Device for mounting a striker of a bonnet

Abstract

The invention relates to a structure for mounting a striker of a bonnet, the striker comprising an engagement part and first and second legs supporting the engagement part, the engagement part being able to engage with or disengage from a bolt arranged on the vehicle body, the first and second legs respectively defining first and second attachment ends for attaching the striker to the inner side of the bonnet, wherein the first and second attachment ends are respectively arranged one behind the other in a spaced-apart manner in the longitudinal direction of the bonnet, and the first attachment end is closer to the outer side of the bonnet than the second attachment end.

Description

Title: MOUNTING STRUCTURE FOR A HOOD LARGET FIELD OF INVENTION

[0001] The present invention claims priority from Chinese application 202210340737.2 filed on March 21, 2022, the contents of which (text, drawings and claims) are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a locking structure for a vehicle hood, and more particularly to a mounting structure for a hood latch. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The hood (also called the engine hood) of a vehicle can isolate the noise generated by an engine during its operation, while maintaining the cleanliness of the engine compartment.

[0004] The hood locking structure is designed to control the opening and closing of the hood, and includes a striker located on the hood and a latch located on the body. Since the connection points between the striker and the hood are rigid connections, consideration must be given to preventing a pedestrian's head from colliding with the latch connection points during a frontal impact of the vehicle.

[0005] Generally, the outer hood plate deforms towards the inner hood plate during a frontal impact to absorb the impact forces exerted on the hood by the pedestrian's head, thus acting as a buffer. This implies that the inner hood plate has a certain stamping depth. However, the required stamping depth for pedestrian protection often results in the inner hood plate being insufficiently strong (or even easily broken) after forming, which is detrimental to the hood's lifespan. SUBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The invention aims to overcome the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art, by proposing a mounting structure for a hood latch, which ensures the protection of a pedestrian's head while producing a hood with improved stamping capability.

[0007] The invention provides technical solutions as described below.

[0008] The invention proposes a mounting structure for a hood latch, said latch comprising an engagement part and first and second legs supporting said engagement part, said engagement part being able to engage with or disengage from a bolt disposed on the bodywork, said first and second legs defining respectively first and second attachment ends for attaching said latch to the inner side of the hood, in which said first and second attachment ends are respectively disposed one behind the other in a spaced manner in the longitudinal direction of the hood, and said first attachment end is closer to the outer side of the hood than said second attachment end.

[0009] According to the inventive concept of the present application, the invention may further comprise one or more of the features as described below, which may be combined with each other.

[0010] According to an optional embodiment, said hood comprises an inner hood plate and an outer hood plate, said first and second attachment ends of said latch being attached to said inner hood plate by means of a mounting plate, said mounting plate being disposed between said outer hood plate and said inner hood plate.

[0011] According to an optional embodiment, in the longitudinal direction of the hood, the inner plate of the hood has a reduced stamping depth in front of said first attachment end than behind said second attachment end.

[0012] According to an optional embodiment, in the longitudinal direction of the hood, said mounting plate has, from the front towards the rear, a front part, a central part and a rear part, said central part having a first mounting surface connected to said first attachment end and a second mounting surface connected to said second attachment end, said first mounting surface and said second mounting surface being arranged in a stepped manner, said first mounting surface being closer to said outer plate of the hood than said second mounting surface.

[0013] According to an optional embodiment, said first mounting surface and said second mounting surface are arranged parallel to each other in a manner presenting a difference in height, the engagement part being arranged parallel to said first mounting surface or to said second mounting surface.

[0014] According to an optional embodiment, said mounting plate is provided with tabs on its front part, said mounting plate being able to be welded to said inner plate of the hood by the tabs.

[0015] According to an optional embodiment, support members extend from both lateral sides of said central part and from said rear part of said mounting plate to said outer hood plate, the support members being intended to create a damping space between said outer hood plate and said inner hood plate.

[0016] According to an optional embodiment, in the longitudinal direction of the hood, the distance between said first attachment end and said second attachment end is greater than or equal to the longitudinal length of said engagement part.

