ES1061869U - Bonnet hinge. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Collapsible bonnet hinge, of the type that pivotally fixes a bonnet (2) of a motor vehicle to a body (1) of said vehicle, comprising a support (3) pivotally fixed to the hood (2) by a end, and joined by the opposite end to the body (1), characterized in that the support (3) is attached to the body (1) by means of a plurality of handles (6) that support the outline of the support (3), allowing relative sliding between the body (1) and the support (3) in a sliding direction, and at least one collapsible bolt (5) that fixes both elements. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

Hood hinge.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a hinge of  car hood that offers high security measures for the case of impact with a pedestrian.

State of the art

The technical sector to which the invention is that of passive safety measures in vehicles of engine, especially measures to reduce damage to people hit by a vehicle.

Global safety regulations require every  increasing protection for the occupants of a motor vehicle and to the other people. So in the case of abuses he has been forced to perform numerous tests in which the vehicle impacts with a dummy, to define the possible risks to pedestrians and reduce these.

As a result of these tests, it has been highlighted that at speeds close to 60km / h, the pedestrian impacts the car hood, where it hits your head. Therefore they must be provided safety measures that prevent the injury of such a vital part of the body.

If the head collides with the central area of the hood, the severity of the lesion is less since the hood deforms and absorbs energy However, when it hits a stiff point of the hood, the injury is serious. Between these rigid points you can name the hinges of the hood, often located in the rear outer edges of the hood.

Action must be taken to reduce damage to the pedestrian when it affects the rigid points mentioned. That's how they are known hinges as disclosed in ES 2197103 T3 which offers an articulated quadrilateral hinge with elements deformable This deformation absorbs energy reducing the severity of the crash, and maintaining the bonnet fixation.

Description of the invention

The present invention relates to a hinge of  collapsible bonnet against a certain impact. Therefore a bonnet arranged with the hinge described in this document removes two rigid points, and offers much more security to the pedestrian.

As additional advantages, the kinematics of shock is improved since the orientation of the hood movement in a crash adapting it to the car model in which it is integrated.

A bonnet hinge usually consists of a support  pivotally attached to the hood of the vehicle, at one end upper, and fixed to a body element by one end lower.

According to the invention, the support is fixed to the body by means of handles that support the contour of the support, and that allow it to move in a direction of slip, generally aligned with the direction in which it produces the clash of the pedestrian with the hood, which will be more or less vertical. For this, the test results of crash, and the slip direction will be calculated to minimize  the damages produced, maximizing the dissipated energy.

The sliding direction can be curved, if  thus more energy dissipates, although the radius of curvature will be appreciable so as not to hinder the slippage too much.

To prevent movement from occurring in a moment that is not the impact of an object against the hood, the support is also attached to the body by means of one or more collapsible bolts, that is, capable of breaking or destroying sharply when subjected to a force.

In this way, at the moment of impact, the collapsible bolts are destroyed, and slippage is allowed between the handles and the support.

It is possible to make modifications on this basic scheme, such as making a hole central in the support, thus creating more surface area of contour where the handles can hold the support.

So that this new contour does not affect the sliding direction, must be parallel to the part of the contour where the other handles are held. That is, at sliding direction.

The handles can be, for example elements C-shaped, which embrace the contour of the support, either the external contour or internal contour, and that are oriented in One way, facilitating assembly. Can also be T-shaped elements that pass through grooves made in the support and oriented according to the sliding direction.

In the case of impact, the bolts will break collapsible and the support will descend, staying subject to the handles, dissipating energy with breakage and glide.

Since neither the shaft nor the hood are affected for the impact, but only the descent has occurred of the support, the hood can remain open after impact.

Generally, the hinges on both sides of the Hood will be symmetrical.

Description of the drawings

For a better understanding of the invention, They include the following figures:

Figure 1 shows an overview of the  hinge mounted, schematically representing the hood and the bodywork.

Figure 2 shows a section of the invention a the height of the upper bolt.

Description of an embodiment

Then it goes on to describe in a way brief an embodiment of the invention, as an example illustrative and not limiting it.

The bonnet hinge of the invention allows the pivotal connection between a crossbar or strut of the body (1) of car and a hood (2). This involves a support (3) that joins at an upper end with the hood (2) by means of an axis (7) that It allows the relative rotation of the two elements.

The support (3) is fixed to the body (1), in an area near the lower end of the support (3), either directly, or through intermediate elements. In any case the fixing means comprise collapsible bolts (5) and some handles (6).

In an initial position, represented in the Figures 1 and 2, the handles (6) embrace edges of the support (3) so that it can slide in a sliding direction, That will usually be vertical. This address can be modified. to take the angle with the vertical at which the tests indicate that less pedestrian damage occurs. Equally, it may not be straight, taking a curved shape that increases the energy dissipation

To prevent this slippage from occurring before the crash, and absorb some of the impact energy, it also supports the support (3) to the body (1) by means of collapsible bolts (5). In your case the union could be of the support (3) and intermediate elements.

An embodiment is shown in Figures 1 and 2 in which a central hole has been made in the support (3) (8) where at least one of the handles (6) will slide. From this way both handles (6) can have a C shape and its entrance mouth be oriented in the same direction, so that the assembly and disassembly of the support (3) is very simple.

In addition, the upper and lower edge of the hole  central (8) stops as far as the sliding allowed to the handles (6).

The instant an impact occurs on the hood (2) in an area near the hinge, the effort is transmits to the support (3) through the axis (7) and the breakage of collapsible bolts (5) dissipating energy. This energy can be varied according to the type, number and section of the Collapsible bolts (5) to produce maximum safety. Yes it is too high, minor impacts will not be mitigated, so They will continue to cause injuries. While if it is too low, It will barely absorb energy.

Once the collapsible bolts (5) are broken, the support (3) will slide along the handles (6) until it is braked by a stop, such as the upper end of the hole central (8). It may be advisable to make the handles (6) spray with support (3) to dissipate energy in friction.

The length of the central hole (8), or the point of placement of the stop, it must be fixed carefully so as not to leave that the support (3) descends excessively, so that the hood (2) it would collide with the solid and non-deformable parts of the engine (not represented), and pedestrian damage would result from colliding with something rigid.

Claims (5)

1. Collapsible bonnet hinge, of the type that pivotally fixes a bonnet (2) of a motor vehicle to a body (1) of said vehicle, comprising a support (3) pivotally fixed to the bonnet (2) by a end, and joined by the opposite end to the body (1), characterized in that the support (3) is connected to the body (1) by means of a plurality of handles (6) that support the contour of the support (3), allowing relative sliding between the body (1) and the support (3) in a sliding direction, and at least one collapsible bolt (5) that fixes both elements. 2. Hinge according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the support comprises a central hole (8) whose edge is supported by at least one handle (6) so that it can move in the direction of sliding. 3. Hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the handles (6) are C-shaped with the opening oriented in the same direction. 4. Hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the sliding direction is substantially vertical. 5. Hinge according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the sliding direction is a curve.