Abstract:
The invention relates to a rear parcel shelf system for a convertible vehicle with a hard folding roof. The system has a first retractable shelf. The inventive system also has a second shelf which is intended to be disposed under the bonnet of the rear boot when the roof is in the closed position and has a device for moving and guiding the second shelf towards the front of the vehicle in order to fill the space between the back of the corresponding seats and the front edge of the bonnet when the roof is in the folded position.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     (1) Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a rear package shelf system for a convertible vehicle with a hard roof, which may be folded away into a trunk, and to a vehicle equipped with such a system.  
         [0003]     (2) Prior Art  
         [0004]     This system conventionally comprises a shelf, or tray adapted for covering in its normal position, the space located behind the back of the corresponding seats, and means for displacing this shelf between its normal position and a retracted position to allow the passing the components of the roof toward their folded position inside the rear trunk of the vehicle.  
         [0005]     This shelf, which is brought back to its substantially horizontal normal position after the passing of the components of the roof in one direction or in the other, generally has a rear edge which extends to the front edge of the hood of the rear trunk of the vehicle, and which is therefore located under the rear edge of the roof rear component when the roof is in its closed position.  
         [0006]     Such a package shelf system does not give entire satisfaction to certain users who deplore the presence of a certain play between the shelf and the rear edge of the rear roof component in this closed position of the roof corresponding to the two-door sedan configuration of the vehicle.  
         [0007]     If the shelf is limited to the rear edge of the rear roof component, a space remains between the shelf and the front edge of the hood of the rear trunk when the roof is in its folded position in the rear trunk.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     The object of the present invention is to find a remedy to the drawbacks of the known package shelf systems and to provide a rear parcel system of the aforementioned type capable of completely covering the space located behind the back of the seats, both in the two-door sedan configuration and in the convertible configuration of the vehicle.  
         [0009]     According to the present invention, the rear package shelf system of the aforementioned type is characterized in that it includes a second shelf, or tray, attached to said hood, underneath it, and adapted to be positioned, above the passenger compartment of the vehicle in the closed position of the roof, entirely under this hood, and means for displacing and guiding said second shelf toward the front of the vehicle so as to fill up, in the folded position of the roof, the space between the back of the corresponding seats and the front edge of said hood, by then protruding at least partly out of the latter.  
         [0010]     Thus, the first shelf is adapted to completely cover the space located between the back of the seats when the vehicle is in the two-door sedan configuration, whereas the second shelf is adapted to completely cover said space when the vehicle is in the convertible configuration, wherein the roof is folded inside the rear trunk.  
         [0011]     According to another important feature, the hood is adapted so that it may pivot both forwards and rearwards, at least partly, via the front and rear pivot groups, adapted to cause this hood to pivot from the rear to the front in order to access the inside of the trunk or from the front to the rear in order to store the roof in at least one portion of this trunk, respectively, in a folded condition of the roof, whereby the second shelf is attached to said hood, underneath it and movable with respect to it, preferably through translation. This enhances the functionality and quality of transformable vehicles, allowing for more performing solutions than on vehicles of the “barrel” type.  
         [0012]     According to an advantageous version of the present invention, the first shelf is mounted so as to pivot upwards and rearwards around an axis located near the rear edge so as to be adapted to its being stored under the rear roof component when the roof is in its folded position. This configuration allows the roof to be folded into the rear trunk even if said trunk already contains baggage.  
         [0013]     According to an interesting version of the present invention, the second shelf on each side of the vehicle is firmly attached to a carriage moving along a respective guiding unit extending substantially longitudinally under the hood of the rear trunk, and the second shelf is mounted relatively to each carriage via means adapted for allowing the rear of the second shelf to move upwards so as to be pressed against the front edge of the hood when the second shelf reaches close to its extended position.  
