Safety arrangement for a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9010478-B2
Application number	US-201314079116-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2013
Priority date	Nov 15, 2012
Publication date	Apr 21, 2015
Grant date	Apr 21, 2015

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a safety arrangement for a vehicle. The safety arrangement comprises a bonnet being displaceable between a closed position, an open position, permitting access to an engine compartment of the vehicle, and a deployed position, in which position there is a gap between the bonnet and the engine compartment. The bonnet is displaceable from the closed position to the deployed position, which is located upwards and rearwards as compared to the closed position. Further, the bonnet is directly openable to the open position both from the closed position and from the deployed position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A safety arrangement for a vehicle, the safety arrangement comprising:
a bonnet being displaceable between a closed position, an open position permitting access to an engine compartment of the vehicle, and a deployed position in which there is a gap between the bonnet and the engine compartment; and
a hinge adapted to be located at or adjacent to a rear end of the bonnet, the hinge being displaceable between a normal position, corresponding to the bonnet being in the closed position, and a deployed position, corresponding to the bonnet being in the deployed position, the hinge comprising an arm adapted to be connected to a body of the vehicle at a first pivotal axis and adapted to be connected to the bonnet at a second pivotal axis, wherein in the normal position of the hinge, the arm is configured to form an acute angle in relation to the body of the vehicle and an obtuse angle in relation to the bonnet by the second pivotal axis being located forward of the first pivotal axis, and wherein in the deployed position, the arm is substantially vertical;
wherein the bonnet is displaceable from the closed position to the deployed position, which is located upwards and rearwards as compared to the closed position;
and wherein the bonnet is directly openable to the open position both from the closed position and from the deployed position.

2. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the bonnet is arranged to initially move straight upwards when being opened.

3. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the bonnet in addition is directly openable from a position passable during the displacement from the closed position to the deployed position.

4. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the bonnet is directly openable from any position passable during the displacement from the closed position to the deployed position.

5. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the deployed position of the bonnet permits a partial access to the engine compartment for filling a vehicular liquid.

6. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the safety arrangement is arranged such that a front end of the bonnet is configured to be displaced rearwards by at least 40 mm in relation to a bony of the vehicle during the displacement from the closed position to the deployed position.

7. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the bonnet also is displaceable from the deployed position to the closed position.

8. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the bonnet is adapted to be closed to a safe-close position, which is a position passable during the displacement from the closed position to the deployed position, which is however not closer to the closed position than a nearest safe-close position, the nearest safe-close position being selected, such that a vertical distance between the bonnet and a body of the vehicle resulting from the upwards and rearwards displacement of the bonnet is large enough to cope with a possible down swing of the bonnet, when closing the bonnet.

9. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising a catch and a lock member, one of the catch or the lock member being adapted to be fastened at a front end of the bonnet, and the other of the catch or the lock member being adapted to be fastened to a body of the vehicle at a position permitting cooperation between the catch and the lock member, wherein the catch or lock member adapted to be fastened at the front end of the bonnet is configured to be displaced upwards and rearwards in relation to the other of the catch or lock member during the displacement of the bonnet from the closed position to the deployed position.

10. The safety arrangement according to claim 9 wherein the catch comprises an aperture with is closed circumference, and wherein at least a portion of the lock member is configured to be displaced within the closed circumference during displacement of the bonnet from the closed position to the deployed position.

11. The safety arrangement according to claim 10 wherein the lock member is configured to follow at least a portion of the closed circumference for guiding the displacement of the bonnet from the closed position to the deployed position.

12. The safety arrangement of claim 11 wherein the closed circumference comprises an inclined portion having an angle of between 20 and 80 degrees to a horizontal plane of the vehicle.

13. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein, in the deployed position of the hinge, the arm is configured to form a substantially right angle in relation to the body of the vehicle and/or a substantially right angle in relation to the bonnet.

14. The safety arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the hinge further comprises a spring member configured to be attached between the body of the vehicle and the arm, the spring member being arrangeable such that it is compressed in the normal position of the hinge and released in the deployed position of the hinge.

15. A vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body; and
a safety arrangement including:
a bonnet being displaceable between a closed position, an open position permitting access to an engine compartment of the vehicle, and a deployed position in which there is a gap between the bonnet and the engine compartment; and
a hinge adapted to be located at or adjacent to a rear end of the bonnet, the hinge being displaceable between a normal position, corresponding to the bonnet being in the closed position, and a deployed position, corresponding to the bonnet being in the deployed position, the hinge comprising an arm connected to the vehicle body at a first pivotal axis and connected to the bonnet at a second pivotal axis, wherein in the normal position of the hinge, the arm is configured to form an acute angle in relation to the vehicle body and an obtuse angle in relation to the bonnet by the second pivotal axis being located forward of the first pivotal axis, and wherein in the deployed position, the arm is substantially vertical;
wherein the bonnet is displaceable from the closed position to the deployed position, which is located upwards and rearwards as compared to the closed position;
and wherein the bonnet is directly openable to the open position both from the closed position and from the deployed position.

16. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein, in the deployed position of the hinge, the am is configured to form a substantially right angle in relation to the vehicle body and/or a substantially right angle in relation to the bonnet.

17. The vehicle of claim 15 wherein the hinge further comprises a spring member attached between the vehicle body and the arm, the spring member being arranged such that it is compressed in the normal position of the hinge and released in the deployed position of the hinge.

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Fritzon Jan-Erik

Classifications

• Y10S292/14

  Hood latches · CPC title

• B60R21/38 Primary

  using means for lifting bonnets · CPC title

• B62D25/105 Primary

  for motor cars · CPC title