[0017] According to an optional embodiment, said first leg is provided with a first elbow, and said second leg is provided with a second elbow, said first elbow and said second elbow being bent forward and downward of the hood.

[0018] According to an optional embodiment, when said engagement part is engaged with said bolt, said first attachment end is closer to the axis of the bolt than said second attachment end.

[0019] The invention has the following beneficial technical effects as described below.

[0020] The mounting structure of the invention relates particularly to a hood latch. Thanks to the structural arrangement of the connection points between the latch and the hood, it is ensured that the impact zone of a pedestrian's head does not come into contact with the rigid connection points during a collision, thus guaranteeing the pedestrian's safety. At the same time, the structural arrangement of the connection points reduces the thickness of the hood's front edge, increases the hood's ability to be indented in this area, and ensures good hood strength in this zone. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] The invention will be better understood and other features and advantages will become more apparent upon reading the following description, given by way of example and without limitation, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which the same reference numerals designate identical or similar elements, in which: [FIG. 1] schematically shows, in a cross-sectional view, the mounting structure of a hood latch according to one embodiment of the invention; [FIG. 2] schematically shows, in a cross-sectional view, the connection area between the strike plate and the mounting plate; [FIG. 3a] schematically shows, in a perspective view, the connection area between the strike plate and the mounting plate from one viewing angle; and [FIG. 3b] schematically shows, in a perspective view, the connection area between the strike plate and the mounting plate from another viewing angle; [FIG. 4] shows a schematic view of the section corresponding to the cut in figure 1; [FIG. 5] shows a schematic view of the engagement zone section between the strike plate and the bolt; [FIG. 6] shows a schematic view of the section corresponding to the cut in Figure 1, in which the suspension part is represented in dotted lines. [FIG. 7] illustrates a schematic view of the impact zone of a pedestrian's head against the hood. [FIG. 8] shows a schematic view of the inside of the hood, in which part of the hood has been omitted to reveal the inside of the hood. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] To make the purpose, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the invention will be described clearly and completely in the remainder of this description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. The embodiments described are not exhaustive and are not part of the embodiments of the invention. According to the embodiments of the invention, all other embodiments obtained without creative work by a person skilled in the art fall within the scope of the present invention.

[0023] It must be understood that, in the description of the invention, the terms "interior," "exterior," etc., indicating orientation or position relationships, are orientation or position relationships shown in the accompanying drawings solely to facilitate description and do not indicate or imply that the device or element in question must have a particular orientation or be constructed and function in a particular way. They should not be construed as a limitation of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used solely for descriptive purposes and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0024] In the present invention, the longitudinal direction of the hood is substantially the front-to-back direction of the hood's length, wherein the front end of the hood is a free end, and the end The rear of the hood is an end hinged to the body. It should be noted that the longitudinal direction of the hood extends along the surface of the hood; and the transverse direction of the hood is essentially the left-to-right direction of the hood's width.

[0025] As illustrated in Figure 1, a latch 12 is located on the inside of the hood 10. When the hood 10 is closed, the latch 12 engages with a bolt 20 (illustrated in Figure 5), thus locking the hood 10 to the body. Figure 5 illustrates an axis 202 of the bolt 20 on which the latch 12 is engaged with the bolt 20. It should be understood that road vibrations are transmitted from the bolt 20 to the latch 12 along this axis 202 when the vehicle is in motion.

[0026] More specifically, the strike plate 12 includes an engagement part 120 and first 121 and second 122 legs supporting the engagement part 120, in which the engagement part 120 is located at the bottom of the strike plate 12 and is able to engage with (as illustrated in Figure 5) or disengage from a bolt 20 disposed on the body. The connection points between the strike plate 12 and the cover 10 are rigid connections, the first 121 and second 122 legs respectively define first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends for attaching the strike plate 12 to the inner side of the cover 10, the first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends being respectively located at the top of the first 121 and second 122 legs, and the engagement part 120 connecting the bottom of the first leg 121 and the bottom of the second leg 122, so that the strike plate 12 is substantially configured to have a U-shaped cross-section.With reference to Figure 1, the first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends are connected to the inner side of the hood 10 by riveting. In the present invention, as seen in relation to Figure 4, the first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends are respectively arranged one behind the other at a distance in the longitudinal direction of the hood 10; in other words, the first attachment end 1211 is closer to the front end of the hood 10. More specifically, the first attachment end 1211 is closer to the outer side of the hood 10 than the second attachment end 1221, so that. that the front end of the hood 10 near the bumper (not shown) of the vehicle has a reduced thickness, in which the outer side of the hood 10 is opposite the inner side of the hood where the latch 12 is disposed, the outer side of the hood 10 forming the outer side of the body.

