Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
[001] The embodiments herein generally relate to a system for locking and un-locking a hood of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a system for opening a hood of a vehicle which is locked through two latches, wherein the system allows the hood to be opened by a user from an inside of the vehicle.
BACKGROUND
[002] Generally, a vehicle hood covers the engine or frunk (front trunk) and minimizes noise from the HVAC system and engine of the vehicle. Conventionally, a single latch is provided in vehicles where the hood needs to be opened to access the engine and other parts packaged in the front hood area of the vehicle. The latch is either manually opened from outside of the vehicle, or a lever is provided inside the vehicle, wherein the lever is actuated to unlock the latch to open the hood of the vehicle. In vehicles which are equipped with a frunk, the limited space available along the vehicle's longitudinal direction poses a challenge for automobile manufacturers to accommodate latch in the center of vehicle.
[003] To optimize frunk volume, two latches are often employed instead of one, to lock the hood with the body of the vehicle, wherein the latches are strategically positioned on the left and right sides of the vehicle. Although providing two latches for the hood solves the issue of space constraint to accommodate the frunk, , it increases the complexity of operating the latches to open the hood of the vehicle. Opening both latches with a single lever requires a separate mechanism. Typically, the mechanism to open the latches is placed at front side of vehicles, incorporating multiple sub-mechanisms. This approach to open the hood of the vehicle with the mechanism increases vehicle cost and introduces reliability issues due to the complexity of coordinating numerous components. Moreover, users generally find it more convenient to access the hood from the cabin of the vehicle, than opening the hood from outside the vehicle, therefore such mechanism affects the ease of accessibility for opening the hood of the vehicle.
[004] Furthermore, incorporating two latches for hood presents a significant challenge, viz. ensuring simultaneous opening without any intermittent delay. Even a minor delay, such as 0.5 seconds in opening any one of the latches can lead to hood twisting. Such issue may arise due to the high forces exerted by gas struts or latch springs of the latches, causing the striker which is attached to the hood, to become stuck on one side of the latch, therefore deforming the hood of the vehicle.
[005] Therefore, there exists a need for a system for opening a hood of a vehicle which obviates the aforementioned drawbacks.
OBJECTS
[006] The principal object of embodiments herein is to provide a system for opening a hood of a vehicle which facilitates opening of the hood locked through at least two latches of a hood locking assembly of the vehicle.
[007] Another object of embodiments herein is to provide the system for opening the hood of the vehicle which allows a user of the vehicle to open the hood from an inside of the vehicle.
[008] Another object of embodiments herein is to provide the system for opening the hood of the vehicle which is configured to simultaneously open the latches of the hood locking assembly, thereby preventing deformation of the hood while opening.
[009] Another object of embodiments herein is to provide the system for opening the hood of the vehicle which is compact, easy to assemble, provides ease of maintenance, and reduces overall length of connecting wires required to link an actuator with the latches of the hood locking assembly.
[0010] These and other objects of embodiments herein will be better appreciated and understood when considered in conjunction with following description and accompanying drawings. It should be understood, however, that the following descriptions, while indicating embodiments and numerous specific details thereof, are given by way of illustration and not of limitation. Many changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the embodiments herein without departing from the spirit thereof, and the embodiments herein include all such modifications.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0011] The embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, throughout which like reference letters indicate corresponding parts in various figures. The embodiments herein will be better understood from the following description with reference to the drawings, in which:
[0012] Fig. 1 depicts an isometric view of a system for opening a hood of a vehicle, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0013] Fig. 2 depicts a front view of a hood locking assembly of the vehicle, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0014] Fig. 3 depicts an exploded view of the coupling mechanism, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0015] Fig. 4 depicts an isometric view of a coupling mechanism of the system, according to embodiments as disclosed herein;
[0016] Fig. 5 depicts a section view of the coupling mechanism, according to embodiments as disclosed herein; and
[0017] Fig. 6 depicts another isometric view of the coupling mechanism, according to embodiments as disclosed herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] The embodiments herein and the various features and advantageous details thereof are explained more fully with reference to the non-limiting embodiments that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and detailed in the following description. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as to not unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein may be practiced and to further enable those of skill in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the examples should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments herein.
[0019] The embodiments herein achieve a system for opening a hood of a vehicle which facilitates opening of the hood locked through at least two latches of a hood locking assembly of the vehicle. Further, embodiments herein achieve the system for opening the hood of the vehicle which allows a user of the vehicle to open the hood from an inside of the vehicle. Referring now to the drawings Figs. 1 through 6, where similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the figures, there are shown embodiments.
