Vehicle sun roof construction

In a vehicle having a cabin and a roof panel formed with a first opening, a sun roof comprising:

• a frame fixed to the inboard surface of said roof panel to define a space between said roof panel and said frame, said frame being formed with a second opening which cooperates with said first opening to define a sun roof opening;
• a rigid panel for closing said first opening;
• first and second guide rails secured to said frame, said first guide rail being disposed on one side of said second opening and said second guide rail being disposed on the other side of said opening;
• first and second shoes slidably disposed on said first and second guide rails, respectively, each of said first and second shoes having a pin thereon;
• third and fourth shoes slidably mounted on said first and second guide rails, respectively;
• first and second guide plates depending from a first end of said rigid panel, said first guide plate being formed with a first shaped slot for receiving said pin of said first shoe therein, said second guide plate being formed with a second shaped slot for receiving said pin of said second shoe therein, said first and second shaped slots being shaped to extend upwardly toward said rigid panel as they extend toward a second end of said rigid panel;
• third and fourth guide plates depending from said second end of said rigid panel, and
• a linkage system interconnecting said first and second shoes with said third and fourth shoes,
• said linkage system and said first and second guide plates cooperating so as to
• (a) cause said rigid panel to lower away from said first opening toward said second opening and into said space without tilting, when said first and second shoes are driven from a home position in a first direction through a predetermined distance along said first and second guide rails, and thereafter, upon subsequent driving of said first pair of shoes in said first direction, to move away from between said first and second openings to open said sun roof opening, and
• (b) when said first and second shoes are driven from said home position in a second direction, cause said rigid panel to pivot about one end thereof so that the other end thereof is lifted above the plane defined by said first opening.