         [0014]     Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the description detailed hereafter. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     In the appended drawings, only given as non-limiting examples:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view with a cutaway of the rear portion of a vehicle equipped with a rear package shelf system according to an embodiment of the present invention, the roof being in its extended closed position and the hood of the rear trunk being in its closed position;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a similar view to  FIG. 1 , the hood of the rear trunk being open in the forward to rearward direction in order to allow the roof to pass from its folded position inside the trunk;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a similar view to  FIG. 1 , the hood of the rear trunk being in its open position in the rearward to forward direction in order to allow baggage to be loaded in the trunk;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a partial view similar to  FIG. 1 , the roof being in its extended position inside the rear trunk of the vehicle;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the vehicle rear portion illustrated in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is an enlarged partial view of a detail from  FIG. 1  illustrating the means for displacing and guiding the second shelf, schematized on FIGS.  1  to  4 , the second shelf being in a position close to its extended position;  
         [0022]      FIG. 7  is a similar view to  FIG. 6 , the second shelf being in its extended position;  
         [0023]      FIG. 8  is a similar view to  FIG. 7  of another embodiment of the means for displacing and guiding the second shelf;  
         [0024]      FIG. 9  is a partial view of another embodiment of the second shelf according to the present invention, the second shelf being illustrated in its position stored under the hood of the rear trunk;  
         [0025]      FIG. 10  is a similar view to  FIG. 9 , the second shelf being illustrated in its extended position.  
         [0026]      FIG. 11  is a schematic view of another embodiment of the means for displacing and guiding the second shelf, the latter being in the position illustrated in  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 12  is a similar view to  FIG. 11 , the second shelf being in the position illustrated in  FIG. 7 ;  
         [0028]      FIG. 13  is a schematic top view of another embodiment of the means for displacing and guiding the second shelf;  
         [0029]      FIG. 14  is a schematic sectional view along XIV-XIV in  FIG. 13 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 15  is a partial top view schematically illustrating another embodiment of the means for displacing and guiding the second shelf, the second shelf being in its stored position inside the trunk;  
         [0031]      FIG. 16  is a similar view to  FIG. 15 , the second shelf being in its extended position;  
         [0032]      FIG. 17  is a schematic view along XVII-XVII in  FIG. 15 ;  
         [0033]      FIG. 18  is a similar view to  FIG. 17 , illustrating an alternative embodiment of the device of  FIG. 17 ;  
         [0034]      FIG. 19  is a partial top view of another embodiment of the means for displacing and guiding the second shelf;  
         [0035]      FIG. 20  is a view of a detail from  FIG. 19 , the second shelf being in its stored position under the hood of the rear roof of the vehicle;  
         [0036]      FIG. 21  is a similar view to  FIG. 20 , the second shelf being in its extended position;  
         [0037]      FIG. 22  is a schematic sectional view along XXII-XXII in  FIG. 20 ;  
         [0038]      FIG. 23  is a perspective view of another embodiment of the second shelf according to the present invention, the second shelf being in its extended position;  
         [0039]      FIG. 24  is a schematic view along XXIV-XXIV in  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0040]      FIGS. 25 and 26  show with a see-through effect, an alternative embodiment of a second dual shelf driven by telescopic side arms (rearward retracted and forward extended positions, respectively);  
         [0041]      FIG. 27  schematically shows a pivot/lock system for a hood pivoting in both directions; and  
         [0042]      FIGS. 28 and 29  show a trunk hood with two jointed portions.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0043]     A convertible vehicle  1  equipped with a folding hard roof  2  comprising a rear roof component  3  and at least one front roof component  4 , is schematically illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  5 .  
         [0044]     Vehicle  1  is equipped with a rear package shelf system  5  comprising a first shelf  6  adapted to cover, in its normal position which corresponds to the closed position of the roof illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  3 , the space  7  between the back  8  of the corresponding seats  9  and the lower rear edge  10  of the rear roof component  3 .  
         [0045]     The rear package shelf system  5  further comprises means known per se, for moving the first shelf  6  toward a retracted position so as to allow the components  3 ,  4  of the roof  2  to pass toward their folded position inside the rear trunk  11  of vehicle  1 .  
