Vehicle hood stay support structure

Abstract

To provide a vehicle food stay support structure which inhibits occurrence of abnormal noise and fall etc. caused by vibration of a hood stay, holds an open state of a hood securely, secures flexibility of a wider swing range, and achieves reduction of the number of components to make the structure simple.SOLUTION: A vehicle food stay support structure supports a food stay 5 for holding a food 4 which covers an opening of an engine room 3 of a vehicle 1 in an open state and includes: a stay connection member 11 with which a base end of the hood stay is integrally and fixedly connected and which swings around a second axis Y orthogonal to a first axis Z corresponding with a center axis of the stay connection member; an annular member 12 into which the stay connection member is inserted so as to be swingable around the second axis and which swings around a third axis X orthogonal to the first axis and the second axis; and a holding member 13 into which the annular member is inserted so as to be swingable around the third axis and which is fixed to a vehicle body constitution member while allowing rotation around the first axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle hood stay support structure that supports a hood stay for holding the hood of a vehicle such as an automobile in an open state.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in vehicles such as automobiles, a hood stay made of a steel material formed in a round bar shape or the like is provided to hold the hood covering the opening of the engine room in an open state. The hood stay has a support structure in which its proximal end is swingably supported by a holding member (a member called a grommet or the like) provided at a predetermined portion on the inner wall surface near the front of a vehicle body component constituting the vehicle body in the engine room.

[0003] In the hood stay in this type of conventional vehicle hood stay support structure, when the hood is in the closed state, a part of the distal end side is fixed to a bracket provided at a predetermined portion in the engine room.

[0004] On the other hand, when using this hood stay to hold the hood in an open state, first, after the hood is opened, the proximal end of the hood stay is swung within a predetermined range to remove the distal end side of the hood stay from the bracket. Next, the distal end of the hood stay is fitted into a fitting hole provided at a predetermined portion on the inner surface side of the hood in the open state. Thus, the hood stay is configured to support the hood in the open state and hold the open state of the hood.

[0005] In the conventional vehicle hood stay support structure having such a configuration, the proximal end of the hood stay is inserted into a support hole provided in the holding member (grommet). In this case, a bent portion is formed at the proximal end of the hood stay, and a retaining structure against coming out of the support hole of the hood stay is formed.

[0006] In this configuration, the support hole of the retaining member is set to be slightly larger than the diameter of the hood stay. By creating a small gap between the support hole of the retaining member and the base end of the hood stay that is inserted into this support hole, the degree of freedom of the swing range of the base end of the hood stay is ensured.

[0007] Various proposals for vehicle hood stay support structures of this type have been made, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-160009 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-313357.

[0008] However, conventional vehicle hood stay support structures with this configuration can lead to various problems due to the gap between the support hole of the retaining member and the hood stay. For example, the hood stay is swung by the user, but in this case, the hood stay may be moved beyond its intended range of motion. In this case, if excessive force is applied from the hood stay to the retaining member, the retaining member may break.

[0009] Furthermore, the range of motion of the hood stay is determined by the gap between the support hole of the retaining member and the hood stay. Therefore, there is a problem in that a sufficient range of motion cannot be ensured. In addition, the pivot axis of the hood stay is unstable because it depends on the gap. Therefore, there is a problem in that good operability cannot be ensured.

[0010] Furthermore, vibrations from the engine may be transmitted to the hood stay, causing it to vibrate in the gap between the hood stay and the support hole of the retaining member, potentially generating abnormal noises. In addition, the vibration of the hood stay may cause it to detach from the support hole of the retaining member. This problem can occur not only during operation by the user, but also while the vehicle is on the production line during manufacturing, due to vibrations generated from the line. It should be noted that abnormal noises caused by vibrations can occur not only when the hood stay is in use as described above, but also when it is not in use (stored).

