Vehicle Front Structure With Auto-Releasing Bonnet-Lid Lock
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle front structures face issues with the thermal insulating cover's lid breaking due to relative deviation in rotational displacements during bonnet closure, as the lid is often closed before it is fully shut, leading to excessive pulling by the bonnet.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle front structure design where the lid hinge fulcrum is positioned similarly to the bonnet hinge fulcrum, allowing independent opening and closing of the lid, and a locking mechanism that releases during bonnet closure, preventing excessive load on the lid and ensuring it can close reliably with the bonnet without breaking.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the locking mechanism locks the lid to the bonnet to keep the lid open during maintenance, then the lid can be reliably held open, but the lid may break due to excessive pulling during bonnet closure if the lid is not properly closed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by designing the locking mechanism to automatically release before the bonnet fully closes. The release condition is triggered when the bonnet reaches a predetermined closing position, preventing the excessive pulling force that would otherwise cause lid breakage. This anticipatory release mechanism counteracts the potential harmful effect before it occurs.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism performs preliminary action by securing the lid in the open position before maintenance operations begin. This ensures the lid remains reliably held open during engine maintenance, allowing safe and convenient access to engine components while preventing accidental closure.
2Ease of operation
If the lid hinge fulcrum is positioned at the same location as the bonnet hinge fulcrum, then the lid can open and close independently of the bonnet, but the locking mechanism must be designed to release at the appropriate moment during closure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by designing the locking mechanism with movable locking and locked members that can transition between locked and released states. The locking member can engage with the locked member to hold the lid open, and automatically release when the bonnet reaches the predetermined closing position, providing dynamic adaptability during the closure process.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking mechanism acts as an intermediary between the lid and bonnet systems. It mediates the interaction by allowing the lid to be held open independently during maintenance, then automatically releasing to allow proper closure sequencing, thus coordinating between the two independently operating components.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is a vehicle front structure capable of, without breaking a lid provided at a thermal insulating cover, reliably closing a bonnet and the lid even if an attempt is made to close the bonnet prior to closing the lid. In the present invention, a thermal insulating cover 10 including a lid 30 that covers the upper side of an engine in an openable and closable manner is provided below a bonnet 1 that covers the upper side of an engine room in an openable and closable manner; the lid 30 is provided with, in the vehicle front-rear direction, a hinge fulcrum 36 on the same rear end side as a hinge fulcrum 4 of the bonnet 1 and is openable and closable independently of the bonnet 1; and the lid 30 includes locking means 40 that is locked to the bonnet 1 when the lid 30 is open and is released from the locking in conjunction with a closing operation of the bonnet 1.