Vehicle front hood latch

Abstract

A front hood latch for a vehicle is provided. The latch includes a housing (1) fixed to a vehicle body, a catch (2), a claw portion (3), and an auxiliary catch (4) rotatably supported in the housing (1). The catch (2) is configured to lock the striker, and the claw portion (3) is configured to lock the catch (2). The auxiliary catch (4) and the catch (2) are configured to abut on opposite sides of the striker (5) when the striker (5) is in a locked state. The latch further includes a spacer (6) provided between the auxiliary catch (4) and the catch (2). This prevents abnormal noise caused by the striker shaking within the catch, prevents non-smooth relative movement between the catch and the auxiliary catch caused by machining errors or foreign matter getting caught, and reduces wear on the auxiliary catch and the auxiliary catch.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[0001] This disclosure relates to a latch for a front hood of a vehicle, the latch for locking or unlocking the hood by holding or releasing a striker attached to the front hood.

[0002] background

[0003]

[0002] A front hood of a vehicle, such as the hood of the engine compartment of an automobile or the hood of the front trunk compartment of a new energy vehicle, is provided with a front hood latch for locking the hood to the main body of the front compartment. This type of front hood latch generally includes a housing with a striker slot, a catch attached to the housing and configured to engage with a striker attached to the hood, and a pawl for engaging the catch and holding it in a locked position. When the front hood is dropped, the striker attached to the hood enters the striker slot and contacts the catch, rotating it to a locked position, and the catch engages with the pawl, thereby holding the catch and striker in the locked position.

[0004]

[0003] In the engagement area between the catch and the striker, the locking groove of the catch for engaging the striker is larger than the striker. Therefore, a gap is created between the catch and the striker. After the hood is closed, the gap between the catch and the striker causes the striker to shake in the locking groove when the vehicle body vibrates, generating abnormal noise.

[0005]

[0004] Furthermore, ensuring smooth operation of the components within the latch, reducing wear, and extending the useful life of the latch are consistent challenges in the art.

[0006] Disclosure Overview

[0007]

[0006] The present disclosure aims to solve at least one of the above problems and / or other problems existing in the prior art.

[0008]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a latch for a front hood of a vehicle, the latch being for locking or unlocking the hood by retaining or releasing a striker attached to the hood, the latch comprising a housing fixed to a vehicle body, a catch pivotally supported on the housing and configured to lock the striker, a claw portion pivotally supported on the housing and configured to lock the catch, an auxiliary catch pivotally supported on the housing, the auxiliary catch and the catch being configured to abut against either side of the striker when the striker is in a locked state, and a spacer provided between the auxiliary catch and the catch.

[0009]

[0008] By providing an auxiliary catch, the striker is clamped by both the auxiliary catch and the catch when locked, preventing the striker from shaking and the resulting noise. In a double-catch solution including a catch and an auxiliary catch, the stop portion of the auxiliary catch protrudes into the locking groove of the catch when the striker is locked, requiring precise and minute relative movement between the two catches so that the striker is clamped by both the stop portion and the catch. Therefore, high requirements are placed on the relative movement between the catch and the auxiliary catch. The spacer prevents non-smooth relative movement between the catch and the auxiliary catch due to machining errors in the catch or the auxiliary catch or the intrusion of foreign matter between the two, allowing the auxiliary catch to rotate smoothly relative to the catch. Furthermore, the spacer reduces wear on the auxiliary catch and the catch, thereby extending the service life of the latch.

[0010]

[0009] According to an exemplary configuration, the catch and auxiliary catch are pivotally supported on the housing via a first shaft provided in the housing, and the spacer has a first hole through which the first shaft passes.

[0011]

[0010] According to an exemplary configuration, one of the catch and the auxiliary catch is provided with a protruding pin, the other is provided with a corresponding hole having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pin that fits over the pin, and the spacer is provided with a second hole through which the pin passes, so that the spacer is securely held between the auxiliary catch and the catch.

[0012]

[0011] According to an exemplary configuration, the latch further includes an auxiliary locking member pivotally supported on the housing via a second shaft, and a first gasket is disposed between the auxiliary locking member and the housing.

[0013]

[0012] By providing a first gasket between the auxiliary locking member and the housing, it is possible to prevent the auxiliary locking member from rotating unsmoothly and wear on the latch-related components due to foreign matter such as dust entering the gap between the auxiliary locking member and the housing.

[0014]

[0013] According to an exemplary configuration, the second shaft has a main body that fits into a hole in the auxiliary locking member and a stepped portion that protrudes radially from the main body on the side away from the housing, with a second gasket provided between the stepped portion and the auxiliary locking member.

