This disclosure relates to a hood stop assembly for setting the flushness of a hood of a vehicle relative to the surrounding vehicle body structure.
Referring to
If the hood height is not flush with the surrounding outer body panels, the hood is opened and the height of the hood stop 26 must be readjusted. This process is repeated until the height of the hood 22 is acceptable. In vehicle assembly operations, this procedure for adjusting the height of the hood 22 increases labor costs and assembly time.
The height of the hood stop 26 can be improperly adjusted during a service operation. The height of the hood 22 may need to be readjusted after a front end collision repair.
The above problems and other problems are addressed by this disclosure as summarized below.
The present disclosure relates to a hood stop assembly for setting a selected height position of a hood of a vehicle relative to a support frame for the hood. The hood stop assembly includes a receptacle attached to the support frame. The receptacle defines an opening, and a plurality of teeth is axially arranged within the opening. The hood stop assembly also includes a stop that has a shaft partially received in the opening and a head at an upper end of the shaft and disposed above the receptacle. The stop has a locking member selectively connecting the stop to the receptacle to fix the shaft to the receptacle with the hood engaging the head at the selected height position. The locking member also has at least one wedge lock tooth that is received in at least one of the plurality of teeth. The hood stop assembly further includes a release operatively connected to the locking member that is actuated to disengage the wedge lock tooth from the plurality of teeth.
The hood stop assembly may include a locking member having a locking projection and the receptacle may further define a slot. The stop is rotatable to engage and disengage the locking projection from the slot. The hood stop assembly may further have a second locking member connected to the stop. The second locking member has a second wedge lock tooth. The receptacle includes a second set of teeth for receiving the second wedge lock tooth. The hood stop assembly may include a biasing device positioned between the stop and the receptacle. The biasing device biases the stop upwardly within the receptacle.
The present disclosure also relates to a hood stop assembly that includes a receptacle attached to the support frame and that defines an opening having a first part of a linear ratchet. The hood stop assembly also includes a stop that has a head on an upper end. The stop is inserted into the opening defined by the receptacle with the head extending above the receptacle to engage the hood in a closed position. The stop includes a second part of the linear ratchet that cooperates with the first part of the linear ratchet. The hood stop assembly also has a spring that biases the stop toward the hood in the closed position. When the hood is moved to a closed position, the stop is pressed into the receptacle. The first part of the linear ratchet and the second part of the linear ratchet are relatively movable to insert the stop further into the receptacle and to resist the withdrawal of the stop from the receptacle. The hood stop assembly further includes a release mechanism operable to release the first part of the linear ratchet from the second part of the linear ratchet to selectively allow the stop to be withdrawn from the receptacle.
The hood stop assembly may have a plurality of teeth that is provided within the opening. The stop may include a wedge lock tooth that engages to one of the plurality of teeth when the stop is pressed into the receptacle. The stop may have a locking projection, and a slot may be provided within the opening. When the stop is rotated, the locking projection is inserted into the slot to prevent the stop from moving vertically.
The present disclosure further relates to a hood stop assembly for a vehicle that includes a head for supporting a hood of the vehicle and a shaft connected to the head. The shaft has a locking projection. The hood stop assembly also has a branch connected to the shaft. The branch includes a plurality of wedge lock teeth. The hood stop assembly further includes a receptacle with the shaft and the branch being moveable within the receptacle. The receptacle has an interior wall that having a linear ratchet for engaging with one of the plurality of the wedge lock teeth. The interior wall includes a slot that is engaged by the locking projection. A spring positioned within the receptacle biases the shaft. When the hood of the vehicle is placed on the head, the shaft presses against the spring and one of the plurality of the wedge lock teeth engages the linear ratchet to set a hood stop position. The hood stop position is lockable by rotating the shaft within the receptacle allowing the locking projection to engage the slot. The hood stop assembly may include a branch that is moveable relative to the shaft to disengage one of the plurality of the wedge lock teeth from the linear ratchet.
