Vehicles with pop-up hoods

Abstract

To improve pedestrian protection for vehicles. [Solution] A vehicle having a pop-up hood has a skeletal structural member of the vehicle body that extends along the left edge, front edge, and right edge of the hood beneath it, and left and right pop-up mechanisms that push up the left and right rear edges of the hood in a rear-up direction when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body. The skeletal structural member has a connecting member in the front skeletal portion that is releasably connected to the front edge of the hood. The connecting member detaches from the rest of the skeletal structural member when the hood is popped up in a rear-up direction by the left and right pop-up mechanisms.

Description

Technical Field

[0005]

[0001] This application mainly discloses a vehicle having a pop-up hood.

Background Art

[0002] Some vehicles have a pop-up hood that lifts the rear side of the hood. When the hood pops up, a space is created under the hood. As a result, the hood can bend due to the weight of a pedestrian falling onto the hood. By deforming the hood so that it bends, the impact acting on the pedestrian can be absorbed.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] [[ID=DB40]] By the way, when a pedestrian collides with a vehicle, the pedestrian first collides with the front of the vehicle. The front fender provided on the front of the vehicle is generally made of a flexible material and has an impact absorption function. However, the front lamp and the like are fixed to the skeletal structure members of the vehicle body so that the optical axis does not shift due to vibrations during running. Patent Document 1 discloses providing an impact absorbing material on the front of the vehicle. Patent Document 2 discloses dropping the bulkhead upper of the vehicle during a collision.

[0005] Thus, in pedestrian protection of vehicles, it is required to improve pedestrian protection performance.

Means for Solving the Problems

発明が解決しようとする課題

課題を解決するための手段

[0006] A vehicle having a pop-up hood according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a hood provided at the front of the vehicle body, a skeletal structural member of the vehicle body having a left skeletal portion, a front skeletal portion, and a right skeletal portion extending along the left edge, front edge, and right edge of the hood below the hood, and left and right pop-up mechanisms that push up the left and right rear ends of the hood in a rear-up direction of the vehicle body when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body, wherein the skeletal structural member has a connecting member on the front skeletal portion that is releasably connected to the front edge of the hood, and the connecting member detaches from the rest of the skeletal structural member when the hood is popped up in a rear-up direction of the vehicle body by the left and right pop-up mechanisms. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In one embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle body skeletal structure member provided beneath the hood has a connecting member on the front skeletal portion that is releasably connected to the front edge of the hood. When a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body, the pop-up mechanism pushes up the left and right rear ends of the hood in the rear-upward direction of the vehicle body. The connecting member also detaches from the rest of the skeletal structure member when the hood pops up. Here, the skeletal structure member refers to the vehicle body skeletal structure member at the front of the vehicle body, which is beneath the hood. The rest of the skeletal structure member refers to the portion of the skeletal structure member other than the connecting member. In this way, the leading edge of the hood is detached from the vehicle's frame and pushed upward and backward, allowing the hood to pop up in an upward-sloping position when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle. In particular, because the leading edge of the hood is detached from the vehicle's frame, the hood can move not only upward at the rear but also as a whole backward from its mounting point on the vehicle. As a result, space can be created not only under the rear of the hood but also under the front of the hood. Consequently, the popped-up hood can deform deeply as a whole under the weight of a pedestrian falling onto it. Because the hood can deform under the weight of a pedestrian not only at the rear but also at the front, the hood deforms into a roughly U-shape when viewed from the front, allowing it to absorb the impact as a whole. In addition, a pedestrian falling onto the hood is less likely to fall from the top of the hood to the sides. In contrast, if, for example, the left and right rear edges of the hood are pushed up without detaching the front edge of the hood, the front edge of the popped-up hood will be maintained in a rigid state by the vehicle's frame and will not easily deform even when a pedestrian's weight is applied. Furthermore, even if only the rear of the hood deforms into a roughly U-shape due to the pedestrian's weight, the front of the hood will not easily deform into a roughly U-shape, so a pedestrian who falls onto the hood may fall from the top of the hood to the left or right. A pedestrian who falls from the hood may experience a secondary impact from hitting the ground.

[0008] In this embodiment of the present invention, by popping up the hood and detaching the connecting member connected to the front edge of the hood from the rest of the skeletal structure member, the impact when a pedestrian falls onto the hood is reduced, and the impact when a pedestrian falls from the hood onto the road surface is also suppressed. By achieving these effects simultaneously, this embodiment of the present invention can improve pedestrian protection performance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram of the first type of collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram of the second collision scenario between a vehicle and a pedestrian shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is a schematic top view illustrating the vehicle body structure of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a schematic front view illustrating the body structure of the vehicle. [Figure 5] Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the left front of the vehicle, illustrating the front body structure. [Figure 6] This is a schematic left side view of a vehicle hood pop-up mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] Figure 6 is a schematic front view of the vehicle's hood pop-up mechanism. [Figure 8] Figure 6 is a schematic front view of the release structure for the connecting member in the pop-up mechanism of the vehicle's hood. [Figure 9] Figure 6 is a schematic left side view of the vehicle with the hood popped up by the hood pop-up mechanism. [Figure 10] Figure 9 is a schematic top view showing a pedestrian falling onto the popped-up hood. [Figure 11] Figure 9 is a schematic top view showing a scenario where a pedestrian collides with the left front of the vehicle while the hood's pop-up mechanism is activated. [Figure 12] Figures 6 to 9 show the main configuration diagrams of the vehicle's pedestrian protection device that controls the operation of the pop-up mechanism. [Figure 13] Figure 12 is a flowchart of the control system that the control unit performs to protect pedestrians. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, after explaining the overview, the types of collisions between the vehicle and pedestrians, examples of the skeletal structure members of the vehicle body, examples of the hood pop-up structure, examples of the state where the hood is popped up, collision examples in this embodiment, examples of the pedestrian protection device of the vehicle, effects, and modified examples will be described in order. Note that the descriptions and drawings of the following embodiments are examples of the invention disclosed in the present application and do not limit the invention disclosed in the present application.

