Active hood apparatus for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10239484-B2
Application number	US-201715486142-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 12, 2017
Priority date	Nov 23, 2016
Publication date	Mar 26, 2019
Grant date	Mar 26, 2019

Abstract

An active hood apparatus for a vehicle includes a hood configured to cover an engine compartment of vehicle, and at least one hinge device configured to rotatably connect a rear end portion of the hood to a vehicle body. The hinge device includes a fixing bracket fixed to the vehicle body. A rotation bracket is provided such that a rear end thereof is rotatably connected to a rear end portion of the fixing bracket. A hood bracket is fixed to an inner surface of the hood and fixed to the rotation bracket by a first breaking pin. A connecting link provided such that opposite ends thereof are rotatably connected to a rear end portion of the hood bracket and a middle portion of the rotation bracket respectively. An actuator is configured to push up the connecting link in the event that a collision occurs.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An active hood apparatus for a vehicle, the active hood apparatus comprising:
a hood configured to cover an engine compartment of vehicle; and
a hinge device configured to rotatably connect a rear end portion of the hood to a vehicle body, wherein the hinge device comprises:
a fixing bracket to be fixed to the vehicle body;
a rotation bracket provided such that a rear end of the rotation bracket is rotatably connected to a rear end portion of the fixing bracket;
a hood bracket fixed to an inner surface of the hood and fixed to the rotation bracket by a first breaking pin;
a connecting link provided such that opposite ends of the connecting link are rotatably connected to a rear end portion of the hood bracket and a middle portion of the rotation bracket, respectively;
an actuator configured to, in response to a collision, push up the connecting link with a force that is sufficient to break the first breaking pin and to raise the hood bracket to a rear upper side by separating the hood bracket from the rotation bracket; and
a second breaking pin configured to fix the connecting link to the rotation bracket, wherein the active hood apparatus is configured so that when a collision occurs, the actuator pushes up the connecting link with a force that is sufficient to break the first breaking pin and the second breaking pin.

2. The active hood apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hinge device further comprises a descent limitation protrusion provided in the fixing bracket and a locking member installed in the rotation bracket and configured to limit the descent of the rotation bracket by being locked to the descent limitation protrusion when the hood bracket is separated from the rotation bracket and the rotation bracket is raised.

3. The active hood apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the locking member is rotatably installed in the rotation bracket, wherein a rotation of the locking member is limited by being locked to the hood bracket or the connecting link before the hood bracket is raised, and after the hood bracket is raised, the locking member can be rotated by an elastic member and then locked to the descent limitation protrusion.

4. The active hood apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a striker installed in a front end portion of the hood, wherein the striker is configured to bond with a hood latch installed in the vehicle body.

5. The active hood apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the striker comprises an upper locking portion normally coupled to the hood latch and a lower locking portion disposed in a front side of the upper locking portion in a state of being continuously connected to the upper locking portion, placed in a position lower height than the upper locking portion, and configured to raise the front end portion of the hood by being coupled to the hood latch as the hood is moved to the rear upper side.

6. An active hood apparatus for a vehicle, the active hood apparatus comprising:
a hood configured to cover an engine compartment of the vehicle; and
a hinge device configured to rotatably connect a rear end portion of the hood to a vehicle body, wherein the hinge device comprises:
a fixing bracket to be fixed to the vehicle body;
a hood bracket fixed to an inner surface of the hood;
a rear link portion provided such that opposite ends of the rear link portion are rotatably connected to the fixing bracket and the hood bracket, respectively, the rear link portion being configured to be maintained in a folded state since a joint connecting portion provided in the middle of the rear link portion is normally moved to a front side;
a front link portion installed in a more front side than the rear link portion, the front link portion provided such that opposite ends of the front link portion are rotatably connected to the fixing bracket and the hood bracket, respectively, and configured to be maintained in a folded state since a joint connecting portion provided in the middle of the front link portion is normally moved to the front side;
a middle link portion provided such that opposite ends of the middle link portion are rotatably connected to the joint connecting portion of the rear link portion and the joint connecting portion of the front link portion, respectively; and
an actuator configured to raise the hood bracket to a rear upper side by allowing the rear link portion and the front link portion to be unfolded by pushing up the lower side the front link portion in response to a collision.

7. The active hood apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the rear link portion comprises a first lower link rotatably connected to the fixing bracket by a first lower pin, a first upper link rotatably connected to the hood bracket by a first upper pin, and a first middle pin configured to connect the first lower link to the first upper link to be foldable; and
wherein the front link portion comprises a second lower link rotatably connected to the fixing bracket by a second lower pin, a second upper link rotatably connected to the hood bracket by a second upper pin, and a second middle pin configured to connect the second lower link to the second upper link to be foldable.

8. The active hood apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the hinge device further comprises:
a constraining member rotatably installed in the first lower link to restrict the first lower link in a folded state, and provided with a constraining groove opened in one end portion in a circumferential direction;
a constraining pin installed in the fixing bracket and normally inserted into the constraining groove of the constraining member to maintain binding of the constraining member; and
a constraining protrusion provided in the fixing bracket to lock a front end of the second lower link to normally restrict the second lower link in a folded state.

9. The active hood apparatus of claim 8 , wherein when a collision occurs, the actuator is configured to raise the second lower link to allow constraint by the constraining member and the constraining protrusion to be released and simultaneously to allow the front link portion and the rear link portion to be unfolded.

10. The active hood apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the constraining member comprises a folding limitation protrusion configured to limit a folding in a state in which the rear link portion is unfolded, and wherein the first upper link comprises a locking protrusion locked to the folding limitation protrusion in the state in which the rear link portion is unfolded.

11. The active hood apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a length of the second upper link is longer than a length of the first upper link.

12. The active hood apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a distance between the first upper pin and the second upper pin is shorter than a distance between the first lower pin and the second lower pin.

13. The active hood apparatus of claim 6 , further comprising:
a striker installed in the front end portion of the hood; and
a hood latch configured to be installed in the vehicle body for bonding of the striker.

14. The active hood apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the striker comprises an upper locking portion coupled to the hood latch and a lower locking portion disposed in the front side of the upper locking portion in a state of being continuously connected to the upper locking portion, placed in a position lower height than the upper locking portion, and configured to raise the front end portion of the hood by being coupled to the hood latch as the hood is moved to the rear upper side.

15. A hinge device configured to rotatably connect a rear end portion of a hood to a vehicle body, the

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Hwang In
• Park Soyeon
• Lee Byungjoo
• Kim Kiwon
• Choi Byounghaan

Classifications

• B60Y2400/404

  Electro-magnetic actuators, e.g. with an electromagnet not rotating for moving a clutching member · CPC title

• E05D3/125

  specially adapted for vehicles · CPC title

• E05D7/00

  Hinges or pivots of special construction (used for special suspension arrangements E05D15/00; so as to be self-closing E05F1/06, E05F1/12; with means for raising wings before being turned E05F7/02) · 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