Abstract: Apparatus for the motorized opening and closing of a motor vehicle body part which can be pivoted with respect to a vehicle body about a hinged lid axis includes a guide cylinder having a first end and a second end which can be coupled to the body at a pivot axis which is parallel to the hinged lid axis, a piston guided displaceably in the cylinder, and a piston rod having one end attached to the piston and an opposite end which protrudes from the first end of the cylinder and can be coupled to the pivotable body part at a distance from the hinged lid axis. A drive device drives first and second Bowden cables, which extend in parallel from the second end of the cylinder, to displace the piston in the cylinder. The first Bowden cable includes a sheath which is supported on the piston and a core which is fixed to the first end of the cylinder. The second Bowden cable includes a sheath which is supported on the second end of the cylinder and a core which is fixed to the piston.

Abstract: The invention pertains to an object support post with a vertical tube, which has a support plate at one end and a guide bush at the other end, in which a pneumatic spring is guided with freedom to slide back and forth. The pneumatic spring has a pressure cylinder, the interior of which is filled with a pressurized gas, where the interior is divided by a sliding piston into a first working chamber and a second working chamber, which chambers can be connected to each other by a bypass, which can be opened by a manually actuated valve. The piston has a piston rod, which extends through the second working chamber and is guided out of the pressure cylinder through a seal, the free end of the rod being attached to the support plate. A first stop ring, which, when the piston rod is in its outwardly extended position, encloses the area where the piston rod leaves the pressure cylinder, is connected permanently to the vertical tube and has a first, axially oriented, helical stop surface on one side.

Abstract: A motor vehicle with a cargo compartment lid, such as a hinged trunk lid or tailgate, which can be moved between an open position and a closed position around a pivot axis includes, at least one lid position sensor is integrated into the cargo compartment lid in such a way that the arrangement or position of the cargo compartment lid in space can be detected.

Abstract: Disclosed is an adjusting device for raising a hinged lid from a lowered, closed position into a raised, open position, especially for a motor vehicle, with a cylinder closed at one end, a piston, which divides the interior space of the cylinder into a first working chamber and a second working chamber, and which is installed with freedom to move axially back and forth in the cylinder, a piston rod, attached to the piston, the rod extending axially through the first working chamber and projecting through a seal to the outside, one or more flow connections connecting the first working chamber to the second working chamber, and a first adjusting element and a second adjusting element, wherein the first and second adjusting elements are designed to telescope into and out of each other and have guide devices, which make it possible to open the hinged lid into a partially opened position or into a completely opened position.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a piston-cylinder unit for a hinged lid, especially a motor vehicle hinged lid, with a closed first end, a cylinder, a piston installed in the cylinder with freedom to slide back and forth, the piston dividing the cylinder into a working chamber remote from the first end and a second working near the first end; and a piston rod, which is attached to one side of the piston, projects through the first working chamber, and passes out of the cylinder concentrically to the central longitudinal axis of the cylinder through a guide and sealing device at the second end opposite the first end, where a first locking element is provided on the piston rod, and a second locking element is provided on the cylinder to establish a mechanical interlock, and where one of the locking elements comprises a sleeve, which cooperates with the other locking element to establish an interlock.

Abstract: A device is provided for pivoting a lid, especially a motor vehicle lid, around a pivot axis. The pivoting device has a first actuating unit on one side of the lid and a second actuating unit on the opposite side of the lid. The two actuating units have substantially the same drive forces in a first section of the lid travel distance and different drive forces in a second section of the lid travel distance.

Abstract: A spindle drive for a movable component includes a threaded spindle, which can be driven in rotation about a rotational axis by a reversible drive. A spindle nut is mounted nonrotatably on the spindle. By means of the spindle nut, a transmission element connected to the movable component can be driven axially with respect to the spindle axis. The spindle nut can be connected to and disconnected from the transmission element by a connecting device. A nut position sensor detects the position of the spindle nut and a component sensor detects the axial position of the transmission element. If it is concluded that there is plausibility between the signals of the nut position sensor and the component sensor, the spindle nut can be connected to the transmission element by the connecting device.

Abstract: An adjusting element with a cylinder which is closed at one end and filled with a fluid under pressure, wherein a piston which is displaceable axially in the cylinder divides the cylinder into a first work space and a second work space, and a piston rod is arranged at one side of the piston and guided out of the other end of the cylinder through the first work space in a sealed manner by a sealing and guiding device. The adjusting element has a measuring device for detecting the piston rod position and the length of extension of the adjusting element.

Abstract: A drive device for a hatch of a vehicle, wherein the device includes a first housing part which can be connected to a stationary component or to a movable component, a second housing part, a third housing part which is telescopically guided in the second housing part with an axial freedom of movement and which can be connected to the other of the movable component or the stationary component. A spindle drive comprising a threaded spindle and a spindle nut is mounted on the threaded spindle, by which the third housing part can be driven by a rotary drive and, thus, moved axially with respect to the second housing part. The drive device also includes a brake device, where the brake device comprises a centrifugal force brake.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gas spring which uses a compensating medium acting on a compensating piston in order to compensate the dependence on temperature of its characteristic. According to a first aspect of the invention, a compensating medium (16M) is selected whereof the critical temperature (TK) is between the lower limit temperature (Tlower) and a temperature exceeding the upper limit temperature (Tupper) Of the range of operating temperatures of the gas spring (50) by up to 100° C., and the gas spring (50) is designed such that, at an operating temperature (TB) of the gas spring (50) not exceeding the critical temperature (TK) of the compensating medium (16M), the point indicating the state of the compensating medium (16M) lies on or above the vapor pressure curve.

