Deployable roof containment system and method

A deployable containment system for a vehicle roof panel, the system comprising:

• a pair of guide channels installed along two parallel edges of an opening through the vehicle roof panel, each guide channel of the pair having a first end and a second end;
• a first housing mounted to the first end of the pair of guide channels;
• a second housing mounted to the second end of the pair of guide channels;
• a first shield configured to deploy from the first housing and travel along the pair of guide channels so as to cover a first portion of the opening;
• a second shield configured to deploy from the second housing and travel along the pair of guide channels so as to cover a second portion of the opening;
• a first actuator disposed in a substantially parallel relationship to both an external side of a corresponding guide channel of the pair and externally along a corresponding edge of the parallel edges of the opening, wherein a first end of the first actuator is in proximity to the first end of the corresponding guide channel of the pair and a second end of the first actuator is in proximity to a point along the external side of the corresponding guide channel of the pair, wherein the first actuator is located outside the perimeter of the opening, and wherein the first actuator is configured to deploy the first shield from the first housing such that the first shield moves parallel to the elongated length of the first actuator after a deployment event;
• and
• a second actuator disposed in parallel to both an external side of a corresponding guide channel of the pair and externally along a corresponding edge of the parallel edges of the opening, wherein a first end of the second actuator is in proximity to the first end of the corresponding guide channel of the pair and a second end of the second actuator is in proximity to a point along the external side of the corresponding guide channel of the pair, wherein the second actuator is located outside the perimeter of the opening, and wherein the second actuator is configured to deploy the second shield from the second housing such that the second shield moves parallel to the elongated length of the second actuator after a deployment event.