Hood latch lock mechanism

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a hood latch lock mechanism capable of controlling the opening and closing of the hood of a vehicle so as to lock the lever of a hood latch with a lock and disable access to the lock from the outside. [Solution] The present invention comprises: a base part for fixedly installing a hood latch lock mechanism in the vicinity of a hood lock release lever of hood latch; a fixation part that is moved forward or backward to fix or release the hood lock release lever; a lock part that controls the forward or backward movement of the fixation part; a lock mechanism holding part that holds the fixation part so as to allow the forward or backward movement of the fixation part and fixedly holds the lock part; and a key that unlocks or locks the lock part. The lock part fixes the hood lock release lever in place by moving the fixation part to the side abutting the hood lock release lever when locked by the key, and releases the hood lock release lever by moving the fixation part to the side away from the hood lock release lever when unlocked by the key.

Description

Bonnet latch lock mechanism

[0001] The present invention relates to a mechanism for locking a bonnet latch of a vehicle such as an automobile. In particular, by adding a mechanism having a security function that cannot be accessed from the outside to the bonnet latch, it is possible to perform defense control on the opening and closing of the vehicle bonnet, and the present invention relates to a bonnet latch lock mechanism for enhancing security.

[0002] Conventionally, various mechanisms and systems related to car security have been developed and used. There are various devices and systems related to car security, and various security devices and systems are being developed every day so as to be able to cope with any external intrusion or attack. In recent years, there is a risk that simply locking the car with a key may easily lead to vehicle theft or vandalism in the car, and it is normal for a security device to be installed superimposedly in addition to the key.

[0003] As a system related to car security, there is, for example, an immobilizer. An immobilizer is a vehicle security system that determines whether the engine can be started by electronically verifying the key, and because it is difficult to duplicate an electronic key, it is installed and used in many automobiles and the like. However, incidents of security breaches have occurred due to methods such as an immobilizer cutter. In addition, even in vehicles equipped with an electronic car security system, there are many current cases where security is breached and intrusion / vehicle theft is permitted due to methods such as a CAN invader or a relay attack.

[0004] Thus, in the current situation where even if advanced electronic security is developed, methods and technologies for immediately breaking it are being devised, there is a fact that physical security is being reexamined. Physical security is a device for physically preventing intrusion or theft of a vehicle, such as attaching a strong lock to the vehicle's tire or fixing the handle or brake with a device so that they cannot be moved. By using such a device and electronic security superimposedly, it is possible to prevent intrusion or vehicle theft, make it difficult to unlock, etc., and gain time to make the intruder give up.

[0005] As a technology for ensuring the physical security of a vehicle, for example, there is Japanese Patent Publication No. 7564598. This publication discloses a vehicle anti-theft device for preventing theft of a vehicle by unauthorized connection to an in-vehicle network, comprising a base plate for supporting the vehicle's wheels, and a cover plate that rises from the base plate and is positioned to cover the vehicle's wheel well from the outside in the vehicle width direction. This structure makes it possible to prevent theft of a vehicle by a so-called CAN invader, in which the left side of the front bumper (the wheel well for the left front wheel) is pried open and an electronic device for theft is connected to a CAN communication connector installed inside the vehicle.

[0006] While this technology could indeed make it difficult to access the wheel well for the left front wheel of a vehicle, it had drawbacks such as the cumbersome and difficult installation of the device by the user, and the inability to prevent theft by using other methods to unlock the doors and open the hood, allowing for unauthorized modifications to the vehicle.

[0007] Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-514475 discloses technology relating to an automobile door lock comprising a locking mechanism, an operating lever unit that interacts with the locking mechanism, a drive unit that acts on the operating lever unit, an unlocking lever, and an anti-theft protective device. The disclosed structure allows the door to be unlocked only when the drive unit acts on the operating lever unit and at the same time the anti-theft protective device is activated so that the operating lever unit disengages the locking mechanism via a buffer member.

[0008] While this technology certainly prevents unauthorized entry and vehicle theft by requiring specific procedures to unlock the vehicle, and can buy time by making unlocking difficult, it has a major drawback: if entry is gained through acts of vandalism, it becomes easy to open the hood and start the engine, allowing for illegal activities.

