Automobile body structure incorporating hinged housing

Claim 1

An automobile body structure which comprises: transversely spaced apart side walls each defined by transversely spaced apart inner and outer panels; a seat transversely disposed between said side walls and in turn including a seat portion with a top surface; a housing defined by top, bottom and front and rear side edges, having an inner panel and an essentially continuous outer panel, and hingedly mounted along said top edge thereof in one said side wall of said automobile body structure for movement between an outer extended position and an inner retracted position in which said outer panel of said housing is essentially continuous with said outer panel of a respective one of said side walls of said automobile body structure; an opening in said inner panel of said housing and peripherally defining a recess extending transversely outwardly into said housing from said inner panel thereof; an intermediate panel in said housing spaced apart transversely inwardly from said outer panel of said housing outwardly to define said recess and to define with said outer panel of said housing a window-receiving compartment; a window frame constituted by an opening in an upper portion of said housing above said recess therein; a window pane movably mounted in said housing for movement between a raised position closing said opening constituting said window frame and a lowered position in which said window pane is at least partially disposed within said windowreceiving compartment; an upwardly facing supporting surface provided in a lower part of said recess in said housing, said supporting surface being generally coplanar with said top surface of said seat portion of said seat when said housing is disposed in said extended position thereof; and a cushion member dimensioned for disposition between said seat portion of said seat and said inner panel of a respective said side wall of said automobile body structure when said housing is disposed in said extended position thereof, said cushion member having a top surface which is essentially coplanar with said top surface of said seat portion of said seat and with said supporting surface within said recess in said housing when said cushion member is so disposed between said seat portion and said inner panel of said respective side wall of said automobile body structure thereby to provide jointly with said supporting surface in said rEcess as essentially continuous transverse extension of said top surface of said seat portion of said seat.