Active pedestrian protection hinge with self-locking retention and energy absorption function

Abstract

The utility model relates to pedestrian protection technical field, concretely relates to a kind of active pedestrian protection hinge with self-locking and energy-absorbing function, including fixed page board, movable page board and active page board;The fixed page board is hinged with movable page board by pin shaft one;The active page board is hinged with movable page board by pin shaft three;Slide groove is opened on the active page board, pin shaft two is penetrated the slide groove and is fixed in movable page board, the slide groove size is less than pin shaft two diameter and both sides are provided with avoiding hole.This technical scheme can make active page board stable and keep in maximum position after lifting by the cooperation of elastic sheet and limiting pin, ensure that the cover is continuously suspended to realize effective protection to pedestrian;The slide groove of active page board cooperates with pin shaft two, both realizes the limiting of maximum lifting position, and energy-absorbing buffer is completed through the plastic deformation of slide groove and avoiding hole, integrates limiting and energy-absorbing function, simplifies structure, improves the stability of hinge while ensuring the protection effect to pedestrian.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of pedestrian protection technology, specifically to an active pedestrian protection hinge with self-locking and energy absorption functions. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing number of cars on the road, pedestrian-vehicle collisions are becoming more frequent, making the reduction of pedestrian injuries a crucial need in the field of automotive safety. Traditional hood hinges only connect the car body to the hood and function as switches, and cannot actively protect pedestrians in the event of a collision.

[0003] While existing active pedestrian protection hinges can raise the hood to absorb energy during a collision, they have the following shortcomings: After being raised, it is difficult to maintain a stable maximum position, affecting the continuity of pedestrian protection. Furthermore, the energy-absorbing structure is complex and has a large number of parts, resulting in high costs and cumbersome assembly, which is not conducive to product promotion. Utility Model Content

[0004] This invention aims to at least partially solve one of the technical problems in related technologies. Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to propose an active pedestrian protection hinge with self-locking retention and energy absorption functions to improve pedestrian protection.

[0005] The objective of this utility model can be achieved through the following technical solutions: An active pedestrian protection hinge with self-locking retention and energy absorption functions includes a fixed leaf plate, a movable leaf plate, and an active leaf plate; The fixed page plate is hinged to the movable page plate via a pin. The active leaf plate is hinged to the movable leaf plate via a pin three; The active page plate is provided with a sliding groove, and the second pin passes through the sliding groove and is fixed to the active page plate. The size of the sliding groove is smaller than the diameter of the second pin and has clearance holes on both sides. The active and movable leaf plates are connected by pop rivets. A limit block is installed between the active page plate and the movable page plate; A spring is riveted to the active page plate, and a limit pin is fitted on the spring. The limit pin can be pressed out by the spring to prevent the active page plate from falling back.

[0006] In some embodiments of this utility model, the second pin engages with the slide groove to limit the maximum lifting position of the active blade; the slide groove and the clearance hole achieve energy absorption and buffering through plastic deformation when the active blade is lifted.

[0007] In some embodiments of this utility model, the limiting block is fixed on the active page plate to limit the relative movement in the Y direction between the active page plate and the movable page plate.

[0008] In some embodiments of this utility model, the limiting block improves the overall stiffness of the hinge by reducing Y-axis sway and prevents abnormal noises during vehicle operation.

[0009] In some embodiments of this utility model, the limiting block is disposed on the radial force path of the pop rivet to share the radial load on the pop rivet caused by the pressure under the cover.

[0010] In some embodiments of this utility model, the spring is fixed to the movable leaf plate by rivets; when the active leaf plate is raised to the maximum position, the spring presses the limiting pin into the limiting hole of the active leaf plate to prevent the active leaf plate from falling.

[0011] In some embodiments of this utility model, the pop rivet is a detachable structure, which can be replaced with special tools to enable the hinge to be reused.

[0012] In some embodiments of this utility model, the mounting direction of the fixed plate to the vehicle body is Y-direction, and the vehicle body assembly tolerance is absorbed through the mounting holes of the vehicle body.

[0013] In some embodiments of this utility model, the slide groove has both energy absorption and buffering functions as well as limiting functions, and the number of hinge parts is reduced by 2-3 after integration.

