Pop-up hood device for vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicular pop-up hood device that is able to return a popped-up front hood to an original storage position by an operation from the inside of a cabin.SOLUTION: When an operation force for moving a first stopper member 72 from an engagement position where the first stopper member is engaged with a hood lock device 14 to a non-engagement position where the first stopper member is not engaged with the hood lock device 14 is transmitted to the first stopper member 72 by a movement restriction release operation member 26, the first stopper member 72 that has restricted the movement of the hood lock device 14 toward a vehicle lower side is moved to the non-engagement position. By virtue of this, the movement of the hood lock device 14 toward the vehicle lower side is allowed; therefore, the hood lock device 14 moves downward due to the own weights of the front hood 12 and the hood lock device 14, the front hood 12 moves toward the vehicle lower side, and the front hood 12 is closed. Accordingly, the popped-up front hood 12 can be returned to the original storage position by an operation from the inside of a vehicle cabin.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle pop-up hood device that pops up the front end of a vehicle's front hood toward the upper side of the vehicle, and in particular to a vehicle pop-up hood device that includes a mechanism that returns the front hood, once raised, to its original stored position. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to reduce injury to the pedestrian's head and other parts, a vehicle pop-up hood device has been proposed that lifts (pops up) the front hood of the vehicle in the event of a collision with a pedestrian. For example, the vehicle pop-up hood device described in Patent Document 1 is one such device.

[0003] Such a vehicle pop-up hood device includes: (a) a front hood lifting device that is disposed on the vehicle underside of the front hood and that, when activated, moves the front hood from a closed position toward the upper side of the vehicle; (b) a hood locking device that is disposed on the vehicle underside of the front hood and to which a hood striker attached to the front hood is engaged so that it can move toward the upper side of the vehicle together with the front hood; (c) a base member that supports the hood locking device so that it can move toward the upper side of the vehicle; and (d) a first stopper member that is movable between an engagement position in which the hood locking device engages with a vehicle underside portion of the hood locking device when the hood locking device is moved toward the upper side of the vehicle and a disengagement position in which it does not engage with the vehicle underside portion of the hood locking device, and that, when in the engagement position, limits the movement of the hood locking device toward the lower side of the vehicle.

[0004] Before the front hood lifting device is activated, the hood striker attached to the front hood is engaged with the hood locking device, holding the front hood in a closed, stored position. When the front hood lifting device is activated, the hood locking device moves together with the front hood toward the upper side of the vehicle relative to the base member, and the front hood is pumped up. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-124717 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The conventional vehicle pop-up hood device described in Patent Document 1 can also be activated in the event of a minor collision with an object other than a pedestrian, such as an animal or a guide post. However, if the vehicle is driven with the front hood in a pumped-up state, visibility is reduced and the front hood can flap due to wind pressure, making driving safety unsafe. Another problem is that returning the front hood to its original stowed position requires dangerous work outside the vehicle.

[0007] The present invention has been made against the background of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a pop-up hood device for a vehicle that allows a pop-up front hood to be returned to its original stored position by operating it from inside the vehicle cabin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The gist of the present invention is a pop-up hood device for a vehicle comprising: (a) a front hood lifting device disposed on the vehicle underside of the front hood and actuated to move the front hood from a closed position toward the vehicle upper side; (b) a hood locking device disposed on the vehicle underside of the front hood and having a hood striker attached to the front hood engaged thereto so as to be movable toward the vehicle upper side together with the front hood; (c) a base member that supports the hood locking device so as to be movable toward the vehicle upper side; and (d) a first stopper member that is disposed such that it can move between an engagement position that engages with a vehicle underside portion of the hood locking device when the hood locking device is moved toward the vehicle upper side and a disengagement position that does not engage with the vehicle underside portion of the hood locking device, the first stopper member limiting movement of the hood locking device toward the vehicle lower side when in the engagement position; and (e) a movement limit release operating member that transmits an operating force that moves the first stopper member from the engagement position to the first stopper member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the vehicle hood locking device of the present invention, when an operating force for moving the first stopper member from the engaged position to the disengaged position is transmitted to the first stopper member by the movement limit release operating member, the first stopper member, which had previously restricted the movement of the hood locking device toward the lower side of the vehicle, is moved to the disengaged position. This allows the hood locking device to move toward the lower side of the vehicle, so that the hood locking device descends under the weight of the front hood and the hood locking device, and the front hood moves toward the lower side of the vehicle and closes. Therefore, a popped-up front hood can be returned to its original stored position by operating it from inside the vehicle compartment.

