Retractable pillar for convertible vehicle

A vehicular system comprising:

• an automatically movable body pillar;
• at least one front passenger door;
• at least one rear passenger door;
• a first side window mounted to the front door;
• a second side window mounted to the rear door;
• at least one weatherstrip directly mounted to and movable with the pillar contacting against the first and second side windows;
• and
• a convertible roof system including a linkage mechanism and side rails, the linkage mechanism and side rails all being movable together from a raised position to a lowered position;
• the pillar separating the first and second side windows when the pillar is in its raised position and the windows are in raised positions, and the pillar being located adjacent the convertible roof when the convertible is in its raised position and the pillar is in its extended position.

An automotive vehicle comprising:

• a stationary and structural, lower pillar member;
• and
• an upper pillar member including a hollow cross-sectional shape;
• the upper pillar member being movable from an extended position substantially above a majority of the pillar lower member to a retracted position withdrawn from the area immediately above the pillar lower member.

An automotive vehicle comprising:

• a stationary and structural, lower pillar;
• an upper pillar including a substantially flat cross sectional shape with a greater fore-and-aft dimension than a thickness dimension;
• and
• an attachment formation mounted on the upper pillar;
• the upper pillar being movable from a first position, substantially above a majority of the lower pillar, to a second position.

A vehicular system comprising:

• a pillar segment movable between an extended position and a retracted position, the pillar segment being located rearward of a windshield;
• a convertible roof movable from a raised position above the pillar segment to a lowered position rear of a passenger compartment, the convertible roof including side rails that move with the convertible roof between the raised and lowered positions;
• an automatic actuator operably driving the pillar segment between the extended and retracted positions:
• a microprocessor controller operably energizing the actuator;
• and
• an elongated camming member coupled to the pillar segment.

A method of manufacturing an automotive vehicle having a convertible roof, a stationary pillar segment, a member and passenger doors, the method comprising:

• (a) locating the pillar segment in a substantially vertically elongated orientation;
• (b) mounting a first of the passenger doors forward of the pillar segment;
• (c) mounting a second of the passenger doors rearward of the pillar segment, both of the doors engaging the pillar segment in at least one operating condition;
• (d) locating the member in a substantially vertically elongated orientation between the pillar segment and the convertible roof when the roof is raised and the member is extended;
• (e) locating the convertible roof substantially above the pillar segment when the roof is raised, the convertible roof including side rails which retract with the rest of the convertible roof in a folding manner;
• and
• (f) automatically moving the member in a substantially cross-vehicle direction after step (d).