Automobile Hood Active Hinge Mechanism for Rapid Pedestrian Impact Response
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional automobile hood link-type active hinge devices are complex, costly, and lack reliability, leading to delayed hood raising during collisions, which compromises pedestrian safety due to issues with safety pin friction and durability.
Innovation Solution
A simplified automobile hood link-type active hinge device featuring a rotatable arm piece, pick-up piece, bushing for rigid coupling/separation, and an actuator to rapidly release the safety pin and raise the hood upon collision, ensuring quick impact absorption and air bag deployment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional active hood hinge device with three link members and four hinge pins is used, then the hood can be raised, but the device complexity increases and production cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The active hood hinge device is divided into two separate hinge members (first hinge member and second hinge member) that work in sequence. The first hinge member raises the hood initially, and the second hinge member completes the raising action. This segmentation simplifies the overall structure by eliminating the need for three link members and four hinge pins, while maintaining the hood raising function.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and eliminates unnecessary components from the conventional design. By removing one link member and reducing the number of hinge pins from four to two, the structure is simplified without compromising the functionality of raising the hood. The essential function is retained with fewer parts.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a safety pin is coupled to a pin hole in the link member to prevent spreading, then the link member is fixedly maintained, but frictional resistance occurs during safety pin escape, delaying hood raising
Solution Approach 1:
A bushing is introduced as an intermediary component between the safety pin and the pin holes in the hinge members. The bushing facilitates the escape of the safety pin by reducing frictional resistance, allowing the pin to slide out smoothly and quickly. This mediator enables both stable fixation during normal operation and rapid release during emergency hood raising.
3Device complexity
If a synthetic resin bushing is used to fix the detachable fastening member, then the structure is simplified, but durability decreases and rigid fastening is not maintained over time
Solution Approach 1:
The bushing is constructed using composite materials that combine the advantages of different materials. This allows the bushing to maintain durability and rigid fastening capability over extended periods while still providing the necessary friction reduction for safety pin escape. The composite structure ensures both long-term reliability and functional performance.
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
The device ensures rapid and reliable hood raising, reducing production costs, improving durability, and enhancing pedestrian safety by quickly providing impact-absorbing space and deploying air bags.
Implementation Method 1
the mutual frictional resistance between the inner peripheral surface of the pin hole and the safety pin occurs, and thus, the active hinge device is not rapidly operated
Implementation Method 2
an actuator in such a manner as to separate the safety pin from the bushing and rapidly raise the rear end portion of the hood at the time when the automobile collides against a pedestrian
Implementation Method 3
a bushing coupled to coupling holes formed on the arm piece and the pick-up piece to fix or separate the arm piece and the pick-up piece to each other or from each other
Data Source
AI summary
An automobile hood link-type active hinge device includes: an arm piece rotatably coupled to an automobile body fixing stand by means of a hood opening side hinge shaft; a pick-up piece rotatably coupled to the arm piece by means of an operating side hinge shaft and having a hood coupled to the top portion thereof; a bushing coupled to coupling holes formed on the arm piece and the pick-up piece to fix or separate the arm piece and the pick-up piece to each other or from each other, the bushing having two or more incised slots formed on the central periphery thereof; a coupling-releasing member having a safety pin coupled to the bushing, the safety pin having a base piece formed thereon and a locking piece formed on one side periphery thereof through punching, a supporting portion coupled to a fixing member around a rotary shaft, and a releasing lever mounted on the upper portion of the supporting portion; and an actuator located under the releasing lever.