FR3139155A1 - MOTOR VEHICLE HOOD HINGE WITH LOCKING - Google Patents

Abstract

MOTOR VEHICLE HOOD HINGE WITH LOCK The present invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising: a body structure; a cover (6) provided to the front of the body structure; at least one hinge (14) with a movable hinge (14.1) fixed to the hood and a fixed hinge (14.2) fixed to the body structure; remarkable in that said motor vehicle further comprises: a lock configured to engage with an orifice (18, 19) made in the movable knuckle, when the hood is closed, so as to prevent opening of said hood. (Figure to be published with the abstract: Figure 2)

Description

MOTOR VEHICLE HOOD HINGE WITH LOCKING

The present invention relates to the field of motor vehicles, more particularly the field of motor vehicle hoods.

The hood of a vehicle covers the engine compartment and can be opened by a lever usually located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. Once the lever is pulled, the hood opens slightly, by releasing a first lock, to be in the ajar position, the hood can be opened from a secondary tab located under a front part of the hood.

The secondary tab allows you to activate a safety hook, acting as a secondary safety device preventing the hood from fully opening by simply pulling the lever in the passenger compartment. This prevents the hood from opening accidentally while driving in the event of the hood not being properly engaged after an intervention or systematic check (checking the coolant, engine oil, etc.).

However, the risk of the hood opening on current vehicles still persists even with the presence of secondary safety. Indeed, there are several factors leading to the sudden opening of the hood when a vehicle is driving, which can lead to material damage (broken windshield, damaged hood, etc.) and endanger the lives of the occupants of the motor vehicle. .

Among these factors, we find, on the one hand, factors linked to the mechanical components of the motor vehicle: wear of the safety hook, seizing of the locking cable, tearing of a cross member of the vehicle on which the hood lock is fixed , etc. On the other hand, factors linked to dynamic forces in unfavorable driving conditions, such as: driving at high speed near bodyguards on the motorway or under unsteady flows (in the event of skidding), driving with vehicles doubling on the road and/or with heavy goods vehicles crossing, etc.

The published patent document EP 1 842 992 A1 discloses a hood lock of a vehicle, the lock comprising a pivoting bolt comprising a stop intended to secure the locking of the hood by preventing the rotation of the pivoting bolt.

However, the solution proposed by the document does not make it possible to effectively secure the locking of the bonnet lock in order to avoid any risk of sudden opening of the bonnet when the motor vehicle is being driven.

The present invention aims to overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the aforementioned state of the art. More particularly, the invention aims to propose a simple, efficient and economical solution making it possible to secure the opening of the hood in order to avoid any risk of sudden opening of the latter.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a motor vehicle comprising:
- a body structure;
- a hood placed at the front of the body structure;
- at least one hinge with a movable hinge fixed to the hood and a fixed hinge fixed to the body structure;
remarkable in that said motor vehicle further comprises:
- a lock configured to engage with an orifice made in the movable knuckle, when the cover is closed, so as to prevent opening of said cover.

According to one embodiment, the lock comprises a support and a bolt slidably mounted on the support, in a horizontal transverse direction.

According to one embodiment, the bolt is subjected to an elastic sliding force directed towards the movable hinge.

According to one embodiment, the bolt comprises a beveled distal end oriented so, when closing the cover, as to be contacted by the movable knuckle and by sliding against said movable knuckle, move said bolt sliding against the force elastic until said distal end penetrates the orifice.

According to one embodiment, the support is fixed to the body structure.

According to one embodiment, the bolt is connected, via a cable, to a hood opening control lever.

According to one embodiment, the control lever is also connected to a hood lock comprising a striker located at an edge of said hood which is opposite an edge where the at least one hinge is located.

According to one embodiment, the at least one hinge further comprises two arms connecting the movable knuckle and the fixed knuckle, one of said two arms comprising an orifice with which the lock engages when the cover is closed.

According to one embodiment, the orifice of the arm is aligned with the orifice of the movable knuckle when the cover is closed.

The invention also relates to a motor vehicle hood hinge, comprising:
- a fixed knuckle intended to be fixed to a body structure of the motor vehicle;
- a movable hinge intended to be fixed to the cover;
- two arms connecting the fixed knuckle and the movable knuckle;
remarkable in that the movable hinge and one of the two arms each comprise an orifice, said two orifices being aligned when the hinge is in a hood closing position, so as to be able to be engaged by a lock.

