Patent ID: 6520557
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: E05D,E05F,E05Y

Abstract:
In an automotive vehicle having a pivotable vehicle closure element for opening and closing an access opening of a storage compartment of the vehicle, wherein the closure element is movable between open and closed positions and is supported by a four-bar hinge assembly having a pair of swinging links operably coupled between the closure element and the vehicle body, the improvement in combination therewith of a power actuating system for automatically opening and closing the closure element comprising:an electro-mechanical power drive unit stationarily mounted on the vehicle adjacent the hinge assembly, said drive unit having an output shaft rotatable about an axis under the control of an electric motor of said drive unit, and means for applying swinging torque to one of said links of said four-bar linkage comprising a pivotal support connection for said one link to the vehicle body, said output shaft being oriented coaxial with a pivot axis of said pivotal support connection and being directly operably connected to said one link so that rotation of the output shaft directly applies swinging torque to said one link of said hinge assembly and is bi-directionally rotatable through an angular range of travel corresponding to a swing travel of said one link as the closure element is moved between open and closed positions and vice versa.