[0015]

[0014] The second gasket further prevents unsmooth rotation of the auxiliary locking member and wear of related components due to foreign matter such as dust entering the gap between the second shaft and the auxiliary locking member.

[0016]

[0015] According to an exemplary configuration, the first gasket and / or the second gasket are configured as annular members having flanges engaged between the auxiliary locking member and the main body, with the annular main body of the first gasket engaged between the auxiliary locking member and the housing, and the annular main body of the second gasket engaged between the step portion and the auxiliary locking member.

[0017]

[0016] The first gasket and the second gasket are both designed as flanged annular member structures, filling radial and axial gaps between the second shaft and the auxiliary locking member, and between the auxiliary locking member and the housing, comprehensively reducing the risk of non-smooth operation due to the intrusion of foreign matter such as dust and wear of related components. According to an exemplary configuration, the first gasket and / or the second gasket is made of a self-lubricating material, preventing non-smooth operation and wear of related components due to wear of grease or coating on the auxiliary locking member, the second shaft, or the housing.

[0018]

[0017] According to an exemplary configuration, the first gasket and the second gasket have the same structure, so there is no need to distinguish between the two during assembly, making assembly easy and preventing unsmooth operation of the auxiliary locking member due to asymmetric wear.

[0019]

[0018] According to an exemplary configuration, the spacer is made of plastic, for example, a plastic spacer disposed between the metal catch and the metal auxiliary catch helps reduce wear on the catch and the auxiliary catch.

[0020] According to an exemplary configuration, the auxiliary catch includes a first stop portion and a second stop portion that are located on either side of the striker when the striker is in a locked state, and the first stop portion and the catch abut on either side of the striker. When the front hood of the vehicle tends to open unexpectedly due to a collision or the like, the second stop portion stops the unexpected movement of the striker, preventing the front hood from opening unexpectedly and improving the strength of the latch. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a latch for a front hood of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the latch in an unlocked state, with the spring shown in simplified form. [Figure 3]FIG. 3 is a schematic front view of the latch in the locked state, with the spring shown in simplified form. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an exploded schematic view of the double catch assembly of the latch. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the latch shown in FIG. 1 from another direction, showing the operating lever and the auxiliary locking member. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view of an auxiliary locking member mounted on the housing of the latch.

[0022] Detailed Description

[0023]

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, many details are set forth in order to make the present disclosure easier to understand and practice. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that not all details are necessarily required to practice the present disclosure.

[0024]

[0027] 1 to 5, schematic diagrams of a latch for a vehicle front hood according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are shown. The vehicle front hood described herein is not limited to the hood of an engine compartment of an automobile. For example, in a new energy vehicle, a trunk compartment is provided in the corresponding front portion of the vehicle, and the latch of the present disclosure can also be applied to the hood of that trunk compartment. The front compartment of the vehicle is opened and closed by a front hood (not shown), and a striker 5 is attached to the front hood. The latch is fixed to the vehicle body (not shown) of the front compartment, and holds the front hood closed by locking the striker 5.

[0025]

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the latch includes a housing 1, a catch 2, a claw portion 3, an auxiliary catch 4, a first spring 8, and a second spring 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the housing 1 includes a mounting portion 13 for securing the latch to the vehicle body. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5, the housing 1 is formed with a striker slot 11 for holding a striker 5. As shown in FIG. 1, the catch 2 is pivotally supported on the housing 1 via a first shaft 12 provided on the housing 1 (for example, by riveting). In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the catch 2 is located on the right side of the striker slot 11 in the housing 1. However, the catch may also be located on the left side of the striker slot 11. The catch 2 is provided with a locking groove 21 for locking the striker 5. The catch 2 is rotatable between an unlocked position shown in FIG. 2 and a locked position shown in FIG. 3. In the locked position shown in FIG. 3, the striker 5 is constrained within the locking groove 21 and the striker slot 11 and cannot be removed from the striker slot 11. Preferably, the first shaft 12, the second shaft 71 and the third shaft 32 (described below) may all be rivets connected to the housing 1 by riveting.