[0009] As car break-ins and vehicle thefts increase, the methods used are becoming more sophisticated and advanced, with new intrusion and theft techniques constantly emerging, making vehicle security measures an urgent necessity. In particular, if a vehicle's hood is opened, it allows for various illegal activities. By making it difficult to open and close the hood, it is possible to deter intrusions and vehicle thefts, or delay the completion of such illegal activities. Therefore, there has been a demand for the development of a hood latch locking mechanism that locks the vehicle's hood latch and incorporates a security function that prevents external access to the hood latch, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the vehicle's hood.

[0010] Patent No. 7564598 Publication Special Publication No. 2014-514475

[0011] To solve the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a hood latch locking mechanism that has a security function for locking the hood latch, and in particular a mechanism that locks the lever of the hood latch with a lock, prevents external access to the lock, and allows control of opening and closing the vehicle's hood, thereby enhancing security.

[0012] To achieve the above objective, the bonnet latch lock mechanism according to the present invention is a bonnet latch lock mechanism that locks a bonnet latch equipped with a bonnet lock release lever so that it can be fixed and released, comprising: a base for fixing the bonnet latch lock mechanism near the bonnet lock release lever of the bonnet latch; a fixing part for fixing and releasing the bonnet lock release lever by moving it back and forth; a locking part for controlling the back and forth movement of the fixing part; a lock mechanism holding part for holding the fixing part so that it can move back and forth and for fixing and holding the locking part; and a key for unlocking and locking the locking part, wherein the locking part fixes the bonnet lock release lever by moving the fixing part toward the side that abuts the bonnet lock release lever when locked with the key, and releases the bonnet lock release lever by moving the fixing part toward the side that separates it from the bonnet lock release lever when unlocked with the key.

[0013] Furthermore, the locking mechanism consists of a lock body and a protruding portion that extends from the lock body and moves closer to or further away from the lock body. The fixing portion is connected to the protruding portion, and when the lock is locked with the key, the protruding portion moves closer to the lock body, and when the lock is unlocked with the key, the protruding portion moves away from the lock body, thereby moving the fixing portion back and forth. The locking mechanism also consists of a padlock.

[0014] Furthermore, the lock body of the locking mechanism has a key insertion section, and the key consists of a key body and a rod-shaped section with a bendable portion, with the tip of the rod-shaped section equipped with the key body for inserting into the insertion section to unlock and lock the lock. The locking mechanism holder is also equipped with a guide to assist in inserting the key.

[0015] Furthermore, the bonnet latch lock mechanism according to the present invention is a bonnet latch lock mechanism that locks a bonnet latch equipped with a bonnet lock release lever so that it can be fixed and released, and comprises a base for fixing and installing the bonnet latch lock mechanism near the bonnet lock release lever of the bonnet latch, a fixing part for fixing and releasing the bonnet lock release lever, a lock part for controlling the fixing and releasing of the bonnet lock release lever by the fixing part, a lock mechanism holding part for holding the fixing part and the lock part, and a key for unlocking and locking the lock part, wherein the fixing part is configured to fix and release the bonnet lock release lever by coming into contact with and separating from the bonnet lock release lever based on the locking and unlocking of the lock part.

[0016] As the present invention has the configuration described in detail above, it has the following effects: 1. The hood lock release lever is configured to be fixed and released by the fixing part, so when it is fixed, the hood lock release lever cannot be operated and the hood cannot be opened. Furthermore, since the fixing and release of the hood lock release lever by the movement of the fixing part is controlled by the lock part, when the lock part is locked, the hood cannot be opened unless it is unlocked with a key. 2. Since the fixing part is in contact with and connected to a projection provided on the lock part, the movement of the fixing part can be controlled only by the approaching and moving away movements of the projection part.

[0017] 3. By using a padlock for the locking mechanism, it becomes possible to control the movement of the fixed part with a strong lock, and the movement of the protruding part to the adjacent and adjacent parts can be easily achieved. Furthermore, since the padlock is stored and fixed inside the hood, it is difficult to access the padlock and picking is impossible, ensuring strong security as it becomes impossible to open the hood without using a key with a special structure. 4. The key consists of a key body and a rod-shaped part, with the key body attached to the tip of the rod-shaped part, so it is possible to unlock the lock even if the locking mechanism is installed in an inaccessible location inside the hood.

