Jacking device for jacking vehicle engine hood and vehicle

Abstract

The utility model provides a jacking device used for jacking a vehicle engine cover and a vehicle, the jacking device is designed to be in axial sliding fit with a piston rod relative to a piston barrel and in axial sliding fit with the piston barrel relative to a shell, and a gas generator is located below the piston rod and the piston barrel. When a vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the gas generator is triggered to generate strong airflow, and the airflow directly acts on the piston rod to push the piston rod out of the piston cylinder until the piston rod is limited by the first limiting mechanism and cannot continuously move relative to the piston rod; the piston rod is pushed to drive the piston barrel to move out of the shell through the first limiting mechanism until the piston barrel is limited by the second limiting mechanism, and the piston rod lifts the engine cover to the required height. Thus, the two-section type lifting structure can provide a large lifting height while reducing the height of the jacking device shell, the height requirement for lifting the engine hood is met, and the installation and layout difficulty of the engine hood is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of vehicles, in particular to a lifter for lifting a vehicle hood and a vehicle. Background Art

[0002] Vehicle safety technology is an important research topic in the field of vehicles. When a vehicle collides with a pedestrian during driving, the pedestrian will roll onto the vehicle hood, and the head is likely to hit the position of the engine. This place is relatively hard and easy to get injured.

[0003] In order to effectively prevent the pedestrian's head from being injured, currently some vehicle models are provided with hood lifters near the two top corners on the upper end of the hood. When the vehicle hits a pedestrian, the hood lifter is quickly triggered to lift the vehicle hood, so as to form a buffer area under the hood, thereby reducing the injury caused by the pedestrian's head impact and realizing the protection of the pedestrian.

[0004] In the related art, in order to make the hood lifter lift to a preset height, the size of the hood lifter itself is relatively large, which limits the installation layout of the hood lifter at the corresponding position of the vehicle.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background art section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present utility model, and thus may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Utility Model

[0006] Aiming at the problems in the prior art, the purpose of the present utility model is to provide a hood lifter for lifting a vehicle hood and a vehicle, which overcomes the technical problem of difficult installation layout of the hood lifter in the related art.

[0007] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a hood lifter, which includes:

[0008] A housing;

[0009] A piston assembly and a gas generator encapsulated in the housing, the piston assembly is located above the gas generator, and includes a piston rod and a piston cylinder sleeved outside the piston rod. The piston rod is axially slidably engaged with the piston cylinder, and the piston cylinder is axially slidably engaged with the housing;

[0010] A first limiting mechanism is arranged between the piston rod and the piston cylinder, and the first limiting mechanism is configured to limit the sliding stroke of the piston rod relative to the piston cylinder;

[0011] A second limiting mechanism is arranged between the piston cylinder and the housing, and the second limiting mechanism is configured to limit the sliding stroke of the piston cylinder relative to the housing;

[0012] The gas generator is configured to generate an air flow under control, use the air flow to push the piston rod out of the housing, and drive the piston cylinder to be pushed out of the housing through the first limiting mechanism under the drive of the piston rod.

[0013] In some embodiments, the gas generator has a first top cover, and the piston rod abuts against the first top cover;

[0014] The first top cover is configured to be broken by the impact of the air flow to discharge the air flow and push the piston rod out of the housing.

[0015] In some embodiments, a groove channel facing the first top cover is provided at one end of the piston rod where it abuts against the first top cover.

[0016] In some embodiments, a first cap-shaped structure that is buckled on the first top cover is formed at one end of the piston rod where it abuts against the first top cover, and a plug is provided in the first cap-shaped structure to form the groove channel.

[0017] In some embodiments, the gas generator is provided with an air flow channel inside the first top cover, and the projection area of the air flow channel on a cross-section perpendicular to the piston rod is located within the projection area of the groove channel on the cross-section.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first top cover includes a cover portion and a skirt formed on the cover portion. The cover portion is wrapped inside the piston cylinder and abuts against the piston rod above, and the piston cylinder abuts against the skirt.

[0019] In some embodiments, the first limiting mechanism includes:

[0020] A first stop portion provided on the outer wall of the piston rod and a second stop portion provided on the inner wall of the piston cylinder, and the first stop portion is closer to the gas generator than the second stop portion.

[0021] In some embodiments, the first stop portion is formed by a first protrusion on the outer wall of the piston rod, and the second stop portion is formed by a first protrusion on the inner wall of the piston cylinder.

[0022] In some embodiments, the second limiting mechanism includes: a third stop portion provided on the outer wall of the piston cylinder and a fourth stop portion provided on the inner wall of the housing; the third stop portion is closer to the gas generator than the fourth stop portion.

[0023] In some embodiments, the third stop portion is formed by a second protrusion on the outer wall of the piston cylinder, and the fourth stop portion is formed by a second protrusion on the inner wall of the housing.

