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US 5,738,393 AGranted
Automotive hood latch having remote actuator
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorYi J. Chao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automotive hood latch includes a striker carried by the hood latch and two separate latching members carried by the vehicle for alternate engagement with the striker, one of the latching members serving as a safety. The separate latching members are sequentially operated in the unlatching direction by double reciprocation of a remote cable operator. The motorist can release the hood from both latching members without leaving the vehicle.
Claims14
An automotive hood latch, comprising:
- a movable striker having a lowered fully latched position, an intermediate partially latched position, and a raised unlatched position;
- a primary latching member adapted to hold said striker in its lowered position;
- spring means continually exerting a lifting force on said primary latching member;
- a secondary latching member adapted to hold said striker in its intermediate position;
- and
- a remotely-operated control means for said latching members;
- said control means comprising a cable operator and a reciprocatable detent mechanism connected thereto;
- said detent mechanism having a fixed length stroke between an operating position and a retracted position;
- said detent mechanism having a disengageable detent connection with said primary latching member and a cam and slot means provided on said secondary latching member for providing a lost motion drive connection with said secondary latching member, whereby during a first reciprocation of said cable operator, the primary latching member is released from said detent mechanism to lift the striker from its lowered position to its intermediate position;
- and during a second reciprocation of said cable operator, the secondary latching member is disengaged from said striker to enable said primary latching member to lift the striker to its raised position.
7 more elements
An automotive hood latch, comprising:
- a movable striker having a lowered fully latched position, an intermediate partially latched position, and a raised unlatched position,
- a primary latching plate adapted to hold said striker in its lowered position;
- spring means continually exerting a lifting force on said primary latching plate;
- a secondary latching plate adapted to hold said striker in its intermediate position;
- and a remotely-operated control means for said latching plates;
- said control means comprising a cable operator and a reciprocatory detent mechanism connected thereto;
- said detent mechanism having a fixed length stroke between an operating position and a retracted position;
- said detent mechanism comprising a lever pivotable around a first fixed axis;
- said primary latching plate being swingable around a second axis;
- said detent lever having a detent surface, and said primary latching plate having an abutment engageable with said detent surface only when said striker is in its lowered position;
- said detent lever having a lost motion connection with said secondary latching plate;
- said lost motion connection comprising a cam slot in said secondary latching plate, and a link connected to said detent lever;
- said link having a cam movable within the cam slot, whereby during a first reciprocation of said cable operator, the primary latching plate is released from said detent lever to lift the striker from its lowered position to its intermediate position, and during a second reciprocation of said cable operator, the link disengages said secondary latching plate from the striker, thereby enabling said primary latching plate to lift the striker to its raised position.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.