Active Hood Latch System for Pedestrian Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle designs do not adequately protect pedestrians from upper leg impacts during collisions, as existing technologies fail to effectively reduce damage without restricting design flexibility, such as reducing hood height and altering the bumper-hood parting line.
Innovation Solution
An active hood latch system that includes a pedestrian collision detecting sensor, a locking/releasing unit, and a flexible member to release the hood latch assembly's locked state, allowing the hood to pop up and absorb collision energy with a damping effect, reducing pedestrian damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If the height of the tip end of an engine hood is reduced to lessen striking energy, then pedestrian protection is improved, but the design flexibility and conventional vehicle design constraints are restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The hood latch system transitions from a static locked state to a dynamic unlocked state upon detecting pedestrian collision. The main latch is pivotally coupled to allow rotational movement, enabling the hood to dynamically adjust its position based on collision detection rather than being fixed in a predetermined low-height configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameter of the hood latch from locked to unlocked based on collision detection signals. This parameter change allows the hood to move from a closed position to an opened position, absorbing collision energy and reducing pedestrian injury without permanently altering the vehicle's design parameters.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the parting line between the bumper and the hood is raised so that a pedestrian collides with a plastic portion at the initial stage, then pedestrian protection is improved, but the design flexibility is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than permanently raising the parting line, the system dynamically adjusts the hood position after collision detection. The hood can move upward to create effective cushioning space, achieving the protective effect of a raised parting line while maintaining the original design configuration and flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by detecting collision before the hood needs to move. The pedestrian collision detecting sensor identifies the collision event, triggering the unlocking mechanism in advance, allowing the hood to move to the optimal protective position rather than relying on fixed design modifications.
3Reliability
If a hood latch assembly with dual locking structure is used to maintain closed state, then hood security is improved, but the complexity of the latch assembly increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the safety hook component from the traditional dual-locking hood latch assembly. By removing this component and relying solely on the main latch with pivotal coupling, the system maintains sufficient security for normal operation while eliminating unnecessary complexity. The collision detection system compensates for the reduced mechanical locking complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances pedestrian protection by providing a cushion effect during collisions, reducing damage without limiting conventional vehicle design constraints, thus meeting future pedestrian protection regulations.
Implementation Method 1
the flexible member connected to the main latch may be selectively extended by the hood to absorb collision energy and reduce damage to a pedestrian
Data Source
AI summary
An active hood latch system for a vehicle may include a housing, a locking/releasing bar connected to a cable of a hood latch assembly, a locking/releasing unit configured to release a locked state of the locking/releasing bar using a signal of a pedestrian collision detecting sensor, and a pulling unit configured to rotate the locking/releasing bar by pulling an end of the locking/releasing bar, wherein the hood latch assembly includes a main latch pivotally coupled to the housing, and a flexible member connecting the housing to the main latch, and wherein when the cable may be pulled by operating the locking/releasing unit using the signal of the pedestrian collision detecting sensor, the main latch may be released to pop up a hood and the flexible member connected to the main latch may be selectively extended by the hood to absorb collision energy and reduce damage to a pedestrian.