[0024] In some embodiments, the piston cylinder is formed with a second cap-shaped structure that is inverted on the gas generator to serve as the second outer protrusion.

[0025] In some embodiments, a first sealing ring is provided between the piston rod and the piston cylinder, and the first sealing ring is sleeved outside the piston rod.

[0026] In some embodiments, a first annular groove is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the piston cylinder, and the first sealing ring is embedded in the first annular groove.

[0027] In some embodiments, a second sealing ring is provided between the piston cylinder and the housing, and the second sealing ring is sleeved outside the piston cylinder.

[0028] In some embodiments, a second annular groove is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the piston cylinder, and the second sealing ring is embedded in the second annular groove.

[0029] The disclosed embodiments further provide a vehicle, which comprises the jacking device of any one of the above embodiments.

[0030] The jacking device for lifting the vehicle hood and the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present disclosure have the following advantages:

[0031] The disclosed embodiment designs the axial sliding fit of the piston rod relative to the piston cylinder and the axial sliding fit of the piston cylinder relative to the outer shell. When the vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the gas generator is triggered to generate airflow, which pushes the piston rod out of the piston cylinder and the outer shell until it is restricted by the first limit mechanism and cannot continue to move relative to the piston rod. At this time, a large amount of airflow rushes into the piston cylinder and continues to generate a driving force on the piston rod, pushing the piston rod to drive the piston cylinder to continue to move out of the outer shell through the first limit mechanism until the piston cylinder is restricted by the second limit mechanism. The piston rod lifts the upper hood to the required height, forming a buffer area under the hood to reduce damage to the pedestrian's head.

[0032] In this process, the first limiting mechanism and the second limiting mechanism are used to limit the sliding stroke of the piston rod and the piston cylinder respectively, to prevent the piston rod from being completely pushed out of the piston cylinder and the piston cylinder from being completely pushed out of the housing. At the same time, after the hood is lifted, the continuous pressure of the airflow on the piston rod and the piston cylinder allows the hood to stably maintain the lifted position for a certain period of time, to prevent the hood from falling to the original position after the collision, thereby failing to form an effective buffer and protect the pedestrian's head.

[0033] In this embodiment, the final lifting height of the jack approximately includes the length of the piston rod and the length of the piston cylinder. Compared with the single-stage lifting structure, the jack adopting this two-stage lifting structure or a multi-stage lifting structure based on this two-stage lifting structure can provide a larger lifting height while reducing the height of the jack housing, making the pedestrian head impact area of the engine hood farther from the engine position, and more effectively buffering and protecting pedestrians. Therefore, the jack of this embodiment can not only meet the installation requirements of a narrow installation space to reduce the installation layout difficulty, but also provide a relatively high lifting height at the same time. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0034] Other features, objects, and advantages of the present utility model will become more apparent by reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] Figure 1 Showing the front view of the jack provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Figure 2 Showing the sectional view of the jack provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, the section passing through the central axis of the jack;

[0037] Figure 3 Showing the front view of the jack provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure in the lifted state;

[0038] Figure 4 Showing the exploded view of the jack provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 5 Showing Figure 2 The exploded view of the piston rod in the shown jack;

[0040] Figure 6 Showing Figure 2 The exploded view of the gas generator in the shown jack;

[0041] Figure 7 Showing the flowchart of the control method for a vehicle based on the jack including Figure 1 the shown jack.

[0042] Reference Numerals:

[0043]

[0044] Detailed Embodiments

[0045] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the concept of example embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0046] As used in this application and the claims, the words "a," "an," "the," and / or "said" are not specifically intended to be singular, but may also include the plural, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Generally speaking, the terms "comprising" and "including" merely indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements specifically identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive listing, and a method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0047] Unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangements of components and steps, numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of this application. At the same time, it should be understood that, for the sake of convenience of description, the dimensions of the various parts shown in the drawings are not drawn in actual proportional relationships. Technologies, methods, and devices known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and devices should be regarded as part of the authorization specification. In all the examples shown and discussed here, any specific value should be construed as merely exemplary and not as a limitation. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values. It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters denote like items in the following drawings, and thus, once an item is defined in one drawing, further discussion thereof in subsequent drawings is not required.

[0048] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the orientation words such as "front, rear, upper, lower, left, right," "lateral, vertical, perpendicular, horizontal," and "top, bottom" are generally based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Without contrary description, these orientation words do not indicate and imply that the devices or elements referred to must have a specific orientation or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as limiting the protection scope of this application; the orientation words "inside, outside" refer to the inside and outside relative to the contour of each component itself.

[0049] For ease of description, spatial relative terms, such as "above", "over", "on the upper surface", "upper", etc., may be used herein to describe the spatial positional relationship of one device or feature to another device or feature as shown in the figures. It should be understood that the spatial relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is inverted, a device described as "above" or "over" another device or structure will then be positioned "below" or "under" the other device or structure. Thus, the exemplary term "above" can include both orientations of "above" and "below". The device may also be positioned in other different ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), and corresponding interpretations of the spatial relative descriptions used herein will be made.

