Automobile body with a retractable hard top roof

Claim 1

An automobile body of the type having a front windshield and a passenger compartment which includes a pair of body side panels between which is disposed a front seat section and a rear seat section, the improvement comprising: a collapsible, segmented convertible hard top roof mounted for movement between a raised, non-collapsed position, in which said roof extends from an upper edge of said front windshield rearwardly over said front and rear sections of said passenger compartment at a sufficient height so that said body assumes the general configuration of a hard top four passenger sedan body, and a lowered collapsed position, in which said roof extends substantially over only the rear seat section of said passenger compartment at a lower height such that it lies substantially flush with the upper edges of said body side panels so that said body assumes the general configuration of a two-passenger open top roadster, said roof having a front panel and a rear panel which, when said roof is disposed in said raised, non-collapsed position, extends over said front seat section and said rear seat section, respectively, said roof also including means for pivotably mounting said rear panel along a rear edge thereof to a rear portion of said body so as to permit movement thereof between said raised and collapsed positions relative to said rear seat section and means for coupling said front panel to said rear panel for movement between said raised, non-collapsed position in which said front panel lies between said rear panel and said front windshield, and said lower, collapsed position, in which said front panel is slid upwardly and rearwardly such that it is superimposed over said rear panel so as to uncover said front seat section, said roof also including a pair of rear, side window panels disposed on opposite sides of said roof rear panel along one of said body side panels and means for pivotably mounting said rear, side window panels along a lower edge thereof to the associated body side panel for movement between said raised, non-collapsed position, in which said rear, side window panels assume a generally vertical disposition for supporting said rear panel and a lowered collapsed position, in which said rear side window panels are pivoted inwardly towards the interior of said body so that they assume a generally horizontal disposition and lie substantially flush with the upper edge of said body side panels.