Active hinge with locking mechanism in the upright position

Abstract

Active hinge (10) with: a hood bracket (32) for attachment to a vehicle hood (12), a body bracket (30) for attachment to a vehicle body, a support bracket (34) which is pivotably connected to the hood support (32) and the body support (30), wherein the hood support (32) is pivotable relative to the support bracket (34) between a non-erected position and an erected position, a locking mechanism with • a primary locking mechanism (44) which can be operated to releasably lock the hood support (32) to the support bracket (34) in the non-erect position, and • a secondary locking mechanism (46) which can be operated to releasably lock the hood support (32) to the support bracket (34) in the erected position, and an actuating element (50) for releasing the primary locking mechanism (44) and allowing the hood support (32) to move into its upright position.

Description

AREA OF INVENTION

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to pedestrian protection systems for motor vehicles of the type having a hinged hood assembly equipped with active hinges. In particular, the present disclosure relates to an active hinge for use with a hinged hood assembly, and which has a locking mechanism operable for releasably holding the hinge in its unhinged and raised states. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the development of pedestrian protection systems for use in motor vehicles in an effort to reduce the likelihood or severity of injuries occurring during a collision between a pedestrian and a motor vehicle. One such area of ​​development has focused on equipping the motor vehicle with a hood assembly capable of absorbing impact forces.

[0003] A "passive" pedestrian protection system associated with the hood design includes the provision of a crumple zone beneath the hood, between the hood and the components within the vehicle's engine compartment. This crumple zone is designed to reduce the possibility of impact with these components and, in particular, to provide a degree of impact absorption. The use of low-profile hoods in modern vehicles for improved aesthetics and aerodynamics, along with smaller engine compartments, limits the available crumple zone.

[0004] As an alternative, an “active” pedestrian protection system associated with the vehicle’s hood assembly creates a “liftable” hood designed to raise a rear portion of the locked hood to provide an additional crumple zone beneath it. This liftable hood feature is activated upon detection of a pedestrian collision with the front of the vehicle. Typically, a pair of active hinges are incorporated into the hood assembly. Each active hinge includes a pivot joint or pivot linkage connecting the hood to the vehicle body and an actuator for the forced movement of the pivot joint to cause the hood to move from a non-liftable position to a liftable position upon detection of a pedestrian impact.Examples of active hinges that create this functionality are disclosed in jointly owned US patent US 8 544 590 B2 and US publication US 2014 / 0 182 962 A1.

[0005] In some active hinges, the actuating element is used to hold the hood in its upright position. For example, some active hinges use a pyrotechnic actuating element, which typically requires controlled venting to maintain an upward force applied to the pivot joint. Therefore, there is a need to create alternative solutions for positioning and holding the hood in its upright position that address and overcome the disadvantages of conventional active hinges. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] It is an aspect of the present disclosure to provide an active hinge for use in a vehicle hood assembly with a pivoting mechanism connecting the hood to the vehicle body, and with a locking mechanism having a primary lock for normally holding the pivoting mechanism in a first or “pre-erected” state and a secondary lock for holding the pivoting mechanism in a second or “erected” state.

[0007] Another aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an active hinge with a method for resetting the locking mechanism after the movement of the pivot mechanism from its erect state back to its pre-erect state.

[0008] In accordance with these and other aspects of the present disclosure, an active hinge having the features of claim 1 and a method for operating an active hinge having the features of claim 11 are proposed according to the invention.

[0009] According to yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method for operating an active hinge is provided, comprising: providing a hood bracket for attachment to a vehicle hood, providing a body bracket for attachment to a vehicle body, providing a support bracket pivotally mounted on the hood bracket and the body bracket, and with an upper stop pin extending therefrom, providing a primary latch pivotally mounted on the support bracket, providing a secondary latch pivotally mounted on the hood bracket and defining a catch slot, pivoting the primary latch relative to the support bracket from a locked position to a released position, wherein the primary latch engages in the hood bracket in the locked position.to secure the hood support to the support bracket in a non-erect position of the hood support, wherein the primary locking mechanism is spaced from the hood support in the erect position to allow the hood support to pivot relative to the support bracket into an erect position of the hood support, and pivoting the hood support relative to the body support in a first direction from the non-erect position to the erect position and receiving the upper stop pin in the catch slot of the secondary locking mechanism to hold the hood support in the erect position.

