JP2009255635A - Hood lock device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hood lock device for a vehicle to facilitate the deformation of a hood in a collision of the vehicle and an object etc. <P>SOLUTION: This hood lock device 4 selectively engaged with a striker 26 projected downward from a front end of the hood 2 to cover an engine room 100 freely to opened and closed has a hook 41 engaged with the striker, a base 42 to support the hook free to move to make it possible to make the hook and the striker engaged with and disengaged from each other and a bracket 43 provided on the body rear side of a skeletal member (front bulkhead upper 3) extended along the vehicle cross direction on the body front side and the upper side to partition a part of the engine room of the body, and the base is fixed on the bracket free to move to the body rear side when a prescribed load is applied from the body front side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a hood lock device for a vehicle, and more particularly to a hood lock device that facilitates deformation of a front end portion of a hood toward the rear side of a vehicle body against a collision of an object or the like.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a hood that opens and closes an engine room of a vehicle is coupled to a vehicle body at a rear end thereof so as to be swingable, and has a striker protruding downward at a front end thereof, and the striker is provided on a vehicle body skeleton member. Some of them maintain a closed state by being detachably engaged. Some hood lock devices have a hook that engages with a striker, and the hook is biased in a direction to engage with a striker in a normal state, and the engagement state is released only when a manual operation is received.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, there is a vehicle body front structure in which a hood is configured to be deformable so that collision energy is absorbed by deformation of the hood in order to reduce collision energy applied to the object when the front part of the vehicle body collides with an object. . With respect to such a vehicle body front part structure, there is one in which the engagement portion between the front end portion of the hood and the hood lock device does not hinder the deformation of the hood (for example, Patent Document 1). In the invention according to Patent Document 1, the striker and the hood lock device, that is, the coupling structure of the hood and the vehicle body frame structure is reduced in size so that the striker is supported only on the rear end side by either the hood or the vehicle body frame member. The hood can be deformed at a position facing the front end of the striker.
JP 2003-72594 A

  However, in the invention according to Patent Document 1, since the positional relationship between the striker and the hood lock device, that is, the hood and the vehicle body frame member is fixed, the deformation range (deformation stroke) of the hood toward the rear side of the vehicle body is limited. There's a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and in a normal state, the hood is securely fixed to the vehicle body structure, and does not hinder the deformation of the hood in the event of a collision with an object or the like. An object is to provide a food lock device.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the first invention of the present invention selectively engages with a striker (26) protruding downward from a front end portion of a hood (2) that covers the engine room (100) so as to be opened and closed. A hood lock device (4) for engaging, a hook (41) engaged with the striker, and a base for movably supporting the hook so as to enable engagement and release of the hook and the striker And a frame member (front bulkhead upper 3) extending in the vehicle width direction on the front side and the upper side of the vehicle body so as to define part of the engine room of the vehicle body and the portion (42). The base part is fixed to the bracket so as to be movable to the rear side of the vehicle body when a predetermined load is applied from the front side of the vehicle body. When That.

  A second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the bracket has a long hole (52) extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body, and the base portion is mechanically fastened to the long hole. To do.

  According to the first aspect of the invention, the base portion is movable toward the rear of the vehicle body with respect to the bracket when subjected to a predetermined load. Therefore, the deformation of the hood toward the rear side of the vehicle body causes the engagement between the striker and the hook. The joint can be moved rearward of the vehicle body. Therefore, the deformation of the hood toward the rear side of the vehicle body is not hindered by the engaging portion between the striker and the hook, and the deformation stroke of the hood increases. Thereby, the amount of impact energy that the hood can absorb can be increased.

  According to the second invention, the movement of the base portion is ensured by a simple structure, and the load allowing the movement of the base portion can be changed by the tightening torque of the machine fastening.

Hereinafter, an embodiment in which a hood lock device of the present invention is applied to a vehicle will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a front structure of a vehicle to which a hood lock device according to an embodiment is applied. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an engaged state between the hood lock device and the hood, and corresponds to a sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the hood lock device according to the embodiment. For convenience of explanation, the traveling direction of the vehicle to which the present invention is applied is the front, the direction opposite to the traveling direction is the rear, the right side when facing the front is the right, the left is the left, the vertical upper is the upper, the vertical lower is the Let it be down.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the hood 2 disposed above the engine room 100 of the vehicle body 1 is rotatably provided on the vehicle body 1 via a hood hinge 21 at the rear end portion thereof, so that the engine room 100 can be opened and closed. cover. The engine room 100 includes a dash panel (not shown), a pair of left and right front side frames extending forward from the lower side of the dash panel, front pillars disposed on the left and right sides of the dash panel, and protruding from the upper ends of both front pillars to the front side. The upper member and the front bulkhead provided at the front ends of the front side frames and the upper members are defined.

