vehicle convertible top has a foldable and waterproof cover having an inner face, a framework having a plurality of rigid struts juxtaposed with the inner face and having ends at edges of the cover, reinforcing belts having outer faces provided at... | 10/16/2001 |
| 6206450 | Automotive convertible top attaching construction There is provided an automotive convertible top attaching construction in which a roof is opened, and an open portion is covered with a top cloth, characterized in that the front end portion of the top cloth 12 is mounted to a top fixing panel 15, a frame... | 03/27/2001 |
| 6170901 | Covering arrangement such as a soft top for a motor vehicle A covering arrangement such as a soft top for a motor vehicle comprises a surface element such as a soft top element connected to another structural element which is in the form of a second surface element, or a roof channel or gutter, or a window pane me... | 01/09/2001 |
| 6120087 | Aesthetic cover for convertible tops A decorative cover for a convertible top is clipped onto an existing convertible top to enhance the aesthetic appeal of a convertible top automobile. The leading edge of the decorative cover member is secured to a molded boot that frictionally engages the... | 09/19/2000 |
| 6033007 | Flexible convertible top of a vehicle A flexible convertible top (1) of a vehicle with a top material (2) which has a least one layer (4) of a weldable plastic and to which at least one fixed element (5,6,7) is attached. To ensure cost-favorable and modular adjustability of a flexible convert... | 03/07/2000 |
| 5947546 | Apparatus for attaching a soft top to a motor vehicle An apparatus for attaching a soft top to a motor vehicle includes a retainer member for engaging a channel located in a structural element attached to the motor vehicle. In one application, the structural element is a removable door frame having a molded-... | 09/07/1999 |
| 5906408 | Convertible pickup truck A convertible pickup truck which has a rear extended cab area and a windshield assembly. The convertible pickup truck has a roof structure which pivots about a framework or a safety bar. In the lowered position, the roof structures resides within the conf... | 05/25/1999 |
| 5829820 | Convertible top covering retainer with method for using the same A convertible top having improved supporting means (16, 36, 46, 50, 56 and 58) for securing pliable covering (10, 12, and 14) to the linkage assembly. The means for securing the pliable covering (10, 12 and 14) includes one or more grooves (18, 20 and 22)... | 11/03/1998 |
| 5738402 | Folding top for vehicles A folding top for vehicles includes a folding top structure and a folding top covering, an edge area of the folding top covering being fastened on a rear-side tensioning bow of the folding top structure and a sealing body being held in position which is i... | 04/14/1998 |
| 5540476 | Convertible top covering retainer with method for using the same A convertible top having improved supporting means (16, 36, 46, 50, 56 and 58) for securing pliable covering (10, 12, and 14) to the linkage assembly. The means for securing the pliable covering (10, 12, and 14) includes one or more grooves (18, 20 and 22... | 07/30/1996 |
| 5511844 | Convertible top having slidably replaceable bow A convertible top comprises a frame having a header and three transverse bows, a fabric cover for the frame, side stay pads, a panel containing a backlite, and an interior headliner. The bows and header are interconnected by articulated side linkages. The... | 04/30/1996 |
| 5100195 | Installation of a convertible top cover on a vehicle A convertible vehicle has a convertible top assembly movable between raised and lowered positions covering and opening the passenger compartment. The top assembly has an articulated frame comprising a header for engaging a vehicle windshield header in rai... | 03/31/1992 |
| 4746163 | Combined removable panel-convertible top system A convertible top system for automobiles is disclosed including a rear convertible frame extending partially over the passenger compartment when raised, and a removable roof panel which may be emplaced between the windshield frame and the forward main bow... | 05/24/1988 |
| 4626021 | Convertible top cover A convertible top cover is disclosed formed of single piece seamless front and rear panels having adjacent edges secured along an intermediate top frame bow member extending across the passenger compartment. The front and rear panel adjacent edges are sec... | 12/02/1986 |
