US 4,991,675 AGranted

Hood tilt mechanism

AssigneeNavistar International Transportation Corp.

InventorsJames J. Tosconi, Steven A. Burke

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Abstract

A hood tilt control mechanism includes a hood support brakcet having one hinge leaf attached to the chassis including a longitudinally extending slot for slidably receiving one end of a telescoping hood tilt assist mechanism and a second hinge leaf attached to the hood and providing a pivotal mount for the other end of the assist mechanism. The assist mechanism telescopes or extends respectively against the bias of opening or closing springs disposed adjacently on the assist mechanism so that when the hood is closed, the closing spring exerts a counterbalancing force on the hood to assist its opening. As the hood opens the closing spring force goes to zero and, as the hood moves to the open position, the opening spring is engaged by the mechanism to dampen the motion of the hood, ultimately stops the hood by interference of the spring coils, and counterbalances the hood weight in the open position to assist closing. When the hood is closed, similar damping, stopping, and counterbalancing functions are performed by the closing spring.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A motor vehicle hood tilt apparatus comprising:

a motor vehicle supporting framework;
a hood supporting bracket mounted to said framework, said bracket providing a hinge pivot axis extending transversely of the path of travel of said vehicle;
a manually operated, engine-covering hood pivotally mounted to said hood supporting bracket for swinging movement about said hinge pivot axis between an open position wherein the hood center of gravity is forward of said pivot avis, an intermediate over-center position, and a closed position wherein said hood center of gravity is rearward of said pivot axis;
and
a hood tilt assist mechanism having a first end pivotally attached to said hood and a second end engaged with said hood supporting bracket, said hood tilt assist mechanism incorporating means for counterbalancing the weight of said hood in both said open position and said closed position and for limiting travel of said hood in said open position, said hood tilt assist mechanism being the exclusive connection means between said hood and said framework, other than said pivotal mounting therebetween, in said open position;
said assist mechanism comprising first and second elongated members disposed in telescoping engagement and connected respectively to said hood and said hood supporting bracket, a first compression spring means operatively coupled between said first and second elongated members to be compressed when said hood is in its open position, and a second compression spring means operatively coupled between said first and second members to be compressed when said hood is in its closed position, said first elongated member comprising a tube having an axially extending slot in its periphery and said second elongated member comprising a rod slidably disposed within said tube, said rod having a radially extending pin extending through said slot in said tube, said first and second spring means being disposed on the outside of said tube respectively on each side of said radially extending pin for engagement therewith, and stop means respectively attached to the exterior of said tube engageable with the ends of said first and second spring means remote from said pin.

3 more elements

In a motor truck having a mobile frame, a radiator support beam mounted on said frame and projecting upwardly therefrom, and an engine covering hood disposed for manually actuated swinging movement between a closed position and an open position substantially forward of said radiator support, a hood tilt apparatus comprising:

a hood supporting bracket having a medial portion adapted to be attached to said radiator support, a lower portion extending forwardly from said medial portion and terminating in a hinge leaf supporting a transverse axis pivot pin, and an upper longitudinally extending plate portion having an upwardly forwardly extending slot;
a hood hinge leaf, adapted to be attached to said hood, pivotally mounted to said pivot pin;
a telescoping hood assist and travel limiting means pivotally mounted to said hood hinge leaf and slidably mounted in said slot, said hood assist and travel limiting means having a tubular base member, a closing compression spring, and an opening compression spring disposed in axially adjacent relation along the base member and having their remote ends restrained thereby, and a rod member slidably disposed within said tubular base member, said rod member having means disposed between the adjacent ends of said springs for operatively engaging said closing spring, upon movement of said hood toward said closing position, and said opening spring spring, upon movement of said hood toward said position, said springs being disposed to retard the motion of said hood respectively toward said open and said closed position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.