A retraction device for movable furniture parts has a driver movable along a first guide path, which is movable between a retracted position and a parked position and is directly or indirectly pretensioned into the retracted position by an energy storage device. The driver can be coupled to an activator in order to move the movable furniture part into a closed position. A method uses the driver for opening and closing the movable furniture part and tensioning and releasing a retraction device.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and components for the design of a flat belt based block and tackle design that is theoretically free of fleet angles. A mapping technique forms a set of planar positions for the centerlines of the free spans that provides a plurality of sheave geometries, which reside on a common axis and spans that are free of fleet angles at the sheave engagement interfaces. This permits the use of high-performing flat belts in high-reduction (e.g., 6:1 or greater) block and tackle topologies, with the principal benefits of an extended service life, high power transmission efficiency, more effective traction power transfer, and a compact machine design.

The disclosure provides apparatuses, systems, and methods for belt driven linear actuator systems.

A retraction device for movable furniture parts has a driver movable along a first guide path, which is movable between a retracted position and a parked position and is directly or indirectly pretensioned into the retracted position by an energy storage device. The driver can be coupled to an activator in order to move the movable furniture part into a closed position. A method uses the driver for opening and closing the movable furniture part and tensioning and releasing a retraction device.

The disclosure provides apparatuses, systems, and methods for belt driven linear actuator systems.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and components for the design of a flat belt based block and tackle design that is theoretically free of fleet angles. A mapping technique forms a set of planar positions for the centerlines of the free spans that provides a plurality of sheave geometries, which reside on a common axis and spans that are free of fleet angles at the sheave engagement interfaces. This permits the use of high-performing flat belts in high-reduction block and tackle topologies, with the principal benefits of an extended service life, high power transmission efficiency, more effective traction power transfer, and a compact machine design.

Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and components for the design of a flat belt based block and tackle design that is theoretically free of fleet angles. A mapping technique forms a set of planar positions for the centerlines of the free spans that provides a plurality of sheave geometries, which reside on a common axis and spans that are free of fleet angles at the sheave engagement interfaces. This permits the use of high-performing flat belts in high-reduction block and tackle topologies, with the principal benefits of an extended service life, high power transmission efficiency, more effective traction power transfer, and a compact machine design.

The present disclosure provides differential drive assemblies and methods of making and operating differential drive assemblies. The differential drive assembly includes a rotor having a rotor axis about which the rotor is configured to rotate. The rotor has a peripheral wall portion encircling the rotor axis that is positioned a varying distance radially outward from the rotor axis. The differential drive assembly also includes a base coupled to the rotor. That includes a first plurality of pulleys and a carriage movably coupled to the base that includes a second plurality of pulleys and is movable with respect to the base. The differential drive assembly includes a rope wound about the rotor. The rope extends from the peripheral wall portion of the rotor to the second plurality of pulleys. The rope extends from the second plurality of pulleys to the first plurality of pulleys to form a continuous rope circuit.