[0050] In addition, it should be noted that the use of terms such as "first", "second", etc. to limit components is merely for the convenience of differentiating the corresponding components. Without further statement, the above terms have no special meaning, and thus should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. In addition, although the terms used in this application are selected from well-known and commonly used terms, some of the terms mentioned in the specification of this application may be selected by the applicant according to his or her judgment, and their detailed meanings are described in the relevant parts of the description herein. In addition, it is required to understand this application not only through the actual terms used, but also through the meaning implied by each term.

[0051] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as "on another component", "connected to another component", "coupled to another component", or "in contact with another component", it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to, or in contact with the other component, or there may be an intervening component. In contrast, when a component is referred to as "directly on another component", "directly connected to", "directly coupled to", or "directly in contact with" another component, there is no intervening component.

[0052] In addition, the drawings are only schematic illustrations of the present utility model and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the figures represent the same or similar parts, and thus repeated descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0053] Figure 1 Showing the front view of the jack provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 Showing the axial sectional view of the jack provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, referring to Figure 1 The jack provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a housing 1.

[0054] Combined with Figure 2 The jack further includes:

[0055] A piston assembly 2 and a gas generator 3 encapsulated within the housing 1, with the piston assembly 2 positioned above the gas generator 3, including a piston rod 21 and a piston cylinder 22 sleeved outside the piston rod 21. The piston rod 21 is axially slidably engaged with respect to the piston cylinder 22, and the piston cylinder 22 is axially slidably engaged with respect to the housing 1;

[0056] A first limiting mechanism 4 is provided between the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22, and the first limiting mechanism 4 is configured to limit the sliding stroke of the piston rod 21 with respect to the piston cylinder 22;

[0057] A second limiting mechanism 5 is provided between the piston cylinder 22 and the housing 1, and the second limiting mechanism 5 is configured to limit the sliding stroke of the piston cylinder 22 with respect to the housing 1;

[0058] The gas generator 3 is configured to generate an air flow under control, use the air flow to push the piston rod 21 out of the housing 1, and under the drive of the piston rod 21, push the piston cylinder 22 out of the housing 1 together through the first limiting mechanism 4.

[0059] The axial sliding fit of the piston rod 21 with respect to the piston cylinder 22 and the axial sliding fit of the piston cylinder 22 with respect to the housing 1 are designed in the embodiments of the present disclosure. When the jacking device of this embodiment is applied to a vehicle, when the vehicle collides with a pedestrian, the gas generator 3 is triggered to generate a strong air flow, directly pushing the piston rod 21 out of the piston cylinder 22 and the housing 1 until it is restricted by the first limiting mechanism 4 and cannot move relative to the piston rod 21. At this time, a large amount of air flow surges into the piston cylinder 22 and continues to generate a driving force on the piston rod 21, pushing the piston rod 21 to drive the piston cylinder 22 to continue moving out of the housing 1 through the first limiting mechanism 4 until the piston cylinder 22 is restricted by the second limiting mechanism 5, and the piston rod 21 raises the upper engine hood to the required height, forming a buffer area under the engine hood to reduce the injury to the pedestrian's head.

[0060] In this process, the first limiting mechanism 4 and the second limiting mechanism 5 are used to limit the sliding strokes of the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22 respectively, to prevent the piston rod 21 from being completely pushed out of the piston cylinder 22 and the piston cylinder 22 from being completely pushed out of the housing 1. At the same time, after the engine hood is lifted, relying on the continuous pressure of the air flow on the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22, the engine hood can be stably maintained at the lifted position for a certain period of time, preventing the engine hood from not being sufficiently supported and falling back when the pedestrian's head hits the engine hood, thus failing to form an effective buffer and protect the pedestrian's head.

[0061] In this embodiment, compared with Figure 1 and Figure 3As shown Figure 1 shows the initial state of the jack Figure 3 shows the lifting state of the jack. In the lifting state, the final lifting height of the jack approximately includes the length of the piston rod 21 and the length of the piston cylinder 22 ( Figure 1 not shown in the figure). Compared with the single-stage lifting structure, the jack of this embodiment adopts this two-stage lifting structure or a multi-stage lifting structure based on this two-stage lifting structure, which can provide a larger lifting height while reducing the height of the jack housing 1, meet the height requirement for the hood to lift, make the pedestrian head impact area of the hood farther from the engine position, and more effectively buffer and protect pedestrians. Therefore, the jack of this embodiment can not only meet the installation requirements of a narrow installation space to reduce the installation layout difficulty, but also provide a relatively high lifting height at the same time.

