Ronald J Wilde

US Patent:

20040040213, Mar 4, 2004

Filed:

Aug 29, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/230560

Inventors:

Ronald Wilde - St Clair Shores MI, US

International Classification:

E05F011/24

US Classification:

049/341000

Abstract:

A controlled counter-balance actuator opens and closes a lift-gate of a sport utility vehicle. The controlled counter-balance actuator includes a drive unit at each side of the lift-gate having a rotor that is pivotally secured to a body of the vehicle in a fixed position and a gas spring. The gas spring is pivotally secured to the rotor at one end and pivotally secured to the lift-gate at the opposite end. The rotor is indexed angularly by an electric motor so as to rotate from a home position to an open position in one direction or to a close position in an opposite direction. The rotor and the gas spring hold the lift-gate in an open position or a close position when the rotor is in the home position, move an open lift-gate toward the closed position when the rotor is indexed from the home position to the close position, and move a closed the lift-gate toward an open position when the rotor is indexed from the home position to the open position.

US Patent:

20130038075, Feb 14, 2013

Filed:

Jul 11, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/546844

Inventors:

Ronald J. Wilde - St. Clair Shores MI, US
Jeffrey S. Hamminga - Troy MI, US
Eric Hansen - Lake Orion MI, US

International Classification:

E05B 65/12
E05B 15/02

US Classification:

29234114

Abstract:

A vehicle closure assembly includes a closure movable relative to a vehicle opening between closed and open positions. A latch is coupled to one of a threshold of the vehicle opening and the closure, and a striker is coupled to the other of the threshold of the vehicle opening and the closure. The striker and latch are engageable to secure the closure in the closed position. A striker cover is movable relative to the striker between a concealing position in which the striker is substantially concealed from the latch, and an exposing position in which the striker is substantially exposed to the latch. An actuator is coupled to the striker cover and is operable to move the striker cover to the concealing position or the exposing position from the other position in response to movement of the closure relative to the vehicle opening.