Motor vehicle comprising an arrangement for unlocking a lock of a front hood

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle (100) comprising an arrangement (1) for unlocking a lock (21) of a front hood (2), the arrangement (1) comprising a gripping means (11) and a cable (12) connecting the lock (21) of the front hood (2) to the gripping means (11), characterised in that the gripping means (11) is accessible to a user from the outside of a passenger compartment (4) of the motor vehicle (100), and in that the cable is positioned on the outside of the passenger compartment (4) of the motor vehicle (100).

Description

[0001] MOTOR VEHICLE COMPRISING AN ARRANGEMENT FOR THE

[0002] UNLOCKING A FRONT HOOD LOCK

[0003] 5 The invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising an arrangement for unlocking a front hood. The invention also relates to such an arrangement installed in a charging flap of an electric vehicle. The invention also relates to a method for unlocking a front hood of such a motor vehicle. The invention also relates to a method for recharging a vehicle equipped with a charging flap comprising an arrangement according to the invention.

[0004] In most motor vehicles, opening the front hood requires performing a manipulation inside the vehicle, including pulling a cable connected to a lock on the front hood. This technical solution has the advantage of being mechanically simple and of securing access to the engine area of ​​the vehicle.

[0005] However, the frequency of opening the front hood of a vehicle is much higher today, particularly with regard to electric vehicles. Indeed, due to the reduced size of their engine, some electric vehicles may have, under the front hood of the vehicle, a layout that can serve as a storage compartment. Such a layout can be used in particular to store cables for connecting the vehicle to a personal or collective charging station. A problem now concerns the ease of access to such a housing, particularly for vehicles whose charging hatch is far from the hood. The vehicle user must then move to different areas of the vehicle, first in the passenger compartment to unlock the hood, then at the hood to retrieve the charging cables, then at the charging hatch to connect the cables to the terminal and to the vehicle.There are technical solutions that simplify the opening of a front hood, such as unlocking electric locks via a smartphone or using electric actuators to open a front hood lock. However, implementing such solutions is costly.

[0006] The aim of the invention is to provide an arrangement for unlocking a front hood of a vehicle and a method for unlocking a front hood of a vehicle which overcomes the above drawbacks and improves the arrangements for unlocking and methods for unlocking a hood known from the prior art. In particular, the invention makes it possible to produce an arrangement and a method which are simple, inexpensive and reliable and which allow simplified and secure opening of a front hood.

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising an arrangement for unlocking a lock of a front hood, the arrangement comprising a gripping means and a cable connecting the lock of the front hood to the gripping means, characterized in that the gripping means is accessible to a user from outside a passenger compartment of the motor vehicle and in that the cable is positioned outside the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

[0008] In one embodiment, the gripping means is located at the front hood or in an area close to the front hood of the motor vehicle, in particular at the level of a front wing or a front bumper or a front grille.

[0009] In one embodiment, the motor vehicle comprises a security element intended to prevent use of the gripping means by an unauthorized person. In one embodiment, the arrangement comprises an authentication means which collaborates with the security element, so that the gripping means is usable only when an identification object of a user is authenticated by the authentication means.

[0010] In one embodiment, the motor vehicle is an electric vehicle and the gripping means is arranged inside a charging hatch of the electric vehicle.

[0011] In one embodiment, the authentication means cooperates with a device for locking the charging flap of the motor vehicle, so that it is able to unlock the charging flap after authentication of the identification object.

[0012] In one embodiment, the motor vehicle comprises an identification object capable of cooperating with a locking device of the motor vehicle to allow access or not to the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, and the same identification object is capable of cooperating with the authentication means of said arrangement for unlocking the lock of the front hood and / or said locking device of the load flap of the motor vehicle.

[0013] In one embodiment, the motor vehicle comprises a charging cable for the battery of the electric motor vehicle positioned in a housing located under the front hood of the vehicle.

