Vehicle hood lock device

Abstract

To provide a double action type vehicular hood lock device capable of suppressing the occurrence of a defect of returning to a secondary lock state without opening a hood when unlocking operation is performed.SOLUTION: A base 11 in which an entry groove 32 into which the striker S enters is formed, a latch 12 configured to be swingable between a primary latched position A1, an unlatched position A2, and a secondary latched position A3, and a lock lever 13 configured to be swingable between a locked position A1 where the latch 12 is locked in the primary latched position A2 or the secondary latched position B1 and an unlocked position B2 where the latch 12 is unlocked, wherein when the lock lever 13 swings to the unlocked position B2, the lock lever 13 operates independently of the latch 12 to enter the locked position B1, and a lever stopper B1 for regulating the return of the lock lever 13 to the lock position 15a.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hood lock device for a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a double-action vehicle hood locking device that can be switched from a locked state to a secondary locked state and from the secondary locked state to an unlocked state by an operator's release operation inside the vehicle cabin (see Patent Document 1). This vehicle hood locking device includes a base, a latch member rotatably supported on the base and restraining a striker, a first torsion spring that biases the latch member, a lock lever rotatably supported on the base and restricting rotation of the latch member, and a second torsion spring that biases the lock lever. The latch member has a third claw that is restricted by the lock lever in the locked state and a second claw that is restricted by the lock lever in the secondary locked state, thereby realizing the locked state and the secondary locked state using the latch member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-153079 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional vehicle hood lock devices, when an unlocking operation is performed from the secondary lock state, if there is snow on the hood or the hinge is stuck, there is a risk that the hood will not open and will return to the secondary lock state, which is a defect.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a double-action vehicle hood lock device that can prevent the hood from returning to the secondary lock state without opening when an unlocking operation is performed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a vehicle hood locking device that locks a hood that opens and closes an opening provided in a vehicle, comprising: a base in which an entry groove into which a striker enters is formed; a latch configured to be able to swing between a primary latch position that restrains the striker within the entry groove, an unlatch position that allows the striker to disengage from the entry groove, and a secondary latch position that restrains the striker between the primary latch position and the unlatch position; a lock lever configured to be able to swing between a lock position that locks the latch at the primary latch position or the secondary latch position, and an unlock position that unlocks the latch; and a lever stopper that operates independently of the latch to enter the lock position when the lock lever swings to the unlock position, and that prevents the lock lever from returning to the lock position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The vehicle hood lock device of the present invention can prevent a defect that occurs in a double-action vehicle hood lock device in which the hood does not open and returns to the secondary lock state when an unlocking operation is performed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a vehicle hood lock device according to one embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a front view of the vehicle hood lock device without the sub-base, and FIG. 1B is a front view of the vehicle hood lock device with the sub-base shown. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the vehicle hood lock device. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] (a) is a front view showing a vehicle hood locking device in a locked state, (b) is a front view showing a vehicle hood locking device in a secondary locked state, and (c) is a front view showing a vehicle hood locking device in an unlocked state. [Figure 5] 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view, respectively, showing a latch. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view showing a first lock lever member. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view showing a second lock lever member. [Figure 8] 1A is a front view showing a lift lever; FIG. 1B is a plan view showing the lift lever; [Figure 9] 1A is a front view showing the reversal restricting member, FIG. 1B is a front view showing the lever stopper, and FIG. 1C is a front view showing the stopper retraction portion. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the first half of the hood opening operation. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing the latter half of the hood opening operation. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing the first half of the hood closing operation. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing the latter half of the hood closing operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A vehicle hood locking device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. This vehicle hood locking device is disposed in an engine compartment opening at the front of a vehicle (body) and locks a hood (bonnet) that opens and closes the opening. This vehicle hood locking device is equipped with a locking function that locks the hood in a closed position, a secondary locking function that locks the hood in a half-open position slightly open from the closed position, and a push-up function that pushes the hood open. It is a double-action hood locking device that can release the secondary lock through operation from within the vehicle cabin. In particular, this vehicle hood locking device is equipped with a reversal prevention member that moves the lock lever to the locked position when an unlocking operation is performed and prevents the lock lever from returning to the locked position. Note that left and right, front and rear, and up and down are defined as shown in the drawings. In this embodiment, for example, the up and down direction of the vehicle hood locking device coincides with the up and down direction of the vehicle, the left and right direction of the vehicle hood locking device coincides with the width direction of the vehicle, and the front and rear direction of the vehicle hood locking device coincides with the front and rear direction of the vehicle.