[0014] In some embodiments of this utility model, the limiting pin and the spring sheet constitute a reusable self-locking mechanism, which can be restored by manual reset after a collision.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this utility model are: Compared to traditional methods, this technical solution, through the cooperation of spring clips and limiting pins, enables the active flap to remain stably in its maximum position after being raised, ensuring that the cover remains suspended to effectively protect pedestrians. The sliding groove of the active flap, in cooperation with the pin, not only limits the maximum lifting position but also absorbs energy through the plastic deformation of the sliding groove and clearance hole, integrating limiting and energy absorption functions and simplifying the structure. The limiting block can restrict the relative movement of the active flap and the movable flap in the Y direction, improving the overall rigidity of the hinge, reducing abnormal noise, and at the same time sharing the load on the pop rivet, extending its service life. Furthermore, the detachable design of the blind rivet allows the hinge to be reused, reducing usage costs; the fixed plate adopts Y-axis installation, which can absorb the body assembly tolerance through the mounting holes of the body, improving assembly adaptability; the overall solution, through structural optimization, improves the stability, durability and practicality of the hinge while ensuring pedestrian protection. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0017] Figure 1This is the front view of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a rear view of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing that both the fixed leaf plate and the active leaf plate are in a rotating state in this utility model.

[0018] In the diagram: 1. Fixed page plate; 2. Pin 1; 3. Movable page plate; 4. Active page plate; 5. Pin 2; 6. Pin 3; 7. Pull-out rivet; 8. Limit block; 9. Spring; 10. Limit pin; 11. Rivet. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the embodiments of this utility model. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of this utility model. Example

[0020] This embodiment mainly describes the core mechanical structure of the active hinge, the connection relationship between the components, and how it achieves the two key functions of lifting and self-locking after being triggered.

[0021] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, an active pedestrian protection hinge with self-locking retention and energy absorption functions mainly consists of three core plates: a fixed plate 1, a movable plate 3, and an active plate 4.

[0022] The fixed hinge plate 1 is the base of the hinge, designed for rigid connection to the vehicle's longitudinal beams or front bulkhead. It has bolt holes for mounting. The movable hinge plate 3, acting as the intermediate link between the fixed hinge plate 1 and the active hinge plate 4, plays a crucial role in transmitting and converting motion. It is pivotally connected to the fixed hinge plate 1 via pin 2, meaning the movable hinge plate 3 can rotate around pin 2. The active hinge plate 4 is the actuating end of the hinge, directly mounted on the inner panel of the car's hood. It is pivotally connected to the movable hinge plate 3 via pin 6.

[0023] To lock this linkage mechanism in the low position (hood closed) in the initial state and serve as the break point for the lifting force, a blind rivet 7 is used to rigidly rivet the active flap 4 and the movable flap 3 together through corresponding holes. This rivet provides connection rigidity during normal hood opening and closing, but is designed as a shearable "fuse" in the event of a collision. The entire structure forms a stable triangular or quasi-triangular structure in the initial state, ensuring the stability of the hood during daily use.

[0024] The working principle of the hinge in this embodiment includes: Standby state: When the vehicle is in normal driving, the hinge is in the closed position. The active flap 4 and the movable flap 3 are tightly connected by the blind rivet 7, and the entire hinge is like an ordinary rigid hinge, supporting the normal opening and closing of the engine hood.

[0025] Triggering phase: When the sensors at the front of the vehicle (such as the bumper sensor) detect a characteristic signal of a collision with a pedestrian, the ECU (electronic control unit) makes a judgment within milliseconds and sends an ignition or power command to the lifting drive mechanism built into the hinge (not shown in the figure, which is a conventional structure in the field, usually a gas generator or electromagnet).

[0026] Lifting Phase: The lifting drive mechanism instantly generates a huge thrust or pull force, which acts directly on the active flap 4 or the movable flap 3. Since this force is much greater than the shear strength of the blind rivet 7, the blind rivet 7 is instantly sheared, releasing the rigid constraint on the active flap 4 and the movable flap 3. Under the action of the driving force, the active flap 4 rotates relative to the movable flap 3 with pin 6 as the center, and at the same time, the movable flap 3 also rotates with pin 2 as the center. The entire linkage mechanism unfolds, quickly lifting the active flap 4 and the rear end of the engine cover upwards.

[0027] Self-locking stage: A spring plate 9 is fixedly installed on the movable leaf plate 3 by rivets 11, and a retractable limiting pin 10 is fitted on the spring plate 9. During the lifting process, a specific surface of the active leaf plate 4 will slide over and press against the spring plate 9 or the limiting pin 10. When the active leaf plate 4 is about to reach its designed maximum lifting height, a pre-set limiting hole on its side will move precisely in front of the limiting pin 10. At this time, due to its own elastic restoring force, the spring plate 9 will instantly push the limiting pin 10 into the limiting hole of the active leaf plate 4.

[0028] Maintaining the position: The engagement of the limiting pin 10 with the limiting hole forms a rigid mechanical lock. It effectively prevents the active flap 4 from falling back under the action of gravity or secondary impact force, ensuring that the engine hood is firmly held in the raised position, thereby providing a continuous and effective buffer space for pedestrians.

