Retractable roof system for motorcars

A retractable roof system for motor cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position and an extended position in which each shutter overlaps an adjacent shutter and the outer surfaces of said shutters altogether define a substantially horizontal essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed guide members adjacent, respectively, the lateral margins of said extended surfaces;
• follower means attached to said shutters and cooperating with said guide members to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a desired surface for said roof system;
• and
• sealing means, including a pair of fixed, elongated, resilient members adjacent respectively, the lateral margins of said extended surface and engageable by the outer surfaces of said shutters when extended to provide a seal.

A retractable roof system for motors cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position and an extended position in which each shutter overlaps an adjacent shutter and the outer surfaces of said shutters altogether define an essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed, substantially horizontal, guide members adjacent, respectively, the lateral margins of said extended surface;
• follower means attached to said shutters and cooperating with said guide member to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a substantially linear, desired surface for said roof system;
• and
• sealing means including a U-shaped resilient sealing member having a pair of elongated, resilient members which form the legs of said U-shaped sealing member fixed substantially horizontal and adjacent, respectively, the lateral margins of said extended surface, and engageable by the outer surfaces of said shutters when extended, and a resilient member which forms the base of said U-shaped sealing member fixed substantially horizontal and adjacent one longitudinal margin of said extended surface and sealing engaging the outer surface of one of said shutters;
• said sealing means including separate, elongated, resilient sealing members carried by each shutter for sliding engagement with an adjacent overlapping shutter to limit penetration of air and water through any spaces between said shutters where they overlap.

A retractable roof system for motor cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position and an extended position in which each shutter overlaps an adjacent shutter and the outer surfaces of said shutters altogether define an essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed, substantially horizontal, guide members adjacent, respectively, the lateral margins of said extended surface;
• follower means attached to said shutters and cooperating with said guide member to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a substantially horizontal desired surface for said roof system;
• and
• sealing means including a U-shaped resilient sealing member fixed substantially horizontal and adjacent the lateral margins and one longitudinal margin of said extended surface, and engaging the outer surfaces of said shutters when extended;
• and
• separate, elongated resilient sealing members carried by each shutter for sliding engagement with an adjacent overlapping shutter to limit penetration of air and water thrugh any spaces between said shutters where they overlap.

A retractable roof system for motor cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position and an extended position in which each shutter overlaps an adjacent shutter and the outer surfaces of said shutters altogether define a substantially horizontal, essentially continuous stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed, substantially horizontal guide members adjacent, respectively, lateral margins of said extended surface;
• follower means attached to said shutters and cooperating with said guide members to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a desired surface for said roof system;
• and
• sealing means including elongated, resilient members mounted in fixed locations adjacent said lateral margins of said extended surface, for engagement by the outer surfaces of said shutters when extended to provide a seal as the shutters reach said desired surface.

A retractable roof system for motor cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters;
• and
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position and an extended position in which each shutter overlaps an adjacent shutter and the outer surfaces of said shutters altogether define an essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed guide members each including a guide slot, said guide members being laterally spaced adjacent the margins of said extended surface with said guide slots located substantially horizontal and substantially parallel;
• follower means attached to said shutters and guided in said guide slots to locate said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a substantially horizontal, desired surface for said roof system;
• and
• sealing means including elongated resilient sealing members mounted in fixed, substantially horizontal locations adjacent at least three margins of said extended surface, for engagement by the outer surfaces of said shutters when extended to provide a seal;
• and
• separate, elongated resilient sealing members carried by each shutter for engagement by an adjacent overlapping shutter to limit penetration of air and water through any spaces between said shutters where they overlap;
• the combination of (a) said guiding means which locate said shutters (b) said sealing members engaging the outer surfaces of said shutters at the margins of said extended surface, and (c) said separate sealing members between said shutters providing a retractable roof structure insulated against air and water penetration and rattling of the shutters against each other and any neighboring roof members.

A retractable roof system for motor cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position and an extended position in which each shutter overlaps an adjacent shutter and the outer surface of said shutters altogether define an essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed linear guide members each adjacent one lateral margin of said extended surface, and each providing a substantially horizontal guide surface;
• follower means attached to said shutters adjacent both ends thereof and cooperating with said guide surfaces to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a desired surface for said roof system;
• and
• resilient means engaging said outer surfaces of said shutters adjacent at least three margins of said extended surface and providing a gasket for mounting in a motor car roof.

A retractable roof system for motor cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters, each of said shutters having a heel portion;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position in which the heel portions of successive shutters are retracted beneath the next preceeding shutter and an extended position in which the outer surface of preceeding shutters overlap the heel portions of successive shutters and the other surfaces of said shutters altogether define a substantially horizontal, essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed guide members adjacent, respectively, the lateral margins of said extended surface;
• follower means attached to said shutters and cooperating with said guide members to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a desired surface contour for said roof system;
• and
• resilient means interposed between said overlapping portions and said heel portions to create a waterproof seal and to maintain spacing between said shutters.

A retractable roof system for motor cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters, having a channel-shaped cross section with a heel portion and top and bottom portions and forming an interior recess;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position in which successive shutters are retracted into the interior recess of the next preceeding shutter and an extended position in which the top and bottom portions of preceeding shutters overlap the heel portion of successive shutters and the outer surfaces of said shutters altogether define a substantially horizontal, essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed guide members adjacent, respectively, the lateral margins of said extended surface;
• follower means attached to said shutters and cooperating with said guide member to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a desired surface contour for said roof system;
• first resilient means interposed and compressed between said overlapping top portion and said heel portions to inhibit water from entering between said shutters into the interior cavities of said shutters and to maintain spacing between said shutters;
• and
• second resilient means interposed and compressed between said overlapping portions and said heel portions to prevent water from leaving between said shutters from said interior cavities of said shutters and to maintain spacing between said shutters.

In combination a motor car having a partial stationary roof and at least one retractable roof panel system having extended and retracted positions, said roof panel system supplementing said partial stationary roof when in said extended position, said retractable roof system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position and an extended position in which each shutter overlaps an adjacent shutter and the outer surfaces of said shutters altogether define an essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed, guide members, each adjacent one lateral margin of said extended surface, and each providing a substantially horizontal guide surface;
• follower means attached to said shutters adjacent both ends thereof and cooperating with said guide surfaces to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a desired surface for said roof system;
• and
• resilient means engaging said outer surfaces of said shutters adjacent at least three margins of said extended surface and providing a gasket for mounting in said partial stationary roof.

A retractable roof system for motor cars, said system comprising:

• a plurality of nesting shutters;
• means for guiding said shutters for movement between a nested position and an extended position in which each shutter overlaps an adjacent shutter and the outer surfaces of said shutters altogether define a substantially linear essentially continuous, stepped, extended surface;
• said guiding means including a pair of fixed guide members adjacent, respectively, the lateral margins of said extended surface;
• follower means attached to said shutters and cooperating with said guide members to position said shutters so that said extended surface generally matches a desired surface for said roof system;
• means to extend and retract all of said shutter members in a uniform fashion upon the extension or retraction of one of said shutters;
• and
• means for driving said shutters between said nested position and said extended position, said means comprising a pair of lead screws mounted for ration about a fixed axes respectively along the lateral margins of said surface, means for reversibly driving said lead screws, a pair of actuators connected respectively to the ends of one of said shutters, each of said actuators threadingly engaging one of said lead screws to translate with the rotation of said lead screws to extend and retract said shutters.