Engine cover hinge electric actuator control mechanism capable of actively protecting pedestrians

Abstract

The invention discloses an engine hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection, which comprises a hinge, an engine hood connecting end stay wire for controlling the hinge to reset and a release end stay wire for controlling the hinge to unlock, the engine cover connecting end stay wire and the release end stay wire are connected with the integrated controller or the split controller to reset and unlock the hinge, the engine cover hinge electric actuator control mechanism can quickly unlock the hinge to protect pedestrians, and the unfolded hinge can be reset after being touched by mistake. The hinge body is not damaged, the high reusability of the product is achieved, the environmental protection property is improved, and meanwhile the maintenance cost is reduced or saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of automobile accessories, in particular to a hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection. Background Art

[0002] A pedestrian protection hinge is a safety device installed on a car's hood. In the event of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian, it triggers the hood to rise to a certain height through a mechanical or electronic trigger mechanism, minimizing injury to the pedestrian. It is a crucial component of modern automotive passive safety systems.

[0003] The pedestrian protection hinge has the function of buffering and absorbing energy. When a collision occurs, the hinge is triggered to cause the rear of the engine hood to pop up, forming a buffer space to prevent the pedestrian's head from directly hitting the hard engine components. The pedestrian protection hinge also has the function of reducing head injuries by increasing the deformation distance and prolonging the collision time, thereby reducing the impact force on the head and reducing the risk of serious injury or death.

[0004] Currently, hood assemblies with active pedestrian protection on the market use a powder trigger. When a pedestrian collides with the vehicle's front bumper, the powder ignites and explodes, dislodging the locking mechanism and popping up the hood to cushion the impact. The pedestrian protection system only activates when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle's front bumper, deploying the rear end of the hood within 150-200ms. This ensures that the hood is already in place when the pedestrian's head strikes the rear end of the hood, providing a buffer to mitigate damage. Furthermore, on bumpy roads or in minor collisions (such as low-speed rear-end collisions), the hood may unexpectedly pop up due to vibration or sensor misjudgment, increasing repair costs.

[0005] The above method has the following main disadvantages: 1. Once the pedestrian protection system function is triggered, the vehicle must be sent to the repair shop as soon as possible and cannot be used normally; 2. If the pedestrian protection system is triggered by mistake, the pop-up function will still be released, and related parts such as the hinge and detonator still need to be replaced. Usually, the entire hinge assembly needs to be replaced. Some models also need to replace the hood or sensor, which results in high repair and replacement costs; 3. The existing technical trigger is a gunpowder trigger, which is not environmentally friendly.

[0006] For example, Chinese patent CN213831609 discloses an active pedestrian protection hood hinge system and vehicle. The active pedestrian protection hood hinge system includes: a sensor that monitors and transmits road condition information; a controller that is in communication with the sensor, receives road condition information, and transmits control instructions; an actuator that is in communication with the controller, receives control instructions, and executes actions; and a hinge assembly, to which the actuator and hood are both connected, and which drives the hood to pop up or reset based on the actions executed by the actuator. This active pedestrian protection hood hinge system and vehicle mitigate post-collision head injuries to pedestrians, reducing the risk of serious injuries and fatalities. However, once the active pedestrian protection hood hinge system is triggered, the vehicle cannot be used normally and must be taken to a repair shop as soon as possible. Because the pop-up function has been released, related parts such as the hinge and detonator need to be replaced, which is costly.

[0007] Therefore, the pedestrian protection hinge control mechanism is a key technology in automotive safety design, effectively reducing the occurrence of problems such as false triggering and high repair costs. In the future, with the development of materials science and intelligent sensing technology, its reliability and protection effect are expected to be further improved. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Purpose of the invention: In order to address the deficiencies of the prior art, the present invention provides a hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism can quickly unlock the hinge to protect pedestrians, and can reset the unfolded hinge after an accidental touch without causing damage to the hinge body, thereby achieving high reusability of the product, improving environmental protection, and reducing or saving maintenance costs.

[0009] Technical solution: In order to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection, which includes a hinge, a hood connection end pull wire for controlling the hinge reset and a release end pull wire for controlling the hinge unlocking. The hood connection end pull wire and the release end pull wire realize the reset and unlocking of the hinge by being connected to an integrated controller or a split controller.

