CN216429324U - Locking device for engine cover - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model relates to a locking device for bonnet, bonnet can shift backward for the frame, locking device includes: a fixing bracket provided on the engine cover, a first latch part connected to the fixing bracket; and a second latch member disposed on the frame, the second latch member configured to engage the first latch member when the hood is closed to lock the hood to the frame, wherein the first latch member is configured to be displaceable relative to the second latch member by a first stroke and to be displaceable relative to the stationary bracket by a second stroke, a total distance by which the hood is displaceable rearwardly relative to the frame being based on a length of the first stroke plus a length of the second stroke. The utility model provides a locking device for bonnet compact structure and extension stroke extension.

Description

Locking device for engine cover

Technical Field

The utility model relates to a vehicle safety technique, more specifically, the utility model relates to a locking device for bonnet.

Background

For an active bonnet, in the event of a collision of the vehicle, the bonnet will be displaced backwards in relation to the frame of the vehicle and at the same time be tilted backwards and upwards, i.e. the rear edge of the bonnet will automatically bounce up to a certain height in the moment to play a cushioning role, reducing the injury to the pedestrian struck. For this reason, it is also required that the locking device for the hood can be extended as the hood is displaced rearward relative to the vehicle frame. However, extendable locking devices tend to involve larger assembly dimensions than conventional locking devices, taking up more installation space, especially for low vehicles, which tend to interfere with a higher positioned engine during an extension stroke.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

An object of the utility model is to provide a compact structure and extension stroke extension be used for locking device of bonnet.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a locking device for a bonnet which can be displaced backward with respect to a vehicle frame, the locking device comprising: a fixing bracket provided on the engine cover, a first latch part connected to the fixing bracket; and a second latch member disposed on the frame, the second latch member configured to engage the first latch member when the hood is closed to lock the hood to the frame, wherein the first latch member is configured to be displaceable relative to the second latch member by a first stroke and to be displaceable relative to the stationary bracket by a second stroke, a total distance by which the hood is displaceable rearwardly relative to the frame being based on a length of the first stroke plus a length of the second stroke.

Optionally, the fixed bracket is provided with a slide and the first latch member comprises a slide displaceably inserted into the slide, wherein the length of the second stroke is equal to the length of the slide minus the length of the slide.

Optionally, the both ends of gleitbretter in length are the accessible ground respectively to in the both ends of slide in length, when not starting the second stroke yet, the direct butt in the one end of slide of one end of gleitbretter, when accomplishing the second stroke, the direct butt in the other end of slide of the other end of gleitbretter.

Optionally, the second latch member comprises a latch hook and the first latch member comprises a striker secured to the slide, the striker comprising an engagement segment configured to displaceably engage to the latch hook when the bonnet is closed, wherein a length of the first stroke is equal to a length of the engagement segment minus a thickness of the latch hook.

Optionally, the striker further includes two limiting segments extending at two ends of the engaging segment at an angle to the engaging segment, the two ends of the locking hook in thickness respectively face the two limiting segments without obstruction, when the first stroke is not started, one end of the locking hook directly abuts against one of the two limiting segments, and when the first stroke is completed, the other end of the locking hook directly abuts against the other of the two limiting segments.

Optionally, the force required to initiate the second stroke is greater than the force required to initiate the first stroke.

Optionally, the projection of the striker on the plane of the fixed bracket at least partially or completely coincides with the fixed bracket when the first stroke and the second stroke have not been activated.

Optionally, the first latch member comprises a latch hook secured to the slide and the second latch member comprises a striker comprising an engagement segment configured to displaceably engage to the latch hook when the bonnet is closed, wherein a length of the first stroke is equal to a length of the engagement segment minus a thickness of the latch hook.

Optionally, the direction of the first stroke is parallel to the direction of the second stroke.

Alternatively, the direction of the first stroke and the direction of the second stroke are both inclined rearwardly and upwardly so that the hood is lifted upwardly as it is displaced rearwardly relative to the vehicle frame.

The utility model provides a locking device for bonnet is equivalent to the ordinary locking device who corresponds the locking effect in the aspect of assembly position and occupation space basically, but also can realize the extension stroke as long as possible. In addition, the utility model provides a locking device for bonnet can realize the extension stroke of slope to the back top to help avoiding taking place to interfere with the higher engine of location during the extension.

Other features of the present invention and advantages thereof will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view of a locking device for an engine cover in a retracted state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic view of a locking device for an engine cover in a first extended state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a schematic view of a locking device for an engine cover in a second extended state according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: unless specifically stated otherwise, the relative arrangement of the components and steps, the numerical expressions, and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention.

