DESC:HOOD LATCH ASSEMBLY

Field of the invention

The present invention generally relates to a latch of a vehicle and more particularly, to a hood latch assembly of the vehicle.

Background of the invention

A hood latch system is a vital component of a vehicle. Conventional hood latches are used in automobiles and trucks to maintain the hood in a closed position as well as to protect and cover an engine compartment. Generally, for opening of the vehicle hood, a lever or rod is pulled that releases a latch mechanism, which is attached to latch by a cable. The conventional hood latches include a claw and pawl feature. The claw-pawl feature requires a separate mechanism that increases number of parts and hence the cost.

During the locking mechanism, the claw and the pawl need to slide and lock with each other. This locking instance makes loud noise which is normally reduced by applying a lot of grease with providing over molding on the claw and the pawl to reduce the noise. Further, there is no anti-rattle mechanism in conventional hood latch mechanism and a separate mechanism is required to provide anti-rattle feature in the hood latch which again add the cost.

Accordingly, there exists a need to provide a hood latch assembly for a vehicle that overcomes the above mentioned drawbacks of the prior art.

Objects of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a cost effective latching mechanism having a torsion spring and a pawl without use of a claw.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an integrated torsion spring that provides facility of anti-rattle of a hood latch thereby avoiding rattling noise of a hood when a vehicle runs on bumpy roads.

Summary of the invention

Accordingly, the present invention provides a hood latch assembly for a vehicle. The hood latch assembly comprises a frame plate, a secondary latch lever, a secondary rivet, a secondary spring, a pawl, a pawl rivet, a pawl spring, a popup spring and a popup spring rivet.

The frame plate is mounted on the vehicle using mounting holes. The secondary latch lever is mounted on the frame plate using a secondary rivet. The secondary spring keeps the secondary latch lever in a locked condition. The pawl spring is engaged to the pawl at one end thereof and connected to the frame plate at another end thereof. The pawl spring keeps the pawl in the locking position. The popup spring is fixed in the popup spring rivet through one end thereof and holds the pawl through another end thereof.

The pawl is mounted on the frame plate using the pawl rivet and attached to a cable. The pawl includes an over molding and a locking face configured thereon. The over molding is capable of avoiding the friction between a striker and the pawl during an unlatching of the hood. Specifically, the pawl is made up of a metal and the over molding is made of a plastic. The locking face of the pawl keeps the striker in the locked condition and the popup spring being an integrated torsion spring provides facility of anti-rattle feature to a hood latch by pushing the striker towards the locking face of the pawl.

Brief description of the drawings

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a hood latch assembly of a vehicle, in accordance with the present invention; and

Figures 2-3 shows assembly views of the hood latch assembly, in accordance with the present invention.

Detailed description of the invention

The foregoing objects of the present invention are accomplished and the problems and shortcomings associated with the prior art, techniques and approaches are overcome by the present invention as described below in the preferred embodiments.

The present invention provides a hood latch assembly. The hood latch assembly includes a torsion spring and a pawl that are used together for latching thereby providing a cost saving option. The hood latch assembly does not include a separate claw-pawl mechanism instead the hood latch assembly includes an integrated torsion spring that provides facility of anti-rattle of the hood latch.

This present invention is illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings, throughout which reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the various figures. These reference numbers are shown in bracket in the following description.

Referring to figures 1-3, a hood latch assembly (100) of a vehicle in accordance with the present invention is shown. The hood latch assembly (100) comprises a frame plate (4), a pawl (10), a popup spring (14), a pawl spring (18), a popup spring rivet (16), a pawl rivet (20), a secondary rivet (22), a secondary latch lever (24), a secondary spring (26), a bush (28) and a washer (30).

The frame plate (4) is mounted on the vehicle using mounting holes (2). As shown in figure 3, the secondary latch lever (24) is mounted on the frame plate (4) using the secondary rivet (22). The secondary spring (26) keeps the secondary latch lever (24) in a locked condition.

