An engine hood hinge realizing the combination of an electric prop rod and active pedestrian protection function
By employing a synergistic structure of limit blocks, short connecting rods, rotating shafts, ball joint pins, and hinge components, the compatibility issue between the electric front cover and the active pedestrian protection function was resolved. This improved the hinge release speed and component reliability, while reducing maintenance costs and R&D difficulty.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- EDSCHA AUTOMOTIVE TECH SHANGHAI
- Filing Date
- 2026-02-10
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-05
AI Technical Summary
In the existing technology, the electric strut of the electric hood is incompatible with the movement speed of the active hood hinge, which causes the hinge release to be obstructed, affecting the effectiveness of the active pedestrian protection function. The components are easily damaged, increasing maintenance costs. Furthermore, the electric hood and active pedestrian protection function are not compatible, increasing research and development and production costs.
The coordinated structure of the limit block, short connecting rod, rotating shaft, ball pin and hinge assembly realizes rotational unloading when the hinge is released. Combined with the motor force control structure of the electric strut, it ensures the compatibility of the hinge release speed and normal switching function, and avoids damage to components.
The hinge release speed has been increased to 0.3m/s~0.6m/s, meeting national standards, reducing the risk of pedestrian injury, ensuring system reliability and adaptability, reducing the risk of component damage, and reducing maintenance costs.
Smart Images

Figure CN122148140A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of automotive body component technology, specifically to a hood hinge that combines an electric strut with active pedestrian protection functions. Background Technology
[0002] With the continuous upgrading of automotive safety standards, active pedestrian protection systems have become a core component of automotive safety features. National standards are increasingly stringent on the collision buffer performance and trigger response speed of active pedestrian protection systems, driving more and more models to be equipped with active hood hinges. At the same time, to improve user convenience, electric hoods (electric strut drive) are gaining increasing penetration in mid-to-high-end models due to their labor-saving and intelligent advantages. In the future, models equipped with both electric hoods and active hood hinges will become the mainstream in the market.
[0003] However, the compatibility between the two technologies in the existing technology has a fatal flaw: the electric support rod of the electric hood is limited by motor power and structural design, and its movement speed is usually only 0.03-0.08 m / s, while the active hood hinge needs to be released quickly when triggered, and its movement speed can reach 0.3-0.6 m / s. The electric support rod is equivalent to a stationary part relative to the hinge assembly, which will rigidly hinder the rapid release of the hinge. This problem seriously affects product use and market promotion from multiple dimensions, and the relevant impacts are as follows: (1) Hinges being blocked from releasing can cause the active pedestrian protection function to be delayed or completely fail. During a collision, the hood cannot be lifted in time to form a buffer space of 10-15cm. According to car crash test data, the risk of injury to a pedestrian’s head from a collision with a rigid hood is more than 40% higher than after buffering. This does not meet the mandatory requirements of the national standard and poses a serious safety hazard. (2) The existing connection between the active front cover hinge and the electric front cover support rod is a direct rigid connection. If the hinge assembly is directly connected to the electric support rod through the ball joint pin, the two motion characteristics are incompatible. This means that the vehicle equipped with the electric front cover cannot be directly adapted to the active pedestrian protection hinge. As a result, the vehicle equipped with the electric front cover needs to redesign a dedicated hinge, which cannot be directly adapted to the universal active pedestrian protection hinge. This increases the R&D cycle and cost for car companies and limits the promotion and application of the technology. (3) The instantaneous impact force when the hinge is released can reach 500-800N. Directly acting on the stationary electric support rod can easily cause the piston rod to bend, the internal spring to break or the motor gear to be damaged, resulting in the failure of the normal opening and closing function of the electric front cover and reducing the reliability of the whole vehicle components. (4) The electric struts need to be repaired or replaced after they are damaged, which increases the after-sales maintenance costs for users. At the same time, car manufacturers need to design a special connection structure to accommodate the two functions, which increases R&D investment and production costs and reduces the product's market competitiveness.