[0011] Furthermore, the hood stay, which is inserted through the support hole of the retaining member, may shift from its designated position. For example, if the hood stay sinks further into the support hole than its intended designated position, the gap at the base end of the hood stay will narrow, restricting the degree of freedom of the hood stay. This restriction on the degree of freedom of movement of the hood stay can impair operability.

[0012] Furthermore, if the range of motion for swinging the base of the hood stay is narrow, there is a problem in that the degree of freedom in positioning the base and tip of the hood stay is restricted.

[0013] To address these problems, various proposals have been made in the past, for example, in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-223957.

[0014] The vehicle hood stay support structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-223957, etc., is configured such that a projection is provided on a part of the retaining member, and when the hood is opened and the hood stay is erected, a part of the base end of the hood stay is always in contact with the projection of the retaining member with a predetermined pressing force. With this configuration, when the hood stay is erected and holds the hood in the open position, the contact between the projection of the retaining member and the hood stay is always maintained, so that even if vibrations are transmitted to the hood stay, the generation of abnormal noise can be prevented, and at the same time, the hood stay can be prevented from falling out of the support hole of the retaining member. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0015] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2006-160009 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-313357 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-223957 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0016] However, the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-223957 and other documents has the problem of requiring the provision of a holding member with a complex shape. In addition, in some cases, it may be necessary to add separate parts, which can lead to increased manufacturing costs.

[0017] The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle hood stay support structure that can suppress the occurrence of abnormal noises and detachment caused by vibrations transmitted to the hood stay, reliably maintain the hood in an open state, and ensure a wider range of motion and freedom of movement for the hood stay, while having a simple configuration with a reduced number of parts. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] To achieve the above objective, a vehicle hood stay support structure according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle hood stay support structure for supporting a hood stay for holding a hood covering the opening of the engine compartment of a vehicle in an open state, comprising: a stay connecting member to which the base end of the hood stay is integrally and fixedly connected, and which swings together with the hood stay within a predetermined range about a second axis perpendicular to a first axis that coincides with the central axis of the connection portion with the base end of the hood stay; an annular member to which the stay connecting member is pivotably inserted around the second axis, and which swings within a predetermined range about a third axis perpendicular to both the first and second axes; and a holding member to which the annular member is pivotably inserted around the third axis, and which is fixed to a vehicle body component while allowing rotation around the first axis. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of abnormal noises, dropping, etc. caused by vibrations transmitted to the hood stay, and to securely hold the open state of the hood. While ensuring a wider degree of freedom in the swing range of the hood stay, it is possible to provide a vehicle hood stay support structure with a simple configuration that reduces the number of parts.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram showing the usage state of the hood stay in a vehicle adopting the vehicle hood stay support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention, [Figure 2] Enlarged view of the area indicated by the reference numeral [2] in FIG. 1, [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view taken along line [3]-[3] of FIG. 2, [Figure 4] Exterior perspective view showing a vehicle hood stay support unit equipped with the vehicle hood stay support structure according to an embodiment of the present invention taken out, [Figure 5] Exploded perspective view showing the vehicle hood stay support unit of FIG. 4 disassembled, [Figure 6] Front view of the vehicle hood stay support unit of FIG. 4, [Figure 7] Cross-sectional view taken along line [7]-[7] of FIG. 6, [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view taken along line [8]-[8] of FIG. 6, [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view taken along line [9]-[9] of FIG. 6.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated embodiments. Each of the drawings used in the following description is shown schematically, and in order to show each component in a size that can be recognized on the drawing, the dimensions, scales, etc. of each member may be shown differently for each component. Therefore, the present invention is not limited only to the illustrated forms with respect to the quantity of each component described in each drawing, the shape of each component, the ratio of the size of each component, the relative positional relationship of each component, etc.

[0022] First, before describing in detail the vehicle hood stay support structure of one embodiment of the present invention, the arrangement of the hood stay and its usage in a vehicle employing the vehicle hood stay support structure of this embodiment will be briefly described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2.