[0018] 5. The system is equipped with a guide to assist in inserting the key, making it easy to unlock the lock mechanism located in a hard-to-see position inside the hood. 6. The system controls the fixing mechanism that locks and releases the hood lock release lever using the operation of the lock mechanism, allowing the vehicle's security to be ensured by controlling the locking and releasing of the hood lock release lever using any type of lock, not just a padlock.

[0019] The bonnet latch lock mechanism according to the present invention will be described in detail below based on the embodiments shown in the drawings. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the bonnet latch lock mechanism according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the bonnet latch lock mechanism before it is attached to the bonnet latch. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the key, and Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the fixed and unlocked states of the bonnet lock release lever by the fixing part.

[0020] The bonnet latch lock mechanism 1 of the present invention consists of a base portion 100, a fixing portion 200, a locking portion 300, a lock mechanism holding portion 400, and a key 500, and is installed on a vehicle having a bonnet. By locking the bonnet latch 20, which is equipped with a bonnet lock release lever 10, in a way that allows it to be fixed and released, the bonnet latch lock mechanism has a security function that prevents the bonnet from being opened or closed from outside the vehicle.

[0021] The base portion 100 is a member for fixing the bonnet latch lock mechanism 1 according to the present invention to the bonnet latch 20 portion of the vehicle. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bonnet latch lock mechanism 1 is fixedly installed near the bonnet lock release lever 10 provided on the bonnet latch 20. This makes it possible to firmly and integrally fix the bonnet latch lock mechanism 1 and the mechanism related to the bonnet latch 20.

[0022] The fixing part 200 is a component for fixing and releasing the hood lock release lever 10. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the fixing part 200 moves back and forth to contact the hood lock release lever 10, thereby suppressing its rotational movement. However, it is also possible to select a configuration in which the fixing part 200 clamps and fixes the hood lock release lever 10, a configuration in which the fixing part 200 fixes the rotation axis of the hood lock release lever 10 to prevent rotation, or a configuration in which the fixing part 200 electromagnetically fixes and locks the hood lock release lever 10.

[0023] The locking portion 300 is a component for controlling the fixing and opening of the hood lock release lever 10 by the fixing portion 200. In this embodiment, the locking portion 300 consists of a lock-like member and is configured to control the fixing and opening of the hood lock release lever 10 by the fixing portion 200 using a key 500, but it is not limited to this and any lock can be used, for example, an electronic key may be used to control the fixing and opening of the hood lock release lever 10 by the fixing portion 200.

[0024] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, the locking mechanism 300 controls the forward and backward movement of the fixing mechanism 200. The locking and unlocking of the locking mechanism 300 by the key 500 controls the fixing and opening of the hood lock release lever 10 by the fixing mechanism 200. Specifically, locking the locking mechanism 300 with the key 500 causes the fixing mechanism 200 to move forward and fix the hood lock release lever 10, and unlocking the locking mechanism 300 with the key 500 causes the fixing mechanism 200 to move backward and release the hood lock release lever 10.

[0025] Any configuration is possible for powering the forward and backward movement of the fixed part 200. For example, a power supply unit (not shown) can be provided within the bonnet latch lock mechanism 1, and the forward and backward movement can be electrically controlled using a motor or the like. Alternatively, an elastic member such as a spring can be provided inside or outside the lock part 300, and the forward and backward movement can be controlled by its biasing force. Or, a magnetic force can be used to control the forward and backward movement. However, the system is not limited to these configurations.

[0026] The locking mechanism holding portion 400 is a member for holding the fixing portion 200 and the locking portion 300, and in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, it is provided on the base portion 100. The locking mechanism holding portion 400 may be integrally molded with the base portion 100, or it may be molded as a separate member from the base portion 100 and installed on the base portion 100 afterwards. It is also possible to use the bonnet latch connection side of the locking mechanism holding portion 400 as the base portion 100.

