A dishwasher comprising a cabinet, a door, and a counterbalance assembly coupling the cabinet to the door. The counterbalance assembly has a guide member with a rotatable pulley with a fixed radius and a cam affixed to one side of the pulley and having a varying radius. The cam and the pulley rotate about a pulley axis of rotation as a single unit. The counterbalance has a force applicator that applies a counterbalance force to one of the pulley or cam, and the counterbalance has a connector that couples the other of the pulley or cam to the door. The counterbalance force applies a varying counterbalance torque to the door that is a function of the ratio between the fixed radius and the varying radius over the pivotal range of the door.

A snap lock balance shoe of a balance system may be incorporated in pivotable double hung windows. In one embodiment, the snap lock balance shoe includes a pair of retractable tabs that partially extend through openings within an inverted window balance channel. The shoe includes a locking member that extends toward a window jamb when a cam of the shoe is rotated. This extension locks the balance system in place in the window jamb. During a method of assembly of the balance system, the snap lock balance shoe may be engaged with the channel and then pivoted to secure the snap lock balance shoe to the channel.

The present disclosure relates to a drive device for a movable vehicle flap, including a flap part associated with the vehicle flap, a body part associated with a vehicle body, a first joint arrangement being arranged between the flap part and the body part, including a first knee lever and a second knee lever. The first knee lever and the second knee lever each have at least a first control arm and a second control arm. The drive device further include a second joint arrangement for opening and closing the vehicle flap in a normal operation, at least a first actuator for raising the vehicle flap to a pedestrian protection position. The first actuator has a first connection element and a second connection element. The first connection element of the first actuator is hingedly coupled to the first knee lever of the first joint arrangement. The second connection element of the first actuator is hingedly coupled to the second knee lever of the first joint arrangement. A drive device for a vehicle flap, which is reliable and compact, is provided according to the present disclosure by the first connection element of the first actuator being hingedly coupled to the second control arm of the first knee lever and by the second connection element of the first actuator being hingedly coupled to the first control arm of the second knee lever.

A snap lock balance shoe of a balance system may be incorporated in pivotable double hung windows. In one embodiment, the snap lock balance shoe includes a pair of retractable tabs that partially extend through openings within an inverted window balance channel. The shoe includes a locking member that extends toward a window jamb when a cam of the shoe is rotated. This extension locks the balance system in place in the window jamb.

A balance shoe for a block and tackle window balance system includes an enlarged head portion housing a locking system configured to receive at least a portion of a pivot bar and releasably engage a jamb track. An elongate tail portion configured to couple at least partially within a U-shaped channel of the window balance system. A front face, the front face of the elongate tail portion being adjacent to a base wall of the U-shaped channel when the elongate tail portion is coupled therein. The front face including an elongate channel configured to allow passage of the pivot bar from the elongate tail portion towards the locking system. The balance shoe also including at least one protrusion extending from the front face of the elongate tail portion and disposed at least partially within the elongate channel.

A balance shoe for a block and tackle window balance system includes an enlarged head portion housing a locking system configured to receive at least a portion of a pivot bar and releasably engage a jamb track. An elongate tail portion configured to couple at least partially within a U-shaped channel of the window balance system. A front face, the front face of the elongate tail portion being adjacent to a base wall of the U-shaped channel when the elongate tail portion is coupled therein. The front face including an elongate channel configured to allow passage of the pivot bar from the elongate tail portion towards the locking system. The balance shoe also including at least one protrusion extending from the front face of the elongate tail portion and disposed at least partially within the elongate channel.

Windows including one or both of a powered sash driving apparatus and a window balance apparatus and further including a sash connector block and latch bolt assembly are described herein, along with methods of assembling and/or operating the windows.

A dishwasher comprising a cabinet that defines an access opening. The dishwasher has a door hingedly mounted to the cabinet and pivotable about a door axis of rotation between a pivotal range between opened and closed positions to selectively open/close the access opening. The dishwasher also has a counterbalance assembly coupled the cabinet to the door. The counterbalance assembly has a guide member with a rotatable pulley that rotates about a pulley axis of rotation and has a fixed radius from the pulley axis of rotation. The guide member also has a varying radius from the pulley. The counterbalance has a force applicator that applies a counter-balancing force to one of the pulley or cam, and the counterbalance has a connector that couples the other of the pulley or cam to the door. The counterbalance force applies a varying counterbalance torque to the door that is a function of the ratio between the fixed radius and the varying radius over the pivotal range of the door.

A balance shoe for a block and tackle window balance system includes an enlarged head portion housing a locking system configured to receive at least a portion of a pivot bar and releasably engage a jamb track. An elongate tail portion configured to couple at least partially within a U-shaped channel of the window balance system. A front face, the front face of the elongate tail portion being adjacent to a base wall of the U-shaped channel when the elongate tail portion is coupled therein. The front face including an elongate channel configured to allow passage of the pivot bar from the elongate tail portion towards the locking system. The balance shoe also including at least one protrusion extending from the front face of the elongate tail portion and disposed at least partially within the elongate channel.

Disclosed are apparatus for a snap lock balance shoe and system to be incorporated in pivotable double hung windows. In one embodiment, the snap lock balance shoe includes a pair of retractable tabs that partially extend through openings within an inverted window balance.