Sliding and lifting roof

Sliding and lifting roof for vehicles of the type having a rigid cover, which in a closed position closes a roof opening in a fixed roof surface, and therefrom, is selectively tiltable upwardly so as to raise a rear edge of the cover above the fixed roof surface, and lowerable for sliding displacement below the fixed roof surface, comprising a frame encircling at least part of the roof opening, said frame forming a rain gutter extending below opposite sides of the roof opening;

• and a strip-shaped shield element arranged at each of said sides of the cover so as to be essentially normal to the cover surface and substantially flush with its edge, wherein a lower portion of each shield element is of a material sufficiently flexible to deform upon contact with said gutter or other fixed structure of the roof and the shield elements are fixedly connected with the cover along upper edges thereof, and wherein at least a major portion of a longitudinal extent of each lower portion laterally bears against a respective side edge of the roof opening when the cover is tilted upwardly, and wherein the flexible portion of each strip-shaped shield element is an extension of the strip-shaped shield element that is disposed so as to extend parallel to a plane within which the shield element is displaceable.