[0027] In this embodiment, the locking mechanism holding portion 400 is configured to slidably hold the fixed portion 200 so that it can move back and forth. It also holds the lock portion 300 connected to the fixed portion 200 in a fixed position. This configuration makes it possible to stably move the fixed portion 200 back and forth in response to the operation of the fixedly installed lock portion 300.

[0028] As an embodiment of the lock mechanism holding part 400, as shown in Figure 1, it can be a box-shaped member protruding from the base part 100. The fixing part 200 and the lock part 300 are held inside this box-shaped member. With this configuration, the base part 100 can be fixed to the bonnet latch 20, the forward and backward movement of the fixing part 200 is stable, and the fixing part 200 can reliably fix and release the bonnet lock release lever 10.

[0029] The key 500 is a component for unlocking and locking the locking mechanism 300. By unlocking and locking the locking mechanism 300 with the key 500, the locking mechanism 300 operates, and the fixing part 200 can control the fixing and opening of the bonnet lock release lever 10.

[0030] The key 500 and the locking mechanism 300 can be configured in any way that allows for unlocking and locking, and configurations such as a physical key, an electronic key, or a magnetic locking mechanism can be selected and used as appropriate. The locking mechanism 300 is located inside the vehicle's hood and is positioned in a location that is difficult to access to prevent unauthorized access. For example, when using a physical key or a magnetic key, shaping the key 500 so that it can reach the locking mechanism 300 makes it easier to unlock and lock the locking mechanism 300 and prevents unauthorized access to it.

[0031] Next, the control of fixing and releasing the bonnet lock release lever 10 by the fixing part 200 using the lock part 300 will be described. The fixing part 200 is configured to fix and release the bonnet lock release lever 10 by contacting (or clamping or fixing the rotation axis of) the bonnet lock release lever 10 or separating from it based on the locking and unlocking of the lock part 300. In other words, the fixing part 200 fixes the bonnet lock release lever 10 so that it does not move by contacting (or clamping or fixing the rotation axis of) the bonnet lock release lever 10 when the locking operation of the lock part 300 is performed, and opens the bonnet lock release lever 10 so that it can be operated by separating from the bonnet lock release lever 10 (or releasing the clamping or releasing the rotation axis) when the unlocking operation of the lock part 300 is performed.

[0032] As a more specific example, as shown in Figure 4, when the locking mechanism is engaged with the key 500, the fixing part 200 of the locking mechanism 300 moves toward the side that contacts the hood release lever 10. This fixes the hood release lever 10 in place so that it does not rotate. When unlocking with the key 500, as shown in Figure 4, the fixing part 200 moves toward the side that separates it from the hood release lever 10. This releases the hood release lever 10, allowing the hood of the vehicle to be opened by rotating the hood release lever 10.

[0033] With the above configuration, the operation of the hood lock release lever 10 can be controlled by the lock 300 and key 500. When the lock 300 is locked, the hood cannot be opened unless it is unlocked with the key 500. Normally, when a vehicle's hood is opened from inside the vehicle, the lever to open the hood is pulled, the hood opens one step, and the user reaches their hand through the narrow gap and operates the hood lock release lever 10 to open it further. By installing the hood latch lock mechanism 1 according to the present invention on the hood latch 20, it becomes extremely difficult to access the lock 300 through the narrow gap unless a special key 500 is used, making it impossible to illegally unlock the lock 300 by picking or the like, thus ensuring very strong security.

[0034] Next, embodiments of the locking mechanism 300 and the key 500 will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the locking mechanism 300 can consist of a lock body 310 and a protruding part 320. The lock body 310 is the body of the lock, which has a locking mechanism inside for locking and unlocking with a key. The locking mechanism may be configured such that a key 500 consisting of a physical key is inserted into the lock body 310 to lock and unlock it, or it may be configured such that the lock body 310 is electronically locked and unlocked by contacting, bringing close to, or operating the key 500 with a switch, or it may be configured such that the lock body 310 is locked and unlocked using magnetism.

