Vehicle hood assembly having a leaded region supporting latch reinforcement

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a vehicle hood assembly having a waterfall region that supports a latch reinforcement. A vehicle hood assembly includes: a hood exterior; the interior of the engine hood is provided with a dome area and a waterfall type area; and a latch reinforcement member which is fixed to the waterfall type area. A vehicle opening and closing module latch support method includes providing a waterfall region of a hood interior extending directly from a dome region of the hood interior; and securing a latch reinforcement of a latch assembly to the waterfall region. The vehicle hood assembly may omit a palm pad.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure generally relates to an engine hood assembly for a vehicle, and more specifically, to an engine hood assembly having an interior engine hood having a waterfall-shaped area supporting a latch reinforcement. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicles include various opening and closing components (e.g., side doors, liftgates, hood, trunk lid, etc.). These components are pivotally connected to the vehicle body and configured to pivot back and forth between a closed and an open position relative to the vehicle body. A hood assembly is a type of vehicle opening and closing component that, when closed, covers an area at the front of the vehicle. The hood assembly may cover, for example, the front trunk or engine compartment. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle hood assembly comprising: an exterior hood; an interior hood having a dome-shaped region and a waterfall-shaped region; and a latching reinforcement secured to the waterfall-shaped region.

[0004] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle hood assembly, wherein the hood exterior and the hood interior are components of the hood assembly, the hood assembly being configured to pivot back and forth between a closed position and an open position relative to the vehicle frame.

[0005] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle hood assembly that, when in the closed position, surrounds the front trunk of an electrified vehicle.

[0006] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle hood assembly in which, when the hood assembly is in the closed position, the waterfall-like region cascades downward from the dome-shaped region.

[0007] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle hood assembly in which, when the hood assembly is in the closed position, the waterfall-like area cascades down to a location adjacent to the bumper assembly.

[0008] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle hood assembly in which, when the hood assembly is in the closed position, the waterfall-shaped area cascades downwards to a position between the driver-side headlight assembly and the passenger-side headlight assembly.

[0009] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle hood assembly in which the hood assembly does not have a palm pad disposed between the dome region and the waterfall region.

[0010] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle hood assembly, wherein the latch reinforcement is a component of the hood latch assembly.

[0011] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle engine hood assembly, wherein the latch reinforcement is a strike pin reinforcement.

[0012] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle engine hood assembly in which the dome region transitions directly into the waterfall region.

[0013] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle engine hood assembly, wherein the dome region includes a plurality of holes.

[0014] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle engine hood assembly in which the area between the dome region and the waterfall region is non-channelized.

[0015] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle engine hood assembly that further includes passenger-side hinge reinforcements and driver-side hinge reinforcements disposed on opposite sides of the dome region.

[0016] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a vehicle engine hood assembly, wherein the dome region is bonded and secured to the exterior of the engine hood at a location following the waterfall region.

[0017] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a method for supporting a latch of a vehicle opening / closing module, comprising: providing a waterfall-shaped region extending directly from a dome-shaped region inside the engine hood; and securing a latch reinforcement of a latch assembly to the waterfall-shaped region.

[0018] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a method that also includes providing the waterfall-shaped region without a passage between the waterfall-shaped region and the dome-shaped region.

[0019] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a method that further includes securing the interior of the engine hood to the exterior of the engine hood without including a palm pad between the interior and exterior of the engine hood.

[0020] In some respects, the technology described herein relates to a method in which, when in the off position, the waterfall-shaped area cascades downwards to a location between the driver-side headlight assembly and the passenger-side headlight assembly.

[0021] Embodiments, examples, and alternatives, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be adopted independently or in any combination of the foregoing paragraphs, claims, or the following description and drawings. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments unless such features are incompatible. Attached Figure Description

[0022] According to specific embodiments, the various features of the disclosed examples and advantage This will become apparent to those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings, which detail specific embodiments, can be briefly described as follows: Figure 1 A perspective view of a vehicle having an engine hood assembly in an open position, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, is shown.

[0023] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1 The vehicle, in which the engine hood assembly is in the closed position.

[0024] Figure 3 Showing from Figure 1 and Figure 2 A perspective view of the interior of the engine hood assembly.

[0025] Figure 4 It shows Figure 3 A top view of the inside of the engine hood.

[0026] Figure 5 It shows crossing Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the engine hood assembly at section 5-5.

[0027] Figure 6 It shows in Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of the engine hood assembly taken at line 6–6 in the figure. Detailed Implementation

[0028] This disclosure describes in detail a hood assembly that can be used to surround, for example, a front trunk or engine compartment. The hood assembly extends directly from the dome region into a waterfall region without any passageways in between. The hood assembly of the example in this disclosure also does not incorporate palm rest supports in front of the dome region, a characteristic of prior art hood assemblies.

[0029] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The vehicle includes an engine hood assembly 14 pivotally fixed to the vehicle frame 18. When the engine hood assembly 14 is in... Figure 1 When the hood assembly is in the open position, the user can access the front trunk 22 of vehicle 10. The hood assembly 14 can be moved to... Figure 2 The hood assembly 14 is positioned to surround the front trunk 22. It is used in conjunction with the front trunk 22, but in other examples may also be used with conventional vehicles having an engine compartment.

[0030] Vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle, and more specifically, a fully electric vehicle that does not rely on an internal combustion engine for propulsion. Therefore, vehicle 10 does not include an engine or engine compartment. The space typically reserved for the engine can be used as a front trunk 22 in vehicle 10.

