Patent ID: 7234757

Claim:
An electromechanical strut for moving a pivotal lift gate in a motor vehicle body between a closed and an open position, the electromechanical strut comprising: a housing, pivotally mountable to one of the motor vehicle body and the lift gate; an extensible shaft, one end of the shaft being slidably mounted to the housing, and the other end of the shaft being pivotally mounted to the other of the motor vehicle body and the lift gate; a drive mechanism, comprising a power screw, for converting rotary motion into linear motion of the extensible shaft in order to move the extensible shaft between a retracted position corresponding to the closed position of the liftgate and an extended position corresponding to the open position of the liftgate; and a mechanical spring disposed within the housing and kinematically connected to the extensible shaft for providing a counterforce against the weight of the liftgate.