[0062] In this embodiment, the housing 1 is also used to install the jack at a corresponding position in the vehicle. For example, a flange structure 10 is designed at the top of the housing 1 for installation with a mating structure at a corresponding position under the hood.

[0063] As Figure 2 and 4 shown, in an alternative, a second top cover 11 is provided outside the top of the housing 1, and the second top cover 11 is configured to be broken by the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22. The second top cover 11 can form a seal for the internal space of the housing 1 to prevent external impurities from invading the internal space of the housing 1 and prevent the internal components from failing.

[0064] A split structure is provided between the second top cover 11 and the housing 1. After the piston assembly 2 is placed in the internal space of the housing 1, the second top cover 11 is covered to complete the component encapsulation. Therefore, the split structure between the housing 1 and the second top cover 11 enables convenient assembly operation of the jack.

[0065] In an alternative, as Figure 4 shown, the second top cover 11 and the housing 1 are connected by a snap-fit structure. Specifically, the second top cover 11 is designed with snap-up type latches 111 distributed circumferentially, and a slot (not shown in the figure) cooperating with the latches 111 is provided on the inner wall of the housing 1. During assembly, the latches 111 of the second top cover 11 are inserted into the housing 1 from the outside to the inside. The latches 111 are elastically deformed by the extrusion of the inner wall of the housing 1. When reaching the position of the slot, the latches 111 pop into the slot and are limited by the slot, so that the second top cover 11 is assembled in place.

[0066] Furthermore, with the split structure, the second top cover 11 can be replaced afterwards, and the housing 1 and the piston assembly 2 can be re-encapsulated in the housing 1, which can reduce the production cost.

[0067] In another embodiment, a housing with a shell top can also be used, that is, the corresponding second top cover and the housing are an integral structure at this time.

[0068] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, as Figure 2 and 4 shown, a first sealing ring 23 is provided between the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22, and the first sealing ring 23 is sleeved outside the piston rod 21. The first sealing ring 23 can prevent external impurities from invading the internal space of the piston assembly 2 and avoid corrosion of the internal space of the jacking device by impurities such as water vapor.

[0069] In an alternative, as Figure 2 and 4 shown, a first annular groove 22a is formed on the inner peripheral surface of the piston cylinder 22 ( Figure 4 obscured and invisible in

[0070] ), the first sealing ring 23 is embedded in the first annular groove 22a and abuts against the piston rod 21 for sealing. When the piston rod 21 rushes out of the housing 1 upwards, the first sealing ring 23 can remain in the first annular groove 22a to continuously provide a sealing effect. At this time, the airflow generated by the gas generator 3 is restricted within the piston cylinder 22, and the first sealing ring 23 can block the rapid outward leakage of the internal airflow, thereby maintaining the lifting height of the engine hood.

[0071] In an alternative, the second sealing ring can also be embedded in the outer peripheral surface of the piston rod. In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a second sealing ring 12 is provided between the piston cylinder 22 and the housing 1, and the second sealing ring 12 is sleeved outside the piston cylinder 22.

[0072] Among them, the second sealing ring 12 plays a sealing role, preventing external impurities from entering the jacking device through the possible gaps between the piston cylinder 22 and the housing 1, avoiding corrosion of the corresponding components by impurities such as water vapor, and extending the service life of the jacking device.

[0073] In an alternative embodiment, as Figure 2 and 4 shown, a second annular groove 22b is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the piston cylinder 22, and the second sealing ring 12 is embedded in the second annular groove 22b.

[0074] During installation, the second sealing ring 12 is first sleeved on the piston cylinder 22, and the second sealing ring 12 undergoes elastic deformation. Then, the second sealing ring 12 is moved along the piston cylinder 22 into the second annular groove 22b, and the deformation of the second sealing ring 12 disappears, so that it is embedded in the second annular groove 22b.

[0075] When the piston cylinder 22 is driven by the piston rod 21 to be pushed out of the housing 1, the second sealing ring 12 is also driven to be pushed outwards. At this time, there may be a certain gap between the piston cylinder 22 and the housing 1. After the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22 are instantaneously pushed out, the engine hood is lifted to protect pedestrians. After that, the air flow in the piston cylinder 22 can slowly leak out through the gap between the housing 1 and the piston cylinder 22, causing the engine hood to slowly lower, which is beneficial for the slow reset of the jack. On the other hand, if the weight of a pedestrian or other object is large, a large reverse pressure is formed on the air flow through the piston rod 21, causing a large pressure on the piston cylinder 22 by the air flow. At this time, the air flow leaks through the gap, which can avoid irreparable damage to the jack by the internal air flow.