The present disclosure relates to a method of setting a hood of a vehicle to a support frame. The method includes the step of connecting a receptacle to the support frame. The receptacle includes an interior wall that defines a first part of a linear ratchet. The method includes the step of inserting a shaft into the receptacle. The shaft includes a head and a wedge tooth lock. The wedge lock tooth forms a second part of the linear ratchet. The method further includes the step of engaging the first part and the second part of the linear ratchet. The shaft may have a locking projection, and the interior wall of the receptacle defines a slot.
The method may include the step of rotating the shaft to insert the locking projection into the slot to further set the hood. The method may include the step of operating a release mechanism to disengage the first part and the second part of the linear ratchet. The method may also include the step of rotating the shaft to release the locking projection from the slot and the step of operating a release mechanism to disengage the first part and the second part of the linear ratchet. The method may also include rotating the shaft to release the locking projection from slot.
The above aspects of this disclosure and other aspects are described below in greater detail with reference to the attached drawings.
The illustrated embodiments are disclosed with reference to the drawings. However, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are intended to be merely examples that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. The specific structural and functional details disclosed are not to be interpreted as limiting, but as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art how to practice the disclosed concepts.
Referring to
The receptacle 34 defines an opening 48 that receives the shaft 38 and the locking members 40 and 42. The opening 48 includes an inner wall that defines a first set of teeth 52 and a second set of teeth 54. The first and second sets of teeth are axially aligned on opposite sides of the shaft 38 from each other. In an alternative embodiment, only one set of teeth may be provided. Each set of teeth forms a part of a linear ratchet. A biasing device 50, such as a spring, is positioned in between the shaft 38 and the base of the opening 48 of the receptacle 34. The biasing device 50 biases the shaft 38 out of the receptacle 34.
Referring to
The height position of the hood 22 relative to the support frame 56 can be adjusted even if the stop 33 is locked by operating the release mechanism. The release 57 and 58 can be pressed towards the shaft 38 to release the wedge lock teeth of the locking members 40 and 42 from the sets teeth of the receptacle 52 and 54. The biasing device 50 pushes against the shaft 38 to extend the shaft 38 away from the receptacle 34. The release mechanism selectively withdraws the stop 33 from the receptacle 34. The steps described above can be repeated until the desired height position of the hood 22 is achieved relative to the support frame 56. The hood stop assembly 32 provides a mechanism for easily and precisely setting and adjusting the height of the hood relative to the support frame of the hood. The hood stop assembly 32 is self-adjusting and provides several height increments for the head with a release mechanism for resetting the height of the hood.
Referring to
The hood stop assembly 60 includes a stop 62 having a head 64 that supports the hood 22. A shaft 66 is attached to the head 64, and a locking branch 68 is provided for setting a selected height position of the hood 22. The hood stop assembly 60 further includes a receptacle 70 that partially receives the shaft 66. A clip 72 is provided below the receptacle 70 to secure the hood stop assembly to a supporting frame, fender, or other adjacent structure of the vehicle.
Referring to
The secondary locking mechanism of the hood stop assembly 60 includes a plurality of locking projections 78. The locking projections 78 are axially arranged and attached to the side of the shaft 66 that is opposite the lock branch 68. Referring to
The hood stop assembly 60 is mounted to a support frame, fender, or adjacent support structure of a vehicle 20. The shaft 66 extends away from the receptacle 70 and is partially received within the receptacle 70. Some of the wedge lock teeth 74 of the lock branch 68 interlock with some of the teeth of the receptacle 70. The biasing device 82 biases the shaft 66 to extend away from the receptacle 70 preventing the shaft 66 from being moved upwards. Without operating the release mechanism, the shaft 66 can only be moved further into the receptacle. The shaft 66 is oriented with the locking projections 78 disengaged with the slots 84 of the receptacle.
Referring to
Referring to
While exemplary embodiments are described above, it is not intended that these embodiments describe all possible forms of the disclosed apparatus and method. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as claimed. The features of various implementing embodiments may be combined to form further embodiments of the disclosed concepts.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20150167359 A1 | Jun 2015 | US |