[0011] (Overview) In one embodiment of the present invention, when popping up the hood, a connecting member that is releasably connected to the front edge of the hood is detached from the rest of the skeletal structure members of the vehicle body. Here, the skeletal structure members of the vehicle body have a left skeletal part, a front skeletal part, and a right skeletal part that extend along the left edge, the front edge, and the right edge of the hood under the hood. Also, when pushing up the left and right sides of the rear part of the hood, the left and right pop-up mechanisms push up the hood not simply upward above the vehicle body but upward and rearward of the vehicle body. Here, the skeletal structure members refer to the skeletal structure members of the front part of the vehicle body that are on the lower side of the hood. The rest of the skeletal structure members refer to the parts other than the connecting member in the skeletal structure members. Thereby, the hood can pop up in a rearwardly rising posture with the front edge of the hood being free. The hood can be bent into a substantially U shape as a whole by the load of a pedestrian falling onto the hood. As a result, in one embodiment of the present invention, a pedestrian protection function is obtained. In one embodiment of the present invention, for example, the impact when a pedestrian falls onto the hood can be reduced, and moreover, it is possible to prevent the pedestrian from falling from the hood onto the road surface. Also, in one embodiment of the present invention, an example will be described in which the connecting member detached from the rest of the skeletal structure members of the vehicle body is a radiator upper frame that constitutes the front skeletal part of the skeletal structure members. When the radiator upper frame detaches, the rigidity of the remaining skeletal structure members decreases, and an improvement in the impact absorption ability by the remaining skeletal structure members can be expected. As a result, in one embodiment of the present invention, furthermore, the impact acting when a pedestrian collides with the front surface of the vehicle body can be reduced.

[0012] (Explanation of the collision types between a vehicle and a pedestrian) First, the collision types between vehicle 1 and a pedestrian will be explained. Figures 1 and 2 are diagrams for explaining two collision forms between vehicle 1 and a pedestrian. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram of the first collision form between vehicle 1 and a pedestrian. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the second collision form between vehicle 1 and the pedestrian in Figure 1.

[0013] In the first collision form of Figure 1, the vehicle body 2 of vehicle 1 is moving straight. The pedestrian collides with the central part in the vehicle width direction of vehicle 1 moving straight. Vehicle 1 is provided with a hood 4 on the upper surface of the front part of the vehicle body 2. In this case, after the pedestrian collides with the front of vehicle 1, the pedestrian gets on the hood 4 of the vehicle body 2 of vehicle 1. Note that a pedestrian airbag (not shown) may be deployed on the hood 4. In this case, the pedestrian who has collided with vehicle 1 may also get on the pedestrian airbag deployed on the hood 4. Then, due to the weight of the pedestrian, the hood 4 and the like are deformed, so that the primary impact caused by the collision with the vehicle body 2 acting on the pedestrian can be absorbed. In addition, a bumper face 7 that can be bent and absorb impact by the collision with a pedestrian is provided on the front surface of the vehicle body 2. By absorbing these impacts, it is expected that the pedestrian who has collided with vehicle 1 will have the impact caused by the primary collision with the vehicle body 2 alleviated and will stay on the hood 4 of the vehicle body 2.

[0014] In the second collision form shown in Figure 2, vehicle 1 is steering to the right. Vehicle 1 steers to the right, for example, when turning right at an intersection. A pedestrian is likely to collide with a position closer to the left than the center in the vehicle width direction of vehicle 1 that is being steered to the right, for example. In this case, after the pedestrian collides with the front of vehicle​However, in the second collision scenario, the pedestrian, after landing on the hood 4, is likely to fall to the left side of the vehicle body 2, which is steered to the right. Thus, the pedestrian is likely to fall off either the left or right side of the hood 4. The pedestrian is unlikely to remain on the hood 4. The detachment of the hood 4 to either the left or right side is likely to occur when a pedestrian walking on a crosswalk at an intersection collides with a vehicle 1 that is turning right or left. The detachment of the hood 4 to either the left or right side is likely to occur when the driver of vehicle 1 steers more sharply to avoid the pedestrian. Even in the first collision scenario, there is a possibility that the pedestrian, after standing on the hood 4 as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, could fall off to the left or right of the hood 4. Furthermore, pedestrians who fall off the hood 4 to the left or right may experience a secondary impact from contact with the road surface, in addition to the primary impact from contact with the vehicle body 2.

[0015] Incidentally, some vehicles (Vehicle 1) have a pop-up hood 4 that can be raised at the rear to protect pedestrians. When hood 4 pops up, it creates space beneath it. Using this space, hood 4 can deform in response to the weight of a pedestrian falling onto it. When hood 4 is popped up and deforms, it is expected to absorb the impact on the pedestrian.

