The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 01, 1988
Filed:
May. 28, 1986
Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A cable retractor having a spring loaded reel for winding a cable thereonto. The tension applied to the cable by the cable retractor is made to change as the take out length of the cable changes either by changing the effective radius of the reel or the effective spring constant of a spring member biasing the reel. Such a cable retractor can be advantageously applied to a rear shelf structure which lifts a rear shelf cooperative with the opening action of the tail gate of a three-door or five-door car by attaching the cable retractor to either the tail gate or the rear shelf and the free end of the cable taken out from the cable retractor to the other of the tail gate and the rear shelf. Thus, the rear shelf will not droop due to the increase in the tension of the cable when the tail gate is fully open and the cable retractor will not apply undue resistance to the tail gate in the early phase of opening the tail gate. Part of the cable may be still left wound on the reel when the tail gate is fully open so that the rear shelf may be moveable even when the tail gate is fully open.