Advantageously, the engagement of the lock in the orifice of the movable knuckle corresponds to tertiary security of the hood of the motor vehicle. In this configuration, the risk of the hood suddenly opening while the vehicle is driving is eliminated.

The hinge of the invention uses simple and previously existing components in the motor vehicle. In addition, said hinge includes a size suitable for all types of motor vehicles.

In addition, the invention allows manufacturers to minimize expensive physical tests intended to test the performance of front hood safety systems during the development phases of motor vehicles.

represents a perspective view of a motor vehicle comprising at least one hood hinge according to the invention;

is a side view of the hinge of the invention connected to the hood of the motor vehicle of the ;

illustrates a diagram of the hinge and latch in a closed position of the hood;

illustrates the diagram of the in when opening the hood;

illustrates the diagram of the in when closing the hood.

detailed description

There represents a perspective view of a motor vehicle 2 comprising a body structure 4, a hood 6 arranged at the front of the structure 4.

The motor vehicle 2 comprises a hood lock comprising a latch 8 disposed in a front part of the structure 4 and a striker 10 located at a front edge 6.1 of the hood 6.

When opening the hood 6, the latch 8 of the lock is controlled, initially, by a cable connected to a hood opening control lever arranged in the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle 2. The latch 8 is also controlled, in a second step after actuation of the cable, by a tab 12 arranged in a front edge 6.1 of the cover 6 making it possible to release the latch 8 of the keeper 10, so as to allow the pivoting of the cover 6 and its passage from a half-open position to the open position illustrated.

Such pivoting is ensured by two hinges 14 arranged laterally on either side of the cover 6 to the right of a rear edge 6.2 of said cover 6. Each of the two hinges 14 includes tertiary security, the operation of the latter will be described in this description.

There is a side view of the hinge 14 of the invention connected to the hood 6 of the motor vehicle 2. This is precisely the hinge 14 placed on the left side of the motor vehicle 2 with the hood 6 closed.

In reference to the , the hinge 14 comprises a movable knuckle 14.1 directly fixed to the hood 6, a fixed knuckle 14.2 which is fixed to the structure of the motor vehicle, and two arms 14.3, 14.4 connecting the movable knuckle 14.1 and the fixed knuckle 14.2.

The two arms 14.3, 14.4 correspond to a first arm 14.3 arranged downstream of the second arm 14.4 in a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle.

In this configuration, when opening or closing the cover 6, the movable knuckle 14.1 as well as the two arms 14.3, 14.4 are articulated with respect to each other and with respect to the fixed knuckle 14.2 which always remains fixed in its position.

Preferably, the fixed knuckle 14.2 comprises a substantially horizontal platform 15 provided with a stop 16 for closing the cover 6.

The movable knuckle 14.1 and the first arm 14.3 each include an orifice 18, 19 passing entirely through the latter two.

The two orifices 18, 19 have a preferably rectangular shape, but can have a circular, oblong, elliptical shape or any other shape capable of being engaged by a lock. In fact, the lock engages with the orifice 18 and 19 when the cover 6 is closed, this engagement corresponds to the tertiary security of the hinge 14.

There illustrates a diagram of the hinge 14 and the latch 20 in a closed position of the cover.

The lock 20 comprises a support 20.1 and a bolt 20.2 slidably mounted in the support 20.1, in a horizontal transverse direction.

The support 20.1 is preferably fixed to the structure of the motor vehicle. This ensures sufficient rigidity to maintain the bolt 20.2 in its engaged position in the orifice 18, 19.

Preferably, when the cover is closed, the orifice 19 of the first arm 14.3 is aligned with the orifice 18 of the movable knuckle 14.1.

Alternatively, the support 20.1 can be attached to one of the arms 14.3 and 14.4 illustrated in .

In another alternative not shown, only one of the movable knuckles 14.1 and the arm 14.3 includes an orifice. In this configuration, the support 20.1 is fixed to the structure 4 of the vehicle.

The lock 20 further comprises a spring 20.3 housed in an internal chamber 20.4 of the support 20.1. It can be seen that the spring 20.3 exerts an elastic sliding force directed towards the movable knuckle 14.1 so that the bolt 20.2 maintains its engaged position in the orifices 18, 19.

There illustrates the diagram of the in when opening (illustrated by the side arrow pointing upwards) the hood.

Advantageously, the actuation of the hood opening control lever 22 makes it possible to pull the bolt 20.2 by means of the cable 24 to allow the complete opening of the hood, and this, in a third step after the actuation of the tongue 12 of the . In this configuration, complete opening of the hood is possible, because the lever 22 allows the bolt to be released from the holes 18, 19.

