Vehicle Hood Lift Hinge Assembly with Locking Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vehicle hood lift systems often result in deformation of hood components during actuation, leading to significant repair costs and delays when returning to normal operating condition.
Innovation Solution
A hinge assembly with a hood bracket and hinge arm featuring a slot and notch configuration that limits rotation and secures the arm to the bracket, allowing for controlled lift and re-engagement without substantial deformation, utilizing a lift actuator to elevate the rearward hood portion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hood lift systems are actuated to elevate the rearward hood portion, then pedestrian safety is improved by increasing distance between the hood and underlying vehicle components, but deformation of hood components occurs requiring replacement and significant repair costs
Solution Approach 1:
The hinge assembly incorporates a movable locking mechanism with a locking member that can transition between locked and unlocked states. During normal operation, the locking member secures the hood bracket to the hinge arm. Upon detection of a pedestrian collision, the locking member automatically unlocks, allowing the hood to pivot upward dynamically without deforming structural components. This dynamic response enables safety activation while preserving component integrity for reuse.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the hood assembly by introducing a controlled degrees-of-freedom mechanism. The hood bracket is designed to rotate relative to the hinge arm within a specific angular range when unlocked, rather than maintaining a fixed rigid connection. This parameter change allows the hood to achieve the necessary elevation angle for pedestrian safety while preventing excessive movement that would cause deformation.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the hood is elevated to create distance from underlying components, then pedestrian safety is enhanced, but hood components deform requiring part replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The hood support system is segmented into distinct functional components: a fixed hinge arm attached to the vehicle body, a movable hood bracket attached to the hood, and a locking mechanism connecting them. This segmentation allows the locking mechanism to serve as a sacrificial element that can unlock without damage, while the structural hinge arm and hood bracket remain intact and reusable, maintaining component strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The locking member acts as an intermediary between the hood bracket and hinge arm. During pedestrian collision, the locking member fails or disengages to allow hood elevation, protecting the stronger hinge arm and hood bracket from deformation. This intermediary mechanism absorbs the stress of the safety event, preserving the integrity of the main structural components.
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 enables robust hood lift systems that maintain integrity during collisions, reduce repair costs, and minimize downtime by preventing deformation of hood components, ensuring effective pedestrian safety without substantial repair delays.
Implementation Method 1
The hinge arm includes a slot engagement member extending into the slot to limit a range of rotation of the hood bracket relative to the hinge arm
Implementation Method 2
a notch engagement member extendable into the notch and configured to removably secure the hinge arm to the hood bracket to limit rotational movement therebetween
Data Source
AI summary
A hinge assembly includes a hood bracket connected to a vehicle hood. The hood bracket includes a side plate defining a slot having a perimeter entirely bounded by the side plate so as to be spaced from a side plate edge, the side plate also defining a notch open at the side plate edge. A hinge arm has first and second ends rotatably connected to a vehicle body and the hood bracket. The hinge arm includes a slot engagement member extending into the slot to limit a range of rotation of the hood bracket relative to the hinge arm, and a notch engagement member extendable into the notch and configured to removably secure the hinge arm to the hood bracket to limit rotational movement therebetween.