[0010] Preferably, the device further includes a biasing device that constantly applies a biasing force to the first stopper member toward the engaged position from the disengaged position, and the movement limit release operating member transmits the operating force to the first stopper member against the biasing force of the biasing device, thereby providing the advantage that the first stopper member can automatically return from the disengaged position to the engaged position without requiring a return operation.

[0011] Preferably, the first stopper member is disposed on the vehicle underside of the hood lock device, and when the hood lock device is moved toward the vehicle upper side, it engages with a portion on the vehicle underside of the hood lock device and on one side in the vehicle width direction of the portion where the hood striker is engaged, thereby restricting the movement of the hood lock device toward the vehicle upper side.As a result, when the hood lock device is moved toward the vehicle upper side, the first stopper member engages with a portion on the vehicle underside of the hood lock device and on one side in the vehicle width direction of the portion where the hood striker is engaged, so that the hood lock device is held in a position where it has moved toward the vehicle upper side.

[0012] Preferably, the first stopper member comprises a longitudinal rod-shaped member whose front and rear ends are guided horizontally by a pair of guide devices provided on the base member and biased toward the front end by the biasing device, and whose front end engages with a portion of the hood locking device below the vehicle. As a result, the rod-shaped member is guided at its front and rear ends by the pair of guide devices and is supported at two points, so that movement of the hood locking device below the vehicle is stably restricted even if vibrations or impact loads caused by high-speed driving or driving on rough roads are applied.

[0013] Preferably, the base member is provided with a fixed hook that is rotatable between an engaging position where a fixed pin fixed to the lower end of the hood locking device is engaged and an unengaged position where the fixed pin is not engaged, and the fixed hook is rotated from the engaging position to the unengaged position in synchronization with the movement limit release operating member moving from the engaging position to the unengaged position. This prevents the hood locking device from hitting the fixed hook, and allows the front hood and hood locking device to be easily lowered by their own weight.

[0014] Preferably, the vehicle further includes a second stopper member that is disposed on the other side of the hood locking device in the vehicle width direction and that limits movement of the hood locking device to the other side in the vehicle width direction when the hood locking device engaged with the first stopper member abuts against it. As a result, movement of the hood locking device to the other side in the vehicle width direction is restricted when the hood locking device abuts against the second stopper member, which limits movement of the hood locking device downwardly of the vehicle and tilt of the hood locking device to the other side in the vehicle width direction, and therefore limits rocking, i.e., vibration, of the front hood. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view schematically showing a vehicle pop up hood device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a front perspective view of the vehicle pop-up hood device shown in FIG. 1, showing a state before the actuator of FIG. 1 is activated. [Figure 3] 3 is a rear perspective view of the hood lock device of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a front perspective view of the vehicle pop-up hood device shown in FIG. 1, showing a state after the actuator of FIG. 1 has been activated. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a rear perspective view of the hood lock device of FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an exploded view showing the components of the vehicle pop up hood device shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. [Figure 7]FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a first stopper member of the vehicle pop up hood device shown in FIGS. 2 to 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. [Example]

[0017] A vehicle pop-up hood device 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 7. In each figure, the upward direction of the vehicle is indicated by the z-axis, the longitudinal direction of the vehicle by the xf-axis and xr-axis, and the left and right directions in the lateral direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction) by the yl-axis and yr-axis. In the following description, when the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions are simply used, they refer to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, the left and right directions in the lateral direction of the vehicle (vehicle width direction), and the up and down directions in the vertical direction of the vehicle, unless otherwise specified.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 1, the vehicle pop-up hood device 10 includes a hood locking device 14 that holds the front hood 12 from a closed position (the original stored position shown by a solid line) to a raised position (the pop-up position shown by a dashed line). The vehicle pop-up hood device 10 also includes a pair of left and right actuators 16 that function as front hood lifting devices that are activated to move the front hood 12 from the closed position to the raised position. As shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the vehicle pop-up hood device 10 also includes a base member 18 that supports the hood locking device 14, a fixing device 20 that fixes the hood locking device 14 in the closed position (the state shown in Figs. 2 and 3), and a fixing release device 22 (see Fig. 1) that releases the fixing of the hood locking device 14 by the fixing device 20 in response to the activation of the actuator 16. The vehicle pop-up hood device 10 also includes a limiting device 24 that includes a first stopper member 72 that limits the movement of the hood locking device 14 toward the bottom of the vehicle after the pair of left and right actuators 16 have completed operation, and a movement limit release operating member 26 (see FIG. 4) that transmits the operating force of a movement limit release operation to the first stopper member 72, thereby releasing the restriction placed on the hood locking device 14 toward the bottom of the vehicle by the first stopper member 72 and allowing the hood locking device 14 to descend. Below, the configuration of these components will be explained, followed by an explanation of their operation.

