An open roof construction for a vehicle comprises at least a movable lever to which, by means of a pin-like member, a slide shoe is connected that, for defining a movement of the movable lever, cooperates with and moves longitudinally along a guide. The pin-like member at a first end is connected to said lever and at a second end is connected to said slide shoe and the guide and slide shoe are provided with at least one pair of cooperating guide part and slide shoe part. The pin-like member at its second end is provided with an enlarged head configured to engage the slide shoe at a side thereof facing away from the lever. The dimensions of the enlarged head are such that, as seen in a direction from the enlarged head towards the lever, at least part of said enlarged head overlaps at least one guide part.

A support mechanism for an open-roof assembly, comprising a moveable panel, comprises at least one of a front flexible portion and a rear flexible portion. A guide assembly of the open-roof assembly comprises an elongated guide rail extending in a longitudinal direction, a front mechanism slideably arranged in the guide rail and a rear mechanism arranged in the guide rail. The front mechanism and the rear mechanism are provided with means for providing a relatively high mechanism stiffness, while the at least one of the front and rear flexible portions is provided with a relatively low bending stiffness in the width direction and with a relatively low rotational stiffness in respective main directions such that orientation deviations between the panel support assembly and the guide assembly result in larger rotational deformation in the at least one of the respective flexible portions than in the respective mechanisms.

A support mechanism for an open-roof assembly, comprising a moveable panel, comprises at least one of a front flexible portion and a rear flexible portion. A guide assembly of the open-roof assembly comprises an elongated guide rail extending in a longitudinal direction, a front mechanism slideably arranged in the guide rail and a rear mechanism arranged in the guide rail. The front mechanism and the rear mechanism are provided with means for providing a relatively high mechanism stiffness, while the at least one of the front and rear flexible portions is provided with a relatively low bending stiffness in the width direction and with a relatively low rotational stiffness in respective main directions such that orientation deviations between the panel support assembly and the guide assembly result in larger rotational deformation in the at least one of the respective flexible portions than in the respective mechanisms.

An open roof construction for a vehicle comprises a frame and a panel capable of at least partly opening and closing an opening in a fixed roof. A drive motor in the vicinity of the rear edge of the opening and in the vicinity of a longitudinal center line of the opening comprises elongate drive members extending from its output shaft oppositely along the rear edge. An operating mechanism is movably connected between the frame near the rear edge and the rear edge of the panel. The operating mechanism includes two height-adjusting members on the frame, one on each lateral side of the drive motor and guided for a movement in lateral direction initiated by the drive members. Two height-adjustable members are immovably fixed to the panel and cooperate with the height-adjusting members which move along with the drive members so as to cause the height adjustment.

An open roof construction for a vehicle comprises a frame and a panel capable of at least partly opening and closing an opening in a fixed roof. A drive motor in the vicinity of the rear edge of the opening and in the vicinity of a longitudinal center line of the opening comprises elongate drive members extending from its output shaft oppositely along the rear edge. An operating mechanism is movably connected between the frame near the rear edge and the rear edge of the panel. The operating mechanism includes two height-adjusting members on the frame, one on each lateral side of the drive motor and guided for a movement in lateral direction initiated by the drive members. Two height-adjustable members are immovably fixed to the panel and cooperate with the height-adjusting members which move along with the drive members so as to cause the height adjustment.

In a sunroof device, a driving shoe includes a first plate being made of metal and including a first engaging wall engaging with a first guide portion of a support member, a second plate being made of metal and including a second engaging wall engaging with a second guide portion of the support member, and a sliding portion sliding with a guide rail. The driving shoe, by moving along the guide rail with the first engaging wall and the second engaging wall engaging with the first guide portion and the second guide portion, respectively, causes a rear edge portion of a movable panel to ascend or descend via the support member. In the driving shoe, the first plate and the second plate are coupled to each other in a width direction by the sliding portion.

In a sunroof device, a driving shoe includes a first plate being made of metal and including a first engaging wall engaging with a first guide portion of a support member, a second plate being made of metal and including a second engaging wall engaging with a second guide portion of the support member, and a sliding portion sliding with a guide rail. The driving shoe, by moving along the guide rail with the first engaging wall and the second engaging wall engaging with the first guide portion and the second guide portion, respectively, causes a rear edge portion of a movable panel to ascend or descend via the support member. In the driving shoe, the first plate and the second plate are coupled to each other in a width direction by the sliding portion.

A vehicle roof opening having a cover and bearing device which displaceably supports the cover on a roof-side longitudinal guide rail a front and rear bearing unit, which moves the cover between a closed and at least one deployed ventilation positions. The front bearing unit may have a bearing arm, one end which pivotally mounts the cover and the other end which is slidingly and pivotally mounted on the longitudinal guide rail; carries out a positioning movement controlling the cover front region, when said cover is moved from its closed position into its ventilation position and/or into an open position. The bearing arm may be pivotally mounted by a rocker-type bearing having a pivot bearing and two sliding elements, on the longitudinal guide rail in a slidingly mounted bearing carriage, and a pivot-control unit guides the two sliding elements to achieve the rocker-type pivoting action of the bearing arm.

Sunroof drive apparatus and related sunroof assemblies for use with vehicles are disclosed. A disclosed assembly includes a sunroof panel, a rail, a guide block attached to part of the rail, a bracket beneath the sunroof panel, a link in the rail removably connected to the guide block, and a drive shoe in the rail slidably coupled to the link. The drive shoe includes first and second slots to receive respective first and second pins of the link. The link can rotate about a rotation axis from a first orientation in which the link is inseparable from the guide block to a target orientation in which the link is separable from the guide block. When the first pin enters a locking area at an end of the first slot, the drive shoe imparts one or more loads on the first pin that urge the link into the target orientation.

Sunroof drive apparatus and related sunroof assemblies for use with vehicles are disclosed. A disclosed assembly includes a sunroof panel, a rail, a guide block attached to part of the rail, a bracket beneath the sunroof panel, a link in the rail removably connected to the guide block, and a drive shoe in the rail slidably coupled to the link. The drive shoe includes first and second slots to receive respective first and second pins of the link. The link can rotate about a rotation axis from a first orientation in which the link is inseparable from the guide block to a target orientation in which the link is separable from the guide block. When the first pin enters a locking area at an end of the first slot, the drive shoe imparts one or more loads on the first pin that urge the link into the target orientation.