[0023] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the usage state of a hood stay in a vehicle employing a vehicle hood stay support structure according to one embodiment of the present invention. In Figure 1, the area indicated by reference numeral [A] is an enlarged view of the area indicated by reference numeral [1]. Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the area indicated by reference numeral [2] in Figure 1.

[0024] In a vehicle 1 employing the vehicle hood stay support structure of this embodiment, for example, an engine room 3 is provided in the front part of the vehicle body 2. A hood 4 is provided in the opening on the upper side of this engine room 3 so as to be able to open and close.

[0025] The hood 4 is positioned to open and close the upper opening of the engine compartment 3 by a well-known configuration using a hinge member (not shown) on the vehicle body 2. Specifically, one edge of the hood 4 is pivotably mounted to a predetermined part of the vehicle body 2, for example, using a hinge member, within a predetermined range. The hood 4 then pivots within a predetermined range between an open position, which opens the upper opening of the engine compartment 3, and a closed position, which covers the upper opening of the engine compartment 3. When the hood 4 is positioned in the predetermined closed position, it is fixed in that position by a predetermined locking mechanism (not shown) with a well-known configuration on a predetermined part of the vehicle body 2. This locks the hood 4 from pivoting to the open position.

[0026] On the other hand, when the lock is released and the hood 4 is positioned in a predetermined open position, the hood 4 is held open using the hood stay 5. Here, the hood stay 5 is a component for holding the hood 4 in the open position. The hood stay 5 is formed, for example, by bending a steel material formed into a round bar shape into a predetermined shape as appropriate.

[0027] Figure 1 shows the state in which the hood 4 of vehicle 1 is held open by the hood stay 5. Figure 2 shows the state in which the hood stay 5 is positioned in a predetermined storage position. The stored state of the hood stay 5 shown in Figure 2 is indicated by a dashed line in Figure 1.

[0028] When the hood 4 is in the closed position, the hood stay 5 is positioned in a predetermined storage location inside the engine compartment 3, as shown in Figure 2 (or the dashed line in Figure 1).

[0029] The hood stay 5 is connected, for example, at its base end to a vehicle hood stay support unit 10 (see Figure 2, etc.) which is attached to a bracket 3a provided at a predetermined location inside the engine compartment 3.

[0030] This vehicle hood stay support unit 10 is a support mechanism for supporting the connected hood stay 5 so that it can swing freely within a predetermined range of motion. In the example shown in Figure 1, the vehicle hood stay support unit 10 is shown mounted on a bracket 3a provided on the inner wall surface of the front side of the vehicle body 2 inside the engine compartment 3. The detailed configuration of this vehicle hood stay support unit 10 will be described later.

[0031] Here, when the hood stay 5 is in the stowed position (see Figure 2), the hood stay 5 is inverted inside the engine compartment 3. A portion of the tip of the hood stay 5 is detachably held in place by a bracket 3b provided at a predetermined location inside the engine compartment 3.

[0032] On the other hand, when using the hood stay 5 to maintain the open state of the hood 4, the hood 4 is opened and the hood stay 5 is raised, as shown in Figure 1. To raise the hood stay 5, first, the hood stay 5 is removed from the bracket 3b and the hood stay 5 is swung in the direction of arrow R1. This causes the hood stay 5 to rise. Then, the tip of the hood stay 5 is fitted into the fitting hole 4a provided in a predetermined part on the inner surface of the hood 4. In this way, the hood stay 5 can support the hood 4 in the open state and maintain the open state of the hood 4. In this case, the support position when the hood stay 5 is supported by the fitting hole 4a is referred to as the first support position.

[0033] To return the hood stay 5 from its upright first support position to its inverted storage position, the engagement between the tip of the hood stay 5 and the fitting hole 4a is released, and then the hood stay 5 is swung in the direction of arrow R2. Then, the predetermined position near the tip of the hood stay 5 is fixed to the bracket 3b. After that, the hood 4 is locked in the closed position.