[0031] Now for reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 And continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The engine hood assembly 14 includes an inner engine hood 26 and an outer engine hood 28. When the engine hood assembly 14 is in... Figure 2 When in the closed position, the exterior hood 28 is visible. The exterior hood 28 supports the grille 32 of the vehicle 10. The grille 32 may be functional and include openings that allow airflow. Alternatively, the grille 32 may be an aesthetic grille without such openings. In other examples, the grille 32 is omitted, and the exterior hood 28 supports another feature (e.g., a trim panel).

[0032] The grille 32 is positioned vertically above the bumper 36 of the vehicle 10 and horizontally between the headlights 38 of the vehicle 10. For the purposes of this disclosure, "vertical" and "horizontal" refer to the ground in the general orientation of the vehicle 10 during typical operation.

[0033] In this example, the interior of the hood 26 includes a waterfall region 42, a dome region 44, and a pair of hinge reinforcements 46. When the hood assembly 14 is in the closed position, the waterfall region 42 cascades down from the dome region 44.

[0034] The dome region 44 is a raised area inside the engine hood 26. An example dome region includes multiple holes 48.

[0035] The dome region 44 transitions directly into the waterfall region 42 inside the hood 26 without any intermediate structure. In the past, components such as palm rests have been used in the area in front of the dome region inside the hood to reinforce the hood assembly. Example hood assembly 14 transitions directly from the dome region 44 to the waterfall region 42 without any intermediate palm rests. In some examples, the dome region 44 can be considered a “power” dome.

[0036] It also occurs that the waterfall region 42 extends directly from the dome region 44 without incorporating any intermediate channel formation within the engine hood interior 26. Therefore, any region between the waterfall region 42 and the dome region 44 can be considered non-channelized.

[0037] This direct transition (without a passageway or palm rest) facilitates an increase in the volume of the front trunk 22. In this example, the total volume of the front trunk 22 is at least three liters larger than the hood interior used with palm rests.

[0038] Latch assembly 50 is used to secure example engine hood assembly 14 in Figure 2 The latch assembly 50 includes a reinforcing member, in this case, a striker reinforcement 54 fixed to the waterfall region 42. The waterfall region 42 and the striker reinforcement 54 face forward from the vehicle 10.

[0039] The ramming pin reinforcement 54 can be secured using rivets, welds, or some other attachment mechanism. When the hood assembly 14 is in the closed position, the waterfall area 42 is horizontally positioned between the headlights 38 and directly above the bumper 36. The ramming pin reinforcement 54 is also positioned between the headlights 38.

[0040] refer to Figure 5 and Figure 6 The cross-sectional view, and continue to refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The hood interior 26 is secured to the hood exterior 28 around at least a portion of the perimeter of the hood assembly 14 using a crimped joint. In this example, the securing strategy further includes an adhesive bond 58 that directly secures the dome region 44 of the hood interior 26 to the hood exterior 28. In some examples, putty adhesive is used to provide the adhesive bond.

[0041] The disclosed examples feature an engine hood interior that meets load targets without using a palm rest or channel between the dome-shaped and waterfall-shaped areas. This, in particular, facilitates reduced part complexity without allowing for dents.

[0042] The foregoing description is exemplary in nature and not restrictive. Variations and modifications made to the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art, and such variations and modifications do not necessarily depart from the spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection accorded to this disclosure can only be determined by examining the appended claims.

Claims

1. An engine hood assembly comprising: Exterior of the engine hood; Inside the engine hood, the engine hood has a dome-shaped area and a waterfall-shaped area; as well as A latching reinforcement is fixed to the waterfall-shaped area.

2. The vehicle hood assembly of claim 1, wherein the outer hood and the inner hood are components of the hood assembly, the hood assembly being configured to pivot back and forth between a closed position and an open position relative to the vehicle frame, and optionally, wherein the hood assembly surrounds the front trunk of the electrified vehicle when in the closed position.

3. The vehicle hood assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein when the hood assembly is in the closed position, the waterfall region cascades downward from the dome region, and optionally, when the hood assembly is in the closed position, the waterfall region cascades downward to a position adjacent to the bumper assembly.

4. The vehicle hood assembly as claimed in claim 3, wherein when the hood assembly is in the closed position, the waterfall-shaped area cascades downwards to the position between the driver's side headlight assembly and the passenger side headlight assembly.

5. The vehicle engine hood assembly as claimed in claim 2, wherein the engine hood assembly does not have a palm pad disposed between the dome region and the waterfall region.

6. The vehicle hood assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latch reinforcement is a component of the hood latch assembly.

7. The vehicle engine hood assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the latch reinforcement is a striker reinforcement.

8. The vehicle engine hood assembly of claim 1, wherein the dome region transitions directly into the waterfall region, and optionally, wherein the dome region includes a plurality of holes.

9. The vehicle engine hood assembly as claimed in claim 1, wherein the area between the dome region and the waterfall region is non-channelized.

10. The vehicle engine hood assembly of claim 1, further comprising a passenger-side hinge reinforcement and a driver-side hinge reinforcement disposed on opposite sides of the dome region.

11. The vehicle engine hood assembly of claim 1, wherein the dome region is bonded to the exterior of the engine hood at a position following the waterfall region.

12. A method for supporting a latch on a vehicle opening / closing module, comprising: Provides a waterfall-like area inside the engine hood that extends directly from the dome-shaped area inside the engine hood; as well as Secure the latch reinforcement of the latch assembly to the waterfall area.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing the waterfall region without a passage between the waterfall region and the dome region.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising securing the interior of the engine hood to the exterior of the engine hood without including a palm pad between the interior of the engine hood and the exterior of the engine hood.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein when in the off position, the waterfall area cascades downward to a position between the driver's side headlight assembly and the passenger side headlight assembly.

Images