Active hood hinge with upstop

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10100565-B2
Application number	US-201615387696-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2016
Priority date	Dec 22, 2016
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

A hinge assembly for attaching a hood to a body of a vehicle includes a body-side bracket fixedly attached to the body and a hood-side bracket fixedly attached to the hood. A pivot mechanism is configured to place the hinge assembly in: a stowed position, in which the hood is adjacent the body; an access position, in which the hood rotates toward a rear of the vehicle; and an active position, in which the hood rotates toward a front of the vehicle. The hinge assembly also includes an actuator that configured to move the pivot mechanism to, or toward, the active position. A pin is attached to the body-side bracket and an upstop link is attached to the hood-side bracket. The upstop link defines a slot. The pin becomes engaged with the slot when the pivot mechanism is in the active position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hinge assembly for attaching a hood to a body of a vehicle, comprising:
a body-side bracket fixedly attached to the body;
a hood-side bracket fixedly attached to the hood;
a pivot mechanism configured to place the hinge assembly in:
a stowed position in which the hood is adjacent the body;
an access position in which the hood rotates toward a rear of the vehicle; and
an active position in which the hood rotates toward a front of the vehicle;

an actuator configured to move the pivot mechanism to the active position;
a pin attached to the body-side bracket; and
an upstop link attached to the hood-side bracket and defining a slot, wherein the pin is engaged with the slot when the pivot mechanism is in the active position.

2. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , wherein the slot of the upstop link is tapered, such that the slot applies a progressive force to the pin as the pivot mechanism moves from the stowed position to the active position.

3. The hinge assembly of claim 2 , further comprising:
a deploy link,
wherein the hood-side bracket is rigidly joined to the deploy link in the access position and the stowed position, and
wherein the hood-side bracket is disengaged from the deploy link in the active position.

4. The hinge assembly of claim 3 , wherein the pin is disengaged from the slot when the pivot mechanism is in the access position.

5. The hinge assembly of claim 4 , wherein the hinge assembly does not include a tether joining any of the body, the hood, the body-side bracket, the hood-side bracket, and the deploy link.

6. The hinge assembly of claim 5 , further comprising:
a rivet joining the hood-side bracket to the deploy link in the stowed position and the access position, wherein the actuator separates the rivet to disengage the hood-side bracket from the deploy link in the active position.

7. The hinge assembly of claim 6 , wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic actuator.

8. The hinge assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a deploy link,
wherein the hood-side bracket is rigidly joined to the deploy link in the access position and the stowed position, such that the pivot mechanism is a 4-bar linkage in the access position and the stowed position, and
wherein the hood-side bracket is disengaged from the deploy link in the active position, such that the pivot mechanism is a 5-bar linkage in the active position.

9. The hinge assembly of claim 8 , wherein the actuator is a pyrotechnic actuator.

10. A hinge assembly for attaching a hood to a body of a vehicle, comprising:
a body-side bracket fixedly attached to the body;
a hood-side bracket fixedly attached to the hood;
a pivot mechanism configured to place the hinge assembly in:
a stowed position in which the hood is adjacent the body;
an access position in which the hood is positioned toward a rear of the vehicle; and
an active position in which the hood is positioned toward a front of the vehicle;

an actuator configured to move the pivot mechanism to the active position;
a deploy link, wherein the hood-side bracket is rigidly joined to the deploy link in the access position and the stowed position, and the actuator separates the hood-side bracket from the deploy link in the active position;
a pin attached to the body-side bracket; and
an upstop link attached to the hood-side bracket and defining a slot, wherein the pin is engaged with the slot when the pivot mechanism is in the active position and is disengaged from the slot when the pivot mechanism is in the access position.

11. The hinge assembly of claim 10 , further comprising:
a rivet joining the hood-side bracket to the deploy link in the stowed position and the access position, wherein the actuator separates the rivet to disengage the hood-side bracket from the deploy link in the active position.

12. A hinge assembly for attaching a hood to a body of a vehicle, comprising:
a body-side bracket fixedly attached to the body;
a hood-side bracket fixedly attached to the hood;
a pivot mechanism configured to place the hinge assembly in:
a stowed position in which the hood is adjacent the body;
an access position in which the hood rotates toward a rear of the vehicle and the pivot mechanism rotates through a 5-bar linkage; and
an active position in which the hood rotates toward a front of the vehicle and the pivot mechanism rotates through a 4-bar linkage;

an actuator configured to move the pivot mechanism to the active position;
a pin attached to the body-side bracket; and
an upstop link attached to the hood-side bracket and defining a slot, wherein the pin is engaged with the slot when the pivot mechanism is in the active position.

13. The hinge assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
a fastener point joining the hood-side bracket to the deploy link in the stowed position and the access position, wherein the actuator separates the fastener point to disengage the hood-side bracket from the deploy link in the active position.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Llc

Inventors

• Waskie David B
• Thomas David E

Classifications

• E05D11/0054

  Covers, e.g. for protection · CPC title

• E05Y2800/252

  the elements functioning only in case of emergency · CPC title

• E05Y2900/536

  Hoods · CPC title

• B62D25/12

  Parts or details thereof (locks E05B, {E05B83/16; devices for holding open E05C17/00, e.g. while carrying oversize objects E05C17/042}; hinges E05D; counterbalancing means E05F; {checks, stops, buffers E05F5/00; } springs, {e.g. pneumatic springs} F16F) · CPC title

• E05D15/48

  allowing alternative movements ({E05D15/0604 takes precedence } ; for vertically-sliding wings E05D15/22) · CPC title