[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies, such as the active pedestrian protection hood hinge system and vehicle disclosed in Chinese patent CN213831609U, include: a sensor that monitors and transmits road condition information; a controller that is communicatively connected to the sensor, receives road condition information, and sends control commands; an actuator that is communicatively connected to the controller, receives control commands, and performs actions; and a hinge assembly, to which both the actuator and the hood are connected, and which drives the hood to pop up or reset based on the actuator's actions. This technical solution uses a trigger mechanism to drive the hinge to lift, but the hinge assembly is fixedly connected to the external driving component, failing to consider the low-speed characteristics of the electric strut, and still suffers from release obstruction and component damage when adapted to an electric hood. For example, Chinese patent CN210067743U discloses an active hood hinge mechanism, hinge system, and vehicle, including a movable hinge assembly for connecting to the hood and a fixed hinge for fixing to the vehicle body. The movable hinge assembly includes a first hinge and a second hinge connected to each other. One end of the first hinge is connected to the fixed hinge via a first pivot. The second hinge is connected to the hood. The second hinge has a locked state and an unlocked state relative to the first hinge. In the locked state, the first hinge can drive the second hinge to rotate around the first pivot. In the unlocked state, the first hinge can rotate around the first pivot to drive the second hinge to move around the hood lock at the front end of the hood to lift the hood. When subjected to external force, the second hinge can switch from the locked state to the unlocked state. This patent only realizes the electric strut driving the hood opening and closing, and does not integrate a fast release mechanism for active pedestrian protection, thus failing to meet the pedestrian protection requirements during a collision. For example, Chinese patent CN218150396U discloses an active pedestrian protection front cover hinge, including a hinge cover component, a hinge intermediate link, a rotating pin, and a guide pin. The hinge cover component is connected to the car engine hood, the hinge intermediate link is connected to the hinge body component, the hinge cover component and the hinge intermediate link are connected together by the rotating pin, and the guide pin is fixed on the hinge intermediate link and moves along the slot of the hinge cover component (1). The hinge cover component is also provided with a reset component. Compared with the prior art, this technical solution has the advantages of being able to return after popping up, cost saving, and wide application range. However, due to the use of an elastic buffer structure to relieve impact, but without a rotating unloading mechanism, the hinge release speed is still limited by the electric strut, and reset is difficult.
[0005] Existing technologies have not fundamentally solved the motion compatibility problem between electric struts and active pedestrian protection hinges, and cannot simultaneously ensure functionality, safety, and reliability. Summary of the Invention
[0006] Purpose of the Invention: To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a hood hinge that combines an electric strut with active pedestrian protection functionality. It resolves the contradiction between the slow movement speed of the electric strut and the rapid release of the hinge during a collision, which hinders hinge release and affects the effectiveness of the active pedestrian protection function. It also addresses the issue that the instantaneous impact force during hinge release can easily damage the electric strut, reducing component reliability and increasing user maintenance costs. Furthermore, it solves the problem that existing structures cannot simultaneously accommodate the normal opening and closing function of the electric hood and the active pedestrian protection function, resulting in poor adaptability. Finally, it addresses the problem that after the hinge triggers active pedestrian protection, the excessive reverse force of the internal spring of the electric strut makes it difficult for the hood system to reset smoothly.
[0007] Technical Solution: To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a hood hinge that combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions. It includes a limiting block, a short connecting rod, a rotating shaft, a ball joint pin, a hinge assembly, and an electric strut. The hinge assembly is fixedly connected to the car hood. The limiting block, the short connecting rod, and the rotating shaft are mounted on the hinge assembly. The ball joint pin is fixed to the short connecting rod. One end of the electric strut is connected to the ball joint pin, and the other end of the electric strut is fastened to the car body. The limiting block is vertically fixed on the hinge assembly. One end of the short connecting rod is riveted to the bottom of the ball head pin, and the other end of the short connecting rod is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is fixed on the hinge assembly, and the short connecting rod rotatably connected to the rotating shaft rotates clockwise or counterclockwise around the rotating shaft. One end of the electric strut is movably connected to the top of the ball joint pin, and the other end of the electric strut is fixedly connected to the vehicle body. The electric strut integrates a motor and a spring. The electric strut can be purchased through e-commerce channels, and its model is FrunkM30. The stop structure and the short connecting rod are integrally formed, and the stop structure is located in the middle of the short connecting rod. The stop structure is a boss structure or a protrusion structure, and the end face of the boss structure or protrusion structure is a plane. When the stop structure is attached to the flange, it restricts the rotation of the short connecting rod around the ball head pin.
