CN115139969A

CN115139969A - Engine hood retreating structure

Info

Publication number: CN115139969A
Application number: CN202110343611.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 末次千里; 佐佐木一匡
Original assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Current assignee: Honda Motor Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-03-31
Filing date: 2021-03-31
Publication date: 2022-10-04

Abstract

The invention provides a technology for enabling a pop-up engine cover to stably retreat. In order to solve the above problem, there is provided a hood retraction structure 7 including: a slider 1 provided on any one of a front lower portion 80 of the hood 8 and an upper portion 31 of the strut main body 3 constituting the hood lock mechanism 6; and a rail 2 provided on any one of the other and connected to the slider 1 and the rail 2 so as to be relatively movable, thereby relatively retracting the hood 8 with respect to the hood lock mechanism 6, wherein the slider 1 and the rail 2 have a pair of slide portions 10, the pair of slide portions 10,10 being provided separately in the vehicle width direction and formed by meshing folded plates with each other.

Description

Engine hood retreating structure

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a hood retraction structure.

Background

There is known a pop-up hood device that, when an object to be protected such as a pedestrian collides with a vehicle, causes a rear end side of a hood to bounce and rise, and then catches the object to be protected, thereby reducing an impact. In the pop-up hood device, when a collision detection sensor such as a camera detects a collision with an object to be protected, the rear end side of the hood is raised by bouncing, and a gap between the engine room and the hood is enlarged to reduce an impact when the object to be protected collides with the vehicle body.

In view of maintenance of the engine and the like, the hood is generally configured to have a front opening structure that opens the front end side upward with a hinge portion provided on the rear end side of the hood as a rotation center. The engine cover is configured to be locked by locking a pressing lever disposed on a lower surface of a front end side with a latch provided on a vehicle body side when the engine cover is closed.

Therefore, when the pop-up hood device is operated and the rear end side is raised, the hood needs to be configured to be movable on a trajectory for moving backward and raising the rear end side without releasing the lock. Therefore, a structure has been proposed which has a strut bar movably connected to a guide portion provided on a lower surface of a front portion of an engine hood and extending in a front-rear direction by a slide portion formed at each upper end of a front shaft portion and a rear shaft portion extending in an up-down direction (for example, refer to patent document 1). According to this configuration, when the pop-up hood device is operated, the guide portion moves rearward with respect to the slide portion, thereby allowing rearward movement of the hood.

[ Prior art documents ]

(patent literature)

Patent document 1: japanese patent No. 4986724

Disclosure of Invention

[ problems to be solved by the invention ]

However, in the structure of patent document 1, only the sliding portions of the front shaft portion and the rear shaft portion provided on the side of the pressure rod slide with respect to the guide portion provided on the side of the engine hood, and therefore the engine hood cannot be moved backward stably. The same applies to the case where the upper ends of the front shaft portion and the rear shaft portion are bent and integrally formed with the slide portion and the shaft portion, and the case where the slide portion and the shaft portion are formed as separate members, since the slide portion is slid only by the shaft portion. In particular, since the slide portion is divided into two halves in the front-rear direction by the front shaft portion and the rear shaft portion, the above situation is more serious when the engine hood is deformed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for stably retracting a pop-up hood.

[ means for solving problems ]

(1) The present invention provides a hood retraction structure (for example, a hood retraction structure 7 described later) in which a hood (for example, a hood 8 described later) is retracted relative to a hood lock mechanism (for example, a hood lock mechanism 6 described later) when a pop-up hood device (for example, a pop-up hood device 9 described later) is operated, the hood retraction structure including: a slider (for example, a slider 1 described later) provided on any one of a front lower portion of the hood (for example, a front lower portion 80 of the hood described later) and an upper portion of a strut main body (for example, an upper portion 31 of a strut main body described later) constituting the hood lock mechanism; and a rail (for example, a rail 2 described later) provided on either one of a front lower portion of the hood and an upper portion of a strut main body constituting the hood lock mechanism; the hood can be relatively retracted with respect to the hood lock mechanism by coupling the slider and the rail to each other so as to be relatively movable, and the slider and the rail have a pair of sliding portions (for example, sliding portions 10 described later) that are provided separately in the vehicle width direction and that are formed by engaging the folded-back panels with each other.

(2) In the hood retraction structure according to (1), the slider and the rail may be made of iron, and the slider portion may have a coating layer covering a surface of the iron.

(3) In the hood retraction structure according to (2), the coating may be formed of a rust inhibitor.

(Effect of the invention)

According to the present invention, a technique for enabling a pop-up hood to be stably retracted can be provided.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a side view of a front portion of a vehicle including a hood retraction structure according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the hood provided with the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a view of the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment as seen obliquely from below.

Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of the hood according to the above embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a view of the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment as viewed from the front of the vehicle.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment.

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment taken at the center in the vehicle width direction.