[0010] (Configuration of vehicle hood lock device) As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the vehicle hood lock device 1 includes a base 11 having an entrance groove 32 formed therein through which a striker S fixed to the hood of the vehicle enters, a latch 12 disposed on the front side of the base 11 to the right of the entrance groove 32 and restraining the striker S, a lock lever 13 (pole) disposed on the right side of the latch 12 and locking the latch 12, a lift lever 14 disposed on the rear side of the latch 12 so as to overlap with the latch 12 and pushing the hood upward via the striker S, and a return restriction member 15 disposed on the front side of the latch 12 so as to overlap with the latch 12 and preventing the lock lever 13 from returning backward when the secondary lock is released.

[0011] The vehicle hood lock device 1 also includes a latch pin 17 fixed to the base 11 and pivotally mounting the latch 12, the lift lever 14, and the reverse restriction member 15, a lock pin 18 fixed to the base 11 and pivotally mounting the lock lever 13, and a plate-shaped sub-base 19 (see FIGS. 1(b) and 2) fixed to the base 11 via a pair of bushings 11a in front of the lock lever 13 and the reverse restriction member 15. That is, the latch 12, the lift lever 14, and the reverse restriction member 15 are supported by the latch pin 17 so as to be able to swing relative to the base 11, and the lock lever 13 is supported by the lock pin 18 so as to be able to swing relative to the base 11. The tips of the latch pin 17 and the lock pin 18 are fixed to the sub-base 19.

[0012] The vehicle hood lock device 1 also includes a first biasing spring 21 wound around the latch pin 17 and biasing the latch 12 and the reverse restriction member 15 in a clockwise direction, a second biasing spring 22 wound around the lock pin 18 and biasing the lock lever 13 in a clockwise direction, and a third biasing spring 23 (see FIG. 2) disposed on the rear side of the base 11 and biasing the lift lever 14 in a clockwise direction. The third biasing spring 23 is an example of a biasing means.

[0013] 3, the base 11 is made of sheet metal and has a plate-like flat portion 31, an entrance groove 32 formed left of the center of the flat portion 31, an arc-shaped protrusion 33 formed protruding from the surface of the flat portion 31 and extending in an arc to guide the lock lever 13 and the lift lever 14, and an arc-shaped elongated hole 35 formed in the lower right of the flat portion 31 and engaging with a protrusion 84 (described later) of the lift lever 14. The elongated hole 35 is formed to correspond to the swing range of the lift lever 14, and the swing range of the lift lever 14 is limited by the engagement of the protrusion 84 of the lift lever 14 with the elongated hole 35. In other words, the full lift position C1 (described later), which is the upper limit position of the lift lever 14, is determined by the protrusion 84 of the lift lever 14 hitting the end of the elongated hole 35.

[0014] The entrance groove 32 is an opening that extends downward from the upper end of the flat plate portion 31, and is formed in a U-shaped groove shape in a front view, with the upper end side being the groove mouth side and the lower side being the groove bottom side. The entrance groove 32 has a width that allows the striker S to pass through, and functions as a striker guide that guides the striker S.

[0015] 4 and 11, the latch 12 is formed from a plate-like, U-shaped metal member and is supported by a latch pin 17 so as to be able to swing freely relative to the base 11 between a primary latch position A1 (see FIG. 4(a)), an unlatch position A2 (see FIG. 11(e)), and a secondary latch position A3 (see FIG. 4(b)). The primary latch position A1 is a position where the striker S is restrained within the entrance groove 32 when the hood is closed, and the unlatch position A2 is a position where the striker S is allowed to leave the entrance groove 32. The secondary latch position A3 is a position where the striker S is restrained when the hood is half-open, and is a position where the striker S is restrained between the primary latch position A1 and the unlatch position A2.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 5 , the latch 12 has a main body 41 attached to the base 11 by the latch pin 17 so as to be able to swing freely, a striker engagement portion 42 extending from the main body 41 in a lower left direction across the entrance groove 32 and engaging with the striker S, a lock lever engagement portion 43 extending from the main body 41 in an upper right and right direction and engaging with the lock lever 13, a rising portion 44 rising forward from the lower end of the main body 41, and an engagement pin 45 attached to the top of the main body 41 and protruding forward from the main body 41.

[0017] The striker engagement portion 42 has an upper first arm portion 51 and a lower second arm portion 52 extending in the downward left direction, and a restraining groove 53 that restrains the striker S is formed between the first arm portion 51 and the second arm portion 52.

[0018] The lower end surface 51a of the first arm portion 51 serves as a pressing surface that presses the striker S from above, and functions as a pressing portion that restricts and presses the upward movement of the striker S when the latch 12 is swung to the primary latch position A1 or the secondary latch position A3.