[0016] However, when the rear of the hood 4 is raised, the pop-up hood 4 creates space beneath the rear of the hood 4, but hardly creates any space beneath the front of the hood 4. Therefore, if a pedestrian collides with the front of the hood 4, it is difficult to expect any impact absorption effect due to the deformation of the hood 4. Furthermore, the front part of the hood 4 is resistant to deformation even when a pedestrian falls onto it, making it easier to maintain its original shape before the collision even after the pedestrian has fallen. As a result, it is thought that after the pedestrian falls onto the hood 4, they are likely to slide across the undeformed hood 4 and fall off the hood 4 to the left or right, as shown by the dashed line in the first collision mode in Figure 1 and the second collision mode in Figure 2.

[0017] Furthermore, if a pedestrian collides with vehicle 1, they will first collide with the front of vehicle 1. The bumper face 7 on the front of vehicle 1 is made of a flexible material and has an impact absorption function, but the front lights and other components on the front of vehicle 1 are fixed to the skeletal structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2 in order to suppress misalignment of the optical axis due to vibrations during driving. If a pedestrian collides with the front lights or other components, the pedestrian may experience a high impact that is not absorbed when colliding with the front of the vehicle body. The impact on pedestrians from such a collision with the front of the vehicle cannot be reduced even by popping up the hood 4.

[0018] Thus, Vehicle 1 is required to implement measures for pedestrian protection other than popping up the hood 4. Vehicle 1 is required to improve pedestrian protection.

[0019] (Examples of structural components for the vehicle body) Figures 3 to 5 schematically illustrate an example of the front body structure of vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic top view illustrating the body structure of vehicle 1. Figure 4 is a schematic front view illustrating the body structure of vehicle 2 in Figure 3. Figure 5 is a schematic left front side view illustrating the front body structure of vehicle 1 in Figure 3.

[0020] A vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention has a skeletal structure member 10 that constitutes the skeletal structure of the front part of the vehicle body 2. As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the skeletal structure member 10 has a left upper side member 12, a left upper link member 13, a radiator frame 14, a right upper side member 12, and a right upper link member 13 below the hood 4. The left upper side member 12 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2 on the front left side of the vehicle body 2. The rear end of the left upper side member 12 is joined to the left A-pillar 11. The right upper side member 12 extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body 2 on the front right side of the vehicle body 2. The rear end of the right upper side member 12 is joined to the right A-pillar 11. The left and right upper side members 12 may be a rectangular cross-sectional skeletal structure as shown in the figure, or they may be a skeletal structure integrated with, for example, the front side panel. The radiator frame 14 comprises a left radiator frame 17, an upper radiator frame 15, a right radiator frame 18, and a lower radiator frame 16, and is configured to form a roughly rectangular frame shape when the vehicle body 2 is viewed from the front. In this case, the upper radiator frame 15 constitutes the upper frame portion of the roughly rectangular radiator frame 14. The radiator frame 14 extends along the width direction of the vehicle body 2 at the center of the front of the vehicle body 2. The left upper link member 13 is joined between the front end of the left upper side member 12 and the upper end of the radiator left frame 17 of the radiator frame 14. The right upper link member 13 is joined between the front end of the right upper side member 12 and the upper end of the radiator right frame 18 of the radiator frame 14. The lower end of the left radiator frame 17 may be joined to the front end of the left front beam 19. The lower end of the right radiator frame 18 may be joined to the front end of the right front beam 19.

[0021] Thus, a skeletal structure is formed at the front of the vehicle body 2, directly beneath the hood 4. In this case, the left upper side member 12 becomes the left skeletal portion that extends along the left edge of the hood 4 below the hood 4. The right upper side member 12 is the left skeletal portion that extends along the right edge of the hood 4 below the hood 4. The left upper link member 13, the radiator upper frame 15, and the right upper link member 13 form the front skeletal portion that extends along the front edge of the hood 4 beneath the hood 4. The left upper link member 13, the radiator upper frame 15, and the right upper link member 13 are joined between the front end of the left upper side member 12 and the front end of the right upper side member 12.

[0022] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the left front light 8 is provided on the front side of the left upper link member 13. The left front light 8 is fixed to the left upper link member 13 and other components to suppress misalignment of the optical axis while driving. The right front light 8 is provided on the front side of the right upper link member 13. The right front light 8 is fixed to the right upper link member 13 and other components to suppress misalignment of the optical axis while driving. Furthermore, a bumper face 7 is provided on the front of the vehicle body 2. The bumper face 7 may be attached to, for example, the radiator frame 14. The bumper face 7 is generally made of a flexible material for impact absorption.

[0023] (Example of a pop-up hood structure) Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of the pop-up structure of the hood 4. Figure 6 is a schematic left side view of the pop-up mechanism 20 of the hood 4 of the vehicle 1 in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7 is a schematic front view of the pop-up mechanism 20 of the hood 4 of the vehicle 1 in Figure 6.

[0024] In this embodiment, to pop up the hood 4, there are left and right pop-up mechanisms 20, and a detachment mechanism for a connecting member that is releasably connected to the front edge of the hood 4. Furthermore, the front edge of the hood 4 is releasably connected by a latch mechanism 40 to a connecting member provided on the front frame portion of the structural frame member 10. The latch mechanism 40 includes a latch member 41 that protrudes upward from the center of the upper surface of the front frame portion of the structural frame member 10, and a striker member 42 that protrudes downward from the center in the vehicle width direction on the lower surface of the hood 4. The front portion of the hood 4 is connected to the structural frame member 10 of the vehicle 1 by the engagement of the striker member 42 and the latch member 41. By operating a lever (not shown) of the latch mechanism 40 and lifting the front edge of the hood 4, the striker member 42 separates upward from the latch member 41. By lifting the front edge of the hood 4 in this state, the connection between the front edge of the hood 4 and the front frame portion of the structural frame member 10 is released. The hood 4 can be opened upward from the closed state shown in Figures 6 and 7.