[0035] The protruding portion 320 is a component provided to protrude from the lock body 310 and is configured to move closer to or further away from the lock body 310. In this embodiment, when the lock portion 300 is locked with the key 500, the protruding portion 320 moves closer to the lock body 310, and when the lock portion 300 is unlocked with the key 500, the protruding portion 320 moves further away from the lock body 310. However, it is also possible to configure it in the opposite way: when the lock portion 300 is locked with the key 500, the protruding portion 320 moves further away from the lock body 310, and when the lock portion 300 is unlocked with the key 500, the protruding portion 320 moves closer to the lock body 310.

[0036] Furthermore, the fixing portion 200 is configured to abut against and connect to the protruding portion 320. In other words, the fixing portion 200 is configured to respond to the movement of the protruding portion 320 toward and away from the lock body 310.

[0037] This configuration allows the fixed part 200 to move back and forth when the lock is engaged with the key 500, by moving the protruding part 320 closer to (or further away from) the lock body 310, and when the lock is unlocked with the key 500, by moving the protruding part 320 further away from (or closer to) the lock body 310. In other words, by simply performing the unlocking and locking operation with the key 500, it becomes possible to control the back and forth movement of the fixed part 200 in response to the approaching and moving away movement of the protruding part 320, and thus control the operation of the bonnet lock release lever 10.

[0038] As an embodiment of the bonnet latch lock mechanism 1 according to the present invention, the lock portion 300 can be a padlock. The padlock is a robust lock consisting of a latch, a body, and a locking mechanism, and the latch is used as a protruding portion 320. If the padlock has a spring or the like inside, the force of the latch (protruding portion 320) moving when unlocked by the spring can be used to easily move the fixing portion 200 and open the bonnet lock release lever 10. Furthermore, since the bonnet latch lock mechanism 1 is installed inside the bonnet, and the gap in the bonnet before operating the bonnet lock release lever 1 is extremely narrow, access to the padlock (lock portion 300) is difficult, making picking impossible.

[0039] In other words, by selecting a padlock as the locking mechanism 300, it becomes possible to control the movement of the fixed part with a robust lock, and to easily achieve the movement of the protruding part toward and away from it. Furthermore, since the padlock is stored and fixed inside the hood, it becomes difficult to access the padlock and impossible to pick, ensuring strong security as the hood cannot be opened without using a special key.

[0040] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the lock body 310 of the lock unit 300 has a key insertion portion 312. The key 500, as shown in Figure 3, consists of a key body 510 and a rod-shaped portion 520 with a bent portion. The bent portion is designed to be appropriately modified depending on the vehicle type so that it can access the lock unit 300 inside the vehicle's hood. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the tip of the rod-shaped portion 520 is equipped with a key body 510 for insertion into the insertion portion 312 of the lock body 310 to unlock and lock the lock.

[0041] The use of the key 500 will now be explained. The hood of a vehicle equipped with the hood latch lock mechanism 1 according to the present invention is opened from inside the vehicle. This opens the hood by a few centimeters. Through the gap created by the opening, the lock body 310 of the lock part 300 of the hood latch lock mechanism 1 is visible, but it is out of reach. The lock part 300 is locked in this state. The key 500, which has a rod-shaped part 520 with a bent portion, is inserted through the gap, and as shown in Figure 4, the key body 510 is inserted into the insertion part 312 of the lock body 310, thereby unlocking the lock part 300. As a result, the protruding part 320 moves, the fixing part 200 also moves in response, and the hood lock release lever 10, which was inoperable by the fixing part 200, is released. This makes it possible to open the vehicle's hood.

[0042] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the lock mechanism holding portion 400 can be configured to include a guide 410. The guide 410 is a member for assisting the insertion of the key 500, and when the key 500 is inserted through the gap of the bonnet, it serves to guide the key body 510 so that it can be easily inserted into the insertion portion 312. As a result, even when the locking portion 300 is installed at a position where it is difficult to visually recognize inside the bonnet, it becomes possible to easily unlock the locking portion 300.

[0043] There are many cases where criminal acts such as vehicle theft occur after the bonnet of the vehicle is opened and improper processing is performed on the installed computer, fuses, etc., and then the vehicle is stolen. The inventor of the present invention is the patent holder of an invention related to a relay with enhanced security for mounting on a vehicle (Japanese Patent No. 7300564, Japanese Patent No. 7555522, etc.), and has provided many technologies for preventing vehicle theft and the like by registering a relay having a security function in the vehicle. However, there is a problem that if the bonnet is illegally opened, it allows improper processing of the computer and fuses with security measures.