[0008] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stop structure is a boss structure integrally formed in the middle of the short connecting rod. The end face of the boss is flat and the surface roughness Ra≤1.6μm. The height of the boss is 5mm~8mm and the width is adapted to the width of the short connecting rod.
[0009] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotating shaft is made of 45 steel with heat treatment, has a diameter of 8mm~12mm and a length of 15mm~20mm, and is fixed to the mounting ear plate of the hinge assembly by cold riveting process. After riveting, the radial runout of the rotating shaft is ≤0.05mm, and the short connecting rod and the rotating shaft are H7 / g6 clearance fit.
[0010] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the head of the ball pin is a spherical structure with a radius of 5mm to 8mm. The surface of the sphere is hardened to HRC45 to 55. The bottom of the ball pin is provided with a riveting step and is fixed to the short connecting rod by a cold riveting process. The pull-out force after riveting is ≥3000N.
[0011] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the limiting block is an internal hexagonal head screw, and the contact surface between the end face of the screw head and the short connecting rod is a smooth plane, which is used to prevent the short connecting rod from rotating clockwise to the limit position.
[0012] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the electric strut is an electro-hydraulic strut, the internally integrated motor is a DC motor with a power of 150W~300W, and the integrated spring is a helical spring with an elastic coefficient of 50N / mm~80N / mm. The motor can drive and adjust the preload of the spring, so that the spring reverse force is adjustable in the range of 50N~500N.
[0013] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the short connecting rod is formed by stamping Q235 high-strength steel plate with a thickness of 3mm~5mm, the length of the short connecting rod is 80mm~120mm, the compressive strength of the stop structure is ≥1000MPa, and the edge of the short connecting rod is provided with a rounded transition with a radius of 2-3mm.
[0014] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flange of the hinge assembly is fixed to the hinge assembly body by welding. The flange has a width of 10mm to 15mm and a thickness of 3mm to 4mm. The parallelism error between the mating surface of the flange and the end face of the stop structure is ≤0.1mm.
[0015] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the short connecting rod has a clockwise rotation angle range of 0° to 45° and a counterclockwise rotation angle range of 0° to 30° around the rotation axis, and the short connecting rod has a rotation angle range of 0° to 25° around the ball joint pin.
[0016] As a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, one end of the electric strut is provided with a ball socket structure, which is clearance-fitted with the ball structure of the ball head pin, with a fit clearance of 0.05mm~0.1mm. The extension stroke of the electric strut is 150mm~300mm. The end of the electric strut connected to the vehicle body is fastened with bolts, with bolt specifications of M8-M10.