Fig. 10 is a sectional side view of the locking portion of the hood retraction structure according to the above embodiment.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a side view of the hood retraction structure of the above embodiment, and is a view when the pop-up hood device is operating.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the hood retraction structure and the hood lock mechanism of the above embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the hood retreat structure and the hood lock mechanism of the above embodiment.

Fig. 15 is a front view of the hood retraction structure and the hood lock mechanism of the above embodiment.

Fig. 16 is a side view of the hood retraction structure and the hood lock mechanism of the above embodiment.

Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional side view of the center in the vehicle width direction of the hood retraction structure and the hood lock mechanism of the above embodiment.

Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the hood retraction structure and the hood lock mechanism of the above embodiment, and is a view when the pop-up hood device is operated.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each figure, fr represents the vehicle front, rr represents the vehicle rear, R represents the right direction as viewed from the driver, L represents the left direction as viewed from the driver, and U represents the upper direction.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a front portion F of a vehicle V including a hood rearward structure 7 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 1 shows a state in which the pop-up hood device 9 is operating. As shown in fig. 1, a vehicle V provided with a hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment includes a hood 8 at a front portion F of a vehicle body VB, and the hood 8 covers an upper surface of an engine room E. A hinge portion 81 is provided on the rear end side of the hood 8, and the hood 8 has a front opening structure that opens the front end side upward with the hinge portion 81 as the rotation center. The vehicle V includes a hood lock mechanism 6, and the hood lock mechanism 6 locks the hood 8 by a strut 30 provided at a front lower portion 80 of the hood 8 and a latch 4 provided on the vehicle body VB side and locked to the strut 30.

The vehicle V includes a pop-up hood device 9 that, when an object to be protected such as a pedestrian collides with the vehicle, causes the rear end side of the hood 8 to bounce and rise, and receives the object to be protected, thereby reducing the impact. The pop-up hood device 9 is configured to include, for example, a front actuator that raises the front portion of the hood 8 and a rear actuator that raises the rear portion of the hood 8, both not shown. However, the front actuator may not be required.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the hood 8 provided with the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram of the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment as viewed obliquely from below. As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the hood back-up structure 7 of the present embodiment is provided on the back surface (lower surface) of a hood 8, and the hood 8 is configured to include a panel-shaped hood skin 82 and a hood framework 83 joined to the lower surface of the hood skin 82. More specifically, the hood back structure 7 is provided at a substantially center in the vehicle width direction in the front lower portion 80 of the hood 8, and a slider 1, which will be described later, constituting the hood back structure 7 is fixed to the front lower portion 80 of the hood 8 using a bolt B. The strut 30 locked to the latch 4 forms a part of the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a sectional side view of the engine cover 8 of the present embodiment. As shown in fig. 4, the hood retraction structure 7 is provided in a low-front and high-rear state inclined forward and downward along the inclination of the hood 8 at a front lower portion 80 of the hood 8. The hood 8 can be moved along a trajectory in which the hood lock mechanism 6 moves backward and the rear end side is raised and tilted forward without unlocking when the rear end side of the hood 8 is raised by the operation of the pop-up hood device 9 by the hood retraction structure 7.

Next, the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to fig. 3 to 12. In the drawings, for convenience of explanation, fixing members such as bolts are appropriately omitted.

Here, fig. 5 is a perspective view of the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment. Fig. 7 is a view of the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment as seen from the front of the vehicle. Fig. 8 is a side view of the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the vehicle width direction center of the hood retraction structure according to the present embodiment. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional side view of the locking portion 26 of the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 11 is a front view of the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment. Fig. 12 is a side view of the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment, and is a view when the pop-up hood device 9 is in operation.

As described above, the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment retracts the hood 8 relative to the hood lock mechanism 6 when the pop-up hood device 9 is operated. Before the pop-up hood device 9 is operated, the slider 1 is disposed on the front side of the rail 2, and the front end of the slider 1 is disposed near the front end of the strut body 3 in the vehicle front-rear direction. As shown in fig. 3 to 12, the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment includes a slider 1, a rail 2, and a strut main body 3. That is, the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment includes the slider 1, the rail 2 constituting the strut 30, and the strut body 3.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the slider 1 is fixed to a front lower portion 80 of the hood 8 with four bolts B. In more detail, the slider 1 is fixed from below by fixing (welding) each bolt B to the hood framework 83 and using a nut not shown. Therefore, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, two bolt holes 13 are formed in the slider 1 on both sides in the vehicle width direction and apart in the vehicle front-rear direction, and the bolts B are inserted through the bolt holes 13. However, the number of bolts and bolt holes may be changed as appropriate, and the slider 1 may be fixed by welding nuts to the hood framework 83 side and using bolting from below. The slider 1 is coupled to a rail 2, which will be described later, so as to be relatively movable in the front-rear direction of the vehicle. As described below, since the strut body 3 engaged with the latch 4 provided on the vehicle body VB side is fixed to the rail 2, the hood 8 can be retracted relative to the hood lock mechanism 6 by the relative movement of the slider 1 and the rail 2 in the vehicle longitudinal direction.

