Opening/closing device for vehicle sliding-window panel

An opening/closing device for a vehicle sliding-window panel, comprising:

• a sliding-window panel configured for opening and closing an opening part provided in a vehicle body by sliding in a horizontal direction;
• upper and lower guide rails fixed to the vehicle body to support the sliding-window panel to slide in the horizontal direction;
• and
• a slide driving mechanism fixed to one guide rail either the upper or lower guide rail to operate the sliding-window panel to open and close by driving a motor:
• wherein the slide driving mechanism comprises:
• the motor;
• a lead screw configured to rotate around an axis parallel to a longitudinal direction of the one guide rail by driving the motor;
• and
• a screw nut which is screwed with the lead screw to linearly move in the longitudinal direction of the one guide rail by rotation of the lead screw and is coupled with the sliding-window panel to operate the sliding-window panel to open and close by linear movement, and
• wherein the one guide rail is integrally formed with first and second supporting portions which rotatably support two end portions of the lead screw respectively,
• wherein the sliding-window panel is coupled with the screw nut through a carrier plate which is coupled with the sliding-window panel and is fitted to the one guide rail to move in the longitudinal direction,
• wherein the screw nut has a coupling arm portion extending to the carrier plate, and wherein the carrier plate has a sliding portion fitted to the one guide rail to slide in the longitudinal direction, a fitting groove to which the sliding-window panel is fitted such that the carrier plate is coupled with the sliding-window panel, and a coupling groove to which the coupling arm portion of the screw nut is fitted, and
• wherein the coupling arm portion of the screw nut is fitted to the coupling groove of the carrier plate to relatively move in a direction horizontally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the one guide rail.