[0017] The working principle of this invention is divided into an active pedestrian protection function (release phase, reset phase) and a normal hood opening and closing function (opening process, closing process), as detailed below: The release phase of active pedestrian protection function: Step 1: The collision sensors in the front compartment of the car, such as pressure sensors and acceleration sensors, detect the collision signal and transmit the signal to the vehicle controller within ≤10ms. Step 2: The vehicle controller triggers the active pedestrian protection actuator, such as an explosive trigger or an electromagnetic driver, to generate an instantaneous driving force, driving the hinge assembly 105 to move upward at a speed of 0.3m / s to 0.6m / s; Step 3: Since the hinge assembly moves much faster than the electric strut's response speed of 0.03m / s to 0.08m / s, the electric strut and ball joint are relatively stationary. The hinge assembly drives the rotating shaft to move upward synchronously, and the short connecting rod rotates counterclockwise around the ball joint, thus releasing the load from the hinge and avoiding the rigid obstruction of the electric strut. Step 4: When the hinge assembly moves upward to the limited height of 12cm~18cm, the stop structure of the short link 102 is completely in contact with the flange of the hinge assembly, and the rotational movement of the short link 102 around the ball head pin 104 stops. Step 5: At this time, the electric strut is compressed by the movement of the hinge assembly, and the internal spring is in a compressed state, generating a reverse thrust of 300N~500N. This thrust pushes the short connecting rod to rotate clockwise around the rotation axis until the side of the short connecting rod is in close contact with the head end face of the limit block, forming a double limit lock. The hinge assembly is held at the specified height, the hood forms a buffer space, and the hinge release for pedestrian protection is completed.
[0018] Reset phase of active pedestrian protection function: Step 1: The maintenance personnel start the reset procedure. The vehicle controller sends a control signal to the motor of the electric strut 106. The motor starts and drives the internal transmission mechanism, gradually reducing the preload of the spring, so that the reverse force of the electric strut is reduced from 300N~500N to 50N~80N. Step 2: The maintenance personnel apply a downward force of 100N~150N to drive the hinge assembly to move downward. The short connecting rod remains in contact with the limit block under the weak thrust of the electric support rod and moves down synchronously with the hinge assembly. Step 3: When the hinge assembly returns to the initial closed position, the motor inside the electric strut stops working, the spring returns to its natural extension state, and the short connecting rod returns to the initial limit position, completing the reset of the entire front cover system.
[0019] The normal process of opening the hood: Step 1: The user activates the hood opening function via in-vehicle buttons or remote control commands. The vehicle controller controls the motor of the electric strut 106 to work, driving the spring to extend and generate a thrust of 150N~200N. Step 2: The thrust is transmitted to the short connecting rod through the ball joint pin. Since the short connecting rod is restricted by the limit block and cannot rotate clockwise, the thrust is transmitted to the hinge assembly through the short connecting rod and the rotating shaft, driving the hinge assembly to slowly open the hood at a speed of 0.05m / s to 0.1m / s. Step 3: When the hood is opened to its maximum travel, that is, when the maximum travel of the hood opening matches the travel of the electric strut extension, the electric strut motor stops working, the spring remains in a pre-tensioned state, and the hood is stable in the open position.
[0020] The normal process of closing the hood: Step 1: The user applies downward pressure, which simultaneously triggers the shut-off command. The motor of the electric strut starts, gradually reducing the reverse thrust of the spring. Step 2: When the spring's reverse thrust drops to 80N~100N, which is less than the hood's own weight of 120N~180N, the hood moves downward under the action of gravity, causing the hinge assembly and short connecting rod to move downward simultaneously, and the electric strut retracts. Step 3: When the hood is closed to the initial position, the electric strut motor stops working, the spring returns to its initial preload, and the short connecting rod returns to the position in contact with the limit block, completing the closing process.