[0044] By enhancing physical security like the bonnet latch lock mechanism according to the present invention, it becomes possible to increase the possibility of preventing crimes such as discouraging an intruder from intruding because it takes time to open the bonnet. In particular, by using physical security like the present invention in combination with the electronic security of the vehicle, it becomes possible to prevent intrusion into the vehicle and vehicle theft, make unlocking etc. difficult to gain time, and discourage intrusion, and it becomes possible to prevent crimes against the vehicle.

[0045] Perspective view of the bonnet latch lock mechanism according to the present inventionPerspective view of the bonnet latch lock mechanism before attachment to the bonnet latchPerspective view of the keyPerspective view showing the fixed and released states of the bonnet lock release lever by the fixing portion

[0046] 1. Hood latch lock mechanism 10. Hood lock release lever 20. Hood latch 100. Base 200. Fixing part 300. Lock part 310. Lock body 312. Insertion part 320. Protruding part 400. Lock mechanism holding part 410. Guide 500. Key 510. Key body 520. Rod-shaped part

Claims

1. A bonnet latch lock mechanism (1) that locks a bonnet latch (20) equipped with a bonnet lock release lever (10) so that it can be fixed and released comprises: a base (100) for fixing the bonnet latch lock mechanism (1) near the bonnet lock release lever (10) of the bonnet latch (20); a fixing part (200) that fixes and releases the bonnet lock release lever (10) by moving back and forth; a locking part (300) that controls the back and forth movement of the fixing part; a lock mechanism holding part (400) that holds the fixing part (200) so that it can move back and forth and also holds the locking part (300) in a fixed position; and a key (500) for unlocking and locking the locking part (300). The bonnet latch lock mechanism is characterized in that the locking portion (300) fixes the bonnet lock release lever (10) by moving the fixing portion (200) toward the side that abuts the bonnet lock release lever (10) when the lock is engaged with the key (500), and releases the bonnet lock release lever (10) by moving the fixing portion (200) toward the side that separates from the bonnet lock release lever (10) when the lock is engaged with the key (500).

2. The bonnet latch lock mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that the lock portion (300) comprises a lock body (310) and a protruding portion (320) that protrudes from the lock body (310) and moves closer to or further away from the lock body (310), and the fixing portion (200) is connected to the protruding portion (320), and when the lock is engaged with the key (500) the protruding portion (320) moves closer to the lock body (310), and when the lock is engaged with the key (500) the protruding portion (320) moves further away from the lock body (310), thereby moving the fixing portion (200) back and forth.

3. The bonnet latch lock mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that the lock portion (300) is a padlock.

4. The bonnet latch lock mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the lock body (310) of the lock portion (300) has an insertion portion (312) for the key (500), and the key (500) consists of a key body (510) and a rod-shaped portion (520) having a bent portion, and the tip of the rod-shaped portion (520) is provided with the key body (510) which is inserted into the insertion portion (312) to unlock and lock.

5. The bonnet latch lock mechanism according to claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the lock mechanism holding portion (400) is provided with a guide (410) for assisting the insertion of the key (500).

6. A bonnet latch lock mechanism (1) that locks a bonnet latch (20) equipped with a bonnet lock release lever (10) so that it can be fixed and released comprises: a base (100) for fixing the bonnet latch lock mechanism (1) near the bonnet lock release lever (10) of the bonnet latch (20); a fixing part (200) for fixing and releasing the bonnet lock release lever (10); a lock part (300) for controlling the fixing and releasing of the bonnet lock release lever (10) by the fixing part (200); a lock mechanism holding part (400) for holding the fixing part (200) and the lock part (300); and a key (500) for unlocking and locking the lock part (300). The bonnet latch lock mechanism is characterized in that the fixing part (200) contacts and separates from the bonnet lock release lever (10) based on the locking and unlocking of the lock part (300), thereby fixing and releasing the bonnet lock release lever (10).

Images