[0025] The left and right pop-up mechanisms 20 are provided on the left and right sides of the rear of the hood 4, respectively. The left pop-up mechanism 20 includes a left body hinge member 22 that protrudes upward from the rear end portion of the left upper side member 12, and a left hood hinge member 21 that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the left rear end of the hood 4. The hood hinge member 21 is provided on the hood 4 so as to be located in front of the body hinge member 22 when the hood 4 is closed. The left body hinge member 22 and the left body hinge member 22 are rotatably connected by a left link arm member 23. The link arm member 23 is rotatable around the body hinge member 22. The link arm member 23 is rotatable around the hood hinge member 21. Furthermore, a left locking member 24 for locking the link arm member 23 is provided on the underside of the hood 4. The locking member 24 is formed, for example, in a substantially L-shape in cross-section, with the outward-facing L-shaped tip in the vehicle width direction positioned below the link arm member 23. This holds the link arm member 23 in a constant position relative to the hood 4. The link arm member 23 is held in a position along the hood 4 and can rotate together with the hood 4 around the vehicle body hinge member 22 without rotating around the hood hinge member 21. The right pop-up mechanism 20 includes, as the right hinge mechanism, a right body hinge member 22 that protrudes upward from the rear end portion of the right upper side member 12, a right hood hinge member 21 that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the right rear end of the hood 4, a right link arm member 23, and a right locking member 24. The configuration and function of these members of the right pop-up mechanism 20 may be the same as the members of the same name in the left pop-up mechanism 20.

[0026] These left and right hinge mechanisms connect the left and right rear portions of the hood 4 to the left and right edges of the skeletal structural member 10. Under normal conditions, the hood 4 can be opened and closed by rotating around the left and right vehicle body hinge members 22 together with the left and right link arm members 23.

[0027] Furthermore, the left pop-up mechanism 20 has a left pop-up cylinder 25 in addition to the left hinge mechanism. The left pop-up cylinder 25 is fixed to the rear end portion of the left upper side member 12, behind the left body hinge member 22. The left pop-up cylinder 25 pushes the left pop-up rod 26 upward. The upper end of the left pop-up rod 26 is provided with a left contact member 27 that contacts the lower surface of the hood 4. The right pop-up mechanism 20 has a right pop-up cylinder 25 in addition to the right hinge mechanism. The right pop-up cylinder 25 is fixed to the rear end portion of the right upper side member 12, behind the right body hinge member 22. The right pop-up cylinder 25 pushes the right pop-up rod 26 upward. The upper end of the right pop-up rod 26 is provided with a right contact member 27 that contacts the lower surface of the hood 4. Here, the contact member 27 is pressed against the lower surface of the hood 4 when the hood 4 is pushed up, as will be described later. The contact member 27 should have a surface that slides smoothly on the lower surface of the hood 4 when it is pressed against the lower surface of the hood 4.

[0028] Figure 8 is a schematic front view of the release structure for the connecting member in the pop-up mechanism 20 of the hood 4 of vehicle 1 shown in Figure 6. Figure 8 shows the radiator frame 14 viewed from the rear of the vehicle body 2. A radiator (not shown) is provided inside the radiator frame 14. In Figure 8, the radiator upper frame 15 is a connecting member. The radiator upper frame 15 has a frame body 31 that extends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 2, and left and right protruding fitting portions 32 that protrude from both the left and right ends of the frame body 31. Furthermore, the left radiator frame 17 is provided with a left fitting receiving portion 33. The left fitting receiving portion 33 is provided so as to protrude from the upper end of the left radiator frame 17 toward the center in the vehicle width direction. A left fitting hole 34 is formed in the left fitting receiving portion 33. The left fitting hole 34 opens to the rear surface of the left fitting receiving portion 33, forming an opening 35. The right radiator frame 18 is provided with a right fitting receiving portion 33. The right fitting receiving portion 33 is provided so as to protrude from the upper end of the right radiator frame 18 toward the center in the vehicle width direction. A right fitting hole 34 is formed in the right fitting receiving portion 33. The right fitting hole 34 opens to the rear surface of the right fitting receiving portion 33, forming an opening 35.

