Open-air pickup truck
View Patent ↗A vehicle body has a first body portion forming an enclosed passenger compartment that includes a roof having a panel opening and a rear window opening. A rear window is fixed in a frame that is hingedly attached to the first body portion. A rigid roof panel is hingedly attached to the frame, forming a roof assembly that is movable between a storage position and a closed position. The roof assembly closes the panel opening and the rear window opening in the closed position. A second body portion forms a storage compartment external to the passenger compartment and is open adjacent the rear window opening. The roof assembly is movable to the storage position in the storage compartment, exposing the passenger compartment to outside air through the panel opening and the rear window opening.
1. A vehicle body, comprising:
a first body portion forming an enclosed passenger compartment including a roof and a rear window opening, said roof having a panel opening;
a rear window fixed in a frame, said frame being hingedly attached to said first body portion;
a rigid roof panel being hingedly attached to said frame, said frame and said panel forming a roof assembly being movable between a storage position and a closed position and closing said panel opening and said rear window opening when in the closed position; and
a second body portion forming a storage compartment external to said passenger compartment and being open adjacent said rear window opening;
wherein said roof assembly is movable to the storage position in said storage compartment exposing said passenger compartment to outside air through said panel opening and said rear window opening.
2. The vehicle body according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said frame and said roof panel is formed of steel.
3. The vehicle body according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said frame and said roof panel are formed of SMC.
4. The vehicle body according to claim 1 wherein at least one of said frame and said roof panel are formed of aluminum.
5. The vehicle body according to claim 1 wherein at least a portion of said roof panel is transparent.
6. The vehicle body according to claim 1 wherein said first body portion is a pickup truck cab and said second body portion is a pickup truck bed.
7. The vehicle body according to claim 6 including at least one seat removably attached to said pickup truck bed.
8. The vehicle body according to claim 6 wherein said pickup truck bed includes wheel wells and at least one seat is removably mounted to said wheel wells.
9. The vehicle body according to claim 6 including a roll bar assembly attached to and extending upwardly from said pickup truck bed.
10. The vehicle body according to claim 9 wherein said roll bar assembly is attached to a vehicle chassis frame.
11. The vehicle body according to claim 1 wherein said frame and said rear window are positioned between said roof panel and a wall of said second body portion when in the storage position.
12. The vehicle body according to claim 1 including a cab rear roof header attached to said roof located generally between said panel opening and said rear window opening.
13. The vehicle body according to claim 1 including a central rubber bumper attached to the pickup bed to engage with said roof assembly when said roof assembly in the storage position.
14. A roof assembly for enclosing a passenger compartment of a vehicle body having a first body portion and a second body portion, the first body portion forming an enclosed passenger compartment including a roof and a rear window opening, the roof having a panel opening, said roof assembly comprising:
a rear window fixed in a frame, said frame being hingedly attached to the first body portion to close the rear window opening in a closed position;
a rigid roof panel being hingedly attached to said frame and closing the panel opening in the closed position; and
wherein said roof panel and said frame are movable together to a storage position in a storage compartment in the second body portion of the vehicle body, the storage compartment being formed external to the passenger compartment and being open adjacent the rear window opening, said roof panel and said frame exposing said passenger compartment to outside air through said panel opening and said rear window opening respectively when in the storage position.
15. The roof assembly according to claim 14 wherein at least one of said frame and said roof panel are formed of steel.
16. The roof assembly according to claim 14 wherein at least one of said frame and said roof panel are formed of SMC.
17. The roof assembly according to claim 14 wherein at least one of said frame and said roof panel are formed of aluminum.
18. The roof assembly according to claim 14 wherein at least a portion of said roof panel is transparent.
19. The roof assembly according to claim 14 wherein said first body portion is a pickup truck cab and said second body portion is a pickup truck bed.
20. The roof assembly according to claim 14 including a central rubber bumper attached to the pickup truck bed for providing stability to said roof assembly when said roof assembly in the storage position.