[0034] By providing multiple fitting holes on the inner surface of the hood 4, the open state of the hood 4 can be selectively set in multiple stages. The example shown in Figure 1 shows a configuration in which a second fitting hole 4b is provided in addition to the fitting hole 4a.

[0035] In this case, the tip of the hood stay 5, which is in the upright position and in the first support position, is removed from the fitting hole 4a, and the tip of the hood stay 5 is swung in the direction of arrow R3 to fit into the second fitting hole 4b (as shown by the dotted line in Figure 1). The position of the hood stay 5 at this time is referred to as the second support position.

[0036] In this way, by supporting the hood 4 with the hood stay 5 at the second support position, the hood 4 can maintain a wider open state compared to when the hood stay 5 is at the first support position.

[0037] Next, the detailed configuration of the vehicle hood stay support unit equipped with the vehicle hood stay support structure of this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 3 to 9. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the vehicle hood stay support unit equipped with the vehicle hood stay support structure of this embodiment mounted on a vehicle body. Figure 3 shows a cross section along the line [3]-[3] in Figure 2. Figure 4 is an external perspective view showing only the vehicle hood stay support unit equipped with the vehicle hood stay support structure of this embodiment. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the vehicle hood stay support unit of Figure 4 disassembled. Note that in Figure 5, a part of the hood stay (base end) is also shown. Figure 6 is a front view of the vehicle hood stay support unit of Figure 4. Figure 7 is a cross section along the line [7]-[7] in Figure 6. Figure 8 is a cross section along the line [8]-[8] in Figure 6. Figure 9 is a cross section along the line [9]-[9] in Figure 6.

[0038] The vehicle hood stay support unit 10 equipped with the vehicle hood stay support structure of this embodiment is mainly composed of a stay connecting member 11, an annular member 12, a grommet 13 which is a retaining member, and a plurality of support shaft pins 14, 15 (not shown in Figures 3 and 4), as shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, etc.

[0039] The stay connecting member 11 is a connecting member to which the base end of the hood stay 5 is connected. The stay connecting member 11 is also a holding member that holds the connected hood stay 5 so as to be able to swing within a predetermined range in a predetermined direction. This stay connecting member 11 is rigidly formed using, for example, a resin material or a metal material.

[0040] The stay connecting member 11 is formed having a connecting cylindrical portion 11a and a flange portion 11b. The connecting cylindrical portion 11a is a component formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder. This connecting cylindrical portion 11a has a hollow region that penetrates in the direction of the long axis. On the inner surface of this hollow region, a female thread 11c is formed, at least from one end to the middle in the direction of the long axis. This female thread 11c is formed in correspondence with the male thread 5a (see Figure 5) formed at the base end of the hood stay 5, and is a threaded portion that screws into the male thread 5a.

[0041] Therefore, the male thread 5a of the hood stay 5 is screwed into the female thread 11c of the stay connecting member 11, thereby creating a configuration in which the two (11, 5) are connected integrally and rigidly.

[0042] In Figures 3 to 9, the central axis in the long axis direction of the connecting cylindrical portion 11a of the stay connecting member 11 is indicated by the symbol Z. In the following explanation, this central axis Z will be referred to as the first axis, the Z-axis. This Z-axis coincides with the central axis of the base end portion of the hood stay 5, which is screw-connected to the connecting cylindrical portion 11a.

[0043] The flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11 is an outward-facing flange formed at the other end of the connecting cylinder portion 11a in the longitudinal direction. Two pin fitting holes 11d (see Figure 5) that open outward are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the flange portion 11b. These two pin fitting holes 11d are formed as bottomed holes with a predetermined depth in a direction substantially perpendicular to the Z axis. One of these two pin fitting holes 11d is formed at each of the two positions opposite each other across the Z axis.