[0019] The upper end surface 52a of the second arm portion 52 is a contact surface (receiving surface) that comes into contact with the striker S, and functions as a pressure receiving portion that receives pressure from the striker S moving on the entrance groove 32 from above.

[0020] The lock lever engaging portion 43 has a first claw portion 56 extending rightward from the main body portion 41, and a second claw portion 57 extending rightward and to the upper right from the main body portion 41.

[0021] The lower end surface 56a of the first claw portion 56 is an engagement surface with which the first engagement claw 62 (described later) of the lock lever 13 engages, and when the latch 12 is swung to the primary latch position A1, the first engagement claw 62 of the lock lever 13 engages.

[0022] The right end surface 57a of the second claw portion 57 is an engagement surface with which the first engagement claw 62 of the lock lever 13 engages, and when the latch 12 is swung to the secondary latch position A3, the first engagement claw 62 of the lock lever 13 engages.

[0023] The rising portion 44 is formed to rise forward from the lower end of the main body 41, and functions as a stopper engaging portion that engages with an extending portion 93 (described later) of the reversal restricting member 15, and also functions as a spring mounting portion to which one end of the first biasing spring 21 is attached. The rising portion 44 is an example of a stopper restricting portion.

[0024] 2, the first biasing spring 21 has a first torsion spring 21a and a second torsion spring 21b arranged in series on the same axis, and the wire rods of these torsion springs 21a, 21b are connected to each other. One end of the first torsion spring 21a is attached to the rising portion 44 of the latch 12, and the other end is attached to the sub-base 19. Furthermore, one end of the second torsion spring 21b is attached to a lever stopper 15a (described later) of the reverse-backward restricting member 15, and the other end is attached to the sub-base 19. As a result, the latch 12 and the reverse-backward restricting member 15 are each biased in a clockwise direction. That is, the first biasing spring 21 biases the latch 12 to swing toward the unlatched position, and biases the reverse-backward restricting member 15 to swing toward the locked position B1.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, the lock lever 13 is supported by a lock pin 18 so as to be able to swing freely between a lock position B1 (see Figures 4(a) and 4(b)) and an unlock position B2 (see Figure 4(c)) relative to the base 11. The lock position B1 is a position where the lock lever 13 engages with the first claw portion 56 or the second claw portion 57 of the latch 12 to lock (restrict) the latch 12. The unlock position B2 is a position where the lock lever 13 disengages from the first claw portion 56 or the second claw portion 57 of the latch 12 to unlock the latch 12.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the lock lever 13 is formed by integrating a first lock lever member 13a on the front side that engages with the latch 12 and a second lock lever member 13b on the rear side that engages with the lift lever 14.

[0027] 6, the first lock lever member 13a integrally comprises a main body 61 swingably attached to the base 11 by a lock pin 18, a first engagement claw 62 and a second engagement claw 63 extending upward and left from the lower part of the main body 61, a contact claw 64 protruding left from the upper part of the main body 61 and contacting a stopper retraction portion 15b (described later) of the reverse restriction member 15, and a spring attachment portion 65 protruding forward from the lower right part of the main body 61. The stopper retraction portion 15b is an example of a stopper retraction means.

[0028] The first engagement claw 62 has an upper right surface 62a that serves as an engagement surface that engages with the first claw portion 56 or the second claw portion 57 of the latch 12. When the lock lever 13 swings to the locked position B1, the first engagement claw 62 engages with the first claw portion 56 or the second claw portion 57, restricting the swing of the latch 12 toward the unlatched position A2, thereby locking the latch 12. That is, when the latch 12 swings to the primary latched position A1, the first engagement claw 62 engages with the first claw portion 56 to lock the latch 12 at the primary latched position A1. Furthermore, when the latch 12 swings to the secondary latched position A3, the first engagement claw 62 engages with the second claw portion 57 to lock the latch 12 at the secondary latched position A3.

[0029] The left end surface 62b of the first engagement claw 62 forms a guide slope that slopes downward toward the right. When the latch 12 swings from the unlatch position A2 to the primary latch position A1 with the lock lever 13 in the locked position B1, this guide slope comes into contact with the first claw portion 56 and the second claw portion 57 of the latch 12, causing the lock lever 13 to temporarily swing toward the unlock position B2. This allows the latch 12 to swing from the unlatch position A2 to the primary latch position A1.

[0030] The second engagement claw 63 has an upper right surface 63a and an upper left surface 63b which serve as engagement surfaces that engage with the reversal prevention member 15. As will be described in detail later, when the lock lever 13 is swung to the locked position B1, the reversal prevention member 15 engages with the upper right surface 63a, and when the lock lever 13 is swung to the unlocked position B2, the reversal prevention member 15 engages with the upper left surface 63b.