[0010] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the integrated controller includes an actuator housing, a base, a reset wire end, an unlock wire end, a winding wheel, a micro switch and a motor, the micro switch and the motor are respectively mounted on the base, the winding wheel and the motor are connected by spline fitting and fixed above the motor, the winding wheel is provided with an upper wire rope groove, a lower wire rope groove and an upper stopper and a lower stopper located on the upper wire rope groove and the lower wire rope groove, the wire ropes wound in the upper wire rope groove and the lower wire rope groove are respectively connected to the reset wire end and the unlock wire end, and the actuator housing seals the winding wheel on the base with a sealing ring; Holes are respectively provided on the upper block and the lower block, and the reset wire rivet head and the unlocking wire rivet head passed through the wire rope are in contact with the upper block and the lower block respectively. When the lower block on the winding wheel drives the wire connected to the unlocking wire rivet head to move, the reset wire rivet head moves freely in the upper wire rope groove on the winding wheel; conversely, when the upper block on the winding wheel drives the wire connected to the reset wire rivet head to move, the unlocking wire rivet head moves freely in the lower wire rope groove on the winding wheel, and the reset wire end or the unlocking wire end pulls the hood connecting end wire or the release end wire to realize unlocking or resetting of the hinge.

[0011] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reset pull wire end is connected to the hood connection end pull wire through the reset pull wire, and the unlock pull wire end is connected to the release end pull wire through the unlock pull wire.

[0012] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the winding wheel pulls the reset wire end or the unlocking wire end when the motor rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, the reset wire end is connected to the hood connection end wire to achieve the resetting of the hinge, and the unlocking wire end is connected to the release end wire to achieve the unlocking of the hinge, and the cabin cover is lifted to increase the buffer space for collision.

[0013] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the radar detects that a pedestrian is about to be hit, the motor receives an unlocking signal from the ECU, and the motor drives the winding wheel to rotate counterclockwise, tightening the unlocking wire end to pull the pawl on the hinge to rotate in the unlocking direction to achieve unlocking; After the hood is deployed due to a collision or an accidental trigger, the motor receives a reset signal from the ECU and drives the reel to rotate clockwise. The reset cable end is tightened and pulls the reset link on the hinge to return the hinge mechanism and the hood to the reset state. After the ECU supplies reverse power to the motor, the motor drives the winding wheel to rotate clockwise. After the ECU receives the jump signal of the micro switch, the ECU controls the motor to cut off the power. At this time, the block on the winding wheel just touches the unlocking wire end, preparing for the next trigger to unlock.

[0014] As a further preference of the present invention, the split controller includes a reset actuator and an unlocking actuator. The reset actuator is connected to the hood connection end cable through a reset cable, and the unlocking actuator is connected to the release end cable through an unlocking cable. The unlocking actuator model is: 6NW 009 203 series, and the supplier is HELLA. Since the unlocking actuator is existing technology, its function and working principle will not be described in detail here.

[0015] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reset actuator includes an outer tube, an end cover that seals the end of the hollow outer tube, and a connector wire installed in the outer tube and the end cover, a motor assembly, a slider and a screw rod. The motor assembly is fixed in the outer tube, one end of the screw rod is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor assembly, and the other end of the screw rod is passed through the slider and abuts against the end cover. One end of the connector wire is installed on the slider, and the other end of the connector wire passes through the end cover and is connected to the reset wire. The connector wire is passed through the slider. Under the action of external force, the axial sliding of the connector wire on the slider can absorb and adjust the installation errors of the hinges on the left and right sides.

[0016] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is at least one connector pull wire and the number of the connector pull wires is equal to the number of the hinges.

[0017] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the number of the unlocking actuators is equal to the number of the hinges.

[0018] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, after the unlocking actuator receives the unlocking signal from the ECU, the unlocking actuator is energized to tighten the unlocking cable, and the unlocking cable pulls the pawl on the hinge to rotate in the unlocking direction to achieve unlocking, and the hood is lifted to increase the collision buffer space; After unlocking is completed, the ECU energizes the unlocking actuator to make it run in the reverse direction, returning the unlocking actuator to its initial position, and preparing for the next triggering of the unlocking action; After the reset actuator receives the reset signal from the ECU, the motor assembly rotates to drive the screw to rotate, causing the slider mounted on the screw to slide on the screw. The wire connected to the slider is tightened toward the direction of the motor assembly, and at the same time, the reset links on the left and right hinges are pulled to return the hinge mechanism and the hood to the reset state.