Techniques and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but are intended to be considered a part of the specification where appropriate.

In all examples shown and discussed herein, any particular value should be construed as merely illustrative, and not limiting. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

It should be noted that: like reference numbers and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, further discussion thereof is not required in subsequent figures.

Herein, "front" refers to the front substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, "rear" refers to the rear substantially in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, "upper" refers to the upper substantially in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and "lower" refers to the lower substantially in the vertical direction of the vehicle.

It is known that the hood of a vehicle, also called bonnet or front cover, can cover the engine when the hood is closed, in order to insulate the heat and noise caused by the operation of the engine. The bonnet may be locked to the frame of the vehicle and/or other components associated with the frame (collectively referred to herein as the frame) by means of a locking device to prevent the bonnet from opening during normal driving of the vehicle. The locking device can be released directly when it is desired to open the engine cover to inspect the engine.

As vehicle safety technology advances, the hood also plays an important role in vehicle driving safety, and when a vehicle collides with a pedestrian in a forward direction, it is advantageous that the hood moves backward a distance and a rear edge of the hood is raised upward by a certain height so that the hood forms an inclined surface that can buffer the impact of the collision on the collided person. At the same time, rearward displacement of the hood also helps to avoid damage to the hood in the event of a positive impact with another vehicle or a stationary obstacle. Therefore, the locking device for such an engine cover (i.e., active engine cover) needs to be expandable.

Referring to fig. 1 to 3, the present invention provides a locking device 10 for an engine head 12, which is also extendable, including a fixing bracket 16 provided on the engine head 12, a first latch member displaceably connected to the fixing bracket 16; and a second latch member disposed on the frame 14, the second latch member configured to engage the first latch member when the hood 12 is closed to lock the hood 12 to the frame 14, wherein the first latch member is configured to be displaceable a first stroke relative to the second latch member and a second stroke relative to the stationary bracket 16.

For example, the mounting bracket 16 may be provided with a preferably straight slide 18, wherein both ends of the slide 18 are closed to define the length of the slide 18. For example, the mounting bracket 16 may be mounted to the hood 12 below the front and/or side edges thereof.

For example, the first latch member may include a slide 20 and a striker 22 fixed to the slide 20. The slide 20 has a length extending along the length of the slide 18 and is slidably inserted into the slide 18 to be in direct contact with the slide 18. When the hood 12 is displaced rearwardly relative to the frame 14 due to an impact event of the vehicle, the slide 20 maintains direct contact with the slide 18, and as the hood 12 is displaced rearwardly with the stationary bracket 16, the slide 20 will move forwardly in the slide 18. Thereby, the first latch member is at most displaceable with respect to the fixed carriage 16 by a second stroke, wherein the second stroke is equal to the length of the slide 18 minus the length of the slide 20.

It will be appreciated that the first latch member may also be displaceably connected to the stationary bracket 16 by means of other mechanisms instead of or in addition to the slide 20. For example, a roller may be provided on the slide 20, the roller being in direct contact with the slide for easier actuation and completion of the second stroke.

However, in order to increase the length of the second stroke as much as possible and simplify the structure, no additional parts will be provided between the slide 18 and the slide 20 along the second stroke. Therefore, during the whole second stroke, the two ends of the sliding piece 20 in length respectively face the two ends of the sliding way 18 in length without obstacles, when the second stroke is not started, the rear end of the sliding piece 20 directly abuts against the rear end of the sliding way 18, and when the second stroke is completed, the front end of the sliding piece 20 directly abuts against the front end of the sliding way 18.

Furthermore, the striker 22 is bent from an elongate circular rod so that the two ends of the rod are fixed to the portion of the slider 20 not in contact with the slideway 18 along the length of the slider 20, and defines, in extension between the two ends of the rod, a preferably straight engagement section 26 and two stop sections 28A, 28B extending at the ends of the engagement section 26 at an angle to, for example perpendicular to, the engagement section 26.

The second latching component is provided, for example, on a front cross member and/or a front side member of the vehicle frame 14, and may include, for example, a latching hook 24. The latch hook 24 is fixed relative to the vehicle body. When the hood 12 is closed, the engagement segment 26 of the striker 22 may be displaceably engaged to the latch hook 24 to lock the hood 12 to the frame 14. In this case, therefore, the locked position of the hood 12 relative to the frame 14 is also fixed.

When the bonnet 12 is displaced rearwardly relative to the frame 14 due to a crash event of the vehicle, the striker 22 is at most capable of being displaced a first stroke relative to the latch hook 24, and also, as it were, the first latch member is at most capable of being displaced a first stroke relative to the second latch member, wherein the first stroke is equal to the length of the engagement segment 26 minus the thickness of the latch hook 24, the thickness of the latch hook 24 extending along the length of the engagement segment 26.

