Closure assembly and actuator

Claim 2

In combination with a panel member having an aperture therein and a closure disposed thereon for pivoted movement in a predetermined path of motion with respect to said panel member between an open position and a closed position closing said aperture, a closure actuator assembly comprising, in combination, a housing rigidly supported on said panel member generally adjacent a marginal edge of said aperture, a moveabLe member, means supporting said movable member on said housing for linear bodily slidable movement along a predetermined linear path of motion in a plane parallel to a plane of said aperture, rotary input drive means disposed in said housing in a plane parallel to the plane of said aperture and being connected to said moveable member for effecting bodily shiftable movement of the latter in response to a rotary input thereto, a drive element flexible in only one direction and operative for force transmission in compression, means attaching one end of said drive element to said closure so that said one end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said closure and substantially perpendicular to the plane of said aperture, means attaching the other end of said drive element to said moveable member so that said other end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said moveable member, and guide means disposed on said housing between said moveable member and said aperture defining a guide portion extending across said marginal edge and including a first section aligned along the path of motion of said one end of said drive element and a second section aligned along the path of motion of said other end and a curved transition section therebetween, said drive element being slidably disposed in said guide portion so that bodily movement of said moveable member places said drive element in compression for moving said closure from the closed to the open position.

Claim 3

In combination with a panel member having an aperture therein and a closure disposed thereon for pivoted movement in a predetermined path of motion with respect to said panel member between an open position and a closed position closing said aperture, a closure actuator assembly comprising, in combination, a housing rigidly supported on said panel member generally adjacent a marginal edge of said aperture, a moveable member, means supporting said moveable member on said housing for substantially linear slidable movement along a predetermined path of motion in a plane parallel to the plane of said aperture, a screw member supported on said housing for rotation about an axis defined by the latter and oriented generally parallel to the plane of said aperture, a rotary output power source disposed remote from said housing, a flexible rotary cable disposed between said screw member and said power source for transferring torque between said power source for transferring torque between said power source and said screw member to effect rotation of the latter, a nut member threadably disposed on said screw member for linear bodily shiftable movement along said axis in response to rotation of said screw member, means securely connecting said moveable member to said nut member for bodily shiftable movement as a unit therewith, a drive element flexible in only one direction and operative for force transmission in compression, means attaching one end of said drive element to said closure so that said one end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said closure and substantially perpendicular to the plane of said aperture, means attaching the other end of said drive element to said moveable member so that said other end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said moveable member, and guide means disposed on said housing between said moveable member and said aperture defining a guide portion extending across said marginal edge and including a first section aligned along the path of motion of said one end of said drive element and a second section aligned along the path of motion of said other end and a curved transition section therebetween, said drive element being slidably disposed in said guide portion so that linear bodily movement of said moveable member places said drive element in compression for moving said closure from the closed to the open position.

Claim 4

In combination with a panel member having an aperture therein and a closure disposed thereon for pivoted movement in a predetermined path of motion with respect to said panel member between an open position and a closed position closing said aperture, a closure actuator assembly comprising, in combination, a housing rigidly supported on said panel member generally adjacent a marginal edge of said aperture, a moveable member, means supporting said moveable member on said housing for substantially linear slidable movement along a predetermined path of motion in a plane parallel to the plane of said aperture, a screw member supported on said housing for rotation about an axis defined by the latter and oriented generally parallel to the plane of said aperture, a rotary output power source disposed remote from said housing, a flexible rotary cable disposed between said screw member and said power source for transferring torque between said power source for transferring torque between said power source and said screw member to effect rotation of the latter, a nut member threadably disposed on said screw member for linear bodily shiftable movement along said axis in response to rotation of said screw member, means securely connecting said moveable member to said nut member for bodily shiftable movement as a unit therewith, a drive element flexible in only one direction and operative for force transmission in compression, means attaching one end of said drive element to said closure so that said one end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said closure and substantially perpendicular to the plane of said aperture, means attaching the other end of said drive element to said moveable member so that said other end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said moveable member, and guide means disposed on said housing between said moveable member and said aperture defining a guide portion extending across said marginal edge and including a first section aligned along the path of motion of said one end of said drive element and a second section aligned along the path of motion of said other end and a curved transition section therebetween, said drive element being slidably disposed in said guide portion so that linear bodily movement of said moveable member places said drive element in compression for moving said closure from the closed to the open position.

Claim 5

In combination with a panel member having an aperture therein and a closure disposed thereon for pivotal movement in a predetermiNed path of motion with respect to said panel member between an open position and a closed position closing said aperture, a closure actuator assembly comprising, in combination, a housing rigidly supported in said panel member generally adjacent a marginal edge of said aperture, a moveable member, means supporting said moveable member in said housing in a plane parallel to the plane of said aperture for bodily shiftable movement along a predetermined path of motion, in a plane parallel to the plane of said aperture, a crank member supported on said housing for rotation about an axis defined by said housing and oriented generally perpendicular to the plane of said aperture, handle means disposed on said crank member and being manually operable to effect rotation of said crank member, means on said crank member defining a crank pin offset from said axis and rotatably thereabout in response to rotation of said crank member, means on said moveable member defining a slot adapted for sliding reception of said crank pin so that rotation of said crank member effects bodily shiftable movement of said moveable member, a drive element flexible in only one direction and operative for force transmission in compression, means attaching one end of said drive element to said closure so that said one end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said closure and substantially perpendicular to the plane of said aperture, means attaching the other end of said drive element to said moveable member so that said other end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said moveable member, and guide means disposed on said housing between said moveable member and said aperture defining a guide portion extending across said marginal edge and including a first section aligned along the path of motion of said other end and a curved transition section therebetween, said drive element being slidably disposed in said guide portion so that bodily movement of said moveable member places said drive element in compression for moving said closure from the closed to the open position.

Claim 6

In combination with a panel member having an aperture therein and a closure disposed thereon for pivotal movement in a predetermiNed path of motion with respect to said panel member between an open position and a closed position closing said aperture, a closure actuator assembly comprising, in combination, a housing rigidly supported in said panel member generally adjacent a marginal edge of said aperture, a moveable member, means supporting said moveable member in said housing in a plane parallel to the plane of said aperture for bodily shiftable movement along a predetermined path of motion, in a plane parallel to the plane of said aperture, a crank member supported on said housing for rotation about an axis defined by said housing and oriented generally perpendicular to the plane of said aperture, handle means disposed on said crank member and being manually operable to effect rotation of said crank member, means on said crank member defining a crank pin offset from said axis and rotatably thereabout in response to rotation of said crank member, means on said moveable member defining a slot adapted for sliding reception of said crank pin so that rotation of said crank member effects bodily shiftable movement of said moveable member, a drive element flexible in only one direction and operative for force transmission in compression, means attaching one end of said drive element to said closure so that said one end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said closure and substantially perpendicular to the plane of said aperture, means attaching the other end of said drive element to said moveable member so that said other end is constrained for movement in the path of motion of said moveable member, and guide means disposed on said housing between said moveable member and said aperture defining a guide portion extending across said marginal edge and including a first section aligned along the path of motion of said other end and a curved transition section therebetween, said drive element being slidably disposed in said guide portion so that bodily movement of said moveable member places said drive element in compression for moving said closure from the closed to the open position.