Vehicles with pop-up hoods

Abstract

Improve pedestrian protection for vehicles. [Solution] The vehicle has a hood provided at the front of the vehicle body, a skeletal structural member provided below the front edge of the hood and connected to the front edge of the hood, and a pop-up mechanism that pushes up the rear of the hood when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body. The skeletal structural member moves to the underside of the vehicle body when the rear of the hood is pushed up by the pop-up mechanism, and lowers the front edge of the hood that is connected to the skeletal structural member.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a hood that can pop up. In Patent Document 1, the hood is slid forward to pop up the hood. Patent Document 2 discloses that the front member of the vehicle body can be rotated forward.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] As in Patent Document 1, some vehicles have a hood that can pop up and lift the rear side of the hood. When the hood pops up, a space is created under the hood. The popped-up hood can be deformed by the weight of a pedestrian who falls onto the hood. By deforming the hood, the impact acting on the pedestrian can be absorbed.

[0005] By the way, when a pedestrian collides with a vehicle, the pedestrian first hits the front of the vehicle and is kicked. Also, in the state of being kicked, the pedestrian's waist or the like is pushed up onto the hood. Then, while rotating due to being kicked and pushed up at the waist or the like, the pedestrian's upper body or the like falls onto the hood. Therefore, even if the hood is popped up, pedestrians can still experience impacts such as the collision with the front of the vehicle, the impact of their waist being pushed up onto the hood, and the impact of falling onto the hood while spinning.

[0006] Thus, vehicles are required to improve their pedestrian protection capabilities. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] 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 structural member of the vehicle body provided below the front edge of the hood and connected to the front edge of the hood, and a pop-up mechanism that pushes up the rear of the hood when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body, wherein the structural member moves to the underside of the vehicle body when the rear of the hood is pushed up by the pop-up mechanism, and lowers the front edge of the hood connected to the structural member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the rear of the hood is pushed up by a pop-up mechanism. During this pop-up, the structural members move to the underside of the vehicle body. As a result, the hood assumes a rearward-upward posture with its rear end pushed up, while the front edge of the hood lowers. Consequently, the hood is pushed upward with its rear end pushed up, while the front of the hood is lowered and can be supported by the front structure of the vehicle body below the hood. A hood with a lowered front edge can have a greater rearward-upward incline than if only the rear of the hood were simply pushed up.

[0009] Generally, when a pedestrian collides with a vehicle, they first make contact with the front of the vehicle. At this time, the pedestrian's legs may be swept over. Subsequently, the pedestrian's waist and other parts of their body are pushed up onto the hood. Furthermore, the pedestrian's upper body and other parts of their body fall onto the hood. If the legs are swept over and the waist and other parts of the body are pushed up, the pedestrian will fall onto the hood while spinning. In one embodiment of the present invention, the front edge of the hood is lowered. As a result, pedestrians can expect to experience less impact from the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, pedestrians can expect to be less likely to have their legs tripped in the event of a collision with the front of the vehicle. Furthermore, because the front edge of the hood is lower, even if a pedestrian is pushed upwards by the hood, their waist and other areas are less likely to be pushed up. The impact on the pedestrian's waist and other areas can be mitigated. Furthermore, pedestrians are less likely to be tripped or have their waists or other body parts pushed high into the air, making it less likely that they will fall onto the hood while spinning. For example, a pedestrian can expect to fall onto the hood from a standing position on the ground. The impact of falling onto the hood from a standing position on the ground may be smaller than that of being pushed high into the air and then falling onto the hood while spinning. Also, if a pedestrian falls onto the hood from a standing position on the ground, they can take a defensive posture themselves. In one embodiment of the present invention, the hood is popped up with its leading edge lowered, which is expected to mitigate the combined impacts that may act on pedestrians when they collide with the vehicle body. In one embodiment of the present invention, the pedestrian protection function of the vehicle can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian. Figure 1(A) shows the state before the collision. Figure 1(B) shows the state where the pedestrian is struck by the front of the vehicle body 2 of vehicle 1. Figure 1(C) shows the state where the pedestrian's legs are being swept over. Figure 1(D) shows the state where the pedestrian is being pushed upwards towards the hood 4. Figure 1(E) shows the state where the pedestrian is falling onto the hood 4 while rotating. [Figure 2] This is a schematic top view illustrating the vehicle body structure of an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is a schematic front view illustrating the body structure of the vehicle. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the left front of the vehicle, illustrating the front body structure. [Figure 5] A schematic left side view of an example of a hood pop-up mechanism in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] A schematic front view of the hood pop-up mechanism of the vehicle in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] A schematic front view of an example of a bending mechanism in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] A schematic cross-sectional view of an example of the central part of the radiator left frame in FIG. 7 and the left bending mechanism. [Figure 9] A schematic top view of an example of the state where the left bending mechanism in FIG. 8 is operating. [Figure 10] A schematic front view of an example of the state where the left and right bending mechanisms are operating. [[ID= seventeen]] [Figure 11] A schematic left side view of an example of the state where the pop-up mechanism and the left and right bending mechanisms are operating and the hood is popped up. [Figure 12] An explanatory diagram of the main configuration of an example of a pedestrian protection device for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] A flowchart of an example of the control executed by the control unit in FIG. 12 for pedestrian protection.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, after explaining the overview, collisions between the vehicle and pedestrians, the skeletal structure of the vehicle body, the hood pop-up mechanism, the bending mechanism for lowering the front edge of the hood, the state where the bending mechanism is operating, the state where the hood is popped up, and an example of a pedestrian protection device for the vehicle will be described. Note that the following description of the embodiments and the drawings are an example of the invention disclosed in the present application and do not limit the invention disclosed in the present application.