[0027] In the present invention, as seen in relation to Figures 1 and 4, the cover 10 comprises an inner cover plate 101 and an outer cover plate 102, wherein the inner cover plate 101 and the outer cover plate 102 are connected by a structure with dropped edges so that the cover 10 is shaped into a hollow structure, which contributes to pedestrian protection. In an optional embodiment, the strike plate 12 is directly attached to the inner cover plate 101, or alternatively, the strike plate 12 is attached to the inner cover plate 101 by means of an additional mounting plate. In one example of an embodiment of the invention, the first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends of the strike plate 12 are attached to the inner plate of the hood 101 by means of a mounting plate 30, the mounting plate being disposed between the outer plate of the hood 102 and the inner plate of the hood 101.Preferably, the mounting plate 30 is fixed to the inner plate of the hood 101.

[0028] As seen in relation to Figures 4 and 6, in the longitudinal direction of the hood 10, the inner plate of the hood 101 has a shallower drawing depth in front of the first attachment end 1211 than behind the second attachment end 1221. Particularly with reference to Figure 4, the inner plate of the hood 101 has a drawing depth h1 in front of the first attachment end 1211 and a drawing depth h2 behind the second attachment end 1221. Due to the structural arrangement of the first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends, the drawing depth h1 is less than the drawing depth h2, the drawing depth being formed in order to create a pedestrian protection gap between the inner plate of the hood 101 and the outer plate of the hood 102.It should be noted that the inner plate of the hood 101 has a stamping slope from the location where the inner plate of the hood has the depth. from the stamping h1 towards the location where the inner plate of the hood is engaged with the most forward part of the outer plate of the hood 102. As shown in dotted lines in Figure 6, if the inner plate of the hood 101 has the same stamping depth in front of the first attachment end 1211 as behind the second attachment end 1221, the stamping slope of the inner plate of the hood must be arranged at an appropriate value to ensure the strength of the inner plate of the hood having this same stamping depth, it follows that the hood 10 must be provided with an elongated suspension part 100 to achieve the aforementioned stamping slope, the suspension part 100 leading to an additional suspension length Lx of the hood 10.On the contrary, thanks to the arrangement of the mounting structure of the present invention, the inner plate of the hood 101 has a reduced stamping depth in front of the first attachment end 1211, the stamping slope being formed without the aforementioned suspension portion 100; and the inner plate of the hood 101 thus formed still exhibits sufficient strength after stamping. Furthermore, this mounting structure makes it possible to offer a hood with a significantly distinctive appearance compared to existing models, and allows for a reduction in the hood's weight as well as its manufacturing cost.

[0029] With reference to Figures 2 to 3b, the longitudinal direction of the mounting plate 30 attached to the inner plate of the hood 101 is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the hood 10. In the longitudinal direction of the hood 10, the mounting plate 30 has, from front to back, a front portion 301, a central portion 302, and a rear portion 303. The central portion 302 has a first mounting surface 3021 connected to the first attachment end 1211 and a second mounting surface 3022 connected to the second attachment end 1221. The first 3021 and second 3022 mounting surfaces are arranged in a stepped fashion. As seen in relation to Figure 4, when the mounting plate 30 is installed in place, the first mounting surface 3021 is closer to the outer plate of the hood 102 than the second mounting surface 3021. assembly 3022, so that the first attachment end 1211 is closer to the outside side of the hood 10 than the second attachment end 1221.

