A friction hinge with its motion restricted in one pivoting direction includes a support member, a restricting module, and a pivot member. The restricting module is mounted on the support member. The restricting module has an air flow opening. The pivot member is pivotable relative to the support member and the restricting module. A regulating chamber is defined between the pivot member and the restricting module. When the pivot member is pivoted in one direction, a pressure in the regulating chamber is increased and the restricting module is actuated to reduce size of the air flow opening, increasing the resistance to pivoting of the pivot member in this pivoting direction.

A lever pushes a latch drawn into a hook accommodating space in a latch holder in a direction where a door opens is installed in the latch holder, and the latch is released from the latch holder using the lever. The door that is opened by an initial opening angle by the latch holder releasing the latch automatically opens by self-weight of the door.

An appliance includes a hinge module between a main body and a pull-down door. The hinge module includes a housing, a rotational axis member disposed in the housing serving as a center of rotation between the pull-down door and the main body, an inner link housing movably disposed in the housing that moves with the opening of the pull-down door in a direction of the rotational axis member, and a damper installed in the inner link housing, the damper including a piston and a cylinder and providing damping force according to a relative movement of the piston and the cylinder. Any one of the piston and the cylinder of the damper moves with the inner link housing and the other of the piston and the cylinder of the damper moves by a predetermined distance as the inner link housing moves and then is interfered by the housing so as not to move further, and the piston and the cylinder of the damper starts damping, wherein the predetermined distance corresponds to an opening angle of the pull-down door in which the damping is started.

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.

A tether for attachment to a damper device is formed to include a heated, reshaped enlarged bulbous end.

A rotation damper for damping movement of a component includes a transmission element couplable to the component such that the transmission element is rotated during movement of the component, and including a rotatingly mounted rotor and also braking device which brakes a rotational movement of the rotor. A coupler couples the transmission element and the rotor for conjoint rotation in a first direction of rotation and decouples the same in a second, opposite direction of rotation. The coupler includes a support element on with an engagement element that is pivotable between an engagement position and a release position. The engagement element has at least one coupling portion, and the transmission element has at least one coupling portion which is in engagement with the at least one coupling portion of the engagement element. The coupling portions are formed in a complementary manner with respect to each other.

A friction hinge with its motion restricted in one pivoting direction includes a support member, a restricting module, and a pivot member. The restricting module is mounted on the support member. The restricting module has an air flow opening. The pivot member is pivotable relative to the support member and the restricting module. A regulating chamber is defined between the pivot member and the restricting module. When the pivot member is pivoted in one direction, a pressure in the regulating chamber is increased and the restricting module is actuated to reduce size of the air flow opening, increasing the resistance to pivoting of the pivot member in this pivoting direction.

Self-closing safety gate embodiments are disclosed herein. The self-closing safety gates include a hinge plate configured to rotate about a vertical support member and engage a hoop portion. In some embodiments, the hinge plate includes at least one support arm portion with a channel. In such embodiments, the channel can be configured to receive and frictionally engage a hoop arm of the hoop portion with a compressive fastener. In some embodiments, the self-closing safety gate can be damped.

A head unit system for controlling motion of an object includes a secondary object sensor and a head unit device that include shear thickening fluid (STF) and a chamber configured to contain the STF. The chamber further includes a front channel and a back channel. The head unit device further includes a piston housed at least partially radially within the piston compartment and separating the back channel and the front channel. The piston includes a first piston bypass and a second piston bypasses to control flow of the STF between opposite sides of the piston. The chamber further includes a set of fluid flow sensors and a set of fluid manipulation emitters to control the flow of the STF to cause selection of one of a variety of shear rates for the STF within the chamber to control motion of the object with regards to a secondary object.

A door component has a damper device with two connection units that can be moved relative to each other for damping a door movement of a door of a vehicle. The damper device contains a magnetorheological fluid, as an operating fluid, and a cylinder unit having a first chamber and a second chamber. The two chambers are separated from each other by a piston which is provided with a damping valve. The damper device has a connection which is constructed for coupling to a drive. The damper device can be moved in an active manner at least from a first position into a second position by the drive which is coupled via the connection.