As shown in fig. 5, 7, 11, and the like, the slider 1 is formed by bonding an upper slider panel 1a and a pair of

lower slider panels

1b, 1b. The pair of

lower slider panels

1b,1b are disposed on both sides in the vehicle width direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the slider 1. That is, the center of the slider 1 in the vehicle width direction is constituted only by the upper slider panel 1 a. As shown in fig. 3 and 4, when the slider 1 is fixed to the front lower portion 80 of the engine hood 8 by the bolt B, the upper slider panel 1a and the pair of

lower slider panels

1b and 1b are fastened together.

As shown in fig. 5, 6, and the like, the slider 1 fixed to the hood 8 has a shorter length in the moving direction than the rail 2 described later, and therefore, a force required for sliding movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 toward the rear of the vehicle is small. Therefore, the response when the slider 1 and the hood 8 retreat becomes fast, and the retreat operation of the slider 1 and the hood 8 becomes stable. The slider 1 is substantially rectangular having a notch portion 11 described later, and is disposed such that the short side direction forms the front-rear direction of the vehicle. This makes the length of the slider 1 in the moving direction shorter, and the required force smaller, so that the response is faster and the retreating operation is more stable.

As shown in fig. 5, 7, 11, and the like, the slider 1 and a rail 2 described later are coupled to each other by a pair of sliding

portions

10,10 that are separated in the vehicle width direction and are movable relative to each other in the vehicle front-rear direction. The pair of

slide portions

10,10 are provided separately in the vehicle width direction and are disposed at both ends of a rail 2 in the vehicle width direction, which will be described later. The slider 1 and a rail 2 described later are both made of a plate material, and the plate materials of the slider 1 and the rail 2 are folded and engaged with each other to form a pair of sliding

portions

10,10.

More specifically, as shown in fig. 5, 7, 11, and the like, the pair of

slide portions

10,10 includes a pair of slider folded-back portions 14, and the pair of slider folded-

back portions

14,14 are formed by folding back the respective inner ends in the vehicle width direction of the pair of

lower slider panels

1b,1b to the outer side in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. The pair of

slide portions

10,10 has a pair of rail folded-back portions 28, and the rail folded-

back portions

28,28 are formed by folding back both outer ends in the vehicle width direction of the rail 2 described later inward in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. Further, the pair of

slide portions

10,10 are formed by a pair of slider folded-

back portions

14,14 and a pair of rail folded-

back portions

28,28 movably engaged with each other in the vehicle front-rear direction.

As shown in fig. 5, 7, 11, and the like, the pair of

lower slider panels

1b,1b have a pair of

slider step portions

15,15 on both inner sides in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of

slider step portions

15,15 extend downward to be connected to lower

ends

10b,10b of the pair of sliding

portions

10,10. By the pair of slider step portions 15, the sliding

portions

10,10 can be formed between the upper slider panel 1a and the pair of

lower slider panels

1b, 1b.

As shown in fig. 5, 6, etc., the slider 1 has a cutout portion 11, and the cutout portion 11 has an open end formed by making a concave cutout from the vehicle front side to the vehicle rear side. The cutout portion 11 is formed substantially rectangular, and has a length in the vehicle width direction substantially equal to a width of a rail plate 22 of a rail 2 described later, and a length in the vehicle front-rear direction substantially half of a length in the vehicle front-rear direction of the slider 1. As described later, the notch 11 is formed at a position corresponding to the upper side of the auxiliary lever 5, and the auxiliary lever 5 constitutes the hood lock mechanism 6 and regulates the upward movement of the strut body 3. Since the auxiliary lever 5 is rotated, the notched portion 11 is formed in a shape that is long in the vehicle width direction. Thereby, the upper end 52 of the auxiliary lever 5 is prevented from interfering with the slider 1.

As shown in fig. 5, 6, 10, and the like, the slider 1 has a pair of substantially rectangular locking holes 12,12 for respectively locking a pair of locking

portions

26,26 provided on a rail 2 described later. The pair of locking

holes

12,12 are formed at respective positions in the vehicle width direction corresponding to the pair of locking portions 26, and the pair of locking

portions

26,26 are provided on the track plate 22 of the track 2, which will be described later, so as to be spaced apart in the vehicle width direction.

