Deployable hood latch for pedestrian head protection

An add-on deployment module for attachment to a latch assembly for a motor vehicle hood latch mechanism having a striker disposed proximate an edge of a hood having a closed locked position and a released position, wherein the latch assembly is attached to a chassis member of the motor vehicle and is adapted to releasably engage the striker to restrain the hood in the closed locked position, the latch assembly including a latch having a locking cam and a pawl movable between a locked position engaging the locking cam, wherein the latch secures the striker to restrain the hood in the closed locked position, and an unlocked position away from the locking cam, wherein the latch allows the hood to move to the released position, the motor vehicle further having a sensor for detecting the presence of a pedestrian proximate the front of the motor vehicle and generating a signal in response thereto, the module comprising:

• a module base;
• a release mechanism;
• a resilient member comprise a torsion spring in direct contact with the latch and having an energized position and a released position, the resilient member being retained in the energized position by the release mechanism responsive to the signal generated by the sensor, such that actuation of the release mechanism releases the resilient member;
• and
• a pawl release lever operatively coupled to the pawl and a cam on the pawl release lever, wherein the resilient member, release mechanism and pawl release lever are mounted to the module base attached to the latch assembly, such that the resilient member acts on the cam on the pawl release lever to rotate the pawl release lever and the pawl to the unlocked position, and to rotate the latch to place the hood in the released position.

A motor vehicle hood latch mechanism for engaging a striker disposed proximate an edge of a hood having a closed locked position and a released position, the mechanism comprising:

• a latch assembly attached to a chassis member of the motor vehicle and adapted to releasably engage the striker to restrain the hood in the closed locked position, the latch assembly including a latch having a locking cam and a pawl movable between a locked position engaging the locking cam, wherein the latch secures the striker to restrain the hood in the closed locked position, and an unlocked position away from the locking cam, wherein the latch allows the hood to move to the released position;
• a sensor for detecting the presence of a pedestrian proximate the front of the motor vehicle and generating a signal in response thereto;
• a resilient member having an energized position and a released position operatively coupled to the pawl, the resilient member being retained in the energized position by a release mechanism responsive to the signal generated by the sensor, such that actuation of the release mechanism releases the resilient member and rotates the pawl to the unlocked position to place the hood in the released position;
• and
• a pawl release lever operatively coupled with the pawl and a cam on the pawl release lever, wherein the resilient member acts directly on the cam on the pawl release lever to rotate the pawl release lever and the pawl to the unlocked position, and wherein the resilient member also acts directly on a latch engagement stud mounted to the latch to rotate the latch to place the hood in the released position.