         [0046]     The rear trunk  11  is closed by a hood  12  which, in the illustrated example, may open from the front toward the rear, in the direction of the arrow  13 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , to allow the roof components  3 ,  4  to pass through up to their folded position inside the rear trunk  11 .  
         [0047]     The hood  12  may also be opened from the rear to the front as schematized in  FIG. 3 , in the direction of the arrow  14 , to provide access to the rear trunk  11  from the rear of the vehicle for loading and unloading baggage and other loads.  
         [0048]     To allow this dual forward or rearward pivoting of the hood, the latter therefore comprises front and rear pivot groups adapted to cause this rear trunk hood to respectively pivot from the rear to the front and from the front to the rear, according to the individual case.  
         [0049]     A hood of this type is known from French patent FR-B-2,777,241, in the name of the applicant, wherein each pivot group is a lock the function of which is either locking or the jointing of the hood so that the latter may be opened either from the front to the rear, or from the rear to the front. This solution is applicable here.  
         [0050]     Another rear trunk hood of the aforementioned type is also known from French patent application FR 0201232, as of Feb. 01, 2002.  
         [0051]     Two front pivot/lock assemblies or groups (the diagram of one  131  of them is in  FIG. 27 ) are adapted therein in order to cause the hood  12  of the rear trunk to pivot from the rear to the front and two rear pivot/lock assemblies  132  (which may be identical with  131 ) are adapted therein in order to cause said hood to pivot from the front to the rear. Each of these pivot assemblies comprises a base  133  fixed to the body  135  of the vehicle, a body  137  which is connected to the hood  12  of the rear trunk by a hinge-forming member  139  and which comprises a first assembly component  141  adapted so as to be removably received by a second assembly component  143  with a complementary shape, being part of the corresponding base  133 . Locking means, for example with hooks, (schematized for one of them at  144 ) lock the body  137  in its locked position relatively to the base. The hooks  144 , which advantageously are powered, are pivotably mounted on the base and are adapted for engaging with a complementary support conformation  145  of the first assembly component  141  so as to be supported on this conformation  145  and to guide the end of the pivoting motion of the hood up to the corresponding locked position.  
         [0052]     Moreover, the hinge-forming member  139  of each pivot assembly comprises two substantially parallel connecting rods  147  jointed at one end on the hood  12  (internal protrusion  148 ) and at their other end on an arm  149  firmly attached to the first corresponding assembly component.  
         [0053]     Preferably, a return spring  151  is placed between the hood and the corresponding body  137  to return the hood to its closed position.  
         [0054]     In this example, the hood  12  is one single part, but it may be formed by at least two hood portions, as schematically shown at  220  in  FIGS. 28 and 29 . Such a hood may be formed by two components  221 ,  223  firmly attached to each other in the case when the hood opens from the rear to the front.  
         [0055]     One  221  of these components is separable from the other in order to allow it to pivot from the front to the rear (see arrow F of  FIG. 28 ).  
         [0056]     The assembly formed by both components  221 ,  223  is firmly attached to the chassis  225  of the vehicle on the one hand, by a joint  227  located at the front of the hood, allowing this assembly to rotate from the rear to the front, and, on the other hand by a lock  229  located at the rear of the hood allowing it to be locked on this same chassis. Component  221  is jointed on the second component  223  along an axis  231  located close to the rear of the second component and is locked to this second component  223  by a sliding lock  233  located close to the front of both components.  
         [0057]     It is seen in  FIG. 28  that the first component covers a recess  223   a  provided at the front in the second component, which thus has two side lugs  224   a ,  224   b  extending axially, when the hood is closed.  
         [0058]     The pivoting of component  5  along axis  10  located close to the rear of the other component  6  may be controlled (see  FIG. 4 ) by a motor  12  driving a toothed segment  13  firmly attached to the first component  5 .  
         [0059]     The pivoting of component  221  may be controlled by a cylinder  235 .  
