Self-closing safety gate embodiments are disclosed herein. The self-closing safety gates include a hinge plate configured to rotate about a vertical support member and engage a hoop portion. In some embodiments, the hinge plate includes at least one support arm portion with a channel. In such embodiments, the channel can be configured to receive and frictionally engage a hoop arm of the hoop portion with a compressive fastener. In some embodiments, the self-closing safety gate can be damped.

A damper providing varying damping force is provided. The damper may include a housing and a rotary member rotatably received the housing. The rotary member may rotate within the housing between defined end points of travel to define an angular range of travel of the rotary member. An outermost surface of the rotary member may be spaced inwardly from an inner surface of the housing defined between the end points of travel to define a gap between the outermost surface of the rotary member and the inner surface of the housing throughout the angular range of travel. The gap may vary in dimension depending on a rotational position of the rotary member to provide varying damping rates within the angular range of travel of the rotary member.

An emergency bi-fold door closing prevention system includes a building having an access opening with an upper edge. A bi-fold door is hingedly mounted to the building wall and includes a plurality of panels each being laterally elongated. The plurality of panels includes a bottom panel having a bottom edge that is positionable adjacent to a floor surface to define a closed position. A safety line assembly is attached to and extends between the building wall adjacent to the upper edge and the bi-fold door adjacent to the bottom edge. The safety line has an extendable length. The length of the safety line assembly extends when the bi-fold door moves toward the closed position below a threshold velocity. The length of the safety line assembly is inhibited from extending when the bi-fold door moves toward the closed position above the threshold velocity to prevent unimpeded falling of the bi-fold door.

A spring driven system for moderating an opening speed of a closure panel of a vehicle, the system comprising: a pop up mechanism mounted adjacent to the closure panel for moving the closure panel from a fully closed position to a partially open position, the pop up mechanism having a plunger; and a biased cam mechanism coupled to the pop up mechanism by a coupling, the biased cam mechanism having a biasing element for moderating a deployment rate of the plunger.

A refrigerator comprising a door rotatable about a hinge shaft. A door opening and closing apparatus comprises a drive motor, a first gear configured to receive power from the drive motor, a second gear, spaced apart from the first gear, configured to transmit a rotational force to the hinge shaft, a clutch gear configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis of the first gear, and configured to transmit power of the first gear to the second gear based on a position of the clutch gear around the rotation axis of the first gear, and a position detection sensor configured to detect the position of the clutch gear so that while the clutch gear is at the position, the clutch gear transmits the power received from the first gear to the second gear which transmits the rotational force to the hinge shaft to open and close the door.

A locking mechanism for an opening/closing cover supported by an apparatus case in an openable and closable manner includes a rotational gear, a rack gear, a locking member and a spring member. The rotational gear rotates with an opening and closing operation of the opening/closing cover. The rack gear slides with a rotating of the rotational gear. The locking member has a hooking part facing the rack gear. The spring member pushes the hooking part toward the rack gear. The hooking part restricts a sliding of the rack gear in an opened state of the opening/closing cover.

A damper is provided which can more reliably prevent malfunction and breakdown and which enables efficiently performing repair and inspection operations. This damper, provided with a casing linked to a first object and a rotating part linked to a second object rotatably attached to the first object, damps rotation in either the direction closing or the direction opening the second object, and is provided with a sensor which detects prescribed change in the external environment in the damper or around the damper, and a control unit which externally communicates, over a communication network, information relating to the change in the external environment detected by the sensor, wherein the sensor is configured from at least one of: a rotation sensor for detecting the number of revolutions of the rotating part: a sound sensor for detecting sound during rotations of the rotating part; a temperature sensor for detecting temperature; and a torque sensor for detecting torque on the basis of friction during rotation of the rotating part.

A domestic appliance includes: an appliance housing which provides an appliance compartment and has a loading opening for access to the appliance compartment; an appliance door mounted so as to be rotatable about a pivot axis for closing the loading opening; a motor unit in operative connection with the appliance door and by which the appliance door is transferrable from an open position to a closed position closing the loading opening; and a clutch device arranged between the motor unit and the appliance door and in operative connection with the motor unit on a drive side thereof and with the appliance door on a driven side thereof. The clutch device has a clutch that is switchable and transferrable from a disengaged position to an engaged position and vice versa, the clutch causing an automatic switching from the disengaged position to the engaged position during operation of the motor unit.

A vehicle shown herein is a side by side utility vehicle having a plurality of accessories including a cover assembly for covering an opening in a cargo area of the vehicle and a coupler for coupling various components of the vehicle.

A dashpot comprising: a closed cylinder cavity and a damper shaft (24) which are rotatable with respect to one another; a piston (47) which is slideable between two extreme positions; and a motion converting mechanism to convert the relative rotation between the cylinder barrel (17) and the damper shaft (24) into a sliding motion of the piston (47). The motion converting mechanism comprises two co-operating screw threads, one (58) being provided on an outer wall of the piston (47) and the other one being provided on an inner wall of the cylinder barrel (17) or on an inner wall of a plastic tubular element fixed to the cylinder barrel. By providing the screw thread (58) on the outside of the piston (47), the diameter of the screw thread (58) is increased thereby increasing its lead and thus causing a higher volume of hydraulic fluid to be displaced during operation of the dashpot.