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This has to be the patent for the JL's innovative top. Some really interesting ideas here.
https://www.google.com/patents/US8408623
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The top is made into smaller sections, which makes each section weigh a lot less. This makes this top easy for one person to remove it by their self. All other tops, take three to four people, so most hard tops are rarely ever removed.
This invention is also made in such a way as to make it much quicker to take off and reinstall, even quicker and easier than current soft tops.
This invention is also unique in that the top rear roof section turns into ahard trunk cover which actually turns into a lockable security trunk. When the top, side and roof sections are not stored in the trunk area, you have storage comparable to the largest vehicle trunks on the market. This way you can also store valuables under the cover without concern of theft. The lowered rear hard top cover is opaque and makes the vehicle as secure as a vehicle with a standard trunk type. People will not be able to see inside the trunk, detouring thieves from looking twice. One concern with the old style tops is, when you remove the top, you have no safe place to store anything inside the vehicle, except in the console or glove box. Neither option is very large or secure. Even when considering utility vehicles with the hard metal roof. You can see inside the entire vehicle, giving you no security. Though some have the security covers, all thieves know if you have the cover pulled over, you probably have something under it of value, which leaves you vulnerable.
This invention is also unique in that the rear roof section can be divided into multiple parts, to accommodate the roll bars in its lowered position,
This invention is also unique in that when the rear roof section is divided into two sections, the U-shaped rear section can also be used to cover a lowered soft top if desired.
This invention is unique in that it was designed with a rain gutter that also seals and locks the rear side sections for a good seal and a very smooth appearance.
Incorporated in this top is the added option of a half cab style top gaining the safe storage and the convenience of a truck. This half cab style configuration can have a lockable trunk space and the look of a pickup truck. Also with the half cab option you can remove the security cover on the back and install a separator to use this utility vehicle as a pickup bed, as will be described with respect to FIGS. 49 and 50. This option will gain all the conveniences of a pickup bed; such as hauling, picking up large cargo or maybe even towing a fifth wheel trailer.
FIG. 13 illustrates how in the case, of the Jeep Wrangler the rear wheel wells 12, had to be cut down in height to accommodate the height of section 2 and 3, of the roof middle sections. These sections were cut specifically to accommodate all of the roof sections. Item 17 shows a dotted line of the original height of the rear wheel wells, FIG. 13 showing how, before and after rear wheel wells 12 were cut down to accommodate sections 2 and 3. FIG. 13 also shows in the case of the Jeep Wrangler four door, section 1 was added to shorten the length of sections 2 and 3, allowing them to fit in the rear storage area 11 of the vehicle on top of the rear wheel wells 12, and inside the rear quarter panel sections 15 of the vehicle.
One piece that gives me pause is that the inventor assigned to the patent is not FCA or a supplier to FCA. The patentee is an individual. I'm wondering if an individual was put on the patent so that this would fly under the radar, or if this patent really is someone's own work not related to FCA. It costs thousands of dollars to obtain a patent, so I doubt it's some individual alone...
https://www.google.com/patents/US8408623
The top is made into smaller sections, which makes each section weigh a lot less. This makes this top easy for one person to remove it by their self. All other tops, take three to four people, so most hard tops are rarely ever removed.
This invention is also made in such a way as to make it much quicker to take off and reinstall, even quicker and easier than current soft tops.
This invention is also unique in that the top rear roof section turns into ahard trunk cover which actually turns into a lockable security trunk. When the top, side and roof sections are not stored in the trunk area, you have storage comparable to the largest vehicle trunks on the market. This way you can also store valuables under the cover without concern of theft. The lowered rear hard top cover is opaque and makes the vehicle as secure as a vehicle with a standard trunk type. People will not be able to see inside the trunk, detouring thieves from looking twice. One concern with the old style tops is, when you remove the top, you have no safe place to store anything inside the vehicle, except in the console or glove box. Neither option is very large or secure. Even when considering utility vehicles with the hard metal roof. You can see inside the entire vehicle, giving you no security. Though some have the security covers, all thieves know if you have the cover pulled over, you probably have something under it of value, which leaves you vulnerable.
This invention is also unique in that the rear roof section can be divided into multiple parts, to accommodate the roll bars in its lowered position,
This invention is also unique in that when the rear roof section is divided into two sections, the U-shaped rear section can also be used to cover a lowered soft top if desired.
This invention is unique in that it was designed with a rain gutter that also seals and locks the rear side sections for a good seal and a very smooth appearance.
Incorporated in this top is the added option of a half cab style top gaining the safe storage and the convenience of a truck. This half cab style configuration can have a lockable trunk space and the look of a pickup truck. Also with the half cab option you can remove the security cover on the back and install a separator to use this utility vehicle as a pickup bed, as will be described with respect to FIGS. 49 and 50. This option will gain all the conveniences of a pickup bed; such as hauling, picking up large cargo or maybe even towing a fifth wheel trailer.
FIG. 13 illustrates how in the case, of the Jeep Wrangler the rear wheel wells 12, had to be cut down in height to accommodate the height of section 2 and 3, of the roof middle sections. These sections were cut specifically to accommodate all of the roof sections. Item 17 shows a dotted line of the original height of the rear wheel wells, FIG. 13 showing how, before and after rear wheel wells 12 were cut down to accommodate sections 2 and 3. FIG. 13 also shows in the case of the Jeep Wrangler four door, section 1 was added to shorten the length of sections 2 and 3, allowing them to fit in the rear storage area 11 of the vehicle on top of the rear wheel wells 12, and inside the rear quarter panel sections 15 of the vehicle.
One piece that gives me pause is that the inventor assigned to the patent is not FCA or a supplier to FCA. The patentee is an individual. I'm wondering if an individual was put on the patent so that this would fly under the radar, or if this patent really is someone's own work not related to FCA. It costs thousands of dollars to obtain a patent, so I doubt it's some individual alone...
