CONVERTIBLE VEHICLE BODY
A vehicle body includes, but is not limited to a frame and a roof held above the frame so as to be movable between a closed configuration in which it covers a passenger compartment and an open configuration in which the passenger compartment is uncovered. The passenger compartment has at least one door. At least one pair of pillars is mounted to the frame to the rear of the door for supporting the roof in its closed configuration. The roof is adapted to assume an intermediate configuration between its open and closer configurations in which the roof is spaced apart from said pillars.
1 . A convertible vehicle body, comprising:
a passenger compartment delimited by side windows, a movable rear window, two movable rear pillars, which in a closed configuration of the convertible vehicle body fill a gap between the movable rear window and each of the side windows;
a roof which in the closed configuration covers the passenger compartment; and
a storage section adapted to receive the roof when the convertible vehicle body is in an open configuration, the convertible vehicle body having a first open configuration in which a position of the movable rear window is essentially the same as in the closed configuration and a second open configuration in which a position of the rear window is lower than in the first open configuration,
wherein the rear pillars fill the gap between the movable rear window and each of the side windows in the first open configuration.
2 . The vehicle body of claim 1 , wherein the rear pillars are displaceable into a position in which the gap between the movable rear window and each of the side windows are open, and the roof is connected to a lower body portion by arms which in the closed configuration are located within the passenger compartment and which are movable into the open configuration through the gap between the movable rear window and each of the side windows.
3 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 2 , wherein each arm is coupled to the roof by a first joint and to the lower body portion by a second joint, the first joint and the second joint having axes extending transversally with respect to the convertible vehicle body, and the first joint is spaced apart in the longitudinal direction of the convertible vehicle body and the second joint is spaced apart in said longitudinal direction.
4 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 2 , wherein the rear pillars support the roof in the closed configuration and the roof is detachable from the rear pillars for moving into one of the open configurations.
5 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 4 , wherein the roof comprises a main segment supported by said arms and a rear segment which is movably connected to the main segment, and wherein the rear pillars, in the closed configuration, support said rear segment.
6 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 5 , wherein said rear segment is movable into a position in which it overlaps with said main segment.
7 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 5 , wherein said main and rear segments are pivotably connected.
8 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 5 , wherein the main segment is movably connected to a front segment which, in the closed configuration, extends to a front window of the convertible vehicle body.
9 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 1 , wherein the rear pillars are movable into an idle position in which they are concealed within the convertible vehicle body.
10 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 9 , wherein the idle position of the rear pillars is inside a boot of the vehicle body.
11 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 1 , wherein the storage section is inside a boot of the convertible vehicle body.
12 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 10 , wherein the boot has a boot lid which is pivotable about an axis adjacent to a rear edge of said boot lid.
13 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 10 , wherein the pillars are mounted on the boot lid.
14 . The convertible vehicle body of claim 1 , wherein the rear pillars are pivotable between their gap filling position and their idle position.