GB2347458A

GB2347458A - Vehicle bonnet lock device

Info

Publication number: GB2347458A
Application number: GB0004824A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Katsumi Nakagome; Jun Kurimoto
Original assignee: Ohi Seisakusho Co Ltd
Current assignee: Mitsui Kinzoku ACT Corp
Priority date: 1999-03-02
Filing date: 2000-02-29
Publication date: 2000-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 2020-02-29
Also published as: JP2000248798A; GB2347458B; JP3726176B2; GB0004824D0

Abstract

A protective cover (12) has a horizontal part (12a) for covering a space between the back surface of a base plate (1) of the bonnet lock device and the confronting front surface (3) of the frame. The horizontal part covers the space at a position at least above an operating part of a locking plate (8) to prevent illegal unlocking.

Description

VEHICLE BONNET LOCK DEVICE The present invention relates to the vehicle bonnet lock device.

The vehicle bonnet lock device retains a bonnet in a closed state, wherein the bonnet is supported by a vehicle body so as to be opened and closed. The vehicle bonnet lock device has a latch which engages with a striker that is securely fixed to the bonnet, when the bonnet is closed. Further, the vehicle bonnet lock device has a locking plate which engages with the latch to thereby retain the bonnet in a closed sate, when the bonnet is closed. The latch and the locking plate is rotatably supported on a back surface of a base plate which is secured to the frame in an engine room by such a tightening member as a bolt, thus, on a surface which confronts with the frame.

In the above-described bonnet lock device, however, some space is formed between the back surface of the base plate and the frame in a state that the base plate is secured to the frame. Therefore, there has been such a fear that the bonnet is unlocked and opened by an illegal method such as insertion of a wire into the space from the upward of the base plate to dislocate the operating part of the locking plate.

With consideration of the above-described problem of a conventional technique, the invention is purposed to provide a vehicle bonnet lock device wherein a simple structure ensures prevention of unlocking by an illegal act.

The invention solves the problem in the following ways: (1) In a vehicle bonnet lock device wherein a latch that can be locked to and unlocked from a striker that is securely stuck to a bonnet that is so supported by a vehicle body as to be opened and closed freely and a locking plate that can be engaged with the latch and that retains the bonnet in a closed sate are attached pivotably to a surface of a base plate that confronts an attaching surface and that has an attachment piece that is secured to the attaching surface of the vehicle body by a tightening member and wherein an operating part that is linked via a linking member to an opener handle that is disposed at a driver's seat is provided at a lower part of the locking plate, a protective cover that has a horizontal part for covering some space between the base plate and attaching surface of vehicle body is securely fastened to the base plate at a position at least above the operating part of the locking plate.

(2) A vertical part that extends upward along an attaching surface of vehicle body is provided at an end part that is close to or in contact with the attaching surface of vehicle body.

(3) A protective cover has an attachment piece that is tightened to the tightening member together with a base plate.

(4) A protective cover has a temporarily-hooking pawl part that can be engaged with a base plate.

Features and advantages of the invention will be evident from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments described in conjunction with the attached drawings.

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of significant parts inside the engine room wherein a bonnet lock device according an embodiment of the present invention is attached; Fig. 2 is a front view of the bonnet lock device according to the embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a back view of the bonnet lock device according to the embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B in Fig. 2.

An embodiment of the invention is now described with references to attached drawings. The bonnet lock device has a pair of right and left attachment pieces la which are secured to a front surface (the left-hand side is the front of a vehicle in Fig. 1) of a frame 3 inside an engine room of the vehicle by bolts 2 as tightening members. The bonnet lock device also has a base plate 1 that is fastened to a center stay 5 inside the engine room by a bolt 4 that is inserted into an attaching hole lb formed at an approximate center and lower portion of the base plate 1.

A latch 7 and a locking plate 8 are pivotably attached to a back surface of the base plate 1 which confronts with the front surface of the frame 3 respectively by means of shafts 9 and 10. A striker 6 is fixed to the bonnet (not shown), and when the bonnet is closed, the striker 6 advances into a groove lc which is formed by cutting a portion of the base plate 1 from a central upper line thereof. Then, the latch 7 engages with the striker 6 and rotates. The locking plate 8 is capable of engagement with the latch 7 when the bonnet is closed, and has, at a lower part thereof, an operating part 8a that is linked with an opener handle (not shown) disposed at a driver's seat through a wire. A secondary latch 11 having an operational part 1 la (omitted in Figs. 1 and 3) on a side part thereof is pivotably attached to the front surface of the base plate 1 with a shaft 13.