[0029] The radiator upper frame 15 has left and right protruding fitting portions 32 that fit into left and right fitting holes 34. The protruding fitting portions 32 can be inserted into the fitting holes 34 from the rear side where the fitting holes 34 are open and engage with the fitting holes 34. As a result, the radiator upper frame 15, together with the radiator left frame 17, the radiator right frame 18, and the radiator lower frame 16, forms a roughly rectangular frame-shaped radiator frame 14. Furthermore, since the left and right fitting holes 34 open to the rear surfaces of the left and right fitting receiving portions 33, the radiator upper frame 15 can be slid out toward the rear of the vehicle body 2. As the radiator upper frame 15 slides toward the rear, the left and right protruding fitting portions 32 of the radiator upper frame 15 can detach toward the rear from the left and right fitting holes 34. As a result, the radiator upper frame 15 can detach toward the rear of the vehicle 1 from the remaining part of the radiator frame 14. In this embodiment, the remaining part of the radiator frame 14 refers to the radiator left frame 17, the radiator right frame 18, and the radiator lower frame 16. Furthermore, the fitting hole 34 only forms an opening 35 on the rear side. Therefore, the radiator upper frame 15 is less likely to detach from the rest of the radiator frame 14 when subjected to vertical impact input when opening or closing the hood 4, or when subjected to impact input from a frontal collision with another vehicle while the hood 4 is closed. It is considered that there will be little impact on functions other than pedestrian protection. The radiator frame 14 may be provided with a detachment prevention mechanism to suppress the detachment of the radiator upper frame 15 when the hood 4 is not popped up. The detachment prevention mechanism may be one in which the detachment prevention is electromagnetically released when the hood 4 is popped up by the control unit 52, which will be described later.

[0030] (Example of the hood being popped up) Next, an example of the pop-up state of the hood 4 in this embodiment will be described. Figure 9 is a schematic left side view of the vehicle 1 in Figure 6 with the hood 4 popped up by the pop-up mechanism 20.

[0031] The left and right pop-up mechanisms 20 push up the left and right rear ends of the hood 4, which is in a closed state as shown in Figures 6 and 7, towards the rear and upward direction of the vehicle body 2 when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 2. Specifically, the left and right pop-up cylinders 25 are operated to push the left and right pop-up rods 26 upward. The left and right contact members 27 attached to the ends of the left and right pop-up rods 26 come into contact with the underside of the hood 4. The left and right pop-up cylinders 25 further push the left and right pop-up rods 26 upward. This upward force causes the left and right locking members 24 to disengage from the left and right link arm members 23. As a result, the left and right link arm members 23 can rotate around the left and right hood hinge members 21 and also around the left and right body hinge members 22. The left and right pop-up cylinders 25 further push the left and right pop-up rods 26 upward. This pushes the rear of the hood 4 upward. The hood 4 is pushed upward so that the left and right link arm members 23 stand upright. The left and right pop-up cylinders 25 further push the left and right pop-up rods 26 upward. As a result, the hood 4 is pushed upward so that the left and right link arm members 23 face rearward and upward, as shown in Figure 9. During this series of movements, the leading edge of the hood 4 moves to the rear. The radiator upper frame 15, acting as a connecting member, detaches from the remaining part of the radiator frame 14 toward the rear of the vehicle 1. The radiator upper frame 15 becomes free by detaching from the mounting position shown by the dashed line in Figure 9 toward the rear, and moves toward the rear along with the leading edge of the hood 4. In this way, the radiator upper frame 15 can detach from the rest of the radiator frame 14 to the rear as the left and right rear ends of the hood 4 are pushed upward and rearward by the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20. As a result, the hood 4 pops up upward and rearward from the vehicle body 2, and can stand on the skeletal structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2 in an upward-sloping position, as shown in the example in Figure 9.

[0032] (Example of collision in this embodiment) Next, an example of a pedestrian collision type in this embodiment will be described.

[0033] Figure 10 is a schematic top view showing a pedestrian falling onto the popped-up hood 4 as shown in Figure 9. Figure 10 is a top view of the hood 4 in its popped-up state.

[0034] A pedestrian colliding with vehicle 1 falls onto the popped-up hood 4. Because the popped-up hood 4 has space beneath it, it can deform to sag deeply under the pedestrian's weight. In particular, as shown by dashed lines and arrows in Figure 10, the popped-up hood 4 of this embodiment can deform to sag deeply under the pedestrian's weight not only at the rear 61 but also at the front 62. The entire popped-up hood 4 of this embodiment can deform to sag deeply under the pedestrian's weight. When viewed from the front, the entire hood 4 can bend into a roughly U-shape. As a result, a pedestrian who falls into the hood 4 is less likely to fall from the top of the hood 4 to the left or right of the hood 4, as shown by the dashed arrows and cross marks in Figure 10.

[0035] Figure 11 is a schematic top view showing a pedestrian colliding with the left front of the vehicle body 2 while the pop-up mechanism 20 of the hood 4 is activated, as shown in Figure 9. Figure 11 is a top view of vehicle 1 with the hood 4 in the popped-up position. When the hood 4 is popped up as in this embodiment, the radiator upper frame 15 is detached from the rest of the skeletal structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2. At the front of the vehicle body 2, the remaining structural members 10 consist of the left upper side member 12, the left upper link member 13, the left radiator frame 17, the radiator lower frame 16, the right radiator frame 18, the right upper side member 12, and the right upper link member 13, which maintain the structural framework of the front of the vehicle body 2.

[0036] In Figure 11, the pedestrian collides with the left front of the vehicle body 2. The left front light 8 is located on the left front of the vehicle body 2. The left front light 8 is fixed to the left upper link member 13. However, the radiator upper frame 15 is not joined to the end of the left upper link member 13 on the vehicle width direction center side. Therefore, the left upper link member 13 can easily deform toward the rear of the vehicle body 2 due to the load of the pedestrian, as shown in Figure 11. As the radiator upper frame 15 detaches in this manner, the left and right front lights 8, along with the deformed left and right upper link members 13, are easily pushed backward. As a result, even if a pedestrian collides with the left or right front of vehicle 2, the impact of the collision with vehicle 2 may be mitigated.

