Vehicle Bonnet Hinge with Angled Lifting Member
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bonnet hinge arrangements for vehicles have a high packaging height and do not effectively decouple movements during normal opening and deployment, which can lead to increased injury severity in collisions with vulnerable road users, as they do not adequately increase the distance between the bonnet and hard engine parts.
Innovation Solution
A hinge arrangement with a multi-link deployment guiding mechanism and a lifting member angled less than 45°, allowing the bonnet to move upwards and rearwards, providing a low packaging height and enabling controlled collapse to increase the distance between the bonnet and engine parts during deployment, thereby reducing injury risk.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the actuator extends in a vertically downward direction to lift the bonnet, then the bonnet can be deployed to increase distance from engine parts, but the packaging height becomes rather high
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting member is arranged at an angle less than 45° to the horizontal plane, changing the direction of actuation from vertical to oblique. This dimensional change allows the actuator to achieve the same bonnet lifting function while reducing the vertical packaging height requirement, as the lifting force is applied at an angle rather than directly downward
Solution Approach 2:
The deployment guiding arrangement includes multiple linkages that dynamically transform the motion path of the bracket portion. During transition from normal to deployed state, the multi-link connection enables complex coordinated movement that decouples the lifting action from direct vertical actuation, allowing compact actuator placement while achieving the required bonnet displacement
2Device complexity
If the hinged connection remains active during bonnet deployment, then the hinge arrangement structure is simpler, but the movements during normal opening and deployment cannot be decoupled
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge arrangement is segmented into two functional systems: the hinge portion providing rotational connection for normal opening, and the deployment guiding arrangement with multi-link connection for controlled deployment. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each function - the hinge for simple rotation and the deployment mechanism for coordinated translational movement with actuator coupling
Solution Approach 2:
The deployment guiding arrangement acts as an intermediary mechanism between the lifting member and the bracket portion. It translates the oblique lifting force into controlled translational movement, mediating the interaction between the actuator and bonnet while enabling movement decoupling without requiring complete hinge disconnection
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4a
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a hinge arrangement (11) adapted to be located at an end portion (15, 17) of a bonnet (5) of a vehicle (3) and being transitable between a normal state and a deployed state. The hinge arrangement comprises a hinge portion (19), a bracket portion (21), a deployment guiding arrangement (23) and a lifting member (37). The hinge portion comprises a first member (25), a second member (27) and a first pivot axis (A1) providing a hinged connection between the first member and second member. The deployment guiding arrangement comprises a multi-link connection between the bracket portion and the first member of the hinge portion. The lifting member is arranged at an angle less than 45° to a plane spanned by the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction of the hinge arrangement. The bracket portion is arranged to be in a fixed position relative to the first member during movement in the hinged connection. Further, the bracket portion is arranged to be translationally displaced as a whole at least in the vertical direction in relation to the first member of the hinge portion by means of the lifting member acting on the deployment guiding arrangement during the transition of the hinge arrangement between the normal state and the deployed state, the deployment guiding arrangement being adapted to control the transition and the hinged connection being inactive during the transition.