[0076] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 2 and 4 shown, the first limiting mechanism 4 includes:

[0077] A first stop portion 41 provided on the outer wall of the piston rod 21 and a second stop portion 42 provided on the inner wall of the piston cylinder 22 ( Figure 4 which is blocked and invisible in

[0078] ). In the assembled state, the first stop portion 41 and the second stop portion 42 are axially opposite to each other, and the first stop portion 41 is closer to the gas generator 3 than the second stop portion 42. Exemplarily, the first stop portion 41 is located at the bottom end position of the piston rod 21, and the second stop portion 42 is located at the top end position of the piston cylinder 22.

[0079] In the working process, the piston rod 21 moves outwards relative to the piston cylinder 22 until the first stop portion 41 axially abuts against the second stop portion 42, terminating the axial movement of the piston rod 21 relative to the piston cylinder 22. Due to the abutment between the first stop portion 41 and the second stop portion 42, the piston rod 21 drives the piston cylinder 22 to continue to move outwards synchronously through the first stop portion 41.

[0079] In this embodiment, both the first stop portion 41 and the second stop portion 42 are annular structures to provide a stable and firm limiting effect.

[0080] In an alternative, the first stop portion 41 and the piston cylinder 22 may be in contact or close to contact to avoid forming an exhaust passage, thereby reducing the axial driving force received by the piston rod 21. Finally, it is ensured that the piston rod 21 receives a large air flow driving force and quickly moves out of the piston cylinder 22 and the housing 1, so as to lift the engine hood to the expected height within a short time and achieve timely protection for pedestrians.

[0081] In an alternative embodiment, the first stop portion 41 is formed by a first outward protrusion 211 on the outer wall of the piston rod 21, and the second stop portion 42 is formed by a first inward protrusion 221 on the inner wall of the piston cylinder 22.

[0082] In this embodiment, the first protruding portion 211 makes the piston rod 21 and the first stop portion 41 an integral structure, which can be produced using the same mold. The first inner protruding portion 221 makes the piston cylinder 22 and the second stop portion 42 an integral structure, which can be produced using the same mold. This can reduce the manufacturing cost and facilitate assembly. Moreover, with the integral structure, the structural stability of the first stop portion 41 and the second stop portion 42 is better, improving the product performance.

[0083] In another alternative, a split structure design is adopted between the first stop portion and the piston rod, and between the second stop portion and the piston cylinder. For example, the first stop portion is fixedly sleeved outside the piston rod, or the second stop portion is embedded in the inner wall of the piston cylinder.

[0084] Continue as Figure 2 shown, the two stop surfaces of the first stop portion 41 and the second stop portion 42 that are axially opposite are respectively used as the first stop surface 41a and the second stop surface 42a, and the first stop portion 41 and the second stop portion 42 are configured to abut against each other through the first stop surface 41a and the second stop surface 42a to achieve mutual limiting.

[0085] In this way, through the above surface-to-surface contact, a good sealing effect can be provided for the airflow generated by the gas generator 3, and the preset height positions of the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22 can be maintained.

[0086] Optionally, both the first stop surface 41a and the second stop surface 42a are inclined surfaces. Exemplarily, the angle between the first stop surface 41a and the outer wall of the piston rod 21 is an obtuse angle, and the angle between the second stop surface 42a and the inner wall of the piston cylinder 22 is an obtuse angle. The inclined surface can increase the contact area, thereby providing a better sealing effect.

[0087] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 2 shown, the gas generator 3 has a first top cover 32, and the first top cover 32 isolates the gas generator 3 from the upper piston assembly 2.

[0088] The piston rod 21 abuts against the first top cover 32. In this way, the first top cover 32 plays a role in supporting and stabilizing the piston rod 21, and the piston rod 21 is encapsulated between the first top cover 32 and the second top cover 11. The first top cover 32 is configured to rupture under the impact of the airflow to discharge the airflow and push the piston rod 21 out of the housing 1.

[0089] During operation, since the first top cover 32 abuts against the piston rod 21, the flow distance of the gas generated by the gas generator 3 towards the piston rod 21 after breaking through the first top cover 32 is relatively shortened, so that an airflow impact can be immediately generated on the piston rod 21, enabling the piston rod 21 to obtain an instantaneously large driving force and promptly lifting the engine hood to a preset distance to provide immediate protection for pedestrians.

[0090] In another embodiment, the piston rod may not abut against the first top cover, and the piston rod is encapsulated in the piston cylinder in the assembled state.

[0091] In an alternative embodiment, a groove channel 21a facing the first top cover 32 is provided at one end of the piston rod 21 that abuts against the first top cover 32. The groove channel 21a is a groove structure with a bottom surface, and the internal space of the groove channel 21a is smaller than the internal space of the piston cylinder 22. The airflow generated by the gas generator 3 instantaneously fills the groove channel 21a, which can provide an instantaneous thrust to the piston rod 21, so that the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22 are quickly pushed out of the housing 1, and the engine hood is lifted in time to form a buffer knot area below, so that pedestrians can be protected in time.