         [0060]     To access the trunk  11 , lock  229  is unlocked and the baggage compartment formed by both components  221 ,  223  locked together by lock  233  is lifted. The baggage compartment is thereby pivoted from the rear to the front.  
         [0061]     When the intention is to store away the roof  2  in the trunk, the (preferably motorized) lock  233  is unlocked. The control is actuated in order to cause the component  221  to pivot from the front to the rear, thereby clearing recess  223   a.    
         [0062]     In the example of  FIGS. 1 and 2 , the rear roof component  3  is adapted so as to be stored away by sliding it into the rear trunk  11 , and it includes at least a roller  15  adapted so as to move along a slide  16  firmly attached to the body of the vehicle, the front roof component  4  being guided toward the inside of the trunk  11  by adapted means known per se and not illustrated.  
         [0063]     The present invention may also be adapted to the case of a folding roof comprising a rear roof component pivotably mounted with respect to the body of the vehicle  1 .  
         [0064]     According to the present invention, the rear package shelf system  5  includes a second shelf  21  adapted so as to be positioned, in the closed position of the roof illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  3 , underneath the hood  12  of the rear trunk  11 , as well as means for moving and guiding the second shelf  21  toward the front of the vehicle, in the direction of the arrow  22 , in order to fill, in the folded position of the roof, notably illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the space  23  between the back  8  of the corresponding seats  9  and the front edge  24  of the hood  12 .  
         [0065]     The extended position of the second shelf  21  is schematized by dashes in  FIG. 4 .  
         [0066]     The second shelf  21  is thus longer, in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle  1 , as schematized by the arrow  22 , than the first shelf  6 .  
         [0067]     In the illustrated example, the first shelf  6  is mounted so as to pivot upwards and rearwards, in the direction of the arrow  25 , relatively to the rear roof component  3 , around a schematized axis at  26  and located near its rear edge  27  so as to be adapted to being stored under the rear roof component  3 , in particular under the rear window (not illustrated), when the roof  2  is in its folded position of  FIG. 4 .  
         [0068]     In this example, the first shelf  6  in its normal horizontal position illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  3 , lies with its front edge  28  on at least one stop  29  and is permanently urged in this position resting against stop  29 , by a spring, schematized at  30 , firmly attached to the rear roof component  3 .  
         [0069]     In the folded position of the roof as illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the first shelf  6  is held back by a second stop  31  which forces it to pivot toward the rear roof component  3  against the action of spring  30  (see  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0070]     The use of other known configurations of the retracted shelf may also be contemplated for the first shelf  6 .  
         [0071]     The second shelf  21  in the longitudinal direction  22  of the vehicle may have a larger dimension than the corresponding dimension of the hood  12  of the rear trunk  11 .  
         [0072]     In such a case, the second shelf  21  includes a front component  21   a  and a rear component  21   b  mobile relatively to the front component  21   a  so that the second shelf  21  is completely housed underneath the hood  12 .  
         [0073]     The rear parcel system  5  then includes means adapted for moving the rear component  21   b  relatively to the front component  21   a  when the second shelf  21  is moved toward the rear, in the direction of the arrow  32 , toward its stored position underneath the hood  12 , and for putting back into place said rear component  21   b  substantially aligned with the front component  21   a  when the second shelf  21  is moved forward, in the direction of the arrow  22 , toward its extended position.  
         [0074]     Advantageously, the rear component  21   b  is pivotably or slidably mounted onto the rear end of the front component  21   a.    
         [0075]     In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  4  and  6  and  7 , the rear component  21   b  is jointed at its front end  33  on an axis  34  parallel to the transverse direction  35  of the vehicle  1  (see  FIG. 5 ) and is borne by the rear edge  36  of the front component  21   a  of the second shelf  21 .  
         [0076]     The rear component  21   b  bears on its upper face and on its rear edge, an outgrowth  37  adapted to slide along the cam surface  38  fixed under the hood  12  and extended downwards and rearwards to force the rear component  21   b  to pivot downwards, in the direction of the arrow  39 , when the second shelf  21  is moved toward the rear of the vehicle toward its stored position under the hood  12 , against the action of an antagonistic spring  40  which is positioned so as to permanently load the rear component  21   b  in a position aligned with the front component  21   a.    