Abstract: A piston-cylinder unit, in particular gas spring, has a cylindrical pressure tube which has a surface protection on its outer surface. The piston-cylinder unit further has a piston, which is axially displaceable within the pressure tube and has a piston rod. The piston rod is led out of the pressure tube in a sealed manner through an end side opening at a piston-rod-exit end side of the pressure tube. To improve the corrosion prevention properties and the durability of the surface protection, an end region of the pressure tube which starts from the piston-rod-exit end side is excluded from the surface protection. A process for producing such a piston-cylinder unit is also disclosed.

Abstract: A hinge device for a flap of a motor vehicle includes a piston/cylinder unit arranged between a fixed structural part and a first flap which is pivotable about an axis of rotation. A second flap is likewise pivotable about the axis of rotation and can be connected releasably to the first flap. The piston/cylinder unit is arranged between a first leg, firmly connectable to the fixed structural part, and a second leg carrying the first flap, of a hinge 6. A third leg carries the second flap, wherein the first leg, the second leg, and the third leg 9 are pivotably arranged on a common hinge axis of rotation.

Abstract: A support column with a vertical tube has a coaxially installed gas spring including a cylinder divided by a piston into first and second working chambers. A piston rod passes through the second working chamber in a sealed manner to the outside, where it is attached to a bottom support piece of the vertical tube. The cylinder projects out of the vertical tube and is guided with freedom to slide back and forth in a guide sleeve installed in the end of the vertical tube opposite the bottom support piece. A connection between the first and second working chambers can be blocked by a manually actuatable valve. A second valve between the chambers, which is closed when the gas spring is under load, can be switched to the open position after the load on the gas spring has been absent for a certain period of time.

Abstract: A piston/cylinder unit includes a closed cylinder filled with a fluid under pressure, a piston dividing the cylinder into a first working chamber and a second working chamber, and a piston rod extending through the second working chamber. A passage through the piston connects the first working chamber to the second working chamber, and a valve closing member is movable between an open position and a closed position wherein the member closes the passage. A solenoid includes a coil, a coil core, and an armature in the piston, the armature driving the valve closing member between the closed position and the open position in response to a magnetic field produced by a current applied to the coil, the cylinder forming a magnetic field guide tube. The coil is supplied with current by a power line in the piston rod, and may be grounded to the piston rod or the cylinder.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gas spring which uses a compensating medium acting on a compensating piston in order to compensate the dependence on temperature of its characteristic. According to a first aspect of the invention, a compensating medium (16M) is selected whereof the critical temperature (TK) is between the lower limit temperature (Tlower) and a temperature exceeding the upper limit temperature (Tupper) of the range of operating temperatures of the gas spring (50) by up to 100° C., and the gas spring (50) is designed such that, at an operating temperature (TB) of the gas spring (50) not exceeding the critical temperature (TK) of the compensating medium (16M), the point indicating the state of the compensating medium (16M) lies on or above the vapor pressure curve.

Abstract: The invention relates to a gas spring with end position damping having a piston-cylinder unit which is provided with two identically configured pistons arranged in a mirror-like image. Each piston has two axially extending parts defining an annular groove therebetween. The groove is configured to receive an annular sealing ring operative to axially move within the groove. The groove, the pistons and cylinder are configured with an arrangement of flow passages providing damping at the end of the push-in and push-out strokes of the piston.

Abstract: A drive device for a motor vehicle, including a first fastening element connectable to one of a stationary component and a movable component of the motor vehicle; a housing tube comprising a first end facing away from the first fastening element, and a second fastening element on the first end, the second fastening element being connectable to the other of a stationary component and a movable component of the motor vehicle; a spindle drive comprising a threaded spindle; and a spindle nut mounted on the threaded spindle; and an electric motor for driving the threaded spindle in rotation. The spindle drive is configured to move the first fastening element and the housing tube away from each other in an axial movement. When energized the electric motor drives the threaded spindle in rotation with a torque which decreases over the course of the axial movement.

Abstract: A force supporting device for assisting a force required to move a flap of an overhead baggage compartment from an open position to a closed position includes a blockable piston cylinder unit attached to the flap for assisting the force required to move the flap, and a triggering device for blocking and releasing the blockable piston cylinder unit as a function of loading of the flap.

Abstract: A joining element for connecting a first component to a second component, wherein the joining element includes a connection member for the pivotable mounting of the first component, and part of the connection member is receivable in at least one aperture of the second component in a predetermined orientation. A fixing mechanism is provided for directly fixing the connection member to the second component when the part of the connection member received in the aperture.

Abstract: Socket housing has a hemispherical ball socket and a plurality of circumferentially spaced retaining tongues which extend toward an insertion opening, the tongues being radially pivotable to engage over the equator of a ball head. An outer part has an insertion region and a receiving opening into which the socket housing can be inserted in an insertion direction via the insertion region, the insertion region having an inside surface defining an opening with a cross-sectional area which is larger than a cross-sectional area defined by an inside surface of the receiving opening. The retaining tongues are in contact with the inside surface of the receiving opening when the socket housing is in the installed position. A locking device prevents movement of the socket housing counter to the insertion direction When the socket housing is in the installed position.