[0019] (Front hood 12 configuration) As shown in Fig. 1, the front hood 12 extends in the vehicle longitudinal direction and the vehicle width direction and is formed into a generally rectangular shape in a plan view of the vehicle. The front hood 12 opens and closes a power unit compartment (not shown) from above the vehicle, which houses a power unit. The rear end of the front hood 12 is rotatably supported by a pair of hood hinges (not shown) located on the left and right sides. A hood striker 28 is fixed to a central portion of the front end of the front hood 12 in the vehicle width direction. The hood striker 28 is engaged with a hood locking device 14 located in the central portion of the front end of the vehicle body in the vehicle width direction, thereby holding the front hood 12 in a closed position, i.e., a normal stowed position.

[0020] The hood striker 28 is formed from a round steel bar that is roughly U-shaped when viewed from the side of the vehicle, with the upper side of the vehicle open, and the lower end of the hood striker 28 forms a locking portion 28A that extends in the fore-and-aft direction of the vehicle when the front hood 12 is closed.

[0021] (Configuration of hood lock device 14) 2 and 3, the hood locking device 14 has a generally vertically elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the front of the vehicle. A locking recess 30 for locking the hood striker 28 is formed in the center of the upper part of the hood locking device 14 in the vehicle width direction. This locking recess 30 is open on the upper side of the vehicle and is generally U-shaped when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0022] A fixing pin 32, which engages with a fixing hook 62 of a fixing device 20 (described later), is joined to the center of the lower end of the hood locking device 14 in the vehicle width direction. The hood locking device 14 also has a pair of guide pin insertion holes 36, through which a pair of guide pins 34 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) are inserted, respectively. The guide pin insertion holes 36 are elongated holes with the vertical direction as the longitudinal direction, and are arranged at intervals in the vehicle width direction. The guide pins 34 are inserted through the guide pin insertion holes 36 and guide pin insertion holes 48 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) formed in a base member 18 (described later), whereby the hood locking device 14 is supported on the base member 18 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0023] The hood locking device 14 also includes a latch 38 that holds the hood striker 28 at the depthwise end of the locking recess 30. Furthermore, the hood locking device 14 is equipped with an auxiliary relay lever 40 that is rotatably attached around a pin 42. The auxiliary relay lever 40 engages with a locking portion 28A of the hood striker 28 provided on the front hood 12 to prevent the front hood 12 from opening accidentally. The hood locking device 14 also includes a first lever 44 that is tilted when an operating force is input via a cable (not shown). When the first lever 42 is tilted, the first lever 44 disengages from the latch 38, and the latch 38 releases the hood striker 28 from being held thereby.

[0024] Furthermore, a stopper member engaging rib 46 extending in the vertical direction with the vehicle width direction as its thickness direction is formed on the outer side (left side) of the hood lock device 14. The left surface of this stopper member engaging rib 46 serves as an advancement restriction surface 46a against which the front end of a first stopper member 72 (described later) abuts, restricting the advancement of the first stopper member 72. The lower end of the stopper member engaging rib 46 serves as a vehicle lower side portion 14a that abuts against the first stopper member 72.

[0025] (Configuration of base member 18) The base member 18 is formed by pressing a steel plate material or the like. The base member 18 is formed in the shape of a rectangular plate extending in the vehicle width direction and with its plate thickness direction in the vehicle front-rear direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the base member 18 is formed with a pair of guide pin insertion holes 48 through which the pair of guide pins 34 are respectively inserted. The guide pin insertion holes 48 are formed in the shape of elongated holes with their longitudinal direction extending in the up-down direction, similar to the guide pin insertion holes 36 formed in the hood lock device 14.