[0092] As Figure 2 and 4 shown, at one end of the piston rod 21 that abuts against the first top cover 32, a first cap-shaped structure 212 is provided that is buckled on the first top cover 32. A plug 213 is provided in the first cap-shaped structure 212 to form the groove channel 21a, and the first cap-shaped structure 212 also serves as the first protrusion 211 and the first stop portion 41 at the same time. In this way, the first cap-shaped structure 212 provides both an air intake function and a stop function at the same time, making the structure of the piston rod 21 simple and suitable for processing and manufacturing.

[0093] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 2 shown, the gas generator 3 is provided with an airflow channel 3a inside the first top cover 32. The projection area of the airflow channel 3a and the groove channel 21a in the first cap-shaped structure 212 overlap in the same cross-section perpendicular to the central axis of the piston rod 21. Exemplarily, the projection area of the airflow channel 3a in this cross-section is located within the projection area of the groove channel 21a in the same cross-section. In this way, the airflow generated by the gas generator 3 is concentrated and flushed into the groove channel 21a through the airflow channel 3a, so that a large driving force can be provided to the piston rod 21 in a short time.

[0094] In an alternative manner, as Figure 2 and Figure 5 shown, the piston rod 21 is a hollow structure. By inserting a plug 213 into the first cap-shaped structure 212, the internal space of the piston rod 21 is partitioned, and a groove channel 21a is formed in the first cap-shaped structure 212 ( Figure 5 is blocked and not visible in

[0095] In an alternative manner, the groove channel is formed by machining. Exemplarily, when manufacturing the first cap-shaped structure, a bottom surface is designed, and the bottom surface is manufactured in the same process as the first cap-shaped structure.

[0096] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 2 andFigure 4 As shown, the second limiting mechanism 5 includes:

[0097] The third stopper 51 disposed on the outer wall of the piston cylinder 22 and the fourth stopper 52 disposed on the inner wall of the housing 1 ( Figure 4 The third stop portion 51 is closer to the first top cover 32 than the fourth stop portion 52.

[0098] In the assembled state, the third stopper 51 and the fourth stopper 52 are axially opposite to each other, and the third stopper 51 is closer to the first top cover 32 than the fourth stopper 52. During operation, when the piston rod 21 drives the piston cylinder 22 to move outward from the housing 1, the third stopper 51 abuts against the fourth stopper 52, so that the axial movement of the piston cylinder 22 stops.

[0099] In this embodiment, the third stopper 51 and the fourth stopper 52 are both annular structures to provide a stable and firm limiting effect.

[0100] In an optional manner, the third stop portion 51 can be in contact or near contact with the outer shell 1 to avoid forming an exhaust channel leading to the outside of the outer shell 1, thereby reducing the axial driving force on the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22, and ultimately ensuring that the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22 maintain position stability in the lifted position, thereby achieving stable protection for pedestrians.

[0101] In an optional manner, the third stop portion 51 is formed on the second outer protrusion 222 of the outer wall of the piston cylinder 22 , and the fourth stop portion 52 is formed on the second inner protrusion 13 of the inner wall of the housing 1 .

[0102] In this embodiment, the second outer protrusion 222 makes the piston cylinder 22 and the third stopper 51 an integrated structure, which can be manufactured using the same mold. The second inner protrusion 13 makes the housing 1 and the fourth stopper 52 an integrated structure, which can be manufactured using the same mold. This can reduce the manufacturing cost and facilitate assembly. Moreover, with the integrated structure, the third stopper 51 and the fourth stopper 52 have better structural stability, which improves product performance.

[0103] In another optional manner, a split structure design is adopted between the third stopper and the piston cylinder, and between the fourth stopper and the shell. For example, the third stopper is fixedly sleeved outside the piston cylinder, or the fourth stopper is embedded in the inner wall of the shell.

[0104] Continue as Figure 2 As shown, the two axially opposite stop surfaces of the third stop portion 51 and the fourth stop portion 52 serve as the third stop surface 51a and the fourth stop surface 52a respectively, and the third stop portion 51 and the fourth stop portion 52 are configured to abut against each other through the third stop surface 51a and the fourth stop surface 52a to achieve mutual limitation.

[0105] In this way, through the above-mentioned surface-to-surface contact, a good sealing effect can be provided for the airflow generated by the gas generator 3, and the preset height positions of the piston rod 21 and the piston cylinder 22 can be maintained.

[0106] Optionally, both the third stop surface 51a and the fourth stop surface 52a are inclined surfaces. Exemplarily, the angle between the third stop surface 51a and the outer wall of the piston cylinder 22 is an obtuse angle, and the angle between the fourth stop surface 52a and the inner wall of the housing 1 is an obtuse angle. The inclined surface can increase the contact area, thereby providing a better sealing effect.

[0107] Continuing as Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, the piston cylinder 22 is formed with a second cap-shaped structure 223 that is buckled on the first top cover 32 to serve as the second protrusion 222. In this way, the second cap-shaped structure 223 serves as both the second protrusion 222 and the third stop portion 51 at the same time, making the structure of the piston cylinder 22 simple and suitable for processing and manufacturing.