[0014] The invention also relates to a method for unlocking a front hood of a motor vehicle according to the invention, comprising a step of pulling on the gripping means of the arrangement, the gripping means being located outside the passenger compartment. The invention further relates to a method for recharging an electric motor vehicle according to the invention, comprising the following steps:

[0015] - a step of opening a vehicle load hatch,

[0016] - a step of pulling the gripping means of the arrangement for unlocking a front hood of the vehicle, the gripping means being positioned inside the load hatch,

[0017] - a step of entering a charging cable in a housing located under the front hood of the vehicle,

[0018] - a step of connecting an electric vehicle charging station to a charging interface of the hatch via the charging cable, and

[0019] - a step of blocking the gripping means during recharging of the vehicle, all the steps of the process taking place outside the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle.

[0020] The attached drawing represents, by way of example, an embodiment of an unlocking arrangement according to the invention and an embodiment of an unlocking method according to the invention.

[0021] Figure 1 shows a vehicle equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to the invention.

[0022] Figure 2 defines an orthonormal reference frame for the motor vehicle.

[0023] Figure 3 is a first perspective view of an unlocking arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention.

[0024] Figure 4 is a second perspective view of an unlocking arrangement according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0025] Figure 5 is a third perspective view of an unlocking arrangement according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0026] Figure 6 is a fourth perspective view of an unlocking arrangement according to a first embodiment of the invention. Figure 7 is a first sectional view of a load hatch equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0027] Figure 8 is a second sectional view of a load hatch equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0028] Figure 9 is a first perspective view of a load hatch equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0029] Figure 10 is a second perspective view of a load hatch equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0030] Figure 11 is a third perspective view of a load hatch equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to the first embodiment of the invention.

[0031] Figure 12 is a first perspective view of a load hatch equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to a second embodiment of the invention.

[0032] Figure 13 is a first sectional view of a load hatch equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to the second embodiment of the invention.

[0033] Figure 14 is a second perspective view of a load hatch equipped with an unlocking arrangement according to the second embodiment of the invention.

[0034] Figure 15 is a flowchart of a method for unlocking a front hood according to the invention.

[0035] Figure 16 is a flowchart of a method for recharging an electric vehicle according to the invention. An example of a vehicle 100 equipped with an embodiment of an arrangement for unlocking a front hood is described below with reference to Figure 1.

[0036] The motor vehicle 100 is a motor vehicle of any type, including a passenger vehicle or a utility vehicle. The motor vehicle 100 may be equipped with a thermal and / or electric engine.

[0037] In the remainder of the document, the figures are defined with reference to a direct orthonormal reference frame (X, Y, Z) represented by figure 2, the X axis being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the motor vehicle 100 and oriented towards the rear of the motor vehicle 100, and the Z axis being vertical and oriented towards the top of the vehicle.

[0038] The motor vehicle 100 comprises a passenger compartment 4 and a front hood 2. The front hood comprises at least one lock 21 which secures the opening of the hood 2. The lock 21 is connected to an arrangement 1 for unlocking the lock 21.

[0039] In one embodiment, the motor vehicle 100 may comprise an arrangement which can serve as a storage compartment 23, in particular for storing cables for connecting the vehicle to a charging station.

[0040] The arrangement 1 comprises a gripping means 11 and a cable 12 connecting the lock 21 to the gripping means 11. The gripping means 11 is accessible to a user from outside the passenger compartment 4 and no portion of the cable is located in the passenger compartment 4 of the vehicle 100. Thus, the cable is entirely positioned outside the passenger compartment 4. In one embodiment, the gripping means is located at the front hood 2 or in an area close to the front hood 2 of the vehicle, in particular at the level of a front wing 5 or a front bumper or a front grille.

[0041] The arrangement 1 and the lock 21 cooperate so that a pulling force exerted by a user on the cable 12 via the gripping means 11 unlocks the lock 21.

[0042] Thus, after exerting a pulling force on the gripping means, the user moves towards the front hood 2 which is located close to the gripping means 11. In one embodiment of the front hood 2, the user can then directly open the front hood 2. Alternatively, the hood 2 may, for example, further comprise a latch 22. In this case, when the lock 21 is unlocked, the hood opens slightly. To completely open the front hood 2, the user must then unlock the latch 22 by passing his hand through the opening of the hood.