[0026] A plurality of mounting holes 50, into which fixing screws (not shown) are inserted, are formed penetrating the base member 18. The fixing screws inserted into the plurality of mounting holes 50 are threaded into screw holes (not shown) formed in a radiator support provided at the front end of the vehicle, whereby the base member 18 is fixed to the radiator support in a state where it is positioned in the center of the pair of left and right actuators 16 in the vehicle width direction.

[0027] 4 and 5, the base member 18 is formed with a base claw 52 as a second stopper member that is disposed adjacent to the hood locking device 14 on the right side of the hood locking device 14 that has been raised relative to the base member 18. This base claw 52 is inclined downward as it extends toward the left side when viewed from the front of the vehicle.

[0028] (Configuration of actuator 16) As shown in Figure 1, the actuator 16 is provided on the right and left sides of the hood lock device 14 in the vehicle width direction, and this actuator 16 includes a cylinder portion 54 formed in a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a pipe portion 58 fixed to a bracket 56 formed in a plate shape and inserted into the cylinder portion 54.

[0029] A micro gas generator (not shown) is fixed to the pipe portion 58. When gas generated in the micro gas generator is supplied into the cylinder portion 54, the pressure inside the cylinder portion 54 increases, causing the cylinder portion 54 to move upward relative to the pipe portion 58.

[0030] A fixing screw 60 is inserted into the bracket 56 of the actuator 16, and this fixing screw 60 is threaded into a screw hole formed in a radiator support (not shown), thereby fixing the actuator 16 to the radiator support. Note that the location to which the actuator 16 is fixed is not limited to the above, and the actuator 16 may be fixed to, for example, another location on the vehicle body.

[0031] Furthermore, when the front hood 12 is in the closed position, the front hood 12 is spaced apart from the cylinder portion 54 of the actuator 16. When the actuator 16 is activated, the cylinder portion 54 rises and the upper end of the cylinder portion 54 comes into contact with the front hood 12. When the cylinder portion 54 rises further, the front hood 12 is moved from the closed position to the raised position (the pop-up position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 1).

[0032] (Configuration of fixing device 20) As shown in Figure 4, the fixing device 20 is composed of a fixing pin 32 fixed to the center of the lower end of the hood lock device 14 in the vehicle width direction, a fixing hook 62 rotatably supported on the base member 18, and a torsion spring 64 that biases the fixing hook 62 in a direction to rotate it to one side.

[0033] The fixed hook 62 is formed in a block shape having a predetermined thickness in the vehicle front-rear direction, and a longitudinal intermediate portion of the fixed hook 62 is rotatably supported on the base member 18 via a support pin 68. One longitudinal end of the fixed hook 62 is an L-shaped engagement portion 62a. When the engagement portion 62a is engaged with the fixed pin 32 (the state shown in FIG. 2), the hood locking device 14 is fixed in the closed position. In contrast, when the fixed hook 62 is rotated and the engagement portion 62a and the fixed pin 32 are not engaged, the hood locking device 14 can move toward the upper side of the vehicle. The torsion spring 64 biases the fixed hook 62 to rotate counterclockwise when viewed from the front of the vehicle. The other longitudinal end of the fixed hook 62 is a cable engagement portion 62b to which one end of a first fixed hook operating cable 66, which constitutes a part of the lock / release device 22 described below, is engaged.

[0034] (Configuration of the fixation release device 22) 1, the lock release device 22 is configured to include a first fixed hook operating cable 66 and a link mechanism 70 that operates in conjunction with the operation of the actuator 16 and to which the other end of the fixed hook operating cable 66 is connected. When the actuator 16 is operated, the link mechanism 70 is activated and the first fixed hook operating cable 66 is pulled, causing the fixed hook 62 to rotate about the support pin 66 from an engaged position where it engages with the fixed pin 32 to a disengaged position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4, thereby releasing the lock of the hood lock device 14 from the base member 18.

[0035] (Configuration of the restriction device 24) As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the limiting device 24 is movable between an engagement position in which it engages with a portion of the hood locking device 14 below the vehicle when the hood locking device 14 is moved toward the upper side of the vehicle, and a disengagement position in which it does not engage with a portion of the hood locking device 14 below the vehicle, and includes a first stopper member 72 that limits the movement of the hood locking device 14 toward the lower side of the vehicle in the engagement position, and a coil spring 74 as a biasing device that constantly biases the first stopper member 72 toward the engagement position.