[0044] Here, the line connecting the two pin-fitting holes 11d is denoted by the symbol Y in Figure 5, for example. In the following explanation, this line Y connecting the two pin-fitting holes 11d will be referred to as the second axis, the Y-axis. This Y-axis is a straight line approximately perpendicular to the Z-axis.

[0045] The annular member 12 is a holding member that holds the stay connecting member 11 so that it can swing freely within a predetermined range in a predetermined direction. The annular member 12 is formed in an annular shape. Furthermore, the annular member 12 is rigidly formed using, for example, a resin material or a metal material. The flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11 is disposed on the inner circumference side of the annular member 12. For this reason, the inner diameter of the annular member 12 is formed to be larger than the maximum outer diameter of the flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11.

[0046] Here, when the flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11 is positioned on the inner circumference side of the annular member 12, the line passing through the central axis of the annular member 12 coincides with the central axis (Z-axis) of the connecting cylindrical portion 11a of the stay connecting member 11. Therefore, the line passing through the central axis of the annular member 12 is also referred to as the Z-axis.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the annular member 12 has two pin through holes 12a that penetrate between the outer and inner circumferential surfaces. One of these pin through holes 12a is formed at each of the opposing positions on either side of the Z-axis.

[0048] Here, the line connecting the two pin through holes 12a is denoted by the symbol Y, similar to the line connecting the two pin fitting holes 11d described above in Figure 5. This is for the following reason: When the flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11 is positioned on the inner circumference side of the annular member 12, the line Y connecting the two pin through holes 12a of the annular member 12 coincides with the line Y connecting the two pin fitting holes 11d of the flange portion 11b.

[0049] In other words, when the flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11 is positioned on the inner circumference side of the annular member 12, the two pin through holes 12a are positioned opposite to the two pin fitting holes 11d of the flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11.

[0050] Therefore, the line Y connecting the two pin fitting holes 11d in the flange portion 11b and the line Y connecting the two pin through holes 12a coincide as a straight axis. Accordingly, in the following explanation, the line Y connecting the two pin through holes 12a will also be referred to as the Y axis.

[0051] In this way, when the line Y connecting the two pin through holes 12a of the annular member 12 and the line Y connecting the two pin fitting holes 11d of the flange portion 11b are aligned, and the flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11 is positioned on the inner circumference side of the annular member 12, a support pin 14 is inserted through each of the two pin through holes 12a. After each of these two support pins 14 penetrates the annular member 12 from the outer circumference side to the inner circumference side, a portion of the tip of each support pin 14 protrudes into the inside of the annular member 12. Then, each tip of each support pin 14 is fitted into the two pin fitting holes 11d of the flange portion 11b.

[0052] In this way, when the flange portion 11b of the stay connecting member 11 is positioned on the inner circumference side of the annular member 12, the stay connecting member 11 is pivotally supported by two support pins 14 relative to the annular member 12 so as to be able to swing around the Y axis. In this case, the Y axis becomes the pivot axis of the stay connecting member 11.

[0053] Furthermore, two pin fitting holes 12b opening outward are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the annular member 12. These two pin fitting holes 12b are formed as bottomed holes having a predetermined depth in a direction substantially perpendicular to the Z axis. One of these two pin fitting holes 12b is formed at each of the opposing positions on either side of the Z axis. In this case, the two pin fitting holes 12b are positioned approximately 90 degrees around the Z axis relative to the two pin through holes 12a.

[0054] Here, the line connecting the two pin fitting holes 12b is indicated by the symbol X in Figure 5, for example. In the following explanation, this line X connecting the pin fitting holes 12b will be referred to as the third axis, the X-axis. This X-axis is a straight line that is approximately perpendicular to the Y-axis and the Z-axis, respectively.