[0019] Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection described in the present invention has the following advantages: (1) By using an integrated controller or a split controller to realize electric release and reset control, the active hinge can be reused after it is bounced; (2) By using an integrated controller or a split controller to realize electric release and reset control, the existing detection and control equipment can be fully utilized without adding additional related components; (3) By using an integrated controller or a split controller to achieve electric release and reset control, there is no need to worry about the validity period and no need for regular replacement; (4) After the hinge is accidentally triggered, it can be reset and reused, and related parts do not need to be replaced, reducing maintenance costs; (5) Compared with the gunpowder release structure, the electric structure does not cause environmental pollution caused by chemical combustion; (6) By flexibly setting up a split controller and an integrated controller to control the hinge structure, the space structure utilization can be maximized according to the internal structure of the car. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the winding wheel structure of the integrated controller; Figure 2 This is an exploded diagram of the integrated controller; Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the integrated controller and hinge after installation; Figure 4 This is the installation diagram of the split controller; Figure 5 It is a full cross-sectional view of the reset actuator; Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the hinge in unlocked state; Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the hinge in the reset state; Figure 8 Schematic diagram of the hinge in the reset state from other perspectives. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0022] As shown in the accompanying drawings, a hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to the present invention includes a hinge 12, a hood connection end pull wire 2121, a release end pull wire 2122, an integrated controller consisting of an actuator housing 1, a base 2, a reset pull wire end 3, an unlocking pull wire end 4, a winding wheel 5, a micro switch 7 and a motor 8, and a split controller consisting of an outer tube 91, a connector pull wire 92, a motor assembly 93, a slider 94, a screw rod 95, an end cover 96 and an unlocking actuator 10. The hood connection end pull wire 2121 is used to control the resetting of the hinge 12, and the release end pull wire 2122 is used to control the unlocking of the hinge 12. The hood connection end pull wire 2121 and the release end pull wire 2122 are connected to the integrated controller or the split controller to achieve the resetting and unlocking of the hinge 12.

[0023] The integrated controller includes an actuator housing 1, a base 2, a reset wire end 3, an unlock wire end 4, a winding wheel 5, a micro switch 7 and a motor 8, wherein the micro switch 7 and the motor 8 are respectively mounted on the base 2, the winding wheel 5 and the motor 8 are connected by spline fitting and fixed above the motor 8, the winding wheel 5 is provided with an upper wire rope groove, a lower wire rope groove and an upper stopper 51 and a lower stopper 52 located on the upper wire rope groove and the lower wire rope groove, the wire rope wound in the upper wire rope groove and the lower wire rope groove are respectively connected to the reset wire end 3 and the unlock wire end 4, the actuator housing 1 uses a sealing ring 6 to seal the winding wheel 5 on the base 2, the reset wire end 3 is connected to the hood connecting end wire 2121 through the reset wire 42, and the unlock wire end 4 is connected to the release end wire 2122 through the unlock wire 35; Holes are respectively provided on the upper block 51 and the lower block 52, and the reset wire rivet head 31 and the unlocking wire rivet head 41 which are arranged on the wire rope are in contact with the upper block 51 and the lower block 52 respectively. When the lower block 52 on the winding wheel 5 drives the wire connected to the unlocking wire rivet head 41 to move, the reset wire rivet head 31 moves freely in the upper wire rope groove on the winding wheel 5; conversely, when the upper block 51 on the winding wheel 5 drives the wire connected to the reset wire rivet head 31 to move, the unlocking wire rivet head 41 moves freely in the lower wire rope groove on the winding wheel 5. Figure 1 shown.

[0024] Driven by the motor 8 to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise, the winding wheel 5 pulls the reset wire end 3 or the unlocking wire end 4. The reset wire end 3 is connected to the hood connection end wire 2121 to achieve the reset of the hinge 12, and the unlocking wire end 4 is connected to the release end wire 2122 to achieve the unlocking of the hinge 12.

[0025] The split controller includes a reset actuator 9 and an unlocking actuator 10 . The reset actuator 9 is connected to the hood connection end cable 2121 via a reset cable 42 , and the unlocking actuator 10 is connected to the release end cable 2122 via an unlocking cable 35 .

[0026] The reset actuator 9 includes an outer tube 91, and a connector pull wire 92, a motor assembly 93, a slider 94 and a screw rod 95 installed in the outer tube 91. The end cover 96 seals the end of the hollow outer tube 91. The motor assembly 93 is fixed in the outer tube 91. One end of the screw rod 95 is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor assembly 93. The other end of the screw rod 95 is passed through the slider 94 and abuts against the end cover 96. One end of the connector pull wire 92 is fixedly connected to the slider 94, and the other end of the connector pull wire 92 passes through the end cover 96 and is connected to the reset pull wire 42.