[0021] Beneficial effects: The hood hinge of this invention, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, has the following advantages compared with the prior art: (1) By utilizing the synergistic structure of short connecting rod, rotating shaft, and ball pin, rotational unloading is achieved when the hinge is released, avoiding rigid obstruction of the hinge by the electric strut, and increasing the hinge release speed to 0.3m / s~0.6m / s, which meets the trigger response requirements of national standards for active pedestrian protection, and significantly reduces the risk of pedestrian head injury. (2) By utilizing the short link stop structure and the hinge assembly flange, the excessive rotation of the short link around the ball head pin is limited, ensuring the stability of the structure posture during hinge release, avoiding component misalignment interference, and improving system reliability. (3) The limiting structure of the limiting block and the short connecting rod cooperates to provide a rigid thrust transmission path for the normal opening of the hood. At the same time, after the hinge is released into place, a double lock is formed to ensure the stability of the hood buffer space and avoid secondary displacement. (4) By utilizing the movable connection structure of the ball head pin, the electric strut and the short connecting rod can rotate at multiple angles, adapting to different motion postures during hinge release and normal switching, reducing stress concentration at the connection points, and reducing the risk of component damage. (5) By utilizing the motor control structure of the electric strut, the spring reverse force can be reduced during the reset phase, which solves the problem of reset difficulty caused by excessive spring reverse force after the hinge is released, and ensures that the front cover system can be reset smoothly. (6) By utilizing the overall multi-body connection structure, there is no need to make major modifications to the electric strut and hinge body. The structure is simple and the cost is controllable. It can be directly adapted to existing electric hood models, improving product compatibility and reducing the R&D and production costs of car companies. (8) By optimizing the structure, damage to the electric strut is avoided. The impact force when the hinge is released is unloaded by the rotational motion of the short connecting rod, avoiding direct action on the electric strut, extending the service life of the electric strut and reducing user maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description
[0022] Figure 1 : Structural diagram of the hinge assembly; Figure 2 : A schematic diagram of the structure after the invention is installed; Figure 3 : A schematic diagram showing the contact state between the short link stop structure and the hinge assembly flange during the release phase of the active pedestrian protection function; Figure 4 : A schematic diagram showing the contact state between the short link and the limit block after the active pedestrian protection function has been released; Detailed Implementation
[0023] The present invention will be further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0024] As shown in the attached figure, the hood hinge of the present invention, which combines electric strut and active pedestrian protection function, includes a limiting block 101, a short connecting rod 102, a rotating shaft 103, a ball pin 104, a hinge assembly 105, and an electric strut 106. The hinge assembly 105 is fixedly connected to the car hood. The limit block 101, short connecting rod 102 and rotating shaft 103 are installed on the hinge assembly 105. The ball pin 104 is fixed on the short connecting rod 102. One end of the electric strut 106 is connected to the ball pin 104 and the other end of the electric strut 106 is fastened to the car body. The limiting block 101 is vertically fixed on the hinge assembly 105. One end of the short connecting rod 102 is riveted to the bottom of the ball pin 104, and the other end of the short connecting rod 102 is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 103. The rotating shaft 103 is fixed on the hinge assembly 105, and the short connecting rod 102, which is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 103, rotates clockwise or counterclockwise around the rotating shaft 103. One end of the electric strut 106 is movably connected to the top of the ball joint pin 104, and the other end of the electric strut 106 is fixedly connected to the vehicle body. The electric strut 106 integrates a motor and a spring. A stop structure 1021 is provided at the middle position of the short connecting rod 102, and a flange 1050 adapted to the stop structure 1021 is provided on the hinge assembly 105. When the stop structure 1021 and the flange 1050 are in contact, the short connecting rod 102 is restricted from rotating around the ball head pin 104.
[0025] Example 1 Hinge release procedure when active pedestrian protection function is triggered Step 1, Initial State: The hood is in the closed position. Under the initial preload of 80N from the spring of the electric strut 106, the short connecting rod 102 is in close contact with the head end face of the limit block 101. The flange distance between the stop structure 1021 and the hinge assembly 105 is 12mm. The spring inside the electric strut 106 is in a naturally extended state with a telescopic stroke of 200mm. The hinge assembly 105 is fixed to the hood with bolts. Step 2, Collision Signal Trigger: The car collides head-on with the pedestrian at a speed of 32 km / h. The acceleration sensor in the front compartment detects a collision acceleration of 16g and transmits the trigger signal to the vehicle controller within 7ms. After the vehicle controller confirms the signal is valid, it sends a drive command to the active pedestrian protection actuator. Step 3: Hinge assembly starts moving: After receiving the command, the electromagnetic driver generates an instantaneous driving force of 550N, which is applied to the driving end of the hinge assembly 105. The hinge assembly 105 drives the rotating shaft 103 to move upward synchronously at a speed of 0.4m / s. At this time, the response speed of the electric support rod 106 is 0.04m / s, and it remains stationary relative to the hinge assembly 105. Step 4, short connecting rod rotation unloading: Since the electric support rod 106 is stationary, when the hinge assembly 105 drives the rotating shaft 103 to move upward, the short connecting rod 102 rotates counterclockwise around the ball head pin 104. There is no interference during the rotation. When the rotation angle reaches 22°, the stop structure 1021 of the short connecting rod 102 and the flange 1050 of the hinge assembly 105 are completely in contact, and the rotation of the short connecting rod 102 around the ball head pin 104 stops. Step 5, Spring Reverse Force Drives Limit Locking: When the hinge assembly 105 continues to move upward to the limited height of 14cm, the electric support rod 106 is compressed to the extension stroke of 150mm, and the internal spring generates a reverse force of 420N. This reverse force is transmitted to the short connecting rod 102 through the ball pin 104, driving the short connecting rod 102 to rotate clockwise around the rotation axis 103. Step 6: After the short connecting rod 102 rotates 38° clockwise, its side makes close contact with the head end face of the limiting block 101, and the rotation stops. At this time, the hinge assembly 105 is stably maintained at a height of 14cm, and the hood forms an effective buffer space, completing the hinge release process of the active pedestrian protection function.
