Vehicle Hood Hinge With Controlled Lift to Limit Overswing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle hood hinge systems tend to overswing excessively during the lift-up process, leading to a maximum height that is up to 100% above the intended height, which compromises pedestrian protection and requires a solution to limit this movement while maintaining the ability to lift the hood even in a locked state.
Innovation Solution
A hinge system incorporating a lifting-piston actuator with a piston element connected form-fittingly to the hinge or hood, a strap element with a holding region, and an elastic element to limit the opening movement, preventing excessive upswing by ensuring a controlled lifting mechanism that maintains a predefined protection height.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a lifting-piston actuator is used to lift the hood, then the hood can be lifted even in the locked state, but the hood experiences excessive rise and overswings up to 100% above the intended height
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state of the connection between piston element and hood from permanent to temporary. The connection is established only during the lifting movement when the hood needs to be raised, and released afterward. This allows the piston to provide powerful acceleration during lifting while preventing excessive rise after the lifting action is complete, thus resolving the contradiction between lifting capability and height precision.
2Manufacturing precision
If the piston element is permanently connected to the hood, then the hood lifting is controlled, but the complexity of the hinge system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the connection between the piston element and hood dynamic rather than static. The connection is temporarily established during lifting movement and then released. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain simplicity by avoiding permanent complex connection mechanisms while still achieving precise hood lifting height control when needed.
3Device complexity
If the hood is allowed to overswing freely, then the lifting mechanism is simple, but pedestrian protection is compromised due to excessive height
Solution Approach 1:
The patent temporarily changes the connection parameter between piston element and hood during lifting. The connection is established only when needed for lifting and then released, allowing the hood to achieve the correct protection height without excessive overswing. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining pedestrian protection while avoiding the need for complex limiting mechanisms.
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 solution effectively limits the hood's upswing to no more than 25% above the predefined protection height, enhancing pedestrian safety by ensuring a consistent and controlled lifting action, thereby improving deformability and reducing the risk of overswing during impact scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
In particular, the lifting-piston actuator is driven by a propellant, so that the hood experiences powerful acceleration.
Implementation Method 2
the hood has a spring element which keeps the hood in an open position during normal running
Data Source
AI summary
Please substitute the new Abstract submitted herewith for the original Abstract:A hinge system of a hood of a vehicle has a hinge which is arranged between the hood and a mating element of the vehicle. The hinge is designed both for opening the hood and for raising the hood when the latter is in the closed state, and includes a lifting-piston actuator for initiating a raising movement of the hood. The lifting-piston actuator has a piston element which can be connected to the hinge and/or the hood in a form-fitting manner in order to limit freedom of movement of the hood.