Automotive vehicle convertible roof system

An automotive vehicle convertible roof comprising a cover and a top stack mechanism operable between a raised position and a stowed position, said top stack mechanism including:

• a plurality of roof rails coupled together, said roof rails including a first roof rail, a second roof rail, and a third roof rail on each outboard side of said top stack mechanism;
• and
• at least one transversely extending roof bow,
• wherein on each outboard side of said top stack mechanism, said first, second and third roof rails each have an exteriorly facing surface that faces upwardly when said top stack mechanism is in both said raised and stowed positions.

An automotive vehicle convertible roof comprising a cover and a top stack mechanism operable between a raised and stowed position, said top stack mechanism including:

• a plurality of roof rails including a first roof rail, a second roof rail, and a third roof rail;
• at least one transversely extending roof bow;
• and
• a connecting link pivotally connected to each of said first, second and third roof rails with respective first, second and third pivots,
• wherein movement of each of said first, second and third roof rails relative to said connecting link is limited to movement about said first, second and third pivots, respectively.

A method of operating an automotive vehicle convertible roof having a top stack mechanism operable between raised and stowed positions in a two phase movement, the top stack mechanism having at least three roof rails and at least one transversely extending roof bow, the method comprising:

• moving the top stack mechanism from a first raised position to a second retracted position during a first phase of movement;
• and
• moving the top stack mechanism from the second retracted position to a third stowed position in a stowage area of the vehicle during a second phase of movement,
• wherein the first phase of movement includes:
• moving second and third ones of the at least three roof rails relative to one another from the first raised position to the second retracted position;
• and
• maintaining a first one of the at least three roof rails stationary during movement of the second and third roof rails from the first raised position to the second retracted position.