[0043] A first embodiment of an arrangement 1 is shown in Figures 3 to 6. In this embodiment, the gripping means 11 comprises two recesses or rings 111, 112 respectively for the passage of two fingers of a user's hand. The gripping means 11 can also be described as a handle or pull having a hole, in particular omega-shaped, for the passage of at best two fingers of a user's hand.

[0044] The gripping means 11 is connected to the cable 12 which is concealed by its sheath 121.

[0045] The arrangement 1 advantageously comprises a security element 13 intended to prevent unauthorized use of the gripping means 11. In the remainder of the document,

[0046] - the safety element 13 is said to be “deactivated” when it allows the use of the gripping means 11; and

[0047] - the safety element is said to be “activated” when it prevents the use of the gripping means 11.

[0048] A first embodiment of the security element 13 is represented by figures 3 to 6. The security element comprises a fixed part 131 and a movable part 132.

[0049] The fixed part 131 is fixed to a fixed and rigid structure of the motor vehicle. In Figure 7, the safety element 13 is shown on the inner side of the load flap. According to an alternative embodiment not shown, it could be fixed to a structural part of the vehicle body adjacent to the load flap 6. The fixed part 131 contains the mechanism which controls the movable part 132.

[0050] The mobile part 132 comprises a retractable axis 1321 in a first direction 1322. The mobile part 132 also comprises two fins 1323 diametrically opposed with respect to the retractable axis 1321 and movable in rotation around the direction 1322.

[0051] This mechanism is commonly referred to as a “push-pull mechanism.” When the end of the movable portion 132 is pressed, the retractable shaft moves back and pivots, causing the fins to rotate 90 degrees. When the pressure is released, the shaft 1321 extends.

[0052] The movable part 132 is intended to collaborate with an arrangement 113 made in the gripping means 11 to together form a connecting means between the security element 13 and the gripping means 11. The arrangement 113 provides a female part of the connecting means and the movable part 132 provides a male part of the connecting means.

[0053] When the safety element 13 is activated, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, the axis 1321 is kept retracted and the fins 1323 are blocked in the arrangement 113 of the gripping means 11. The gripping means 11 is therefore fixed to the safety element 13, which is itself fixed to a fixed and rigid structure of the motor vehicle. Thus, when the safety element 13 is activated, it is impossible to use the gripping means to apply a tensile force to the cable 12.

[0054] Conversely, when the safety element 13 is deactivated, as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, when the user presses on the end of the retractable axis, the fins 1323 perform a 90-degree rotation movement which allows them to be extracted from the arrangement 113. In addition, the axis 1321 deploys, thus generating a space between the gripping means 11 and the safety element 13. The gripping means is then easier for a user to grasp.

[0055] Figures 7 and 8 illustrate the case where the safety element 13 is fixed to an interior wall 62 of a charging hatch 6 of an electric vehicle.

[0056] In Figure 7, the safety element 13 holds the gripping means 11 against the inner wall 62, i.e. in a retracted position. As a note, the illustrated situation may correspond

[0057] - to an activation of the safety element 13, in which case pressing on the safety element 13 via the gripping means 11 will not release the gripping means 11, or

[0058] - to a deactivation of the safety element 13, in which case pressing on the safety element 13 via the gripping means 11 will release the gripping means 11. In Figure 8, the safety element 13 keeps the gripping means 11 at a distance from the inner wall 62, i.e. in a deployed position. The safety element 13 is then deactivated.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, the motor vehicle further comprises a means 3 for authenticating a user of the vehicle which controls the security element 13, so that

[0060] - if a vehicle user is authenticated near the vehicle, security element 13 is deactivated,

[0061] - otherwise the security element 13 is activated.

[0062] Thus, the gripping means 11 can only be used when a person located near the vehicle is recognized by the authentication means 3 as being a user of the vehicle.

[0063] The user authentication means 3 can, for example, recognize a magnetic card or key, more generally any object for identifying a person, allowing automatic unlocking of the vehicle when a user is located within a given perimeter around the vehicle 100, for example less than two meters from the vehicle. In this embodiment, the authentication means could allow the use of the gripping means only when the openings of the vehicle are unlocked.