A protective cover 12 is a thin metal plate that is bent into an L-shape when viewed from a lateral side and that is fastened to the back surface of the base plate 1. The protective cover 12 comprises: a horizontal part 12a which extends in a horizontal direction at a position above the operating part 8a of the locking plate 8; a vertical part 12b which extends upward at an end part of the horizontal part 12a and is close to or in contact with the front surface of the frame 3; a pair of right and left attachment pieces 12c which are provided at right and left end parts of the vertical part 12b and overlap the front surfaces of the attachment pieces la of the base plate 1; and a tong-shaped bendable pawl part 12d which extends downward from the bottom end of the left attachment piece 12c as shown in Fig.

2.

The horizontal part 12a and the vertical part 12b are disposed on the back surface side of the base plate 1, and the right and left attachment pieces 12c are respectively overlapped by the front surfaces of the right and left attachment pieces la of the base plate 1. In such a state, the protective cover 12 can be hooked temporarily onto the base plate 1 by bending the pawl part 12d inward so as to be hooked on the outer edge of the base plate 1.

While the protective cover 12 is temporarily hooked onto the base plate 1, the bolts 2 are inserted into the attaching holes ld and 12e in the attachment plates la and 12c each of the base plate 1 and the protective cover 12. The attachment plates la and 12c are held on the frame 3 by the bolts 2.

Consequently, the base plate 1 and the protective cover 12 are securely fastened to the frame 3. In the state wherein the base plate 1 is securely fastened to the frame 3, the protective cover 12 covers a space c between the back surface of the base plate 1 and the front surface of the frame 3 with the horizontal part 12 a and blocks any entrance of illegal means from the area above the base plate 1, successfully preventing illegal unlocking of the bonnet lock device. Since the vertical part 12b extends upward along the frame 3, a coated surface of the frame 3 will not be damaged by the vertical part 12b contacting at or sliding over the front surface of the frame 3 when the bonnet lock device 3 is secured to the frame 3 and the center stay 5.

The present invention is effective as follows: (a) In the first aspect of the invention, the addition of a simple structure enables ensured prevention of unlocking of the bonnet lock device from being unlocked by an illegal act to dislocate the operating part of the locking plate.

(b) In the second aspect of the invention, the surface of the vertical part comes into contact with the front surface of the frame when the bonnet lock device is attached to the frame, and thus the coated surface of the frame will not be damaged.

(c) In the third aspect of the invention, the protective cover is strongly secured to the frame together with the base plate by the tightening member that the assembling operation can be carried out efficiency with decrease in the number of parts, and the increase in the rigidity of the base plate results in improvement in the locking intensity.

(d) In the fourth aspect of the invention, the temporary hooking of the protective cover onto the base plate realizes a simple tightening operation of the protective cover to the frame together with the base plate.

Claims

1. A vehicle bonnet lock device comprising: a base plate having an attachment piece and a back surface, said base plate being secured to an attaching face of a vehicle body by said attachment piece; a latch pivotably attached to said back surface of said base plate, said latch being locked to and unlocked from a striker which is provided on a bonnet supported by the vehicle body so as to be opened and closed freely; a locking plate pivotably attached to said back surface of said base plate, said locking plate being to be engaged with said latch to thereby retain said bonnet in a closed state; an operating part provided at a lower part of said locking plate to release engagement of said locking plate and said latch; and a protective cover for covering a space formed between said base plate and said attaching surface of the vehicle body, said protective cover being at a position at least above said operating part of said locking plate.

2. A vehicle bonnet lock device according to claim 1, wherein said protective cover comprises: a horizontal part for substantially covering the space; and a vertical part extending upward along the attaching face of the vehicle body from an end of said horizontal part while being close to or in contact with said attaching face of the vehicle body.

3. A vehicle bonnet lock device according to any one of claims 1 and 2, wherein said protective cover has an attachment pie-ce which is tightened to and held on the vehicle body by a tightening member together with said base plate.

4. A vehicle bonnet lock device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said protective cover has a temporarily-hooking pawl part to be engaged with said base plate.

5. a vehicle bonnet lock substantially as described with reference to the accompanying drawings.