US Patent 9944155 Lift assist mechanism for soft top

A frame and soft top assembly which includes lift assist and improved fabric management. The assembly includes a pair of front arms pivotally attached to rear side rails and are attached to the vehicle roll bar. A plurality of fabric control bows connected with pivot links provide fabric control to the top material during pivoting of the front side rails. A pair of bow pivot links are pivotally connected to the rear side rail. A rear gas strut and a front gas strut are attached longitudinally to either side of the pair of bow pivot links, one providing lift assistance at the start of the pivotal opening of the sunroof while the other of the struts gets loaded as the top is deployed and buffers the closing of the roof which also loads the strut to provide assistance in the closing direction when it is time to close the sunroof.