US 6,802,556 B2Granted

Pedestrian safety device

AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC

InventorsMikael Mattsson, Mattias Ericsson

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Abstract

A pedestrian safety device for automotive vehicle (1) having a hood (2) being hinged and releasably latched to the vehicle body. An actuator member (6) is arranged transversally inside the upper forward region of the vehicle (1) and the ends of the actuator member respectively slideably hinged (11) in a respective inclining guide track (12a) extending rearwards within the vehicle (1). The hinges (11) are arranged to carry a respective first lifting member (14) arranged to carry a respective first lifting member (14) arranged for vertical sliding in respect to the vehicle body. The first lifting members (14) are arranged below the hood (2) such that they will be brought to uplift the hood (2) in the region of its leading edge (2a) upon the hinges (11) carrying it being translated up the inclining guide tracks (12a) as a result of collision impact on the actuator member (6).

Claims8

Dependent claims

A pedestrian safety device for automotive vehicles comprising:

an openable and re-closeable hood covering an engine bay, said hood having a leading edge and a trailing edge;
a latch mechanism being operable to releasably latch said hood to the vehicle body;
and
a hinge having
an inclining guide track affixed to the vehicle body and extending rearwards within said vehicle;
an actuator member arranged traversely inside an upper forward region of the vehicle and the ends of the actuator member being slideably hinged in the inclining guide track and the ends of said actuator member being slideably hinged in a respective inclining guide track extending rearwards within said vehicle and being fixed to the vehicle body;
a lifting member arranged for vertical sliding with respect to the vehicle body, the lifting member is arranged below the hood such that the lifting member will uplift the hood upon said hinges, being translated up said inclining guide tracks as a result of a frontal collision impact on said actuator member causing the hood to be displaced rearwards within said vehicle.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.