  The front bulkhead is provided at the front end portions of both front side frames and extends upward and downward from the front end portions. The front bulkhead extends in the vehicle width direction, and the upper end of both bulkhead side stays. A front bulkhead upper (radiator grill support center) 3 that connects the parts, and a front bulkhead lower that extends in the vehicle width direction and connects the lower ends of both bulkhead side stays. The front ends of both upper members are connected to the upper ends of the bulkhead side stays.

  The hood 2 includes an outer panel 22 that forms the outer surface of the vehicle body and an inner panel 23 that is provided on the lower surface of the outer panel and supports the outer panel 22 as main components. The inner panel 23 forms a closed structure with the outer panel 22 and imparts mechanical strength to the hood 2. As shown in FIG. 2, a space 101 extending in the vehicle width direction is formed at the front end of the hood 2. A reinforcement 27 extending in the vehicle width direction is provided on the front side of the space 101.

  An opening 24 is formed in the front end side of the inner panel 23 and in the center in the vehicle width direction, and the opening 24 is closed by a plate-like striker base 25. The striker base 25 overlaps with the peripheral portion of the opening 24 at the peripheral portion thereof, and is fixed to the inner panel 23 by welding or the like at the overlapping portion.

  A striker 26 protruding downward is fixed to the striker base 25. The striker 26 is formed of a pair of leg portions 26a, 26b and a body portion 26c that connects between the lower ends of both leg portions, and has a substantially U-shaped side sectional view. The striker 26 is fixed to the striker base at the upper ends of the leg portions 26a and 26b so that the pair of leg portions 26a and 26b are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. The upper ends of the leg portions 26a and 26b and the striker base are fixed by bolt fastening, welding, caulking, or the like.

  A hood lock device 4 that engages with the striker 26 is provided on the rear side surface 31 of the front bulkhead upper 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the hood lock device 4 includes a hook 41 that engages with the striker 26, a hook base 42 that serves as a base member that supports the hook 41, and a hook base 42 that is fixed to the front bulkhead upper 3. And a pair of left and right brackets 43.

  The hook 41 includes a body portion 44 having a substantially U-shaped side sectional view, and an engaging claw 45 provided at one end of the substantially U-shape of the body portion 44. The engagement claw 45 includes a check engagement portion 45a protruding to the other end side of the body portion 44, and a slope portion 45b that smoothly connects the check engagement portion 45a and the distal end portion. An operation lever 46 for manually operating the hook 41 is provided at the other end of the body portion 44.

  The hook base 42 includes a hook support portion 47 formed of a flat plate extending in the vehicle width direction, and a flange portion 48 erected substantially perpendicularly to the hook support portion 47 from the left and right ends of the hook support portion 47. The hook 41 is supported by the hook support portion 47 so as to be swingable in the vehicle width direction by a through pin 56 that passes through the body portion 44 and the hook support portion 47. A slit 49 for receiving the trunk portion 26 c of the striker 26 is formed in the upper portion of the hook support portion 47.

  The bracket 43 is a substantially L-shaped member composed of a base portion 50 joined to the rear side surface 31 of the front bulkhead upper 3 and a hook base support portion 51 protruding rearward from the base portion 50. The base 50 is fastened to the rear side surface 31 of the front bulkhead upper 3 by bolts 53.

  The hook base support portion 51 has a long hole 52 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body. The hook base support portion 51 is in sliding contact with the flange portion 48 of the hook base 42. A through hole (not shown) is formed in a portion of the flange portion 48 facing the long hole 52. The flange portion 48 is fixed to the hook base support portion 51 by fastening the long hole 52 and the through hole with the bolt 54 and the nut 55 via the washer 57. The fixing strength of the flange portion 48 to the hook base support portion 51 can be adjusted by adjusting the tightening torque of the bolt 54 and the nut 55. The tightening torque of the bolt 54 and the nut 55 is adjusted so that the hook 41 and the hook base 42 can move toward the rear side of the vehicle body under the tensile force from the striker 26 when the vehicle body collides.

  The operation lever 46 extends from the body portion 44 toward the vehicle body front side, and the tip end portion 46 a reaches the front side of the front bulkhead upper 3. A tension coil spring (not shown) is provided between the base end portion of the operation lever 46 and the hook base 42, and the operation lever 46 is urged toward the hook base 42 (downward side). As a result, the hook 41 is urged around the penetrating pin 56 in a rotational direction that coincides with the direction in which the engagement claw 45 projects. That is, in the normal state, the engaging claw 45 of the hook 41 is disposed at the engaging position, and the hook is not swung when the operation lever 46 is moved in the direction against the urging force of the tension coil spring (upward side). The engagement claw 45 is moved to the engagement release position by being moved.

  When closing the hood 2, the body portion 26 c of the striker 26 presses the inclined surface portion 45 b of the engaging claw 45 of the hook 41 and rotates the hook 41 around the through pin 56 against the biasing force of the tension coil spring. Then, the engagement claw is moved to the engagement release position. When the body portion 26c of the striker 26 passes the lower end of the inclined surface portion 45b of the engagement claw 45, the hook 41 returns to the engagement position by the urging force of the tension coil spring. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 2, the striker 26 is regulated by the non-return engaging portion 45a of the engaging claw 45, and the hood 2 is fixed in the closed state.

