Apparatus for retracting a retractable protrusion
AssigneeRolls-Royce Motors Limited
InventorBryan George Ridgway
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle mascot is mounted on a support to project through an aperture in the vehicle radiator shell. The support is pivotally mounted on the shell and a spiral spring acts to bias the support into a retracted position in which the mascot is almost wholly retracted into the radiator shell. The support and mascot are maintained in a non-retracted position by a detent which acts to prevent movement of the support under the action of the spiral spring. The mascot is connected to an actuator which, on deflection of the mascot more than, say, 25% from its normal upright position, against the biasing action of a compression spring constrained to act between the support and the actuator, releases the detent to allow the spiral spring to retract the support and mascot.
Claims15
An apparatus for retracting a retractable protrusion through an aperture in a housing at least partially into the housing from which it extends, said apparatus comprising:
- a base member fixedly connected to said housing;
- a support member for said protrusion, said support member being pivotally connected to said base member;
- first spring means urging said support member in one angular direction relative to said base member;
- detent means operative to restrain movement of said support member in said one angular direction;
- an actuating member operatively connected to said protrusion and mounted for movement relative to said support member;
- and
- second spring means constrained between said support member and said actuating member, whereby movement of said actuating member relative to said support member against action of said second spring means causes release of said detent means to enable movement of said support member in said one angular direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.