As shown in fig. 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, and the like, the rail 2 is provided on an upper portion 31 of the strut body 3 constituting the hood lock mechanism 6. The rail 2 is coupled to the slider 1 via sliding

portions

10,10 so that the slider 1 can move relatively in the vehicle front-rear direction. The rail 2 is set to have a longer front-rear length than the slider 1, so that a sufficient moving distance can be secured when the slider 1 and the hood 8 move backward.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, 11, and the like, the rail 2 has a plate-like rail plate 22 provided between the pair of sliding

portions

10,10. The rail 2 has a convex portion 21 protruding downward on a rail plate 22 between the pair of sliding

portions

10,10. The convex portion 21 may be regarded as a concave portion that is depressed downward from the track plate if the track plate 22 is regarded as a standard. The convex portion 21 is formed to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction with a certain width. The convex portion 21 improves the rigidity of the rail 2, and the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 is stabilized.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, 9, 11, 12, and the like,

upper portions

31,31 of the strut body 3, which are approximately U-shaped in a side view described later, are fixed to the convex portion 21. The

upper portions

31,31 of the strut body 3 are inserted into a pair of rail through holes 29, respectively, the pair of rail through

holes

29,29 being formed separately on the convex portion 21 in the vehicle front-rear direction and fixed in a state of protruding from the upper surface of the convex portion 21. Specifically, the

upper portions

31,31 of the strut body 3 may be fixed to the projection 21 by, for example, crimping, in addition to being fixed by nuts. In the present embodiment, since the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3 is fixed to the projection 21, the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3 is prevented from interfering with the slider 1.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, 11, and the like, the track plate 22 has a pair of

track segment portions

23,23 on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the pair of

track segment portions

23,23 extend upward to be connected to the upper ends 10a,10a of the pair of

slide portions

10,10. A pair of

rail segment portions

23,23 are provided to extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. The pair of

rail segment portions

23,23 further improve the rigidity of the rail 2, and stabilize the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8.

As described above, as shown in fig. 5, 7, 11, and the like, the track 2 has a pair of track folded-back portions 28, and the pair of track folded-

back portions

28,28 are formed by folding back both outer ends in the vehicle width direction inward in the vehicle width direction and extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. The slider 1 and the hood 8 can move backward by a pair of sliding portions 10, and the pair of sliding

portions

10,10 are formed by a pair of rail folded

portions

28,28 engaging with the pair of slider folded

portions

14, 14.

As shown in fig. 5, 8 to 10, 12, and the like, a pair of

stoppers

25,25 for restricting the backward movement of the slider 1 are provided at the rear portion of the rail 2. Specifically, the pair of

stoppers

25,25 are provided at both ends of the rail 2 in the vehicle width direction, and are disposed at the rear end of the rail 2. A pair of

stoppers

25,25 are provided continuously from the rail 2 via the bent portion 24. The pair of

stoppers

25,25 extend downward from the bent portion 24, and their tips extend to positions where they interfere with the lower ends 10b,10b of the sliding

portions

10,10 when the slider 1 retreats to reach the rear end of the rail 2. Thus, when the slider 1 is retracted, the pair of slider folded-

back portions

14,14 constituting the pair of

slide portions

10,10 interfere with the pair of stopper portions 25, respectively, and the retraction of the slider 1 is reliably restricted.

Further, a speed reduction mechanism, not shown, for suppressing the backward speed of the slider 1 is provided at the rear portion of the rail 2. For example, a configuration in which the gap between the rail 2 (rail folded-back portions 28, 28) and the slider 1 (slider folded-back portions 14, 14) in the pair of sliding

portions

10,10 is smaller at the rear portion than at the front portion is exemplified as the speed reduction mechanism. Alternatively, the rail plate 22 located forward of the

stoppers

25,25 may be provided with a projection or the like to serve as a speed reduction mechanism. The backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 is gradually decelerated by the deceleration mechanism, and the impact load on the pair of

stoppers

25 and 25 or the slider 1 and the hood 8 is reduced.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, 9, 10, etc., the rail 2 has a pair of locking

portions

26,26 for restricting the movement of the slider 1 before the operation of the pop-up hood device 9. The pair of locking

portions

26,26 are provided on the track plate 22 so as to sandwich the convex portion 21 in the vehicle width direction. The pair of locking

portions

26,26 are locked to the locking holes 12,12 of the slider 1 at a normal time before the operation of the pop-up hood device 9, thereby restricting the backward movement of the slider 1.

As shown in fig. 10 and the like, the pair of locking

portions

26 and 26 are formed of cantilever leaf springs that are deflected so as to allow the hood 8 to be retracted when the pop-up hood device 9 is operated. The pair of engaging

portions

26,26 formed by the cantilever leaf spring are formed by bending a strip-shaped engaging piece formed by cutting the track plate 22 into a substantially C-shaped notch open to the front of the vehicle so as to protrude upward and bending. When the pop-up hood device 9 is operated, the slider 1 can move backward by flexing and deforming the pair of locking

portions

26 and 26 to get over them, and the slider 1 and the hood 8 can move backward.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, 9, 10, and the like, a pair of locking

portions

26,26 are provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction so as to sandwich the strut body 3 provided between the pair of

slide portions

10,10. The load when the slider 1 is locked is dispersed by providing the locking

portions

26,26 in pairs on both sides in the vehicle width direction so as to sandwich the strut body 3.

As shown in fig. 5 to 7, etc., the rail 2 has an opening 27 with a closed cross section. The length of the opening 27 in the vehicle width direction is almost equal to the width of the track plate 22, and is approximately elliptical in a plan view. As described later, the opening 27 is formed at a position corresponding to an upper side of the auxiliary lever 5 described later. Since the assist lever 5 is rotated, the opening portion 27 is formed in a long shape in the vehicle width direction. Thereby, the upper end 52 of the auxiliary lever 5 is prevented from interfering with the rail 2.