[0010] Further areas of application will become apparent from the present description. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended only for illustrative purposes and are not meant to limit the scope of this disclosure. DRAWINGS

[0011] The drawings described here are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not of all their possible implementations, so that the drawings are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Fig. Figure 1 is an enlarged side view of a vehicle hood assembly comprising a hood and an active hinge constructed in accordance with the present disclosure, and shows the vehicle hood assembly arranged in a normally closed position, wherein the hood is in a locked state and the active hinge is in its non-erect state. Fig. Figure 2 is a similar enlarged side view, now showing the vehicle hood assembly in an upright position, with the hood held in its locked state and its trailing edge segment raised, and with the active hinge in an upright position. Fig. Figure 3 is another similar enlarged side view, now showing the movement of the vehicle hood assembly into an unlocked position, with the hood in a released state and pivoted into an intermediate open position while the active hinge is held in its upright position. Fig. Figure 4 is a further enlarged side view showing the vehicle hood assembly moved into a reset position, with the hood further pivoted into a fully open position to move the active hinge from its upright state to its non-upright state. Fig. Figure 5 is an enlarged side view showing the vehicle hood assembly returning to its normally closed position, followed by the return of the active hinge to its unopened state. Fig. Figure 6 is an enlarged side view of the active hinge, which is configured according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure, with a primary locking mechanism of a locking mechanism engaged to hold a pivot joint mechanism in a retracted orientation in order to maintain the non-erect state that is in Fig. 1 is shown to define, the Fig. 7 and Fig. 8 are isometric front and back views of the in Fig. 6. Hinge shown, for a better explanation of its structure and the interaction of the components, Fig. Figure 9 is an enlarged side view of the active hinge, similar to the Fig. Figure 6 now shows the primary locking of the locking mechanism in a released mode and a secondary locking of the locking mechanism in a locked mode to hold the pivot mechanism in an extended orientation to prevent the movement described in Figure 6. Fig. 2 to define the upright state shown, Fig. Figure 10 is another enlarged side view of the active hinge showing both the primary and secondary locking mechanisms in their released mode, followed by the hood unlocking to allow a pivoting movement of the hood into the Fig. To enable the 3 shown intermediate opening positions, Fig. Figure 11 is another enlarged side view of the active hinge as the hood moves into its fully open position. Fig. 4 and explains the rearrangement of the primary locking of the locking mechanism to reset the active locking to its non-erect state, and the Fig. 12 and Fig. Figure 13 are isometric front and rear views of an active hinge constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present disclosure and intended for use with the vehicle hood assembly described in the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4 to Fig. 5 is shown as a substitution for the active hinge, which is in the Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8, Fig. 9, Fig. 10 to Fig. 11 is applicable.

[0012] In the various representations of the drawings, corresponding reference numbers denote corresponding parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0013] Exemplary embodiments of a vehicle hood assembly comprising a hood and at least one active hinge, embodying the teachings of this disclosure, are now explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments are provided in such a way as to fully convey their scope to those skilled in the art. Various specific details are continued as examples of the different components, devices, and methods to provide a complete understanding of the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that certain details need not be implemented, that the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many different forms, and that they are not to be regarded as limiting the scope of the disclosure.In some exemplary embodiments, generally known processes, generally known device structures and generally known technologies are not described in detail.

[0014] As explained in detail, the active hinges of the present disclosure are used as part of a hood assembly for a pedestrian protection system on motor vehicles. In particular, active hinges of the type disclosed herein are used for mounting a vehicle hood to a vehicle body with the intention of introducing an additional degree of freedom in the movement of the vehicle hood when a pedestrian is struck by the vehicle, in order to reduce the severity of injuries caused when the pedestrian contacts the vehicle hood.