[0026] Example 2 Hinge reset procedure after active pedestrian protection Step 1, Reset Preparation: The maintenance personnel connect the vehicle controller through the diagnostic tool and start the "Active Pedestrian Protection Reset Mode". The vehicle controller sends a reverse force adjustment command to the motor of the electric strut 106 and sets the target reverse force to 60N. Step 2, Spring Reverse Force Adjustment: The DC motor of the electric support rod 106 is started, driving the internal gear transmission mechanism to adjust the spring preload. The spring reverse force is gradually reduced from 420N to 60N. The adjustment process lasts for 4 seconds. After the adjustment is completed, the motor remains in standby mode. Step 3, External Force Driven Reset: The maintenance personnel apply a downward pressure of 110N to the front end of the hood. Under the pressure, the hinge assembly 105 begins to move downward. Under the action of the electric strut 10660N reverse force, the short connecting rod 102 maintains contact with the limit block 101 and moves downward synchronously with the hinge assembly 105. Step 4, Reset and Lock: After the hinge assembly 105 moves downward 14cm, it returns to the initial closed position. The extension stroke of the electric support rod 106 is restored to 220mm, the motor stops working, and the spring reverse force is restored to the initial state of 80N. The short connecting rod 102 rotates counterclockwise 38° around the rotation axis 103, and the distance between the stop structure 1021 and the flange 1050 is restored to 10mm, completing the reset of the entire hinge system.
[0027] Example 3 Normal steps for opening the hood Step 1: Opening command trigger: The user sends an engine hood opening command via a button inside the vehicle. After receiving the command, the vehicle controller sends a start signal to the motor of the electric strut 106, controlling the motor to drive the spring to extend and gradually increase the spring's reverse force. Step 2, Thrust transmission drives opening: The spring reverse force of the electric strut 106 increases from 80N to 180N. This thrust is transmitted to the short link 102 through the ball pin 104. Since the short link 102 is blocked by the limit block 101 and cannot rotate clockwise, the thrust is transmitted to the hinge assembly 105 through the short link 102 and the rotating shaft 103. Step 3: Smoothly open to the desired position: Under the action of 180N thrust, the hinge assembly 105 drives the hood to move slowly upward at a speed of 0.06m / s. The extension stroke of the electric strut 106 gradually extends from 220mm to 300mm to reach the maximum stroke. When the hood is opened to the maximum angle of 65°, the motor stops working, the spring maintains a 180N counterforce, and the hood is stabilized in the open position, completing the normal opening process.