The slider 1 and the rail 2 described above may be made of any material such as iron, aluminum, and resin, but in the present embodiment, both are made of iron. Since iron has higher viscosity (toughness) than aluminum or the like, it suppresses the inhibition of the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8. The locking

portions

26,26 are also made of iron, and are easily elastically deformed. In addition, the slider 1 has a coating or covering that coats the surface of the iron. The coating layer is formed of a rust inhibitor, and the material of the covering is not particularly limited. Thus, even if the slider 1 and the rail 2 are made of iron, rust can be prevented, and the slider 1 and the hood 8 can be prevented from being hindered from moving backward by rust.

Next, the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment will be described in further detail based on the relationship with the hood lock mechanism 6 with reference to fig. 13 to 18.

Here, fig. 13 is a perspective view of the hood retraction structure 7 and the hood lock mechanism 6 of the present embodiment. Fig. 14 is a plan view of the hood retraction structure 7 and the hood lock mechanism 6 of the present embodiment. Fig. 15 is a front view of the hood retraction structure 7 and the hood lock mechanism 6 of the present embodiment. Fig. 16 is a side view of the hood retraction structure 7 and the hood lock mechanism 6 of the present embodiment. Fig. 17 is a cross-sectional side view of the hood retraction structure 7 and the hood lock mechanism 6 of the present embodiment taken at the center in the vehicle width direction. Fig. 18 is a perspective view of the hood retraction structure 7 and the hood lock mechanism 6 of the present embodiment, and is a view when the pop-up hood device 9 is operating.

As shown in fig. 13 to 18, the hood lock mechanism 6 for locking the hood 8 includes: a strut 30 including the rail 2 and the strut body 3; a latch 4 provided on the vehicle body VB side and locked to the strut 30; and an auxiliary lever 5 provided on the vehicle body VB side and restricting upward movement of the strut body 3.

As shown in fig. 13 to 18, the latch 4 includes a latch main body portion 40 and a latch engaging portion 41. The latch engaging portion 41 is pivotally connected to the latch main body portion 40. The latch main body portion 40 is provided with a locking portion for locking the rotation of the latch engaging portion 41 and a latch spring for biasing the latch engaging portion 41 in the releasing direction, both not shown. When the latch engaging portion 41 opens the hood opening lever provided on the driver's seat, the lock of the locking portion is released, and the lever body 3 is rotated by the elastic force of the latch spring, thereby releasing the lever body from the locked position of the latch engaging portion 41. This releases the latch 4 from locking the hood 8.

The latch 4 has a flip-up function of raising the latch engaging portion 41 when the hood 8 is lifted in conjunction with the operation of the pop-up hood device 9. Thus, in conjunction with the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment, the hood 8 can be smoothly retracted rearward of the vehicle and moved along a trajectory in which the rear end side is raised and tilted forward. Here, the spring function of the latch 4 is not essential, and the latch 4 may not have the spring function.

As shown in fig. 13 to 18, the auxiliary lever 5 includes a lever main body 50 and a hook 51. The hook 51 restricts upward movement of the plunger body 3 fixed to the raised hood 8 when the hood opening lever of the driver's seat is opened and the latch 4 is unlocked. By opening the lever main body 50, the hook 51 is released from being locked, and the hood 8 is opened.

As described above, as shown in fig. 13 to 15 and 18, the slider 1 is formed with the notch 11, the notch 11 has an open end formed by making a concave notch from the vehicle front side to the vehicle rear side, and the notch 11 is formed at a position corresponding to the upper side of the assist lever 5. From the viewpoint of downsizing of the apparatus, if the position of the slider mechanism is adjusted downward, as shown in fig. 13, 15, etc., the upper end 52 of the auxiliary lever 5 reaches the position of the slider 1, possibly interfering with the slider 1. In contrast, in the present embodiment, the notch 11 is formed in the slider 1, so that the upper end 52 of the auxiliary lever 5 is prevented from interfering with the slider 1. Further, from the normal time shown in fig. 13, when the slider 1 moves backward during the operation of the pop-up hood device 9 shown in fig. 18, the notch 11 is recessed on the vehicle front side, and therefore the upper end 52 of the auxiliary lever 5 does not interfere with the slider 1.

As described above, as shown in fig. 13 to 15 and 18, the opening 27 having a closed cross section is formed in the rail 2, and the opening 27 is formed at a position corresponding to the upper side of the auxiliary lever 5. Thus, the interference of the upper end 52 of the auxiliary lever 5 with the rail 2 is avoided, similarly to the above-described notch 11.