[0015] Fig. Figure 1 shows an enlarged side view of a vehicle hood assembly 10, which is generally configured to include a hood 12 and at least one active hinge 14. The term "vehicle" is intended to generally encompass any car, truck, SUV, van, or other type of vehicle that carries passengers. The hood assembly 10 is configured to sit above an engine compartment of the vehicle, which is defined by the vehicle body. The hood 12 shown comprises a front segment 16, a rear segment 18, and a pair of laterally spaced side segments 20. As is customary, the front segment 16 of the hood 12 is configured to sit close to a front part of the vehicle, while the rear segment 18 of the hood 12 is configured to sit near the vehicle's windshield.

[0016] In accordance with one embodiment, a pair of active hinges 14 (only one is shown) are associated with the hood assembly 10, each of which is arranged adjacent to one of the side segments 20 of the hood 12 and is designed to allow the hood 12 to pivot between an open position in which the front segment 16 is raised to provide access to the engine compartment and a normally closed position in which the hood 12 is lowered to allow an unobstructed view for the person operating the vehicle. Fig. Figure 1 shows the hinge positioned such that the hood 12 pivots near its rear segment 18. The vehicle is also provided with a hood locking device 21, which, as shown, has a closer 22 attached to an underside part of the front segment 16 of the hood 12, and a latch 24 mounted on a structural part 26 of the vehicle body. In particular, the Fig. 1 the closer 22 engages with and is held by the locking mechanism 24 in order to arrange the hood assembly 10 in its normally closed position, with the active hinge 14 being held in a “not erect” situation, thereby locking the front segment 16 of the hood and arranging the rear segment 18 of the hood 12 in its normal lowered position.

[0017] As described in detail, the active hinge 14 includes a pedestrian protection device that functions automatically in the event of a collision between the vehicle and a pedestrian. Specifically, the pedestrian protection device functions to move the active hinge 14 from its unerected state to an "erect" state, as shown in Fig. Figure 2 shows that the rear segment 18 of the hood 12 is moved into a raised or upright position, while the front segment 16 of the hood 12 remains locked via the locking device 21. Thus, the active hinge 14 creates an additional degree of freedom in its movement to allow the rear segment 18 of the hood 12 to move from its normal lowered position ( Fig. 1) into the raised position ( Fig. 2) moved. As described in detail, under normal conditions (i.e., before a collision) this additional degree of freedom is deactivated by a primary locking of the locking mechanism to which the active hinge 14 is associated, thus enabling the normal use of the hood 12. Normal use is understood to mean that a pivoting movement of the hood 12 between its normally closed position of Fig. 1 and a normally open position (not shown), where the active hinge 14 is held in its non-erected state. A release of the primary lock (via an actuating element) initiates the movement of the active hinge 14 from its non-erected state to its erected state.

[0018] The active hinge 14 is designed to allow this additional degree of freedom in the movement of the hood 12 in the event of a vehicle / pedestrian collision, but without the active hinge 14 being deformed or absorbing energy during the collision. Furthermore, the active hinge 14 provides a means for mechanically holding its upright position via a secondary lock 46 of the locking mechanism when the hood 14 is unlocked after the collision. Additionally, a reset function is provided by which the secondary lock is released and the primary lock is engaged to return the active hinge 14 to its un-erected state.

[0019] The Fig. Figure 3 shows the hood assembly 10 in an unlocked position, with the hood 12 released from the locking device 21 and pivoted into an open position when the active hinge 14 is held in its upright position. Fig. Figure 4 shows a continued pivoting movement of the hood assembly 10 into a return position with the hood 12 now pivoted into a fully open position, whereby the primary latch of the locking mechanism has been re-engaged to move the active hinge 14 back to its non-erect state. As such, a pivoting movement of the hood assembly 10 in a closing direction into its normally closed position will allow the hood 12 to be moved into a locked engagement with the locking device 21, as shown in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is shown.