[0020] Fig. 1 depicts an isometric view of a system (100) for opening a hood of a vehicle (10), according to embodiments as disclosed herein. The system (100) includes an actuator (102), at least two connecting members (104, 106), and a coupling mechanism (200). For the purpose of this description and ease of understanding, the system (100) is explained herein with below reference to the hood of the vehicle. However, it is also within the scope of the invention to use/practice the components of the system (100) for a trunk of the vehicle without otherwise deterring the intended function of the system (100) as can be deduced from the description and corresponding drawings. The system (100) is adapted to be operatively coupled with a hood locking assembly (30) of the vehicle (10), to facilitate opening of the hood of the vehicle (10). Fig. 2 depicts a front view of the hood locking assembly (30) of the vehicle (10), according to embodiments as disclosed herein. The hood (20) of the vehicle (10) is locked through the hood locking assembly (30) which includes at least two latches (40,50), and at least two locking members (40L, 50L). The at least two latches (40, 50) are mounted under the hood (20) of the vehicle (10) on a vehicular structure (12), and the at least two locking members (40L, 50L) are mounted on an underside of the hood (20), corresponding to the at least two latches (40, 50). In an embodiment, a first latch (40) of the at least two latches (40, 50) is mounted near a left side of a front hood area of the vehicle (10), and a second latch (50) of the at least two latches (40, 50) is mounted near a right side of a front hood area of the vehicle (10). Each of the two latches (40, 50) is adapted to receive the corresponding locking member (40L, 50L), and lock the locking member (40L, 50L) when the hood (20) is closed, thereby locking the hood (20) of the vehicle (10). In an embodiment, each of the two latches (40, 50) includes a securing member (42, 52), a releasing member (44, 54), and a latching mechanism (46, 56). The securing member (42, 52) is adapted to be in a locking position in which the locking member (40L, 50L) is secured with the latch (40, 50), when the releasing member (44, 54) is in a first position. The securing member (42, 52) is adapted to be displaced to an unlocking position to release the locking member (40L, 50L), when the releasing member (44, 54) is moved to a second position. The latching mechanism (46, 56) is configured to couple the releasing member (44, 54) with the securing member (42, 52), facilitating movement of the securing member (42, 52) when the releasing member (44, 54) is moved between the first position and the second position. In an embodiment, the releasing member (44, 54) is a pawl adapted to be displaced to allow movement of the securing member (42, 52) between the locking position and unlocking position.
[0021] As shown in Fig.1, the at least two connecting members (104, 106) are connected to the corresponding latches (40, 50) of the hood locking assembly (30) of the vehicle (10). The actuator (102) is provided inside the vehicle (10), and is adapted to be actuated to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10). The coupling mechanism (200) is adapted to be connected with each of the two connecting members (104, 106), and the actuator (102). The coupling mechanism (200) is configured to simultaneously displace each of the two connecting members (104, 106) in a corresponding pre-defined direction (D1, D2) to unlock the corresponding latch (40, 50) when the actuator (102) is actuated, thereby facilitating opening of the hood (20) by releasing the corresponding locking member (40L, 50L) of the hood locking assembly (20) from the respective latch (40, 50). In an embodiment, a first connecting member (104) of the at least two connecting members (104, 106) is connected to the first latch (40) of the hood locking assembly (30), and a second connecting member (106) of the at least two connecting members (104, 106) is connected to the second latch (50) of the hood locking assembly (30). Further, in an embodiment, each of the two connecting members (104, 106) includes a wire (104W, 106W). A first end portion (104F, 106F) of each of the two connecting members (104, 106) is adapted to engage with the corresponding latch (40, 50), and a second end portion (104S, 106S) of each of the two connecting members (104, 106) is adapted to be connected with the coupling mechanism (200). In an embodiment, the second end portion (104S, 106S) of each of the two connecting members (104, 106) includes a guiding member (104G, 106G) which is adapted to be connected with the coupling mechanism (200). The guiding member (104G, 106G) is adapted to guide a movement of the corresponding wire (104W, 106W) of the two connecting members (104, 106) with respect to the coupling mechanism (200). Each of the two connecting members (104, 106) is adapted to pull the releasing member (44, 54) of the corresponding latch (40, 50) in the corresponding pre-defined direction (D1, D2), when the actuator (102) is actuated to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10). The corresponding pre-defined direction (D1, D2) of displacement of the two connecting members (104, 106) is in line with a direction of displacement of the releasing member (44, 54) of the corresponding latch (40, 50) of the hood locking assembly (30). In an embodiment, the first end portion (104S, 106S) of each of the two connecting members (104, 106) includes a stopper (not shown) which is adapted to be coupled with the releasing member (44, 54) of the latch (40, 50). In an initial position, the stopper is adapted to be positioned away from the releasing member (44, 54), allowing the releasing member (44, 54) to rest in the first position. When the actuator (102) is actuated, each of the two connecting members (104, 106) is displaced in the corresponding pre-defined direction (D1, D2), the stopper is adapted to be displaced to engage with the releasing member (44, 54), and pull the releasing member (44, 54) in the corresponding pre-defined direction (D1, D2), thereby moving the releasing member (44, 54) to the second position. In an embodiment, the first connecting member (104) is adapted to be displaced rightwards (D1), towards a center of the front hood area, and the second connecting member (106) is adapted to be displaced leftwards (D2), towards the center of the front hood area.
