Power release hood latch method and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8935053-B2
Application number	US-201213629597-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2012
Priority date	Sep 27, 2011
Publication date	Jan 13, 2015
Grant date	Jan 13, 2015

Abstract

Aspects of the disclosure provide for controlling a hood latch using an electrically actuated primary hood latch and an electrically actuated secondary hood latch. To open the hood of the vehicle, a person presses a hood release button. Before attempting to release either the primary hood latch or secondary hood latch, a determination is made whether a vehicle speed of the vehicle is below a minimum vehicle speed threshold. If the vehicle speed is below this threshold, both the primary electrical actuator for the primary hood latch and the secondary electrical actuator for the secondary hood latch are triggered, thereby releasing hood from a closed position into an open position. When the vehicle speed is above this vehicle speed threshold, only the primary electrical actuator for primary hood latch is triggered; leaving the hood in a partially open position held in place by the secondary hood latch.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of controlling a hood latch on a vehicle, comprising:
receiving, in a processor, an electronic request to release both a primary hood latch and a secondary hood latch holding a hood in a closed position on a vehicle, the primary hood latch configured for actuation by a primary electrical actuator as well as by a primary mechanical actuator, the secondary hood latch configured for actuation by a secondary electrical actuator as well as by a secondary mechanical actuator;
in response to the electronic request, determining whether a vehicle speed associated with the vehicle is below a minimum vehicle speed threshold;
in response to determining that the vehicle speed is below the minimum vehicle speed threshold, triggering by the processor, both (i) the primary electrical actuator for the primary hood latch without actuation by the primary mechanical actuator, and (ii) the secondary electrical actuator for the secondary hood latch without actuation by the secondary mechanical actuator, thereby releasing the hood from the closed position into an open position; and
in response to determining that the vehicle speed is not below the minimum vehicle speed threshold, triggering by the processor, only the primary electrical actuator for the primary hood latch without actuation by the primary mechanical actuator, leaving the hood in a partially open position held in place by the secondary hood latch, wherein the hood remains in the partially open position and does not electrically actuate until the electronic request is again received when the vehicle speed is below the minimum vehicle speed threshold;
wherein the primary and secondary mechanical actuators are configured for actuation of the primary and secondary hood latches regardless of the vehicle speed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic request to release both the primary hood latch and the secondary hood latch is transmitted from a hood release selected from a set of hood release including a wireless hood release and a console hood release.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the minimum vehicle speed threshold is less than 1 mph.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the hood covers an engine compartment.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the hood covers a trunk area for storage.

6. An apparatus for controlling a hood latch on a vehicle, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory containing instructions that when executed on the processor cause the processor to:
receive an electronic request to release both a primary hood latch and a secondary hood latch holding a hood in a closed position on a vehicle, the primary hood latch configured for actuation by a primary electrical actuator as well as by a primary mechanical actuator, the secondary hood latch configured for actuation by a secondary electrical actuator as well as by a secondary mechanical actuator;
in response to the electronic request, determine whether a vehicle speed associated with the vehicle is below a minimum vehicle speed threshold;
in response to the determination that the vehicle speed is below the minimum vehicle speed threshold, trigger both (i) the primary electrical actuator for the primary hood latch without actuation by the primary mechanical actuator, and (ii) the secondary electrical actuator for the secondary hood latch without actuation by the secondary mechanical actuator, thereby releasing the hood from the closed position into an open position; and
in response to determining that the vehicle speed is not below the minimum vehicle speed threshold, trigger only the primary electrical actuator for the primary hood latch without actuation by the primary mechanical actuator, leaving the hood in a partially open position held in place by the secondary hood latch, wherein the hood remains in the partially open position and does not electrically actuate until the electronic request is again received when the vehicle speed is below the minimum vehicle speed threshold;

wherein the primary and secondary mechanical actuators are configured for actuation of the primary and secondary hood latches regardless of the vehicle speed.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the electronic request to release both the primary hood latch and the secondary hood latch is transmitted from a hood release selected from a set of hood release including a wireless hood release and a console hood release.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the minimum vehicle speed threshold is less than 1 mph.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the hood covers an engine compartment.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the hood covers a trunk area for storage.

Assignees

• Tesla Motors Inc

Inventors

• Wheeler David
• Cucci Brenda
• Kilgore Adam S
• Adams Dan
• Mooney Robert B

Classifications

• Y10T70/5907

  With switch · CPC title

• E05B81/14

  operating on bolt detents, e.g. for unlatching the bolt · CPC title

• E05B83/24 Primary

  for car bonnets · CPC title

• E05B77/54

  Automatic securing or unlocking of bolts triggered by certain vehicle parameters, e.g. exceeding a speed threshold (triggered by vehicle collision E05B77/12) · CPC title