[0037] (Examples of pedestrian protection devices on vehicles) Figure 12 is a main configuration diagram of the pedestrian protection device 50 of vehicle 1 that controls the operation of the pop-up mechanism 20 shown in Figures 6 to 9. The pedestrian protection device 50 of vehicle 1 in Figure 12 includes a front camera 53, a collision sensor 54, a pop-up mechanism 20, and a control unit 52 to which these are connected.

[0038] The front camera 53 captures a wide-angle image of the front of the vehicle 1. The front camera 53 may consist of a single camera or multiple cameras. Such a front camera 53 can detect pedestrians related to various collision types shown in Figures 1 and 2 by capturing images.

[0039] The collision sensor 54 detects the impact acting on the vehicle body 2 due to a collision with a pedestrian or the like. The collision sensor 54 may be, for example, an acceleration sensor. The collision sensor 54, which is an acceleration sensor, may determine that an impact due to a collision is acting on the vehicle body 2 when the sensor's detected value is above a predetermined threshold.

[0040] The control unit 52 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) (not shown) and memory. The memory stores a program for pedestrian protection control that the CPU executes. The CPU reads and executes the program stored in memory. Thus, the CPU functions as the control unit 52 that controls the overall operation of the pedestrian protection device 50 shown in Figure 12. The control unit 52 is connected to a front camera 53 (which acts as a sensor), a collision sensor 54, and left and right pop-up mechanisms 20. The control unit 52 predicts and detects a collision between the vehicle 1 and a pedestrian, as shown in Figure 1, based on, for example, the image captured by the front camera 53 or the detection value of the collision sensor 54, and performs pedestrian protection control. In this case, the control unit 52 may also determine the type of collision between the vehicle 1 and the pedestrian, and perform pedestrian protection control according to the type of collision.

[0041] Figure 13 is a flowchart of the control performed by the control unit 52 in Figure 12 for pedestrian protection. The control unit 52 repeatedly executes the pedestrian protection control shown in Figure 13 to protect pedestrians.

[0042] In step ST1, the control unit 52 determines whether a collision between the vehicle 1 (the vehicle itself) and a pedestrian is predicted or detected. For example, if the control unit 52 detects a pedestrian in front of the vehicle in the image captured by the front camera 53, it determines the possibility of a collision based on the relative position and relative movement of the pedestrian to the vehicle. For example, if a pedestrian in the captured image is moving toward the vehicle's path, the control unit 52 determines that there is a possibility of collision with the pedestrian in the vehicle's direction of travel. In addition, for example, if the control unit 52 detects a pedestrian in the positional relationship between the first collision mode and the second collision mode shown in Figures 1 and 2, the control unit 52 determines that there is a possibility of collision with the pedestrian in the vehicle's direction of travel. In these cases, the control unit 52 proceeds to step ST2. In all other cases, the control unit 52 determines that there is no possibility of collision with a pedestrian in the direction of the vehicle's movement and repeats this process. For example, if no pedestrian is detected in the image captured by the front camera 53, or if the pedestrian in the image is moving away from the vehicle's path, the control unit 52 determines that there is no possibility of collision with a pedestrian and repeats this process.

[0043] In step ST2, the control unit 52 performs protective control for pedestrians whose collision was predicted or detected in step ST. The control unit 52 activates the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20. The hood 4 pops up in a rearward and upward direction as the left and right sides of the rear 61 of the hood 4 are pushed upward, and stands on the skeletal structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2 in a rearward-upward position, as shown in the example in Figure 9. In this manner, the control unit 52 pops up the hood 4 when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 2. This can mitigate the impact on the pedestrian caused by a collision with the vehicle 1 or other objects. Furthermore, the control unit 52 pops up the hood 4 so that it stands on the skeletal structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2 in a rearward-upward position, as shown in the example in Figure 9, in both the first collision mode, where the vehicle 1 is moving straight, as shown in Figure 1, and the second collision mode, where the vehicle 1 is being steered, as shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, the control unit 52 may pop up the hood 4 and deploy a pedestrian airbag (not shown) to protect pedestrians.

[0044] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, the skeletal structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2 provided below the hood 4 has a radiator upper frame 15 in the front skeletal portion that is releasably connected to the front edge of the hood 4. The front skeletal portion of this embodiment consists of a left upper link member 13, a radiator upper frame 15, and a right upper link member 13. Then, when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 2, the pop-up mechanism 20 pushes up the left and right sides of the rear 61 of the hood 4 towards the rear and upward of the vehicle body 2. Also, the radiator upper frame 15, acting as a connecting member, detaches from the remaining part of the skeletal structural member 10 when the hood 4 pops up. Here, the remaining part of the skeletal structural member 10 refers to the part of the skeletal structural member 10 other than the connecting member. As the leading edge of the hood 4 detaches from the frame of the vehicle body 2 and is pushed upward and rearward in this manner, the hood 4 can pop up into a rearward-upward position when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 2. In particular, because the radiator upper frame 15 is detached from the front frame portion of the frame structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2, the hood 4 can move not only at the rear 61 but also as a whole rearward from its closed position. As a result, the hood 4 can be positioned such that, for example, the leading edge of the hood 4 rests on the left and right upper side members 12 of the remaining part of the frame structural member 10. As a result, space can be created on the underside of the hood 4 not only under the rear 61 but also under the front 62. Consequently, the popped-up hood 4 can be deeply deformed as a whole by the weight of a pedestrian falling onto it. Because the hood 4 can deform according to the weight of a pedestrian not only at the rear 61 but also at the front 62, the hood 4 can bend so that its entire structure curves in a roughly U-shape when viewed from the front. As a result, a pedestrian who falls into the hood 4 will have the impact absorbed well by the deformation of the hood 4, and will also be less likely to fall from above the hood 4 to the sides of the hood 4.

