Abstract: A piston rod is connected to a piston and extends through a seal in the end face of a cylinder. A locking tube which surrounds the cylinder when the piston rod is retracted has a first end section mounted to the free end of the piston rod so that the locking tube is pivotable between a release position, wherein the locking tube is substantially coaxial to the piston rod, and a locking position, wherein the locking tube is inclined toward the piston rod. An opposed second end section has a supporting stop which can be positioned axially against the free end of the cylinder when the piston rod is extended and the locking tube is in the locking position. An actuable retaining device retains the locking tube in the locking position only by manually pivoting the locking tube into the locking position when the piston rod is extended.

Abstract: A spring system has a first pulling part with a first fastening element connected by a tension spring to a second pulling part with a second fastening element. The pulling parts are moveable relative to one another so as to increase or relieve stressing on the tension spring. A damping device damps the movement of the pulling parts in relation to one another. A cylinder is fastened on the first pulling part and a piston 3 is axially displacesably arranged therein, subdividing the interior of the cylinder into a first cylinder chamber and a second cylinder chamber. A piston rod connected to the piston is arranged on the second pulling part. The interior of the cylinder is connected to the surroundings via one or more restrictor openings.

Abstract: A continuously lockable adjustment device for immobilizing elements which are movable relative to each other includes a stepped cylinder having a first cylinder step and a second cylinder step, the second cylinder step having a larger cross-sectional area than the first cylinder step, a stepped piston having a first piston step guided in the first cylinder step and a second piston step guided in the second cylinder step, and a piston rod connected to the piston opposite the first piston step and extending sealed off out an end of the cylinder. The cylinder has a first working space and a second working space separated by the piston and filled with a working fluid in which the piston can be displaced axially, thereby displacing working fluid from one working space to the other working space.

Abstract: A displacement element includes a first piston, a second piston, a cylindrical housing filled with a fluid under pressure, a piston rod, and a spring. Each of the pistons is adapted to the respective internal diameter of its section and divides the respective section into two pressure chambers. The first piston is arranged at one end of the piston rod, and both pistons each include means for damping the movement of the piston rod respectively in one direction. The second piston is arranged on the side of the first piston facing away from the piston rod and is capable of displacement by means of the first piston in a direction facing away from the open end. The spring is arranged on the side of the second piston facing away from the first piston, and supported by the second piston and the housing.

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 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 piston/cylinder unit includes a pressure tube and a piston rod connected to a piston and axially displaceable in the pressure tube. A pressure-tube attachment element for the external connection of the piston/cylinder unit is arranged on the pressure tube and a piston-rod attachment element for the external connection of the piston/cylinder unit is arranged on the piston rod. For adaptation to respective installation conditions, the piston-rod attachment is connected to the piston rod and/or the pressure-tube attachment element is connected to the pressure tube, so as to be adjustable in the axial direction.

Abstract: A continuously blockable adjustment device for fixing two structural elements moveable in relation to one another, in particular a body of the motor vehicle and a door or flap of the motor vehicle moveable in relation to the body of the motor vehicle, includes a piston/cylinder unit with a cylinder, a piston displaceable axially in the cylinder, and a piston rod led out of the cylinder. The piston/cylinder unit has a piston-rod-side attachment element for connection to a first of the structural elements and a cylinder-side attachment element for connection to the second of the structural elements. A bracket at least partially engaging over the piston/cylinder unit axially is provided. The bracket 12 is fastenable in a first bracket end region to one of the two structural elements and, in a second bracket end region facing away from the first bracket end region, is tied to the piston-rod-side attachment element or the cylinder-side attachment element of the piston/cylinder unit.

Abstract: The invention relates to an opening device for a flap of a vehicle, in particular for a rear flap, which can be pivoted about a horizontal pivot axis on the upper edge of an opening in the vehicle body from a downwardly directed closed position into an upwardly directed open position. It has a gas-filled spring coupled to the body by the free end of its piston rod at a distance from the pivot axis and coupled to the flap by its pressure tube at a distance from the pivot axis. In this case, the gas-filled spring in the extension direction applies a force to the flap in the opening direction. Furthermore, there is an actuator by means of which a torque can act on the flap in the opening direction. The actuator is an energy accumulator which, from its tensioned position, applies a force to the flap during its opening stroke from the closed position until a relaxed position of the energy accumulator is reached.

Abstract: A gas spring is configured with a cylinder divided into first and second chambers by a cylinder piston provided with a rod which is displaceable within the cylinder, and a damping piston dividing the second chamber into a partial chamber and a damping chamber. The cylinder piston and damping pistons are operative to move in opposite axial push-in and push-out direction so that the damping piston is born against the piston in the push-in direction and trails the piston in the push-out direction. The gas spring further has a first choke assembly generating a greater chocking effect when both pistons move in the push-in direction than in the opposite push-out direction; and a second choke assembly generating a smaller choking effect upon displacement of the pistons in the push-in direction than in the push-out direction.

Abstract: A gas spring has a closed cylinder, the interior of which is divided into a first working space and a second working space by a piston, which is free to slide back and forth in the cylinder. The piston has a piston rod, which extends through the second working space and out from the cylinder through a seal. The first working space and the second working space are filled with pressurized gas. A compensating space, which is filled with a compensating medium, is also provided. The volume of this compensating medium changes with the temperature, and this change in volume brings about a corresponding change in the volume of the first working space. The compensating medium is an incompressible medium which expands in volume as the temperature drops, this expansion leading to a decrease in the volume of the first working space.

