A transmission includes an oil sump and at least one oil bunker arranged separated from the oil sump within the transmission. The transmission includes a valve having a channel body, at least one sump port, at least one bunker port, and a mechanical actuating element. The channel body has at least one oil duct. The at least one oil duct connects the at least one bunker port to the at least one sump port. The mechanical actuating element is configured for temperature-dependently deforming to transfer the valve out of a closed position into at least one open position. The at least one oil bunker is connected to the oil sump via the valve when the valve is in the at least one open state. The at least one oil bunker is not connected to the oil sump via the valve when the valve is in the closed state.

A lift buffering structure includes a hollow column-shaped housing, a holding seat fixedly connected to an inner wall surface of the hollow column-shaped housing, an inner stem disposed in the hollow column-shaped housing and slidably extended through the holding seat, an elastic element having an end connected to the inner stem and another end to the holding seat to limit a travel stroke of the inner stem, an abutting unit disposed at one side of the holding seat opposite to the elastic element and having a width downward reduced gradually along a height direction of the hollow column-shaped housing, and an anti-slip unit connected to a lower end of the inner stem and located between the abutting unit and the inner wall surface of the hollow column-shaped housing. The lift buffering structure having the above structure can overcome a lot of problems in the conventional gas and oil struts.

A lift buffering structure includes a hollow column-shaped housing, a holding seat fixedly connected to an inner wall surface of the hollow column- shaped housing, an inner stem disposed in the hollow column-shaped housing and slidably extended through the holding seat, an elastic element having an end connected to the inner stem and another end to the holding seat to limit a travel stroke of the inner stem, an abutting unit disposed at one side of the holding seat opposite to the elastic element and having a width downward reduced gradually along a height direction of the hollow column-shaped housing, and an anti-slip unit connected to a lower end of the inner stem and located between the abutting unit and the inner wall surface of the hollow column-shaped housing. The lift buffering structure having the above structure can overcome a lot of problems in the conventional gas and oil struts.

A fail-safe drive (1) for an actuating drive is provided, which has a cam disc (8), at least one restoring element, a counter-element (5) and an output shaft (3), with the cam disc (8) and the counter-element (5) being configured for joint conversion of an axial movement of the restoring element along the output shaft (3) into a rotational movement of the output shaft (3). The cam disc (8) has a control cam (10), the profile of which is adapted to a spring characteristic curve of the restoring element such that, in the case of activation of the failsafe drive (1), a constant output movement and/or a constant output torque can be generated.

An energy-recovery device comprises an engine, an immersion chamber, a drive, and a power module. The engine comprises a core comprising a core element that comprises working material, the core element comprising a fixed first end and a second end that is connected to the drive. The immersion chamber houses the engine and is configured to be sequentially filled with fluid to expand and contract the core element. The power module applies a controlled stress to the core element during at least one of a heating phase and a cooling phase of a power cycle carried out by the engine.

An actuator (1) having an energy accumulator (6), with which an emergency drive (5) can be supplied, is configured to be tensioned by an electric motor (2). The motor (2) displaces at least one engaging element (41, 42) of the energy accumulator (6), on which a restoring force of the energy accumulator (6) acts, along an actuating travel in normal operating mode.

An energy-recovery device comprises an engine, an immersion chamber, a drive, and a power module. The engine comprises a core comprising a core element that comprises working material, the core element comprising a fixed first end and a second end that is connected to the drive. The immersion chamber houses the engine and is configured to be sequentially filled with fluid to expand and contract the core element. The power module applies a controlled stress to the core element during at least one of a heating phase and a cooling phase of a power cycle carried out by the engine.

A toothbrush includes a removable, replaceable brush head that includes a clip that also serves as a removal tool for a spent brush head. The toothbrush may be a manually-wound or charged, powered toothbrush that includes a winding mechanism, an energy storage element, and an output gear train to cause a rotating, oscillating or sweeping brush head to move, thus improving the efficacy of the user's oral-care regimen.

The present invention utilizes operation of a valve actuator to generate electrical power. A portion of the mechanical energy generated by operation of a valve actuator is converted to electrical energy. The mechanical energy may be converted to electrical energy at the same time as the valve actuator is operating or the mechanical energy may be stored for later conversion. A valve actuator may be operated manually, electrically, pneumatically, or hydraulically. Generated electrical energy may also be stored.

A mechanism (100) for storing and releasing mechanical energy, which stores a low-power energy continuously inputted by a power transmission mechanism into an energy storage mechanism, and then controllably drives output in a high-power manner. The mechanism comprises a bracket (10), a supporting main shaft (11) arranged on the bracket (10), a driving gear (101) which sleeves over and rotates about the supporting main shaft (11), wherein arranged on one side of the driving gear (101) is at least one set of energy storage and release device (102). The mechanism (100) for storing and releasing mechanical energy is structurally simple and reliable. A light-weight high-efficiency drive mechanism may be fabricated by using a light-weight structural material or a composite material, which may store a large amount of low-power energy which is inputted continuously. The stored energy may then be released in a high-power manner by means of manual operations or smart electronic control, in order to drive equipment which require higher power to drive, or to be fed back to an original driving device by means of a designated transmission mechanism to be used as auxiliary kinetic energy. The mechanism features high operation efficiency and low energy consumption, and is thus high efficient in storing and releasing energy.