[0064] Other embodiments of the authentication means 3 are conceivable.

[0065] In an advantageous embodiment, the vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle and the gripping means 11 is arranged inside a charging hatch 6 of the vehicle 100. A first embodiment of an assembly 1 comprising a gripping means 11 arranged in a charging hatch 6 is described below with reference to FIGS. 7 to 11. In this embodiment, the assembly 1 comprises a safety element 13 as represented by FIGS. 3 to 6.

[0066] The hatch 6 comprises a door 61 having an interior trim 611. The hatch 6 further comprises an interior wall 62 or bowl 62. The bowl 62 is a rigid wall supporting in particular an electric charging gun interface 621. The bowl 62 delimits a boundary between the engine area of ​​the vehicle and the interior of the charging hatch 6.

[0067] The sheath 121 of the cable 12 is fixed to the bowl 62. In the embodiment described, the assembly 1 allows, by traction on the gripping means 11, a movement of 20 millimeters of the cable 12 in its sheath 121.

[0068] The safety element 13 is mounted integral with the bowl 62. As illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8, the safety element 13 passes through the bowl 62, so that the fixed part 131 of the safety element 13 is located in the engine area, and the movable part 132 of the safety element 13 is located inside the charging hatch.

[0069] The gripping means 11 is arranged so that the housing 113 can collaborate with the movable part 132 of the security element 13.

[0070] The bowl 62 also comprises a counter-form 622 of the gripping means 11. The counter-form 622 - more particularly visible in Figures 7 and 8, is designed to envelop the gripping means 11 when the latter is blocked by the security element 13, that is to say when no user of the vehicle has been detected near the vehicle by the authentication means 3. In these same circumstances, the counter-form also envelops the end of the security element 13. When the door 61 of the hatch remains open for recharging the vehicle, and in the absence of the user of the vehicle, the unlocking means 11 and the security element 13 must be protected from fraudulent users. As illustrated in Figure 9, protection is provided by the counter-form 622.Indeed, the presence of the counter-form 622 makes it very difficult to destroy the security element 13 and impossible for a user's fingers to pass through the openings of the gripping means 11.

[0071] In the first embodiment, the interior trim 611 of the hatch 6 has been defined so as to return the gripping means 11 to a retracted position when the user closes the load hatch 6 of the motor vehicle 100. In other words, if the user forgets to return the gripping means 11 to the retracted position before closing the load hatch 6, the trim will mechanically exert pressure on the safety element 13 via the gripping means 11 when closing the hatch.

[0072] A second embodiment of an assembly 1 comprising a gripping means 11 arranged in a load hatch 6 is described below with reference to figures 12 to 14.

[0073] In this embodiment, the safety element 13 is located entirely behind the bowl of the hatch 6, which protects it from possible deliberate damage during an attempt to illicitly use the gripping means 11.

[0074] The safety element 13 comprises a mechanical finger 135 which is deployed when the safety element 13 is activated and which is retracted when the safety element 13 is deactivated. The gripping means 11 is arranged so as to pass through the bowl of the hatch 6. The gripping means therefore comprises an external part 114 located in the space delimited by the hatch 6, and an internal part 115 located behind the bowl of the hatch 6. When in use, the gripping means slides along a guide 623 made in the bowl 62. The amplitude of the movement of the gripping means 11 in the guide 623 corresponds to the movement of the cable 12 in its sheath 121, for example an amplitude of 20 millimeters.

[0075] The internal part 115 of the gripping means 11 comprises an opening 116 for the passage of the mechanical finger 135 of the safety element 13.

[0076] The tension exerted by the cable 12 systematically brings the gripping means 11 back into abutment against the entry of the guide 623. As a result, as soon as the gripping means 11 is released by the user, the opening 116 is repositioned opposite the mechanical finger 135. After use, the gripping means 11 is thus automatically repositioned so as to allow activation of the safety element 13.

[0077] An embodiment of a method for unlocking a front hood 2 of a motor vehicle 100 comprising an arrangement 1 according to the invention is described below with reference to FIG. 15.