[0031] The spring attachment portion 65 is formed to protrude forward from the lower end portion of the main body portion 61, and one end portion of the second biasing spring 22 is attached thereto.

[0032] 7, the second lock lever member 13b integrally comprises a main body 71 pivotally attached to the base 11 by a lock pin 18, a locking claw 72 extending upward and left from the left part of the main body 71 to lock the lift lever 14, a contact part 73 protruding rightward from the top of the main body 71 to contact the bush 11a, and an operating part 74 formed to protrude downward from the bottom of the main body 71. When the lock lever 13 pivots toward the unlock position B2, the contact part 73 abuts against the bush 11a, thereby restricting the counterclockwise pivoting of the lock lever 13.

[0033] The upper right surface 72a of the locking pawl 72 serves as a locking surface that locks a locked portion 83 (described later) of the lift lever 14, and when the lock lever 13 swings to the lock position B1, the locking pawl 72 locks the locked portion 83 of the lift lever 14, restricting the swing of the lift lever 14. As a result, in the secondary lock state, the swing position of the lift lever 14 is restricted to the half-lift position C3 (described later).

[0034] The operating unit 74 extends downward from the bottom of the main body 71 and then rises forward, and is connected to an unlocking cable (not shown). In this embodiment, the lock lever 13 is swung from the locked position B1 to the unlocked position B2 by operating the operating unit 74 via the unlocking cable from inside the vehicle. Hereinafter, this operation of the operating unit 74 via the unlocking cable will be referred to as the unlocking operation.

[0035] The second biasing spring 22 is configured as a torsion spring, and one end is attached to the spring mounting portion 65 of the lock lever 13, and the other end is attached to the sub-base 19. The second biasing spring 22 biases the lock lever 13 in the clockwise direction. In other words, the second biasing spring 22 biases the lock lever 13 to swing toward the lock position B1.

[0036] The lock lever 13 swings from the locked position B1 to the unlocked position B2 by an unlocking operation. On the other hand, when an unlocking operation is not performed, the lock lever 13 swings to the locked position B1 by the biasing force of the second biasing spring 22. That is, when the lock lever 13 swings to the locked position B1 by the biasing force of the second biasing spring 22, the first engagement claw 62 of the lock lever 13 engages with the first claw portion 56 or the second claw portion 57 of the latch 12, thereby locking the latch 12. On the other hand, when an unlocking operation is performed, the lock lever 13 swings to the unlocked position B2, the engagement between the first engagement claw 62 and the first claw portion 56 or the second claw portion 57 is released, and the latch 12 is unlocked.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 4(a), in the locked state, the latch 12 is swung to the primary latch position A1, and the lock lever 13 is swung to the lock position B1. As a result, the lock lever 13 locks the latch 12, which has swung to the primary latch position A1. The locked latch 12 then restrains the striker S of the closed hood. This locks the hood in the closed state. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(b), in the secondary locked state, the latch 12 is swung beyond the primary latch position A1, and the lock lever 13 is swung to the lock position B1. If a person attempts to manually open the hood in this state, the lock lever 13 locks the latch 12, which has swung to the secondary latch position A3, and the locked latch 12 prevents the striker S of the partially open hood from moving upward. In this way, the hood is locked in the partially open state. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(c), in the unlocked state, the lock lever 13 is swung to the unlock position B2. In this state, if a person tries to manually open the hood, the latch 12 swings to the unlatched position A2, the striker S disengages from the restraining groove 53 and the entrance groove 32, and the hood enters the open state.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 4, the lift lever 14 is formed from a plate-shaped metal member and is supported by a latch pin 17 so as to be able to swing freely relative to the base 11 between a full lift position C1 (see FIG. 4(c)), an unlift position C2 (see FIG. 4(a)), and a half lift position C3 (see FIG. 4(b)). The full lift position C1 is a position where the hood is pushed up via the striker S and is the upper limit position of the swing range of the lift lever 14. The unlift position C2 is a position where the lift lever 14 has swung toward the bottom of the entrance groove 32 from the full lift position C1. The half lift position C3 is a position where the lift lever 14 is locked by the lock lever 13 in the secondary lock state and is located between the full lift position C1 and the unlift position C2.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 8, the lift lever 14 integrally comprises a main body 81 that is attached to the base 11 by the latch pin 17 so as to be able to swing freely, a push-up arm 82 that extends from the main body 81 in an upper left direction and pushes up the striker S, a latched portion 83 that extends from the main body 81 in a lower right direction and is latched by the latch claw 72 of the lock lever 13, and a protruding piece 84 that protrudes rearward from the bottom of the main body 81.