[0026]

[0029] The pawl 3 is pivotally supported on the housing 1 via a third shaft 32 on the opposite side of the striker slot 11 from the catch 2 (the left side in FIGS. 2 and 3 ). As shown in FIG. 3 , the pawl 3 is provided with a first engagement portion 31 that abuts against the second engagement portion 23 of the catch 2 to prevent the catch 2 from rotating in the unlocking direction (clockwise in FIG. 3 ), thereby locking the catch 2 that holds the striker 5. As shown schematically in FIGS. 2 and 3 , one end of a second spring 9 is connected to the lower end of the pawl 3, and the other end is connected to the housing 1. The pawl 3 is biased to the locked position by the second spring 9. For example, the pawl 3 is coupled to an actuating lever (not shown), and the actuating lever is operated to rotate the pawl 3 clockwise in FIG. 3 , causing the first engagement portion 31 to disengage from the second engagement portion 23 of the catch 2, thereby releasing the catch 2 from the locked position.

[0027]

[0030] In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the auxiliary catch 4 is disposed between the catch 2 and the vehicle body and is pivotally supported on the housing 1 via a first shaft 12 so as to be coaxially rotatable with the catch 2. A protrusion 43 is formed on the auxiliary catch 4. One end of a first spring 8 is connected to the protrusion 43, and the other end is connected to the housing 1. The first spring 8 biases the auxiliary catch 4 toward the unlocked position (clockwise in FIG. 3). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the auxiliary catch 4 is provided with a pin 42 that protrudes toward the catch 2, and the catch 2 is provided with a corresponding hole 22 that fits the pin 42. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the pin may be provided on the catch 2 and the hole may be provided on the auxiliary catch 4. Due to the cooperation of the pin and the hole, the movement of the catch 2 is linked to the movement of the auxiliary catch 4 in the double-catch assembly. Specifically, after the striker 5 enters the striker slot 11 in the unlocked position as shown in FIG. 2 and then enters the locking groove 21 of the catch 2, the striker 5 moves toward the bottom of the striker slot 11 and presses against the lower wall of the locking groove 21, causing the catch 2 to rotate to the locked position. At the same time, because the pin 42 of the auxiliary catch 4 is placed in the hole 22, the rotation of the catch 2 also causes the auxiliary catch 4 to rotate to the locked position (FIG. 3). During the rotation of the auxiliary catch 4, the first spring 8 expands. Furthermore, because the inner diameter of the hole 22 is larger than the outer diameter of the pin 42, the pin 42 can move within the hole 22, and a slight relative rotation may occur between the catch 2 and the auxiliary catch 4. After catch 2 abuts against pawl portion 3 and rotates to the locked position, the action of first engagement portion 31 of pawl portion 3 prevents catch 2 from rotating to the unlocked position, while the force of first spring 8 allows auxiliary catch 4 to rotate to the unlocked position (clockwise in FIG. 3) relative to catch 2, causing the side wall of first stop portion 41 to protrude into lock groove 21. As shown in FIG. 3, stop portion 41 abuts against striker 5 from below, and the upper wall of lock groove 21 of catch 2 abuts against striker 5 from above, clamping striker 5 from both sides. By providing auxiliary catch 4, the striker is clamped from both sides by the auxiliary catch and the catch in the locked state, preventing the striker from shaking and eliminating any abnormal noise caused by shaking.

[0028]

[0031] Precise and minute relative movement is required between the catch and auxiliary catch. However, machining errors in the catch or auxiliary catch, or the accumulation of foreign matter, dust, or corrosion between the two, can cause non-smooth relative movement between the catch and auxiliary catch, preventing the auxiliary catch from rotating to the desired position and making it impossible to prevent striker vibration or reduce noise. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4, a spacer 6 is provided between auxiliary catch 4 and catch 2. The provision of the spacer prevents non-smooth relative movement between the catch and auxiliary catch due to machining errors in the catch or auxiliary catch, or the accumulation of foreign matter, dust, or corrosion between the two, allowing auxiliary catch 4 to rotate smoothly relative to catch 2. Furthermore, spacer 6 reduces wear on the auxiliary catch and the catch, extending the service life of the latch.

[0029]

[0032] Preferably, the spacer is a wear-resistant plastic spacer, a material known to those skilled in the art. In the illustrated embodiment, the spacer 6 is formed with a first hole 61 through which the first shaft 12 passes and a second hole 62 through which the pin 42 passes. In this way, the spacer is securely held between the auxiliary catch 4 and the catch 2.

[0030]

[0033] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the auxiliary catch 4 includes a first stop portion 41 and a second stop portion 44 that are disposed on either side of the striker 5 when the striker 5 is in the locked state. Because the striker 5 is held on both the top and bottom sides, the strength of the latch is greatly improved. For example, if the front hood of a vehicle tends to open unexpectedly due to a collision or the like, the front hood will try to lift the striker 5 upward, but the second stop portion 44 stops the unexpected movement of the striker 5, preventing the front hood from opening unexpectedly and improving the strength of the latch.

