A drive arrangement configured to pivot a tailgate pivotally coupled to a vehicle body, between an open position and a closed position and including a freewheel mechanism, a drive shaft, and a motor. The freewheel mechanism may be rotatably coupled to the vehicle body and defining an opening provided with an inner periphery that includes a first cam element and a second cam element. The drive shaft may be fixed to the vehicle body and extending into the opening. The drive shaft may define an outer periphery that includes a third cam element and a fourth cam element. A motor may be coupled to the freewheel mechanism and may be configured to rotate the freewheel mechanism so that the first cam element engages the third cam element to pivot the tailgate from the closed position towards the open position.

A device for controlling the opening/closing of a door wing of a piece of furniture having a body having at least a sidewall and a back and defining an inner cavity, includes a casing mountable on the furniture body; an inextensible cable, associable at a first end with the door wing and extending with respect to the casing between a retracted position of the door wing in a closed position, and an extracted position of the door wing in an opened position, tilted downwards with respect to the body of the piece of furniture; and an elastic displacement connected to the cable and movable with respect to the casing. The casing is arranged outside the back, with a first guide provided for guiding the cable along the sidewall, and a second guide provided for perpendicularly deviating the cable with respect to the first guide.

An assembly for assisting in lifting a tailgate includes an elongated housing extending along a predetermined length, a spring anchored at one end at a first end of the housing, and a connector having a first end affixed to the opposite end of the spring and extending through the housing. In one embodiment, at least three rollers are provided for engaging the connector. The rollers may be arranged in a variety of configurations to maintain the connector and spring in a generally centered location within the housing. In another embodiment, at least two vertically aligned guides are provided. A vehicle for integrating the foregoing assemblies is also provided.

A lid counterbalance assembly for a grill, the grill including a lid and a base, the lid counterbalance assembly including a pulley assembly including at least one pulley, the pulley assembly rotatably connected to the base, a spring connected to the pulley assembly via a first line, and a second line including a first end connected to the pulley assembly and a second end connected to the lid, wherein the second end is rotatable and translatable with respect to the lid.

A counterbalance assembly for an appliance 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.

The present invention relates to a household appliance (1) such as a dishwasher or an oven, the front door (3) of which is opened by pulling from the top downwards, comprising an adjustment mechanism (5) that balances the weight of the door (3) so that while the door (3) is being opened it doesn't fall by its own weight or closed in a hard way. The adjustment mechanism (5) comprises a spring (9) that applies a tensile force on the door (3), that is pulled to be tensioned by the pulling cable (10) which is activated by an adjustment rod (6), an endless screw (7) and a gearwheel (8).

A door tensioning system for an oven or other appliance includes a chain and spring assembled as a pull member attached at one end to a door and at an opposite end to a base member of the appliance in a manner maintaining spring-mediated tension between the door and the base/bulk of the appliance. The pull member is routed around a bracket-assembly-mounted pulley, where the bracket assembly includes at least one movable bracket member that is movable with the pulley in a manner that will increase or decrease tension in the pull member by increasing/decreasing its effective length between its ends.

The invention relates to a furniture hinge with a fastening portion and a hinge part connected thereto via a multi-axis articulated connection, wherein a spring preloads the hinge part directly or indirectly, at least in a subregion of the adjustment path of the hinge part, with respect to the fastening portion, and wherein the spring is mounted or can be mounted under tension between two spring bearings. In order, in such a furniture hinge, to achieve improved movement control and to make the required manual force for hinge opening or closing more even, provision is made according to the invention for the spring (76) to be adjusted in the region of its two spring bearings (74, 84.4) during the adjustment of the hinge part (20) from the opening into the closing position and/or during the adjustment from the closing into the opening position.

A drive arrangement for adjusting a flap of a motor vehicle about a body including a motor, a drivetrain, and a freewheel mechanism. The drivetrain is disposed between the motor and the flap. The freewheel mechanism provided with a drive component including a transmitting element, and a driven component provided with a receiving element coupled to the transmitting element. During motoric movement of the flap between the closed and the open position over at least a portion of the pivot angle, the motor actuates the drive component and displaces the transmitting element, from a neutral position, conjointly with the receiving element along a displacement path.

A damper mechanism has first and second rail members, a biasing member, and a slide member. The first rail member is fixed inside the opening/closing member along the up/down direction, and has an oblong guide hole formed therein extending along the longitudinal direction. The second rail member has fixed to a top end part thereof an engaging pin inserted through the guide hole, and has a bottom end part swingably supported on the apparatus main body. The biasing member biases the first and second rail members in a direction in which these approach each other. The slide member is made of resin fixed to the engaging pin, slides while in contact with the first rail member and the opening/closing member, and prevents contact between the engaging pin and an inner circumferential rim of the guide hole.