[0055] The grommet 13 is a retaining member that holds the annular member 12 so that it can swing freely within a predetermined range in a predetermined direction. The grommet 13 is also a retaining member for attaching a component unit, which is assembled from the hood stay 5, stay connecting member 11, and annular member 12 in a predetermined state, to a predetermined part of the vehicle body 2. This grommet 13 is rigidly formed using, for example, a resin material or a metal material.

[0056] The grommet 13 is formed having a fitting cylindrical portion 13a, a flange portion 13b, and a locking claw portion 13c. The fitting cylindrical portion 13a is a component formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder. This fitting cylindrical portion 13a has a hollow region that penetrates in the direction of the long axis. As will be described in detail later, this fitting cylindrical portion 13a is a part that is fitted into and positioned in a retaining hole 3aa (see Figure 3) provided in the bracket 3a of the vehicle body 2.

[0057] The fitting cylinder portion 13a has two pin through holes 13d that penetrate between the outer and inner circumferential surfaces. These two pin through holes 13d are formed one at each of the positions opposite each other across the Z-axis. Here, the line connecting the two pin through holes 13d is indicated by the symbol X in Figure 5, similar to the line connecting the two pin fitting holes 12b described above (details will be described later).

[0058] The flange portion 13b of the grommet 13 is an outward-facing flange formed at one end in the longitudinal direction of the fitting cylinder portion 13a. The flange portion 13b has an opening 13e that communicates with the hollow region of the fitting cylinder portion 13a. The annular member 12 is disposed in the internal region from this opening 13e to the hollow region of the fitting cylinder portion 13a.

[0059] In this case, when the annular member 12 is placed in the hollow region of the fitting cylinder portion 13a, the line X connecting the two pin through holes 13d of the fitting cylinder portion 13a is made to coincide with the line X connecting the two pin fitting holes 12b of the annular member 12.

[0060] In other words, when the annular member 12 is placed in the hollow region of the fitting cylinder portion 13a, the two pin through holes 13d of the fitting cylinder portion 13a are positioned opposite to the two pin fitting holes 12b of the annular member 12.

[0061] Therefore, the line X connecting the two pin through holes 13d and the line X connecting the two pin fitting holes 12b are coincident linear axes. Accordingly, in the following explanation, the line X connecting the two pin through holes 13d will also be referred to as the X-axis.

[0062] Furthermore, when the annular member 12 is placed in the hollow region of the fitting cylinder portion 13a of the grommet 13, the line passing through the central axis of the grommet 13 coincides with the central axis (Z-axis) of the annular member 12. Therefore, the line passing through the central axis of the fitting cylinder portion 13a of the grommet 13 is also referred to as the Z-axis.

[0063] In this way, when the line connecting the two pin through holes 13d of the fitting cylinder portion 13a (X-axis) and the line connecting the two pin fitting holes 12b of the annular member 12 (X-axis) are aligned, and the annular member 12 is positioned in the internal region from the opening 13e of the flange portion 13b to the hollow region of the fitting cylinder portion 13a, a support pin 15 is inserted through each of the two pin through holes 13d. After each of these two support pins 15 penetrates from the outer circumference to the inner circumference of the fitting cylinder portion 13a, a portion of the tip of each support pin 15 protrudes into the inside of the fitting cylinder portion 13a. Then, each tip of each support pin 15 is fitted into the pin fitting hole 12b of the annular member 12.

[0064] In this way, when the annular member 12 is positioned in the internal region from the opening 13e of the flange portion 13b to the hollow region of the fitting cylinder portion 13a, the annular member 12 is pivotally supported by the grommet 13 by two support pins 15 so as to be able to swing around the X axis. In this case, the X axis becomes the pivot axis of the annular member 12.

[0065] Furthermore, the flange portion 13b of the grommet 13 has a plurality of locking claw portions 13c that extend in the direction of the long axis (parallel to the Z axis) of the fitting cylinder portion 13a. When the vehicle hood stay support unit 10 is attached to the bracket 3a of the vehicle body 2, these locking claw portions 13c fit into the retaining holes 3aa (see Figure 3) formed in the bracket 3a.