[0012] (Overview) The vehicle may collide with a pedestrian. When a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body, the pedestrian hits the front surface of the vehicle body, is pushed up onto the hood provided at the front of the vehicle body, and falls onto the hood. When a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body, a complex impact may act on the pedestrian. In one embodiment of the present invention, when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body, the vehicle pushes up the rear part of the hood by a pop-up mechanism. Further, when the rear part of the hood is pushed up by the pop-up mechanism, the vehicle moves a skeletal structure member connected to the hood downward of the vehicle body. As a result, the hood pops up while lowering its front edge. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, it can be expected that the vehicle mitigates a complex impact that may act on a pedestrian when colliding with the vehicle. The effect of mitigating this complex impact can be expected to be enhanced as compared with the case where the hood is simply popped up.

[0013] (Example of collision between vehicle and pedestrian) FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a collision mode between a vehicle 1 and a pedestrian. FIG. 1(A) shows a state before the collision, FIG. 1(B) shows a state where the pedestrian hits the front surface of the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1, FIG. 1(C) shows a state where the pedestrian is tripped, FIG. 1(D) shows a state where the pedestrian is pushed up toward the hood 4, and FIG. 1(E) shows a state where the pedestrian rotates and falls onto the hood 4. The time flows from FIG. 1(A) to FIG. 1(E).

[0014] In FIG. 1(A), the pedestrian stands on the road surface 90 in front of the vehicle 1 in the traveling direction. If the vehicle 1 travels forward as it is, it will collide with the pedestrian. When colliding with the vehicle body 2 of the vehicle 1, the pedestrian first hits the front surface of the vehicle 1 as shown in FIG. 1(B). After that, as the collision progresses as shown in FIG. 1(C), the pedestrian is tripped by, for example, a bumper face provided on the front surface of the vehicle body 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 1(D), the pedestrian is pushed up so that, for example, the waist part or the like gets on the hood 4 from the tripped state. The hood 4 is provided on the upper surface of the front part of the vehicle body 2. As the collision progresses, the pedestrian will fall onto the hood 4 of the vehicle body 2, as shown in Figure 1(E). In this case, the pedestrian will fall onto the hood 4 while rotating due to a leg sweep or while rotating from a higher position due to being pushed up. The pedestrian may also fall onto the hood 4 upper body first. In this way, pedestrians may experience the impact of collision with the front of vehicle 1, the impact of their waist and other parts being pushed up onto the hood 4, and the impact of falling onto the hood 4 while rotating.

