A drive apparatus for a closure element of a motor vehicle, including a tube defining an axis, a spindle disposed within the tube and configured to translate along the axis from an extended position to a first retracted position and a second retracted position, a spindle nut disposed within the tube and operatively engaged to the spindle, a stop nut fixed to the spindle, and a damping element disposed between the spindle nut and the stop nut. The tube defines a first end stop face and the stop nut defines a second end stop face, and when the spindle is in the first retracted position, the damping element engages the first end stop face and is spaced apart from the stop nut.

A system for fixing and/or emergency opening of a leaf of a door, a window or other closure comprises a drive having at least one mechanical energy storage device, at least one electric motor having a motor shaft operatively connected to the leaf, and control electronics for controlling the electric motor. The electric motor can be actuated by the control electronics both for damping of the leaf movements and for fixing of the leaf against a force of the mechanical storage device and/or for electric motor-driven emergency opening of the leaf.

A system for adjusting a vehicle door relative to a vehicle body including an adjusting device, a control device for controlling the adjusting device. The control device is configured to receive an operating command and control the adjusting device based on receiving the operating command, and a sensor device for detecting an object. The control device is configured to evaluate for the purpose of collision protection monitoring whether an operating command is received in a near area relative to the vehicle door via an operating device. For collision protection monitoring, the control device is configured to use a first recognition area in a first operating mode upon receiving an operating command via an operating device in the near area, and in a second operating mode to use a second recognition area different from the first recognition area when an operating command is not received in the near area.

A lock for an access point such as a window includes a dual-action locking mechanism with a locking unit and a blocker. The locking unit is movable between a locking position and an unlocking position. The blocker blocks movement of the locking unit when the blocker is in a blocking position, and permits movement of the locking unit when the blocker is in an unblocking position. The lock may capture an insert attached to a tether to permit partial opening of a window while the unit is locked.

A dampened hinge assembly has a male leaf and a female leaf. The female leaf has spaced apart first and second end barrels coaxially rotating with respect to a central barrel of the male leaf therebetween. An axial shaft is fixed to the second end barrel of the female leaf at a proximal end of the axial shaft. The axial shaft has a distal helicoidally threaded spindle. A compression gear having a helicoidally threaded bore matching the helicoidal thread of the spindle displaces towards the first end barrel when the leaves move into alignment and towards the second end barrel when the leaves move out of alignment. The dampened hinge assembly may be reconfigured to provide soft closure, end-of-range soft closure and/or backcheck damping.

A motor vehicle is disclosed having a safety system that includes an electronic controller controlling an electronically controlled mechanism in response to inputs from a number of rear parking sensors to prevent movement of a rear closure of the motor vehicle in a closing direction when more than one object is sensed to be within a rear protection zone and the rear closure member is in a fully open position.

A braking device for a movable door wing comprises an electric motor operated as a generator with a motor shaft which is rotatable by a movement of the door wing and which expends motion-dependent motor voltage at a contact pair, as well as a braking circuit upon which the motor voltage is applied or applicable and via which, the contact pair is short-circuitable in order to dampen a movement of the door wing. It is provided that the braking circuit comprises two anti-serially arranged field-effect transistors wherein their drain terminals are connected each to another contact of the contact pair and wherein their source terminals are connected to each other and preferably also connected to earth or a zero line, so that the contact pair is short-circuited depending on the switching state of the field effect transistors. Alternatively or in addition to such a design of the braking circuit, provision is made that the electric motor is designed as a brushless electric motor with a plurality of stator coils, in each of which an AC voltage is induced as a function of the movement of the door wing, and that one of the AC voltages induced in the stator coils is outputted at the contact pair. The braking circuit comprises a partial braking circuit to which the alternating voltage output on the contact pair is applied or can be applied and via which, the contact pair can be short-circuited.

A drive unit for closing a leaf of a door or a window comprises an energy accumulator for providing a closing force for closing the leaf, a damping device which counteracts the closing force and has an electric motor which can be operated as a generator and can be coupled to an actuating element of the drive unit, and a control device for controlling the electric motor. The control device is designed to determine a nominal path curve which indicates a position of the leaf or a closing speed of the leaf in dependence upon time, and to perform the control of the electric motor in order to damp the closing movement of the leaf on the basis of the established target path curve.

A hydraulically damped actuator suitable for closing a hingedly connected closure system includes a tubular cylinder barrel, an energy storing mechanism for storing energy when the closure system is being opened and for restoring the energy to close the closure system, and a hydraulic damping mechanism for damping a closing movement of the closure system. The damping mechanism has a closed cylinder cavity that is partly formed by a collar that is integrally formed with the tubular cylinder barrel, a guiding element that is bolted to said collar and a piston that is irrotatably and slideably with respect to the tubular cylinder barrel coupled to said guiding element. The guiding element is fixedly positioned with respect to the tubular cylinder barrel, without needing a screw connection.

A spindle drive assembly for opening and/or closing a vehicle flap is described, having a spindle extending along a spindle drive axis and a spindle drive motor which is drivingly coupled to the spindle via a gearing and the motor shaft of which is arranged substantially coaxially with the spindle drive axis, wherein a coupling compensating an axial offset and a hysteresis brake are drivingly interposed between the spindle drive motor and the gearing. In addition, a vehicle flap with such a spindle drive assembly is presented.