[0040] The push-up arm 82 has an upper end surface 82a that serves as an engagement surface that engages with the striker S, and by engaging with the striker S and pushing up the striker S from below, the hood is pushed up via the striker S.

[0041] The lower surface 83a of the locked portion 83 serves as a locked surface that is locked by the locking pawl 72 of the lock lever 13, and when the lift lever 14 swings to the half-lift position C3, it is locked by the locking pawl 72 of the lock lever 13 that has swinged to the lock position B1. In other words, when the lift lever 14 swings to the half-lift position C3, the locked portion 83 of the lift lever 14 is locked by the locking pawl 72 of the lock lever 13 that has swinged to the lock position B1, and therefore the swing of the lift lever 14 is restricted at the half-lift position C3.

[0042] The protruding piece 84 protrudes rearward from the bottom of the main body 81 and is inserted into the elongated hole 35 of the base 11. The protruding piece 84 engages with the elongated hole 35 of the base 11 to regulate the swing range of the lift lever 14. That is, the full lift position C1 of the lift lever 14 is determined when the end face of the protruding piece 84 abuts against the end of the elongated hole 35. The protruding piece 84 also functions as a spring mounting portion, with one end of the third biasing spring 23 attached to the protruding piece 84 where it penetrates the base 11.

[0043] The third biasing spring 23 is composed of a coil spring disposed on the rear side of the base 11, with one end attached to the protruding piece 84 of the lift lever 14 and the other end attached to the base 11. The third biasing spring 23 biases the lift lever 14 in the clockwise direction, i.e., the third biasing spring 23 biases the lift lever 14 to swing toward the full lift position C1.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 4(b), in the secondary lock state, the lift lever 14 is biased clockwise by the third biasing spring 23 and is locked by the lock lever 13, causing it to swing to the half-lift position C3. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4(c), in the unlock state, the lock lever 13 releases the lock, causing the lift lever 14 to swing to the full-lift position C1. In this way, when transitioning from the secondary lock state to the unlock state, the lift lever 14 swings from the half-lift position C3 to the full-lift position C1. As a result, the striker S engaged with the lift lever 14 moves upward, causing the hood to open slightly.

[0045] 4(c), in this embodiment, the full-lift position C1 of the lift lever 14 is located on the entrance groove 32 at a position lower than the restraint position D (a position closer to the groove bottom of the entrance groove 32) at which the striker S is restrained by the latch 12 in the secondary latch position A3. Strictly speaking, the position of the push-up arm 82 of the lift lever 14 that has swung to the full-lift position C1 is located on the entrance groove 32 (in the extension direction of the entrance groove 32) at a position lower than the restraint position D. Therefore, if the half-open state of the hood when the striker S is restrained by the latch 12 in the secondary latch position A3 is referred to as the first half-open state, then when the striker S is pushed up by the lift lever 14 in the full-lift position C1, the hood is in a second half-open state that is more closed than the first half-open state, and when the striker S is pushed up by the lift lever 14 in the half-lift position C3, the hood is in a third half-open state that is more closed than the second half-open state.

[0046] In this way, by setting the full lift position C1 of the lift lever 14 to a position lower than the restraint position D where the striker S is restrained by the latch 12 at the secondary latch position A3, when the hood is closed, the latch 12 exceeds the secondary latch position A3 and enters the secondary lock state before coming into contact with the lift lever 14, thereby preventing the hood from being left closed when closed.

[0047] The reversal prevention member 15 is supported by the latch pin 17 so as to be able to swing freely on the base 11, and when the lock lever 13 swings to the unlocked position B2, it operates independently of the latch 12 to enter the locked position B1 of the lock lever 13 and prevent the lock lever 13 from returning to the locked position B1.

[0048] As shown in Figures 4 and 9(a), the reverse restriction member 15 is supported by the base 11 so as to be able to swing freely, and includes a lever stopper 15a that enters the lock position B1 of the lock lever 13, a stopper retraction portion 15b that is attached to the lever stopper 15a so as to be able to swing freely, and that retracts the lever stopper 15a from the lock position B1, and a fourth biasing spring (not shown) that biases the stopper retraction portion 15b in a counterclockwise direction.

[0049] As shown in Figure 9(b), the lever stopper 15a has, as an integral part, a main body 91 that is attached to the base 11 by the latch pin 17 so as to be able to swing freely, a lever regulating portion 92 that extends to the right from the main body 91 and enters the lock position B1 of the lock lever 13 to regulate the lock lever 13, and an extension portion 93 that extends to the lower left from the main body 91 and engages with the rising portion 44 of the latch 12.