[0015] Therefore, it is desirable that vehicle 1 be equipped with pedestrian protection capabilities. Vehicle 1 is equipped with a feature that allows the rear of the hood 4 to be pushed up and the hood 4 to pop up in order to protect pedestrians. When the rear of the hood 4 pops up, a space is created beneath the rear of the hood 4. The popped-up hood 4 can be deformed by the weight of a pedestrian falling onto it. This deformation of the hood 4 mitigates the impact on the pedestrian. In other words, when the rear of the hood 4 is pushed up and popped up, vehicle 1 can be expected to mitigate the impact on the pedestrian at the stage shown in Figure 1(E).

[0016] (Example of a vehicle body frame structure) Figures 2 to 4 schematically illustrate an example of the front body 2 structure of vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic top view illustrating the body 2 structure of vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic front view illustrating the body 2 structure of vehicle 2 in Figure 2. Figure 4 is a schematic left front side view illustrating the front body 2 structure of vehicle 1 in Figure 2. In the following description, the front, rear, left, right, up, and down directions will be used with reference to the vehicle 2 in Figure 2.

[0017] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle 1 has a plurality of structural members that constitute the front skeletal structure of the vehicle body 2. As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the structural members located under the hood 4 include 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. 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. The radiator frame 14 is formed in a roughly rectangular 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 planes of the vehicle body 2 in the width direction and vertical direction at the front center of the vehicle body 2. Here, the width direction of the vehicle body 2 coincides with the left-right direction of the vehicle body 2. The radiator frame 14 supports the radiator for cooling the oil and coolant of the vehicle 1 near 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 is joined to the front end of the left front beam. The lower end of the right radiator frame 18 is joined to the front end of the right front beam.

[0018] 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 are front skeletal components that extend 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 form a front skeletal component that is joined between the front end of the left upper side member 12 and the front end of the right upper side member 12.

[0019] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, 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 during 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 during driving. Furthermore, a bumper face 7 is provided on the front of the vehicle body 2. The bumper face 7 may be fixed to, for example, a radiator frame 14. The bumper face 7 is generally made of a flexible material to absorb impact.

[0020] (Example of a hood pop-up mechanism) Figures 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of the pop-up mechanism of the hood 4. Figure 5 is a schematic left side view of an example of the pop-up mechanism of the hood 4 in a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6 is a schematic front view of the pop-up mechanism of the hood 4 in the vehicle 1 of Figure 5. In order to pop up the hood 4, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment basically has left and right pop-up mechanisms 20 and a latch mechanism 40 that releasably connects the front edge of the hood 4 to the skeletal structural member.

[0021] The latch mechanism 40 has a latch member 41 and a striker member 42, and releasably connects the front edge of the hood 4 to the radiator upper frame 15, which is a structural member of the vehicle body 2. The latch member 41 is provided so as to protrude upward from the center of the upper surface of the radiator upper frame 15. The striker member 42 protrudes downward from the center in the vehicle width direction of the lower surface of the front edge of the hood 4. When the striker member 42 and the latch member 41 engage, the front part of the hood 4 is connected to the radiator upper frame 15, which is a structural member of the vehicle 1. 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 radiator upper frame 15 is released.

[0022] 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 central portion of the left edge 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 is provided on the underside of the hood 4, behind the left hood hinge member 21, to lock the link arm member 23. 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 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 central portion of the right edge 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.

[0023] These left and right hinge mechanisms connect the left and right rear sections of the hood 4 to the left and right upper side members 12. 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 under normal conditions. The hood 4 can be opened upwards from its closed state as shown in Figures 5 and 6 by releasing the latch mechanism 40, as indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 5.

[0024] 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 left upper side member 12 in front of 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 right upper side member 12 in front of 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.

[0025] These left and right pop-up mechanisms 20 activate the left and right pop-up cylinders 25 when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 2. This releases the locking between the left and right locking members 24 and the left and right link arm members 23. The rear of the hood 4 is pushed upward and forward of the vehicle body 2, as shown in Figure 11, which will be described later. The hood 4 can pop up into a rearward-upward position.