[0036] 7, the first stopper member 72 includes a longitudinal rod-shaped main body 72a and a pair of first and second guide devices 76 and 78 that horizontally guide a front end 72b and a rear end 72c of the main body 72a, respectively, and is constantly biased toward the front end 72b by a coil spring 74. The front end 72b of the main body 72a of the first stopper member 72 protrudes toward the right of the vehicle and engages with a vehicle lower portion 14a of the hood lock device 14.

[0037] 2 to 5, the first guide device 76 is composed of a horizontally elongated guide hole 76a formed through the base member 18, and a guide arm 72d that protrudes upward from the front end 72b of the elongated rod-shaped main body 72a and is bent toward the base member 18 to be inserted into the guide hole 76a. The second guide device 78 is composed of a guide bracket 78b formed by bending a portion of the left side of the base member 18 at a right angle and having a rectangular guide hole 78a formed therethrough and through which the rear end 72c of the main body 72a is inserted.

[0038] When the movement of the hood locking device 14 toward the bottom of the vehicle is restricted by the first stopper member 72 of the restricting device 24, the hood locking device 14 attempts to tilt to the right with the front end portion 72b of the first stopper member 72 as a fulcrum, but this tilt is restricted by the hood locking device 14 abutting against the base claw 52 formed on the base member 18.

[0039] In the first stopper member 72, a locking arm portion 72e projects downward from a position where a guide arm portion 72d at a front end portion 72b of a longitudinal rod-shaped main body portion 72a projects upward. An outer cable locking recess 78c is formed in a guide bracket 78b.

[0040] An arc-shaped through-hole 18a is formed in the base member 18, with the center at the rotation center of the fixed hook 62, and an inner cable locking portion 80 protrudes from the engaging portion 62a of the fixed hook 62 through the through-hole 18a onto the back surface of the base member 18. In addition, an outer cable locking bracket 82 is fixed to the base member 18, protruding in the opposite direction to the protruding direction of the guide bracket 78b. An outer cable locking recess 82a is formed in the outer cable locking bracket 82.

[0041] (Configuration of movement restriction release operation member 26) The movement restriction release operating member 26 includes a first stopper member operating cable 84 that transmits the operating force of the movement restriction release operation to the first stopper member 72, thereby releasing the restriction on movement of the hood lock device 14 toward the lower side of the vehicle imposed by the first stopper member 72, and a second fixed hook operating cable 86 that transmits the operating force of the movement restriction release operation to the fixed hook 62, thereby avoiding interference between the fixed hook 62 and the fixed pin 32 and allowing the hood lock device 14 to descend due to the weight of the front hood 12 and the hood lock device 14 itself.

[0042] The first stopper member operating cable 84 is made up of an outer cable 84a, one end of which is locked in the outer cable locking recess 78c of the guide bracket 78b, and an inner cable 84b, which runs vertically through the outer cable 84a and has one end locked to a locking arm 72e that protrudes downward from the elongated rod-shaped main body 72a of the first stopper member 72. The other ends of the outer cable 84a and the inner cable 84b are each connected to a front hood closing operating device (not shown) provided inside the vehicle cabin, and the first stopper member 72 is moved against the biasing force of the coil spring 74 by operating force transmitted from the front hood closing operating device.

[0043] The second fixed hook operating cable 86 is composed of an outer cable 86a, one end of which is locked in the outer cable locking recess 82a of the outer cable locking bracket 82, and an inner cable 86b, which runs vertically through the outer cable 86a and has one end locked in the inner cable locking portion 80 of the fixed hook 62. The other ends of the outer cable 86a and the inner cable 86b are connected to the front hood closing operation device (not shown) provided inside the vehicle cabin, and the operating force transmitted from the front hood closing operation device moves the fixed hook 62 from an engaged position where it engages with the fixed pin 32 to a disengaged position (position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 4) where it does not engage with the fixed pin 32. In other words, the fixed hook 62 can be moved to the position shown by the dashed line in FIGS. 4 and 5 so as not to interfere with the fixed pin 32, which moves down together with the hood lock device 14.