[0020] Now referring to the Fig. 6, Fig. 7 to Fig. In Section 8, a first embodiment of the active hinge 14 is now described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to recognize and appreciate the structural and functional features created by the present disclosure. The active hinge 14 generally comprises a body bracket 30, a hood bracket 32, a support bracket 34, and a pivot mechanism connecting the body bracket 30 and the support bracket 34. The pivot mechanism has a first long member 36 and a second short member 38, which are configured to define a four-way joint 40. The active hinge 14 further comprises a locking mechanism 42, which is operatively arranged between the support bracket 34 and the hood bracket 32, and a primary lock 44 and a secondary lock 46.The hood support 32 is configured to be rigidly attached to an underside portion of the rear segment 18 of the hood 14 by suitable fasteners (not shown), while the body support 30 is configured to be rigidly attached to a portion of the vehicle body within the engine compartment by suitable fasteners (not shown). Finally, the active hinge 14 comprises an actuating element (actuator) 50, which is operable to selectively release the primary lock 44 in response to a control signal issued by a controller associated with an active pedestrian protection control system, depending on one or more vehicle-mounted sensors or other detector devices that detect the occurrence of a pedestrian impact.In the example shown, the actuator 50 includes an electrical connector 52 which, in electrical connection with the sensor and / or the controller, would generate an electrical control signal to control the actuation of the actuator 50.

[0021] The pivot-connection mechanism 40 is shown with a first link 36 having one end pivotally connected to the body bracket 30 via a first pivot pin 60, and its opposite end pivotally connected to the support bracket 34 via a second pivot pin 62. Similarly, the second link 38 is shown with a first end pivotally connected to the body bracket 30 via a first pivot pin 64, and its second end pivotally connected to the support bracket 34 via a second pivot pin 66. A pivot pin 70 connects a terminal end segment of the support bracket 34 to a wall segment 72 of the hood bracket 32. A flanged wall segment 74 of the hood bracket 32 ​​includes a series of mounting openings 76 for attachment to the hood 12 via fasteners and a primary locking slot 78.

[0022] The primary locking mechanism 44 comprises a primary locking plate 80, which is pivotably mounted on the support bracket 34 via a pivot pin 82 of the primary locking mechanism. The primary locking plate 80 comprises a catch flange 84 and an actuating flange 86. As shown in the Fig. 6, Fig. 7 to Fig. As shown in Figure 8, the catch flange 84 is configured to extend through a primary locking slot 78 in the hood bracket 32 ​​and is normally engaged with a locking surface 88 on a flange segment 74 to lock the hood bracket 32 ​​to the support bracket 34. A primary locking preload spring 90 is provided to bias the primary locking plate 80 in a locking direction (i.e., counterclockwise in the Fig. 6 and Fig. 7), in order to normally engage the catch flange 84 with the locking surface 88 on the flange segment 74.

[0023] The Fig. Figures 6-8 show the active hinge 14 in its non-erect state, with the primary latch 42 in an engaged or locked mode to detachably couple the hood support 32 and the support arm 34 for a common pivoting movement (via the linking mechanism 40) relative to the body support 30, thus enabling normal movement of the hood 12 between its locked and open positions. The primary latch 44 further comprises a primary release lever 92 connected between the actuating flange 86 and the support arm 34. As best illustrated in the Fig. As can be seen in Figure 8, a movable actuating element 100 of the actuating member is positioned in close proximity to the actuating flange 86 of the primary locking plate 80 and can be operated when the actuating member 50 is actuated in order to forcibly move the primary locking plate 80 from its engagement position to a release position, thereby moving the primary lock 44 into a released mode and enabling independent movement of the hood support 32 to the support bracket 34.

