Tow hook assembly for a vehicle
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsRaul Sanchez Hernandez, Jaciel Leon, Cesar Navarro, Iván Nava Cardeño
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tow hook assembly for a vehicle that includes a bracket, a tow loop, and a biasing mechanism. The bracket is configured to be coupled to a body of the vehicle. The tow loop is rotatably coupled to the bracket between a stowed position and a deployed position. The biasing mechanism is configured to bias the tow loop towards the stowed position and includes a biasing member and at least one washer having a plurality of teeth. The biasing member engaging a first tooth of the plurality of teeth when the tow loop is in the stowed position to inhibit movement of the tow loop in a first rotational direction.
Claims20
A tow hook assembly for a vehicle, the tow hook assembly comprising:
- a first bracket configured to be coupled to a body of the vehicle;
- a tow loop rotatably coupled to the first bracket between a stowed position and a deployed position;
- and
- a biasing mechanism configured to bias the tow loop towards the stowed position, the biasing mechanism includes a biasing member and at least one washer having a plurality of teeth, the biasing member engaging a first tooth of the plurality of teeth when the tow loop is in the stowed position to inhibit movement of the tow loop in a first rotational direction.
A tow hook assembly for a vehicle, the tow hook assembly comprising:
- a first bracket configured to be coupled to a body of the vehicle;
- a tow loop rotatably coupled to the first bracket between a stowed position in which the first bracket and a periphery of the tow loop defines a first distance and a deployed position in which the first bracket and the periphery of the tow loop defines a second distance, the second distance greater than the first distance;
- and
- a biasing mechanism configured to bias the tow loop towards the stowed position, the biasing mechanism includes a biasing member coupled to the first bracket and at least one washer coupled to the tow loop and having a plurality of teeth, the biasing member engaging the plurality of teeth when the tow loop is in the stowed position to inhibit movement of the tow loop in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction.
A vehicle comprising:
- a vehicle body;
- and
- a tow hook assembly coupled to the vehicle body, the tow hook assembly comprising:
- a bracket configured to be coupled to a body of the vehicle;
- a tow loop rotatably coupled to the bracket between a stowed position and a deployed position;
- and
- a biasing mechanism configured to bias the tow loop towards the stowed position, the biasing mechanism includes a biasing member and at least one washer having a plurality of teeth, the biasing member engaging the plurality of teeth when the tow loop is in the stowed position to inhibit movement of the tow loop in a first rotational direction and a second rotational direction that is opposite the first rotational direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.