Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the ventilation duct includes support sidewalls fitting in the shaft providing a ventilation passage between support top and bottom openings and a suspension member supported on opposed lateral sidewalls proximate the top opening holding one or more hinge connected panels that manually release to rotationally close the passage and are manually rotationally liftable to a home position allowing ventilation. A releasable latching system between panel and a suspension member holder catches rising panels to hold them in home position ready for release.

Apparatus allowing ventilation through a ventilation shaft to an underground ventilation duct fluidly communicating through the ventilation shaft to an atmospheric opening of the shaft and on threat of flooding operable to prevent downward flow of surface water into the underground ventilation duct includes support sidewalls fitting in the shaft providing a ventilation passage between support top and bottom openings and a suspension member supported on opposed lateral sidewalls unobstructively horizontally spanning the passage proximate the top opening and holding one or more hinge connected panels in the passage that manually release to rotationally close the passage and prevent flooding and are manually rotationally liftable to a home position allowing ventilation. The suspension member is liftingly removable from the support and may include end keys received in keyed supports to allow the suspension member to fit in the supports so a specific panel closes to a specific sidewall.

A drive device for a movable furniture part includes a lockable push-out device for pushing the movable furniture part out of a closed position into an open position. The push-out device can be unlocked by virtue of the movable furniture part being pushed into an excess-pressure position located behind the closed position, as seen in the closing direction. An excess-pressure region is located between the closed position and an excess-pressure position. The drive device also has a damping device for damping the closing movement of the movable furniture part. The damping device has displacement-dependent damping, in which the damping force in a main damping region, located in front of the closed position—as seen in the opening direction, is higher than in the excess-pressure region.

A control device is used to move a pick-up truck tailgate. The control device comprises a first gear arrangement connected to a drive cup and a second gear arrangement that is connected to a motor for driving the second gear arrangement. The control device also includes a clutch arrangement positioned between the first and second gear arrangements. When the clutch arrangement is in an engaged position, it couples the first gear arrangement and the second gear arrangement to transmit torque to the first gear arrangement and the drive cup. When the clutch arrangement is in the disengaged position, the first and second gear arrangements are not coupled. Optionally, the control device comprises a brake unit to slow or stop movement of the tailgate. The control device can be positioned within the pick-up truck tailgate.

The invention relates to an ejecting device for ejecting a cover element movably mounted on a piece of furniture, in particular a folding door or folding/sliding door, from a closed position into an open position. The cover element can be moved at least in one direction perpendicular to the closing plane, on which the cover element is arranged in the closed position, and in one direction parallel to the closing plane. The ejecting device comprises an energy accumulator, which is to be charged manually by a user, and an ejecting element, on which the energy accumulator acts, and the energy accumulator can be charged by moving the cover element substantially in a direction parallel to the closing plane, preferably during an ongoing cover element opening process following the ejection process, particularly preferably immediately following the ejection process.

A clutch mechanism for coupling and uncoupling an electric motor and leadscrew has dog-clutch gears that can be engaged by a linear actuator, bell crank, and linkage shaft. Uncoupling force due to narrowed dog teeth are resisted by the alignment of the linkage shaft with the central portion of the bell crank.

The technology relates to assisting in the closing of a vehicle door by automatically pulling a door closed. One or more computing devices having one or more processors may receive, from one or more sensors, information indicating that a door on the vehicle is not closed. In response to the received information indicating that the door is not closed, the one or more computing devices may determine to send a triggering signal to close the door. The one or more computing devices may send the triggering signal to the actuator and the actuator may receive the triggering signal. In response to receiving the triggering signal the actuator may be activated to close the door of the vehicle without user input.

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.

Device for opening cabinet door of cabinet body. Cabinet door is attached to cabinet body by self-closing hinges. Cabinet door is held in closed position at a small distance from the front of cabinet body. In order to allow cabinet door to be opened without gripping elements, without hindering the self-closing of the hinges, there is a unit having ejection piston with a locking apparatus and tension rod in cabinet body. Ejection piston is supported in the unit by compression spring, and tension rod is supported in the unit by tension spring. Ejection piston and tension rod are coupled to each other by a control apparatus having a freewheel, and thus by tapping on cabinet door the opening of cabinet door can be initiated and cabinet door can be brought into an intermediate position. In the intermediate position, cabinet door can be grasped by a hand and opened further.

The present invention includes three off-set hinges adapted to utilize the weight of the door to cause the door to self position and allow manual operation of the door. A center hinge includes a top leaf, a center pin, and a bottom leaf. The center pin includes an upper pin-portion adapted to slidably insert into an inverted slot on a top socket of the top leaf and an oppositely disposed lower pin-portion adapted to slidably insert into an upright cylindrical slot of the bottom leaf. A gear is disposed intermediate to the upper pin-portion and lower pin-portion. The gear is fixed or otherwise coupled to the pin whereby rotation of the gear results in corresponding rotation of the pin including both the top portion and the bottom portion. The lower pin-portion further includes a beveled lower (distal) end. This bevel matches a corresponding bevel in the bottom leaf.