In order to increase the length of the first stroke as much as possible and simplify the structure, no additional components will be provided along the first stroke between the locking hook 24 and the engagement section 26. Therefore, during the whole first stroke, the two ends of the locking hook 24 in the thickness respectively face the two stopper sections 28A and 28B without hindrance, when the first stroke is not started, the rear end of the locking hook 24 directly abuts against the stopper section 28B, and when the first stroke is completed, the front end of the locking hook 24 directly abuts against the stopper section 28A.

To summarize, the total distance that the hood 12 may be displaced rearwardly relative to the frame 14 is substantially based on the length of the first stroke plus the length of the second stroke. Compared to a common locking device 10 with a corresponding locking effect, the present invention provides an extendable locking device 10 that is substantially unchanged in terms of assembly position and occupied space, in order to facilitate an improved applicability of the locking device 10; and the utility model provides a locking device 10 through two sections strokes of segmentation design with the aversion backward of coping with bonnet 12, can further lengthen the total distance that bonnet 12 can be for frame 14 aversion backward.

Hereinafter, the operation of the locking device 10 for the bonnet 12 of the present application in the event of a crash of a vehicle will be described in detail to further illustrate other features of the locking device 10.

Specifically, referring to fig. 1, taking as an example that the first latch member is shaped to include a striker pin 22 and the second latch member is shaped to include a shackle 24, during normal operation (e.g., normal driving or normal stopping) of the vehicle, the extendable locking device 10 is in a retracted state in which the first latch member has not been displaced relative to the stationary bracket 16 and the second latch member.

With the aim of limiting the assembled dimensions of the latch device, for example, in the retracted state, the rear end of the slide 20 is located at the rear end of the slide 18 and the rear end of the locking hook 24 is located at the rear end of the engagement section 26, wherein the rear end of the slide 18 is immediately adjacent to the rear end of the engagement section 26, so that the projection of the striker 22 onto the plane of the fixed bracket 16 at least partially or completely coincides with the fixed bracket 16. In view of this, the present invention provides an embodiment in which the striker 22 bent from an elongated round bar has a shape similar to a bootie as viewed in cross section.

Referring to fig. 2, when the hood 12 is displaced rearwardly relative to the frame 14 as a result of a vehicle crash event, the extendable lock device 10 will be displaced to a first extended state in which the first stroke is initiated prior to the second stroke, i.e., the striker 22 is displaced rearwardly with the hood 12 relative to the fixed latch hook 24, until all of the length of the first stroke is completed, during which the slide 20 remains stationary at the rear end of the slide 18.

Referring to fig. 3, as the hood 12 continues to be displaced rearwardly relative to the frame 14 after completion of all the length of the first stroke, the extendable lock device 10 will be displaced to a second extended condition in which a second stroke is initiated, i.e., the slide 18 is displaced rearwardly with the hood 12 relative to the slide 20, so to speak the slide 20 moves forwardly in the slide 18, until all the length of the second stroke is completed.

Generally, the order in which the two strokes occur depends on the amount of force required to initiate each stroke. In the case of the sliding piece 20 directly contacting the sliding way 18, since the surface area of the sliding piece 20 directly contacting the sliding way 18 is significantly larger than the surface area of the locking hook 24 directly contacting the striker 22 of the circular rod section, the static friction force for maintaining the locking hook 24 and the striker 22 stationary will be smaller than the static friction force for maintaining the sliding piece 20 and the sliding way 18 stationary. When the hood 12 is displaced rearwardly relative to the frame 14 due to a vehicle crash event, the force applied by the hood 12 to the locking device 10 will first exceed the static friction force that maintains the immobilization between the latch hook 24 and the striker 22, and therefore the first stroke will be initiated prior to the second stroke.

It will be appreciated that the value of the static friction force that maintains the immobility between the stationary bracket 16 and the first latch member, and/or the value of the static friction force that maintains the immobility between the first latch member and the second latch member, may be configured as the case may be, but the force required to initiate the second stroke will always be greater than the force required to initiate the first stroke.

With the aim of making the transition between the two strokes continuous and smooth, the ramp 18 is parallel to the engagement section 26 of the striker 22, i.e. the direction of the first stroke is parallel to the direction of the second stroke. Moreover, the length of the first stroke and the length of the second stroke may also be designed according to the particular application such that the length of the first stroke is less than, greater than, or equal to the length of the second stroke.

Alternatively, both the direction of the first stroke and the direction of the second stroke are inclined rearwardly and upwardly with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, so that the hood 12 is lifted slightly upwardly as it is displaced rearwardly with respect to the vehicle frame 14, thereby preventing the leading edge of the hood 12 from colliding with the engine.