[0066] At this time, the grommet 13 is snap-fitted into the retaining hole 3aa of the bracket 3a of the vehicle body 2 by the action of multiple locking claws 13c.

[0067] To this end, each of the multiple locking claw portions 13c is formed having a leaf spring beam portion 13ca extending from the flange portion 13b and a hook-shaped claw portion 13cb at the tip of the leaf spring beam portion 13ca.

[0068] Multiple locking claws 13c are arranged in a row along the circumferential direction at predetermined intervals, at a predetermined distance radially outward from the fitting cylinder portion 13a. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, a configuration with four locking claws 13c is illustrated.

[0069] In this configuration, the grommet 13 is restricted from moving in the removal direction along the Z-axis relative to the retaining hole 3aa of the bracket 3a, while allowing rotation around the Z-axis.

[0070] Furthermore, in the assembled state of the vehicle hood stay support unit 10, the X, Y, and Z axes are orthogonal to each other at the same intersection point, as shown in the coordinate axes of Figure 5. In other words, the first axis (Z axis), the second axis (Y axis), and the third axis (X axis) are orthogonal to each other at the same intersection point. To put it another way, the pivot point of the stay connecting member 11 around the second axis (Y axis), the pivot point of the annular member 12 around the third axis (X axis), and the rotation center point of the holding member (grommet 13) around the first axis (Z axis) are the same point.

[0071] The operation of the vehicle hood stay support unit 10 of this embodiment, configured in this manner, will be briefly described below.

[0072] To maintain the open position of the hood 4 using the hood stay 5, the user first opens the hood 4 according to a predetermined procedure (not shown).

[0073] Subsequently, the user maintains the open state of the hood 4 by supporting it with their hand or the like.

[0074] Next, while keeping the hood 4 open, the tip of the hood stay 5 is removed from the bracket 3b of the vehicle body 2. Then, the base end of the hood stay 5 is swung within a predetermined range, and the tip of the hood stay 5 is fitted into one of the fitting holes 4a and 4b on the inner surface of the open hood 4. As a result, the hood stay 5 supports the hood 4 in the open position, and this position is maintained.

[0075] In this case, the hood stay 5 and the stay connecting member 11 are integrally and fixedly connected by a screw connection, with the central axis of the base end portion of the hood stay 5 and the central axis of the long axis of the stay connecting member 11 coinciding on the Z axis.

[0076] The stay connecting member 11, to which the hood stay 5 is connected, is supported so as to be able to swing freely within a predetermined range around the Y axis, which is perpendicular to the Z axis, relative to the annular member 12. Here, the stay connecting member 11 is positioned on the inner circumference side of the annular member 12 such that the central axis of the stay connecting member 11 in the longitudinal direction and the central axis of the annular member 12 coincide on the Z axis. Therefore, with this configuration, the central axis (Z axis) of the hood stay 5 swings around the Y axis.

[0077] Furthermore, the annular member 12 is supported so as to be able to swing freely within a predetermined range around the X-axis, which is perpendicular to both the Z-axis and the Y-axis, relative to the grommet 13. Here, a stay connecting member 11, to which the hood stay 5 is connected, is pivotably disposed on the inner circumference side of the annular member 12. Therefore, with this configuration, the central axis (Z-axis) of the hood stay 5 swings around the X-axis.

[0078] Furthermore, the grommet 13 is restricted from moving in the direction of removal along the Z-axis relative to the bracket 3a, while allowing rotation around the Z-axis. Therefore, with this configuration, the central axis (Z-axis) of the hood stay 5 is freely rotatable around the Z-axis.

[0079] As described above, according to the above embodiment, the hood stay 5 is integrally and fixedly screw-connected to the vehicle hood stay support unit 10, and is supported by the support structure of the vehicle hood stay support unit 10 so as to be able to swing around the X and Y axes and rotate around the Z axis.

