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 opening and closing body control apparatus for a vehicle includes: a sunroof device that opens and closes a movable panel provided in a roof opening of a vehicle; a shade device that opens and closes a light shielding member provided below the movable panel; and a drive circuit that supplies drive power to first and second motors that drive the sunroof device and the shade device, respectively. The drive circuit includes first to third arms connected in parallel in three rows and each including first and second switching elements connected in series, and by turning on the first or second switching element in the first, second or third arm and the first or second switching element in the first, second or third arm, the first or second motor is rotated forward or backward to drive the sunroof device or the shade device to be opened or closed.

A drive system for a spoiler roof assembly of a motor vehicle, having a support bar connected to a movable roof part, a control mechanism engaging the support bar to shift the support bar between closed, ventilation and open positions, and a guide rail assembly in which the control mechanism is guided for longitudinal displacement. The control mechanism has a rear deployment lever coupled to the support bar by an upper point of articulation and mounted for pivoting between rest and deployed positions on a displaceable deployment carriage. A forced mechanical control shifts the deployment lever between the rest and deployed positions depending on displacement of the deployment carriage. The forced machanical control is formed by a control lever pivotably mounted at one end on the deployment lever and at the other end on a stationary bearing section of the guide rail assembly.

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.

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 roof system for a vehicle having an opening in a roof includes a panel and a guide rail at each longitudinal side of said opening. An operating mechanism operates the closure panel in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The operating mechanism includes a front device including a lever for moving the front edge of the panel in a vertical direction. A driving slide is slidably accommodated in each guide rail and is drivable by a drive member. The lever is connected to the driving slide through a pin-curve assembly and is provided with a slide-shoe. A curve of the pin-curve assembly has a first curve section extending horizontally allowing a pin to slide along to move the rear of the panel vertically. A locking curve section extends mainly in vertical direction to allow the driving slide to rotate the lever.

A drive system including a guide rail assembly fixed to a roof module and including a control mechanism movable in the guide rail assembly and operatively connected to the roof part in order to move the moveable roof part between a closed position, a ventilation position, and an open position. The control mechanism has a drive slide connected to a drive transmission section. A tilting claw is provided on the drive slide, and a wall section of the guide rail assembly is provided with at least one latching profiled section positioned in the region of the guide rail assembly and facing the drive slide. The drive slide is positioned in the guide rail assembly region in the open position of the moveable roof part, and interacts with the tilting claw in a form-fitting manner when the drive slide is tilted.

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.

An open roof construction for a vehicle comprises a panel for a roof opening and a wind deflector assembly positioned at the front edge of the roof opening. The wind deflector assembly is provided with a substantially rigid upper frame member extending at least along the front edge. A flexible member connects with an upper edge to said upper frame member and with a lower edge to a stationary part. The upper frame member is movable by an operating mechanism between a lower, inactive position and at least two upper, active positions. Tensioning members keep the flexible member taut over in all active positions, and is provided with a substantially rigid, elongate lower frame member at its lower edge. The lower frame member connects to the stationary part through the tensioning members having a maximum tension force which is substantially lower than a maximum operating force of the operating mechanism.

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.