[0028] Example 4 Proper hood closing procedure Step 1: Triggering the closing command: The user presses the hood closing trigger button while applying slight downward pressure. After receiving the signal, the vehicle controller sends a reverse force reduction command to the motor of the electric strut 106. Step 2, gradually weakening the reverse force: The motor of the electric strut 106 starts, driving the spring preload to gradually weaken, and the reverse force drops from 180N to 90N. The adjustment process lasts for 2 seconds. At this time, the weight of the hood itself, 110N, is greater than the spring reverse force. Step 3, Gravity-driven closing: The hood moves downward under its own weight, causing the hinge assembly 105 to move downward synchronously. The extension stroke of the electric strut 106 gradually retracts from 300mm to 220mm. The short connecting rod 102 remains in contact with the limit block 101 and moves downward smoothly with the hinge assembly 105. Step 4, Closed and Locked: When the hood returns to the closed position, the reverse force of the electric strut 106 returns to the initial state of 80N, the motor stops working, and the hood locking mechanism automatically locks, completing the normal closing process.
[0029] The above embodiments are only for illustrating the technical concept and features of the present invention, and are intended to enable those skilled in the art to understand the content of the present invention and implement it accordingly. They should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. All equivalent changes or modifications made in accordance with the spirit and essence of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A hood hinge that combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, characterized in that, It includes a limiting block (101), a short connecting rod (102), a rotating shaft (103), a ball joint pin (104), a hinge assembly (105), and an electric strut (106). The hinge assembly (105) is fixedly connected to the car hood. The limiting block (101), the short connecting rod (102), and the rotating shaft (103) are mounted on the hinge assembly (105). The ball joint pin (104) is fixed on the short connecting rod (102). One end of the electric strut (106) is connected to the ball joint pin (104), and the other end of the electric strut (106) is fastened to the car body. The limiting block (101) is vertically fixed on the hinge assembly (105). One end of the short connecting rod (102) is riveted to the bottom of the ball head pin (104). The other end of the short connecting rod (102) is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft (103). The rotating shaft (103) is fixed on the hinge assembly (105). The short connecting rod (102) rotatably connected to the rotating shaft (103) rotates clockwise or counterclockwise around the rotating shaft (103). One end of the electric strut (106) is movably connected to the top of the ball joint pin (104), and the other end of the electric strut (106) is fixedly connected to the vehicle body. The electric strut (106) integrates a motor and a spring. The short connecting rod (102) is provided with a stop structure (1021) at the middle position, and the hinge assembly (105) is provided with a flange (1050) that is compatible with the stop structure (1021).
2. The hood hinge according to claim 1, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The stop structure (1021) and the short connecting rod (102) are integrally formed, and the stop structure (1021) is located in the middle of the short connecting rod (102).
3. The hood hinge according to claim 2, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The stop structure (1021) is a boss structure or a protrusion structure. The end face of the boss structure or the protrusion structure is a plane. When the stop structure (1021) is in contact with the flange (1050), it restricts the short connecting rod (102) from rotating around the ball head pin (104).
4. The hood hinge according to claim 1, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The rotating shaft (103) is fixed to the mounting lug of the hinge assembly (105) by cold riveting.
5. The hood hinge according to claim 1, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The head of the ball head pin (104) is a spherical structure and is fixed to the short connecting rod (102) by cold riveting process. The bottom of the ball head pin (104) is provided with a riveting step.
6. The hood hinge according to claim 1, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The limiting block (101) is a screw, a pin, or a limiting protrusion.
7. The hood hinge according to claim 6, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The head end face of the limiting block (101) is perpendicular to the rotation trajectory of the short connecting rod (102), and the short connecting rod (102) abuts against the head end face of the limiting block (101) when it rotates clockwise to the limit position.
8. The hood hinge according to claim 1, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The electric strut (106) is an electric hydraulic strut. The motor integrated inside the electric strut (106) is a DC motor. The spring is a helical spring. The motor drives the adjustment of the preload of the helical spring.
9. The hood hinge according to claim 1, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The flange (1050) is welded and fixed to the main body of the hinge assembly (105).
10. The hood hinge according to claim 1, which combines electric struts and active pedestrian protection functions, is characterized in that... The electric strut (106) and the ball head pin (104) are in clearance fit.