[0026] (Example of a bending mechanism to lower the leading edge of the hood) Next, an example of the bending mechanism 70 will be described. The bending mechanism 70 lowers the leading edge of the hood 4, which pops up into an upward-sloping position when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 2. Figure 7 is a schematic front view of an example of a bending mechanism 70 in a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an example of the central part of the radiator left frame 17 and the left bending mechanism 70 in Figure 7. Also in Figure 8, the radiator upper frame 15 and the left upper link member 13 located directly below the hood 4 are shown superimposed by dashed lines. Figure 9 is a schematic top view of an example of the right bending mechanism 70 in Figure 8 in operation.

[0027] The radiator left frame 17, which extends along the vertical direction of the vehicle body 2, has a central weak point 79 in the vertical center. Here, the vertical center may be any part of the radiator left frame 17 other than the upper and lower ends. The center may also be located at a position offset vertically from the vertical center of the radiator left frame 17. The central weak point 79 is formed in a roughly C-shaped cross-section, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 8. The radiator left frame 17 is installed on the vehicle body 2 such that the C-shaped recess faces left. Here, the C-shaped recess is positioned outward in the vehicle width direction. The central weak portion 79 may be formed in a roughly H-shaped cross-section. Furthermore, the left radiator frame 17 may also be formed with a roughly C-shaped or roughly H-shaped cross-section in parts other than the central weak point 79. Thus, the radiator left frame 17, with its outward-facing, roughly C-shaped or H-shaped cross-sectional structure, can be designed to be less susceptible to deformation in the longitudinal direction due to longitudinal input from the vehicle body 2. Furthermore, the central part of the right radiator frame 18 and the right bending mechanism 70 are simply a mirror image of Figure 8, so their illustration and explanation are omitted.

[0028] As shown in Figure 8, a bending mechanism 70 is provided in the central weak portion 79. In this embodiment, the bending mechanism 70 consists of a left bending mechanism for bending the central portion of the radiator left frame 17 and a right bending mechanism for bending the central portion of the radiator right frame 18. Each left and right bending mechanism has a wire 74 and an actuator 76. The actuator 76 has an actuator body 71, a pair of push rods 72, and an inflator 73. The actuator body 71 is located inside the central weak point 79, which has a roughly C-shaped cross-section. A pair of push rods 72 are provided on the actuator body 71 so as to be movable and protruding in the front-rear direction of the vehicle body 2. The inflator 73 is attached to the actuator body 71. The inflator 73 generates high-pressure gas and supplies it to the actuator body 71. As a result, the pair of push rods 72 protrude from the actuator body 71 in the front-rear direction. The pair of push rods 72 deform the flange portion, which is roughly C-shaped, by pushing it from the inside out, as shown in Figure 9. As the flange portion of the central weak point 79 opens, the left frame 17 of the radiator becomes more prone to bending in the vehicle width direction due to the force acting in the vehicle width direction.

[0029] Furthermore, the left wire 74 is stretched between the push rod 72 and the left upper link member 13. The fixing point 75 for the left wire 74 to the left upper link member 13 is located outside the vehicle width direction and behind the central weak point 79 of the left radiator frame 17 in the front-rear direction. As the push rod 72 moves to protrude from the actuator body 71, the left wire 74 is pulled into the left actuator body 71. The left central weak point 79 is pulled towards the left upper link member 13. The wire 74 on the right is stretched between the push rod 72 and the upper link member 13 on the right. As the push rod 72 moves to protrude from the actuator body 71, the wire 74 on the right is pulled into the actuator body 71 on the right. The central weak point 79 on the right is pulled towards the upper link member 13 on the right.

[0030] (Example of the flexing mechanism in operation) Figure 10 is a schematic front view of an example of a state in which the left and right bending mechanisms are in operation. As shown in Figure 10, when the left bending mechanism 70 is activated, the central weak point 79 located in the center of the left radiator frame 17 is pulled towards the left upper link member 13. The left radiator frame 17 then bends in its center. Furthermore, when the right bending mechanism 70 is activated, the central weak point 79 located in the center of the radiator right frame 18 is pulled towards the right upper link member 13. The radiator right frame 18 then bends in its center. In Figure 10, the left radiator frame 17 and the right radiator frame 18 are bent such that their respective central weak points 79 move outward and backward. As a result, the radiator upper frame 15, which is joined between the upper end of the left radiator frame 17 and the upper end of the right radiator frame 18, will move entirely to the underside of the vehicle 1.