         [0077]     In this embodiment of FIGS.  1  to  4  and  6  and  7 , the second shelf  21  on each side of the vehicle  1  is firmly attached to a carriage  41  moving along a respective guiding unit  42  substantially extending under the hood  12  of the rear trunk  11  longitudinally.  
         [0078]     In this example, the carriage  41  includes an arm  43  forwardly extending as a cantilever, relatively to the carriage  41 , up to the front edge of the front component  21   a  of the second shelf  21 . The arm  43  bears at its front end, an axis  45  parallel to the transverse direction  35  and on which the front edge  44  of the second shelf  21  is jointed.  
         [0079]     The rear component  21   b  of the second shelf  21  bears on its lower surface of its rear edge, a feeler component  46  adapted to contact a second cam surface  47  when the second shelf  21  arrives close to its extended position.  
         [0080]     The second cam surface  47  is conformed so that the rear component  21 b, already urged by the antagonistic spring  40 , is forcibly held aligned with the first component  21   a , and the whole of the second shelf  21  is lifted from the rear so that it pivots around the axis  45  until it is positioned in the sought-after substantially horizontal position, illustrated in  FIG. 7 , when the second shelf  21  has arrived in its extended position, the carriage  41  being substantially at the front end of the guiding unit  42 .  
         [0081]     Of course, the spring  40  and the axis  45  are positioned in such a way that the rear component  21   b  is permanently urged toward its position aligned with the front component  21   a.    
         [0082]     Thus, the second shelf  21  is mounted relatively to each carriage  41  via means adapted to allow a forward displacement of the rear of the second shelf  21  in order to press said rear against the front edge  24  of the hood  12  when the second shelf reaches close to its extended position and has arrived in this position.  
         [0083]     Many other configurations are possible for fulfilling the same functions.  
         [0084]     In the embodiment of  FIG. 8 , the rear component  21 b bears on its lower face, a finger, schematized at  48 , engaged in a substantially Z-shaped slide  49  borne by the hood  12  for guiding, as follows, the second shelf  21  from its extended position, illustrated in solid lines, to its stored position underneath the hood  12 , illustrated in dashed lines: a first section, directed rearwards and downwards allows the second shelf  21  to be moved away from the front edge  24  of the hood  12 ; a second section substantially parallel to the guiding unit  42  allows the second shelf  21  to be moved underneath the hood  12 ; a last section again directed rearwards and downwards, forces the rear component  21   b  to pivot downwards, in the direction of the arrow  39 , as described earlier, relatively to the front component  21   a.    
         [0085]     In this example, the guiding unit  42  is a slide in which rollers  50 ,  51  borne by the carriage  41  come and slide.  
         [0086]     In the example illustrated in  FIGS. 11 and 12 , the front component  21   a  of the second shelf  21  is jointedly connected to one end of both joint arms  52 ,  53 , each jointed at their other end on the carriage  41 . When the second shelf  21  comes close to its extended position, the feeler  46  cooperates with the second cam surface  47  to cause the rear of the second shelf  41  to pivot upwards.  
         [0087]     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 9 and 10 , the rear component  21   b  of the second shelf  21  bears an arm  54  extending as a cantilever toward the front of the vehicle. The arm  54  bears two rollers  55 ,  56  adapted to slide in a slide  57  borne by the front component  21   a  of the second shelf  21 . A spring  58  mounted between the rear component  21   b  and the front component  21   a  permanently urges the rear component toward the rear of vehicle. In its stored position underneath the hood  12 , illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the rear component  21   b  is in contact with a stop  59  borne by the hood  12  which forces the rear component  21   b  to take up a forwardly slided position relatively to the front component  21   a , against the action of the spring  58 , in order to limit the total longitudinal dimension of the second shelf  21 .  