[0045] In contrast, if, for example, the left and right sides of the rear 61 of the hood 4 are pushed up without detaching the radiator upper frame 15, the front edge of the hood 4 will remain stiffened by the frame of the vehicle body 2 even when it is in a popped-up state. The front edge of the hood 4 will not deform easily even when subjected to the weight of a pedestrian, and will not absorb impact easily. Furthermore, even if the rear 61 of the hood 4 bends into a roughly U-shape due to the weight of a pedestrian, the front 62 of the hood 4 will not bend into a roughly U-shape easily. Therefore, a pedestrian who falls onto the hood 4 may fall to the left or right of the hood 4 from the front 62 and other parts of the hood 4 that do not bend easily. A pedestrian who falls from the hood 4 may experience secondary impacts from collision with the ground.

[0046] In this embodiment, the connecting member provided on the front frame portion of the skeletal structural member 10 located beneath the hood 4 of the vehicle body 2 is a radiator upper frame 15 that constitutes the upper frame portion of the substantially frame-shaped radiator frame 14. This radiator upper frame 15, acting as a connecting member, detaches from the rest of the radiator frame 14 when the hood 4 is popped up. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the radiator upper frame 15, which acts as a connecting member, detaches from the skeletal structural member 10 to the rear when the hood 4 is popped up upward and rearward of the vehicle body 2. As a result, the rigidity of the skeletal structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2 can be reduced. The impact when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 2 can be absorbed by the deformation of the remaining part of the skeletal structural member 10, which has reduced rigidity after the connecting member has detached. Even if a pedestrian were to hit the front lights 8 located on both the left and right ends of the front of the vehicle body 2, the impact acting on the pedestrian can be reduced by the deformation of the skeletal structural member 10, because the rigidity of the skeletal structural member 10 of the vehicle body 2 that supports the front lights 8 has been reduced.

[0047] In this embodiment, by popping up the hood 4 and detaching the radiator upper frame 15, which serves as a connecting member connected to the front edge of the hood 4, from the rest of the skeletal structural member 10, the impact of a pedestrian colliding with the front of the vehicle body 2 is reduced, the impact of a pedestrian falling onto the hood 4 is reduced, and the impact of a pedestrian falling onto the road surface from the hood 4 is suppressed. By achieving these effects simultaneously, this embodiment can improve pedestrian protection performance.

[0048] In this embodiment, the radiator upper frame 15 has a frame body 31 that extends in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 2, and left and right protruding fitting portions 32 that protrude from both the left and right ends of the frame body 31. Furthermore, the left fitting receiving portion 33 is provided on the left radiator frame 17 of the remaining part of the radiator frame 14. The left fitting receiving portion 33 is provided with a left fitting hole 34 that fits with the left protruding fitting portion 32. The left fitting hole 34 forms an opening 35 on the rear surface of the vehicle 1 with respect to the left fitting receiving portion 33. Furthermore, the right fitting receiving portion 33 is provided on the right radiator frame 18 of the remaining part of the radiator frame 14. The right fitting receiving portion 33 is provided with a right fitting hole 34 that fits with the right protruding fitting portion 32. The right fitting hole 34 forms an opening 35 on the rear surface of the vehicle 1 with respect to the right fitting receiving portion 33. The left and right fitting holes 34 form openings 35 on the rear surfaces of the left and right engaging receiving portions 33 through which the left and right protruding fitting portions 32 can pass. By structuring the radiator frame 14 in this way, the radiator upper frame 15 can slide toward the rear of the vehicle 1 and detach from the rest of the radiator frame 14 toward the rear. The radiator upper frame 15 can be separated from the rest of the radiator frame 14 to the rear as the left and right sides of the rear 61 of the hood 4 are pushed upward and rearward by the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20.

[0049] In this embodiment, the control unit 52 can activate the pop-up mechanism 20 to push up the left and right sides of the rear 61 of the hood 4 when a collision between a pedestrian and the vehicle body 2 is predicted or detected by sensors provided on the vehicle, such as the front camera 53 and the collision sensor 54. As a result, the hood 4 can be in the desired pop-up state when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle 1.

[0050] The embodiments described above are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications or changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0051] (modified version) In the embodiment described above, the connecting member connected to the front edge of the hood 4 by the latch mechanism 40 is the radiator upper frame 15 within the skeletal structural member 10. In addition, for example, the connecting member that connects the front edge of the hood 4 to the latch mechanism 40 may be a part of the skeletal structural member 10 other than the radiator upper frame 15. For example, the skeletal structural member 10 may have a protruding portion that extends forward from the radiator upper frame 15 or the like. A latch mechanism 40 for contacting the front edge of the hood 4 may be provided on this protruding portion. In this case, the connecting member may be the protruding portion. Alternatively, the connecting member may be a portion that includes the protruding portion and the radiator upper frame 15. Furthermore, the connection between the radiator upper frame 15 and the radiator left frame 17 or the radiator right frame 18 may be broken or weakened if the protruding portion detaches. There may be multiple protruding portions. Even in these modified versions, the hood 4 can be popped up, and the connecting member connected to the front edge of the hood 4 can be detached from the rest of the skeletal structural member 10. As a result, even in these modified versions, the impact when a pedestrian falls onto the hood 4 can be reduced, and the pedestrian falling from the hood 4 onto the road surface can be prevented. Pedestrian protection performance can be improved even in these modified versions.

