Retractable roof panel

Abstract

A vehicle is provided that includes a roof with a roof opening and a rear body portion with a rear opening. Spaced apart guide rails are supported on an exterior surface of the roof. A retractable roof panel is supported on the guide rails by guide members that move along the guide rails along a path. The roof opening and the roof panel extend to the rearward end where the roof panel defines a rear header. The retractable roof panel may be driven from a closed positioned forward to an open position where the roof panel is adjacent to the exterior surface of the roof. The rear gate assembly, which is arranged in the rear opening, may be opened to provide access to the rear cargo area of the vehicle. With the rear gate assembly and retractable roof panel open, large items may be slid into the cargo area and may extend above the plane of the roof.

1 . A roof assembly for a vehicle comprising: 
 a roof having a roof opening extending to a rear of the roof, the roof having an exterior surface and a path portion below the exterior surface;    a first guide member movable along the path portion; and    a retractable roof panel with a panel portion supported by the first guide member and movable along the path portion, wherein in an open roof position the panel portion extends above the exterior surface.    
   
   
       2 . The roof assembly of  claim 1  wherein the roof includes forward and rearward ends, and when in a closed roof position the retractable roof panel is disposed within the roof opening, the retractable roof panel defining a rear header at the rearward end with the rear header moving toward the forward end when moving between the closed roof position and the open roof position.  
   
   
       3 . The roof assembly of  claim 1  further comprising spaced apart guide rails supported by the exterior surface.  
   
   
       4 . The roof assembly of  claim 3  further comprising a second guide member received in at least one of the spaced apart guide rails and movable along the at least one of the spaced apart guide rails, and another panel portion of the retractable roof panel in communication with the second guide member.  
   
   
       5 . A roof assembly for a vehicle comprising: 
 a roof having a roof opening extending to a rear of the roof, the roof having an exterior surface; and    a retractable roof panel supported by a guide member and movable along a path extending from a lower location below the exterior surface to an upper location above the exterior surface, wherein the guide member is in the lower location with the retractable roof panel arranged in the roof opening in a closed position, and the guide member is in the upper location with the retractable roof panel in a fully open position above the exterior surface.    
   
   
       6 . A roof assembly for a vehicle comprising: 
 a roof including an exterior surface having fore and aft ends and an opening extending to the aft end;    a first guide member moveable along a first path to a first position in an open position;    a second guide member moveable along a second path to a second position that is below the first position in the open position; and    a retractable panel supported by the first and second guide members and moveable between a closed position in which the retractable roof panel is arranged in the opening and the open position.