[0078] The method comprises an unlocking step E13 in which the user exerts a pulling force on the gripping means 11 of the arrangement 1, the gripping means 11 being located outside the passenger compartment 4.

[0079] To be able to exert a traction force, the user must, in a first sub-step E11, deactivate the security element 13 of the arrangement 1. In one embodiment, the deactivation is carried out using a magnetic badge or a magnetic key which can be the key or the badge, more generally any identification object, used to unlock the vehicle.

[0080] Then, if the arrangement 1 has been produced according to the first embodiment, that is to say with a “push-pull” type mechanism, then the user must, in a second sub-step E12, exert pressure on the gripping means 11, so as to release it from its housing. If the arrangement 1 has been produced according to the second embodiment, the sub-step E12 is not necessary because the gripping means 11 is directly accessible.

[0081] Then, in a third sub-step E13, the user exerts a tensile force on the gripping means 11 so that the cable 12 of the arrangement 1 performs a translational movement. In one embodiment, the movement of the cable 12 is of the order of a few centimeters, for example two centimeters. The tension exerted by the cable 12 on the gripping means 13 automatically returns the gripping means 11 to the position it occupied before the tensile force. The lock 21 of the front cover 2 is then unlocked.

[0082] Then, if the arrangement 1 has been produced according to the first embodiment, in a fourth sub-step E14, the user exerts pressure on the gripping means 11 so as to replace it in its housing. Alternatively, the gripping means 11 could be mechanically replaced in its housing, for example when closing a hatch containing the gripping means 11. An interior trim of the hatch door could advantageously be designed to exert pressure on the gripping means 11 so as to replace it in its housing.

[0083] If the arrangement 1 has been carried out according to the second embodiment, the fourth sub-step is not necessary. An embodiment of a method for recharging an electric motor vehicle 100 according to the invention is described below with reference to FIG. 16.

[0084] In a first step E21, the user opens the charging hatch 6 of the motor vehicle 100. In one embodiment, the opening of the hatch 6 is secured by a means of authenticating the user, using, for example, a magnetic badge or a magnetic key.

[0085] In a second step E22, the user exerts a traction force on the gripping means 11 of the arrangement 1 to unlock a front hood 2 of the vehicle.

[0086] The second step E22 is broken down into four sub-steps E11 to E14, which were previously described in the mode of execution of the method for unlocking a front hood. As a note, the sub-step E11 of deactivating the security element 13 can advantageously be carried out by the same means as the unlocking of the hatch 6 carried out in step E21. In other words, it is the same badge or the same magnetic key, more generally any identification object, which makes it possible to unlock the hatch 6 and to deactivate the security element 13. At the end of step E22, the lock 21 of the front hood 2 is unlocked.

[0087] In a third step E23, the user grasps a charging cable in a housing 23 located under the front hood 2 of the vehicle. To do this, the user moves from the hatch 6 to the front hood 2 of the vehicle. He then opens the front hood 2 (which was previously unlocked during step E22) to grasp the cable and closes the front hood 2. In a fourth step E24, the user connects an electric vehicle charging terminal to a charging interface 621 of the hatch 6 via the charging cable.

[0088] In a fifth step E25, the gripping means 11 is blocked during the recharging of the vehicle. During this step the user can move away from his vehicle while the hatch 6 remains open for the recharging of the vehicle. When the user moves away from his vehicle, the authentication means 3 detects the absence of the user and automatically locks the vehicle. In a preferred embodiment, the authentication means 3 also activates the security element 13 of the arrangement, so that the gripping means 11 cannot be used to unlock the front hood of the vehicle during its recharging.

[0089] Finally, the arrangement 1 according to the invention makes it possible to install a front hood unlocking system outside the passenger compartment 2. Such an arrangement thus avoids a user who has already left the vehicle having to return to the passenger compartment to operate a hood opening mechanism.

[0090] Thus, a user who has left their vehicle, for example to operate a charging station, does not need to return to the vehicle's passenger compartment if they want to retrieve charging cables stored under the vehicle's front hood.

[0091] Advantageously, arrangement 1 can be installed in an electric charging hatch, which reduces the number of trips the user has to make around his vehicle when recharging the vehicle.