[0030] More specifically, with reference to Figure 4, the first The mounting surfaces 3021 and 3022 of the mounting plate 30 are arranged parallel to each other with a height difference H, and furthermore, the engagement portion 120 of the strike plate 12 is arranged parallel to the first mounting surface 3021 or the second mounting surface 3022. It should be noted that the respective portions of the first 121 and second 122 legs of the strike plate 12 adjacent to the corresponding first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends are respectively arranged perpendicular to the first 3021 and second 3022. 3022 mounting surfaces. As seen in relation to Figure 5, when the strike plate 12 is engaged with the bolt 20, the respective parts of the first 121 and second 122 legs adjacent to the corresponding first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends extend respectively from the first 3021 and second 3022 mounting surfaces in a direction parallel to the axis 202 of the bolt 20. It should be understood that at locations adjacent to the first 3021 and second 3022 mounting surfaces of the mounting plate 30, the longitudinal direction of the cover 10 extends in the front-to-back direction in a plane parallel to the first 3021 and second 3022 mounting surfaces.

[0031] With reference to Figure 7, thanks to the mounting structure of the strike plate 12 of the cover 10 of the invention, in a limiting case of a shock, when the impact zone M of the head of a pedestrian reaches the mounting plate 30, the impact zone M of the head of the pedestrian does not come into contact with either the first attachment end 1211 of the strike plate 12 or with the second attachment end 1221 of the strike plate 12, which thus prevents the head of the pedestrian from colliding with the rigid connection points formed by the two attachment ends 1211 and 1221.

[0032] In an optional embodiment, as illustrated in Figure 8, the outer plate of the hood 102 is omitted to reveal a mounting plate 30 mounted on the inner plate of the hood 101, the The front part 301 of the mounting plate 30 being provided with the tabs 3011, the mounting plate 30 being suitable for welding to the inner plate of the hood 101 by the tabs 3011. The tabs 3011 are preferably arranged on the two lateral sides of the front part 301, and the operator may choose to further weld the mounting plate 30 to the inner plate of the hood 101 at the tabs 3011, in other words, the tabs 3011 provide pre-weld points and, where appropriate, reinforce the connection between the front end of the mounting plate 30 and the inner plate of the hood 101 to provide a more stable structure and thus better force transmission.

[0033] In particular, as illustrated in Figures 3a and 3b, support members extend from the two lateral sides of the central part 302 and from the rear part 303 of the mounting plate 30 to the outer plate of the hood 102, the support members being for example a rear support member 3030 and two central support members 3020 arranged symmetrically, the support members being intended to create a cushioning space between the outer plate of the hood 102 and the inner plate of the hood 101, i.e. during a shock, the mounting plate 30 absorbs impact forces by the deformation of its support members.

[0034] According to the previous description, at locations adjacent to the first 3021 and second 3022 mounting surfaces of the mounting plate 30, the longitudinal direction of the hood 10 extends in the front-to-back direction in a plane parallel to the first 3021 and second 3022 mounting surfaces of the mounting plate 30. As illustrated in Figure 5, in the longitudinal direction of the hood 10, the distance L2 between the first 1211 and second 1221 attachment ends is greater than or equal to the longitudinal length L1 of the engagement part 120, so that during a transmission of vibrational excitation from the road between the bolt 20 and the mounting plate 30, the strike plate 12 better disperses the vibrational excitation to the mounting plate 30 and thus avoids the concentration of the vibrational excitation.

[0035] Alternatively, with reference to Figures 3a and 4, the first leg 121 of the strike plate 12 is provided with a first elbow 1212, and the second leg 122 is provided with a second elbow 1222, the first elbow 1212 and the second elbow 1222 being bent forward and down the hood 10 to provide respectively bending resistance to the first 121 and second 122 legs.