[0044] In the vehicle pop-up hood device 10 configured as described above, the hood locking device 14 is raised and the front hood 12 is popped up when the fixing hook 62 is disengaged from the fixing pin 32. This can also be triggered by a minor collision with an object other than a pedestrian, such as an animal or a guide post. In this case, if the vehicle is driven with the front hood in the pop-up position, visibility is reduced and the front hood may flap due to wind pressure, compromising driving safety. Another problem is that returning the front hood to its original stowed position requires dangerous work outside the vehicle.

[0045] In such a case, when a front hood closing operating device (not shown) provided inside the vehicle compartment is operated, the operating force transmitted from the front hood closing operating device moves the first stopper member 72 against the biasing force of the coil spring 74, and the fixing hook 62 is removed from the movement trajectory of the fixing pin 32, avoiding interference with the fixing pin 32. As a result, the hood locking device 14 is lowered by the weight of the front hood 12 and the hood locking device 14 itself, and the front hood 12 is moved to its original closed position.

[0046] According to the vehicle hood locking device 10 of this embodiment, when an operating force is transmitted to the first stopper member 72 by the movement limit release operating member 26 to move the first stopper member 72 from an engaged position, in which it engages with the hood locking device 14, to a disengaged position, in which it does not engage with the hood locking device 14, the first stopper member 72, which had previously restricted the movement of the hood locking device 14 downwardly of the vehicle, is moved to the disengaged position. This allows the hood locking device 14 to move downwardly of the vehicle, so that the hood locking device 14 descends due to the weight of the front hood 12 and the hood locking device 14, and the front hood 12 moves downwardly of the vehicle and is closed. Therefore, the popped-up front hood 12 can be returned to its original stored position by operating it from inside the vehicle compartment.

[0047] Furthermore, vehicle hood lock device 10 of this embodiment includes coil spring (biasing device) 74 that constantly applies a biasing force to first stopper member 72 from the disengaged position to the engaged position, and movement restriction release operating member 26 transmits the operating force to first stopper member 72 against the biasing force of coil spring 74. This has the advantage that first stopper member 72 can automatically return from the disengaged position to the engaged position, eliminating the need for a return operation.

[0048] Furthermore, according to the vehicle hood lock device 10 of this embodiment, the first stopper member 72 is disposed on the vehicle lower side of the hood lock device 14, and when the hood lock device 14 moves upwardly of the vehicle, the first stopper member 72 engages with a portion on the vehicle lower side of the hood lock device 14 and on one side in the vehicle width direction of the portion where the hood striker 28 is engaged, thereby restricting the movement of the hood lock device 14 downwardly of the vehicle. As a result, when the hood lock device 14 is moved upwardly of the vehicle, the first stopper member 72 engages with a portion on the vehicle lower side of the hood lock device 14 and on one side in the vehicle width direction of the portion where the hood striker 28 is engaged, so that the hood lock device 14 is held in the position where it has moved upwardly of the vehicle.

[0049] Furthermore, according to the vehicle hood lock device 10 of this embodiment, the first stopper member 72 has a longitudinal rod-shaped member 72a whose front and rear ends are guided horizontally by a pair of first guiding devices 76 and second guiding devices 78 provided on the base member 18, and which is biased toward the front end by a coil spring (biasing device) 74, with the front end 72b engaging with a portion of the hood lock device 14 on the lower side of the vehicle. As a result, the rod-shaped member 72a is guided at its front end 72b and rear end 72c by the pair of guiding devices 76 and second guiding device 78, and is supported at two points, so that movement of the hood lock device 14 toward the lower side of the vehicle is stably restricted even if vibrations or impact loads that occur during driving, etc., are applied.

[0050] Furthermore, according to the vehicle hood locking device 10 of this embodiment, the base member 18 is provided with a fixed hook 62 that is rotatable between an engaging position where it engages the fixed pin 32 fixed to the lower end of the hood locking device 14 and an unlocking position where it does not engage the fixed pin 32, and the fixed hook 62 is rotated from the engaging position to the unlocking position in synchronization with the movement limit release operating member 26 moving from the engaging position to the unlocking position. This prevents the hood locking device 14 from hitting the fixed hook 62, and allows the front hood 12 and hood locking device 14 to be easily lowered by their own weight.