Abstract: A gas spring includes a pressure tube having a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber, the pressure tube being filled with a pressure fluid. An actuating device that can move relative to the pressure tube is acted on by the pressure fluid. A flow channel connects the first pressure chamber to the second pressure chamber, and a heater is arranged within the flow channel and/or immediately adjacent to the flow channel.

Abstract: A push-type gas spring has a pressure tube having a pressure tube connector element for the external attachment of the push-type gas spring. The gas spring also has a piston, which is operable to slide back and forth axially in the pressure tube and has a piston rod, where the piston rod extends out of the pressure tube from a first end surface of the pressure tube and has a piston rod connector element for the external attachment of the push-type gas spring. So that tensile forces can be applied to the pressure tube connector element and the piston rod connector element, the pressure tube and the pressure tube connector element are connected to each other by a pressure tube tension element extending axially alongside the piston rod and/or the piston rod and the piston rod connector element are connected to each other by a piston rod tension element extending axially alongside the pressure tube.

Abstract: A piston is guided in an axially displaceable manner sealed off from a closed cylinder via an annular seal radially surrounding it, and divides the cylinder interior into a working space near the piston rod and a working space away from the piston rod. The two working spaces are filled with a hydraulic fluid. The piston has a one-sided piston rod which extends through the working space near the piston rod and is guided in a sealed manner to the outside through an end closing wall of the cylinder. A first valve can be opened under high pressure to connect the working space away from the piston rod to the working space near the piston rod. A second valve can be opened under high pressure to connect the working space near the piston rod to the working space away from the piston rod. A volume-equalizing chamber for receiving the amount displaced from the working space away from the piston rod, which is greater than the amount displaced from the working space near the piston rod.

Abstract: A piston/cylinder unit has a closed cylinder with a piston axially displaceably guided therein. The piston divides the cylinder interior into first and a second working spaces which are both filled with a fluid. A first nonreturn valve is arranged in the piston having a closing element of which is force-loaded in the closing direction. At least a portion of the first nonreturn valve is exposed to pressure in the first working space. A second nonreturn valve is also arranged in the piston and also has a closing element of which is force-loaded in the closing direction. The surface of the closing element of the first and/or second nonreturn valve acted upon by the pressure of the respective working spaces can be enlarged during the opening stroke of said nonreturn valve.

Abstract: In a piston-cylinder assembly comprising a cylinder in which a piston rod is installed with freedom of axial movement and which is filled with a blocking medium, a braking device becomes active when the piston-cylinder assembly moves faster than a defined speed and thus limits the speed to a desired extent. A valve body divides the cylinder into two working spaces, which are connected to each other by at least one flow-through opening. As soon as the defined speed is exceeded, the dynamic pressure in the working space elastically deforms a disk, which has the effect of at least partially sealing off the flow-through opening(s) in opposition to the forces trying to keep them open. The elastic deformation of the disk represents a closing movement relative to the cross section of the flow-through opening(s). The disk takes the form of a valve ring, which is installed in a valve ring groove with a certain freedom of axial movement.

Abstract: A continuously lockable adjustment device for immobilizing elements which are movable relative to each other includes a stepped cylinder having a first cylinder step and a second cylinder step, the second cylinder step having a larger cross-sectional area than the first cylinder step, a stepped piston having a first piston step guided in the first cylinder step and a second piston step guided in the second cylinder step, and a piston rod connected to the piston opposite the first piston step and extending sealed off out an end of the cylinder. The cylinder has a first working space and a second working space separated by the piston and filled with a working fluid in which the piston can be displaced axially, thereby displacing working fluid from one working space to the other working space.

Abstract: A catch for two objects moveable in relation to one another, in particular a door catch, includes a cylinder, which is operatively connected to a first object, a friction surface carrier, which is operatively connected to a second object, a friction element for creating a frictional grip between the cylinder and the friction surface carrier through an energy input. The friction element being connected to an electrical voltage supply device, wherein a change in the volume of the friction element, which constitutes an actuating movement of the friction element in relation to the friction surface, occurs as a function of the voltage applied to the friction element.

Abstract: The invention is concerned with a ball-and-socket joint connection having a retaining part which has a fastening point for fixedly arranging it, and a rod part which is arranged pivotably in a pivoting-angle region in a pivoting plane via a ball-and-socket joint on the retaining part 1. The fastening point and the ball-and-socket joint are situated approximately in the pivoting plane and the rod part protrudes from the ball-like component out of a journal slot 19 which extends radially to the ball seat in a sector-like or sectional manner at least corresponding to the pivoting angle and has a width at least corresponding to the thickness of the rod part to reduce a bending moment and loading on the retaining part.

Abstract: A piston/cylinder unit has a closed cylinder with a piston axially displaceably guided therein. The piston divides the cylinder interior into first and a second working spaces which are both filled with a fluid. A piston rod extends through the cylinder interior and is guided on its end side to the outside in a sealed manner through a closing wall of the cylinder. Furthermore, a first nonreturn valve is arranged in the piston having a closing element of which is force-loaded in the closing direction. At least a portion of the first nonreturn valve is exposed to pressure in the first working space. When an opening pressure in the first working space exceeds an opening pressure, the first nonreturn valve is opened connecting the first working space to the second working space. A second nonreturn valve is also arranged in the piston and also has a closing element of which is force-loaded in the closing direction.