[0050] Furthermore, one end of the second torsion spring 21b of the first biasing spring 21 is attached to the lever stopper 15a. One end of the second torsion spring 21b is attached to the lever stopper 15a, and the other end of the second torsion spring 21b is attached to the sub-base 19, so that the lever stopper 15a is biased in the clockwise direction by the second torsion spring 21b. This biasing force causes the lever restricting portion 92 to enter the locked position B1.

[0051] The right end surface 92a of the lever restricting portion 92 comes into contact with the upper left surface 63b of the second engagement claw 63 of the lock lever 13, serving as a restricting surface that restricts the lock lever 13. When the lock lever 13 swings to the unlocked position B2 and the lever restricting portion 92 enters the locked position B1 of the lock lever 13, the right end surface 92a of the lever restricting portion 92 comes into contact with the upper left surface 63b of the second engagement claw 63, restricting the swing of the lock lever 13 toward the locked position B1. This restricts the lock lever 13 from returning back to the locked position B1.

[0052] Furthermore, the lower end surface 92b of the lever restricting portion 92 serves as an abutment surface that abuts against the upper right surface 62a, 63a of the first engagement claw 62 or the second engagement claw 63 of the lock lever 13. In the secondary lock state, the lower end surface 92b of the lever restricting portion 92 abuts against the upper right surface 63a of the second engagement claw 63, and when the lock lever 13 is swung to the unlock position B2 by an unlocking operation and the lever restricting portion 92 enters the lock position B1, the lower end surface 92b of the lever restricting portion 92 abuts against the upper right surface 62a of the first engagement claw 62. This allows the lever restricting portion 92 to be positioned appropriately relative to the second engagement claw 63, and the lever restricting portion 92 can appropriately restrict the lock lever 13.

[0053] The extension portion 93 extends downward and leftward from the main body portion 71 and then protrudes forward, engaging with the rising portion 44 of the latch 12 when the latch 12 swings near the primary latch position A1. When the lock lever 13, which has locked the latch 12 at the primary latch position A1, swings to the unlock position B2, the engagement between the extension portion 93 and the rising portion 44 restricts the lever stopper 15a from entering the lock position B1. This prevents the lever restriction portion 92 from entering the lock position B1 when the lock lever 13 swings to the unlock position B2 (when the locked state is released) by the first unlocking operation during the hood opening operation.

[0054] The stopper retraction portion 15b is supported by the lever stopper 15a so as to be able to swing freely, and engages with the latch 12 when it swings from the unlatch position A2 to near the primary latch position A1, and uses the force of the latch 12 when it swings to retract the lever regulating portion 92 of the lever stopper 15a from the lock position B1.

[0055] As shown in Figure 9(c), the stopper retraction portion 15b integrally comprises a main body portion 96 attached to the lever stopper 15a so as to be able to swing freely, a pin engagement portion 97 that protrudes from the main body portion 96 in an upper right direction and engages with the engagement pin 45 of the latch 12, a stopper engagement portion 98 that extends from the main body portion 96 in a lower right direction and engages with the lever stopper 15a, and an abutment portion 99 that extends from the main body portion 96 in a right direction and against which the abutment claw 64 of the lock lever 13 abuts.

[0056] The pin engagement portion 97 is formed in a mountain shape that protrudes upward and to the right from the main body portion 96, and its right surface contacts and engages with the engagement pin 45. The stopper engagement portion 98 extends downward and to the right from the main body portion 96 and then protrudes forward, abutting the lever stopper 15a from its left side. When the latch 12 pivots from the unlatch position A2 to near the secondary latch position A3 with the pin engagement portion 97 and the engagement pin 45 engaged, the force of this pivoting is transmitted to the lever stopper 15a via the engagement pin 45, the pin engagement portion 97, the main body portion 96 of the stopper retraction portion 15b, and the stopper engagement portion 98, causing the lever stopper 15a to pivot counterclockwise. This causes the lever restricting portion 92 of the lever stopper 15a to retract upward from the lock position B1.

[0057] When the latch 12 swings to the vicinity of the primary latch position A1, the abutment claw 64 of the lock lever 13 abuts against the abutment portion 99. When the abutment claw 64 abuts against the abutment portion 99, the stopper retraction portion 15b swings, thereby releasing the engagement between the pin engagement portion 97 and the engagement pin 45.

[0058] (Explanation of hood opening and closing operations) Next, the hood opening operation and the hood closing operation of the vehicle hood lock device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0059] First, the hood opening operation will be described with reference to Figures 10 and 11. This hood opening operation is performed by the user performing two unlocking operations to release the hood lock and secondary lock, and then lifting the hood with their hands to open it. The hood opening operation is performed from a state in which the latch 12 is locked at the primary latch position A1 by the lock lever 13, and the latch 12 locked at the primary latch position A1 restrains the striker S, as shown in Figure 10(a).

