Soft front cockpit cover

Abstract

A foldable roof assembly having a soft panel top assembly for a vehicle in sealing engagement with a hard top portion of a roof. The soft panel top assembly has a fixed portion attached to the vehicle and a lightweight pivotal portion that folds back to provide the occupant a quick and easy open air effect. Two door rails of the soft panel top assembly are connected to the vehicle. Two side bows are attached to a first bow member, which is secured to a windshield frame when in a closed position, and are connected at a pivot point created with a bracket attached to the door rails to allow the pivotal portion to pivot to an open position. The soft panel top assembly includes a rear header that is a wireframe and engages with seals in the hard top roof portion to provide a weatherproof seal.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A soft top insert for a vehicle roof for inserting into an open space in the roof defined by a windshield frame, side members extending back therefrom over oppositely-disposed driver side and passenger side vehicle doors, and a cross member connecting the side members opposite the open space from the windshield frame and behind the doors, the insert including:
 two door rails adapted for attachment to the side members of the vehicle, with each door rail presenting an abutment surface for abutment with the vehicle doors;   two side rails pivotally connected to the at least two door rails;   a first bow member connected between the two side rails and including at least one latch disposed thereon, the bow member being adapted to selectively connect to the windshield frame with the at least one latch;   a cover including fabric material, the cover connected at a front edge to the bow member, where pivoting the two side rails allows said cover to move between a deployed position closing the space and an open position opening the space;   a rear header member connected to a rear edge of the cover and adapted to connect to the vehicle, where the rear header member includes a surface adapted to abut the roof adjacent the cross member to provide a weatherproof seal.   
     
     
         22 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , further comprising two brackets, wherein a respective one of said brackets is each connected to a respective one of said two door rails to provide a pivot point on each of said two door rails. 
     
     
         23 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 22 , wherein said pivot points are provided with a bushing and screw arrangement allowing for the pivotal connection between each of said two brackets and said two side rails, such that said two side rails are pivotal about said pivot point. 
     
     
         24 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said two door rails each further comprise a plurality of clamping surfaces adapted for extending toward the vehicle interior for connecting each said door rail at the roof opening of the vehicle using at least one fastener. 
     
     
         25 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the two side rails and first bow member pivot with a portion of said cover between said deployed position and said open position to provide an open air feel of the soft panel top assembly without completely removing the soft panel top assembly from the vehicle. 
     
     
         26 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , wherein the two door rails each extend between an A-pillar and a B-pillar of the vehicle and each provide a sealing surface for front doors of the vehicle. 
     
     
         27 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , wherein a front edge of said cover wraps around said first bow member, is operably secured to said first bow member, and covers at least an outward portion of said first bow member. 
     
     
         28 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , wherein a rear edge of said cover is operably secured to said rear header member and covers at least an outward portion of said rear header member. 
     
     
         29 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said rear header member further comprises at least two attachment brackets for connecting to the cross member of the vehicle using at least two fasteners. 
     
     
         30 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , wherein said rear header member further comprises at least two fasteners, and as said at least two fasteners are tightened against a surface of the cross member said rear header member is pressed against and seals with the hard top roof portion. 
     
     
         31 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , further comprises at least two fasteners for connecting the rear header member to the cross member of the vehicle using the at least two fasteners. 
     
     
         32 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 21 , further comprising at least two fasteners, and as said fasteners are tightened said rear header member is pressed against and seals with the hard top roof portion. 
     
     
         33 . A soft top insert for a vehicle roof for inserting into an open space in the roof defined by a windshield frame, side members extending back therefrom over oppositely-disposed driver side and passenger side vehicle doors, and a cross member connecting the side members opposite the open space from the windshield frame and behind the doors, the insert including:
 two door rails adapted for attachment to the side members of the vehicle, with each door rail presenting an abutment surface for abutment with the vehicle doors;   at least one fabric management bow being adapted to selectively connect to the windshield frame and including first and second oppositely-disposed side rails pivotally connected one to each of the door rails;   a cover including fabric material, the cover connected at a front edge to the fabric management bow, where pivoting the two side rails allows said cover to move between a deployed position closing the space and an open position opening the space;   a rear header member connected to a rear edge of the cover and adapted to connect to the vehicle, where the rear header member includes a surface adapted to abut the roof adjacent the cross member to provide a weatherproof seal.   
     
     
         34 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , further comprising two brackets, wherein a respective one of said brackets is each connected to a respective one of said two door rails to provide a pivot point on each of said two door rails. 
     
     
         35 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , wherein said pivot points are provided with a bushing and screw arrangement allowing for the pivotal connection between each of said two brackets and said two side rails, such that said two side rails are pivotal about said pivot point. 
     
     
         36 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , wherein said two door rails each further comprise a plurality of clamping surfaces adapted for extending toward the vehicle interior for connecting each said door rail at the roof opening of the vehicle using at least one fastener. 
     
     
         37 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the two side rails and first bow member pivot with a portion of said cover between said deployed position and said open position to provide an open air feel of the soft panel top assembly without completely removing the soft panel top assembly from the vehicle. 
     
     
         38 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , wherein the two door rails each extend between an A-pillar and a B-pillar of the vehicle and each provide a sealing surface for front doors of the vehicle. 
     
     
         39 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , wherein a front edge of said cover wraps around said first bow member, is operably secured to said first bow member, and covers at least an outward portion of said first bow member. 
     
     
         40 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , wherein a rear edge of said cover is operably secured to said rear header member and covers at least an outward portion of said rear header member. 
     
     
         41 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , wherein said rear header member further comprises at least two fasteners for connecting to the cross member of the vehicle using at least two fasteners. 
     
     
         42 . The soft panel top assembly of  claim 33 , further comprising at least two fasteners, and as said fasteners are tightened, said rear header member is pressed against and seals with the hard top roof portion. 
     
     
         43 . A soft panel top assembly, comprising:
 two door rails for attachment in a roof opening of a vehicle;   two brackets, wherein a respective one of said brackets are each connected to a respective one of said two door rails;   two side rails pivotally connected to said at least two door rails using said two brackets creating a pivot point on each of said two door rails;   a first bow member connected between said two side rails and adapted to selectively connect to the vehicle;   a cover that is a soft skin roof top cover, said cover connected at a front edge to said first bow member, where pivoting said two side rails about said pivot points allows said cover to move between a deployed position and an open position;   a rear header member connected to said cover and operable for being coupled at the roof opening of the vehicle, where said rear header member is adapted for sealing engagement with roof to provide a weatherproof seal at the roof opening.