[0031]

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, 5 and 6, the latch further includes an auxiliary locking member 7, which is provided on a side of the housing 1 away from the mounting portion 13 and is rotatably supported on the housing 1 via a second shaft 71.

[0032]

[0035] The auxiliary locking member 7 includes a locking portion 76 for locking the striker 5. The locking portion 76 is arranged outside the striker slot 11 and in the path of the striker 5, and is rotatable between an auxiliary locking position where it locks the striker 5 exiting the striker slot 11, and an auxiliary unlocking position where the locking portion 76 is out of the path of the striker 5. The auxiliary locking member 7 is biased by a spring 10 to the auxiliary locking position.

[0033]

[0036] As shown in Fig. 5, an operating lever 77 is connected to the auxiliary locking member 7. By operating the operating lever 77, the auxiliary locking member 7 can be rotated to the auxiliary unlock position to release the striker. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in the embodiment of the present disclosure, a first gasket 72 is provided between the auxiliary locking member 7 and the housing 1 to prevent unsmooth rotation of the auxiliary locking member 7 and wear on the auxiliary locking member and the housing due to the intrusion of foreign matter such as dust into the gap between them.

[0034]

[0037] As shown in Figure 6, second shaft 71 has a main body 74 that fits into the hole in auxiliary locking member 7 and a stepped portion 73 that protrudes radially from the main body, and a second gasket 75 is also provided between stepped portion 73 and auxiliary locking member 7. Second gasket 75 further prevents unsmooth rotation of auxiliary locking member 7 and wear on the auxiliary locking member and second shaft due to foreign matter such as dust entering the gap between second shaft 71 and auxiliary locking member 7.

[0035]

[0038] The first gasket 72 and the second gasket 75 may have the same structure or may be configured as flanged annular members. The flanges of the first gasket 72 and the second gasket 75 are both engaged between the auxiliary locking member 7 and the main body 74. The annular main body of the first gasket 72 is engaged between the auxiliary locking member 7 and the housing 1, and the annular main body of the second gasket 75 is engaged between the stepped portion 73 and the auxiliary locking member 7. The first gasket 72 and the second gasket 75 are both designed as flanged annular members, filling the radial and axial gaps between the second shaft 71 and the auxiliary locking member 7 and between the auxiliary locking member 7 and the housing 1, comprehensively reducing the risk of unsmooth operation due to the intrusion of foreign matter such as dust and wear on related parts.

[0036]

[0039] Preferably, the first gasket 72 and the second gasket 75 are made of a self-lubricating material to prevent unsmooth movement and wear of related components due to wear of grease or coatings on the auxiliary locking member 7, the second shaft 71, or the housing 1. Self-lubricating materials are known to those skilled in the art. Preferably, the first gasket 72 and the second gasket 75 are structurally symmetrical, which eliminates the need to distinguish between the two during assembly, facilitating assembly, and preventing unsmooth movement of the auxiliary locking member 7 due to asymmetric wear.

[0037]

[0040] The operation of the front hood latch will now be described by way of example with reference to FIGS.

[0038]

[0041] First, as shown in Figure 2, when the front hood is closed, the striker 5, which moves together with the closing hood, abuts against the outer edge 761 of the locking portion 76 of the auxiliary locking member 7, which is arranged in the path of the striker 5. When the striker 5 abuts against the locking portion 76, the auxiliary locking member 7 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 2 and moves to the auxiliary unlock position, and moves out of the path of the striker 5, thereby opening the striker slot 11 in the housing 1.

[0039]

[0042] The striker 5 enters the open striker slot 11 and then enters the locking groove 21 of the catch 2, which is in the unlocked position. After that, the striker 5, which has entered the locking groove 21, moves toward the bottom of the striker slot 11 and presses the lower wall of the locking groove 21, causing the catch 2 to rotate to the locked position. At the same time, the pin 42 of the auxiliary catch 4 is placed in the hole 22, so the catch 2 drives the auxiliary catch 4 and rotates them together to the locked position (Fig. 3).

[0040]

[0043] 3, when the striker 5 reaches the bottom of the striker slot 11, the catch 2 is in the locked position. In the locked position, the first engagement portion 31 of the claw 3 engages with the second engagement portion 23 of the catch 2, and the catch 2 is locked by the claw 3. The striker 5 is locked by the catch 2, that is, the front hood is held in a completely closed state by the front hood latch.