[0031] Furthermore, the force pulling in the wire 74 acts not only on the radiator left frame 17 and the radiator right frame 18, but also on the left upper link member 13 and the right upper link member 13. As a result, the right wire 74 is pulled in, causing the central part of the radiator right frame 18 to move closer to the right upper link member 13, and the right upper link member 13 bends forward as will be described later in Figure 11. Furthermore, as the left wire 74 is pulled in, the central part of the left radiator frame 17 moves closer to the left upper link member 13, causing the left upper link member 13 to bend forward, similar to Figure 11. When the left upper link member 13 and the right upper link member 13 deform to tilt forward, the upper part of the radiator left frame 17 above the center and the upper part of the radiator right frame 18 above the center will also tilt forward. As a result, the radiator upper frame 15, which is joined between the upper end of the left radiator frame 17 and the upper end of the right radiator frame 18, moves to the front and lower side of the vehicle 1 compared to the case where the left and right upper link members 13 are not tilted forward. In Figure 10, the radiator upper frame 15 moves from the height indicated by the dashed line in Figure 10 to the underside of the vehicle 1.

[0032] The radiator upper frame 15, which is a structural member of the skeletal structure connected to the hood 4, can be moved to the front and lower side of the vehicle 1 when the bending mechanism 70 is activated.

[0033] (Example of the hood being popped up) Figure 11 is a schematic left side view of an example of a state in which the pop-up mechanism 20 and the left and right bending mechanisms are activated and the hood 4 is popped up.

[0034] In Figure 11, both the pop-up mechanism 20 and the left and right bending mechanisms are in operation. Therefore, both the left upper link member 13 and the right upper link member 13 are bent. The radiator upper frame 15 moves to the front lower side of the vehicle body 2 while still connected to the hood 4. Additionally, the rear of the hood 4 is pushed upward by the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20. As a result, the leading edge of the hood 4 slopes downward and forward from the mounting height on the vehicle body 2, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 11. In addition, the hood 4 pops up into an inclined position with the rear rising.

[0035] Then, the hood 4 pops up to the state shown in Figure 11, for example, before a collision occurs between a pedestrian and the vehicle body 2. As a result, when a pedestrian comes into contact with the front of the vehicle body 2, where the leading edge of the hood 4 is lowered, they may only come into contact with, for example, the flexible front fender, thus mitigating the impact with the front of the vehicle body 2. Consequently, when a pedestrian collides with the front of the vehicle 1, it becomes less likely that they will be tripped, as shown in Figure 1(C). Furthermore, because the front edge of the hood 4 is lowered, it is less likely that the pedestrian's waist and other areas will be pushed up high, as shown in Figure 1(D). The impact on the pedestrian's waist and other areas can be mitigated. Furthermore, because pedestrians are less likely to be tripped or have their waists pushed up, they can, for example, fall onto the hood 4 from a standing position on the road surface 90. The impact of falling onto the hood 4 from a standing position on the road surface 90 is smaller than that of falling onto the hood 4 while rotating, as shown in Figure 1(E). In addition, when falling onto the hood 4, pedestrians can take a defensive posture while standing on the road surface 90. Pedestrians can take a defensive posture from a standing position on the road surface 90, for example, by lowering their hips onto the hood 4, which is positioned lower. Thus, in this embodiment, since the hood 4 pops up while lowering its leading edge, the combined impact acting on a pedestrian colliding with the vehicle body 2 can be mitigated.

[0036] (Examples of pedestrian protection devices on vehicles) Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram of the main configuration of an example of a pedestrian protection device 50 for a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The pedestrian protection device 50 of vehicle 1 in Figure 12 includes a front camera 53, a collision sensor 54, left and right pop-up mechanisms 20, left and right bending mechanisms, and a control unit 52 to which these are connected.

[0037] 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 the figure by capturing images.

[0038] 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.

[0039] 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, left and right pop-up mechanisms 20, and left and right bending mechanisms. 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 pedestrian protection control, the control unit 52 may perform pedestrian protection control according to the type of collision between the vehicle 1 and the pedestrian.