         [0088]     In the extended position of the second shelf  21  illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the rear component  21   b  urged by the spring  58  takes up a rearwardly receded position relatively to the front component  21   a . The feeler  46  sliding along the second cam surface  47  has forced the second shelf  21  to pivot relatively to axis  45  in order to take up its final substantially horizontal extended position as disclosed above.  
         [0089]     In the example illustrated in FIGS.  1  to  13 , the guiding unit  42  is formed by a one-piece rail or slide with a length at least equal to the distance over which the second shelf  21  must travel between its stored position underneath the hood  12  and its extended position.  
         [0090]     Each carriage  41  is driven along the corresponding guiding unit  42  by any known means. In the example illustrated in  FIGS. 13 and 14 , a motor  60  is fixed under the front component  21   a  of the second shelf  21  and is connected, for example through a flex  61 , to a cogwheel  62  adapted for meshing with a rack  63  firmly attached to the guiding unit  42 .  
         [0091]     In the embodiments of FIGS.  15  to  22 , the guiding unit  42  is formed by a telescopic arm  70  comprising at least two sections that allow the second shelf  21  to be moved from the front to the rear and from the rear to the front. In the illustrated examples, the telescopic arm  70  includes three sections with a general C-shaped cross-section, which may be nested within each other in various known ways, wherein the front component  21   a  of the second shelf  21  may be fixed onto the last section or may be mobile relatively to said last section.  
         [0092]     In the example of FIGS.  15  to  17 , each section is positioned outside the adjacent sections, each section having its aperture directed toward the inside of the vehicle.  
         [0093]     In the example of  FIG. 18 , two sections have their respective apertures turned toward each other.  
         [0094]     In the example of FIGS.  20  to  22 , each section is adapted for sliding within the preceding section.  
         [0095]     In order to move the front component  21   a  of the shelf  21  from its stored position underneath the hood  12  to its extended position and vice versa, a jointed arm  71  includes a first leg  72  and a second leg  73  connected to each other by a vertical axis  74  of rotation in order to form a deformable pair of calipers.  
         [0096]     The free end of the first leg  72  is fixed onto the rear end of the first section  75  of the telescopic arm  70  through a vertical axis  76  of rotation.  
         [0097]     The free end of the second leg  73  is fixed on the front of the carriage  41  through a vertical axis  77  of rotation.  
         [0098]     The jointed arm  71  is for example actuated by a cylinder  78  fixed under the hood  12  of the rear trunk  11  and connected to the first leg  72  of the jointed arm  71 .  
         [0099]     It will be noted that the first shelf  6  has a transverse dimension, in the transverse direction  35  of the vehicle  1 , corresponding to the space available between the respective interior trims  81  of the rear side panels  82 .  
         [0100]     On the contrary, the second shelf  21  in this same transverse direction  35  must have a dimension larger than that of the first shelf  6  in order to be able to cover the freed space by the rear side panels  82  in the folded position of the roof  2 .  
         [0101]     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 23 and 24 , the second shelf  21  includes means for locking said shelf  21  or both front and rear components  21   a ,  21   b , relatively to the body of the vehicle when the second shelf  21  is in its extended position, the vehicle being in the convertible configuration. Indeed, such a lock is required in order to enable the second shelf  21  to withstand more or less heavy loads usually positioned on said second shelf.  
         [0102]     In the embodiment of  FIGS. 23 and 24 , the second shelf  21  bears at least two locking fingers  85 ,  86 .  
         [0103]     When the second shelf is in its extended position, a first locking finger  85 , located on the rear edge  87  of the rear component  21   b , becomes locked in a first striker  88  fixed on the front edge  24  of the hood  12  of the rear trunk  11 .  
         [0104]     A second locking finger  86 , located on the front edge  44  of the front component  21   a , becomes locked into a second striker  89  firmly attached to a cross-member  90  of the vehicle located behind the backs  8  of the corresponding seats  9 .  