[0060] As shown in Figure 10(b), when a user performs the first unlocking operation, the lock lever 13 swings from the lock position B1 to the unlock position B2, and the latch 12 locked by the lock lever 13 is released. When the latch 12 is unlocked, the biasing force of the third biasing spring 23 causes the lift lever 14 to swing clockwise, pushing the engaged striker S upward and swinging the latch 12 engaged with the striker S. At this time, the lever restricting portion 92 of the lever stopper 15a restricts the latch 12 from entering the lock position B1 due to the engagement between the rising portion 44 of the latch 12 and the extending portion 93 of the lever stopper 15a.

[0061] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10(c), upon completion of the first unlocking operation, the lock lever 13 returns from the unlocked position B2 to the locked position B1. When the lift lever 14 reaches the half-lift position C3, the latched portion 83 of the lift lever 14 is locked by the locking pawl 72 of the lock lever 13, which has returned to the locked position B1. This establishes the secondary lock state. At this time, the striker S is pushed up by the lift lever 14, which has swung to the half-lift position C3, placing the hood in the third half-open state. At the same time, the latch 12 is locked at the secondary latch position A3 by the lock lever 13, which has swung to the lock position B1. In other words, even if the user lifts the hood with their hand, the second pawl 57 of the latch 12, which engages with the striker S, engages with the first engaging pawl 62 of the lock lever 13, restricting the swing of the latch 12. This prevents the hood from opening in the first half-open state.

[0062] When the user subsequently performs a second unlocking operation, as shown in FIG. 11(d), the lock lever 13 swings from the locked position B1 to the unlocked position B2, releasing the latch 12 from the locked state by the lock lever 13 and releasing the lock of the lift lever 14 by the lock lever 13. As the lock lever 13 swings to the unlocked position B2, the lever stopper 15a swings independently of the latch 12 due to the biasing force of the second torsion spring 21b, causing the lever restricting portion 92 to enter the locked position B1. The lever restricting portion 92 then restricts the lock lever 13 from returning (swinging) to the locked position B1. Furthermore, when the lock lever 14 is released from the lock, the lift lever 14 swings to the full lift position C1 due to the biasing force of the third biasing spring 23, pushing the engaged striker S upward. This places the hood in the second half-open state.

[0063] In this state, as shown in Figure 11(e), when the user lifts the hood with their hands, the latch 12 engaged with the striker S swings to the unlatched position A2, and the striker S disengages from the restraining groove 53 and the entrance groove 32 of the latch 12, opening the hood. At this time, the engagement pin 45 of the latch 12 engages with the pin engagement portion 97 of the stopper retraction portion 15b. This completes the hood opening operation.

[0064] Next, the hood closing operation will be described with reference to Figures 12 and 13. This hood closing operation is performed by the user dropping or pushing down the front end of the hood from above, and the vehicle hood lock device 1 restrains the striker S of the closed hood and locks the hood in a closed state. The hood closing operation is performed from a state in which the latch 12 has swung to the unlatched position A2, as shown in Figure 12(a).

[0065] As shown in FIG. 12(b), when the hood is closed by dropping or pushing down, the striker S enters the entrance groove 32 and contacts the second arm 52 of the latch 12, pressing the second arm 52 downward. This causes the latch 12 to swing counterclockwise. As a result, the striker S enters the restraining groove 53 of the latch 12, and the latch 12 swings beyond the secondary latch position A3. Furthermore, the striker S comes into contact with the lifting arm 82 of the lift lever 14. At this time, the engagement between the engagement pin 45 of the latch 12 and the pin engagement portion 97 of the reversal restriction member 15 causes the reversal restriction member 15 to swing in conjunction with the swing of the latch 12, and the lever stopper 15a swings. This causes the lever restriction portion 92 to retract from the lock position B1, releasing the restriction of the lock lever 13 by the lever restriction portion 92. This causes the lock lever 13 to swing to the lock position B1, establishing the secondary lock state.

[0066] 12(c), as the hood becomes further closed, the striker S advances along the entrance groove 32 while the latch 12 and lift lever 14 swing counterclockwise, and the latch 12 reaches the vicinity of the primary latch position A1. Accordingly, the first claw 56 of the latch 12 engages with the left end surface 62b of the first engagement claw 62 of the lock lever 13, causing the lock lever 13 to swing toward the unlock position B2. This swing of the lock lever 13 causes the abutment claw 64 of the lock lever 13 to abut against the abutted portion 99 of the stopper retraction portion 15b, disengaging the engagement pin 45 from the pin engagement portion 97.