As shown in fig. 13 to 18, the strut body 3 fixed to the convex portion 21 of the rail 2 is substantially U-shaped in a side view. The curvature of the inner surface of the front corner 32 of the plunger body 3 almost matches the curvature of the engagement surface of the latch engagement portion 41, and the latch engagement portion 41 engages with the plunger body 3 of the latch 4, which will be described later, provided on the vehicle body VB side. Thus, when the slider 1 and the engine cover 8 move backward and tilt forward, the strut body 3 can smoothly rotate with respect to the latch 4 with the front corner 32 as the rotation center.

The operation of the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described.

First, if a collision with an object to be protected is detected by a collision detection sensor such as a pressure sensor or a camera (not shown) provided in the vehicle V, the operation of the pop-up hood device 9 is started under the control of a control unit (ECU) (not shown). In this way, the actuator provided in the pop-up hood device 9 is driven to raise the hood 8.

At this time, the latch 4 also operates in its latch function, and the latch 4 also rises. While the latch 4 is maintained to be locked to the strut body 3, the engine cover 8 is relatively retracted by the amount of play between the strut body 3 and the latch 4 with respect to the latch 4 on the vehicle body VB side.

Next, after the play between the plunger body 3 and the latch 4 disappears, the plunger body 3 rotates with respect to the latch 4 with the front corner 32 as the rotation center. By this rotation, the slider 1 and the engine cover 8 are formed in a more forward tilted posture.

Then, the slider 1 causes the locking

portions

26 and 26 to flex and move over them, and starts the retreating operation with respect to the rail 2. That is, the hood 8 is relatively retracted with respect to the hood lock mechanism 6 constituted by the latch, the rail 2, and the strut 30. The speed of the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 is gradually reduced by the speed reducing mechanism, and the backward movement is stopped by the

stoppers

25,25.

As described above, the hood 8 moves backward in the vehicle rear direction and moves along the trajectory in which the rear end side is raised and tilted forward, thereby enlarging the gap between the engine room E and the hood 8 and reducing the impact when the object to be protected collides with the vehicle body VB.

The effects of the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment described above are summarized as follows.

The hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment includes: a slider 1 provided at a front lower portion 80 of the engine cover 8; and a rail 2 provided on an upper part 31 of the strut body 3 constituting the hood lock mechanism 6 and supporting the slider 1 movably in the front-rear direction, and having a longer front-rear length than the slider 1. Then, the slider 1 is retracted relative to the rail 2, whereby the hood 8 is retracted relative to the hood lock mechanism 6.

Thus, the slider 1 can be positioned on the front end side of the rail 2 before the operation of the pop-up hood device 9, and the slider 1 can be moved to the rear of the rail 2 when the pop-up hood device 9 is operated. Therefore, the amount of forward projection (projecting amount) of the hood 8 from the strut bar body 3 can be reduced at a normal time before the operation of the pop-up hood device 9, and the stroke when the front end of the hood 8 rotates downward can be reduced at the time of the operation of the pop-up hood device 9. Therefore, according to the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment, the vehicle space can be effectively utilized, and the design is also improved.

In addition, according to the present embodiment, since there is no member having high rigidity on the front side of the plunger body 3, the pedestrian protection performance is improved. Further, in the event of a pedestrian collision, it is necessary to operate the pop-up hood device 9 at an early stage and to retract the hood 8, but according to the present embodiment, since the length of the slider 1 on the side of movement is shorter, smaller, and lighter than the rail 2, the force ratio required when the slider 1 slides to the vehicle rear side is small. Therefore, the backward movement of the hood 8 is stabilized, and the response when the hood 8 is moved backward is also relatively fast.

In the hood rearward structure 7 of the present embodiment, the slider 1 and the rail 2 are provided so as to be relatively movable in the front-rear direction by a pair of

slide portions

10,10 that are separated in the vehicle width direction. The rail 2 has a protrusion 21 protruding downward between the pair of sliding portions 10, and an upper portion 31 of the strut body 3 is fixed to the protrusion 21.

Thus, since the presence of the convex portion 21 improves the rigidity of the rail 2, the flexure of the rail 2 is suppressed when the slider 1 slides, and the retraction operation of the hood 8 is stabilized. In addition, when the strut body 3 is fixed to the rail 2, the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3 is normally fixed in a state of being inserted into a through hole formed in the rail 2 and protruding from the upper surface side of the rail 2, but according to the present embodiment, since the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3 is fixed to the protrusion 21 protruding downward, it is possible to avoid the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3 from interfering with the slider 1.

In the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment, the convex portion 21 is provided on the rail plate 22 provided between the pair of sliding

portions

10,10. The track plate 22 has

track segment portions

23,23 on both sides in the vehicle width direction, and the

track segment portions

23,23 extend upward to be connected to the upper ends 10a,10a of the pair of sliding

portions

10,10.

Thereby, the rail 2 is formed into a two-stage shape from the pair of sliding

portions

10,10 to the convex portion 21, and the rigidity of the rail 2 is further improved. Therefore, the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 is more stable.

In the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment,

stoppers

25,25 for restricting retraction of the slider 1 are provided at the rear of the rail 2. The

stoppers

25,25 are provided continuously from the rail 2 via the bent portions 24.