[0024] The secondary locking mechanism 46 comprises a secondary locking plate 104, which is pivotally mounted on the wall segment 72 of the hood bracket 32 ​​via a secondary locking pivot pin 106. The secondary locking plate 104 includes a catch slot 108. A secondary locking preload spring 110 normally tensions the secondary locking plate 104 in a locking direction (clockwise). Fig. 6 and Fig. 7) A secondary release lever 112 is also shown, which connects the secondary locking plate 104 to the support bracket 34. As further shown, an upper stop pin 114 is connected to the support bracket 34 and sits in a dead-pass slot 116 formed in the wall segment 72 of the hood support 32. With the primary lock 44 in its locked mode, the upper stop pin 114 engages an end portion of the dead-pass slot 116 to properly orient the hood support 32 relative to the support bracket 34 when the active hinge 14 is in its non-erect position. As shown, in this position the hood support 32 can generally be aligned with the support bracket 34, i.e., not pivoted relative to the support bracket 34.It is to be established that in this state the catch slot 108 of the secondary locking plate 104 is displaced from an engagement with the upper stop pin 114 in order to define the released mode of the secondary locking 46.

[0025] Now referring to Fig. Figure 9 shows the hood assembly 10 in its erect position, with the active hinge 14 operating in its erect state. Specifically, the actuating element 50 has engaged the actuating flange 86 of the primary locking plate 80 and caused a pivoting movement of this flange in a release direction, opposite to the tension of the primary locking spring 90, to release the catch flange 84 from the locking surface 88, thereby moving the primary lock 44 into its release mode. Upon release of the primary lock 44, the pivot joint 40 allows relative movement between the support bracket 34 and the hood support 32 until the upper stop pin 114 is positioned within the catch slot 108 of the secondary locking plate 104, thereby moving the secondary lock 46 into its engaged or locked mode.In particular, the hood support 32 can pivot relative to the support bracket 34 in a first direction until the upper stop pin 114 is positioned within the catch slot 108.

[0026] The Fig. Figure 10 shows the active hinge 14 in its upright position after the hood 12 has been unlocked and moved upwards to its intermediate open position. Fig. 3 was pivoted at the beginning of the reset process. As can be seen, such a rotation of the hood 12 causes a simultaneous movement of the hood support 32 relative to the support bracket 34, which causes the secondary release lever 112 to hold the secondary locking plate 104 so that the upper stop pin 114 is released from the catch slot 108, thereby moving the secondary lock 46 into its release mode, while the primary lock 44 is held in its release mode. Fig. Figure 11 shows the continued pivoting movement of the hood 12 upwards into its fully open or return position, similar to the Fig. 4. As can be seen, the continued rotation causes the hood support 32 to pivot relative to the support bracket 34 until the primary lock 44 returns to its locked mode, thereby returning the active hinge 14 to its non-erect state. In particular, the hood support 32 can pivot in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, until the primary lock 44 returns to its locked mode. As such, the hood 12 can subsequently be returned to its locked and lowered position, with the hood assembly 10 in its normally closed position, which is in the Fig. 1 and Fig. 5 is shown. As can be seen, the Fig. 1, Fig. 2, Fig. 3, Fig. 4 to Fig. 5 a successive series of illustrations showing the non-erecting, erecting and subsequent resetting of the active hinge 14 using the locking mechanism 42 to create two different mechanical connections between the hood support 32 and the erecting bracket 34.

[0027] The Fig. 12 and Fig. Figure 13 shows a second embodiment of an active hinge 14' which is generally similar to the active hinge 14, except that the four-bar linkage mechanism 40 has been replaced by a single pivot connection 120 between a body support 30' and a support bracket 34'. However, the integration of the locking mechanism 42 between the support bracket 34' and the hood support 32 remains the same in both structure and function, in order to provide the primary locking 44 and secondary locking 46 between them.

[0028] In accordance with the present disclosure, an active hinge is disclosed which uses a locking mechanism to hold the hinge in its unerected and erected states. A first lock is used to releasably hold the hinge in its unerected state, while a second lock is used to releasably hold the hinge in its unerected state. A reset function is provided by which both locks are initially released, and then the first lock is subsequently re-engaged to restore the unerected state, thus allowing the hood to close into its normal operating position after a pedestrian collision.