[0040] Figure 13 is a flowchart of an example 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.

[0041] 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 this case, 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.

[0042] In step ST2, the control unit 52 performs protective control for the pedestrian whose collision was predicted or detected in step ST1. The control unit 52 operates the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20 and the left and right bending mechanisms. As a result, the hood 4 pops up with its leading edge lowered, as shown in Figure 11. In this manner, when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body 2, the control unit 52 lowers the leading edge of the hood 4 and pops it up. This can mitigate the impact on the pedestrian caused by a collision with the vehicle 1 or other objects. Furthermore, the control unit 52 may pop up the hood 4 and deploy a pedestrian airbag (not shown) to protect pedestrians.

[0043] (effect) As described above, in this embodiment, before a pedestrian comes into contact with the vehicle body 2, the rear of the hood 4 is pushed up in the forward and upward direction of the vehicle body 2 by the pop-up mechanism 20. Also, during the pop-up, the radiator upper frame 15, which is a structural member of the skeletal structure, moves to the underside of the vehicle body 2 while still connected to the hood 4. As a result, the hood 4, which is connected to the radiator upper frame 15, has its rear end pushed up in the forward and upward direction of the vehicle body 2, resulting in a rearward-upward posture, while the front edge of the hood 4 lowers. Consequently, the rear of the hood 4 is pushed up in a state where the front of the hood 4 is lowered and can be supported by the front structure of the vehicle body 2 below the hood 4. The hood 4 with a lowered front edge can have a greater rearward-upward inclination than if only the rear of the hood 4 were simply pushed up. In particular, because the pop-up mechanism 20 pushes the rear of the hood 4 forward and upward rather than simply upward, the rearward-upward inclination of the hood 4 can be increased.

[0044] Generally, when a pedestrian collides with vehicle 1, as shown in Figure 1, they first make contact with the front of vehicle 1 and are tripped. While tripped, the pedestrian's waist and other parts are pushed up onto the hood 4. Then, as the pedestrian rotates due to the tripping and the pushing up of their waist, their upper body and other parts fall onto the hood 4. In this embodiment of the present invention, since the front edge of the hood 4 is lowered, pedestrians will come into contact with a part of the front of the vehicle body 2, such as a flexible front fender, and it is expected that the impact with the front of the vehicle body 2 will be reduced. Furthermore, it is expected that pedestrians will be less likely to have their feet tripped in the event of a collision with the front of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, because the front edge of the hood 4 is lowered, pedestrians are less likely to have their waists and other areas pushed upwards by the hood 4. This can mitigate the impact on pedestrians' waists and other areas. Furthermore, because pedestrians are less likely to have their legs swept or their waists pushed up, it becomes less likely that they will fall while rotating when their upper body falls onto the hood 4. Pedestrians can be expected to fall onto the hood 4 in the same way they would fall from standing on the road surface 90 onto the hood 4. The impact when falling onto the hood 4 from standing on the road surface 90 will be smaller than when falling onto the hood 4 while rotating. In addition, when falling onto the hood 4 from standing on the road surface 90, pedestrians can also take a defensive posture themselves. In one embodiment of the present invention, the hood 4 is lowered at its leading edge and popped up, which is expected to mitigate the combined impacts acting on a pedestrian colliding with the vehicle body 2. In one embodiment of the present invention, it is expected that the pedestrian protection function will be improved.

[0045] In this embodiment, the skeletal structural member releasably connected to the front edge of the hood 4 is the radiator upper frame 15. The radiator upper frame 15 is the portion of the radiator upper frame 15 that extends along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body 2 directly below the front edge of the hood 4. The radiator left frame 17 and the radiator right frame 18, which are joined to the left or right end of the radiator upper frame 15, are both bent at their respective vertical centers by the bending mechanism 70. This allows the radiator upper frame 15 to move downwards to the underside of the vehicle body 2. The hood 4 can be lowered at its front edge while it is not disconnected from the radiator upper frame 15.