  Next, the function and effect of the hood lock device 4 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an engaged state between the hood lock device and the hood after deformation. When an object collides with the hood 2 from the upper front side of the vehicle body 1, the hood 2 receives a load from the object and is deformed backward from the normal position indicated by a broken line. At this time, the striker 26 is moved backward as the hood 2 is deformed. When the movement amount of the striker 26 reaches a predetermined amount, the leg portion 26a of the striker 26 comes into contact with the hook 41 and applies a force to the hook 41 rearward.

  The force applied to the hook 41 from the striker 26 is transmitted to the hook base 42 through the through pin 56. The force applied to the hook base 42 is larger than the friction force between the flange portion 48 and the hook base support portion 51 generated by fastening the bolt 54 and the nut 55 and the friction force between the hook base support portion 51 and the washer 57. In this case, as shown in FIG. 4, the hook base 42 is moved to the rear side while the bolt 54 is regulated by the long hole 52. In the present embodiment, the fastening force of the bolt 54 and the nut 55 is adjusted so that the hook 41 and the hook base 42 can easily move with respect to the deformation of the hood 2.

  Since the hook 41 and the hook base 42 can move rearward following the striker 26, the engagement between the striker 26 and the hood lock device 4 does not hinder the deformation of the hood 2, and the deformation stroke of the hood 2 is increased. The shock absorbing performance by the hood 2 is ensured.

  The movement stroke of the striker 26 can be changed by the length of the long hole 52, and the magnitude of the load that allows the movement of the striker 26 can be adjusted by the tightening torque of the bolt 54 and the nut 55.

  Although the description of the specific embodiment is finished as above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be widely modified. For example, the long hole 52 of the hook base support part 51 can be changed to another form. FIG. 5 is a side view showing a bracket according to a modified embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5A, a plurality of holes 60 may be arranged close to each other in the front-rear direction instead of the long holes 52. In this case, when a predetermined rearward force is applied to the hook base 42, the inter-hole portion 61 is broken by receiving the force from the bolt 54, the holes 60 are connected to each other, and the hook base 42 is moved backward. You can move. In this case, it is not necessary to finely adjust the tightening torque of the bolt 54 and the nut 55.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, a hole 62 that matches the diameter of the bolt 54 may be provided on the front side, and a slit 63 having a narrower width than the diameter of the hole 62 may be provided behind the hole 62. In this case, when a predetermined rearward force is applied to the hook base 42, the bolt 54 moves rearward while widening the slit 63. In this case as well, it is not necessary to finely adjust the tightening torque of the bolt 54 and the nut 55.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5C, the long hole may be a slit 64 that reaches the rear end portion of the hook base support portion 51. In this manner, when a predetermined amount of rearward force is applied to the hook base 42, the hook base 42 and the hook 41 are detached from the bracket 43 if the deformation amount of the hood 2 is large. Therefore, a large deformation of the hood 2 can be allowed without extending the hook base support portion 51 in the front-rear direction.

  Moreover, the shapes of the striker and the hook shown in the embodiment are merely examples, and other shapes can be applied. In the embodiment, the engaging claw is moved by the swinging hook to engage and release the striker. However, various configurations such as a sliding hook can be applied. Other configurations of the control device can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 is a perspective view showing a front structure of a vehicle to which a hood lock device according to an embodiment is applied. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the engagement state of a hood lock apparatus and a hood (equivalent to sectional drawing cut | disconnected by the II-II line of FIG. 3). It is a perspective view showing a hood lock device concerning an embodiment. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the engagement state of the hood lock apparatus and hood after a deformation | transformation. It is a side view which shows the bracket which concerns on deformation | transformation embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

2 Hood 3 Front bulkhead upper 4 Hood lock device 26 Striker 41 Hook 42 Hook base 43 Bracket 45 Engaging claw 46 Operation lever 47 Hook support part 48 Flange part 50 Base 51 Hook base support part 52 Long hole 56 Through pin

Claims (2)

A hood lock device that selectively engages with a striker protruding downward from the front end of a hood that covers the engine room so as to be openable and closable,
A hook engaged with the striker;
A base portion movably supporting the hook to enable engagement and release of the hook and the striker;
A bracket provided on the vehicle body rear side of the skeleton member extending in the vehicle width direction on the vehicle body front side and the upper side in order to define a part of the engine room of the vehicle body,
The hood lock device, wherein the base portion is supported so as to be movable toward the rear side of the vehicle body with respect to the bracket when a predetermined load is applied from the front side of the vehicle body. The bracket has a long hole extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body,
The hood lock device according to claim 1, wherein the base portion is mechanically fastened to the elongated hole.

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