[0067] As the hood is further closed, the striker S reaches the bottom of the entrance groove 32 and the latch 12 swings beyond the primary latch position A1, as shown in Figure 13(d). This ends the dropping or pushing down of the hood tip.

[0068] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 13(e), the biasing force of the third biasing spring 23 causes the lift lever 14 to push the striker S upward, and the latch 12 engaged with the striker S swings to the primary latch position A1, where the first claw portion 56 of the latch 12 engages with the first engagement claw 62 of the lock lever 13. The engagement of the first claw portion 56 of the latch 12 with the first engagement claw 62 of the lock lever 13 locks the latch 12 at the primary latch position A1. As a result, the latch 12 locked at the primary latch position A1 restrains the striker S, and the hood with the striker S fixed is locked in the closed state. This results in a locked state. This completes the hood closing operation.

[0069] (Actions and Effects of the Embodiments) As described above, according to the configuration of the above embodiment, the provision of the lever stopper 15a makes it possible to prevent the lock lever 13, which has been swung to the unlock position B2 by performing an unlocking operation, from returning to the lock position B1. This makes it possible to prevent the hood from returning to the secondary lock state without opening (before the hood is opened) when an unlocking operation is performed from the secondary lock state.

[0070] Furthermore, by providing the stopper retraction portion 15b, the lever stopper 15a can be retracted from the lock position B1 during the hood closing operation, and the lever stopper 15a can be used again during the next hood opening operation.

[0071] In addition, by adopting a structure that restricts the lever stopper 15a from entering the lock position B1 when the first unlocking operation is performed, the lever stopper 15a can restrict the lock lever 13 only when the second unlocking operation is performed (only when the secondary lock is released).

[0072] (Other embodiments) Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the invention according to the claims is not limited to the above-described embodiments. It should be noted that not all of the combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the means for solving the problems of the invention. The present invention can be implemented by modifying it as appropriate within the scope of its spirit.

[0073] For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a configuration in which, even if the secondary lock state is released by performing a second unlocking operation, latch 12 does not exceed secondary latch position A3 and the hood does not open unless the hood is manually lifted. However, the present invention may also be applied to a configuration in which, when the secondary lock state is released by performing a second unlocking operation, latch 12 automatically swings beyond secondary latch position A3 due to spring bias or the like, and the hood opens.

[0074] In addition, in the above embodiment, the striker S is provided on the hood side, and the vehicle hood locking device 1 is provided on the vehicle body side (opening side), but the vehicle hood locking device 1 may be provided on the hood side, and the striker S may be provided on the vehicle body side (opening side). In such a case, the vehicle hood locking device 1 is configured upside down, with the groove opening side of the entrance groove 32 facing downward and the groove bottom side of the entrance groove 32 facing upward.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to the vehicle hood locking device 1 that locks the hood for the engine room (engine hood) in the closed state, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be applied to a vehicle hood locking device that locks the hood for the trunk room (trunk hood) in the closed state. Furthermore, the present invention may be applied to a vehicle locking device that locks in the closed state a lid that opens and closes an opening provided on the vehicle body, for example, a vehicle locking device that locks in the closed state a lid that opens and closes an opening for charging (so-called charging lid). [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1: Vehicle hood lock device, 11: Base, 12: Latch, 13: Lock lever, 15a: Lever stopper, 15b: Stopper retraction portion, 32: Entrance groove, 44: Rising portion, A1: Primary latch position, A2: Unlatch position, A3: Secondary latch position, B1: Lock position, B2: Unlock position, S: Striker

Claims

1. A vehicle hood lock device that locks a hood that opens and closes an opening provided in a vehicle, a base having an entrance groove formed therein for the striker to enter; a latch configured to be able to swing between a primary latch position that restrains the striker within the entrance groove, an unlatched position that allows the striker to leave the entrance groove, and a secondary latch position that restrains the striker between the primary latch position and the unlatched position; a lock lever configured to be swingable between a lock position that locks the latch at the primary latch position or the secondary latch position and an unlock position that unlocks the latch; a lever stopper that operates independently of the latch to enter the locked position when the lock lever swings to the unlocked position and prevents the lock lever from returning to the locked position.

2. 2. The vehicle hood lock device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper retraction means that engages with the latch when it pivots from the unlatched position to the primary latched position, and that retracts the lever stopper from the lock position by the force exerted when the latch pivots.

3. 3. The vehicle hood lock device according to claim 1, further comprising a stopper regulating portion that engages with the lever stopper when the lock lever, which has locked the latch at the primary latch position, swings to the unlock position, and regulates the lever stopper from moving into the locked position.

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