[0046] In this embodiment, the bending mechanism 70 includes a left wire 74 stretched between the central part of the radiator left frame 17 and the left upper link member 13, and a left actuator 76 that pulls in the left wire 74 to bend the central part of the radiator left frame 17 toward the left upper link member 13. The bending mechanism 70 also includes a right wire 74 stretched between the central part of the radiator right frame 18 and the right upper link member 13, and a right actuator 76 that pulls in the right wire 74 to bend the central part of the radiator right frame 18 toward the right upper link member 13. In this case, when the left and right actuators 76 are activated, the central part of the left radiator frame 17 is basically pulled in the left rear direction where the left upper link member 13 is located, and bends in that direction, and the central part of the right radiator frame 18 is basically pulled in the right rear direction where the right upper link member 13 is located, and bends in that direction. Furthermore, the upper part of the left radiator frame 17 above the central part is joined to the left upper link member 13 at its upper end, so the bending of the central part towards the left rear allows it to move to the front lower side of the vehicle body 2. Similarly, the upper part of the right radiator frame 18 above the central part is joined to the right upper link member 13 at its upper end, so the bending of the central part towards the right rear allows it to move to the front lower side of the vehicle body 2. As a result, the radiator upper frame 15, which is joined between the upper end of the left radiator frame 17 and the upper end of the right radiator frame 18, can be moved entirely downwards to the underside of the vehicle body 2. Furthermore, the force pulling in the wire 74 can act not only on the radiator left frame 17 and the radiator right frame 18, but also on the left upper link member 13 and the right upper link member 13. The left upper link member 13 and the right upper link member 13 may bend forward due to the force pulling in the wire 74. Even if such deformation of the left upper link member 13 and the right upper link member 13 occurs, the upper part of the radiator left frame 17 and the upper part of the radiator right frame 18 above the center will only bend forward and downward. As a result, the radiator upper frame 15 will move forward and downward compared to when the left upper link member 13 and the right upper link member 13 do not bend forward.

[0047] In this embodiment, each of the left actuator 76 and the right actuator 76 has an inflator 73 that generates high-pressure gas and a push rod 72 that is movable by the high-pressure gas from the inflator 73. The push rod 72 is provided in the central part of the radiator left frame 17 or the radiator right frame 18 which has a substantially H-shaped cross-section or in the central part which has a substantially C-shaped cross-section, and pushes the flange portion which has a substantially H-shape or substantially C-shape from the inside out, causing it to deform. As a result, the radiator left frame 17 and the radiator right frame 18 become more flexible in their respective central parts. Furthermore, the left wire 74 is connected to the push rod 72 and is retracted by the movement of the push rod 72. The left radiator frame 17 bends so that its central part approaches the right upper link member 13, and the part of the left radiator frame 17 above the central part can tilt forward and downward. Similarly, the right wire 74 is connected to the push rod 72 and is retracted by the movement of the push rod 72. Therefore, the right radiator frame 18 bends so that its central part approaches the right upper link member 13, and the part of the right radiator frame 18 above the central part can tilt forward and downward. As a result, the radiator upper frame 15, which is joined between the upper end of the left radiator frame 17 and the upper end of the right radiator frame 18, can be moved to the front lower side of the vehicle body 2.

[0048] (modified version) 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.

[0049] In the embodiment described above, the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20 push the left and right rear ends of the hood 4 upward and forward of the vehicle body 2. In addition, for example, the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20 may push up the left and right rear ends of the hood 4. Alternatively, the left and right pop-up mechanisms 20 may have elongated link arm members 23 to push the hood 4 upward and forward of the vehicle body 2 so that it stands almost vertically, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 11. A hood 4 that stands almost vertically can support a pedestrian before they fall onto it. A pedestrian can be supported by the hood 4 before they fall onto the hood 4 as it rotates and lies down. The link arm member 23 may be formed as a single, elongated arm-shaped member, or it may be formed as an elongated member by connecting multiple arm-shaped members in a way that allows them to be folded and stored.

