Vehicle Pop-Up Hood Lock Device Anti-Tilt Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle pop-up hood devices face issues with the front hood tilting when contacted by pedestrians, leading to increased weight and component count when attempting to address this problem through additional lock devices or link mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle pop-up hood device featuring a pair of front hood lifting devices and a single hood lock device with an anchoring portion, a lock portion, and a fixing device that releases the hood lock device during actuation, preventing tilting while minimizing weight and component count.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Weight of moving object

If a single hood lock device is used, then the weight and number of components are reduced, but the front hood may tilt when contacted by pedestrians

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweight of hood lock deviceVSAvoidstability of front hood
Core Design Contradiction:
Weight of moving objectVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The hood locking system is divided into two functional parts: a single hood lock device for weight reduction and a pair of lifting devices positioned at separated locations for stability. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in one function while working together to achieve both weight reduction and anti-tilting stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The hood lock device serves as an intermediary component that coordinates between the lifting devices and the hood striker. It receives actuation signals from the lifting devices and translates them into coordinated movement of the hood, enabling the single lock device to control the stable movement of the entire hood assembly.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Stability of the object's composition

If a pair of hood lock devices or link mechanisms are provided at separation in vehicle width direction, then tilting is suppressed, but the weight and number of components increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of front hoodVSAvoidnumber of components
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the functions of multiple hood lock devices into a single integrated hood lock device that cooperates with separately positioned lifting devices. This combining approach maintains the stability benefits of distributed components while consolidating the locking function into one unit, reducing overall component count.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The single hood lock device is designed with multi-functionality to perform both locking and coordinated lifting control. It integrates the anchoring portion for securing the hood striker and the lock portion for controlled release, enabling one component to replace what would traditionally require multiple specialized devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Manufacturing precision

If the hood lock device is fixed rigidly, then positioning accuracy is improved, but the ability to move with the hood during pop-up is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepositioning accuracy of hood lock deviceVSAvoidmobility of hood lock device
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The hood lock device employs a dynamic mounting structure that transitions between fixed and movable states. During normal operation, it maintains a fixed position for accuracy, but during pop-up actuation, it becomes movable to follow the hood's motion trajectory, achieving both precision and adaptability through state transformation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentEP3088260B1Pop-up hood device for vehicle
Publication Date: 2018.05.16 TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
  • EP3088260B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3088260B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3088260B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A vehicle pop-up hood device (10) includes a pair of actuators (16) that move a front hood (12) from a closed position to a lifted position, and a single hood lock device that is disposed at a vehicle width direction intermediate portion between the pair of actuators (16), that includes an anchor recess (28) to which a hood striker (22) is anchored, and a latch (32), and that is configured so as to be capable of moving from the closed position to the lifted position together with the front hood (12). The vehicle pop-up hood device (10) further includes a fixing device (18) that fixes the hood lock device (14) in the closed position; and a fixing release device (20) that releases the fixing of the hood lock device (14) by the fixing device (18) in conjunction with actuation of the actuators (16).