[0029] The terminology used here is solely for the purpose of describing specific examples and is not intended to be restrictive. As used here, the singular forms "a," "a," "an," and "the" can also include the plural forms unless the context indicates otherwise. The expressions "exhibit," "exhibiting," and "with" are inclusive and thus indicate the presence of the mentioned characteristics, numbers, steps, processes, elements, and / or other components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, processes, elements, components, and / or their groups. The procedural steps, processes, and operations described here do not necessarily require their execution in the specific order explained or illustrated, unless a different order of execution is indicated.Furthermore, it should be understood to mean that additional or alternative steps may be used.

[0030] When an element or layer is described as "on," "interacting with," "connected with," or "coupled with" another element or layer, it may be directly on top of, interacting with, connected to, or coupled with the element, or there may be an interposed element or layers. Conversely, when an element is described as "directly on," "directly interacting with," "directly connected with," or "directly coupled with" another element or layer, there should be no interposed elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationships between elements should be interpreted in the same way (that is, "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used here, the expression "and / or" includes all and any combination of one or more of the associated listed points.

[0031] Although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to denote different elements, components, areas, layers, and / or sections, these elements, components, areas, layers, and / or sections are not intended to be restricted by these terms. These terms may only be used to distinguish one element, component, area, layer, or section from another. The terms "first," "second," and other numerical expressions, when used here, do not imply any sequence or order unless indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, area, layer, or section discussed here may be referred to as a second element, component, area, layer, or section without departing from the principles taught in the exemplary embodiments.

[0032] Spatially relative terms such as "inside," "outside," "below," "under," "deeper," "above," "over," and the like may be used here for the sake of simplicity to denote the relationship of one element or feature to another element(s) or feature(s), as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to those shown in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is reversed, elements described as "below" or "underneath" other elements or features would then be positioned "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and one of below.The device may be oriented in a different way (rotated by 90° or in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptions should be interpreted accordingly.

[0033] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for illustrative and explanatory purposes. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure. Individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that specific embodiment, but are, where applicable, interchangeable and may be used in any chosen embodiment, even if not specifically illustrated or described. This may also be varied in various ways. Such variations are not to be considered a departure from the disclosure; it is intended that all such modifications are included within the scope of the disclosure.