[0108] In an alternative manner, the top of the housing 1 is designed as a narrow-mouth structure, and the narrow-mouth structure forms a second inner protrusion 13.

[0109] As Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, the first top cover 32 includes a cover portion 321 and a skirt 322 formed on the cover portion 321. The cover portion 321 is wrapped inside the piston cylinder 22 and abuts against the piston rod 21 above, and the piston cylinder 22 abuts against the skirt 322.

[0110] In this embodiment, the skirt 322 is lower than the top surface of the cover portion 321, so that the cover portion 321 is wrapped inside the piston cylinder 22. Exemplarily, the cover portion 321 is wrapped inside the second cap-shaped structure 223, so that the abutting position of the piston rod 21 and the cover portion 321 is slightly higher than the abutting position of the piston cylinder 22 and the skirt 322.

[0111] During operation, the airflow generated by the gas generator 3 breaks through the cover portion 321, and the piston rod 21 is first pushed upward by the driving force from the airflow. Exemplarily, the groove channel 21a first receives the airflow generated by the gas generator 3, so that the piston rod 21 is first pushed out.

[0112] In the corresponding scenario, the airflow generated by the gas generator 3 will also flow into the second cap-shaped structure 223. Therefore, when the piston rod 21 moves upward, the piston cylinder 22 itself may also move upward relative to the housing 1.

[0113] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, as Figure 2 and 6As shown, the gas generator 3 further includes an igniter 31, gunpowder 33 and a bracket 34. The gunpowder 33 is filled inside the first top cover 32 and located above the igniter 31. The igniter 31 is assembled with the bracket 34, and the bracket 34 provides installation and support for the igniter 31. The first top cover 32 covers the bracket 34.

[0114] Among them, the igniter 31 can be an electric spark igniter, which has a terminal 311 and an ignition end 312. The terminal 311 is located at the bottom of the bracket 34 and is coupled to the vehicle's internal power supply system, and the ignition end 312 is located inside and points to the gunpowder 33 ( Figure 6 not shown).

[0115] In one scenario, when the vehicle hits a pedestrian, the in-vehicle computer in the vehicle responds to the collision signal and applies an electrical signal to the igniter 31 through the terminal 311, so that the igniter 31 generates an electric spark through the ignition end 312, and the electric spark ignites the gunpowder 33.

[0116] Among them, the above air flow channel 3a is formed in the bracket 34, and the ignition end 312 extends into the air flow channel 3a.

[0117] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a third sealing ring 35 is provided between the housing 1 and the bracket 34. The third sealing ring 35 plays a sealing role to prevent external impurities from entering the inside of the lifter from the bottom, and avoid corrosion of the internal structure of the lifter by external moisture and other impurities.

[0118] In an alternative, as Figure 2 and Figure 6 shown, a fourth sealing ring 36 is provided between the igniter 31 and the bracket 34. The fourth sealing ring 36 plays a sealing role to prevent external impurities from invading the air flow channel 3a, and avoid the gunpowder 33 from being invaded by moisture and other impurities and becoming ineffective.

[0119] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a vehicle in which the lifter of the above embodiment is deployed. Exemplarily, the lifter is installed at one end of the vehicle hood close to the front windshield to lift the hood.

[0120] The embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a control method for a vehicle equipped with the above lifter. The execution subject of this control method can be an in-vehicle computer, as Figure 7 shown, this control method includes the following steps:

[0121] Step 710: Detect whether the vehicle hood is hit;

[0122] Step 720: When it is detected that the engine hood is impacted, a control signal is transmitted to the gas generator, causing the gas generator to generate an air flow in response to the control signal. The air flow is used to push the piston rod out of the housing, and driven by the piston rod, the piston cylinder is pushed out of the housing together through the first limiting mechanism.

[0123] This embodiment can automatically lift the engine hood by using a lifter when the vehicle hits a pedestrian, forming a buffer area under the engine hood to counteract the impact force on the pedestrian's head, reduce the injury to the head, and play a role in pedestrian protection.

[0124] In an alternative manner, the vehicle is provided with at least one of a pressure sensor, a collision sensor, and an acceleration sensor. The corresponding sensor is used to sense that the vehicle's engine hood is impacted, generate an impact detection signal when triggered, and transmit it to the in-vehicle computer. The in-vehicle computer determines that the engine hood is impacted in response to the impact detection signal and sends a control signal to the gas generator.

[0125] In another embodiment, for example, in an autonomous driving scenario, the vehicle is equipped with at least one of a radar system, an optical acquisition device, and an ultrasonic sensor. Exemplarily, the optical acquisition device acquires images around the vehicle and combines image recognition technology to determine whether there is an impact risk, and generates the above control signal when it is determined that there is an impact risk. Exemplarily, the radar system or the ultrasonic sensor is used to detect pedestrians or objects around the vehicle, and processes the detection data by means of machine learning methods to determine whether there is an impact risk, and generates the above control signal when it is determined that there is an impact risk.