[0027] The rotation of the motor assembly 93 drives the screw rod 95 to rotate, so that the slider 94 mounted on the screw rod 95 slides on the screw rod 95, and the reset connecting rods on the hinges 12 on the left and right sides are pulled simultaneously through the connecting head pull wire 92 fixedly connected to the slider 94. Example

[0028] The disc-shaped integrated actuators are arranged symmetrically on the left and right. When the radar detects that a pedestrian is about to collide with it, it sends a signal to the ADAS ECU. After the motor 8 receives the unlocking signal from the ECU, Figure 2 、 Figure 3 As shown, the motor 8 drives the winding wheel 5 to rotate counterclockwise, tightening the unlocking wire end 4 to pull the pawl on the hinge 12 to rotate in the unlocking direction to achieve unlocking; After the motor 8 receives the reset signal from the ECU, the motor 8 drives the winding wheel 5 to rotate clockwise, tightens the reset wire end 3, and pulls the reset link on the hinge 12 to return the hinge mechanism and the cabin cover to the reset state; After the ECU reversely powers the motor 8, the motor 8 drives the winding wheel 5 to rotate clockwise. After the ECU receives the jump signal of the micro switch 7, the ECU controls the motor 8 to cut off the power. At this time, the lower block 52 on the winding wheel 5 just contacts the unlocking wire end 4, preparing for the next trigger to perform the unlocking action. Example

[0029] After the unlocking actuator 10 receives the unlocking signal from the ECU, the unlocking actuator 10 is energized to tighten the unlocking cable 35, and the unlocking cable 35 pulls the pawl on the hinge 12 to rotate in the unlocking direction to achieve unlocking; After unlocking is completed, the ECU energizes the unlocking actuator 10 to make it run in the reverse direction, so that the unlocking actuator 10 returns to the initial position; After the reset actuator 9 receives the reset signal from the ECU, the motor assembly 93 rotates to drive the screw rod 95 to rotate, so that the slider 94 sleeved on the screw rod 95 slides on the screw rod 95, and the connecting head pull wire 92 fixedly connected to the slider 94 is tightened in the direction of the motor assembly 93, and at the same time, the reset connecting rods on the left and right hinges 12 are pulled to return the hinge mechanism and the engine cover to the reset state. Figure 4 、 Figure 5 shown.

[0030] The motor 8 drives the winding wheel 5 to rotate counterclockwise, tightening the unlocking wire end 4 or after the unlocking actuator 10 is energized to tighten the unlocking wire 35, the release end wire 2122 is tightened, causing the pawl 2151 connected to the release end wire 2122 to rotate counterclockwise around the rivet shaft A2152, thereby disengaging the lock tongue 2161 from the pawl 2151, and finally disengaging the locking rod 223 from the groove on the lock tongue 2161. After losing the limit control of the lock tongue 2161, the locking rod 223 simultaneously releases the torsion springs C234, D235, E244 and F245, and releases the torsional energy stored in them to the hood connector 221, thereby opening the hood. Figure 6 shown.

[0031] After the motor 8 receives the ECU power reset signal or the reset actuator 9 receives the ECU power reset signal, the hood connection end pull wire 2121 is tightened, causing the locking rod 223 fixed to the hood connector 221 to move downward. After the locking rod 223 contacts the lock tongue 2161, it drives the lock tongue 2161 to rotate around the rivet axis B2162. After the lock tongue 2161 contacts the pawl 2151, it continues to drive the pawl 2151 to rotate around the rivet axis A2152 until the lock tongue 2161 and the pawl 2151 are in a locked state, thereby realizing the re-locking and resetting of the hood connector 221 and the hood connector 20. Figure 7 、 Figure 8 shown.

[0032] The above embodiments are intended only to illustrate the technical concepts and features of the present invention. Their purpose is to enable those skilled in the art to understand the contents of the present invention and implement them accordingly. They are not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Any equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit of the present invention shall be included in the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection, comprising a hinge (12), characterized in that: It also includes a hood connection end pull wire (2121) for controlling the resetting of the hinge (12) and a release end pull wire (2122) for controlling the unlocking of the hinge (12). The hood connection end pull wire (2121) and the release end pull wire (2122) are connected to an integrated controller or a split controller to achieve the resetting and unlocking of the hinge (12). The integrated controller is provided in pairs and arranged symmetrically on the left and right.

2. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The integrated controller comprises an actuator housing (1), a base (2), a reset wire end (3), an unlock wire end (4), a winding wheel (5), a micro switch (7) and a motor (8), wherein the micro switch (7) and the motor (8) are respectively mounted on the base (2), the winding wheel (5) and the motor (8) are connected by spline fitting and fixed above the motor (8), the winding wheel (5) is provided with an upper wire rope groove, a lower wire rope groove and an upper stopper (51) and a lower stopper (52) located on the upper wire rope groove and the lower wire rope groove, respectively, the wire ropes wound in the upper wire rope groove and the lower wire rope groove are connected to the reset wire end (3) and the unlock wire end (4), respectively, and the actuator housing (1) uses a sealing ring (6) to seal the winding wheel (5) on the base (2); The upper block (51) and the lower block (52) are respectively provided with holes, and the reset wire rivet head (31) and the unlocking wire rivet head (41) which are inserted into the wire rope are in contact with the upper block (51) and the lower block (52) respectively. When the lower block (52) on the winding wheel (5) drives the wire connected to the unlocking wire rivet head (41) to move, the reset wire rivet head (31) moves freely in the upper wire rope groove on the winding wheel (5); conversely, when the upper block (51) on the winding wheel (5) drives the wire connected to the reset wire rivet head (31) to move, the unlocking wire rivet head (41) moves freely in the lower wire rope groove on the winding wheel (5); The hinge (12) is unlocked or reset by pulling the hood connection end pull wire (2121) or the release end pull wire (2122) through the reset pull wire end (3) or the unlocking pull wire end (4).

3. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 2, characterized in that: The reset pull wire end (3) is connected to the hood connection end pull wire (2121) via the reset pull wire (42), and the unlock pull wire end (4) is connected to the release end pull wire (2122) via the unlock pull wire (35).

4. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 2, characterized in that: The winding wheel (5) pulls the reset wire end (3) or the unlock wire end (4) when the motor (8) rotates clockwise or counterclockwise, and the reset wire end (3) is connected to the hood connection end wire (2121) to achieve the reset of the hinge (12), and the unlock wire end (4) is connected to the release end wire (2122) to achieve the unlocking of the hinge (12).

5. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 2, characterized in that: After the motor (8) receives the unlocking signal from the ECU, the motor (8) drives the winding wheel (5) to rotate counterclockwise, tightens the unlocking wire end (4), and pulls the ratchet on the hinge (12) to rotate in the unlocking direction to achieve unlocking; After the motor (8) receives the reset signal from the ECU, the motor (8) drives the winding wheel (5) to rotate clockwise, tightens the reset wire end (3), and pulls the reset link on the hinge (12) to return the hinge mechanism and the cabin cover to the reset state; After the ECU supplies reverse power to the motor (8), the motor (8) drives the winding wheel (5) to rotate clockwise. After the ECU receives the jump signal from the micro switch (7), the ECU controls the motor (8) to cut off the power. At this time, the block on the winding wheel (5) just contacts the unlocking wire end (4), preparing for the next trigger to perform the unlocking action.

6. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 1, characterized in that: The split controller comprises a reset actuator (9) and an unlocking actuator (10), wherein the reset actuator (9) is connected to the hood connection end pull wire (2121) via a reset pull wire (42), and the unlocking actuator (10) is connected to the release end pull wire (2122) via an unlocking pull wire (35).

7. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 6, characterized in that: The reset actuator (9) includes an outer tube (91), an end cap (96) that seals the end of the hollow outer tube (91), a connector wire (92) installed in the outer tube (91) and the end cap (96), a motor assembly (93), a slider (94) and a screw rod (95), wherein the motor assembly (93) is fixed in the outer tube (91), one end of the screw rod (95) is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor assembly (93), the other end of the screw rod (95) is passed through the slider (94) and then abutted against the end cap (96), one end of the connector wire (92) is installed on the slider (94), and the other end of the connector wire (92) passes through the end cap (96) and is connected to the reset wire (42).

8. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 7, characterized in that: There is at least one connector pull wire (92), and the number of the connector pull wires (92) is equal to the number of the hinges (12).

9. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 6, characterized in that: The number of the unlocking actuators (10) is equal to the number of the hinges (12).

10. The hood hinge electric actuator control mechanism for active pedestrian protection according to claim 6, characterized in that: After the unlocking actuator (10) receives the unlocking signal from the ECU, the unlocking actuator (10) is energized to tighten the unlocking cable (35), and the unlocking cable (35) pulls the ratchet on the hinge (12) to rotate in the unlocking direction to achieve unlocking; After unlocking is completed, the ECU energizes the unlocking actuator (10) to cause it to operate in the reverse direction, thereby returning the unlocking actuator (10) to its initial position; After the reset actuator (9) receives the reset signal from the ECU, the motor assembly (93) rotates to drive the screw rod (95) to rotate, so that the slider (94) mounted on the screw rod (95) slides on the screw rod (95), and the connecting head pull wire (92) fixedly connected to the slider (94) is tightened in the direction of the motor assembly (93), and at the same time, the reset connecting rods on the hinges (12) on the left and right sides are pulled, so that the hinge mechanism and the cabin cover return to the reset state.

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