A refrigerator appliance includes a cabinet defining a food storage chamber. A door is positioned on the cabinet and is movable between a closed position and an open position. A door opener includes a casing, a gear box, a sliding nut movable relative to the gear box, and a finger extending through the gear box. The finger is movable with the sliding nut. The door opener also includes a sensor. The finger extends outside of the casing to contact an inner surface of the door when the door is in the closed position and the door opener is in a zero position. The sensor is configured to detect movement of the door opener from the zero position.

An automatic door operator and a drive mechanism thereof are disclosed. The drive mechanism of the automatic door includes a planetary reducer driven by an electric motor, and a drive shaft driven by a planetary reducer. The planetary reducer includes a housing and a planetary gear train mounted in the housing. The planetary gear train includes a final-stage planet carrier configured to output torque, and a center of the final-stage planet carrier is provided with a torque output hole. A first end of the drive shaft is detachably inserted in the torque output hole and is non-rotatably connected to the torque output hole, and a second end of the drive shaft extends out of the housing. The drive mechanism of the automatic door operator is advantageous to the miniaturization design of the automatic door operator.

An automatic door operator is disclosed, including: an actuating unit configured to output torque; a lead screw having a first end connected to an output end of the actuating unit and a second end extending away from the output end; a lead screw nut screwed to the lead screw; a slider attached to the lead screw nut, the slider being provided with a rack portion extending in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the lead screw, and during a movement of the lead screw nut from a first extreme working position away from the first end of the lead screw to a second extreme working position close to the second end of the lead screw, a length of an overlap between the rack portion and the lead screw in the axial direction gradually increasing; a housing having a guide hole configured to be slidably engaged with the slider; and an output shaft mounted in a mounting hole disposed on the housing, the output shaft having a gear portion positioned in the guide hole and engaged with the rack portion. The automatic door operator is high in transmission efficiency, small in size and low in running noise.

A door operator including an output shaft, a ball screw, a powered driver, and a yoke. The output shaft is configured to be coupled to a door. The powered driver is operatively coupled to the ball screw and configured to rotate the ball screw in a first rotational direction. The yoke is coupled to the ball screw and configured to translate in response to rotation of the ball screw. The yoke is configured to rotate the output shaft.

A drive device for a pivoting vehicle flap, includes a first housing part (3), a second housing part (4), wherein the first housing part (3) and the second housing part (4) are designed to be movable toward each other in the direction of the axial extension (x) of the drive device (1), a spindle rod (12) rotatably arranged on one of the first housing part (3) and the second housing part (4) and a spindle nut (13) arranged in a rotatably fixed manner on the other of the first housing part (3) and the second housing part (4), a braking device (19), comprising a first brake element, which is connected to the spindle rod (12) in a rotatably fixed manner, a second brake element, which is connected to one of the first housing part (3) and the second housing part (4) in a rotatably fixed manner, wherein the first brake element can interact with the second brake element in order to generate a brake force, and a magnet arrangement for generating a magnetic field. The drive device (1) is for a pivoting vehicle flap, to provide automatic pivoting and a flexible holding force for the vehicle flap, such that at least one of the first brake element and the second brake element can be displaced in the axial direction (x) of the spindle rod (12) by the magnetic field.

A method for controlling a power tailgate in a vehicle power tailgate system includes steps of controlling operation of a motor to attempt to lower or raise a tailgate operably connected to the motor, determining that a clutch interposed between the motor and the tailgate (and operably connected to the motor and the tailgate) slipped by at least a predetermined slip amount during operation of the motor to attempt to lower or raise the tailgate and, responsive to the determination that the clutch slipped by at least the predetermined slip amount, generating an alert indicating a need for manual reset of the tailgate.

A method and an assembly for pivoting a movable component having a drive device with an electric drive motor in order to influence a pivoting of the component between a first setting and a second setting. A position sensor detects a position measure for a setting of the component and a speed parameter for a displacement speed of the component. During a displacement of the component with the speed parameter, an electrical setpoint current intensity for the electric drive motor is ascertained, and an associated setpoint voltage is set. The setpoint voltage is increased if a current intensity flowing through the drive motor is lower than the electrical setpoint current intensity, and the setpoint voltage is reduced if the current intensity flowing through the drive motor is higher than the electrical setpoint current intensity.

A refrigerator includes: a cabinet; a drawer door assembly including a front panel door part and a drawer part that defines an accommodation space; a rail that movably configured to connect the drawer door assembly to the cabinet and enable the drawer door assembly to insert into and withdraw from the cabinet; a driving device located at the front panel door part and configured to provide power; and an elevation device located in the drawer part and configured to be coupled to the driving device and elevate a portion of the drawer part relative to the front panel door part. The driving device includes: a motor assembly configured to provide driving force; a screw assembly configured to perform an elevation operation based on the driving force; and a lever that connects the screw assembly to the elevation device and that is configured to rotate based on the elevation operation.

A counterbalance mechanism for assisting in opening and closing of a closure panel of a vehicle between a closed position and an open position, the counterbalance mechanism including: a housing for mounting a biasing mechanism of the counterbalance mechanism between the body and the closure panel; the biasing mechanism including: a fixed primary abutment of the housing having a primary biasing element mounted thereon; a fixed secondary abutment of the housing having a secondary biasing element mounted thereon; a movable plate variably positioned on a bias axis, the moveable plate between the primary biasing element and the secondary biasing element, an axial position of the movable plate movable in relation to the fixed primary abutment and the fixed secondary abutment to selectively change a primary spring constant of the primary biasing element and a secondary spring constant of the secondary biasing element; and an actuator connected to the movable plate, the actuator responsive to a control signal in order to adjust the position of the movable plate; wherein the primary biasing element applies a spring force to moderate extension of the counterbalance mechanism affecting movement of the closure panel between the open and closed positions.

A latch assembly for opening and closing a vehicle luggage room may include: a base installed on an end portion of an opening and closing member to open and close a vehicle luggage room; a power conversion member to convert the rotational force of a drive motor into a linear motion; a claw to grip and restrain the striker when the opening and closing member is closed; a pawl to inhibit the rotation of the claw so that the claw maintains a state of having the striker restrained; an error lever installed to rotate with the pawl and configured to rotate so that the pawl is separated from the claw; and a link member to rotate the claw so that the claw grips the striker, when the power conversion member makes the linear motion.