In this regard, the spring 20.3 is compressed in the chamber 20.4 of the support 20.1, and the pivoting of the movable knuckle 14.1 relative to the first arm 14.3 can take place.

It can be seen that the bolt 20.2 comprises a vertical distal part 21 oriented preferentially parallel to the movable knuckle 14.1 so as to contact the latter by sliding to counter the elastic force of the spring 20.3.

There illustrates the diagram of the in when closing (illustrated by the side arrow pointing downward) the hood.

It should be noted that in comparison with Figures 3 and 4, the lateral offset between the support 20.1 and the movable knuckle 14.1 has been modified on the for ease of illustration.

We can see that the bolt 20.2 is positioned below the movable hinge 14.1, this is the position at the end of the hood opening stroke. For this purpose, when closing said cover, the movable knuckle 14.1 comes into contact with an upper distal end 23 of the bolt 20.2.

Preferably, the distal end 23 of the bolt 20.2 comprises a bevel oriented so as to allow sliding of the bolt 20.2 towards the chamber 20.4 upon contact of the movable knuckle 14.1 with said bolt 20.2, this contact advantageously corresponding to sliding of the movable knuckle 14.1 on bevel 23.

The closing movement of the hood can continue inversely to the opening movement illustrated in , with sliding of the vertical distal part 21 of the bolt 20.2 on the movable knuckle 14.1.

For this purpose, at the end of the hood closing stroke, the bolt 20.2 engages entirely in the holes 18, 19, similar to the arrangement illustrated in .

Preferably, the orifice 19 of the first arm 14.3 comprises an upper portion matching the bevel 23 of the bolt 20.2, this advantageously allows the bolt 20.2 to be maintained in the transverse direction.

In this configuration, the risk of a sudden opening of the hood while the vehicle is driving is advantageously eliminated.

Claims (10)

Motor vehicle (2) comprising:
- a body structure (4);
- a cover (6) arranged at the front of the body structure (4);
- at least one hinge (14) with a movable hinge (14.1) fixed to the cover (6) and a fixed hinge (14.2) fixed to the body structure (4);
characterized in that said motor vehicle (2) further comprises:
- a lock (20) configured to engage with an orifice (18) made in the movable knuckle (14.1), when the cover (6) is closed, so as to prevent opening of said cover (6). Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 1, in which the lock (20) comprises a support (20.1) and a bolt (20.2) slidably mounted on the support (20.1), in a horizontal transverse direction. Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 2, in which the bolt (20.2) is subjected to an elastic sliding force directed towards the movable knuckle (14.1). Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 3, in which the bolt (20.2) comprises a beveled distal end (23) oriented so, when the hood (6) is closed, to be contacted by the movable knuckle (14.1). ) and by sliding against said movable knuckle (14.1), move said bolt (20.2) sliding against the elastic force until said distal end (23) penetrates the orifice (18). Motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 2 to 4, in which the support (20.1) is fixed to the body structure (4). Motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 2 to 5, in which the bolt (20.2) is connected, via a cable (24), to a control lever (22) for opening the hood. Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 6, in which the control lever (22) is also connected to a hood lock (6) comprising a striker (10) located at an edge (6.1) of said hood (6) which is opposite an edge (6.2) where the at least one hinge (14) is located. Motor vehicle (2) according to one of claims 1 to 7, in which the at least one hinge (14) further comprises two arms (14.3, 14.4) connecting the movable knuckle (14.1) and the fixed knuckle ( 14.2), one of said two arms (14.3, 14.4) comprising an orifice (19) with which the lock (20) engages when the cover (6) is closed. Motor vehicle (2) according to claim 8, in which the orifice (19) of the arm (14.3) is aligned with the orifice (18) of the movable knuckle (14.1) when the hood (6) is closed. Hinge (14) for the hood (6) of a motor vehicle (2), comprising:
- a fixed knuckle (14.2) intended to be fixed to a body structure (4) of the motor vehicle (2);
- a movable hinge (14.1) intended to be fixed to the cover (6);
- two arms (14.3,14.4) connecting the fixed knuckle (14.2) and the movable knuckle (14.1);
characterized in that the movable hinge (14.1) and one of the two arms (14.3, 14.4) each comprise an orifice (18, 19), said two orifices (18, 19) being aligned when the hinge (14) is in a position closing the hood (6), so as to be able to be engaged by a lock (20).