[0080] Therefore, with this configuration, the hood stay 5 is integrally and fixedly supported by the retaining member (grommet 13) without any looseness or gaps, so that no excessive force is applied from the hood stay 5 to the retaining member (grommet 13). Thus, damage to the retaining member (grommet 13) can be prevented. In addition, since gaps and looseness between the hood stay 5 and the retaining member (grommet 13) can be eliminated, the generation of abnormal noise due to vibration can be prevented, and the hood stay 5 can also be prevented from falling off or getting stuck.

[0081] Furthermore, the support structure of the vehicle hood stay support unit 10 expands the range of motion of the hood stay 5. This contributes to improved convenience. In addition, the configuration of the vehicle hood stay support unit 10 can be simplified, which contributes to reducing the number of parts and improving productivity, and thus to reducing manufacturing costs.

[0082] Furthermore, since the hood stay 5 is configured to swing freely around the X and Y axes and to allow rotation around the Z axis, sufficient freedom of movement for the hood stay 5 can be ensured. In addition, freedom of movement for the mounting position of the vehicle hood stay support unit 10 can be ensured. Therefore, for example, it can contribute to reducing the number of bracket parts and other components used to mount the vehicle hood stay support unit 10.

[0083] Furthermore, even when the hood stay 5 is not in use, it can be securely stored in its designated position, thereby suppressing the generation of abnormal noises caused by vibrations, etc.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and applications can be implemented without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the above embodiments include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriate combinations of the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem that the invention aims to solve can be solved and the effects of the invention can be obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in one embodiment, then the configuration with these deleted constituent elements can be extracted as an invention. Furthermore, constituent elements from different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. This invention is not limited by any particular embodiment other than being limited by the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 1…Vehicle 2… Vehicle body 3…Engine Room 3a, 3b... Brackets 3aa…Retention hole 4…Food 4a…Matching hole 4b...Second fitting hole 5…Food Stay 10... Vehicle hood stay support unit 11…Stay connecting member 11a…Connecting cylinder part 11b…Flange section 11c...female thread 11d...Pin fitting hole 12... Annular member 12a…Pin through hole 12b...Pin fitting hole 13… Grommet (retaining member) 13a...Mating cylinder part 13b…Flange section 13c...Latching claw part 13ca... Leaf spring beam section 13cb…claw part 13d…Pin through hole 13e…Aperture 14, 15… pivot pins Z...First axis (Z-axis) Y...Second axis (Y-axis) X... Third axis (X-axis)

Claims

1. A vehicle hood stay support structure that supports a hood stay for holding a hood covering the opening of the vehicle's engine compartment in an open position, The base end of the hood stay is integrally and fixedly connected to a stay connecting member, which swings together with the hood stay within a predetermined range about a second axis perpendicular to a first axis that coincides with the central axis of the connection portion with the base end of the hood stay, The stay connecting member is inserted so as to be swingable around the second axis, and an annular member swings within a predetermined range around a third axis that is perpendicular to both the first and second axes, The annular member is inserted so as to be swingable around the third axis, and a retaining member is fixed to the vehicle body component while allowing rotation around the first axis, A vehicle hood stay support structure characterized by comprising the following:

2. The vehicle hood stay support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the pivot center point of the stay connecting member around the second axis, the pivot center point of the annular member around the third axis, and the rotation center point of the holding member around the first axis are the same point.

3. The vehicle hood stay support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the first axis, the second axis, and the third axis are perpendicular to each other at the same intersection point.

4. The stay connecting member has a female thread that screws into a male thread formed at the base end of the hood stay. The vehicle hood stay support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the stay connecting member and the hood stay are integrally and fixedly connected by screwing the male thread at the base end of the hood stay into the female thread of the stay connecting member.

5. The vehicle hood stay support structure according to claim 1, characterized in that the retaining member is fixed to the vehicle body component by snap-fit.

Images