         [0105]     A motor  91  borne by the second shelf  21 , by the front component  21   a  here, drives threaded rods  92 ,  93  into rotation which, by rotating, longitudinally move in opposite directions, nuts  94 ,  95 , bearing fingers  85  and  86 , respectively.  
         [0106]     Advantageously, the fingers  85 ,  86  have their ends with a tapered shape so as to provide a centering function relatively to the strikers  88  and  89 .  
         [0107]     As schematized in  FIG. 24 , this embodiment exclusively corresponds to the embodiment of  FIGS. 9 and 10  wherein the rear component  21   b  is slidably mounted at the rear of the front component  21   a . The rear component  21   b  may thereby be fixed on the rear nut  95  and the motor  91  be used to cause the rear component  21   b  to slide relatively to the front component  21   a.    
         [0108]     Several locking fingers  85  and several locking fingers  86  may obviously be available. Locking fingers moving in the transverse direction  35  of the vehicle may also be provided. Of course, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments that have just been described, and many changes and alterations may be made to the latter embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention.  
         [0109]     Everything above which pertains to a second shelf with two components  21   a ,  21   b  is transposable without any modification to a second one-piece shelf  21 . The present invention is also applicable in the case of a folding roof comprising more than two roof components. A roof comprising a third intermediate component  96  inserted between both rear  3  and front  4  components described above is thereby illustrated in  FIG. 4 . In such a case, the seats  9  may be the rear seats of the vehicle.  
         [0110]     Finally, the guiding and driving means described above may be replaced with any equivalent known means. So, motors driving shafts and cogwheels or worms or cables or flexes, electric, pneumatic or hydraulic cylinders, or even hand cable controls may be used as driving means.  
         [0111]     The first shelf  6  may be retracted by means other than those described above. The first shelf may thus pivot downwards around a transverse axis fixed on the back  8  of the seats  9 .  
         [0112]     In the preferred example of  FIGS. 25 and 26 , a solution with a second dual axially sliding shelf  21 , with a slide system is shown as a see-through view.  
         [0113]     Each guiding unit laterally comprises, concealed under the hood  12 , a telescopic slide  100  including three arms  101 ,  103 ,  105 .  
         [0114]     The first arm  101  is connected to the front (AVT) of the front component  21   a  of the second shelf  21 , through the raised tab  107 , along a jointed axis  109  perpendicular to the longitudinal axis  111  of the vehicle.  
         [0115]     The second arm  103  is engaged with the first and third arms  101 ,  105 , both through cooperating slides such as  112  and through a return pulley system  115 ,  117  and a cable  113  engaging with pads  119 ,  121  respectively fixed to said first and third arms so as to drive them into axial translation ( 111 ). The cooperating slides are located on both opposite faces of the arm  103  and on the face opposite the arms  101 ,  105 .  
         [0116]     Each arm  103  comprises a ramp playing the role of a cam  123  acting on a side pin  125  located toward the rear (ARR) of the front component  21   a  of the second shelf to cause the rear of this front component to pivot upwards, in an extended position toward the front of the second shelf (see  FIG. 25 ).  
         [0117]     Each third arm  105  is further engaged with the second arm  103  via a threaded rod  127  and nuts  129 , and with a motor  131 , via another rod  133  connected to a rack &amp; pinion assembly  135 .  
         [0118]     Moreover, the front and rear components  21   a ,  21   b  of the second shelf  21  are slidably mounted relatively to each other along said longitudinal direction ( 22 ,  111 ) of the vehicle, for example as illustrated and described with reference to  FIGS. 9 and 10  (rollers and slides  55 ,  56 ,  57 ).  
         [0119]     It will further be noted that with the invention, it is possible to provide the first shelf  6  with a mat appearance on its upper face, whereas the second shelf  21  may be glossy, at least partially. This glossy treatment i.e. which generates a reflection in the sun, is acceptable since, in the closed condition of the roof, the second shelf  21  is retracted under the hood  12 , with only the first shelf  6  being visible from the passenger compartment. With an open roof (convertible), there is no reflection problem on the rear window.