Sliding roof panel assembly and method for its operation

A marine pleasure craft having a sliding roof panel assembly covering a roof opening of the marine pleasure craft, the sliding roof panel assembly comprising:

• a slide guide for attachment along one side of the roof opening;
• a roof panel which is slidably moveable between an open and lifted position and a closed and lowered position, the roof opening being covered by the roof panel in the closed and lowered position;
• a slide assembly guided for travel along the slide guide and supporting the roof panel, wherein the slide guide has a slide track and a guide rail, the slide track and the guide rail each extending along the slide guide, the guide rail having a forward depressed portion and a rearward raised portion,
• the slide assembly comprising:
• a drive slide driveably moveable along the slide track of the slide guide;
• a guide rail follower supported by and moveable along the guide rail, the guide rail follower supporting the roof panel;
• a first lever, linking the drive slide and the roof panel via respective rotatable links, wherein, in use, the roof panel is slidably moveable from the open and lifted position to the closed and lowered position by driving the drive slide forward in the slide track to move the guide rail follower forward along the rearward raised portion of the guide rail until the guide rail follower reaches the forward depressed portion of the guide rail, the guide rail follower travelling downwardly along the forward depressed portion of the guide rail relative to the drive slide by the weight of the roof panel and rotation of the first lever, the roof panel following the movement of the guide rail follower downwardly towards the closed and lowered position;
• the slide assembly further comprising:
• a support pivot for attachment to a base structure surrounding the roof opening, the support pivot pivotally supporting the roof panel, wherein, in use, the roof panel pivots about the support pivot as the roof panel moves from a lifted position to a lowered position;
• and
• a support track fixed to the base structure surrounding the roof opening, wherein, in use, the support pivot slidably moves along the support track and is guided by the support track as the roof panel moves from the open and lifted position to a closed and lowered position.

A method for the operation of a sliding roof panel assembly, the sliding roof panel assembly comprising:

• a slide guide for attachment along one side of the roof opening;
• a roof panel which is slidably moveable between an open and lifted position and a closed and lowered position, the roof opening being covered by the roof panel in the closed and lowered position;
• a slide assembly guided for travel along the slide guide and supporting the roof panel, wherein the slide guide has a slide track and a guide rail, the slide track and the guide rail each extending along the slide guide, the guide rail having a forward depressed portion and a rearward raised portion,
• the slide assembly comprising:
• a drive slide driveably moveable along the slide track of the slide guide;
• a guide rail follower supported by and moveable along the guide rail, the guide rail follower supporting the roof panel;
• a first lever, linking the drive slide and the roof panel via respective rotatable links, wherein, in use, the roof panel is slidably moveable from the open and lifted position to the closed and lowered position by driving the drive slide forward in the slide track to move the guide rail follower forward along the rearward raised portion of the guide rail until the guide rail follower reaches the forward depressed portion of the guide rail, the guide rail follower travelling downwardly along the forward depressed portion of the guide rail relative to the drive slide by the weight of the roof panel and rotation of the first lever, the roof panel following the movement of the guide rail follower downwardly towards the closed and lowered position,
• the method comprising slidably moving the roof panel from the open and lifted position to the closed and lowered position by driving the drive slide forward in the slide track to move the guide rail follower forward along the rearward raised portion of the guide rail until the guide rail follower reaches the forward depressed portion of the guide rail, the guide rail follower travelling downwardly along the forward depressed portion of the guide rail relative to the drive slide by the weight of the roof panel and rotation of the first lever, the roof panel following the movement of the guide rail follower downwardly towards the closed and lowered position;
• the slide assembly further comprising:
• a support pivot for attachment to a base structure surrounding the roof opening, the support pivot pivotally supporting the roof panel, wherein, in use, the roof panel pivots about the support pivot as the roof panel moves from a lifted position to a lowered position;
• and
• a support track fixed to the base structure surrounding the roof opening, wherein, in use, the support pivot slidably moves along the support track and is guided by the support track as the roof panel moves from the open and lifted position to a closed and lowered position.