Hood hinge with coil spring
AssigneeM & C Corporation
InventorMichael J. Duffy
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle body hinge mechanism includes at least one hinge set carried by a support plate that retains a pivot pin and a retainer bar in a cantilevered manner. Preferably, the plate is stamped, and the pivot pin supports a lever, such as a gooseneck arm, that will be coupled to the hood. The plate includes a mount that will be carried by peripheral body structure around the hood opening. The retainer bar carries a helically wound spring that secures one end of the spring for resistance to rotation about the axis of the bar. The other end of the spring engages a linkage that urges the lever to pivot toward the open position. Preferably, a stop limit is integrally incorporated in the linkage carried by the plate to stop the lever at a desired hood opening limit.
Claims18
A vehicle body closure hinge for supporting a hood for displacement to and between open and closed positions over an opening defined by peripheral vehicle body structure, comprising at least one hinge set having:
- a support plate with a mount for securing said plate to the peripheral vehicle body structure;
- a pivot pin carried cantilevered by and fixed relation to said support plate at one end of said pivot pin;
- a retainer bar carried cantilevered by and fixed against rotation to said support plate at one end of said retainer bar;
- a spring with a helically coiled strand portion, the coil portion receiving said retainer bar within and said retainer bar retaining a first strand end;
- and
- a linkage having a lever pivoted on said pivot pin and displaceable by a second strand end of said spring and biasing said lever toward said open position.
A method for packaging a vehicle hood hinge by installing a pair of hinge sets to a peripheral vehicle body structure defining an opening covered by the hood, the method comprising:
- mounting a support plate to said peripheral structure;
- carrying a pivot pin cantilevered on said support plate;
- carrying a retainer bar cantilevered on and fixed relation to said support plate;
- biasing a lever pivoted with respect to said plate on said pivot pin with a spring including a helically coiled strand that receives the retainer bar;
- and
- retaining a strand end of said spring with said retaining bar.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.