Retractable closure

Claim 2

In a vehicle body having a passenger compartment, a windshield structure situated forward of said passenger compartment, and a rigid roof structure over a portion of said passenger compartment including a leading edge spaced from said windshield support, retractable closure means for the space between said windshield support and said roof structure comprising, a frame member including a header and a transverse support bow, means supporting said frame member on said vehicle body for fore and aft bodily movement between an extended position spanning the distance between said leading edge and said windshield support and a retracted position beneath said roof structure, said transverse bow being situated substantially equal distances on opposite sides of said leading edge in the extended and the retracted positions of said frame member, a flexible cover, and means attaching said cover at a first edge thereof to said leading edge of said roof structure and at a second edge thereof to said header and at a location intermediate said edges to said transverse bow so that said cover is folded generally in half under said roof structure in response to bodily movement of said frame member from the extended to the retracted position thereof.

Claim 3

In a vehicle body having a passenger compartment, a windshield structure situated forward of said passenger compartment, and a rigid roof structure over a portion of said passenger compartment including a leading edge spaced from said windshield support, retractable closure means for the space between said windshield support and said roof structure comprising, a frame member including a header, means supporting said frame member on said vehicle body for fore and aft bodily movement between an extended position spanning the distance between said leading edge and said windshield suPport and a retracted position beneath said roof structure, a bow, means supporting said bow on said frame member in transverse orientation for bodily movement as a unit therewith and for generally vertical movement relative thereto, said bow being situated substantially equal distances on opposite sides of said leading edge in the extended and the retracted positions of said frame member, a flexible cover, means attaching said cover at a first edge thereof to said leading edge of said roof structure and at a second edge thereof to said header and at a location intermediate said edges to said transverse bow so that said cover is folded generally in half under said roof structure in response to bodily movement of said frame member from the extended to the retracted position thereof, and cam means on said frame member and on said vehicle body operative in response to movement of said frame member to the retracted position thereof to lift said bow relative to said frame member and thereby lift said folded cover into juxtaposition with said roof structure for maximization of passenger head room under said folded cover.

Claim 4

In a vehicle body having a passenger compartment, a windshield structure situated forward of said passenger compartment, and a rigid roof structure over a portion of said passenger compartment including a leading edge spaced from said windshield support, retractable closure means for the space between said windshield support and said roof structure comprising, a frame member including a header, means supporting said frame member on said vehicle body for fore and aft bodily movement between an extended position spanning the distance between said leading edge and said windshield suPport and a retracted position beneath said roof structure, a bow, means supporting said bow on said frame member in transverse orientation for bodily movement as a unit therewith and for generally vertical movement relative thereto, said bow being situated substantially equal distances on opposite sides of said leading edge in the extended and the retracted positions of said frame member, a flexible cover, means attaching said cover at a first edge thereof to said leading edge of said roof structure and at a second edge thereof to said header and at a location intermediate said edges to said transverse bow so that said cover is folded generally in half under said roof structure in response to bodily movement of said frame member from the extended to the retracted position thereof, and cam means on said frame member and on said vehicle body operative in response to movement of said frame member to the retracted position thereof to lift said bow relative to said frame member and thereby lift said folded cover into juxtaposition with said roof structure for maximization of passenger head room under said folded cover.

Claim 5

In a vehicle body having a passenger compartment, a windshield structure situated forward of said passenger compartment, and a rigid roof structure over a portion of said passenger compartment including a leading edge spaced from said windshield support, retractable closure means for the space between said windshield support and said roof structure comprising, a frame member including a transverse header and a pair of longitudinal side rails, means supporting said frame member on said vehicle body for fore and aft bodily movement between an extended position wherein said header is supportingly engaged on said windshield support with said side rails spanning the distance between the latter and said leading edge and a retracted position wherein said frame member is situated beneath said roof structure, a pair of radius arms, means supporting each of said radius arms on a respective one of said side rails for pivotal movement about a fixed transverse axis of said frame member, a bow, means rigidly connecting each end of said bow to a corresponding one of said radius arms thereby to support said bow on said frame member in transverse orientation for bodily movement as a unit therewith and for generally vertical movement relative thereto, said bow being situated substantially equal distances on opposite sides of said leading edge in the extended and the retracted positions of said frame member, a flexible cover, means attaching said cover at a first edge thereof to said leading edge of said roof structure and at a second edge thereof to said header and at a location intermediate said edges to said transverse bow so that said cover is folded generally in half under said roof structure in response to bodily movement of said frame member from the extended to the retracted position thereof, a pair of cam guides, means mounting respective ones of said cam guides on said vehicle body on opposite sides of said roof structure, a pair of cam followers, and means mounting said cam followers on respective ones of said radius arms, said cam followers being engageable on said cam guides during bodily movement of said frame member from the extended to the retracted position thereof and said cam guides thereafter being operative through said cam followers to pivot said radius arms relative to said frame member and thereby lift said bow to bring said folded cover into juxtaposition with said roof structure and maximize passenger head room.

Claim 6

In a vehicle body having a passenger compartment, a windshield structure situated forward of said passenger compartment, and a rigid roof structure over a portion of said passenger compartment including a leading edge spaced from said windshield support, retractable closure means for the space between said windshield support and said roof structure comprising, a frame member including a transverse header and a pair of longitudinal side rails, means supporting said frame member on said vehicle body for fore and aft bodily movement between an extended position wherein said header is supportingly engaged on said windshield support with said side rails spanning the distance between the latter and said leading edge and a retracted position wherein said frame member is situated beneath said roof structure, a pair of radius arms, means supporting each of said radius arms on a respective one of said side rails for pivotal movement about a fixed transverse axis of said frame member, a bow, means rigidly connecting each end of said bow to a corresponding one of said radius arms thereby to support said bow on said frame member in transverse orientation for bodily movement as a unit therewith and for generally vertical movement relative thereto, said bow being situated substantially equal distances on opposite sides of said leading edge in the extended and the retracted positions of said frame member, a flexible cover, means attaching said cover at a first edge thereof to said leading edge of said roof structure and at a second edge thereof to said header and at a location intermediate said edges to said transverse bow so that said cover is folded generally in half under said roof structure in response to bodily movement of said frame member from the extended to the retracted position thereof, a pair of cam guides, means mounting respective ones of said cam guides on said vehicle body on opposite sides of said roof structure, a pair of cam followers, and means mounting said cam followers on respective ones of said radius arms, said cam followers being engageable on said cam guides during bodily movement of said frame member from the extended to the retracted position thereof and said cam guides thereafter being operative through said cam followers to pivot said radius arms relative to said frame member and thereby lift said bow to bring said folded cover into juxtaposition with said roof structure and maximize passenger head room.