Patent ID: 8403308

Claim:
A counterbalance and aperture cover assembly for use in a motor vehicle to at least partially control the movement of the aperture cover comprising an elastic member that at least partially counters a load applied to said aperture cover, a flexible extension limiter comprising at least one strap that provides a stop which defines a fully extended position of said counterbalance and which counters said load applied to said aperture cover when said counterbalance is in a fully extended position, and a protective housing that at least partially covers said elastic member and said flexible extension limiter, said protective housing extendable to a length that is greater than twice the length of said protective housing in a non-extended position, and wherein said protective housing has mounting members, wherein said mounting members comprise pins extending through openings formed at opposite ends of said housing, wherein said pins comprise slotted openings for installing and rotating said pins; wherein said elastic member and said flexible extension limiter extend around said pins to connect said elastic member and said flexible extension limiter to said housing, wherein said protective housing includes first, second and third tubes wherein at least one of said first, second and third tubes has a retaining member to prevent said at least one of said first, second and third tubes from disengaging an adjacent one of said first, second and third tubes and wherein said at least one of said first, second and third tubes freely slides with respect to an adjacent one of said first, second and third tubes, and at least one of said first, second and third tubes has at least three symmetrically spaced apart ribs, wherein each of said ribs is substantially the same shape and size, wherein said ribs are formed on an outer wall of said at least one of said first, second and third tubes and are configured to provide a gap between said outer wall of said at least one of said first, second and third tubes and an inner wall of an adjacent one of said first, second and third tubes wherein said ribs are each formed of a single elongated member having a cross-sectional area which facilitates substantially free sliding movement between said one of said first, second and third tubes and said adjacent one of said first, second and third tubes; wherein an inner chamber of said at least one of said first, second and third tubes and an inner chamber of said adjacent one of said first, second and third tubes each has a substantially uniform cross-section.