The invention relates to a furniture hinge with a fastening portion and a hinge part connected thereto via a multi-axis articulated connection, wherein a spring preloads the hinge part directly or indirectly, at least in a subregion of the adjustment path of the hinge part, with respect to the fastening portion, and wherein the spring is mounted or can be mounted under tension between two spring bearings. In order, in such a furniture hinge, to achieve improved movement control and to make the required manual force for hinge opening or closing more even, provision is made according to the invention for the spring (76) to be adjusted in the region of its two spring bearings (74, 84.4) during the adjustment of the hinge part (20) from the opening into the closing position and/or during the adjustment from the closing into the opening position.

A damper for a storage compartment closure includes a bellows chamber and damper air passage structures each configured to provide an air volume intake during a bellows chamber extension that is less than an air volume expulsion during a bellows chamber compression. One damper air venting structure is a valve having a translatable lid including an aperture defined therethrough. A bellows chamber air pressure differential maintains the translatable lid in a closed configuration during the bellows chamber extension and in an open configuration during the bellows chamber compression. Another damper air venting structure is at least one bellows chamber vent including a cover configured whereby a bellows chamber extension incrementally transitions the cover to a closed configuration.

A hinge (10) for mounting a door on a piece of furniture or the like comprises a hinge arm (11) securable to a fixed part (12) of the piece of furniture, a box (14) securable to a door of the piece of furniture and connected to the hinge arm (11) by an articulation system (15) comprising a plurality of swinging connecting levers and spring means (27) acting in the closing direction of the hinge (10); the hinge (10) further comprises a decelerating device (29) comprising a housing body (30), supported and configured in such a way so as to be disposed at one of the front or side walls (11′, 11″) of the hinge arm (11), and a linearly movable actuating member (31) actuatable by one (18) of the swinging connecting levers of the articulation system (15) of the hinge.

A sliding door has a brake element for braking the door leaf, an adjustment device configured to switch the brake element over from a braking position, in which the door leaf is being braked, to a release position, in which the door leaf is not being braked, and from the release position to the braking position, and a motor drive unit which is configured to cooperate with the adjustment device and to allow the brake element to be adjusted.

Provided is a swing door operator (110) for moving a door leaf (120) between a first position and a second position. The swing door operator (110) is arranged to operate in a powered and a powerless mode and comprises a permanent magnet DC motor (310). The motor (310) is arranged to move the door leaf (120) at least from the second position to the first position in the powered mode. The swing door operator (110) further comprises a mechanical drive unit (320), arranged to move the door leaf from the first position to the second position in the powerless mode. In the powerless mode, at least one resistive device is electrically connected in parallel with the motor (310) and arranged to limit a current generated by the motor (310) in response to the movement of the door leaf (120) from the first position to the second position by means of the mechanical drive unit (320). A method for controlling the swing door operator is also provided.

The damped and compact hinge device includes a spring (17) fixed to a first member (3) and a second end coupled to interconnection means (13) having a first mobile pin (27) of a lever (23) sliding along a first slot (29) of the first member (3). The interconnection means (13) further includes a rod (31) connecting the lever (23) to a first end of a rocker arm (35), the rocker arm (35) having a first end linked via the rod (31) to the first mobile pin (27) and having an opposite end rotatably connected to a second member (5) by a fixing pin (37) spaced from a pivot pin (7). A median portion of the rocker arm (35) has a second mobile pin (41) for sliding in a second slot (43) of the first member (3), the second slot (43) being rectilinear, curved, or S or C shaped.

An apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus has a housing that is a rectangular prism having five substantially flat sides and an open side that is open to a cavity formed by the housing, an intermediate member disposed in the housing and dividing the cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity, a member that is movably attached to the housing via at least one movable connector, the member movable about the at least one movable connector between an open position allowing access to the second cavity and a closed position covering the second cavity, a support assembly disposed in the second cavity and attaching the member to the housing, and a fastener assembly attached to the member and selectively locking the member to the intermediate member when the member is in the closed position.

A door component has a controllable damping device and contains a magnetorheological fluid. Two connection units are movable relative to one another. One of the two connection units is connected to a support structure and the other one to a pivotable door unit. The device damps a movement of the door unit between a closed position and an open position in a controlled manner by way of a control unit. The magnetorheological damping device has a piston unit and a cylinder unit surrounding the piston unit. The piston unit divides a cylinder volume into two chambers. The piston unit is equipped with a first one-way valve. The two chambers are connected together, via an external return channel equipped with at least one controllable magnetorheological damping valve, to form a one-way circuit. When the piston unit moves in and out, the magnetorheological fluid flows through the piston unit in the same flow direction.

A vehicle interior component with an improved torque hinge is provided. The vehicle interior component may comprise a base and a cover configured to move relative to the base. The torque hinge may be coupled to the base and the cover and configured to hold the cover in any position relative to the base. The torque hinge may comprise a bushing, a brake, a clamp and a fastener configured to provide a clamping force between the clamp and brake. The bushing may be configured to move with the cover as the cover moves relative to the base to provide a frictional force against the brake. The clamp may be manufactured by an extrusion process. The clamp may comprise a curved portion and first and second extension portions extending from the curved portion. The first and second extension portions of the clamp may be substantially parallel.

A control method includes controlling a lever, a pusher and a motor so as to arrange the same in a correct position when electric power is supplied to the home appliance, or the user turns on the home appliance. Abnormalities involving an automatic opening of the door through changes in a return/stop switch and an opening sensing switch while the motor operates so as to open the door may be confirmed.