US 11,840,874 B2
Counterbalance mechanism with friction
Joseph Scheuring, Richmond Hill (CA); and Wieslaw Nowicki, Mississauga (CA)
Assigned to Magna Closures Inc., Newmarket (CA)
Filed by MAGNA CLOSURES INC., Newmarket (CA)
Filed on Mar. 26, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/830,731.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/824,659, filed on Mar. 27, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2020/0308889 A1, Oct. 1, 2020
Int. Cl. F16F 13/00 (2006.01); E05F 3/16 (2006.01); E05F 3/18 (2006.01); B60J 5/10 (2006.01); E05F 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC E05F 3/16 (2013.01) [E05F 3/18 (2013.01); F16F 13/007 (2013.01); B60J 5/10 (2013.01); E05F 1/1058 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/26 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/264 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/266 (2013.01); E05Y 2201/488 (2013.01); E05Y 2900/546 (2013.01); F16F 2236/103 (2013.01); F16F 2236/106 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A friction based counterbalance mechanism (15) for coupling with a closure panel (14) of a vehicle (10) to assist in opening and closing of the closure panel, the counterbalance mechanism including:
a first housing (41a) having a first pivot connection mount (38) for connecting to one of a body (11) of the vehicle and the closure panel;
an extension member (35) coupled to the first housing at one end (133) and being extendable and retractable with respect to a second housing (41b) coupled adjacent to the first housing, the second housing (41b) for connecting by a second pivot connection mount (36) to the other of the body and the closure panel;
a sliding friction mechanism (15a) having:
a shaped sleeve (112) mounted on one of the extension member and the second housing (41b), the shaped sleeve providing an exterior friction surface (104); and
a resilient friction element (102) mounted to the other one of the second housing and the extension member, the resilient friction element positioned between second housing and the shaped sleeve and biased into contact with the exterior friction surface;
wherein relative movement between the shaped sleeve and the resilient friction element as the extension member is displaced generates sliding friction between the resilient friction element and the shaped sleeve;
wherein a diameter of the exterior friction surface is varied along a length of the shaped sleeve.