Vehicle Hood Hinge Restraining Member Impact Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle hood structures fail to effectively restrict upward and lateral movement of the rear edge and rear corner during impact events, leading to potential damage and undesirable contact with the windshield.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle hood hinge structure with a restraining member and contact portion configuration that engages upon deformation, limiting movement by applying a force to the hood attachment part relative to the body attachment part, thereby restricting upward and lateral movement of the rear corner and edge.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional hood hinge structure is used, then the hood can move freely between closed and open positions, but the hood cannot effectively restrict upward and lateral movement of the rear corner during impact events
Solution Approach 1:
The hood hinge structure is divided into separate functional components: a body attachment part, a hood attachment part, and a hinge part. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall simplicity. The restraining member is further segmented into a restraining surface and a contact surface positioned at different locations to handle different movement directions.
Solution Approach 2:
The restraining member acts as an intermediary element between the body attachment part and the hood attachment part. During impact events, the restraining surface contacts the contact surface to mediate and control the movement of the hood, preventing excessive upward and lateral motion while allowing normal hinge operation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the hood is allowed to move freely during impact, then the hinge structure remains simple, but the rear corner and edge of the hood contact the windshield causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The restraining member is pre-positioned with its restraining surface oriented to counteract upward and lateral movement forces before they can cause damage. During normal operation, the restraining surface does not contact the hood, but during impact events, it automatically engages to prevent the hood rear corner from contacting the windshield.
Solution Approach 2:
The restraining member extends in a direction generally perpendicular to the hinge axis, creating a spatial arrangement that addresses movement in multiple dimensions. The restraining surface is positioned to contact the hood in a location and orientation that effectively prevents both upward and lateral movement vectors simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
A hood hinge structure includes a body attachment part, a hood attachment part and a hinge part connecting the hood attachment part to the body attachment part at a first location. The body attachment part has a contact portion formed thereon and the hood attachment part has a restraining member formed thereon. The contact portion engages the restraining member at a second location forward of the first location relative to a vehicle longitudinal direction to restrain movement of the hood attachment part relative to the body attachment part upon application of a prescribed force on at least one of the body attachment part and the hood attachment part where at least one of the body attachment part and the hood attachment part is moved in a lateral direction to a deformed state while the hood attachment part is in the closed position.