[0051] Furthermore, vehicle hood locking device 10 of this embodiment further includes base claw (second stopper member) 52 that is disposed on the other side of hood locking device 14 in the vehicle width direction and that restricts movement of hood locking device 14 to the other side in the vehicle width direction when hood locking device 14 engaged with first stopper member 72 abuts against it. As a result, movement of hood locking device 14 to the other side in the vehicle width direction is restricted when hood locking device 14 abuts against base claw 52, ​​which restricts movement of hood locking device 14 downwardly of the vehicle and tilt of hood locking device 14 to the other side in the vehicle width direction, thereby restricting swinging, i.e., vibration, of front hood 12.

[0052] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention can also be applied to other embodiments.

[0053] For example, in the above-described embodiment, operation of the movement limit release operating member 26 disengages the first stopper member 72 from the hood locking device 14 via the first stopper member operating cable 84, and simultaneously operates the fixed hook 62 from an engaged position where it can interfere with the fixed pin 32 to a non-interfering and disengaging position with the fixed pin 32 via the second fixed hook operating cable 86. However, it is not necessary to operate the fixed hook 62 from an engaged position where it can interfere with the fixed pin 32 to a non-interfering and disengaging position with the fixed pin 32 via the second stopper member operating cable 86. A certain effect can be achieved simply by allowing the front hood 12 and hood locking device 14 to be lowered by their own weight until the fixed pin 32 of the hood locking device 14 abuts the fixed hook 62.

[0054] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the movement restriction release operating member 26 transmits the operating force to the first stopper member 72 via the first stopper member operating cable 84, and transmits the operating force to the fixed hook 62 via the fixed hook operating cable 86, but it may also transmit the operating force via an electric wire connected to a solenoid.

[0055] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10: Pop-up hood device for vehicle 12: Front hood 14: Hood lock device 18: Base material 20:Fixing device 22: Unfixing device 24: Restriction device 26: Movement restriction release operation member 28: Food Striker 52: Base claw (second stopper member) 62: Fixed hook 72: First stopper member 74: Coil spring (biasing device) 76: First guide device

Claims

1. a front hood lifting device that is disposed on a vehicle lower side of the front hood and that moves the front hood from a closed position toward an upper side of the vehicle by being actuated; a hood locking device that is disposed below the front hood, engages a hood striker attached to the front hood, and is movable together with the front hood toward the upper side of the vehicle; a base member that supports the hood lock device so that the hood lock device can move upwardly of the vehicle; a first stopper member that is movable between an engagement position in which the hood locking device engages with a portion of the hood locking device below the vehicle when the hood locking device is moved toward the upper side of the vehicle and a disengagement position in which the hood locking device does not engage with the portion of the hood locking device below the vehicle, and that limits movement of the hood locking device toward the lower side of the vehicle when the hood locking device is moved toward the upper side of the vehicle, a movement restriction release operation member that transmits an operation force to the first stopper member to move the first stopper member from the engaged position to the disengaged position, A pop-up hood device for a vehicle.

2. a biasing device that constantly applies a biasing force to the first stopper member from the disengaged position to the engaged position, The movement restriction release operation member transmits the operation force to the first stopper member against the biasing force of the biasing device.

2. The vehicle pop-up hood device according to claim 1.

3. The first stopper member is disposed on the vehicle lower side of the hood lock device, and when the hood lock device is moved upwardly of the vehicle, it engages with a portion of the hood lock device that is on the vehicle lower side and on one side in the vehicle width direction of a portion where the hood striker is engaged, thereby restricting movement of the hood lock device downwardly of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle pop-up hood device according to claim 1.

4. The first stopper member has a longitudinal rod-shaped member whose front and rear ends are guided horizontally by a pair of guide devices provided on the base member and which is biased toward the front end by the biasing device, and in the engagement position, the front end engages with a vehicle lower portion of the hood lock device.

3. The vehicle pop-up hood device according to claim 2.

5. The base member is provided with a fixing hook that is rotatable between a locking position where a fixing pin fixed to a lower end of the hood lock device is latched and a non-locking position where the fixing pin is not latched, The fixed hook is rotated from the locking position to the unlocking position in synchronization with the movement of the movement restriction release operating member from the engagement position to the unlocking position.

2. The vehicle pop-up hood device according to claim 1.

6. The vehicle further includes a second stopper member that is disposed on the other side of the hood lock device in the vehicle width direction and that limits movement of the hood lock device toward the other side in the vehicle width direction when the hood lock device engaged with the first stopper member comes into contact with the second stopper member.

4. The vehicle pop-up hood device according to claim 3.

Images