[0029] This pedestrian protection hinge achieves rapid unlocking and lifting by cutting the pop rivet 7, with a fast response and decisive action. It also adopts a pure mechanical self-locking method with spring 9 + limit pin 10 + limit hole, which is simple and reliable in structure. Once locked, it can be stably maintained without continuous energy input, avoiding the failure risk that may exist in electronic locking.

[0030] Alternatively, in addition to a gas generator, a high-energy spring combined with an electromagnetic release can be used. Upon receiving a signal, the electromagnetic release releases the spring, converting the spring's potential energy into kinetic energy to lift the hinge.

[0031] Alternatively, the spring 9 and the limiting pin 10 can be integrated into a single design. For example, the spring 9 itself has a protrusion at its end that directly engages with the limiting hole, reducing the number of parts. Alternatively, a center linkage mechanism can be used, where the linkage will naturally remain in its maximum position under gravity after passing the center "dead point," eliminating the need for additional locking components. Example

[0032] Based on Example 1, this embodiment focuses on how the hinge, through its ingenious structural design, achieves energy absorption and buffering, precise positioning, and enhanced rigidity for daily use during and after the lifting process.

[0033] The key to this embodiment lies in a special design on the active leaf plate 4: a groove and clearance hole, as well as the introduction of the second pin 5.

[0034] Slide groove and pin 5: A slide groove of a specific length and shape is provided on the active leaf plate 4. Pin 5 is fixed to the movable leaf plate 3 and slides through the slide groove. This pin-slot fit guides and restricts the movement trajectory and extreme positions of the active leaf plate 4.

[0035] Energy-absorbing structure design: The size of the slide is designed to be slightly smaller than the diameter of pin 25. At both ends of the slide, where pin 25 will eventually impact, clearance holes or weakening grooves are stamped. These areas are designed as pre-existing weak points because the sheet metal is thinner or there is stress concentration due to stamping.

[0036] Stiffness-enhancing structure: A limiting block 8 made of materials such as rubber or highly elastic polyurethane is fixed to the active leaf plate 4. When the hinge is in the closed state, the limiting block 8 abuts tightly against a certain plane of the active leaf plate 3 to limit the slight relative movement of the two in the Y direction (usually referring to a direction that is laterally or perpendicular to the leaf plate of the vehicle).

[0037] The working principle of the hinge in this embodiment includes: Lifting and Limiting: When the hinge is triggered to lift, as in Embodiment 1 above, the active flap 4 moves upward, and the slide groove on it also slides relative to the fixed pin 2 5. When the pin 2 5 moves to the end of the slide groove, it plays a hard limiting role, precisely preventing the active flap 4 from lifting excessively, thereby stabilizing the cover at the preset maximum height.

[0038] Energy absorption (lifting process): Because the width of the chute is smaller than the diameter of the pin, during the lifting process, the edge of pin 25 will scrape and compress against the side wall of the chute, resulting in plastic deformation. This process itself can absorb some of the impact energy released by the lifting mechanism, making the lifting process smoother and avoiding rigid impact.

[0039] During daily driving, uneven road surfaces or vehicle vibrations can cause minute gaps between the hinge components, leading to abnormal noises. The presence of the limiting block 8, with its elastic preload, fills the Y-direction gap between the active leaf plate 4 and the movable leaf plate 3, greatly reducing the lateral sway of the hinge, improving the overall rigidity of the hinge assembly, and effectively preventing the generation of abnormal noises.

[0040] This pedestrian safety hinge integrates limiting and energy absorption functions into a single pin-slot structure, reducing the number of parts—typically eliminating 2-3 dedicated limiting or energy-absorbing components—and lowering cost and complexity. Furthermore, it provides secondary energy absorption through plastic deformation at the end of the groove, achieving an additional layer of protection beyond the lifting height, resulting in enhanced safety performance. The design of the limiting block 8 also offers multiple benefits, improving the user's experience in daily use—eliminating abnormal noise—and enhancing the hinge's durability.

[0041] Alternatively, in addition to groove deformation, S-shaped bends or bellows structures can be directly stamped onto the plates of the movable leaf plate 3 or the active leaf plate 4. Upon impact, these structures absorb energy by being straightened or crushed. Example

[0042] This embodiment, based on the previous two embodiments, further focuses on improving the hinge's reliability throughout its entire life cycle, its repairability after a collision, and its ease of assembly during the vehicle manufacturing process.

[0043] This embodiment focuses on some design details that give the hinge greater engineering practicality.

[0044] In this embodiment, the installation position of the limiting block 8 is carefully designed so that it is located exactly on or near the radial force path of the blind rivet 7, in order to reduce the shear force on the blind rivet 7. This means that when the hood is closed, most of the downward pressure generated by its own weight will be directly transmitted by the more robust active flap 4 and movable flap 3 bodies, and borne by the limiting block 8, rather than by the small blind rivet 7 bearing all the tensile load.