As shown in figure 2, the pawl (10) is mounted on the frame plate (4) using the pawl rivet (20). The pawl (10) is attached to a cable (34). The pawl (10) includes an over molding (6) and a locking face (8) configured thereon. The over molding (6) avoids the friction between a striker (32) and the pawl (10) during an unlatching of the hood. In an embodiment, the pawl (10) is made up of a metal and the over molding (6) is made up of a plastic. However, it is understood here that the pawl (10) and the over molding (6) can be made of any other suitable material in other alternative embodiments of the hood latch assembly (100).

The pawl spring (18) is engaged to the pawl (10) at one end thereof and another end of the pawl spring (18) is connected to the frame plate (4). The pawl spring (18) keeps the pawl (10) in the locking position and the locking face (8) keeps the striker (32) in the locked position with the help of the popup spring (14).

The popup spring (14) is fixed in the popup spring rivet (16) through one end thereof and another end of the popup spring (14) holds the pawl (10). The popup spring rivet (16) is mounted on the frame plate (4) using a riveting process. In an embodiment, the popup spring (14) is an integrated torsion spring that also provides facility of anti-rattle feature to the hood latch.

In a latched condition of the hood, the striker (32) is held in the locked condition by the locking face (8) of the pawl (10). The popup spring (14) keeps pushing the striker (32) towards the locking face (8) of the pawl (10) to avoid rattling noise of a bonnet during vehicle running condition. The locking face (8) of the pawl (10) has a negative angle that ensures locking condition of the pawl (10). The pawl spring (18) always keeps the pawl (10) in the locked condition.
For unlatching the hood, the cable (34) is pulled which is attached to the pawl (10) thereby causing sliding of the striker (32) to the locking face (8) of the pawl (10). As shown in figure 2, a popup spring leg (12) pushes the striker (32) to a popup condition (B) and the popup spring leg (12) moves to a popup condition (A). To completely unlatch the bonnet, the person needs to actuate the secondary latch lever (24) by hand which is mounted on the frame plate (4).

Advantages of the invention:

1. The hood latch assembly (100) includes lesser number of parts than other conventional hood latches.
2. The hood latch assembly (100) does not include a separate claw-pawl mechanism instead the hood latch assembly (100) includes an integrated torsion spring that provides facility of anti-rattle feature to the hood latch thereby avoiding rattling noise of the hood when the vehicle runs on bumpy roads.
3. The hood latch assembly (100) does not include a claw. The torsion spring and the pawl (10) are used together for latching thereby providing cost saving option.

The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is understood that various omission and substitutions of equivalents are contemplated as circumstance may suggest or render expedient, but such are intended to cover the application or implementation without departing from the scope of the present invention.
,CLAIMS:We claim:

1. A hood latch assembly (100) comprising:
a frame plate (4) mounted on a vehicle using mounting holes (2);
a secondary latch lever (24) mounted on the frame plate (4) using a secondary rivet (22);
a secondary spring (26) for keeping the secondary latch lever (24) in a locked condition;
a pawl (10) mounted on the frame plate (4) using a pawl rivet (20) and attached to a cable (34), the pawl (10) having an over molding (6) and a locking face (8) configured thereon, the over molding (6) capable of avoiding the friction between a striker (32) and the pawl (10) during an unlatching of the hood;
a pawl spring (18) engaged to the pawl (18) at one end thereof and connected to the frame plate (4) at another end thereof, the pawl spring (18) capable of keeping the pawl (10) in the locking position; and
a popup spring (14) fixed in a popup spring rivet (16) through one end thereof and holds the pawl (10) through another end thereof,
characterized in that, the locking face (8) of the pawl (10) keeps a striker (32) in the locked condition and the popup spring (14) being an integrated torsion spring provides facility of anti-rattle feature to a hood latch by pushing the striker (32) towards the locking face (8) of the pawl (10).

2. The hood latch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pawl (10) is made up of a metal.

3. The hood latch assembly (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the over molding (6) is made of a plastic.