Patent ID: 7744145

Claim:
A retractable roof assembly for a motor vehicle having a rear seat and spaced apart roof side frame members defining a roof opening, said retractable roof assembly comprising: a split rail assembly including a fixed rail adapted to be fixedly secured to each of the roof side frame members and extending along a portion thereof, and a movable rail extending rearward of said fixed rail along a remaining portion of each of the roof side frame members; a plurality of roof panels extending between the roof side frame members and slidably engaging said split rail assembly for selective movement into a stacked configuration above said movable rail; a panel support structure fixedly secured to said movable rail to support said movable rail and said plurality of roof panels in said stacked configuration; and a linkage assembly pivotally connected to said panel support structure for pivoting and articulating said movable rail and said panel support structure relative to said fixed rail when said plurality of roof panels is in said stacked configuration in order to stow said plurality of roof panels behind the rear seat of the motor vehicle such that the entire roof opening is exposed.