[0045] In this embodiment, the pop rivet 7 is designed as a standard, removable and replaceable component. After the hinge is triggered or damaged, maintenance personnel can easily remove the damaged remnants using specialized tools (such as an electric drill). The spring 9 and limit pin 10 of the self-locking mechanism operate based on elastic deformation and do not suffer permanent damage during locking. It is reusable.

[0046] The working principle of the hinge in this embodiment includes: Throughout the vehicle's lifespan, the weight of the engine hood continues to act, and by having the limiting block 8 share most of the static load, the fatigue load on the blind rivet 7 is greatly reduced, preventing it from loosening or failing prematurely due to long-term stress, and ensuring that the lifting mechanism can be reliably triggered when needed.

[0047] When repairing after a collision: Step 1 Unlocking: The maintenance personnel first need to manually overcome the locking force of the spring 9 and pull the limit pin 10 out of the limit hole of the active plate 4. This usually requires a simple tool to pry the spring 9 from the side. Step 2: Reset: After unlocking, manually push the raised engine hood back to the closed position; Step 3: Replace the vulnerable parts: Remove the residue from the cut-off pop rivet 7, and use a rivet gun to install a new, intact pop rivet 7, and re-fix the active flap 4 and the movable flap 3 together; At this point, the hinge's function has been fully restored, and there is no need to replace the entire expensive hinge assembly.

[0048] On the automotive assembly line, there are certain tolerances in the manufacturing and positioning of the body and engine hood. The fixed 1Y-axis mounting and Z-axis hinge position adjustment ensure uniform and aesthetically pleasing surface differences between the engine hood and the body side panels and fenders, effectively absorbing accumulated assembly tolerances, reducing assembly difficulty, and improving production efficiency.

[0049] In this embodiment, after the hinge is triggered, it can be repaired simply by replacing the inexpensive blind rivet 7, greatly reducing the maintenance cost per incident. The load-sharing design prevents premature fatigue failure of critical "safety" components, ensuring the long-term reliability of the system. Furthermore, the assembly tolerance absorption design makes the hinge insensitive to dimensional fluctuations in incoming components, simplifying the debugging work on the assembly line.

[0050] Alternatively, the pop rivet 7 can be replaced by a special shear pin with threads and a nut, which can be unscrewed directly without drilling, making it more convenient, but at a slightly higher cost.

[0051] Optionally, a dedicated reset handle or reset hole can be designed. After the maintenance personnel insert the tool, they can easily disengage the locking mechanism by rotating or pressing it, thus improving the convenience of maintenance.

[0052] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0053] The above description is merely an example and illustration of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or additions to the specific embodiments described or use similar methods to replace them, as long as they do not deviate from the utility model or exceed the scope defined in the claims, they should all fall within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. An active pedestrian protection hinge with self-locking retention and energy absorption functions, comprising a fixed leaf plate, a movable leaf plate, and an active leaf plate, characterized in that: The fixed page plate is hinged to the movable page plate via a pin. The active leaf plate is hinged to the movable leaf plate via a pin three; The active page plate is provided with a sliding groove, and the second pin passes through the sliding groove and is fixed to the active page plate. The size of the sliding groove is smaller than the diameter of the second pin and has clearance holes on both sides. The active and movable leaf plates are connected by pop rivets. A limit block is installed between the active page plate and the movable page plate; A spring is riveted to the active page plate, and a limit pin is fitted on the spring. The limit pin can be pressed out by the spring to prevent the active page plate from falling back.

2. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second pin engages with the slide groove to limit the maximum lifting position of the active blade. The grooves and clearance holes absorb energy and buffer through plastic deformation when the active blade is lifted.

3. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting block is fixed on the active page plate and is used to limit the relative movement in the Y direction between the active page plate and the movable page plate.

4. The hinge according to claim 3, characterized in that, The limiting block improves the overall stiffness of the hinge by reducing Y-axis sway and prevents abnormal noises during vehicle operation.

5. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting block is positioned on the radial force path of the pop rivet to share the radial load on the pop rivet caused by the pressure under the hood.

6. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring clip is fixed to the movable plate by rivets; When the active flap is raised to its maximum position, the spring clip presses the limit pin into the limit hole of the active flap, preventing the active flap from falling.

7. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The pop rivet is a detachable structure, and the hinge can be reused by replacing it with a special tool.

8. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting direction of the fixed plate to the vehicle body is Y-axis, and the mounting holes on the vehicle body absorb the assembly tolerances of the vehicle body.

9. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The slide has both energy absorption and buffering functions as well as limiting functions, and the number of hinge parts is reduced by 2-3 after integration.

10. The hinge according to claim 1, characterized in that, The limiting pin and the spring form a reusable self-locking mechanism, which can be restored by manually resetting after a collision.

Images