Tilting hood assembly having fender-mounted handle

#The present disclosure relates generally to a hood assembly and, more particularly, to a tilting hood assembly having a fender-mounted handle.

#Mobile machines, such as on-highway vocational trucks, semi-trucks, off-highway trucks, etc. are equipped with hoods that enclose an engine and related induction, exhaust, and cooling system components. A conventional hood is hinged at a lower front end, near a bumper, and includes a handle located at a top center of the hood. In order to access the engine or one of the system components, a machine operator must pull forward and downward on the handle to cause the hood to pivot forward about the hinge. Some hoods are provided with shock absorbers that cushion opening and closing of the hood, and/or latches located at sides of the hood to secure the hood from unintentionally opening. An exemplary hood is disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 685,294 that issued on Jul. 2, 2013.

#Although conventional hoods with top-mounted handles may be adequate for some applications, they can also be less than optimal in other situations. Specifically, due to ever increasing power demands and regulations regarding engine efficiency, emissions, and power, more room within the engine enclosure is being consumed by specialized equipment required to satisfy the demands and regulations. Accordingly, hoods are becoming larger and taller to enclose this equipment, and the handles on top of the hood are becoming difficult for the machine operator to reach. In addition, the top-mounted handle can require significant force to pull a large hood open and, in combination with side-mounted latches, require a lot of effort and time.

#FIG. 1 is side-view illustration of a machine having an exemplary disclosed hood assembly;

#FIG. 2 is an isometric view illustration of the hood assembly of FIG. 1;

#FIGS. 3-5 are isometric view illustrations of a fender flare that can form a portion of the hood assembly of FIG. 1; and

#FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a machine 10. Machine 10 may be a mobile machine that performs some type of operation associated with an industry such as construction, farming, mining, long-haul transportation, or another industry known in the art. For example, machine 10 may be an on-highway haul truck (shown in FIG. 1), a dump truck, a cement truck, a semi-truck (tractor/trailer), off-highway truck, bus, or another similar vocational vehicle. In the example of FIG. 1, machine 10 includes a frame 12 that supports a power source 14 forward of an operator station 16, although other machine configurations may also be possible. Machine 10 may also include a plurality of traction devices 18 that are rotatingly connected to machine frame 12 and driven by power source 14 to propel machine 10, and a hood assembly 20 pivotally connected to frame 12 (or another support structure of machine 10) and associated with power source 14.

#Operator station 16 may be an onboard location from which an operator of machine 10 observes performance of machine 10 and provides instructions for controlling machine 10. In the disclosed example, operator station 16 is a substantially enclosed structure supported by frame 12 that includes one or more interface devices (not shown) located proximate an operator seat (not shown). It is contemplated, however, that operator station 16 may alternatively be a generally open platform, if desired, and may or may not include a seat (i.e., the operator may be required to stand during control of machine 10).

#Traction devices 18 may embody wheels located on each side of machine 10. For example, eight traction devices 18 (only two shown) may be located toward a rear-end of machine 10 and arranged in left and right tandems, while two traction devices 18 may be located toward a front-end of machine 10 (only a left front traction device 18 is shown). Any of front and rear traction devices 18 may be driven and/or steered, as desired. It is also contemplated that one or all of traction devices 18 may be replaced with another type of traction device, if desired, such as tracks or belts.