[0092] In the case where arrangement 1 is installed near the front hood, the invention further makes it possible to reduce the length of the cable connecting the hood lock to the cable pull lever, and also to reduce the length of the sheath of this cable. A smaller cable allows for better action on unlocking, the cable tension can be lower and the cable travel can be reduced.

[0093] The embodiments of the arrangement 1 also make it possible to secure access to the engine compartment. In particular, the invention blocks attempts to fraudulently use the arrangement 1.

[0094] Furthermore, the cost of implementing the invention is limited. Indeed, the invention does not modify the technical characteristics or the design of the front hood 2 and the lock 21. Furthermore, the proposed solution reuses mechanisms already present on the vehicle, in particular in the first embodiment of the arrangement 1, where the “push-pull” system used as a safety element 13 is the same as the “push-pull” system used to secure the door of the hatch 6. The same applies to the locking system of the second embodiment, which is a safety element that can also be used to secure the connection of the gun with the charging interface 621 when charging the vehicle.

[0095] In addition, vehicle assembly can be simplified. Indeed, arrangement 1 can be advantageously arranged so that the cable does not pass through the passenger compartment. In other words, there is no longer any need to extend a cable between a dry area and a wet area through the vehicle bulkhead.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. Motor vehicle (100) comprising an arrangement (1) for unlocking a lock (21) of a front hood (2), the arrangement (1) comprising a gripping means (11) and a cable (12) connecting the lock (21) of the front hood (2) to the gripping means (11), characterized in that the gripping means (11) is accessible to a user from outside a passenger compartment (4) of the motor vehicle (100) and in that the cable is positioned outside the passenger compartment (4) of the motor vehicle (100).

2. Motor vehicle (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the gripping means (11) is located at the front hood (2) or in an area close to the front hood (2) of the motor vehicle (100), in particular at the level of a front wing (5) or a front bumper or a front grille.

3. Motor vehicle (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a safety element (13) intended to prevent use of the gripping means (11) by an unauthorized person.

4. Motor vehicle (100) according to the preceding claim, characterized in that said arrangement comprises an authentication means (3) which collaborates with the security element (13), so that the gripping means (11) can be used only when an identification object of a user is authenticated by the authentication means (3).

5. Motor vehicle (100) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is an electric vehicle and in that the gripping means (11) is arranged inside a charging hatch (6) of the electric vehicle.

6. Motor vehicle (100) according to claims 4 and 5, characterized in that the authentication means (3) cooperates with a device for locking the charging flap (6) of the motor vehicle (100), so that it is able to unlock the charging flap (6) after authentication of the identification object.

7. Motor vehicle (100) according to one of claims 4 or 6, characterized in that it comprises an identification object capable of cooperating with a locking device of the motor vehicle (100) to allow access or not to the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle (100), and in that the same identification object is capable of cooperating with the authentication means (3) of said arrangement (1) for unlocking the lock (21) of the front hood (2) and / or said locking device of the load flap (6) of the motor vehicle (100).

8. Motor vehicle (100) according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that it comprises a cable for recharging the battery of the electric motor vehicle (100) positioned in a housing (23) located under the front hood of the vehicle.

9. Method for unlocking a front hood (2) of a motor vehicle (100) according to one of the preceding claims, comprising a step (E13) of pulling on the gripping means (11) of the arrangement (1), the gripping means (11) being located outside the passenger compartment (4). Method for recharging an electric motor vehicle (100) according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a step (E21) of opening a charging hatch (6) of the vehicle, a step (E22) of pulling the gripping means (11) of the arrangement (1) for unlocking a front hood (2) of the vehicle, the gripping means (11) being positioned inside the charging hatch (6); a step (E23) of gripping a charging cable in a housing (23) located under the front hood of the vehicle, a step (E24) of connecting a charging terminal for an electric vehicle to a charging interface (621) of the hatch (6) via the charging cable, and a step (E25) of locking the gripping means (11) during the recharging of the vehicle, and in that all the steps of the method take place outside the passenger compartment (4) of the motor vehicle.

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