[0036] In an optional embodiment, with reference to Figure 5, the first attachment end 1211 is closer to the axis 202 of the bolt 20 than the second attachment end 1221 when the engagement part 120 of the strike plate 12 is engaged with the bolt 20. At this moment, for the same vibrational excitation from the road, the first attachment end 1211 is subjected to a greater vibrational load than the second attachment end 1221 because the first attachment end 1211 is closer to the axis 202 of the bolt 20, so that the front part 301 of the mounting plate 30 near the first attachment end 1211 exerts a greater load on the inner plate of the cover 101.To prevent the mounting plate 30 from creating abnormal noise inside the hood 10 due to road vibration excitation, the operator may choose to weld the tabs 3011 arranged on the front part of the mounting plate 30 to the inner plate of the hood 101 to disperse the continuous road vibration excitation throughout the hood 10.

[0037] By using the mounting structure described above, the invention improves both the stamping capability of the cover, and in particular of the inner cover plate, and the service life of the cover and its strike plate. It should be noted that pedestrian protection is ensured by the structural arrangement of the strike plate itself and by the arrangement of the connection points between the strike plate and the cover.

[0038] Although some embodiments have been described by way of example in the text of this application, various variant embodiments may be applied to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention; all such variant embodiments remain within the inventive concept of the invention and fall within the scope as defined by the claims of the invention.

[0039] The specific embodiments disclosed in the text The particular embodiments of the invention disclosed above are described by way of example only, and it is obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications can be made according to the teachings of the invention and that the invention can be implemented in various equivalent ways. Thus, the particular embodiments of the invention disclosed above are given by way of example only, and their scope is not limited by the construction or design details disclosed in the text of this application, unless otherwise indicated in the claims. Consequently, the particular embodiments disclosed in the text of this application may be subject to various substitutions, combinations, or modifications, and all such variants fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

DEMANDS 1. A mounting structure for a hood latch, said latch comprising an engagement part and first and second legs supporting said engagement part, said engagement part being capable of engaging with or disengaging from a bolt disposed on the bodywork, said first and second legs defining respectively first and second attachment ends for attaching said latch to the inner side of the hood, characterized in that said first and second attachment ends are respectively disposed one behind the other in a spaced manner in the longitudinal direction of the hood, and said first attachment end is closer to the outer side of the hood than said second attachment end.

2. A hood latch mounting structure according to claim 1, characterized in that said hood comprises an inner hood plate and an outer hood plate, said first and second attachment ends of said latch being attached to said inner hood plate by means of a mounting plate, said mounting plate being disposed between said outer hood plate and said inner hood plate.

3. Mounting structure of a hood latch according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction of the hood, the inner plate of the hood has a reduced stamping depth in front of said first attachment end than behind said second attachment end.

4. A mounting structure for a hood latch according to claim 3, characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction of the hood, said mounting plate has, from front to back, a front part, a central part and a rear part, said central part having a first mounting surface connected to said first attachment end and a second mounting surface connected to said second attachment end, said first mounting surface and said second mounting surface being arranged in a stepped manner, said first mounting surface being closer to said outer plate of the hood than said second mounting surface.

5. Mounting structure for a hood latch according to claim 4, characterized in that said first mounting surface and said second mounting surface are arranged parallel to each other in a manner presenting a difference in height, the engagement part being arranged parallel to said first mounting surface or to said second mounting surface.

6. Mounting structure for a hood latch according to claim 4, characterized in that said mounting plate is provided with tabs on its front part, said mounting plate being able to be welded to said inner hood plate by the tabs.

7. Mounting structure for a hood latch according to claim 4, characterized in that support members extend from the two lateral sides of said central part and from said rear part of said mounting plate to said outer hood plate, the support members being intended to create a damping space between said outer hood plate and said inner hood plate.

8. Mounting structure of a hood latch according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the longitudinal direction of the hood, the distance between said first attachment end and said second attachment end is greater than or equal to the longitudinal length of said engagement part.

9. Mounting structure for a hood latch according to claim 8, characterized in that said first leg is provided with a first elbow, and said second leg is provided with a second elbow, said first elbow and said second elbow being bent forward and downward of the hood.

10. Mounting structure of a hood strike plate according to claim 9, characterized in that when said engagement part is engaged with said bolt, said first attachment end is closer to the axis of the bolt than said second attachment end.

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