[0022] Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the coupling mechanism (200) of the system (100), according to embodiments as disclosed herein. Figs. 4 and 5 respectively depict isometric view and sectional view of the coupling mechanism (200), according to embodiments as disclosed herein. The coupling mechanism (200) includes a coupling member (202), a directional member (204), and a housing (200H). The coupling member (202) is adapted to couple the actuator (102) with each of the at least two connecting members (104, 106). Further, the coupling member (202) is adapted to be displaced by the actuator (102) to displace each of the two connecting members (104, 106) in any one of the pre-defined directions (D1, D2). In an embodiment, the coupling member (202) is adapted to be displaced in a second pre-defined direction (D2). In another embodiment, the coupling member (202) is adapted to be displaced in a first pre-defined direction (D1). Furthermore, in an embodiment, the coupling member (202) is a sliding member adapted to slide within a guiding frame (206) defined in the housing (200H) of the coupling mechanism (200). Fig. 6 depicts another isometric view of the coupling mechanism (200), according to embodiments as disclosed herein. The coupling member (202) is adapted to slide from a preliminary position (as shown in Fig. 4) to a secondary position (as shown in Fig. 6) within the guiding frame (206). In the preliminary position, the coupling member (202) is adapted to rest against a first wall (206FW) of the guiding frame (206). In the secondary position, the coupling member (202) is displaced towards a second wall (206SW) of the guiding frame (206), pulling each of the two connecting members (104, 106) in the corresponding pre-defined directions (D1, D2). In an embodiment, the coupling member (202) is adapted to receive a corresponding second end (104SE, 106SE) of each of the two connecting members (104, 106) and the actuator (102), wherein the coupling member (202) has a corresponding slot (202S) defined to receive the corresponding second ends (104SE, 106SE, 102SE) of the two connecting members (104, 106) and the actuator (102).
[0023] The directional member (204) is adapted to be coupled with any one of the at least two connecting members (104, 106), and is adapted to be displaced when the coupling member (202) is displaced when the actuator (102) is actuated to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10). The directional member (204) is configured to change the direction of displacement of any one of the two connecting members (104, 106) such that the at least two connecting members (104, 106) are displaced in the corresponding pre-defined directions (D1, D2). In an embodiment, the directional member (204) is coupled with the first connecting member (104), and is configured to change the direction of displacement of the first connecting member (104) from the second pre-defined direction (D2) to the first- pre-defined direction (D1). In another embodiment, the directional member (204) is coupled with the second connecting member (106), and is configured to change the direction of displacement of the second connecting member (106) from the first pre-defined direction (D1) to the second pre-defined direction (D2). In an embodiment, the directional member (204) is a pulley. A portion (104P) of any one of the two connecting members (104) is wound around the directional member (204), wherein the directional member (204) is adapted to rotate in a direction such that the direction of any one of the two connecting members (104) is changed to the corresponding pre-defined direction (D1).
