Patent ID: 7354098

Claim:
A steep-back vehicle comprising: a vehicle body having a rear roof opening extending to the floor region of the vehicle, the rear roof opening adjoining a roof section of the vehicle; a roof having a plurality of roof parts, wherein the roof is movable between a closed position in which the roof parts adjoin one another to cover the roof section of the vehicle and a stored position in which the roof parts stack on top of one another to thereby expose the roof section of the vehicle; a closure associated with the rear roof opening, the closure movable between a closed position in which the closure covers the rear roof opening and an opened door position in which the closure is swivelled on one side about a vertical axis along a lateral side of the vehicle body such that the opposite side of the closure is moved outward from the rear roof opening, the closure is further movable between the closed closure position and an opened tailgate position in which the closure is swivelled about a horizontal axis in the floor region of the vehicle such that the closure is moved outward and downward from the rear roof opening; wherein the roof is movable between the closed and opened roof positions when the closure is in the opened tailgate position; a supporting frame having a hinge support and a lock support respectively located on lateral sides of the vehicle body, the supports are pivotably connected at first ends to the floor region of the vehicle body to swivel about the horizontal axis, the hinge support is connected at a second end to the one side of the closure and the lock support is connectable at a second end to the opposite side of the closure, the supports enable the closure to be movable between the closed closure position and the opened door position when the second end of the lock support is disconnected from the opposite end of the closure, the supports enable the closure to be movable between the closed closure position and the opened tailgate position when the second end of the lock support is connected to the opposite end of the closure; first and second actuating devices respectively associated with the supports, wherein the actuating devices are actuable to swivel the supports about the horizontal axis to move the supports together with the closure outward and downward from the rear roof opening when the second end of the lock support is connected to the opposite end of the closure; and locking devices respectively associated with the actuating devices to fix the supports in place with respect to the rear roof opening against respective mountings on the vehicle body when the closure is in the closed closure position.