[0050] In the embodiment described above, the radiator upper frame 15, which serves as a skeletal structural member, moves to the underside of the vehicle body 2 by the bending of the radiator left frame 17 and the radiator right frame 18. In addition, for example, the skeletal structural members may be moved to the lower side of the vehicle body 2 by shortening the left radiator frame 17 and the right radiator frame 18 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the radiator upper frame 15 may move downwards towards the vehicle body 2 together with the left and right upper link members 13. In this case, the structural frame consists of the radiator upper frame 15 and the left and right upper link members 13. Also, when the left and right upper link members 13 move downwards together with the radiator upper frame 15, the connection with the left and right upper side members 12 may break. Furthermore, the left and right upper link members 13 may have weak points as shown in Figures 7 to 10. In this case, the weak point may be formed in the portion of the upper link member 13 that is in front of and inside the fixing point of the wire 74. This allows the portion of the upper link member 13 in front of the weak point to actively tilt forward. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1...Vehicle, 2...Body, 4...Hood, 7...Bumper face, 8...Front light, 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, 20...Pop-up mechanism, 21...Hood hinge member, 22...Body hinge member, 23...Link arm member, 24...Rear section 25…Stopping member, 26…Pop-up cylinder, 27…Pop-up rod, 27…Contact member, 40…Latch mechanism, 41…Latch member, 42…Strikeer member, 50…Pedestrian protection device, 52…Control unit, 53…Front camera, 54…Collision sensor, 70…Bending mechanism, 71…Actuator body, 72…Push rod, 73…Inflator, 74…Wire, 75…Fixing point, 76…Actuator, 79…Central weak point, 90…Road surface

Claims

1. A hood is provided at the front of the vehicle body, The structural member of the vehicle body is provided on the lower side of the front edge of the hood and connected to the front edge of the hood, A pop-up mechanism that pushes up the rear of the hood when a pedestrian collides with the vehicle body, It has, The aforementioned skeletal structural member is When the rear of the hood is pushed up by the pop-up mechanism, it moves to the underside of the vehicle body and lowers the front edge of the hood which is connected to the skeletal structural member. A vehicle with a pop-up hood.

2. The pop-up mechanism pushes the rear of the hood upward and forward of the vehicle body. A vehicle having a pop-up hood as described in claim 1.

3. The vehicle has a frame-shaped radiator frame on the lower side of the front edge of the hood, The aforementioned radiator frame is, A radiator upper frame extending along the vehicle width direction of the vehicle body at the lower front edge of the hood, A radiator left frame is joined to the left end of the radiator upper frame and extends along the vertical direction of the vehicle body, It has a radiator right frame which is joined to the right end of the radiator upper frame and extends along the vertical direction of the vehicle body, The skeletal structural member connected to the front edge of the hood is the radiator upper frame. The radiator has a bending mechanism that bends the central part of the left frame in the vertical direction and the central part of the right frame in the vertical direction. The aforementioned skeletal structural member is Both the left radiator frame and the right radiator frame bend at their respective central portions, causing them to move towards the front and lower side of the vehicle body. A vehicle having a pop-up hood according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The aforementioned vehicle is In order to connect the left upper side member extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body on the left side of the vehicle body to the upper end of the radiator left frame of the radiator frame, a left upper link member extending from the radiator frame toward the left rear is provided, The right upper side member extending along the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body on the right side of the vehicle body and the upper end of the radiator right frame of the radiator frame are connected by a right upper link member extending to the right rear from the radiator frame, The aforementioned bending mechanism is The left wire is stretched between the central part of the left frame of the radiator and the left upper link member, A left actuator that bends the radiator's left frame so that the central portion of the radiator's left frame is brought closer to the left upper link member by pulling in the left wire, The right wire is stretched between the central portion of the right frame of the radiator and the right upper link member, The right actuator includes, which, by pulling in the right wire, bends the right frame of the radiator so that the central portion of the right frame of the radiator is brought closer to the right upper link member, A vehicle having a pop-up hood as described in claim 3.

5. Each of the radiator left frame and the radiator right frame is formed with at least the central portion having a roughly H-shaped or roughly C-shaped cross-section. Each of the left actuator and the right actuator is, An inflator that generates high-pressure gas, A push rod is provided so as to be movable toward the central flange portion having a roughly H-shaped cross-section or the central flange portion having a roughly C-shaped cross-section, It has, The push rod is moved by the high-pressure gas of the inflator, deforming the flange portion in the center, The left wire or the right wire is connected to the push rod and is retracted by the movement of the push rod. A vehicle having a pop-up hood as described in claim 4.

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