[0052] In addition, for example, the connecting member that detaches from the skeletal structural member 10 may be any member that constitutes the frame of the vehicle 1, and may be something other than the radiator upper frame 15. For example, in an electrically driven vehicle 1, a radiator frame 14 may not be provided on the inside of the front of the vehicle body 2. In this case, the connecting member that detaches from the skeletal structural member 10 may be a skeletal part that is provided closest to the inside of the upper front of the vehicle body 2 among the members constituting the skeletal structure of the vehicle body 2, and is releasably connected to the leading edge of the hood 4 by a latch mechanism 40.

[0053] In the embodiment described above, the radiator upper frame 15, which acts as a connecting member that detaches from the skeletal structural member 10, is mounted so as to be detachable from the rest of the radiator frame 14 by sliding toward the rear of the vehicle 1, and detaches from the rest of the radiator frame 14 as the left and right rear ends of the hood 4 are pushed upward and rearward by the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20. In addition, for example, the radiator upper frame 15, which serves as a connecting member, may be detached from the rest of the radiator frame 14 by the control of an actuator by the control unit 52. In this case, the radiator upper frame 15, which serves as a connecting member, may be detached from the rest of the radiator frame 14 toward the rear, or in a direction other than the rear. However, it is preferable that the connecting member be detached toward the rear, as this allows it to be maintained under the hood 4, which is pushed upward and backward. Furthermore, the actuator may either apply a force in the detachment direction to the radiator upper frame 15, or it may release the biasing force that causes the radiator upper frame 15 to detach from the rest of the radiator frame 14. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 1...Vehicle, 2...Body, 4...Hood, 7...Bumper face, 8...Front light, 10...Skeleton structural member, 11...A-pillar, 12...Upper side member, 13...Upper link member, 14...Radiator frame, 15...Radiator upper frame, 16...Radiator lower frame, 17...Radiator left frame, 18...Radiator right frame, 19...Front beam, 20...Pop-up mechanism, 21...Hood hinge member, 2 2...Body hinge member, 23...Link arm member, 24...Locking member, 25...Pop-up cylinder, 26...Pop-up rod, 27...Contact member, 31...Frame body, 32...Protruding fitting part, 33...Fitting receiving part, 34...Fitting hole, 35...Opening, 40...Latch mechanism, 41...Latch member, 42...Strikeer member, 50...Pedestrian protection device, 52...Control unit, 53...Front camera, 54...Collision sensor, 61...Rear, 62...Front

Claims

1. A hood is provided at the front of the vehicle body, A skeletal structural member of the vehicle body having a left skeletal portion, a front skeletal portion, and a right skeletal portion that extend along the left edge, front edge, and right edge of the hood below the hood, When a pedestrian collides with the vehicle, the left and right sides of the rear of the hood are popped up upward and backward from the vehicle body by left and right pop-up mechanisms, It has, The aforementioned skeletal structural member is The front frame portion has a connecting member that is releasably connected to the front edge of the hood, The aforementioned connecting member is When the hood is popped up in the rear-upward direction of the vehicle body by the left and right pop-up mechanisms, it detaches from the rest of the skeletal structural member. A vehicle with a pop-up hood.

2. In the aforementioned skeletal structural member, The aforementioned left skeletal portion is a left upper side member that extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body on the left side of the vehicle body, The aforementioned right skeletal portion is a right upper side member that extends along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body on the right side of the vehicle body, The aforementioned front frame portion is a substantially frame-shaped radiator frame joined between the front end of the left upper side member and the front end of the right upper side member. The connecting member is a radiator upper frame that constitutes the upper frame portion of the radiator frame, which has a substantially frame shape. The aforementioned radiator upper frame is, When the hood is popped up, it detaches from the rest of the radiator frame. A vehicle having a pop-up hood as described in claim 1.

3. The aforementioned radiator upper frame is, The hood is mounted so as to be detachable from the rest of the radiator frame by sliding toward the rear of the vehicle, and the left and right rear ends of the hood detach from the rest of the radiator frame as they are pushed upward and backward by the left and right pop-up mechanisms. A vehicle having a pop-up hood as described in claim 2.

4. The aforementioned radiator upper frame is, The frame body extends in the width direction of the vehicle body, The frame body has left and right protruding fitting portions that protrude from both the left and right ends, The left radiator frame of the remaining portion of the radiator frame has a left fitting receiving portion in which a left fitting hole is formed that fits with the left protruding fitting portion, The right radiator frame in the remaining portion of the radiator frame has a right fitting receiving portion in which a right fitting hole is formed that fits with the right protruding fitting portion. The left and right fitting holes form openings on the rear surfaces of the left and right engaging receiving portions, through which the left and right protruding fitting portions can pass. A vehicle having a pop-up hood as described in claim 3.

5. A sensor that predicts or detects a collision between the vehicle and a pedestrian, The control unit to which the aforementioned sensor is connected, It has, The control unit, When the sensor predicts or detects a collision between a pedestrian and the vehicle body, the pop-up mechanism is activated to push up the left and right rear portions of the hood. A vehicle having a pop-up hood according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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