[0041]

[0044] Next, with the front hood fully closed, the auxiliary catch 4 rotates to the unlocked position (clockwise in FIG. 3) relative to the catch 2 due to the action of the first spring 8, and the side wall 411 of the first stop portion 41 protrudes into the lock groove 21. The side wall 411 of the stop portion 41 abuts against the striker 5 from below, as shown in FIG. 3, and the upper wall of the lock groove 21 of the catch 2 abuts against the striker 5 from above, clamping the striker 5 from both sides. By clamping the striker 5 from both sides in the locked state, shaking of the striker is prevented and abnormal noise caused by shaking is also eliminated.

[0042]

[0045] Thereafter, when the front hood is opened, the claw portion 3 is actuated to disengage the first engaging portion 31 of the claw portion 3 from the second engaging portion 23 of the catch 2, thereby releasing the catch 2 from the lock position.

[0043]

[0046] When catch 2 is released, the force of first spring 8 of auxiliary catch 4 is transmitted to catch 2 via pin 42 of auxiliary catch 4, causing catch 2 to rotate to the unlocked position. As a result, striker 5 is pushed upward by catch 2 toward the open end of striker slot 11 in housing 1.

[0044]

[0047] The striker 5, pushed upward by the catch 2, comes into contact with the inner edge 762 of the locking portion 76 of the auxiliary locking member 7 arranged in the path of the striker 5, and the striker 5 stops near the open end of the striker slot 11. The opening operation of the front hood is temporarily stopped, and the hood is popped up to a predetermined open angle or open position.

[0045]

[0048] When the front hood needs to be fully opened, the operating lever 77 is manually operated to rotate the auxiliary locking member 7 to the auxiliary unlock position. The locking portion 76 moves out of the path of the striker 5, opening the striker slot 11. This allows the striker 5 to slip out of the striker slot 11, and the hood is fully opened.

[0046]

[0049] It should be noted that the above embodiments are merely examples, and the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments. In consideration of the contents of this specification, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure. The actual scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. In a latch for a front hood of a vehicle, A latch for a front hood of a vehicle, characterized in that the latch is configured to lock or unlock the front hood by holding or releasing a striker attached to the front hood, a housing fixed to a vehicle body; a catch (2) rotatably supported on the housing (1) and configured to lock the striker; a claw portion (3) rotatably supported on the housing (1) and configured to lock the catch (2); an auxiliary catch rotatably supported on the housing (1); Equipped with The auxiliary catch (4) and the catch (2) are configured to abut on both sides of the striker (5) when the striker (5) is in a locked state, and a spacer (6) is provided between the auxiliary catch (4) and the catch (2).

2. 2. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the catch (2) and the auxiliary catch (4) are pivotally supported on the housing (1) via a first shaft (12) provided in the housing (1), and the spacer is provided with a first hole (61) through which the first shaft (12) passes.

3. One of the catch (2) and the auxiliary catch (4) is provided with a protruding pin (42); 3. The latch according to claim 2, wherein the other side is provided with a hole (22) having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the pin (42) that fits into the pin (42), and the spacer is provided with a second hole (61) through which the pin (42) passes.

4. The locking mechanism further includes an auxiliary locking member (7) pivotally supported on the housing (1) via a second shaft (71), The latch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a first gasket (72) is arranged between the auxiliary locking member (7) and the housing (1).

5. The second shaft (71) has a main body (74) that fits into a hole in the auxiliary locking member (7) and a stepped portion (73) that projects radially from the main body on the side away from the housing (1), 5. The latch according to claim 4, wherein a second gasket (75) is provided between the step portion (73) and the auxiliary locking member (7).

6. 6. The latch according to claim 5, wherein both or at least one of the first gasket (72) and the second gasket (75) are configured as annular members having a flange engaged between the auxiliary locking member (7) and the main body (74), the annular main body of the first gasket (72) being engaged between the auxiliary locking member (7) and the housing (7), and the annular main body of the second gasket (75) being engaged between the stepped portion (73) and the auxiliary locking member (7).

7. 6. The latch of claim 5, wherein said first gasket (72) and said second gasket (75) are of identical construction.

8. 6. The latch of claim 5, wherein the first gasket (72) and / or the second gasket (75) are made from a material having self-lubricating properties.

9. A latch according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the spacer is made of plastic.

10. 4. The latch according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary catch (4) comprises a first stop portion (41) and a second stop portion (44) located on either side of the striker (5) when the striker (5) is in a locked state, the first stop portion (41) and the catch (2) respectively abutting on either side of the striker (5).

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