Thus, the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 can be reliably stopped by the

stoppers

25,25. In addition, since the

stoppers

25,25 are integrally formed continuously with the rail 2, the number of parts can be reduced.

In the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment, a speed reduction mechanism for suppressing the retraction speed of the slider 1 is provided at the rear portion of the rail 2.

This makes it possible to respond well to the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 in the initial operation stage of the pop-up hood device 9, and to gradually decelerate the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 in the latter operation stage. Therefore, the load on the hood 8 can be reduced as compared with the case where the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 is stopped quickly by the

stoppers

25 and 25. In particular, when the hood 8 restricts the backward movement by the stoppers 25 and the hinge portion 81 of the hood 8 at the rear, the center portion of the hood 8 remains due to inertia, so that the hood 8 may be unexpectedly deformed and the cushioning property of the hood skin 82 may be deteriorated, but this can be avoided according to the present embodiment. Further, since the load instantaneously applied to the stopper 25 can be reduced, it is not necessary to increase the thickness of the stopper 25, and the cost can be reduced.

In the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment, the shape of the strut body 3 is substantially U-shaped in side view, the curvature of the inner surface of the front corner portion 32 of the strut body 3 substantially matches the curvature of the engagement surface of the latch engagement portion 41, and the latch engagement portion 41 engages with the strut body 3 of the latch 4 provided on the vehicle body VB side and constituting the hood lock mechanism 6.

Thus, when the pop-up hood device 9 is operated, the amount of play between the plunger body 3 and the latch 4 is relatively moved, and when the hood 8 moves forward after the play disappears, the plunger body 3 can smoothly rotate with respect to the latch 4 using the front corner 32 as the rotation center. That is, stress concentration at one point when the plunger body 3 contacts the front side corner portion 32 and the latch engaging portion 41 of the latch 4 can be avoided. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the retraction operation of the hood 8 can be performed more smoothly and stably.

In the hood rearward structure 7 of the present embodiment, the pair of sliding

portions

10,10 provided separately in the vehicle width direction are formed by meshing the folded plate members with each other.

Thus, since the slide mechanism can be constituted by the plate member without dividing the slider 1 and the rail 2 into front and rear parts, the backward movement of the slider 1 and the hood 8 can be stably performed. In addition, the engagement margin can be secured more, and deformation such as division of the slider 1 and the rail 2 in the up-down direction due to a collision load and a load at the time of operation of the pop-up hood device 9 can be suppressed.

In the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment, the slider 1 and the rail 2 are each made of iron. The slider 1 has a coating layer covering the surface of the iron, and the coating layer is formed of a rust preventive.

Accordingly, since the slider 1 and the rail 2 are made of iron, the slider 1 and the rail 2 have a certain degree of viscosity (toughness) as compared with aluminum, for example, and therefore, even when a bending load is applied, the slider 1 and the rail 2 can move relative to each other, and the obstruction of the retraction operation of the hood 8 can be suppressed. Further, since the slider 1 is coated with the rust preventive agent, rust can be suppressed even if it is made of iron, and the suppression of the retraction of the engine cover 8 due to rust can be suppressed.

In the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment, the rail 2 has the locking

portions

26 and 26 formed by the cantilever leaf springs that are deflected to restrict the movement of the slider 1 before the operation of the pop-up hood device 9 and to allow the hood 8 to be retracted after the operation of the pop-up hood device 9.

Accordingly, since the slider 1 can move when the locking

portions

26,26 are deflected, the up-and-down movement of the slider 1 and the breakage of the locking

portions

26,26 can be avoided, and the retraction operation of the hood 8 can be stably performed. Further, since breakage of the locking

portions

26,26 can be avoided, the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment can be reused even after the operation of the pop-up hood device 9.

In the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment, the strut body 3 is provided between the pair of

slide portions

10,10. Further, a pair of locking

portions

26,26 are provided on both sides in the vehicle width direction so as to sandwich the strut body 3.

Thus, by providing the pair of the locking

portions

26 and 26 on both sides in the vehicle width direction so as to sandwich the strut body 3, the load for locking and holding the slider 1 is dispersed, and the rigidity of each locking portion 26 can be set lower than that in the case of locking with one locking portion. Further, since the load received by each of the locking portions 26 is small, stress concentration can be suppressed when each of the locking portions 26 is elastically deformed, and since the load itself applied to each of the locking portions 26 is small, the slider 1 can be stably slid without being inclined. Further, since the deformation of each locking portion 26 is within the range of elastic deformation, plastic deformation and breakage of the locking portion 26 can be suppressed, and the pop-up hood device 9 can be reused even after operation.

In the hood retraction structure 7 according to the present embodiment, the slider 1 is fixed to the front lower portion 80 of the hood 8 by bolts.