Claims

[1] Active hinge (10) with: a hood bracket (32) for attachment to a vehicle hood (12), a body bracket (30) for attachment to a vehicle body, a support bracket (34) which is pivotably connected to the hood support (32) and the body support (30), wherein the hood support (32) is pivotable relative to the support bracket (34) between a non-erected position and an erected position, a locking mechanism with • a primary locking mechanism (44) which can be operated to releasably lock the hood support (32) to the support bracket (34) in the non-erect position, and • a secondary locking mechanism (46) which can be operated to releasably lock the hood support (32) to the support bracket (34) in the erected position, and an actuating element (50) for releasing the primary locking mechanism (44) and allowing the hood support (32) to move into its upright position. [2] Active hinge (10) according to claim 1, wherein the support bracket (34) is pivotably connected to the body support (30) via a pivot connection mechanism (36, 38). [3] Active hinge (10) according to claim 1, wherein the support bracket (34) is pivotably connected to the body mount (30) via a single pivot connection. [4] Active hinge (10) according to claim 1, wherein the primary locking mechanism (44) comprises a primary locking plate (80) pivotably supported by the mounting bracket (34) for movement between a released position and a locked position, and a primary tension spring (90) which normally biases the primary locking plate (80) into its locked position, wherein the primary locking plate (80) is operable in its locked position to engage with a locking surface (88) of the hood support (32) and to hold the hood support (32) in its un-erected position, and wherein the primary locking plate (80) is operable in its released position to disengage from the locking surface (88) and to allow movement of the hood support (32) into its erected position. [5] Active hinge (10) according to claim 4, wherein the hood holder (32) defines a primary locking slot (78) and a locking surface (88) adjacent to the primary locking slot (78), wherein the primary locking plate (80) has a catch flange (84) extending through the primary locking slot (78) into engagement with the locking surface (88) when the primary lock (44) is in the locked position. [6] Active hinge (10) according to claim 5, wherein the primary locking plate (80) further comprises an actuating flange (86) which is spaced apart from the catch flange (84) in order to be gripped by the actuating member (50) to enable the pivoting movement of the primary flange from the locked position to the released position. [7] Active hinge (10) according to claim 4, wherein the secondary locking mechanism (46) comprises a secondary locking plate (104) pivotably supported by the hood support (32) for movement between a released and a locked position, and a secondary tension spring (110) for normally pre-tensioning the secondary locking plate (104) into its locked position, wherein the secondary locking plate (104) in its locked position is operable to engage an upper stop pin (114) attached to the support bracket (34) to hold the hood support (32) in its upright position, and wherein the secondary locking plate (104) in its released position is operable to disengage from the upper stop pin (114) and allow movement of the hood support (32) into a return position relative to the support bracket (34). [8] Active hinge (10) according to claim 7, wherein a movement of the hood support (32) into its return position enables the primary locking plate (80) to return to its locked position while the secondary locking plate (104) is held in its released position. [9] Active hinge (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the hood support (32) is generally aligned with the support bracket (34) in the non-erect position and wherein the hood support (32) pivots relative to the support bracket (34) in the erect position. [10] Active hinge (10) according to one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising an upper stop pin (114) which is attached to and extends from the support bracket (34), wherein the primary locking device (44) is pivotably mounted on the support bracket (34) and is movable between a locked position and a released position, wherein the primary locking device (44) engages the hood support (32) when the primary locking device (44) is in the locked position to secure the hood support (32) in the un-erected position, and wherein the primary locking device (44) is spaced away from the hood support (32) when the primary locking device (44) is in the released position to allow the hood support (32) to pivot into the erected position relative to the support bracket (34), and the secondary locking mechanism (46) is pivotably connected to the hood support (32) and is movable between a locked position and a released position, wherein the secondary locking mechanism (46) engages the upper stop pin (114) in the locked position to hold the hood support (32) in the upright position and wherein the secondary locking mechanism (46) is spaced apart from the upper stop pin (114) in the released position to allow movement of the hood support (32) out of the upright position. [11] Method for operating an active hinge (10) wherein the method comprises: Provision of a hood bracket (32) for attachment to a vehicle hood (12), Provision of a body mounting (30) for attachment to a vehicle body, Providing a support bracket (34) which is pivotably attached to the hood support (32) and the body support (30) and has an upper stop pin (114) extending from it, Providing a primary locking mechanism (44) which is pivotably attached to the support bracket (34), Providing a secondary locking mechanism (46) which is pivotably attached to the hood support (32) and defines a catch slot (108), Pivoting the primary lock (44) relative to the support bracket (34) from a locked position to a released position, wherein the primary lock (44) engages the hood support (32) in the locked position to secure the hood support (32) to the support bracket (34) in the un-erected position of the hood support (32), and wherein the primary lock (44) is spaced from the hood support (32) in the released position to allow the hood support (32) to pivot relative to the support bracket (34) in an erected position of the hood support (32), and Pivoting the hood support (32) relative to the support bracket (34) in a first direction from the non-erect position to the erect position and receiving the upper stop pin (114) in the catch slot (108) of the secondary locking mechanism (46) to hold the hood support (32) in the erect position. [12] Method according to claim 11, further comprising pivoting the hood holder (32) relative to the support bracket (34) in a second direction opposite to the first direction, removing the upper stop pin (114) from the catch slot (108) to allow the hood holder (32) to pivot away from the unerected position and engaging the hood holder (32) with the primary locking mechanism (44) to return the hood holder (32) to the unerected position. [13] Method according to claim 11, wherein pivoting the primary lock (44) relative to the support bracket (34) from a locked position to a released position comprises activating an actuating member (50) to move a movable actuating element of the actuating member (50) against the primary lock (44) to enable the pivoting movement of the primary lock (44). [14] Method according to claim 13, wherein the actuating element (50) is actuated depending on a control signal which is supplied by a control depending on the detection of the occurrence of a collision.

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