[0126] In one embodiment, the gas generator is an igniter with an electric spark igniter. At this time, the control signal is an electric signal, triggering the igniter to ignite and generate a strong air flow.

[0127] The above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in combination with specific preferred embodiments. It cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is only limited to these descriptions. For those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several simple deductions or substitutions can still be made, which should all be regarded as belonging to the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood, characterized in that: include: Housing (1); A piston assembly (2) and a gas generator (3) are encapsulated in the housing (1), wherein the piston assembly (2) is located above the gas generator (3) and comprises a piston rod (21) and a piston cylinder (22) sleeved outside the piston rod (21), wherein the piston rod (21) is axially slidably matched with the piston cylinder (22), and the piston cylinder (22) is axially slidably matched with the housing (1); A first limiting mechanism (4) is provided between the piston rod (21) and the piston cylinder (22), wherein the first limiting mechanism (4) is configured to limit the sliding stroke of the piston rod (21) relative to the piston cylinder (22); A second limiting mechanism (5) is provided between the piston cylinder (22) and the housing (1), and the second limiting mechanism (5) is configured to limit the sliding stroke of the piston cylinder (22) relative to the housing (1); The gas generator (3) is configured to generate a gas flow under control, and utilize the gas flow to push the piston rod (21) out of the housing (1), and driven by the piston rod (21), the piston cylinder (22) is pushed out of the housing (1) through the first limiting mechanism (4).

2. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas generator (3) has a first top cover (32), and the piston rod (21) abuts against the first top cover (32); The first top cover (32) is configured to be ruptured by the impact of the airflow to allow the airflow to be discharged, thereby pushing the piston rod (21) out of the housing (1).

3. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 2, characterized in that: A groove channel (21a) facing the first top cover (32) is provided at one end of the piston rod (21) abutting against the first top cover (32).

4. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 3, characterized in that: A first cap-shaped structure (212) which is buckled onto the first top cover (32) is formed at one end of the piston rod (21) abutting against the first top cover (32), and a plug-in unit (213) is provided in the first cap-shaped structure (212) to form the groove channel (21a).

5. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 3, characterized in that: The gas generator is provided with an air flow channel (3a) located on the inner side of the first top cover (32), and the projection area of ​​the air flow channel (3a) on a cross section perpendicular to the piston rod (21) is located within the projection area of ​​the groove channel (21a) on the cross section.

6. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first top cover (32) includes a cover portion (321) and a skirt (322) formed on the cover portion (321); the cover portion (321) is enclosed in the piston cylinder (22) and abuts against the piston rod (21) above; the piston cylinder (22) abuts against the skirt (322).

7. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first limiting mechanism (4) comprises: A first stopper (41) is arranged on the outer wall of the piston rod (21) and a second stopper (42) is arranged on the inner wall of the piston cylinder (22), wherein the first stopper (41) is closer to the gas generator (3) than the second stopper (42).

8. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first stopper (41) is formed on a first outer protrusion (211) of an outer wall of the piston rod (21), and the second stopper (42) is formed on a first inner protrusion (221) of an inner wall of the piston cylinder (22).

9. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 1, characterized in that: The second limiting mechanism (5) comprises: a third stopper (51) arranged on the outer wall of the piston cylinder (22) and a fourth stopper (52) arranged on the inner wall of the outer shell (1); the third stopper (51) is closer to the gas generator (3) than the fourth stopper (52).

10. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 9, characterized in that: The third stopper (51) is formed on a second outer protrusion (222) of the outer wall of the piston cylinder (22), and the fourth stopper (52) is formed on a second inner protrusion (13) of the inner wall of the housing (1).

11. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 10, characterized in that: The piston cylinder (22) is formed with a second cap-shaped structure (223) which is buckled onto the gas generator (3) to serve as the second outer protrusion (222).

12. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 1, characterized in that: A first sealing ring (23) is provided between the piston rod (21) and the piston cylinder (22), and the first sealing ring (23) is sleeved outside the piston rod (21).

13. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 12, characterized in that: A first annular groove (22a) is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the piston cylinder (22), and the first sealing ring (23) is embedded in the first annular groove (22a).

14. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second sealing ring (12) is provided between the piston cylinder (22) and the housing (1), and the second sealing ring (12) is sleeved outside the piston cylinder (22).

15. The lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood according to claim 14, characterized in that: A second annular groove (22b) is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the piston cylinder (22), and the second sealing ring (12) is embedded in the second annular groove (22b).

16. A vehicle, characterized in that: A lifting device for lifting a vehicle hood comprising any one of claims 1-15.

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