Conventionally, the strut body 3 is formed integrally with the engine cover 8, but according to the present embodiment, the slider 1 is fixed to the front lower portion 80 of the engine cover 8 by bolts, and the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3 is fixed to the slider 1 and the rail 2 connected to the slider 1, so that replacement is easy when the slider mechanisms (the slider 1, the rail 2, and the strut body 3) are damaged or the like. In addition, when the engine cover 8 is damaged, the slider mechanisms can be reused as long as they are safe.

In the hood rearward structure 7 of the present embodiment, the slider 1 has a cutout 11, and the cutout 11 has an open end formed by making a concave cutout from the vehicle front side to the vehicle rear side. The notch 11 is formed at a position corresponding to the upper side of the auxiliary lever 5, and the auxiliary lever 5 constitutes the hood lock mechanism 6 and regulates the upward movement of the strut body 3.

Thus, the upper end 52 of the auxiliary lever 5 does not interfere with the slider 1 when the slider 1 retreats. Therefore, it is not necessary to separate the slider 1 and the auxiliary lever 5 in the up-down direction, and therefore, the position of the slider mechanism can be adjusted downward without increasing the volume of the apparatus, and a large gap can be secured between the hood 8 and the slider mechanism. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in the case where the upper surface of the hood 8 is in contact with an object to be protected such as a pedestrian, the slider mechanism as a rigid member can be disposed separately from the hood skin 82, and therefore, the protection performance of the object to be protected can be improved. In addition, since the position of the engine hood 8 can be adjusted downward, the degree of freedom in design is improved. The notch structure is not limited to the slider mechanism using the rail 2 as described in the present embodiment, and may be applied to a conventional slide mechanism that merely bends the pressure lever shaft.

In the hood retraction structure 7 of the present embodiment, the plate-shaped rail 2 serving as a slider receiving portion has an opening portion 27 having a closed cross section. The opening 27 is formed at a position corresponding to the upper side of the auxiliary lever 5.

Thereby, the upper end 52 of the auxiliary lever 5 does not interfere with both the rail 2 and the slider 1. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, since the slider 1 is configured to be retracted with respect to the rail 2, it is not necessary to cut the vehicle front side of the rail 2 into a notch, and high rigidity of the rail 2 can be ensured.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and modifications and improvements within a range in which the object of the present invention can be achieved are included in the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the slider 1 is provided at the front lower portion 80 of the engine cover 8, and the rail 2 is provided at the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The arrangement of the two may be interchanged, and the slider 1 may be provided on the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3, and the rail 2 may be provided on the front lower portion 80 of the engine cover 8.

For example, in the above embodiment, the rail 2 is provided on the upper portion 31 of the strut body 3, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The slider 1 may also be arranged at the upper part 31 of the plunger body 3.

For example, in the above embodiment, the slider 1 is formed with the pair of locking

holes

12,12 to which the pair of locking

portions

26,26 are locked, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of the pair of locking holes 12, a pair of recesses to be locked with the pair of locking

portions

26,26 may be formed. Alternatively, the pair of locking

holes

12,12 may not be formed in the slider 1, and the pair of locking

portions

26,26 may be locked to the rear end of the slider 1.

Reference numerals

1. Sliding block

1a upper side slide panel

1b lower side slide block panel

10. Sliding part

10a upper end of the sliding part

10b lower end of sliding part

11. Notch part

12. Locking hole

13. Bolt hole

14. Slider turn-back portion

15. Segment of slide block

2. Track

21. Convex part

22. Track plate

23. Track segment

24. Bent part

25. Stopper part

26. Locking part

27. Opening part

28. Track turnback

29. Track through hole

3. Pressure bar body

30. Pressure lever

31. Upper part of the main body of the pressure bar

32. Front side corner of pressure lever main body

4. Latch lock

40. Latch body portion

41. Latch engaging part

5. Auxiliary rod

50. Rod body part

51. Hook part

52. Upper end of the auxiliary rod

6. Engine cover locking mechanism

7. Engine hood retreating structure

8. Engine hood

80. Front lower part of engine cover

81. Hinge part

82. Engine hood skin

83. Engine hood framework

9. Pop-up hood device

B bolt

E engine room

F front part

V vehicle

VB vehicle body

Claims

1. A hood retraction structure that retracts a hood relative to a hood lock mechanism when a pop-up hood device is operated, the hood retraction structure comprising:

a slider provided on any one of a front lower portion of the hood and an upper portion of a strut main body constituting the hood lock mechanism; and a process for the preparation of a coating,

a rail provided on any one of a front lower portion of the hood and an upper portion of a strut main body constituting the hood lock mechanism; and the number of the first and second electrodes,

the slide block and the rail are connected to each other so as to be movable relative to each other, whereby the hood can be retracted relative to the hood lock mechanism,

the slider and the rail have a pair of sliding portions that are provided separately in the vehicle width direction and that are formed by engaging the folded-back panels with each other.

2. The hood retraction structure according to claim 1,

the slide block and the rail are made of iron,

the slider has a coating covering the surface of the iron.

3. The hood retraction structure according to claim 2,

the coating layer is formed of a rust inhibitor.