[0024] The housing (200H) of the coupling mechanism (200) is adapted to house the coupling member (202) and the directional member (204). The housing (200H) includes the guiding frame (206), a mounting member (208) adapted to facilitate mounting of the directional member (204) in the housing (200H), and a cover (210) removably connected with a body (200HB) of the housing (200H). The guiding frame (206) is defined in the body (200HB) of the housing (200H), and includes at least two receiving slots (206S) to receive a corresponding second stopper (104SS, 106SS) connected towards the second end (104SE, 106SE) of the two connecting members (104, 106). Further, the housing (200H) includes a first slot (212) adapted to receive an end portion (102P) of the actuator (102), at least two second slots (214) adapted to receive corresponding second end portions (104S, 106S) of the at least two connecting members (104, 106). The housing (200H) is adapted to be mounted on the vehicular structure (12) of the vehicle (10), in vicinity of an underside of the hood (20) and between the two latches (40, 50) of the hood locking assembly (30). In an embodiment, the vehicular structure (12) is a front end carrier (FEC) of the vehicle (10), wherein the housing (200H) is connected on the FEC equidistant from the two latches (40, 50) of the hood locking assembly (30). In another embodiment, the housing (200H) is mounted on a part of body-in-white (BIW) of the vehicle (10). In an embodiment, the housing (200H) is fastened with the vehicular structure (12), wherein the housing (200H) includes a hole (216) for receiving a fastening member.
[0025] In an embodiment, the actuator (102) includes a lever (102L), and a connecting wire (102W). The lever (102L) is connected near a driving seat of the vehicle (10), and the connecting wire (102W) connects the lever (102L) with the coupling member (202) of the coupling mechanism (200). The connecting wire (102W) is adapted to displace the coupling member (202) when the actuator (102) is actuated to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10). In an embodiment, a radius of the connecting wire (102W) of the actuator (102), and the respective wires (104W, 106W) of the two connecting members (104, 106) is between 0.5mm to 2mm, and a radius of the guiding member (104G, 106G) of each of the two connecting members (104, 106) ranges from 4mm to 10mm. In another embodiment, the actuator (102) is at least one of a motor, a linear actuator, and a hydraulic actuator adapted to displace the coupling member (202) in any one of the pre-defined directions.
[0026] The following illustrates a non-limiting example of the working of the system (100) for opening the hood (20) of the vehicle (10). When the actuator (102) is actuated by the user to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10), the coupling member (202) is pulled in the second pre-defined direction (D2) by the connecting wire (102W) connected to the lever (102L) of the actuator (102). The coupling member (202) slides to the secondary position, displacing the two connecting members (104, 106) in the second pre-defined direction (D2). The directional member (204) which is coupled with the first connecting member (104), rotates to change the direction of displacement of the first connecting member (104) to the first pre-defined direction (D1). Length of wires (104W, 106W) of the first connecting member (104) and the second connecting member (106) is such that, the travel time (time required for the first end portion of the two connecting members to displace when the actuator is actuated) for both the connecting members (104, 106) remain same when the coupling member (202) is displaced to the secondary position, thereby ensuring simultaneous opening of the latches (40, 50). Further, displacement of the coupling member (202) pulls the connecting members (104, 106) in the corresponding pre-defined directions (D1, D2), wherein the pull results in displacement of the respective releasing members (44, 54) to the second position, releasing the locking member (40L ,50L), thereby opening the hood (20) of the vehicle (10).
[0027] The technical advantages of the system (100) for opening the hood (20) of the vehicle (10) are as follows. Use of lesser components to open the hood with a single lever. Since, the coupling mechanism is mounted near the two latches of the hood locking assembly, and the directional member and coupling member are integrated within a single housing, the overall length of wire required for coupling the actuator with the two latches is reduced, resulting in less friction and the overall weight of the system. Further, the total length of the two connecting member reduces due to the positioning of the coupling mechanism between the two latches. This reduces the force required to pull the coupling member to displace the releasing member of the latches. Furthermore, by integrating the coupling member and the directional member within the housing of the coupling mechanism, the synchronized unlocking of the latches is ensured. This prevents any damage caused to the hood due to delay in opening of any one of the latches. Further, the displacement of the connecting members in the pre-defined directions is in line with the direction of displacement of the releasing members of the respective latches, therefore ensuring the connecting members and the latches are not damaged when the actuator is actuated to open the hood.
[0028] The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practiced with modifications within the spirit and scope of the embodiments as described herein

, Claims:We claim:

1. A system (100) for opening a hood (20) of a vehicle (10), said system (100) comprising:
an actuator (102) provided inside the vehicle (10), said actuator (102) adapted to be actuated to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10);
at least two connecting members (104, 106), wherein each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) is connected to a corresponding latch (40, 50) of a hood locking assembly (30) of the vehicle (10);
a coupling mechanism (200) comprising:
a coupling member (202) adapted to couple said actuator (102) with each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106);
a directional member (204) adapted to be coupled with any one of said at least two connecting members (104, 106); and
a housing (200H) adapted to house said coupling member (202) and said directional member (204),
wherein said coupling mechanism (200) is adapted to simultaneously displace each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) in a corresponding pre-defined direction (D1, D2) to unlock the corresponding latches (40, 50) when said actuator (102) is actuated, thereby facilitating opening of the hood (20) by releasing a corresponding locking member (40L, 50L) connected on the hood (20) from the respective latch (40, 50).
2. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling member (202) is adapted to be displaced by said actuator (102) to displace each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) in any one of said pre-defined directions (D1, D2), and wherein said directional member (204) is configured to change a direction of displacement of said any one of at least two connecting members (104, 106), such that said at least two connecting members (104, 106) are displaced in said corresponding pre-defined directions (D1, D2).
3. The system (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein said coupling member (202) is a sliding member adapted to slide within a guiding frame (208) defined in said housing (200H), and said directional member (204) is a pulley, wherein a portion (104P) of any one of said at least two connecting members (104) is wound around said directional member (204), wherein said directional member (204) is adapted to rotate in a direction such that said direction (D2) of said any one of at least two connecting members (104) is changed to said corresponding pre-defined direction (D1).
4. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) includes a wire (104W, 106W), wherein a corresponding second end portion (104S, 106S) of each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) is adapted to engage with said coupling member (202), and a corresponding first end portion (104F, 106F) of each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) is adapted to engage with the respective latch (40, 50).
5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) is adapted to pull a releasing member (44, 54) of the respective latch (40, 50) in said corresponding pre-defined direction (D1, D2) when said actuator (102) is actuated to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10), and wherein said corresponding pre-defined direction (D1, D2) is in line with a direction of displacement of the releasing member (44, 54) of the respective latch (40, 50) of the hood locking assembly (30).
6. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said actuator (102) comprises a lever (102L) connected near a driving seat of the vehicle (10), and a connecting wire (102W) adapted to connect the lever (102L) with said coupling member (202), wherein said connecting wire (102W) is adapted to displace said coupling member (202) when said lever (102L) is actuated to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10).
7. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said actuator (102) is at least any one of a motor, a linear actuator, and a hydraulic actuator adapted to displace said coupling member (202) in said any one of pre-defined directions (D1, D2).
8. The system (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing (200H) is adapted to be mounted on a vehicular structure (12) of the vehicle (10), in vicinity of an underside of the hood (20) and the at least two latches (40, 50) of the hood locking assembly (30).
9. The system (100) as claimed in claim 8, wherein the vehicular structure (12) is a front-end carrier of the vehicle (10), and wherein said housing (200H) is adapted to be fastened on the vehicular structure (12) between the at least two latches (40, 50) of the hood locking assembly (30).
10. The system (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said housing (200H) includes a mounting member (208) adapted to facilitate mounting of said directional member (204) in said housing (200H), a first slot (212) adapted to receive an end portion (102S) of said actuator (102), at least two second slots (214) adapted to receive corresponding second end portions (104S, 106S) of said at least two connecting members (104, 106), and a cover (210) removably connected with a body (200HB) of said housing (200H).
11. The system (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said coupling member (202) is adapted to receive a corresponding second end (104SE, 106SE, 102SE) of each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) and said actuator (102).
12. The system (100) as claimed in claim 3, wherein said coupling member (202) is adapted to be displaced from a preliminary position in which said coupling member (202) rests against a first wall (206FW) of said guiding frame (206), to a secondary position in which said coupling member (202) is displaced towards a second wall (206SW) of said guiding frame (206).
13. The system (100) as claim in claim 4, wherein a length of said wire (104W, 106W) of each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) is adapted to facilitate simultaneous unlocking of respective latches (40, 50) when said actuator (102) is actuated to open the hood (20) of the vehicle (10).
14. The system (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein said second end portion (104S, 106S) of each of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) includes a guiding member (104G, 106G) adapted to be connected with said coupling mechanism (200), wherein said guiding member (104G, 106G) is adapted to guide a movement of a corresponding wire (104W, 106W) of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) with respect to said coupling mechanism (200).
15. The system as claimed in claim 14, wherein a radius of a connecting wire (102W) of said actuator (102), and said respective wires (104W, 106W) of said at least two connecting members (104, 106) is between 0.5mm to 2mm, and a radius of said guiding member (104G, 106G) of each of said two connecting members (104, 106) ranges from 4mm to 10mm.