Slider window assembly with movable panel drive system

A vehicular slider window assembly, the vehicular slider window assembly comprising:

• an upper rail and a lower rail;
• a fixed window panel that is fixed relative to the upper rail and the lower rail, the fixed window panel at least in part defining an opening;
• a movable window panel that is movable along the upper rail and the lower rail, wherein the movable window panel is movable between a closed position, where the movable window panel is disposed at the opening, and an opened position, where the movable window panel is disposed at least partially along the fixed window panel;
• a drive system operable to move the movable window panel along a curved path of travel between the opened position and the closed position, wherein the drive system comprises (i) a drive motor, (ii) a threaded shaft rotatably driven by the drive motor, (iii) a connecting element having a threaded body that threadedly receives the threaded shaft and (iv) a window connector that is attached to the movable window panel and that pivotally connects to the connecting element via a ball-and-socket connection;
• wherein rotation of the threaded shaft imparts a translational movement of the connecting element in an axial direction along the threaded shaft to move the movable window panel along the curved path of travel between the opened and closed positions;
• wherein the movable window panel moves along the curved path of travel in tandem with the translational movement of the connecting element and the window connector;
• wherein the window connector is fixedly attached to the movable window panel such that there is no movement between the movable window panel and the window connector;
• wherein, as the connecting element translates in the axial direction along the threaded shaft to move the movable window panel along the curved path of travel, the movable window panel and the window connector pivot relative to the connecting element together and in tandem with one another via the ball-and-socket connection to accommodate non-parallel movement of the connecting element and the window connector, and wherein the window connector pivots relative to the connecting element via the ball-and-socket connection about a pivot axis that is perpendicular to the axial direction;
• and
• wherein, when the threaded shaft rotates to move the connecting element along the threaded shaft, the vehicular slider window assembly limits rotation of the connecting element about the threaded shaft while allowing for translational movement of the threaded body in the axial direction along the threaded shaft.