The vehicle may comprise one or more locking devices 10 for a bonnet 12 as described above according to a specific application scenario, the fixing brackets 16 of the one or more locking devices 10 may be respectively mounted below two symmetrical sides of a front edge and/or a side edge of the bonnet 12, and correspondingly, the second latch parts of the one or more locking devices 10 may be respectively mounted above two symmetrical sides of a front cross beam and/or a front longitudinal beam of the frame 14.

It should be mentioned that in another embodiment of the present invention, the striker 22 and the shackle 24 are interchangeable. That is, the first latch member is shaped to include a latch hook secured to the slide 20, while the second latch member is shaped to include a striker, in which case the latch hook is no longer secured relative to the vehicle body and the locked position of the hood 12 relative to the frame 14 is no longer secured. To explain further, in another embodiment of the present invention, in the retracted state, the rear end of the slide 20 is located at the rear end of the slide 18, but unlike the embodiment shown in fig. 1 to 3, the front end of the latch hook in another embodiment of the present invention will be located at the front end of the engagement section of the striker, i.e. the front end of the latch hook directly abuts the limit section 28A, and thus the rear end of the slide 18 is immediately adjacent to the front end of the striker. In order to achieve as long an extension stroke as possible, in another embodiment of the invention, the projection of the striker of the second latch member onto the plane of the fixing bracket 16 may not coincide with the fixing bracket 16 in the retracted state. Of course, other known latching mechanisms may be utilized to effect displaceable engagement of the first latching component with the second latching component.

Although some specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of illustration, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above illustration is only for purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims (10)

1. A locking device (10) for a bonnet (12), the bonnet (12) being displaceable rearwards relative to a vehicle frame (14), characterized in that the locking device (10) comprises:

a fixing bracket (16) provided on the engine cover (12),

a first latch member connected to the stationary bracket (16); and

a second latch member disposed on the frame (14) and configured to engage the first latch member when the hood (12) is closed to lock the hood (12) to the frame (14),

wherein the first latch member is configured to be displaceable relative to the second latch member by a first stroke and to be displaceable relative to the stationary bracket (16) by a second stroke, the total distance by which the bonnet (12) is displaceable rearwardly relative to the frame (14) being based on the length of the first stroke plus the length of the second stroke.

2. Locking device (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that the fixing bracket (16) is provided with a slide (18) and the first latching means comprise a slide (20) displaceably inserted into the slide (18), wherein the length of the second stroke is equal to the length of the slide (18) minus the length of the slide (20).

3. Locking device (10) according to claim 2, characterized in that the two ends of the sliding piece (20) in length face the two ends of the slideway (18) in length respectively without obstruction, one end of the sliding piece (20) directly abuts against one end of the slideway (18) when the second stroke is not started yet, and the other end of the sliding piece (20) directly abuts against the other end of the slideway (18) when the second stroke is completed.

4. Locking device (10) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the second latching member comprises a locking hook (24) and the first latching member comprises a striker (22) secured to the slide (20), the striker (22) comprising an engagement section (26) configured to displaceably engage to the locking hook (24) when the bonnet (12) is closed, wherein the length of the first stroke is equal to the length of the engagement section (26) minus the thickness of the locking hook (24).

5. Locking device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the striker (22) further comprises two stop segments extending at both ends of the engagement segment (26) at an angle to the engagement segment (26), the two ends of the locking hook (24) in thickness facing respectively unobstructed towards said two stop segments, one end of the locking hook (24) abutting directly against one of said two stop segments when the first stroke has not been activated and the other end of the locking hook (24) abutting directly against the other of said two stop segments when the first stroke is completed.

6. A locking device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the force required to initiate the second stroke is greater than the force required to initiate the first stroke.

7. Locking device (10) according to claim 4, characterized in that the projection of the striker (22) on the plane of the fixed bracket (16) at least partially or completely coincides with the fixed bracket (16) when the first and second stroke have not been activated.

8. Locking device (10) according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the first latching member comprises a locking hook secured to the slide (20) and the second latching member comprises a striker comprising an engagement section configured to displaceably engage to the locking hook when the bonnet (12) is closed, wherein the length of the first stroke is equal to the length of the engagement section minus the thickness of the locking hook.

9. Locking device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the direction of the first stroke is parallel to the direction of the second stroke.

10. The locking device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the direction of the first stroke and the direction of the second stroke are both inclined rearwardly and upwardly so that the bonnet (12) is lifted upwardly as it is displaced rearwardly relative to the vehicle frame (14).

Images